26 Lake County Libations to Ignite Your 2021 Fall Feels
By: Jonathan Jones 10/06/2021
Ditch the pumpkin spice, and sip 26 Lake County libations to ignite your 2021 fall feels. Lake County is home to delicious suds, vino and spirits with the autumn theme we all know and love.
With the spooks side of our Autumn celebration going full-throttle, sometimes you're not in the boo-mood, and you are more in the brew mood. That's where the spirits come in.
These adult beverages come at the perfect time, as through November 12-21, the land of lakes will run a 10-day Lake County Libation Trail Check-in Challenge.
Every season these masons of brew, spirits and wines continuously blow our minds with the options they offer at their speakeasies. Celebrate the season the right way by tasting a wide variety of adult beverage flights. Libation aficionados should sip to the delectable autumn brews, spirits and vinos while supporting your local makers.
Here are 26 Lake County libations to ignite your 2021 fall feels! Salud! Prost! Kan-pie! Let’s drink to our health!
Five Vibrant Vinos
Mission Angelica
This delicious red wine has aged in oak barrels for an average of 25 years. The 17 percent ABV vino is jam-packed with butterscotch and maple syrup flavors. The award-winning beverage, including the 2018 Central Coast Wine Competition, the Grayslake winery’s fortified port wine, was awarded the “Best Dessert Wine” for consecutive years.
Lynfred Winery in Wheeling
Spiced Apple Wine
Apples and autumn go together like peas and carrots. The seasonal vino is aged with natural cinnamon and star anise. The fruit utilized for the wine is Gala and Honeycrisp. The palate is apple pie, apple cider, anise candy and sweet baking spices. The white wine is a perfect pair with fall fare and is a 7% ABV.
Pazzo di Vino in Highwood
8 a.m. Rosé This wine drinker’s 13% Rosé is crisp and slightly fruity. Fuller in the body than one would expect from such a bright-looking wine, the Lake County Libation Trail’s newest vino partner has this drinkable crushed, fermented and bottled right in the city of Highwood. This wine is made by lightly crushing (on the Friday Night of Pumpkinfest until 8 a.m. Saturday morning) whole berry Grenache grapes. This wine is outstanding when sipped cold. The seedlings used for this wine spend their childhood in Lodi, California, until they become adults and head to southeast Lake County.
Seyval Blanc and Dechaunc
Seyval Blanc is harvested late in the season and barrel-aged for 364 days. The white wine has an array of flavors like a floral bouquet boasting hints of honey, oak and sweetness. The Dechaunc is a French pinot noir. The burgundy beverage showcases tastes of raspberry and elderberry and is perfectly paired with red-sauced dishes, grilled lamb and turkey.
Frontenac Gris and Sweet Gris
The Antioch winery offers two fantastic whites for the fall season. The Frontenac Gris is a semi-dry wine made from the French-hybrid grape. This vino has a taste of sweetness with honey flavor and finishes tart with apple. The Sweet Gris is a combo of honey and tart apple flavor that’s a delightful treat for the autumn season.
Four Saporous Spirits
Vodka
Distilled from a blend of all malted midwest grains, 28 Mile Vodka is clear in color with almond and vanilla bean aroma. This unique vodka has a silky smooth vibe going down. It is complemented by notes of vanilla and cocoa nibs that finish extremely clean on the palate with a lingering warming sensation. Drink this neat, on the rocks or in your favorite cocktail.
Mr. Fitz with Oppidan Botanical Gin
Mr. Fitz is an English teacher, a coffee shop owner and renowned author…in the world of the hit show “Pretty Little Liars.” But, in the world of pretty little Waukegan, Oppidan Spirits has a Mr. Fitz of their own. This cocktail gem is made with two ounces of Oppidan Botanical Gin, three-fourths of an ounce of fresh-squeezed grapefruit, three-fourths of an ounce of St. Germaine liqueur and simple syrup.
Autumn in Oslo
Fall flavors and spooky spirits give the land of lakes autumn its own je nais see quois. This European-inspired cocktail from North Shore Distillery is made with the Lake County Libation Trail partner's Aquavit - Private Reserve. The leaf-changing drink in a cup features fall flavors like apple, spice and ginger. The Green Oaks drinkery offers the recipe to make it from home, or visit North Shore to have it from the Kassenbaum mastermind duet.
Princess Peach Mule
"Thank you, Mario, but our princess is in another castle." By castle, we mean Lake Zurich's Copper Fiddle Distillery as they unveil their new spirit, Princess Peach Mule. The spirit features the Illinois Makers' fiddle vodka, lime juice, in-house-made peach basil cello and topped with ginger beer.
17 Breath-taking Brews
FestBier, Kolsh Diddy, Talea Altbier, Baron Von Riccio and Burgermeister.
The Waukegan brewpub offers five different suds for the Bavarian celebration we call Oktoberfest. The German-themed libation menu is highlighted by FestBier (6% ABV), Kolsch Diddy (4.8% ABV), Burgermiester (6% ABV) and Baron Von Riccio (6% ABV).
Five Eyes Honey Ale
Did you know that bees have five eyes? Well, that is how this new honey ale from Wright’s Brew and Bistro located inside Lincolnshire Marriott Resort got its name. This cream ale is brewed in collaboration with Tighthead Brewing Co. in Mundelein. The award-winning brew house utilizes the honey that is produced in the beehives on-site at the Lincolnshire resort. One sip and you will see what all the buzz is about.
Stay Puft Brown Ale
Autumn is the perfect opportunity for a campfire. The fall season is when we indulge our sweet tooth. Donning a marshmallow man logo similar to a villain fought by some busters that ain’t afraid of no ghosts, the Barrington brewhouse’s Stay Puft is a brown ale. Stay Puft is 5.5 percent ABV with 15 IBUs.
Longsnapper IPA
The Monsters of the Midway have a .500 record through four weeks in pigskin season. So celebrate “Club Dub” with former Chicago Bears special teamer and current NFL analyst Patrick Mannelly. He partnered up with Tighthead Brewing Co. in Mundelein to create Long Snapper IPA. The longest-tenured Bear’s suds has an ample base, and Vienna malt accented by caramel notes from Karastan and Munich malts. Designed on Mannely’s favorite beer styles, this IPA stands at 6% ABV and contains 40 IBUs.
Bix Don’t Kill My Vibe
“I can feel your energy from two planets away. I got my drink, I got my music, I would share it, but today I’m yelling: Bix don’t kill my vibe.” Recently, the innovative Wauconda brewpub released a special limited can supply of this blonde ale. The barr
