The Bluebird

The beer we are excited about right now is view archive

On tap now, we have a very limited amount of "The Generator" from Tracy and Doug Hurst over at Metropolitan! It's a reverent interpretation of a German Dopplebock, which were used to fortify the monks during time spent fasting during Lent. Instead of making solid bread, they made this "liquid bread" in part due to the fact they believed liquid cleansed the soul. At some point, in true religious fashion, the Friars began to feel guilty, thinking that this beer was entirely too indulgent to be consumed during Lent. Sounds like drinkers remorse to me! So they sent a barrel over to the Pope in Rome for his blessing and approval. On the long horse drawn voyage from Germany to Italy, the beer inevitably got tossed, turned and cooked for several weeks. Once they presented the vile, undrinkable mutation of what it was, the Pope was of course disgusted. So disgusted in fact he decided that a beer this putrid must be good for the soul, and it would only be appropriate for the monks to produce and consume as much of their beloved brew as possible! Picture a group of monks sitting before the Pope trying to stay all monk-like after hearing that. I absolutely love this story, one of my favorites. ANYWAYS....we have a very limited amount of this domestic interpretation of this very historical style beer. So if you're fasting for Lent (boring) or just want a great beer, you'd best beat feet over to the Bluebird! (03/28/13)

For a limited time, we're pouring the Curieux from Alagash Brewing Co. out of Portland, Maine. This is a Belgian style tripel aged in Bourbon barrels, Jim Beam to be exact. While some people may be on the fence about Jim Beam Bourbon they should not be on the fence with what it does to a big boy tripel like this! The tannin from the barrel creates a sneaky little edge here that very subtly sets this beer apart from many of its peers. (02/26/13)
Solemn Oath's "Kidnapped By Vikings", a very exciting American IPA on draft at the Bluebird pours a very well-done 6% Chicago-born and bred brewing success. A close relative to their "Ravaged By Vikings", this release is coming from one Chicago's fastest up and coming breweries. There's no shortage of breweries popping up right now, but there is a shortage of this beer. Very pleased we're able to pour it! (02/12/13)
We're loving the Stone/ Stillwater /Evil Twin collaboration brew, "The Perfect Crime" - a wonderfully finessed, smoked black saison. This crew of gypsy brewers put together a beer that really drinks like three beers in one without any one particular characteristic dominating the others. With the brewers involved, the packaging and presentation gives the impression of being a much more intense product, which is actually not the case. The subtly of this beer is what makes it so enjoyable, especially a beer that Stone was involved in. In this generation of palette-wrecking, over the top tongue daggers, a well-finessed beer almost seems to becoming more of a rarity. The Perfect Crime is a nice change of pace! (01/10/13)
Very excited to have the Lambickx from Vandberg & Famille in rotation right now. I'm of the opinion that lambics in general are one of the most relevant participants in the conversation of how terroir, literally translating to sense of place, can be expressed in beer. More specifically in this case, this sense of place would be the interior of a barrel. The Lambickx is blended from casks personally tasted and chosen and blended by Don Feinberg a figure that spearheaded bringing Belgian brewing tradition to America. Sourced from Brouwerij DeTroch, this particular Lambickx was brewed in 2008, bottled in 2011 in Wambeek. There were only two hundred of these bottles corked and caged, all pulled out of a mixture of either 275Lit or 600Lit French Oak barrels. To say this beer is complex would be an understatement, and on top of that it can not be duplicated or produced again...unless you get a visit from Dr Who and his Tardis. (12/20/12)
T'Smisje Dubbel brewed and bottled by deRegenboog, in Brugge, Belgium. This beer is perfect for this time of year. It's an Abbey style dubbel brewed with dates and honey. One of the brewers is also a bee keeper which accounts for the use of honey here. The importance of independent bee keepers this day in age cannot be stressed enough. These guys do not produce a lot of beer and half of what they do produce winds up on our shores. T'Smisje, meaning "little blacksmith" is in reference to the hand crafted aspect of this brew. This beer, paired with rillettes, pate, braised meats, and cheeses warms the soul. Or, pair it with whiskey Weller 107 Antique to be exact! (11/27/12)
Great Divide "Wolfgang Doppelbock" out of Denver, CO. A sure shot for the Fall season. Great domestic representation of this classic German style dark lager. Nice alternative once one has hopped themselves to death, which is easy right now amidst the harvest season. This 'liquid bread' is living proof that beer is food. (10/23/12)

The can't-miss food-beverage pairing of the night is view archive

Smoked, beer brined chicken thigh, barley, mirepoix, goat cheese, smoked paprika paired with Schlenkerla Helles! (03/21/13)

Hangar steak with Finch's Secret Stache, an American stout brewed with vanilla beans made here in Chicago. (02/12/13)
Manhattan clam chowder with either the Schlenkerla Helles smoked lager, or the JP Dubost Gamay. (11/02/12)
The creminelli proscuitto with the Meyer-Näkel 2011 Pinot Noir from Ahr, Germany (10/19/12)
Pork belly, blueberry, farro paired with Brasserie DuPont's Moinette Brune ale (08/14/12)

We're planning our next event and can share view archive

Our "Dark, Robust and Barreled" tasting is on Tuesday, February 26th at 7:30 pm. One of the best ways to combat the most bitter, bone chilling months of the year is to seek out the most hearty, rich and soul nourishing beers as possible. Baltic porters, Russian imperials, lacto stouts, barley wine and all interpretations thereof… This tasting is built for those that drink bold. Not bold like the beer commercials on NFL Sundays advertise, but bold like the Vikings of the North Sea. Bold like the men who braved soul crushing winters at sea by nourishing themselves with brews from the homelands. Built to fortify, these are the beverages for those who refuse to surrender to the season! Join us for dark, robust and barreled beer from some of the originators as well as the innovators! (02/12/13)

We're having our "Holiday Brews" tasting on December 10th. Brewing a special beer for the holiday seasons began hundreds of years ago, before there was a Christmas as we know it now. Whether ale, porter, dopplebock, or stout, these beers emerge warm, rich with spice, and heady with deep flavor. Raise a glass with us to embrace this beautiful time of year! (11/27/12)
We're having our Turkey Day Sours tasting on November 13th: Belgian lambics, gueuzes, Flanders read ales, wild yeast strains, barrel aging, spontaneous fermentation, secondary fermentations…. Join us in an exploration of this risky, specialized form of brewing that has been forged through countless generations of brewing tradition. In an effort to stimulate your palate towards rethinking beer choices, the Thanksgiving spread will showcase beers from Oud Beersel, Bocker, Rodenbach, and Van Seenberge to name a few. Cantillon may even make an appearance?!? (11/02/12)
Our "Hoptober" beer tasting is sold out, but we still have space for our Turkey Day Sours and Holiday Brews tastings: http://bluebirdchicago.com/events-tastings/beer-tastings/ (10/19/12)
On Friday night, we're celebrating the Summer of Riesling with a special Austrian Riesling prix fixe dinner: http://bluebirdchicago.com/events-tastings/beer-tastings/ (08/14/12)
We're having a Colorado beer tasting on August 21st: http://bluebirdchicago.com/events-tastings/beer-tastings/ (07/27/12)
We're having a California beer tasting on June 19th! http://bluebirdchicago.com/events-tastings/beer-tastings/ (06/16/12)

Today’s menu specials are view archive

Brussels sprouts with chorizo and spicy aioli (02/01/13)

Braised rabbit with prosciutto, plum puree and turnips (11/02/12)
Kumamoto oysters from Puget Sound with galangal gelee and rhubarb mignonette (06/16/12)

Our bartenders are working on view archive

We have a brand new craft cocktail called "Guatemalan Winter", created by Luke LeFiles. It has Ron Zapaca 23 Solera, Carpano Antique Formulae, Pimento Dram and aromatic bitters. (01/28/13)

We have a great new winter cocktail, "Hollis Loves Toronto" - Bulleit Rye, Fernet Branca, Peychauds bitters and a nip of maple syrup. A whole bunch of deliciousness for $11 (01/16/13)
We just added a new seasonal cocktail to the menu - the Zeigler, with Sailor Jerry's spiced rum, Zeigler Farms apple cider, honey, lemon juice, and Angostura aromatic. (11/02/12)

Get here early: The item we've been selling out of the fastest is view archive

The confit rabbit rillettes with cranberry-orange compote (01/16/13)

The beer-braised berkshire pork cheeks with braised red cabbage, parsnips, apples (11/02/12)

Today's promotion/great deal is view archive

To celebrate our new tap system, we're running a daily special of $5 drafts with frites from 5-7pm every day. (01/14/13)

. (11/02/12)
$1 oysters from 5-7 every day! (08/14/12)

Our forager/fishmonger/favorite purveyor just sent us view archive

Elder flowers from Dave Odd (01/14/13)

King trumpet mushrooms (11/02/12)
Sea beans (07/27/12)

The latest product/ingredient/technique our bartenders are excited about is view archive

We just put in a tap system! We have three handles, with Mama's Little Yella Pils, Hercules Double IPA, and Finch's Secret Stache on tap to start. (01/14/13)

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Pappardelle with Spanish octopus, peas & foraged mushrooms:
Peas and mushrooms are a classic Italian combination, and a nice, light offering for a summer ...

Pan seared rushing water trout , cauliflower, piquillo pepper, golden raisin, yogurt :
I've used this trout before, and really like how it looks and tastes – it's mild...

Smoked, beer brined chicken thigh with barley, mirepoix, goat cheese & smoked paprika :
I’m always looking for new, creative ways to incorporate beer into my dishes. I was talk...

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Restaurant Staff

Luke LeFiles

Janan Asfour

Dave Ford

Jason Normann

Melissa Normann

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