This hasn't been done in a while

will probably show at the jerry's event - ba9k is pretty delicious

 

I wish [ten char - remember that?]

 

Smallbar put on a great sour event. Got to talk to Perennial's brewers about upcoming beers (lots of sours!) and they brought a surprise sour, a Kiwi Wild Ale. Really amazing. They stole the show that night in my opinion. Was pretty excited for the Cantillon, but it was way more funky than Classic Gueuze usually is, and had an off metallic taste. Bad keg maybe, but a great event overall.

Jerry's was good but there was a big issue with the BA 9000. Supposedly they only had 1/5th of a 1/6 keg, which is maybe 10 pours, and almost everyone was shut out. My group got a table an hour early and had our order put in way ahead of time and we didn't get 1 glass. The manager took care of us though, far more than he had to, discounting our entire bill 50%, and that was after we all (7 of us) had dinner, appetizers and several beers each. Really cannot complain about $20 a person for a night of great ba beers and awesome food, and that was with a generous tip.

 

Also OP didn't mention it, but Goose Island Clybourn just tapped several BA beers. Not sure whats still available, but they had:

Olive Branch - Wine Barrel Aged Black Saison
Aged for almost 2 years in wine barrels with an innoclutaion of Brettanomyces. Opaque in color, big nose of tart fruit and a touch of grass/hay, soft dark malt flavors and just a touch of tartness finishing dry and crisp.

Candy Man - BBL Aged Belgian Red
Aged in a Rye barrel for almost a year with dried tangerines, vanilla and star anise. Deep red color with a bizarre nose of liquoice, fruit and spice and a touch of oak character with a soft malt body and dry finish.

Honey B - Bourbon BBL Aged English-Style Barleywine
Mohagany color, bourbon and vanilla aroma, rich toffee and caramel soaked fig flavor, full body

 

Just left after a few glasses of cherry rye! Got super pumped when I saw rare but figured it was a misprint despite what the server said. Awesome event either way, almost no crowd and we got there 30 min before cherry went on tap.

 

Got home from ballydoyle a little while ago..

I cant move....pretty faded from the cherry, coffee and regular bcbs....honestly bcbs was probably my favorite....Cherry rye was sooooo strong of cherry; deff NOT the same strength of cherry flavor as the bottles I had.

Highlight of the night.....I ask barkeep for "a few cherries" (ie: a few glasses of cherry rye bcsb)........He leaves and comes back 20 seconds later with a literal glass of cherries.

Was good to meet a few fellow BA's........ ( BM me, those who i met )

 

Jerrys had a full sixtel, I personally watched the bartender pour at least 100 glasses before it kicked.

 

There's only actually only about 40 8oz pours in a sixtel (330oz). Even if we're talking 6oz pours, that's 55 pours max.

The problem with the BA9K that night was the instant that it struck 8:30 the servers grabbed the first 30+ pours of BA9K for those seated at tables. I had dinner at the bar (came in at 7:00), literally with a seat right at the front, was completley ignored, and then it kicked right in front of me at 8:50. Nearly everyone at the bar got shut out.

 

None of us got up to go to the bar since we thought we had a glass coming for sure so I didn't see the situation up there. Not sure who it was that told us there was so little, but thanks for clearing that up.

 

Not sure then, all I know for sure was full trays of ba9k were being shuttled around for at least 20 minutes pretty steadily.

 

Our waiter told us there were a few tables that ordered several glasses and that made it go quickly. We sat down at 7:30 and had told him we would want the order for 2 glasses put in right away for 8:30, and he did. We also noticed the large trays of it going around and didn't think it would run out before we got some. He was very disappointed to have to tell us it kicked so quickly. He gave us 2 black notes on the house to make up for it. Then several minutes after surprised us with 2 glasses of BA9K, which we did not get charged for either. So that dude got a great tip.

 

I'm inclined to believe the 40 pours. I was up at the bar the whole time, right in front of the BA 9K tap. There were trays of BA 9K and Black Note being poured the whole time. I think I was the only person standing at the bar to get a pour of BA 9K (which I shared with anyone around me that was interested). It seemed like the people at the tables took precedence to the those standing at the bar.

 

Ya me and my buddy were standing at the bar from 820 to 915 and ignored like a couple of bald headed stepchildren while they poured glass after glass after glass of 9000 and black note for their servers waiting on tables. Didnt get a lick of 9000 but on the brightside my buddy surprised me with a glass of black note before it kicked. Thanks again CityofBals for the glass of Baudoinia next beer is on me.

 

Is it a general consensus that bar patrons should be served before tables in a restaurant? I personally would like to see half of a very small beer allotment go to tables, half to the bar. I am sorry to hear that most at the bar were shut out.

 

So basically our shitty server couldn't get one glass to our table of 8 wen we get there at 7:30, ordered drinks and food, and put our BA9K order in at 8:00. If no one at the bar got any, where the fuck did it all go?

And for the record, whether it was an excuse or not, the manager told me it was nit a full sixtel...but leftover from another event.

 

The two guys behind the bar were working their asses off, but they needed one more person back there. Like you said, should have been split, not the 90-10 or 95-5 split I was seeing towards the tables.

No clue, but I saw a tray of at least 6 BA 9K (and some BN) go out, if not more. Some table must have got them. I can only comment on my side of the bar; no clue about the other end.

 

Let's all take a moment for those who didn't get to try BA9k for the 5th time.