Episode 581 - Doppelbocks
ABV Chicago Craft Beer Podcast
Whether you’re preparing for a fast or a feast, Doppelbocks are the German-born strong lagers you need if “liquid bread” is what you seek. We explore this style with one German version and four from Chicagoland to fine tune our expectations and enhance our overall appreciation of this malty wonder. Also, Craig gives sound advice to help Ryan navigate his children’s interest in the White Sox; we alternate between goats and dragons; and we take a mouthfeel ride down the lazy river (of flavor). Beers Reviewed Ayinger Privatbrauerei - Celebrator Goldfinger Brewing - Zlotonator ...
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Episode 580 - Cellar West, Chapter 3
ABV Chicago Craft Beer Podcast
It’s been about two years since we last checked in with one of our favorite small breweries in America, and this lineup of five from Lafayette, Colorado’s Cellar West is a real flavor ride. We talk about the medal-winning beers sent courtesy of founder Zach Nichols while trying to narrow down which we’d most like off of their cask engine. Also, Ryan’s developing a habit of rubbing beers on himself, Craig is mystified by mustache twins, and we make some initial nominations for the ABV Chicago Outstanding Achievements in the Field of Craft Beer Excellence awards. Beers Reviewed...
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Episode 579 - Local & Historical
ABV Chicago Craft Beer Podcast
We get unreasonably excited when local breweries make historical and international styles that are infrequently brewed, so we jumped at the opportunity to bring five examples together. These suburban Chicago beers serve as tributes to centuries of brewing across three different countries, and we couldn’t be happier about the results. We dive into the history and stories of these styles while also revisiting our college Newcastle phase, assuming control of our IP, and making our choices for the best vending machine selections on a road trip. Beers Reviewed Bubblehouse Brewing Company -...
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Episode 578 - Werk Force Brewing
ABV Chicago Craft Beer Podcast
Amanda and Brandon Wright of Werk Force Brewing have been in business out in Plainfield for over a decade, but their story and influence goes far beyond that. We spend a good long time talking with the Wrights and sampling through a lineup of their excellent beers, from lagers to IPAs to barrel-aged stouts. Just some of the topics we cover include accepting the inevitability of flagship beers, leaving ABV off the label, creating a community-based space open for all, finding the right food partner, starting a family while opening a business, capturing just the right images for label designs,...
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Episode 577 - Hop Roundup: Winter ‘25
ABV Chicago Craft Beer Podcast
We love hoppy beers, and truthfully, we need to find an excuse to try more local releases that catch our attention. Introducing the Hop Roundup: a quarterly series of episodes focused on notable hoppy releases in a general timeframe. For this Winter 2025 edition, we have a brand new brewery with a resurgent style; a fresh year-round from local legends; a collab “reverse” continuation from a previous episode; a bigger take than we’ve seen on a highly-debated style; and a hopeful return for one of our favorite hops. But also, Ryan’s trying to help Craig through his jump scare fears; we...
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Episode 576 - The UT Show
ABV Chicago Craft Beer Podcast
We’re going behind the curtain for our 36th state show, as listener Jeremy hooked us up with five beers from Utah. The beers represent a pretty wide variety and offer a few real standouts as we try and make sense of some pretty…interesting beer laws. Also, there’s valuable jorts advice, heavy eye-contact cocktails, barrel-aged flashbacks, and a genuine French ending. Who says we need to keep things under 5 percent? Beers Reviewed UTOG Brewing Company [Ogden, UT] - Utah’s Only Happy Hour (American Light Lager) Talisman Brewing Company [Ogden, UT] - Uplifted (Scottish Export Ale)...
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Episode 575 - Deep Wood: Now and Later
ABV Chicago Craft Beer Podcast
To close out the 2024-2025 Deep Wood release lineup, Revolution somehow finds a way to do some new things with barleywine while retaining the spirit of their barrel program we’ve all come to know and love. It’s all about interesting woods here (and a little help from some friends) as we’ve hardly been so happy about experiencing the barleywobbles. Also, Craig’s sweet stock is in jeopardy, Ryan’s recovering from hosting his 10 year old’s birthday party, and we make some rankings promises that we actually keep (for once). It’s audio Sur Lie, because we’re definitely on the slop....
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Episode 574 - Supermoon Cellar Society
ABV Chicago Craft Beer Podcast
At a very reasonable price, Craig joined the exclusive Cellar Society for Milwaukee’s Supermoon Beer Company so we could get our hands on a full lineup of exclusive releases from one of our favorite breweries in the whole world. And this lineup still finds ways to surprise us - from style to barrel to the occasional unusual ingredient. It’s all just really really stellar. Also, Craig’s wife is developing mundane yet useful superpowers; Ryan’s ready for some more beer-inspired soaps; and we’re keeping a watch on the Costco cheese aisle for rare releases. Beers Reviewed Tabelbear...
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Episode 573 - 11 Year Blind: Old Faves
ABV Chicago Craft Beer Podcast
To recognize our 11th year of releasing this weekly podcast, we’re putting a new spin on our annual half-blind shows by…going old. We each divvied up the past years of the podcast and selected one favorite from a year until we ended up with seven to try and stump one another while we dig through our memories. Some represent fresh takes on old faves, and some are just old - which doesn’t necessarily mean bad. Also, we talk about a cult Chicago landmark in Craig’s neighborhood; Ryan no-scopes a few blind guesses; and Craig calls in a favor to make his secret blind theme work. Beers...
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Episode 572 - Singles in Your Area
ABV Chicago Craft Beer Podcast
In an ill-advised experiment almost 4 years in the making, this episode is our style exploration of the Belgian Single - sometimes called Patersbier, sometimes Enkel, and definitely rarely made stateside. Even most of the Trappist breweries keep them in house and rarely send them overseas. With a glacial pace of local Belgian single releases, we’ve held on to some American versions with hopes of one day finally completing our Monastic Cycle. So we took one fresh single - and four definitely way less fresh singles - to see how compatible we all could be. It’s certainly a learning...
info_outlineAs IPA further becomes a parody of itself, we stare down the ultimate challenge to our perception of what hoppy beers could - or should - be. Milkshake IPAs are a newer variation on the fruit-forward and bitterness-free take on the IPA that features lactose and/or vanilla to raise sweetness while incorporating wheat or oats into the grist to increase its heft. Listen as these six beers slowly chip away at our reservations around this hot new trend, and we learn to love again. Sort of. Also, Ryan refuses to let Craig continue to forget Leg Day, we invent the Beach IPA, and we fall into another tangent trap about candy and Doritos. Put the pectin in it!
Beers Reviewed
Odell Brewing Co. - Cloud Catcher
Collective Arts Brewing - Liquid Art Fest (w/ passionfruit, mango, and vanilla)
Energy City Brewing - Milkshake Nawi Mango (w/ mango and vanilla beans)
Hop Butcher for the World - Blazed Orange Milkshake (w/ oranges and vanilla)
Hailstorm Brewing Co. - Boat Drinks (w/ orange & pineapple juice, and toasted coconut)
Marz Community Brewing - Cocktail Umbrellas (w/ pineapple)