#008 ☞ If I Had Wings I Would Fly
It's time for a little travel, GADABOUT style. This week were putting on our wings and jetting to the Midwest before fall gets here, the pigskin starts flying and the jackets come out. From Chicago, Traverse City, Milwaukee, Green Bay and of course the unforgettable Door County, Wisconsin, venturing to this part of the country is full of adventure.
“We all have wings, but some of us dont know why.” - INXS
Whether you find yourself in the big city, the Great Lakes or the rolling plains, there are few places better place for July 4th, Labor Day weekend or the first football game of the year. And when you are here, you'll discover a food and drink smorgasbord full of regional delights that will leave you craving more. Book a flight to Chicago, grab an extra wet Italian beef sandwich from Al's and then head north on the open road. This is what wings were made for!
🧭 Places to Go
Step right up, hungry wanderer, because we're about to take your taste buds on a rollercoaster ride through the flavor-packed wonderland that is Al's Italian Beef in the heart of Chicago! Al's takes it up a notch with their signature "dipped" sandwiches, where the entire creation takes a daring dive into savory beef jus. It's a dunk tank of deliciousness that turns your ordinary sandwich into a culinary adventure. Just make sure you've got plenty of napkins, because things can get messy! If you are heading north and looking for some of the best food fuel around, grab Al's for lunch and save some space for dinner. While Al's is the OG of course, there are Portillo's all over the city which will suffice if you are on the go, and crunched for time. Either way, you can't lose.
👋🏼 People to Meet
While he's not not from Chicago, Dr. Harry Kohlmann embodies a similar grit, style and depth of character of the Windy City. He's also one of the smartest and influential people in the booze business. Harry & Park Street, the company he launched in 2003, have been providing innovative solutions and unparalleled guidance to support craft alcohol brands and help them scale. Today, they are a best-in-class provider of productivity-enhancing and cost-saving back-office solutions, advisory services, and working capital to more than 3,000 alcoholic beverage brands from the U.S. and around the world. The company’s clients range from entrepreneurs to multi-brand global suppliers, and include craft distillers, centuries-old family businesses, award-winning wineries, innovation brands, and more. Formerly, Harry was a strategy consultant at McKinsey & Company where he worked extensively in the fast moving consumer goods sector in North America and Europe with a specialty in alcoholic beverages. Park Street has also built a leading educational platform, Park Street University - which is a treasure trove of valuable information for anyone seeking to grow their brand. Give them a follow @parkstreetcompanies to stay up to date with the latest industry trends.
🥂 Products to Try
While the traditional Old Fashioned is typically made with whiskey or bourbon, a Wisconsin Old Fashioned replaces the base spirit with brandy. This variation reflects the strong influence of brandy in Wisconsin's unique cocktail culture. Here, you can get your Old Fashioned sweet, sour, sparkling and more. Extra cherries of course. And only in Wisconsin. And if you are looking for a coastal variaton of the WOF, everyone knows Korbel makes sparkling wine in California, but what you won't see in many places around the country is their brandy. Which is ALL OVER Wisconsin. And if you want to try a smaller, craftier brandy for your first Wisconsin Old Fashioned, try Copper & Kings brandy out of Louisville.
Korbel Brandy
Since 1889, this Sonoma County winery has been producing award-winning California brandy. Handcrafted in small batches at their artisan distillery using only the finest California grapes, Korbel California brandy is masterfully aged to perfection in premium oak barrels – fire charred and mellowed to achieve a golden amber color, rich butterscotch aroma, and extra smooth taste.
🗞️ Start Spreadin' the News
In case you missed it, here are a few featured articles that piqued our interest.
- Now we've seen everything: The Dragnum - a champagne inspired bottle from Fireball
- Zero ABV spirits are growing fast & here to stay
- Is Campari getting ready to dominate the US?
👊 Until Our Next Encounter...
We hope you all had a great week. Stay tuned for more GADABOUT Guide adventures. Until then...
🧬 About GADABOUT:
GADABOUT is the only dedicated shared services sales platform for the wine and spirits industry. We partner with best-in-class sales agents, teams and independent brokers to launch and scale their businesses with an integrated portfolio of high-potential, ready-to-sell brands. Whether you are a brand or a broker, being Powered by GADABOUT reduces the time, cost and risk of operating independently.
To learn more about us, please visit www.gadabout.co, follow us on Instagram and Twitter or email us at contact@gadabout.co. We'd love to hear from you. Cheers!