4th Annual CTA Pub Crawl

[Zutroy]

We accidentally deleted this post (sorry Zutroy!).  So we'll use this one for information.

New rule: If people aren't registered here or I guess on the Beer Advocate calendar entry, then they will not be able to attend parts of the crawl. The Metropolitan portion is only available to people who have added themselves here or at BA. If you're planning to bring more than one guest, you will either need to tell me or they will need to register.


Cubs game at 2:40

Optional Start at Local Option at 12:00 for lunch.  If you want to be guaranteed lunch, get their before 1.

Official Start is 1pm at Local Option.  As long as we spend about 45 minutes at Local Option and we don't get to Sheffield's until after 2:15 or so then we'll be cleared through the "Clark corridor".
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So the crawl could be:

Local Option -> Sheffield's via either Red or Brown to Belmont

Sheffield's -> Risque via 3 block walk

Risque -> Long Room via Clark Bus and a four or five block walk (optional stop at Goose Island near Risque)

Long Room -> Metropolitan via Ashland Bus and 2 block walk

Metropolitan -> Hopleaf via 3 block walk

Optional next stops all via short walks:
Ravenswood Pub, Fireside Restaurant, Edgewater Lounge or In Fine Spirits.

Here is the map created by BeerPrincess:
http://beermapping.com/maps/beertrips/?btid=9

[JCoe]

This is always one of my favorite crawls. I really hope we can do it again this year.
I don't have any plans for late March or April yet, so plan away.

[emerge077]

Let's work out an itinerary here, and nominate someone as sheepherder (not i) :P

[beerinator]

Is there any interest in a 4th Annual CTA Pub Crawl? Braconid, our fearless leader of pub crawls past, may not be here to guide us  …but we can honor his memory by continuing the venerable tradition.

I don't think you were around for the first one, but technically I started the whole thing with a BA thread.  I ran the first one and then Braconid took over the second year and then he passed the buck to hugbee the third year.

March is really busy, it might be tough to get a crowd when it's booked so full.

[BeerPrincess]

Maybe sometime in April.

[Redrover]

How about Saturday April 11th?  It is Easter Weekend which may or may not be an issue.

[beerinator]

How about Saturday April 11th?  It is Easter Weekend which may or may not be an issue.

I think we'd be good with that date, but I would imagine that some wouldn't be able to make it.  We're not really going to get a date that everyone will agree on, and that is a really tough thing about planning these things.

[beerinator]

I think going back to the roots of this thing and doing a:

Rock Bottom -> Clark Street -> Goose Island Clybourn -> Local Option -> (Delilah's?) -> Sheffields

Would be a good journey.

I know everyone wants to put Map Room on the list and Piece, but I can tell you that Map Room really doesn't like crowds our size if they are unprepared.  Most of these places aren't big fans of strolling crowds like ours because they have to staff extra help and we're only there for 30 minutes to an hour.  On year two of the CTA crawl, I was the one that contacted Map Room for our free lunch, and I know they spent quite a bit of extra money preparing for a larger amount of Ribs/Chicken from Leon's.

We could possibly skip Clark Street and add others to the further end of the trip, like Risque.

[Zutroy]

I think going back to the roots of this thing and doing a:

Rock Bottom -> Clark Street -> Goose Island Clybourn -> Local Option -> (Delilah's?) -> Sheffields

Would be a good journey.

I know everyone wants to put Map Room on the list and Piece, but I can tell you that Map Room really doesn't like crowds our size if they are unprepared.  Most of these places aren't big fans of strolling crowds like ours because they have to staff extra help and we're only there for 30 minutes to an hour.

We could possibly skip Clark Street and add others to the further end of the trip, like Risque.

I agree, Piece and the Map Room get plenty of love already. The route looks solid, with Hopleaf as the perennial end-of-crawl dinner option. I would swap Clark Street for Risque as you suggested, but only because I think Clark Street doesn't open until late in the afternoon (can anyone confirm?).

April 11th works for me, perhaps not-so-much for the more pious among us. What do you guys think?

[beerinator]

I agree, Piece and the Map Room get plenty of love already. The route looks solid, with Hopleaf as the perennial end-of-crawl dinner option. I would swap Clark Street for Risque as you suggested, but only because I think Clark Street doesn't open until late in the afternoon (can anyone confirm?).

The first year we did a similar course and I think we just started later.  I believe that Clark Street opens at 3 on a Saturday, but I could be wrong (it might be 4).  That was the year that we did the first (optional) stop at Berghoff Cafe.

I'll have to find the old pdf I made for people, but I believe we met at Rock Bottom around 2-ish.

[beerinator]

Ha! I found it. 

Attached is the word document that I sent out to people and I had printed for our out of towners.  I was wrong, we started at Rock Bottom at 3, which means that Clark Street probably doesn't open until 4 (I remember calling and checking this out before we did this last trip).

[emerge077]

I think Clark Street doesn't open until late in the afternoon (can anyone confirm?).

That's right, they don't open til 4pm, possibly 5.

As long as we're at Sheffield's and/or Risque, i'd throw Guthrie's in the mix (as a maybe) on the way to Hopleaf. They would have patio seating, and a fair sized back room to accommodate the group. 3-4 blocks from Southport on the brown line.

http://beermapping.com/maps/reviews/reviews.php?locid=7905

[Redrover]

For the first one, we had an optional start at the Berghoff (due to its demise).  Now that the bar has reopened and expanded, perhaps we could schedule them as a first stop (optional) to see the changes?  They are right off the redline so getting to Rock Bottom is a snap.  Plus, at that time it would be easy to grab some food.

Either way, I like the crawl as outlined.

[Tyee]

Sounds like fun. Unfortunately, Dasha and I will be in Seattle that weekend (visiting family and seeing if the West Coast knows anything about beer).

Cheers

[emerge077]

"seeing if the West Coast knows anything about beer"

Bring back some good examples if they do
(dear santa, bring me consecration, sanctification, etc!)