I am an intern, and have been one professionally for the past three years. However, I should have known from the moment a sprightly dog named Tater greeted me on my first day at Zapwater, that this would be no normal internship.

Working my first event as a part of the Zapwater team was not without its fair share of incident. Chef’s on the Grill was the buzz of the Loop that evening; all of the best chefs in the Millennium Valley were set to have a grill – off at 6pm at the beautiful Park Grill. Coincidentally, that also happened to be the day Mother Nature decided to host the first tornado the Loop had seen in over a year.

To my surprise I learned that there was not much that could stop the Zapwater team from executing a great event. Even a minor evacuation to the Millennium Park Garages was successful as chefs carted down trays of food for sampling, showing that there really is no bad time to enjoy beef medallions.

Save for a few soggy items of clothing, the event was a fantastic time and a testament to the durability of a Zapwater event, inclement weather included.

Jackie Fernandez
Intern

Get ready, Chicagoans! Matt Eisler and Kevin Heisner of Nightwood have teamed up with Nick Podesta and Jason Freiman of Duchamp to develop a new bar/restaurant concept, focusing on craft beer and sausage. Slated to open mid-September, Bangers & Lace is located at 1670 West Division Street. Why Bangers & Lace? “Bangers” as in the British term for sausage, and “lace” as in “Brussels lace”, the intricate veil of beer foam that clings to the side of the glass as it is consumed, indicating a well-crafted beer and a clean glass.

Bangers & Lace promises drinkers 30 draft beers and two hand pumped cask ales, all with a regional focus, in addition to an extensive bottle selection, featuring unique, barrel-aged, artisanal ales. An antique wooden cooler adjacent to the bar will house six rotating draft selections, usually seasonal beers from local breweries or brewed in-house. Also, with 48 hours’ notice, Bangers & Lace will procure a keg off an extensive craft-beer list for parties at the back-room tables. The beer program will be overseen by a Certified Cicerone™, an expert in selecting, acquiring and serving a wide range of beers, similar to the role of a sommelier in the wine world. But, don’t let the fancy wording fool you; the beer selection will be approachable, catering to beer connoisseurs and casual drinkers alike.

With all that beer, patrons are sure to be hungry. Find the perfect beer pairing with the seasonally rotating menu focused on sausages, but also including such classic Midwestern favorites as beer cheese pretzels and cheese curds. Despite the obvious focus on beer, B&L intends to prove that “bar food” is not a bad thing, with each hand-selected menu item priced from $2 to $12. Nosh your eats at the 50 foot zinc bar, large communal table or handful of smaller tables that inhabit the back room.

Kassy Reiff
Senior Publicist

At Zapwater, we encourage all of our clients to give back to the community. We don’t think Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is just a buzz word. We build CSR components into most of our campaigns.

We recently asked several non-profit leaders to provide their thoughts on working with Zapwater and here is what they had to say.

The USO’s Tony Enrietto on Zapwater from David ZAPATA on Vimeo.

Golden Apple’s Eric Johnson Discusses Zapwater and New Donors from David ZAPATA on Vimeo.

Natalie Spilger of GreenLaces Dishes on Zapwater from David ZAPATA on Vimeo.

Why Cameron Croft Likes Partnering with Zapwater from David ZAPATA on Vimeo.

Chris Byrne of the Spina Bifida Association of Illinois from David ZAPATA on Vimeo.

Well Chicago it’s that time of the year again! Before Summer officially prepares to unwind, our beloved city gets thrust into the national spotlight when one of the biggest outdoor music festivals, Lollapalooza, returns to Grant Park for the fifth summer in a row. The eye of the storm this year, maybe you’ve heard of Lady Gaga, ensures that every girl and gay in the city will be on hand for the tornado of glitter of screaming. I can’t make too much fun of this seeing as I have my one day pass booked for the very night that her royal Gagaloo takes the stage. The real question remaining is what else is there to do around the city? Lucky for you even without a ticket you can still reap the benefits of Rock Star Living:

• Literally party like a rock star and hit up the official after parties for both The Black Keys and Edward Sharp at the SAX Chicago’s Crimson Lounge. Table reservations strongly encouraged.
o The Black Keys, Friday August 6th, 11:00pm-2:00am
o Edward Sharp, Saturday August 7th, 11:00pm-3:00am

o HALO [FOR MEN]’s Gold Coast Spa is offering rock star-worthy deals that would make even Lady Gaga Green(day) with envy! During the week of Lollapalooza, patrons can experience the HEADLINER package and receive a massage, manicure, pedicure for $60, or opt for the OPENING ACT and receive any one of the select treatments for $25. Concertgoers wiped from the weekend can bring in their tickets the week after Lollapalooza festivities and unwind with a half price massage. Sorry fellas, groupies not included!

o Going to the show? Make sure you catch local Chicago bands Flosstradamus and Company of Thieves who will both be taking the stage, they are not to be missed.

Thrown on a tank top, grab some shades, sunscreen, and count me in!

Michael Corrigan
Asst. Publicist

I just celebrated my 22nd birthday. While my birthday marks the celebration of the glorious day of my birth, it also marks that I only have three weeks left in the summer until school starts. But not this year. Aside from receiving my diploma in the mail this past month and turning the uneventful 22, I have to face the fact that adulthood has officially begun.

Usually the month of August means packing all my belongings into the car, buying overpriced textbooks, and catching up with friends I haven’t seen in a while. August 2010, the dreaded job hunt will commence. A piece of me—a very large piece—is crying out to go back to school and enjoy the ability to miss a 9 a.m. class and stay up till other students are just heading to class, but another piece of me—an increasingly larger piece—can’t wait to begin my adult life. Yes, I think I actually became an adult a while ago, but this year I have to face and embrace the fact that I actually am one. And really, while I’m nervous, I couldn’t be more excited. My internship with Zapwater Communications has given me a taste of what working in the PR world is like, and I am most definitely enjoying it. Let me take a second to review why I love being an intern at Zapwater:

1. The commute: I have to wake up at 5:45 a.m. to get to work around 9 a.m. Fun…yes!
2. Listening to music while I work: Little do the Zapwater employees know, but Enrique’s new song, “I like it” has become my latest guilty pleasure. Yes, Enrique, I also like it.
3. Coffee breaks: The people at Starbucks must forget it’s the morning, or else they are so hoped up on coffee at 9 a.m. that they can’t control themselves. I know you want to announce whose order is up, but must you scream so everyone on the block can hear my order as well.
4. Treasure Island: I seriously look forward to the samples and the sushi lady at this grocery store.
5. The Experience: OK, so the other reasons weren’t so serious, but I really do appreciate the opportunities and experience I have gained while interning at Zapwater.

My internship marks the beginning of my long journey to figure out what being grown up means. But, if adulthood means I get to run into sushi ladies and write press releases for some of the biggest Chicago and national companies, than I say, bring adulthood on.

Stephanie Poquette
Intern

Recently, a favorite Bucktown restaurant of mine, Duchamp, debuted a brand new craft cocktail list and partnership with local Mixologist Eric Hay. This new menu is a much better fit for the French/American restaurant and focuses on classic pre-prohibition cocktails with a modern, seasonal twist.

I recently had the chance to sit down with Hay and hear about his inspiration behind the new menu, as well as some insight into the craft cocktail resurgence. Hay has helped Duchamp create a menu that goes along with the restaurant’s philosophy of using fresh, local ingredients in their food, and applying that to the drink menu. He has started making fresh juices, home-made syrups and infusions in-house, and really focuses on classic, quality recipes. Hay also taught me a few tid-bits about the craft cocktail world, like the fact that bitters changed the profile of drinks forever and Gin is preferred over vodka when combining flavor profiles for a drink. Also, did you know that spirits are supposed to be stirred and not shaken?

Either way, Duchamp’s new menu is AMAZING. I highly recommend the Loretto Flower and the Limon Agave Margarita. Also, one of my favorite items is the Dealer’s Choice – a rotating daily classic cocktail offering picked by the bartenders. Plus, their gorgeous outdoor patio is the perfect spot to indulge on any one of these drinks!

You can check out Duchamp’s full cocktail menu here: www.duchamp-chicago.com.

Annie Neyman Block
Group Director