Episode 591 - MoBAB 5: Barrels Alive!
ABV Chicago Craft Beer Podcast
It’s been over a month since we last drank barrel-aged beers, so to reward our tremendous restraint we’re throwing another MoBAB: a show that features more barrel-aged beers! In an unofficial “halfway to FoBAB” show, we sample four pretty distinctive styles and one collaboration pair built for blending. But also, we’re speculating about the injection boutique, translating for velociraptors, struggling to understand some fruits, and establishing an elite safe word. Come and experience The Joy of MoBAB. Beers Reviewed Off Color Brewing - Pomegranate Fox (Foedre-fermented wild ale...
info_outline
Episode 590 - How Low Can You Go?
ABV Chicago Craft Beer Podcast
Who says you need a lot of alcohol to have fun? Well, a lot of people, I’m sure. But this show sets out to prove beers that are under 4% alcohol by volume (ABV) can be surprisingly flavorful and ultimately satisfying. This “IPA sandwich” lineup is met with enthusiasm and a tighter grasp on sobriety than usual. Also, we really date the heck out of this show (recorded May 7th, 2025) by spending time discussing the Conclave Hot Stove before we knew the identity of the New Pope. Also, Craig needs a Trapper Keeper, Ryan admires a girthy grip, and we successfully predict the coming of Chicago...
info_outline
Episode 589 - Czech Dark Lagers
ABV Chicago Craft Beer Podcast
In our second exploration of Czech styles made locally, we sample five Czech Dark Lagers - a style that has slowly grown into a dependable stand-by for many brewers. We get into what makes a beer like this that perfect balance of dark malt and clean lager drinkability while drinking more of these than we probably should. Also, we contemplate if we’re too old for concerts being marketed directly at us, we fail to fully ban bad puns, we hit up the Hop-O-Rama, and there’s a reason they never made an aroma box for virtual meetings. Beers Reviewed Samson (Budějovický měšťanský...
info_outline
Episode 588 - IPA All-Stars Blind, Round 1
ABV Chicago Craft Beer Podcast
With this episode, we kick off our new ongoing blind tasting series with a focus on the IPAs that made craft beer what it is today. Periodically over the next few months, we’ll be gathering up five IPAs that represent well-known, influential, or otherwise significant IPAs from all over, looking to find our pick for the overall best using a much more professional and organized scoring system than usual. This first one has a bit of an, uh, “unintentional reboot” feel to it - but the results truly rock us to our cores. But also, we have a surprising number of sandwich topics, Craig seeks...
info_outline
Episode 587 - Czech Light Lagers
ABV Chicago Craft Beer Podcast
The lighter beers produced in the Czech Republic have inspired a bevy of lighter lagers stateside, so we get as Bohemian as we can with five different beers - four from the Chicagoland area. We brush up on our definitions of Czech pilsners and Czech pale lagers while finding some surprising local examples. Plus, we’re getting sucked into game ads due to some hazy bait, we make a pitch to fund our snack drone, and Craig may have killed off Cronch. We’ll cover your Czech - if you agree to Czech this one out. Beers Reviewed Budějovický Budvar - Czechvar Original (Czech Pilsner) Seldom Beer...
info_outline
Episode 586 - Mosaic Immersion Therapy
ABV Chicago Craft Beer Podcast
For as long as we’ve been reviewing beers, Craig has struggled with perceiving the Mosaic hop’s aroma and flavors to the point that we’ve diagnosed him with the first-ever case of Mosaic Blindness. So Ryan set out to cure (or torment) his friend by tracking down five all-Mosaic beers to learn what makes this complex hop just so dang elusive for Craig. Also, Ryan’s got a game for eagle-eared radio listeners in new cities; Craig’s excited he finally got accepted into MIT; and we think we should’ve incorporated a dry-hopped Neti pot in all this. Beers Reviewed Werk Force Brewing...
info_outline
Episode 585 - Minneapolis Lagers
ABV Chicago Craft Beer Podcast
During his recent trip to the Land of 10,000 Lagers™, Ryan snagged five Minneapolis-made clean and crispy beers from five different breweries to extend our lager love further north than ever before. We learn about some of these great (and medal-winning) Minneapolis spots in our lager quest, and there’s a little more interesting equipment employed than usual for this one. Also, we find ourselves on a surprising (and disturbing) podcast ranking list, Ryan’s ready to serve some time in the Ale Jail, we get an 8 year-old’s burger rankings, and Craig is dead serious about bringing back that...
info_outline
Episode 584 - Helles Lagers
ABV Chicago Craft Beer Podcast
We’re taking another style deep dive ABV-style with the pride of Munich: the Helles Lager. We try a German classic before exploring four local interpretations of the unfussy easy-drinking style, but as always, it’s the variations that make it interesting. Also, Ryan is in desperate need of some Inception Pants, Craig won’t even stand up for fewer than three decoctions, and we reminisce about cool record stores. And remember: puns don’t provide pants. Beers Reviewed Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan - Weihenstephaner Helles Dovetail Brewery - Helles Kinslahger Brewing Company -...
info_outline
Episode 583 - A Progression of Adjuncts
ABV Chicago Craft Beer Podcast
Adding non-essential components to a brew - ingredients sometimes referred to as adjuncts - can evoke strong dessert flavors and even a heavy dose of nostalgia. But does adding more and more adjuncts actually make a beer better? We test it out on this episode by drinking four barrel-aged stouts, with each successive beer adding one more flavor component over the previous. Premise! Also, Craig needs to know if he embarrassed himself in front of MJ Lenderman, we’re recovering from a stacked week of March celebrations, and we go further with mint than we ever thought possible. Beers...
info_outline
Episode 582 - A Progression of Barrels
ABV Chicago Craft Beer Podcast
A decade ago, if a beer spent a few months in a single bourbon barrel, its release would cause fanfare amongst craft beer obsessives. These days, beers are blended from an increasing number of different barrels for extended periods of time, so we decided to sample beers that represent an increasing number of different barrels to see if more barrels actually means better results. To help us better understand the barrel side of the beer world, we talk to Ethan Schulenberg of Midwest Barrel Company, who provides a variety of barrels for a large number of American craft brewers. He explains the...
info_outlineAdding non-essential components to a brew - ingredients sometimes referred to as adjuncts - can evoke strong dessert flavors and even a heavy dose of nostalgia. But does adding more and more adjuncts actually make a beer better? We test it out on this episode by drinking four barrel-aged stouts, with each successive beer adding one more flavor component over the previous. Premise! Also, Craig needs to know if he embarrassed himself in front of MJ Lenderman, we’re recovering from a stacked week of March celebrations, and we go further with mint than we ever thought possible.
Beers Reviewed
Cruz Blanca Brewery - Rey Cuvée Vanilla 2024 (Blend of barrel-aged imperial stouts w/ vanilla)
Flipside Brewing - BA Decision Fatigue: Vanilla & Chocolate (Imperial stout aged in bourbon barrels with chocolate and vanilla)
Goose Island Beer Co. - Shamrock Stout (Bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout w/ cocoa nibs, vanilla, and peppermint)
Werk Force Brewing - Mint Chocolate Chip Sleepy Bear 2024 (Bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout w/ cacao nibs, vanilla, peppermint, and spearmint)