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Episode 501 - Road to GABF: Far Flung IL Medals

ABV Chicago Craft Beer Podcast

Release Date: 09/13/2023

Episode 568 - A Side of Side Project show art Episode 568 - A Side of Side Project

ABV Chicago Craft Beer Podcast

It may not be the main course, but we make a meal out of this four bottle Side Project lineup, gifted to us by listener and friend Don Kasak. We may think we know where things are going with these four barrel-aged beers of differing styles - but we quickly get swept up in some surprising flavors. Also, we are adjusting to some of the new holiday traditions, we make some New Year’s fruit resolutions, and after this episode we’re heading down to our shift at the Farm Barn to check out Beyond Tart’s set.  Beers Reviewed Merci 2024 (Blended oak-aged American wild ale) SpontanFermier -...

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Episode 567 - FoBAB Winners 2024 show art Episode 567 - FoBAB Winners 2024

ABV Chicago Craft Beer Podcast

The Festival of Wood and Barrel-Aged Beers came in late November this year, and we have another episode to add to our wall-to-wall coverage of Chicago’s best beer fest. As has become a delicious tradition, we have gathered medal winning beers from this year - but with a totally sessionable twist. Three gold medal winners, one bronze, and one Best in Show gives us a lineup of 4 that’ll go down as one of the best we’ve done. Also, we break down FoBAB winners by the numbers, recap our festival highlights, and replace the Elf on the Shelf with Craig on the Keg.  Beers Reviewed Milieu...

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Episode 566 - Deep Wood: Wine O’ Clock show art Episode 566 - Deep Wood: Wine O’ Clock

ABV Chicago Craft Beer Podcast

It’s always wine o’ clock somewhere, especially when you’re opening up the finest barleywines and ryewines Revolution has to offer. This episode features three different ‘wines and a special release stout as part two (or three?) of their barrel-aged Deep Wood series for this year, and at least one of us deems this the best set of four Rev has ever done. Also, we don’t think we really want to smell our TVs; someone is in need of a little Halloween costume inspiration; and we get to know Captain Check (and his alter ego, Captain Czech).  2024 Deep Wood Beers Reviewed Straight...

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Episode 565 - Bourbon County 2024 show art Episode 565 - Bourbon County 2024

ABV Chicago Craft Beer Podcast

Even though Black Friday doesn’t mean what it once did, Bourbon County is still an event - and we have Ryan Tracy with us at Beer on the Wall to help us taste through this year’s lineup of six from Goose Island. Sure we were banned from the official media tasting, but we assess the whole group fairly - and find some surprises that are real standouts in the history of BCBS. Also, shenanigans may be afoot at FoBAB in regards to our Fantasy League; Ryan T. and Craig have a proposed wardrobe swap; we discuss BCBS variants that “don’t exist”; Tracy shares a Rare Day story that can only...

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Episode 564 - Ciders N’ Stuff show art Episode 564 - Ciders N’ Stuff

ABV Chicago Craft Beer Podcast

It’s been 8 years since we last did a whole lineup of ciders, and this was just the re-evaluation we needed to fall back in love with these well-crafted non-beer drinks. But it’s not just apples this time: each cider brings something else to the mix - to consistently surprising results. Also, Craig has created a glitter problem he can’t solve, Ryan learns of a surprising cidery connection to the beer world, and we’re both forced to put on the oversized blazer before being let inside.  Ciders Reviewed The Northman - Hopped Cider Stem Ciders - Apricot Haze Eris Brewery & Cider...

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Episode 563 - Thanksgiving Beer Feast show art Episode 563 - Thanksgiving Beer Feast

ABV Chicago Craft Beer Podcast

Not content with waiting for one single day to stuff ourselves with our favorite traditional foods, we just had to drink our way through a feast of Thanksgiving-adjacent beers to get us hyped for what might be our favorite holiday. We see how many of this lineup of five Illinois beers would make a nice addition to the table while also playing a full game of Personal Preference: Thanksgiving Foods. Plus, Ryan tries to make sense of a possibly inappropriate teacher costume, Craig takes a hardline stance against mixing foods, and we both have a few sides we like better than turkey. Loosen that...

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Episode 562 - FoBABlin’ 6: FoBAB Time Machine show art Episode 562 - FoBABlin’ 6: FoBAB Time Machine

ABV Chicago Craft Beer Podcast

As this year’s Festival of Wood and Barrel-Aged Beers approaches, we dive deep into FoBAB topics while drinking through four barrel-aged beers from breweries featured at this year’s fest. Our jumbled attempts to look back at previous year’s memories notwithstanding, we look ahead to new and returning breweries we can’t wait to try, old favorites and dependable options to seek out for a first pour, our general tips for navigating FoBAB, and a little mock Fantasy FoBAB draft to round things out. Plus, Craig encounters a real life Air Bud, our time machine is broken, and we wonder why we...

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Episode 561 - Mega Deth show art Episode 561 - Mega Deth

ABV Chicago Craft Beer Podcast

The warmest thing about the colder months is that we have three different Deep Wood releases to look forward to, and we start the season with four stouts - three as variants of their annual Deth’s Tar line. We talk about what makes this year’s lineup unique while Revolution supports its case as one of the most dependable barrel-aged programs anywhere. Also, Craig waited in a line only to learn about bad dog names; Ryan has basically forgotten the last two years of beer releases; and we get a little carried away with the tactile experience. Beers Reviewed Deth’s Tar (Imperial oatmeal...

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Episode 560 - Torture Test: The Hateful 8 show art Episode 560 - Torture Test: The Hateful 8

ABV Chicago Craft Beer Podcast

The horrible tradition continues for an eighth year as we try to outdo one another in a test of our ability to withstand liquid torture - and this year might be the most spiteful, mean-spirited collection of all. Seizing upon our known flavor aversions, each of us hosts finds something to attack our insecurities and threaten our actual livelihood through a half-blind tasting - all leading to an unimaginable Cuvée of Doom in the end. Also, we live out some mundane horror situations, we raise a few torture legends’ jerseys to the rafters, and I’m pretty sure someone is getting sued by the...

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Episode 559 - Farmhouse Fall show art Episode 559 - Farmhouse Fall

ABV Chicago Craft Beer Podcast

After a long, arduous Brat Summer, we be-sweater ourselves for a little Farmhouse Fall by opening five autumnal saisons from some of the best in the rusticity business. Whether it’s due to ingredients, barrels, or aesthetic, each saison here is the liquid equivalent of jumping into a pile of crunchy leaves, and we have some wildly divergent rankings by the end. Also, Craig immediately destroys our attempts at having a classy show for once; we define what we mean when we say “rustic”; and we consider what we expect fall to taste like. (Thanks to Don Kasak and the folks at Hold Out for...

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More Episodes

The Great American Beer Festival is right around the corner, and since we’re attending again this year, we’re providing an audio guide to what to drink at the fest while also sipping on some previous medal winners. These aren’t just any Illinois medal winners; our four choices here are a good drive from Chicago while also representing more traditional styles. For the GABF preview, we cover what Illinois breweries are pouring, which “new-to-us” breweries have us the most excited; whose familiar faces we can’t wait to see; and which “steady hand” brewers can’t be missed. Also, Ryan’s sharing an irrational fear, we develop an open floor taproom concept to maximize turnover, and we both agree the judges are pretty good at what they do.

Beers Reviewed

Crystal Lake Brewing - Too Much Cologne (Kolsch)

Sew Hop’d Brewery - Alt 140 (Altbier)

Mickey Finn’s Brewery & Pub - Dark and Down (Dark rye lager)

Tighthead Brewing Company - Scarlet > Fire (Irish red ale)