If my mind were a song, it would be “Spanish Key” by Miles Davis, on the album Bitches Brew. I’ve been listening to that album almost nonstop over the past week, in honor of the 40th anniversary of its release.

Craft beer maker Dogfish Head decided to honor it in its own way by creating their own Bitches Brew. Frankly, I’m surprised it took someone 40 years to make that jump.

You can read more about it at the Dogfish Head website. Planning to try some myself, but if someone gets to it first, drop me a line and let me know how it is. [via Selectism]

Just a short hour drive outside the city of Chicago lies a magical city called Fox Lake. In this city is little bakery called (cacao) Sweets & Treats. What is so special about this place? Hard liquor-flavored cupcakes, that’s what.

Ranging from Guiness Stout cupcakes, to Mike’s Hard Lemonade Spiked cupcakes, to other beer and wine assorted varieties, these babies are worth a trip up to Fox Lake. Any takers?

Not in the Chicago area? Fear not. Their Etsy store ships. They’ll even bake your favorite beer into a cupcake if it’s not on the list.

Are you ever on the way out with friends to a new place, but your desperately craving your particular brand of brew? Remember the anxiety that came with not knowing if this new place would have it? Fear not, bar crawlers in Chicago, Milwaukee, Philadelphia or New York: BeerMenus has got you covered.

BeerMenus was started by two brothers who wanted to know which places served their favorite beer, and were unsatisfied by their inability to answer that question using only Google. Thanks to them, you can now find 4,481 beers on 87 beer menus in the Chicago area alone.

What’s missing from BeerMenus? An iPhone app. While I appreciate the strides this website has made for beer lovers everywhere, BeerMenus will truly find its value when you can easily find great beer on the go.

Ever wanted to spend an evening learning about how blended Scotch whiskey is made? DEWAR’S will oblige. Fresh from a tour in New York, the DEWAR’S Discovery is heading to Chicago from October 14 to 22.

Someone from DEWAR’S will spend the evening instructing on the subtle art of identifying whiskey aroma and then teach you to blend it yourself. You’ll learn about Scotland and how Scotch is made (with a heavy emphasis on DEWAR’S, of course), while drinking cocktails in a lounge built specifically for the occasion at EnVent.

Not a bad way to spend an evening.

Anyone who spends any significant amount of time with me knows that I’m a scotch drinker. I’m not usually a Glenlivet drinker, but recently I heard that Glenlivet is releasing a new, American-exclusive vintage – the Nàdurra Triumph 1991 – that sounds too damn good: non-chill filtered and bottled at full strength, with hints of apple, pear and wood. Yum.

It’s a limited release, so if you’re at all interested, I’d get it now. [via Material Interest]