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Uberstein may not be authentically German, but after a hefty stein or two, you won't mind.

Tuesday Oct 21, 2008.     By Dana Kavan

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Drink of the week: Hofbrau Original

Where you can find it: Uberstein

The damage: $6.50 for a half-liter or $12 for a hefty liter of the stuff. (Warning: If you go with the larger size, bring your arm strength or a straw. These brews are served up in thick glass steins.)

Why here? It's true that if revelers really want a traditional Bavarian tap, their first stop should be Lincoln Square, not Wrigleyville. I knew that going into Uberstein, but due to my deep love for places like the Chicago Brauhaus and Glunz Bavarian Haus, I wanted to check out their Clark Street competition. The first giveaway that Uberstein was built for Cubs-lovin' twentysomethings from the neighborhood and not the Deutschland-native grandpas that ask you to dance at Brauhaus: Uberstein sent the oompah band packing at 10 p.m. in favor of top-40 songs blaring over the speakers. And I doubt anyone present the night I was there could utter much German beyond 'prost!' Still, despite its lack of authenticity, and abundance of flat-screens tuned to sports, I can see why this place packs in a fun-loving crowd.

How it went down: Kudos goes to any bar in Wrigleyville that steps up its brew game from $5 Miller Lite cans to imports. Uberstein makes its affinity for Munich's Hofbrau clear, plastering the beer's crowned logo on its menu, signage and steins. It offers six HBs on tap at any given time, along with Spaten, Lindeman's Framboise and a handful of other Euro beers. Wanting something that wasn't too heavy, I stuck with the Original Hofbrau and opted for the half-liter, a wise choice considering its 5.1 percent ABV, higher than domestics but not as stiff as HB's Maibock or Strong Bock.

The Original is a well-rounded lager that tastes clean and crisp. It's highly sessionable and goes down smooth, with a slight hoppy aftertaste and light-to-medium body. It's the kind of beer you could drink by the liter, but I'd recommend saving that for Oktoberfest. (Ditto for the four-person shot apparatus that's shaped like a ski.)

Would I want to become a regular? Germans do it best when it comes to slinging eats that soak up suds. Uberstein sticks to a menu of sausages, schnitzel and other meat-and-potatoes plates. Blue-and-white-checkered tablecloths and a cottage-like interior keep the quasi-German vibe going, but for my money, I'd rather sit at a picnic table in its Clark Street-facing beer garden. Wrigleyville's environs certainly don't resemble Munich's, but the people watching only gets better as you drain a stein.

Dana Kavan scours the city for drink deals so good you'll offer to buy a round and creative libations that outshine your average on-the-rocks concoctions. Want to give Dana tips on where to rack up a bar tab? Share your finds before her next night out.