Eat, Drink and be Meretricious

Lake Zurich -- the Brigadoon of Lake County -- the land that time forgot -- got its fifteen minutes of fame, and then some, this week. As readers of this blog are wistfully aware ...

F is for Friends Who Do Stuff Together

Lake Zurich was the subject of a new Hollywood blockbuster sci-fi space thriller; as well as the scene for an expletive-laden village board meeting. Ordinarily this would be enough excitement for the lifetime of any staid Lake Zurich burgher. But news is now circulating that Lake Zurich's new micro-distillery will be shuttered indefinitely due to the Federal shutdown. According to the Daily Herald, the distillery's owners intended to open ...

Copper Fiddle Distillery in a 2,100-square-foot storefront on Route 22, just east of Rand Road. Copper Fiddle is expected to become the 11th or so small-scale distillery in Illinois. But Copper Fiddle is in a holding pattern in seeking approval for its labels from the U.S. Treasury Department's Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau due to the government shutdown that started Oct. 8.
Lake Zurich distillery plan affected by Federal shutdown

Watching furloughed federal workers starve because of the government shutdown is one thing. But depriving people of their distilled spirits is another thing entirely. Operatives are understandably outraged.

It is not known whether Peter Roskam -- Lake County's nominal Congressman -- is outraged. Roskam is the featured guest at an upcoming $150 per plate fundraiser:

The menu includes:

• Gumbo of Duck Confit and Wild Boar Sausage
• Salad with Goat Cheese Crumbles and McHenry County Wild Ramp Vinaigrette
• Combination of Local Grass-Fed Strip Steak and Pop Corn Shrimp with Blue Corn Deep Fried Batter
• Purple Mashed Potatoes and Roasted Squash
• Apple Crisp with Peach Whipping Cream

Furloughed Federal workers (and those jobless because of the recession) may contact Roskam's congressional office about the availability of any leftover food.

But despair not, your LakeCountyEye has not forgotten ye thirsty operatives. This same McHenry County GOP fundraiser is being promoted as a Scotch Tasting and Dinner:

The event will start with an hour of hors d'oeuvres and the first scotch. A second flight of scotch will accompany a surf and turf dinner, and a third flight will be served with dessert.

The last time your LakeCountyEye attempted a third flight with a bottle of scotch, boy were your LakeCountyEye's arms tired. All kidding aside, it seems that shutting down the government and closing the distilleries may be a very clever way to get people to attend a fundraiser!

McHenry County is a long hike from Peter Roskam's home turf in Wheaton. Your LakeCountyEye should remind the congressman, and operatives, about the importance of appointing a designated driver.