Wednesday, April 25th, 2012 6:00pm

Thunder Bay Grille has teamed up with Cedar Ridge Winery and Distillery from Cedar Rapids, to host a Whiskey dinner on Thursday, April 25th at 6:00 p.m. Jeff quaint, Master Distiller and proprietor of Cedar Ridge Winery and Distillery will host the dinner, answering questions about the handcrafted Whiskeys, brandies and Limencello. "We are very excited to have Jeff come and answer questions and share his knowledge of high-quality, handcrafted whiskey, It's going to be a very enjoyable event," comments Nick Cox, Chief Executive officer of Thunder Bay Grille in Davenport.

Guests will enjoy a four-course meal, prepared by Executive Chef Andy Wildermuth Each course paired off with samples of Whiskey which is selected to compliment that course. Dinner starts with a Whiskey reception and the last course will allow guests a choice of enjoying a dessert inside or the gentlemen can enjoy a cigar and a bonfire on the patio while sipping whiskey.

The cost per guest is $60 per person . If you have any questions, or to make your reservation please call Thunder Bay Grille at (563) 386-2722 or visit www.thunderbaygrille.com

Thunder Bay Grille is located at I-80 and Brady Street, in Davenport, IA. # #

CHICK BEER: NOT YOUR BOYFRIEND'S BEER

Chick Beer, a new beer created by a woman, exclusively for women, is now available in Iowa stores and restaurants, and bars. The superior light lager with a big beer taste weighs in at only 97 calories and 3.5 carbs. And make no mistake about it - this isn't your boyfriend's (or any man's) beer. Chick Beer was created for fun-loving, smart, independent women who embrace life with a passion.

Chick Beer is no gimmick. Brewed in Wisconsin, Chick Beer is actually crafted for the feminine palate. Its flavor emphasizes soft malt over bitter hops. Many women prefer a less bitter flavor. In fact, some scientists claim that women are genetically predisposed to avoid bitter flavors, a vestige from the time when women were "gatherers." Bitter flavors warned of potential poisons, so women quickly learned to avoid them. Additionally, Chick Beer is lightly carbonated, a feature that women also embrace.

Iowa joins a select number of states in the country where Chick Beer is available. It debuted in Maryland (home of its founder) in August 2011, and has since taken off like a rocket. One liquor store manager in Indiana recently said, "Women love this beer! They buy their first six-pack because it's different and fun, but they come back to buy a case because they are, frankly, really surprised at how good it tastes. Chick Beer is going to be hot!"

Shazz Lewis, founder of Chick Beer, tells how the idea was, well, hatched. "For many years, my husband owned a wine and spirits store in Maryland. One day, I was looking at the beer cooler, which had more than 400 different beers in it, and I had an 'aha' moment: Why wasn't there a beer that shouted out to me? I'm a woman who enjoys drinking beer. I'm a wife, daughter, sister and mother of five daughters. Why wasn't there a beer that celebrates, or even acknowledges my, well, 'chickness'?"

I couldn't let go of that idea, and so began doing some research. I found that women consume 25 percent of all the beer in the United States - that's 700 million cases a year - but no one has ever addressed this segment of the market. Until now."

Although the name of the beer came to Lewis in a dream, in retrospect its moniker is obvious. "For years," Lewis chuckles, "men have dismissed lighter beers as chick beers that are so not what 'real men' drink. But since when is chick a bad thing? I decided to turn the pejorative 'chick' upside down and use the word as a celebration of the strength and power of women. I also decided that Chick Beer packaging would be anything but subtle. There's no mistaking the bright pink logo against the silhouette of a little black dress and an over-the-top feminine font. No one will mistake Chick Beer for a dude's beer."

Chick Beer is being distributed in Iowa by Johnson Brothers, who sold out of their initial shipment within days of receiving it. The distributor is reloading and working hard to get Chick Beer to all the Iowans who are asking for it. If you don't see Chick Beer on your stores' shelves or at your favorite watering holes, get uppity! Tell the proprietor you want Chick Beer now. Retailers can call Johnson Brothers at 515.262.1199.

Consumers looking for places that are selling Chick Beer can visit www.chickbeer.com and click on the Chick Finder map. Chicks are hatching in Iowa at a fast and furious pace. The map is regularly updated, so please keep checking back.

Chick Beer is more than just another beer on the shelf. Lewis has pledged to donate 5 percent of its net profits to charities that empower women, primarily in the communities where the beer is sold. "I don't believe that there is another beer company in the U.S. that has made this kind of commitment to women," she says.

"I've been fortunate all my life in that I've had a loving, supportive family, educational opportunities, and jobs that have been professionally and personally rewarding. I'm now at a time in my life when I can fulfill a long-held dream of mine - to give back some of my good fortune to other women who haven't been as lucky."

The Chick Cares initiative, which contributes both to national charities that empower women and to local organizations in the states where Chick Beer is sold, has recently announced its charitable giving plans for 2012. Details are available at www.chickbeer.com

If you want to be among the first in the country to taste Chick Beer, you'd better hurry. Its Facebook page has nearly 6,000 "likes" from all over the globe. Women are asking for it in all fifty states, and around the world.

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Le Claire, Iowa, April 2, 2012 - Mississippi River Distilling Company invites the public to come to LeClaire on Friday evening, April 6, from 5:30-8:00 PM for our First Friday Feature!  We'll do an abbreviated tour at 6 pm and 7 pm.  There will also be specials on bottles of River Baron Artisan Spirit, River Rose Gin and River Pilot Vodka.  The entire evening is free and is the perfect opportunity to join us in LeClaire to kick off the holiday weekend!

Each First Friday is an open house social evening with special cocktails prepared just for the evening and food prepared with MRDC products for tasting.  Spirited Chef Stephanie Godke will prepare Seafood Soup made with River Rose Gin and a Mud and Rocks Cake featuring River Baron Artisan Spirit in a caramel, creamy cake with chocolate chips and toffee bits.  The signature cocktails for the evening are the Sparkling Rose and LeClaire Spring Punch.  The Sparkling Rose is a mixture of River Rose Gin, frozen lemonade concentrate and champagne.  The LeClaire Spring Punch combines River Pilot Vodka with Chambord, sweet and sour mix and a splash of champagne.  Both are refreshing sippers on any bright spring day!  All recipes can be found on our website, www.mrdistilling.com.

Mississippi River Distilling Company was also recently handed a big honor when named as one of the best in the nation when it comes to fine gin.  MRDC's River Rose Gin received a Gold Medal from TheFiftyBest.com after its Premium Gin Tasting.  River Rose tied for sixth place in the completion behind other big names such as Tanqueray and Hendrick's.  In total, 24 gins competed for the title of best gin.

Mississippi River Distilling Company is open from 10 AM to 5 PM Monday through Saturday and from 12 to 5 PM Sundays.  Free tours are offered to the public daily on the hour from 12 to 4 PM or by appointment.  The tour takes visitors through the entire distilling process.  Tours end in the Grand Tasting Room with free samples of products for those patrons over 21 years of age.

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In addition to introducing a new small shake to our lineup this spring, Whitey's Ice Cream is announcing four new flavors for the season. Along with our usual spring flavors of Fresh Banana and Lemon Custard, the new flavors available by Wednesday are as follows:

Fiesta Chocolate- A new chocolate flavored ice cream with cinnamon swirled throughout.

Red Velvet Cake- White chocolate flavored ice cream with cream cheese frosted homemade Red Velvet cake.

Super Blueberry Cheesecake- A "Super" Blueberry Cheesecake flavored ice cream with additional blueberry swirled throughout.

And finally, our most exciting flavor:

Kid Crunch- This is for kids from 2 to 92. In keeping with the tradition of Sgt. Camo, ALL profits from the sale of this flavor will be donated to children's charities!  Kid Crunch is made with locally supplied honey from the Illinois Beekeepers Association and includes five different ingredients to give it that "crunchy" taste. Included with the light honey ice cream are: Pecans, Almonds, Toffee, Chocolate Flakes, and Cookie pieces.

Any questions feel free to contact the Whitey's corporate offices at: (309) 762-2175