You can read the first installment of Coffee and Crafts here for background, and some insight into my love for beer and coffee.

Coffee:

My sister and I have recently made ourselves a hobby of imitating Oprah’s latest commercial for Weight Watchers, where she shouts about her love of bread with reckless abandon:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSOtcyK3hF8
As entertaining as this is, I know exactly how Oprah feels about bread, because this is how I feel about iced coffee.

I. Love. Iced. Coffee.

So, when I took a recent trip to St. Augustine with my family, I was giddy knowing that one of my favorite iced coffees was in my near future.

The Kookabura 

Where is it?: 24 Cathedral Place, Ste 100, St. Augustine, FL 32084

The Kookaburra calls itself an Aussie-American coffee and pie bar, and apparently has a three different locations in St. Augustine. The one I visited is a tiny shop right in the heart of the historic district.

What I ordered: I walked into the Kookaburra knowing exactly what I was going to order: An Aussie Iced Coffee. It has a hint of vanilla, and is a bit creamier than your averaged iced coffee.

On this particular February day in Florida, temperatures were the upper 50’s. I have complained enough about the weather in Chicago on this blog for you to know that upper 50’s in February is basically summer weather for me. In Florida however, upper 50’s seems to be the equivalent of living inside of an icebox. As I waited in line, I overheard the barista and the customer exchange shock that there were people dumb enough to order iced coffees in this freezing weather. The barista then said, “I know, it’s crazy. Some people are just diehard about their iced coffee.” Lucky for them, they were able to see one of those diehard fanatics in the flesh, when I walked up next and ordered my iced coffee, daring to do the impossible in the face of such harsh elements.

Anyway, I ordered my delicious coffee, stepped outside into the sun, and enjoyed every second of it.

somehow I managed.

What I liked: I think I’ve said it enough – this is one of my favorite coffees, so I loved everything about it.

What I didn’t like: I guess this is where I should complain about the tiny cramped coffee shop, but honestly, I didn’t even care about that. This probably isn’t a place you would want to post up and spend hours reading and enjoying your coffee, but I personally think that adds to the Kookaburra. You’re in one of the most beautiful cities in America, grab your coffee and explore!

hard to tell from this picture – but it’s tiny and gets cramped, fast.

Would I go back?: Yes, yes. A thousand times yes.

I see this in my dreams.

Crafts:

My adventure into new beer this month took me out of the city of Chicago, and into the suburbs of Barrington. I was interested to know if the beer would be as delicious outside of the city, as the suburbs have a reputation for not having quite as much to offer.

The Lucky Monk

Where is it?: 105 Hollywood Blvd, Barrington, IL 60010

I wanted to make the drive out to the Lucky Monk after all of the ‘Best Of...‘ awards I saw attached to their beers. That, and their logo of a happy monk is adorable. The monk theme is carried throughout all of their menu and drink items – with beers like ‘Cardinal Sin Pilsner’ and ‘Solitude Stout.’

All of their house rotating tap beers are brewed in-house, and they even use a private well to supply the water they brew the beers with.

I felt as happy as that jolly monk looks after sampling these beers.

The restaurant itself is large, with dim lighting and a mixture of wood tables and various booths. It had a very familiar feel – almost like that of a large chain restaurant or brewery.

What I ordered: I didn’t hesitate to order their sampler for only $8.99. It was a great value, and gave me the opportunity to try all of 5 of their tap beers. The sampler also came with this handy breakdown and description of each beer I was sampling.

What I Liked: As I mentioned in my last coffee and crafts, I am a huge sucker for a great beer glass and presentation. The Lucky Monk did not disappoint. My favorite beer of the 5 was the Cardinal Sin, and the Monk’s choice, (which is a new rotating brew of the week) an IPA that I can no longer remember the name of. All the beers were ice cold, and delicious. I could even appreciate the stout beer – which I am not usually a fan of.

I also want to mention that the Lucky Monk got a bonus point for naming one of their appetizers Kristin Calamari – a clever little wink at the local ‘celebrity’ Kristin Cavallari, who went to Barrington High School before hitting it ‘big’ on Laguna Beach. Clearly, all it takes to win points with me is a good a reality TV personality pun.

What I didn’t like: 

There wasn’t a whole lot that I didn’t like here – other than the fact that it’s way too far out of the city. The restaurant itself is pretty isolated, and has a pretty generic restaurant feel inside like I mentioned, but it’s hard to care too much about that when the beer is so good.

Would I go back?: Probably not. As much as I enjoyed the beer, I can’t envision myself making the effort to go out there again, even when I’m in Barrington visiting family. However, I would absolutely recommend it to anyone who was in or around the area.

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All and all, I’d check this off as another successful venture into coffee and crafts. I’m already reaping the benefits from this series – as I’ve introduced the Metropolitan Flywheel to various people with rave reviews from my last visit at Beermiscuous. I can’t wait to see what other delicious discoveries are in store.

Until next time.