ABV Chicago Craft Beer Podcast

A Chicago craft beer podcast. Events, beer reviews and much more. It's Another Beer View.

Episode 415 - Keeping 2gether 01/19/2022

Episode 415 - Keeping 2gether A sequel to one of our favorite shows of 2021 might seem rushed, but Keeping Together’s time in Chicago is limited. For this one, we drink five more of Averie Swanson’s artful creations in an exercise that honestly feels shamelessly self-indulgent due to how good the beers are. Also, we speculate on a provolone problem, conjure up some Joey Pants, do a sitcom t-shirt reveal, and feel inspired to don windbreakers. Expect a very early contender for beer of the year that we never saw coming. /episode/index/show/abvchicago/id/21795953

Episode 414 - Non-Alcoholic Adventure 01/12/2022

Episode 414 - Non-Alcoholic Adventure Though our very existence denies it, we love the idea of Dry January - a time when you can re-evaluate their habits around beer and explore more healthy options. We never really intended on doing this show - not until Ryan got Covid. We keep this weekly show going amidst that diagnosis and explore how non-alcoholic beers have come to mimic craft styles much more than they did half a decade ago. Craig needs help with a t-shirt resolution and we find the perfect names for a few yet-to-be-founded NA breweries. /episode/index/show/abvchicago/id/21725216

Episode 413 - Cold IPAs 01/05/2022

Episode 413 - Cold IPAs The Cold IPA itself is an oxymoron. So is it a hopped-up lager, or a lagered-down IPA? Or is it neither? We speak with Doug Veliky, CFO of Revolution Brewing and industry trend-spotter, about why the Cold IPA could be a legitimate trend, and what could keep it stuck in fermentation. Then we examine the style further by drinking through five local examples, hoping to create our own frame of reference. Craig has a new workout plan for 2022 and Ryan’s creating the Slow Pour Cold IPA at-home device. /episode/index/show/abvchicago/id/21679850

Episode 412 - Double Barrel Blast 12/29/2021

Episode 412 - Double Barrel Blast As if barrel-aging alone wasn’t enough, breweries these days are taking beers that have already experienced an oak rest and dumping them into another barrel to age even further. We sample five beers that result from this process to see if all that patience pays off in the end. We attempt to extend our merchandising output. And as if two barrels for every beer wasn’t enough, Ryan has brought the extra heat for this one: two Craigs. Get ready for the Craigboard. /episode/index/show/abvchicago/id/21604490

Episode 411 - Faces of Deth 12/22/2021

Episode 411 - Faces of Deth This is Deep Wood Stout Edition 2021 for our fourth Barrel-Aged December episode, as we drink through the five Revolution stouts in their fall/winter specialty release series. This lineup finds a new way to step forward - and there’s one beer in particular here that surprisingly leaps to the top of our lists. Ryan confronts Craig about the Hair Bag Incident, Craig keeps insisting on entering the chat, Ryan’s High Life vertical is f*cked, and we just sort of have a love fest about Revolution’s output. /episode/index/show/abvchicago/id/21541178

Episode 410 - Barrel-Aged Saisons 12/15/2021

Episode 410 - Barrel-Aged Saisons An oasis in a month of enormous beers, this episode resets our palates to ready us for the remainder of Barrel-Aged December. But that’s not to say that saisons don’t have quite a few tricks up their sleeves, like the five on this show certainly do. We also are introduced to Milwaukee’s Supermoon Beer Company, and Craig grabbed an interview with co-founder Rob Brennan. Additionally, we have surprising strolls through the mall, and Craig tells you where he’ll take his glitter. #DrinkSaisons /episode/index/show/abvchicago/id/21465749

Episode 409 - FoBAB 2021 Winners 12/08/2021

Episode 409 - FoBAB 2021 Winners No matter what your strategy is at the fest, it’s almost impossible to avoid FoBAB FOMO. We were lucky to attend the 19th edition of FoBAB, but we also felt like we missed out on trying some of the exciting medal winners - until now. For our second Barrel-Aged December show, there are 5 medal winners from 2021 across various styles on this episode that confirm, yeah, maybe the judges know what they’re doing. We brainstorm some local beer gift box ideas and find Craig roaming the island of misfit candy. /episode/index/show/abvchicago/id/21391667

Episode 408 - Half Acre Benthic 2021 12/01/2021

Episode 408 - Half Acre Benthic 2021 Rising from the depths of an obsidian sea to bring about an experience both conceptual and elemental that bends past the traditional, or something: Benthic 2021. To kick off Barrel-Aged DecemberNFT we wade through the cosmic gumbo for this show on Half Acre’s big adjunct stout release for 2021. Five variants of the barrel-aged coconut stout are up for review and lead us to the 4PM Shedd Aquarium tour where things get a bit raunchy. /episode/index/show/abvchicago/id/21292589

Episode 407 - The Cincinnati Show 11/24/2021

Episode 407 - The Cincinnati Show We take on five beers from the great city of Cincinnati for this episode, courtesy of listener Andrew who picked out an exceptionally fun variety of styles and odd ingredients. It’s not every week we get beers with juniper berries, paw paw, and tayberries. Also, we discuss a tweet about which famous old people could identify Mario; we talk about some of our favorite signature fonts; and we have the majesty of dolphins ruined for us forever. /episode/index/show/abvchicago/id/21243134

Episode 406 - Cruz Blanca Luchadors 2021 11/17/2021

Episode 406 - Cruz Blanca Luchadors 2021 Add a 2021 FoBAB Gold Medal to the many reasons why Cruz Blanca’s seasonal barrel-aged beer release is not to be missed, but you hopefully already knew that anyways. We chat with head brewer Jacob Sembrano before opening up all eight of these grapplers in the Luchador series. Jacob talks with us about growing Cruz beyond just a brewpub, what makes something a “Cruz beer,” and some of the surprising flavor inspirations behind this year’s Luchadors. /episode/index/show/abvchicago/id/21165614

Episode 405 - Barreled Souls 11/10/2021

Episode 405 - Barreled Souls We’re finally caught up on Craig’s summer Northeast trip which took him to Barreled Souls, who do 100% oak-fermented beers out of their Maine location. The flavors are big and bold, and some work much better for us than others. But the standouts are incredible, and we’re even getting some slushie vibes. Also, Craig considers his scent, Ryan runs down all the different sub-styles of soup beers, and we hold a community Fluff event. /episode/index/show/abvchicago/id/21082820

Episode 404 - Bourbon County 2021 11/03/2021

Episode 404 - Bourbon County 2021 It’s the episode where we drink all the Bourbon County beers being released on Black Friday this year, and give you our honest reactions to this eight-bottle lineup. Whatever we say probably won’t influence your purchasing decisions whatsoever, but we had fun and got drunk while doing it. Honestly, we try to run our podcast with a set of principles as there's a drive into deep left field by Castellanos and that'll be a homerun. And so that'll make it a 4-0 ballgame. /episode/index/show/abvchicago/id/21018926

Episode 403 - Torture Test V: Crypt Fever 10/27/2021

Episode 403 - Torture Test V: Crypt Fever In another tale of the macabre (beers), our palates are attacked and our bodies shake with that unmistakable burn: it can only be Crypt Fever! We once again try to outdo one another by picking beers we think are going to be revolting for a blind test of our tolerance for bad - and most of these drinks fit the horrible bill. We also envision the Skoilet, smell some sockfruit, invent Flushtones™, and discuss why hard seltzers are the future of the Torture Test. /episode/index/show/abvchicago/id/20923655

Episode 402 - The SD Show 10/20/2021

Episode 402 - The SD Show For the 28th installment of our State Show series, our friend Don Kasak brought us back a nice (IPA-less) lineup from South Dakota. We have five different beers from five different breweries, although one host’s personal curse seems hellbent on lowering that number. But in addition to these enjoyable brews, we construct five different pop culture Mount Rushmores of our own, which leads to discussions around cereal mascots, Seinfeld NPCs, classic WWF wrestlers, Saturday morning cartoons, and 90s bassists. /episode/index/show/abvchicago/id/20847665

Episode 401 - Duneyrr/Moderne Dune 10/13/2021

Episode 401 - Duneyrr/Moderne Dune With Duneyrr Artisan Fermenta Project, Tyler Davis wants to explore the ways wine and beer fermentation can cross over into styles that defy traditional categorization. And with Moderne Dune, he is using newer ingredients and techniques with IPAs and lagers in thoughtful and artful ways. We talk with Tyler about his many projects and upcoming taproom, the origins of Duneyrr, his brewing history, choosing quality over locality when it matters, and how deep into the world of wine he’s looking to venture. /episode/index/show/abvchicago/id/20783072

Episode 400 - Barrel-Aged Chicago Stouts 10/06/2021

Episode 400 - Barrel-Aged Chicago Stouts To recognize the improbable 400th episode of this show, we take it all the way back to the beginning - with a little added age. We revisit the same five local breweries from “Episode 1 - Chicago Stouts” - but this time, there are barrels involved. We take stock of all that has changed along the way and share a few memories from listeners. But there’s also our Top 3 arcade cabinets, shameless Trader Joe’s plugs, stout luge races, and a little old-fashioned Ryan rage over unwieldy beer prices. /episode/index/show/abvchicago/id/20696420

Episode 399 - IL GABF Winners 2021 09/29/2021

Episode 399 - IL GABF Winners 2021 In a record year at the Great American Beer Festival, Illinois breweries captured 16 medals across a wide variety of styles. We ran all over Chicagoland to assemble six of the medal winning beers to sample while sharing a pretty comprehensive history of Illinois beers at GABF in the 21st century. Also, we pitch some ideas for Extreme Bingo, play a game of Stumptappd about beers with depressing movie names, and get stuck between a glitter bomb and a jamband. More lactose categories next year, please. /episode/index/show/abvchicago/id/20607794

Episode 398 - The VT Show 09/22/2021

Episode 398 - The VT Show From the rolling green hills of Vermont, we have five beers that span the state for our 27th installment in our State Show series. All five breweries included are new to the show with a wide variety of styles, and at least one beer elicits the strangest divergent reactions we’ve had in quite some time. Also, Ryan is living through an unwritten Seinfeld episode, Craig is disappointed by the lack of moose, and we both fixate on parts of songs we had never noticed before. /episode/index/show/abvchicago/id/20532953

Episode 397 - Grocery Store IPAs 09/15/2021

Episode 397 - Grocery Store IPAs This week, we’re perusing the aisles of three of the most popular grocery store chains who contract brew their own IPAs so they can sell them at a steep discount, all to determine if it’s okay to skip your trip to Beer on the Wall every now and then. (It’s not.) We have some, uh, spirited reviews of the IPAs made by Costco, Aldi, and Trader Joe’s. We welcome a live studio audience to the show for the first time, petition to take over the Challenge Butter Twitter and make people h*rny for soup beers. /episode/index/show/abvchicago/id/20451059

Episode 396 - Allagash Brewing Company 09/08/2021

Episode 396 - Allagash Brewing Company We’ve long been spoiled to have Allagash beers in the Chicagoland market, considering they still only distribute to about a third of the country, if that. But this show celebrates the brewery differently, with five brewery-only beers from Craig’s recent travels to Portland, Maine. Allagash is as adept at balancing complexity with drinkability unlike few other brewers in the world. This lovefest also features a sentient (and inspiring) Gushy, for the love of B-sides albums, and some irate Pokemon fans. /episode/index/show/abvchicago/id/20377244

Episode 395 - Portland, ME 09/01/2021

Episode 395 - Portland, ME In a state where there’s a brewery for about every 8,000 people, Portland is the ultimate beer-lovers’ destination in picturesque Maine. Craig’s travels bring us five unique and winning beers from five different Portland, Maine breweries. The beers are as charming as the coastal town that bore them, which leads to a little strokin’ of Craig’s ego. We keep those cans a-rolling; Craig feels old thanks to promotional 90s nights; Ryan is a little worried about sea water; and we’re getting stupid wit /episode/index/show/abvchicago/id/20306528

Episode 394 - The Alchemist 08/25/2021

Episode 394 - The Alchemist Stowed away in Northern Vermont, The Alchemist has been a world-renowned brewery for almost two decades thanks to its tremendously popular and influential Heady Topper. Craig’s recent travels to the area secured us that precious Heady along with four more beers of substantial quality that have us dreaming of green mountains. Also, Ryan resurrects the soundboard, Craig’s missed opportunity lets us all down, and we reach a decisive conclusion to the “drink from the can” debate. /episode/index/show/abvchicago/id/20228888

Episode 393 - Oxford Comma Stouts 08/18/2021

Episode 393 - Oxford Comma Stouts If you’re going to toss the whole pastry shelf into your stout, we better see some proper punctuation. We’ve gathered five stouts that are on a three-adjunct minimum, and we sacrifice our daily calorie count by bringing you our arbitrary reviews. We also consider T-shirts for songs, recommend 3 flavors for that White Sox waffle cone, conclude our 8 year journey of finding a better name for the podcast, pan for cookie dough, smile at bubbles, and bristle at your bold breakfast self-invitation. /episode/index/show/abvchicago/id/20153621

Episode 392 - Haze Suburbia 08/11/2021

Episode 392 - Haze Suburbia On some episodes, we just wanna act stupid and have some fun, so for this one we’re doing an all suburban, all haze, all blind show to prove that we don’t give a sh*t about tomorrow. Will these five hazy Double IPAs help break Ryan free from his Low Haze Enthusiasm? Will either host hit a respectable average in guessing the blind lineup? How many friendships will be tested? Which White Castle is still squishing the ball? Listen to this tight 50 to hear that and why you might as well papaya.™ /episode/index/show/abvchicago/id/20076284

Episode 391 - Hot Rev Summer 08/04/2021

Episode 391 - Hot Rev Summer Revolution Brewing’s mission is to dominate your whole calendar. They release one of the most coveted barrel-aged beers in the last few years as a surprise for the summer but they also let you wash it all down with exquisite lighter-drinking beers like the pair from this episode. So we chatted with Rev’s communications manager John Carruthers about these hot summer drops, the future of Rev’s packaged offerings, and his charitable pizza project and cookbook. /episode/index/show/abvchicago/id/20001638

Episode 390 - Quad Goals 07/28/2021

Episode 390 - Quad Goals The Belgian Quadrupel is a style one might associate with decades of Trappist-brewed tradition, when in actuality, it was first coined a style in 1991 in the Netherlands. History lesson aside, these strong dark Belgian-style ales have their American fanatics too, and we try to explore multiple facets of the style through this episode. Also, we talk about non-existent emojis, raw bread, a Sorting Habit, accidental chocolate hand, and Craig accidentally drinking syrup. Our pour discipline is poor on this one. /episode/index/show/abvchicago/id/19927748

Episode 389 - Pitt Stop 07/21/2021

Episode 389 - Pitt Stop Summer Craig’s travels brought him to the Steel City of Pittsburgh to explore their vibrant beer scene and bring back five beers for the podcast. We have an unusual mix of styles from five different Pittsburgh breweries, but they impress in ways that make us want to wave our Terrible Towels. Craig has a disorienting experience with the wrath of God at the amusement park, bring Retchy into the fold for one particularly hungover host, and explain how our saggy beers support our pointy ales. /episode/index/show/abvchicago/id/19850990

Episode 388 - Keeping Together 07/14/2021

Episode 388 - Keeping Together Keeping Together, the saison-focused project from Averie Swanson, has brought world-class mixed culture farmhouse-style beers to Chicago - if even for all too short of a time. We catch up with Averie about the future of Keeping Together as its time in Chicago comes to a close, but we also talk with the Master Cicerone and former co-owner/head brewer at Jester King about her evolution as a brewer and business owner - and it feels like she’s just getting started. /episode/index/show/abvchicago/id/19776602

Episode 387 - Necromancer Brewing 07/07/2021

Episode 387 - Necromancer Brewing The good folks at Necromancer Brewing in Pittsburgh want to bring dead beer styles back to life, learning from the past while also using modern techniques and ingredients to reinvigorate these long-dormant styles for a new audience. On the first day that their taproom opened, Craig was in town and got to chat with head brewer Lauren Hughes before buying up almost every can they had to offer. Lauren shares the journey that led to Necromancer’s opening and articulates why these styles deserve a second chanc /episode/index/show/abvchicago/id/19704221

Episode 386 - The LA Show 06/30/2021

Episode 386 - The LA Show In our 26th installment of our State Show Series, we get surprised with a box from listener Andrew F. and try to turn this admittedly New Orleans-heavy show into a loving exploration of Louisiana beer. Appropriately, the five beers are about as oddly different as they can be, and we have at least one thing we’ve never had in a beer before. Also, we revisit the events that must’ve led to Pitbull’s performance at the 2018 Naperville Ribfest and try to put the baseball in New Orleans. /episode/index/show/abvchicago/id/19625372

ABV Chicago Craft Beer Podcast

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