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This Sunday is Mother’s Day – but you knew that already, right? That means flowers and cards and boxes of chocolate for most of you but there are those of us who have moms or partners that are most looking forward to that brunch! Even though Bloody Marys and mimosas are the conventional affair for the occasion, there are those who have different Mother’s Day drink preferences.
This year, I asked our staff about their mother’s favorite drinks and the responses I got were not what I expected at all. It just goes to show you how unique each mom or partner is and why they’re celebrated on this day.
Our sales team members are some of the funniest and wittiest people I’ve ever had the fortune to work with and based on the stories and drink choices of their moms, I think I’m seeing where they get it from.
Scott Z. is a man who loves the classics and is a very “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” kind of person. Loves his bourbon and loves a crisp and chilled Trumer Pils on 9 out of 10 nights. Seeing as his mother was a classic Gin Martini drinker, it sounds like their get-togethers might be more of a black tie affair than not. A Great House Gin Martini is the perfect drink to have with dinner this Mother’s Day.
Then we have Zak B. – easy to pick out from the crowd just from hearing his Boston accent. He’s the life of the party, will make sure your cup is never empty, and will never let you leave early if he can help it. Not a surprise that his mom is a margarita gal. I’ve never met her but I bet I could also pick her out of a line up – no doubt. Next time she’s in town, I’ll make sure to get Zak a 4-pack of the Cutwater Lime Margaritas.
Jeb S. is one of our newer sales reps but he has been in the industry for a very long time. He’s a storyteller with some of the most Midwest intensity that I’ve ever met. He loves to say that since his mother never drank, he’s making up for her share and he sure can put them down. Fastest Beer Shotgun in the (Mid)West. His mother-in-law however loves a Michelob Ultra at the end of a long day and I can definitely relate.
Kyle T., or the mayor of Old Town, as we like to say has also been in the bar industry for years. I actually remember sitting at the bar he managed when I first started and was covering for someone on vacation. He set me up with an amazing Italian dinner (at lunch mind you) and kept the coffee coming as I tried my best to change his mind about one of his three taplines. He told me that his mother’s favorite drink is an Amaretto Stone Sour – very fitting for the place where he was working.
Last but not least – Cayla P. may be one of our newest sales reps in the city but she’s someone who feels like a friend you’ve had for years. When she shared with me that her mom’s favorite drink is a White Russian, my first thought was “that is definitely a choice”. I was very befuddled because I was under the impression that Cayla was from Florida (“milk was a bad choice” – Ron Burgundy). Turns out she’s from the Great White North, aka Canada, and it started to make a lot more sense. I think the next time her mom comes by, she should try one with Sneaky Fox Vodka or grab one ready to go from Cutwater.
I also had a chance to go around our office to ask some of our coworkers what their mother’s favorite drinks were too.
Paul M. is one of our newest managers at Lakeshore but he’s been working in distribution for many years. An avid hockey fan and coach, he manages many of our supplier partners like Spiteful Brewing. Paul told me that his mom’s favorite drink was a grasshopper while laughing. Not a drink I thought anyone would have picked as their favorite but suddenly I’m craving some Frangos…
Jake P. is also one of Brand Managers and manages some of our biggest brands like Goose Island and Stella Artois. His mother is a Bloody Mary drinker and that sounds like a perfect pairing for that Mother’s Day brunch. If they’re not going out though, a Cutwater Bloody Mary is my go to for the morning after. Pour it into a tall glass with some ice cubes and an olive – it’s a lifesaver!
When I first started with Lakeshore Beverage, Tony S. was someone I didn’t directly work with but always saw at every gathering. He manages brands like Guinness and Smirnoff. His mom is a Stella Artois drinker and I’m sure Tony has gotten her a few engraved chalices over the years. His wife, however, is a wine drinker that enjoys white wines like 101 North Chardonnay.
As you can see, we probably carry something that your mom will enjoy this Mother’s Day. If your mom doesn’t like flowers or chocolates, why not spend the day with her and go somewhere to grab her favorite drink instead? Or stay in and bring over a bottle or 6 pack; I’m sure she would love to share the special day with you.
Share with us what your mom’s favorite drink is. I’m very curious to see if there’s a clear winner because there doesn’t seem to be one at Lakeshore Beverage.
This past winter has been very strange – I was able to golf well into December, only got to use my brand new snow blower twice, and I only wore my “real winter” coat a handful of times. Even though it still isn’t quite feeling like spring, those windsome wintery weather days won’t hold back the awesome lineup of spring seasonals we have in store this year. This year, our seasonals will bring the whole fruit cart along with them.
From the softly sweet peach to the tart and tangy watermelon, this year’s offerings will bring the memories of the past springs to your mouths.
This year, we have returning favorites from our local craft breweries and just in time for baseball season. Spiteful Brewing’s Bleacher Bum and Haymarket Beer Company’s Relief Peacher IPA both bring this stone fruit front and center. Bleacher Bum is a wonderfully easy drinking Blonde Ale that goes for a dry and crisp “all day long” kind of beer. Relief Peach IPA however will come in full bore with the unmistakable Mosaic hopped deliciousness.
It’s not just our craft beer partners that are bringing the peaches this year either – Blake’s Hard Cider showed up with their Peach Party Hard Cider. To complement the apple cider base, this cider features peach and blackberry to bring you a sweet and fruity cider perfect for brunches or pool parties.
And last but not least, Busch will release Busch Peach for the first time this summer. If it’s as tasty as Busch Apple, this is going to be a hit too!
There’s just something so perfect about the acidity of citrus when it comes to drinks. Whether it’s the main focus or part of the supporting cast, these drinks feature the whole citrus family. Our friends at Buckledown are bringing out their Cannon Ball Kolsch. A super crisp Kolsch with hints of fresh tangerines are a perfect pairing. From another one of our local breweries, we have Moody Tongue’s Orange Blossom Belgian Blonde. Brewed with seafood lovers in mind, this beer showcases notes of apricot, orange rock candy, and honeysuckle. We can’t forget about our returning citrus stars though – Goose Island Lemonade Shandy will return this year with a new variety pack featuring Tangerine and Grapefruit! Also returning is Shiner’s Ruby Redbird – this beer proudly shows off its Texas heritage using local Ruby Red grapefruits and a kick of ginger.
Nutrl has also released their new Orange flavor this spring to add to our already amazing line of vodka seltzers. The new flavor will be available in the variety pack and as individual 4 packs.
Last year, everyone asked for sours to help them keep cool and we are coming with quite the lineup of tart fruit beers for this spring. Spiteful’s Twang Guava Gose has been reformulated this year to bring out more of the guava flavor to satisfy those sour seekers. Founders is also coming back with their beloved perennial Green Zebra Gose, but this year, there will be additional flavors other than Watermelon. Green Zebra variety packs will feature Pineapple, Mango, and Peach!
Beers aren’t the only products we carry that are going for that sour and tart demand this spring. Juneshine Hard Kombucha will release Strawberry Kiwi Crush, a ridiculously refreshing remix of the classic combo.
I wasn’t joking when I said we’re chock-full of fruit offerings this spring. We will have Seattle Cider coming with the very unique Marionberry Cider (a very popular varietal of blackberries from the Pacific Northwest) that will bring some complexity and pleasant tartness to their cider. Woodchuck will also return with their Blueberry Cider which has been a hit with bars for the past few years.
Of course we will also have plenty of traditional spring beer styles coming too. Goose Island Summertime will have a packaging refresh for this year. Alter Brewing’s Cold Digger IPA will be dryhopped with Nectaron, Centennial, and Citra hops to satisfy those hop heads out there. 18th Street will also come back with their popular Patio Pils regardless of the weather. Brewdog is getting into the swing of things with their Caddyshack inspired Bushwood Pilsner – brewed to be crushable on the greens, slightly grassy and lemony with a sweet malt aroma. Founders is continuing to expand their All Day line with All Day West Coast which will feature a lighter body but more citrus and pine forward and with a slight sweetness.
For our seltzers this spring, Bud Light Seltzer will launch with their Sangria Splash Variety Pack. It will feature the classic Red and White sangria styles along with a Rosé and Tropical style. For a sangria on the go experience, this may be just the convenient 12-pack you need.
The warmer months also mean that those warm weather cocktails are coming back in a big way. We have a great lineup of spirits and liqueurs perfect for any bar. With our spirits portfolio, anyone can make delicious cocktails, including these that are perfect as the days get longer and warmer:
If you’re not a mixologist or don’t have a home bar with all these ingredients, don’t fret! All these cocktails are also available from Cutwater Spirits Canned Cocktails, award
winning cocktails made with real spirits! These ready to enjoy cocktails are bar quality and absolutely delicious as well as convenient.
I hope you are as excited to try these out this season as I am. Also, a special thanks to my assistant – Ooyoo for helping with the photoshoot. He was handsomely paid in blueberries.
Every year for Black History Month, we read stories of leaders from our past, and how their actions impacted the present. We learn how they fought to change voting rights, bridging gaps, unifying classrooms, ending segregation, and creating opportunities for others to thrive in industries they once were never allowed. We learn about how these leaders paved the way for young black children to become whatever they want, even President of the United States.
At Lakeshore Beverage, we are taking time to introduce you to one such person that grew up in the Chicagoland Area – Sam Ross. Sam grew up in Harvey, IL to two loving parents that taught him that community and where he came from should always be celebrated. They taught him hard work could lead him in the right direction to fulfill all of his dreams.
He had no idea growing up that the beer industry was where his path would lead him, mostly because he didn’t even start drinking until 2015. He worked many different jobs throughout his life, even trying college but nothing seemed to fit. It wasn’t until he took a job at Whole Foods as a stacker that he found what he was passionate about in life, craft beer. With a little help from Lakeshore Beverage’s very own, Adam Lovinggood, he learned more about the beer industry and went from working at Whole Foods, eventually collaborating with Haymarket Brewery for Harold’s 83 Honey Ale.
January marks the beginning of a new year. We hear it all too often – this is our year – I’m going to become a completely different person – say goodbye to the old me, say hello to the new me.
Obviously this rarely happens. You create some vague arbitrary goal that you don’t really have a plan for or set waypoints to follow along that journey. One of the biggest New Year’s goals is to “be healthy”. That is such a large all-encompassing goal, that it’s hard even thinking where to start. We here at Lakeshore Beverage are composed of all different kinds of people, and plenty of us have thought about drinking things that are “better for you”.
What is “Better For You”? Well, that too is an all-encompassing label. But in reality, it breaks up into several different things. For Lakeshore Beverage, “Better For You” could mean beverages that are lighter in carbohydrates and calories, it could mean real, minimal, and non-processed ingredients, lower alcohol content, or no alcohol content at all. You might be looking at some, or all of these things.
“Better For You” is really up to the person making the journey, and we here at Lakeshore Beverage want to help by providing you options and information to help you along.
And hey, even though this only covers the beverage part of your health, you can take the momentum and apply it to other parts of your journey.
So, let’s get started, shall we?
We’re midway through the festival season here in Chicago and I’m willing to bet that you’ve already been to two or three. Whether they’re the small neighborhood fests or the larger City of Chicago-produced events, outdoor events are the lifeblood of Chicago culture. Walking around and eating food, listening to music, buying independent crafts and art, and just enjoying the fresh summer air – Chicago’s large and diverse neighborhoods celebrate their uniqueness by throwing large block parties that are open to all ages and provide endless amounts of fun for the entire family.
I feel like since we have so many of them, it becomes hard to understand and appreciate what goes on in the background to make the magic happen. It struck me while I was at Lakeview PrideFest last month with a friend.
It’s past 11:30pm on a Saturday night at Haymarket Pub & Brewery. You can hear Chicago house music blaring from the outside, and the inside is what you can imagine. People are standing around, some dancing, some just vibing, but they’re all having a great time.