Tuesday, March 14, 2006

Chicago Tonight is abbreviated this week for pledge programming.

Chicago Matters
The funding of Illinois schools is one of the challenges that will face the next governor. Tonight, as part of our Chicago Matters series, "Valuing Education," gubernatorial candidates gives us their thoughts on what's wrong with school funding in the state and what needs to be done.

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Alpana's Beer Picks
With St. Patrick's Day right around the corner, Alpana Singh of Check, Please! has several recommendations of beers you might not know about. Plus, she'll show you how to pour the perfect glass of beer.

Irish Style

  • Kell's Irish Style Lager (from Oregon): This beer is light and clean and goes well with fried foods. Good to use when you're making a "black and tan."
  • Goose Island Kilgubbin Red Ale: This Chicago brew is seasonal, made only from January to April. "Kilgubbin" is the original name for Goose Island by the Irish settlers. Goes well with burgers.

Stout

  • Bell's Kalamazoo Stout: This Michigan-made beer is a nice alternative to Guinness. Stout is basically ale made with roasted barley or malt. Tastes good with steak and eggs or corned beef and cabbage.

Wheat Beer

  • Paulaner: This German beer is typical of a wheat beer in that it's not bitter and is a good option for people who don't like their beers too "hoppy." A good summertime beer.
  • Konig Ludwig: Another German wheat beer that Alpana describes as "creamy, spicy, with a hint of clove and cinnamon." Tastes good with apple pie! Some people add lemon to wheat beers, but purists scoff. The brewery is owned by a relative of "Mad King Ludwig II," the nutty king who bankrupted Bavaria in the 1800s by building so many castles. The same family enacted the German purity laws of 1516.

Belgian Beers

  • Affligem: Belgium has a history of monks brewing beer. This beer is not brewed by monks (only 5 of those breweries remain) but it is made in the ancient abbey tradition.
  • Duvel Maredsous: Another Belgian, with an unusually high alcohol content of 10%. Belgian beers are typically 8 to 10% alcohol. For comparison: Budweiser is 5%.

Dessert Beers

  • Lindeman's Cherry and Peach Beer. These after-dinner fruity beers are naturally sweeter and can be paired with chocolate desserts.

Debra Pickett
Sun-Times columnist Debra Pickett shares her thoughts the former governor's corruption trial.

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