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-BERKLEY FRONT
-COCK & BULL ENGLISH PUB
-GROWLER'S PUB
-LEMMINGS & GREEN EYE
-CORCORAN’S
& 2 VAUGHAN’S
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Great Food & Great
Beer . . . And That’s No Bull!
COCK & BULL ENGLISH PUB Celebrated Fourth Anniversary in 2003
In the middle of a German Village that’s
in the middle of Covington, Kentucky that’s just across the
Ohio River from downtown Cincinnati, you’ll find a charming,
hip English Pub. The Cock & Bull English Pub
opened in August, 1999. It quickly became known for its imported
beer selection with 12 imports on tap, and 60 in bottle. At the
time, the Cock & Bull was the first pub in the area to pour
many of its unique draft beers.
It was a welcome addition to the MainStrasse Village
– a shopping and entertainment district with 15 bars &
restaurants just 3 blocks south of the Ohio River bank. MainStrasse
is a growing entertainment area that has over 1.2 million visitors
each year. It hosts the city’s three major street festivals
on its tree lined “strasse”: Mardi Gras
in Feb.(15-20,000 attendance), Maifest –third
weekend of May each year (175,000 attendance), and the Oktoberfest
(225,000 attendance)
“When we were building this place, we got our bar and tap
systems in pretty early. So, by accident, we really teased who would
become our clientele,” said Craig Johnson,
co-owner of the Cock & Bull English Pub. “They
saw the great draft beer selection, and the beautifully hand carved
mahogany bar and back bar for about 4 months before we opened. They
would knock on the windows and beg us to open so they could get
one beer or another.”
The Pub found that it had to educate their customers about the virtues
of great beer if their mantra “NO DOMESTICS…EVER ON
TAP” was to work. “When we first opened, most of the
beers we poured weren’t carried in the area. Beers like Fuller’s
ESB, Hoegarden,…even Newcastle was
hard to find”, he added. The Cock & Bull made a concerted
effort to get people to try their wide array of beers. “We
gave out lots of samples to build business in those early days.
If someone was a loyal domestic drinker… we got it for them,
but offered some other beer samples, too. I knew once they tried
them, they were hooked. Reissdorf Kolsch , a crisp
light German ale, was what we would give to those customers. I call
it our “Gateway Beer” because once I had you off the
domestics, I had you off them for good!”
The Pub also came up with a unique promotion to get people to sample
the various brews. “By our second year, we expanded up to
18 imports on draft, so it was even more important that people “experiment,”
trying them all. July had been our slowest summer month in previous
years, so we decided to try our promotion then.” Customers
would get a “passport” on the first day of July. If
at the end of the month, they had ordered and consumed one full
20 ounce pint of every draft beer, they won a special T-shirt. “Since
it was the same month as the The Running Of The Bulls in Pamplona….
And we’re the Cock & Bull…. The Running
of The Taps was born!” said co-partner Scott
Roseburrough. The promotion worked, with draft beer sales
increasing a stunning 72%.
The restaurant side of the business has been more successful than
even the owners anticipated. There is a full menu of salads, steaks,
and sandwiches, but what sets them apart are their Bangers n’
Mash and Fish n’ Chips. “We have a great location, right
on the corner in the middle of the Village, with 50 outdoor seats,
but that means nothing if your food has a bad reputation. We’ve
been blessed to have people love our menu, especially both our Fish
Sandwich and our Fish n’ Chips, which quickly become the huge
selling signature item,” said Johnson. During Lent, they employ
one person full time just to only bread and batter fish. “His
only job is to cut, batter, and bread our fish… it’s
that crazy!” he says. “It’s amazing how much people
love our fish. They are extremely loyal and have really spread the
word. I have had people tell me that they had driven 2 hours to
get our fish,” said Operations Manager Jill Brooks.
The Cock & Bull currently has the following
on tap: Woodpecker Cider, Strongbow Cider, Franziskaner
Weiss, New Castle Brown, Tennents Lager, Bass Ale, Guinness, Harp,
Reissdorf Kolsch, Spaten Oktoberfest and Spaten
Lager, Murphy’s Stout, Whitbread Ale, Fullers ESB, Blue Moon,
Killian’s, Sierra Nevada, and the MainStrasse
Village Ale (produced by the Barrelhouse Brewing
Company in Cincinnati).
The Cock & Bull will soon be expanding up
to 32 draft beers. “It will allow us to put 5-6 good bottle
sellers on that we don’t have room for at times, and better
yet, allow us to have 5-6 really unique ones that you won’t
find anywhere else, ”said Roseburrough. Well, if it’s
great food and great beers you are looking for, stop in the Cock
& Bull English Pub in Covington, Kentucky – just
across the river from downtown Cincinnati. Check out their website
for directions and other information. Theenglishpub.com
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CORCORAN’S & 2 VAUGHAN’S
By Perry Huntoon
Saint Patrick’s Day may have passed, but that
doesn’t keep us from checking out good Irish pubs in Chicago,
Illinois. Scattered about three quite different neighborhoods, Old
Town, Lakeview and the tiny enclave of Gladstone Park, we found
three highly interesting bars under the common ownership of Eamon
and Kevin Vaughn. While the neighborhoods may be different, the
concept of serving a variety of good beer, with an emphasis on Guinness,
plus great ambiance is a common theme running through the Vaughn
establishments.
First up is VAUGHAN’S, 2917 N. Sheffield, (773) 281-8188),
less than a mile south of Wrigley Field. Lakeview is known for great
neighborhood bars and Vaughn’s is no exception. Located just
North of Diversey, this bar caters to the typical neighborhood crowd.
With 20 bottled varieties and 16 taps, the beer selection is outstanding.
Jeff, the bartender on duty when I came in, was
justifiably proud of the tap handles. With Vaughn’s Irish
theme, Guinness and Harp are,
of course, mainstays. But the lineup also included Bass,
Boddington, Sierra Nevada, Honkers, Pilsner Urquell, Anchor Steam,
Blue Moon, Magners Cider, Fuller’s ESB, Bullmer’s Strongbow,
Summit Hefeweizen, Carlsberg, and a Bell’s
seasonal. And being Chicago, Miller Lite is also
available. When I asked about Old Style, Jeff smiled
and confided, that, while it isn’t carried, he does get requests
for it. The full bar also carries an outstanding liquor selection.
Vaughn’s has no kitchen, but has a limited bar menu including
sandwiches and pizza for which orders are phoned in.
I visited on an unseasonably warm afternoon. The front windows were
open and several of the patrons were taking advantage of this by
sitting close by the window, carrying on animated conversations
with lady friends on the sidewalk. Dog friendly, several large,
seemingly friendly pets were nestled on the floor while their owners
quaffed a brew or two.
CORCORAN’S GRILL, 1615 N. Wells, (312) 440-0885),
is another Vaughn operation. Located just above North Avenue,
this establishment captures the Old Town crowd. As the name implies,
this location features a kitchen, is open for lunch and features
a small patio on the sidewalk in front. In addition, a beer garden
is out back and is utilized from May 1st throughout the summer months.
With 12 taps and about 25 bottled selections, Corcoran’s is
first-rate when it comes to dispensing beer.
And Corcoran’s is also noted for its outstanding bartenders.
Pat Berger, formerly of Weeghman Park &
Flatlander's , has a reputation that transcends
the bar. On duty, when I arrived, was Peter. One
of the female patrons seated at the bar stated emphatically to me,
“Peter is the best bartender in Chicago.” She elaborated
by telling me that, not only does he perform the typical functions
of a bartender, but also he is very respectful of women. Peter just
smiled when he heard this, but it was clear that he is highly liked
by the patrons. Not only can he draw a perfect Guinness, he mixes
some killer specialty Martinis.
Co-owner Kevin Vaughn’s wife, Kristen,
manages Corcoran’s. Efficiency rules here. With its kitchen
facilities drawing both the lunchtime crowd and the after work crowd
seeking decent food to go with the great beers, a proper balance
is kept between the dining and drinking customers. Aided by servers
like the very pretty, but camera shy, Jennie, orders
for both food and drink are handled with great dispatch. While I
don’t spend a lot of time in the Old Town area, Corcoran’s
has enough going for it that I would return again and again.
A different feel surrounds Vaughn’s at 5485
Northwest Highway, (773) 631-9206. This outpost of the
family establishments was formerly located on Milwaukee Avenue in
Jefferson Park. Relocated about four years ago to the small and
obscure Gladstone Park neighborhood, it draws largely from nearby
Jefferson Park. Of the three bars, this is the most accessible from
a parking standpoint. It also seems more authentic in that the Irish
brogues heard here are very pronounced. Located in more of a working
class neighborhood, the clientele here tends to be slightly older
than at the “in town” locations. I visited twice and,
on the second visit, was amazed at how packed the bar was on a mid-Monday
afternoon. Bartender Tim, whose wife Ann
is the manager, handled the crowd with great aplomb. With 16 taps,
he had a lot of happy patrons. Guinness, as to be expected, is the
big seller, but I opted for Murphy’s Irish Amber
and it was outstanding.
The bottled selection here, unlike Corcoran’s and the Vaughan’s
on Sheffield, features brands like MGD, Lite and
Old Style plus Corona and Heineken.
With draft beers both properly served and at just the right temperature,
there is little need to be concerned about bottled selections.
This Vaughn’s location also has a kitchen, which is open 11:00
AM to 9:00 PM. Running the gamut from appetizers to sandwiches to
entrees, my interest was sparked by the all day Irish breakfast
consisting of Irish sausage, Black & White Pudding and bacon
served with eggs, grilled tomato, potatoes, beans, tea toast and
brown bread. I need to go back to check that one out! A party room
upstairs will accommodate up to 80 people, great for any private
function.
I thought it odd that an Irish pub didn’t have a dartboard.
But, as Tim explained, they instead have a pub quiz on Wednesday.
This attracts a lot of attention and apparently covers the gamut
of every conceivable subject except sports. A great way to break
up the week.
So, depending on what part of the North Side you happen to be in,
check out one or all of the Vaughn’s enterprises. You don’t
have to wait until next St. Patrick’s Day to feel Irish and
have a good time in good company.
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BERKLEY'S FRONT PUB
An American Beer Garden
by Douglas George
A bell rings and the regulars look up. “We
ring the bell every time someone orders a “sissy” drink,”
laughed Sabina Allen. Sissy drinks are light beers.
You won’t find many sissy drinks at Berkley’s
Front Pub; but you will find a good selection of great
beers in a neighborhood bar atmosphere. Tom Allen
opened Berkley's Front Pub in 1993 as a genuine American beer garden.
Berkley’s Front Pub serves 85 types of beer in bottles and
43 on tap. The names of the current beers are listed on the white
board above the taps. Many beers change every week so there is always
something new to taste. Tom Allen scours the world looking for good
beer to supply his customers at reasonable prices. Some kegs of
beer are from Germany, some from London, some from Ireland, and
of course many from America. Many beers are from Michigan such as
Arcadia and Bell’s Beer.
One of the more interesting beer names listed on the White Board,
and especially appropriate to a town so close to Detroit, is “Harveytown
Old Engine Oil.”
The friendly and warm atmosphere in Berkley’s front pub adds
one more reason to visit. As an example, the regulars call Sabina
“the fraulein” because she came from Germany. Sabina
knows the regulars by name and makes a point to speak to everyone.
The jukebox displays an eclectic selection of songs such as Frank
Sinatra, Stones, Jazz and most genres of music except heavy metal.
In the summertime, the Pub serves typical bar food. In the cooler
months the menu expands to include German food such as sauerbraten
and red cabbage. Tom and Sabina Allen are currently building a new
kitchen and expanding their menu. The food and beer is so good Daimler-Chrysler
executives from Germany hold parties in the bar when they are in
America. The parties are served in the upstairs portion of Berkley’s
Front Pub. But, you don’t have to be an executive to rent
the upstairs. So if you are looking for a place to hold your private
party, choose Berkley’s Front Pub.
BERKLEY’S FRONT PUB
3087 West 12 Mile Road, Berkley, MI. (248) 547-3331.
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GROWLERS PUB:
All the Selection of the World, All the Friendliness of
the Neighborhood
By Warren Crouse
When I met with Vice President Bill Kunz,
it was during Growler’s Pub’s Oktoberfest.
Amidst the craziness that surrounds an event like that I asked Bill
what his favorite beer was. His response with a laugh was, “Whatever
distributor I’m with at the time.” Promptly after that
I lost his attentions to some friendly regulars; a theme that would
reoccur throughout the afternoon, showing how much a man can make
a place.
While waiting, I looked around at the non-traditional décor
of the pub. One of the first things that struck me about Growlers
is the tap handles behind the bar. There are 33 of them at the Growlers
Pub - Sunset Hills location and 32 at the Growlers
Pub - Creve Coeur location, but what makes them unique
is the design. The tap handles are set so close together that Bill
had special handles made. They are all the same spindle shape, made
out of wood, identified by numbers relating to a chalkboard above,
and are mounted on wooden kegs.
The way they handle the beer selection around here is fairly unique
as well. The beer menu is changed twice yearly, once on the Monday
before St. Patrick’s Day and a second time on the third Monday
of September. The Spring-Summer menu reflects a lighter style, includes
Hefeweizen. The Fall-Winter selection finds mainly Bocks, Porter,
and Stouts. And it isn’t just a rotating menu from the year
before. At least 35 beers are changed between the 33 taps and 99
bottles are that carried at any one time. Once Bill tried to do
all of this himself, but he told me it was just too much beer to
drink. The job now has passed to Growlers loyal following of The
Royal Order of Tasters.
The Royal Order of Tasters is a beer
club that is just one-way Bill tries to reward his patrons. It starts
out with a patron drinking any 25 different beers to receive the
title of Honorary Brewmaster. Progress is kept
track of on a card, and when 131 beers are consumed, the card is
full and the patron receives a pewter mug with his or her name on
it. It can be taken home, or left at Growlers to receive a 22 oz
draw for the price of a regular (14 oz). (Bill says ‘why call
it a pint if it is only 14 oz’) Completing more cards results
in Growlers hats, polo shirts, and towels, but when you get to the
4th card, the patron receives a Growlers jacket. The 5th time a
patron gets a 131 Mash Tony Plaque. For the 10th
card completed, the prize is a Seiko watch
with Growlers logo on it, valued at $500. The 15th time (yes there
are 2 people at this level) the reward is a Growlers Neon,
just like the one over the mantle. Bill’s current dilemma
is what to do when someone hits 20 times. He has a few ideas, but
I don’t want to spoil any surprises.
It is from this loyal group that Bill selects the beers. Anyone
from this group can participate as long as they have at least 3
cards completed and can make it on the second Monday in January
and June. This last time there was 45 beers that were blind tasted
and scored by 50 tasters. The highest scored ones stayed, and at
least 35 changed. When it was all done, Bill handed them a six-pack
holder and has them take some for later.
While this results in beer Growlers patrons enjoy, this isn’t
the only reason that keeps them coming back. Growler’s has
a selection of 47 Scotches, including Macallon 25 Year,
Glenmorangie Vintage, and a Glenfiddich 30 Year.
Shots can be bought in full servings, or in half servings. Scotch
sampler platters are also available, as is a selection of fine cigars
to complement the scotch.
Beer specials are also available. Every month they run a feature
beer where $5 buys a regular full of beer that a patron can keep,
with refills only $3.50. Mondays is the $2 regulars special and
Wednesday is Pale of Ale Night where any 6 bottled
beers can be had for $16. Or you can get a mix and match six-packs
to go for 20 percent off. Growlers often has beers that can’t
be gotten elsewhere in St. Louis. Of course there is the Christmas
basket special where a patron can buy $35 basket of beer for $25.
It is also done in $50, $75, and $100 packages. Bill’s philosophy
is simple: “We are constantly trying to come up with new ideas
to keep it fresh.”
It is fresh. In fact there are so many different ways Bill and Sunset
Hills General Manager Pepe Vantreece offer customers to
enjoy beer that is almost tough to participate in all off them.
Of course not every venture or idea is successful. There was a third
Growler’s location that brewed beer for about one year that
eventually closed. Like Bill said, “It is not always right,
and not always popular, but you gotta keep trying.”
It is for reasons like this, and Bill and Pepe’s philosophy
towards their customers, which probably explains why Growlers has
had such a success at the Sunset Hills and Creve Coeur locations.
It might also explain why Growlers has received Best Beer Award
six years in a row from Riverfront Times, and why Cheers Magazine
ranked it as Best Beer Program. Or it could have to do with Pepe
and Bill’s love for the customers. Sometimes just talking
to one of them was impossible for the sheer amount of people stopping
and greeting them. Most of them reiterated over and over how it
is Pepe and Bill that make Growlers such a pleasant place to come
back to. And comeback they do. Growlers is truly a place where almost
everybody knows your name, and the ones that don’t will gladly
ask. The true mark of a pub is where the friendliness of the management
is reflected by its customers and beers are raised at the meeting
of strangers.
GROWLER'S PUB
763 Old Ballas Road St. Louis, MO 63141
(314) 432-3110
GROWLER'S PUB
3811 S. Lindbergh
Boulevard Sappington, MO 63127
314.984.9009
www.growlerspub.com
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LEMMINGS & GREEN EYE
ANOTHER BUCKTOWN FAVORITE AND ONE TO COME
By Perry Huntoon
Recently, I wrote about The Silver Cloud, a Bucktown
favorite on Damen where I first met owner Ric Hess.
At the time (1994), he was also managing another bar just up the
street. Out of curiosity, we checked it out and found LEMMINGS,
1850 N. DAMEN (PHONE: 773-862-1688). The neon Schlitz
sign centered in the front window immediately attracted me. And,
sure enough, that brew was on tap at $1.50 per pint. I wasn’t
particularly in love with Schlitz but at times it was too good a
bargain to pass up, particularly on a hot, humid, summer evening.
Come the cooler weather and I was looking for a Bell’s Amber
or the eqivalent. And LEMMINGS was the place to go. North Damen
was just being discovered and it was an exciting area. LEMMINGS
maintained itself as an unpretentious neighborhood bar. There was
an outside chalkboard either proclaiming a daily special or some
witticism. But, as the area became more vibrant, the bar tended
to become more crowded earlier and parking became problematical.
Besides, Schlitz dropped its kegs and the bar was forced to convert
to cans. I am not a lover of canned beer in bars, only at picnics
or sporting events. We drifted on and only rarely popped back in
for a beer or two or three.
Recently, we decided it was time to check LEMMINGS out again. Told
that manager Steve Kopka comes in at 9:00 PM, I
popped in one night and was too early to catch him. The bar was
crowded, the crowd was young, and the music was blaring. I thought,
“Uh, Oh, this is no longer my kind of place.” But, experience
has taught me that one visit may not be typical. I returned a couple
of weeks later to find Jim and Jason Ebel,
along with Kevin O’Leary, all of Two
Brothers Brewing Company at the bar. We had a delightful
conversation over a pint of their French Country Ale.
Steve was working the bar and I was able to introduce myself to
him. I looked around and it was much more of a mixed crowd, age
wise. And, I didn’t need to shout to be heard.
Returning on a recent early Saturday evening, I introduced myself
to the bartender on duty, Matt, and we had a chance to talk for
a few minutes while it was still quiet time. With about ten taps,
most feature American micro-brews with a couple of imports thrown
in. Miller Lite is there just to remind you that
this is Chicago and Three Floyd’s Alpha King
is on a hand pull. PBR is the low price tap beer.
Schlitz is still available, and quite popular,
but still in cans. That seems to be the way the customers like it.
Talking with Steve again at a later date brought home to me an
understanding of LEMMINGS success. While Bucktown has changed, the
bar still maintains its appeal to the older regulars and yet still
manages to attract a newer, somewhat younger, crowd. You never know
what any given night will bring, but you can be assured that it
will be a friendly grouping and you can most always fit right in.
Of great interest is the news of a new Bucktown bar opening probably
in mid-to-late August. THE GREEN EYE LOUNGE, 2403 W. HOMER
will be right at the Milwaukee/Western Blue Line “L”
stop and a short block south of Armitage. While, technically, the
western limit of Bucktown is generally considered to be the center
of Western Avenue, this could place the bar on the fringe of Humboldt
Park. But, for all intents and purposes, it will be a neighborhood
Bucktown style pub. The former bar occupying the premises is now
being rehabbed (this means the loss of yet another hanging Old
Style sign) and should look quite attractive when finished.
Like LEMMINGS, it will most likely feature a low price “retro”
plus a decent selection of micro and mainstream beers. No need for
a kitchen either, as the location is only steps away from pizza,
tacos or hamburgers (both McDonalds and White Castle). Incidentally,
if you are curious about the name, “Green Eye” is an
old railroad term meaning “go ahead.” It seems apt considering
the pub’s location right alongside the ”L.” We
will look forward checking out this new entry and probably adding
it to our list of favorites.
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