ABV Chicago Craft Beer Podcast
A Chicago craft beer podcast. Events, beer reviews and much more. It's Another Beer View.
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Episode 614 - Pitt Fall
11/12/2025
Episode 614 - Pitt Fall
At the tail end of summer, we recorded this little gem when we knew we’d need it most to help keep us thinking warm thoughts as the temperature falls faster than the leaves. When our friend Aaron Keefner was in town, he dropped a heavy case of Pittsburgh goodies on us, and we use this episode to sip through an exciting lineup of lagers and hops. Also, Craig has found the perfect exclusive club for a first date (and bulk goods), Ryan wants to see a brewery who is dedicated to kicking ass, and we’ll take that time machine straight back to a Wendy’s SuperBar. Beers Reviewed Coven Brewing - River Knight (Lager) Coven Brewing - Honed Blade (Pale Ale) Dancing Gnome - West Coast Lustra (IPA) Grist House Craft Brewery - Technicolor Treetops (New England IPA) Lolev Beer - Prismatic (IPA)
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Episode 613 - Deth Proof
11/05/2025
Episode 613 - Deth Proof
The barrel storm that is Revolution’s Deep Wood series rages on throughout the Fall and Winter months, so we’re catching up on the last release of their Deth’s Tar stout and its variants - and this year’s batch is better than they’ve ever been. We try to place these in the context of past years’ releases and try not to overanalyze the calculated magic that comes out of Rev’s barrels. But also, we are living for Dumpkin Spice season, we try to name a Skele-Boy, and we’re sorry for all the talk about…well, you’ll figure it out. Beers Reviewed Deth’s Tar (Imperial Oatmeal Stout aged in bourbon barrels) Café Deth (Imperial Oatmeal Stout aged in bourbon barrels and steeped with fresh coffee beans) Vanilla Deth (Imperial Stout aged in bourbon barrels w/ vanilla) Cocoa Vanilla Deth (Imperial Stout aged in bourbon barrels w/ cocoa and vanilla)
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Episode 612 - Torture Test 9: Circles of Adjunct Hell
10/29/2025
Episode 612 - Torture Test 9: Circles of Adjunct Hell
Unnecessarily crammed with junk, this year’s spooky six-pack is an adjunct party that no one ever wanted to be invited to, as we’re on to our ninth iteration of the infamous Torture Test. We both try to outdo one another by attacking our flavor weaknesses - or just finding straight-up old catastrophes of beers that were probably never good in the first place. The goal is to avoid the Cuvée of Doom, but we can’t avoid descriptors like “rancid piña colada,” “wet basement cardboard,” dirty old pennies,” “liquified grandma’s candy,” and “diet medicine.” But also, you can find out what keeps Ryan awake at night, and Craig realizes he can’t coast on last year’s domination anymore. (Thanks to Joe for helping wreck our night by providing one of the beers!) Beers Endured 450 North Brewing Company - Jellied Pumpkin Swirl (Sour DIPA w/ pumpkin, pumpkin pie, pralines, vanilla & vanilla soft serve) Stone Brewing/Bear Republic/Fat Head’s - TBA [2012] (Extra hoppy brown ale w/ molasses and brown sugar) Energy City Brewing - Mango’Rine Sorbet IPA (Sour NEIPA w/ mango & tangerine puree) DESTIHL Brewery - Spicy Pickle Sour Beer (Gose with spicy pickle brine) O’Fallon Brewery - Salted Caramel Pumpkin Beer (Pumpkin beer w/ lactose, Himalayan sea salt, and pumpkin puree) Rogue Ales - Voodoo Doughnut Grape Guerilla [2016] (Fruit beer w/ grape flavors)
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Episode 611 - FoBABlin’: 7th Barrel Heaven
10/22/2025
Episode 611 - FoBABlin’: 7th Barrel Heaven
In our annual leadup to Chicago’s best beer fest, we’re talking all about the Festival of Wood and Barrel-Aged Beers as it is set to return early in November this year. Along with drinking and reviewing four barrel-aged beers from a few FoBAB regulars (and one new to the fest), we look over the new and returning breweries, share our picks for brewers not to miss, rattle off a few general festival tips, and conduct a mock draft of our Fantasy FoBAB teams. Also, Craig devises a plan for packing future festivals, Ryan keeps pushing that coffee bean, a girthsome and titan beer write-up is read, and we might actually have a reason to walk the awards stage this year - listen to find out why! Beers Reviewed Werk Force Brewing - Waylon (Bourbon Barrel-Aged Black Barleywine) River North Brewery - Barrel-Aged Nightmare Fuel (Imperial Stout w/ coffee and vanilla aged in whiskey barrels) Half Acre Beer Co. - Ancho, Ancho Catch Hell (Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout w/ vanilla, cinnamon, and ancho peppers) The Lost Abbey - Peach Afternoon [2021 Vintage] - (Wood-aged Sour Ale w/ peaches and white tea)
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Episode 610 - GABF 2025
10/15/2025
Episode 610 - GABF 2025
Denver is the closest to Heaven that we’ll ever be, and we don’t want to go home right now. Broadcasting amongst the Rocky Mountains (from our very cushy hotel room), we file our annual report on America’s largest beer festival and competition: the Great American Beer Festival. We open three Colorado beers over two nights and relive our extended weekend celebrating beer and the people who make it by running through our Denver-area highlights, recapping the festival and awards results, and sharing from our long lists of favorite beers. Plus, we snagged some interviews with brewers from all over the country that share stories of crazy adjuncts, surprising medal wins, and faux-coctions. We also get into how to properly stress out hops and share a story of how we crashed a black tie concert featuring a 90s hitmaker band - but I won’t tell you their name. Interviews Joe Short of Short’s Brewing [Bellaire, MI] - (00:25:25 - 00:36:31) Rachael Hudson of Pilot Brewing [Charlotte, NC] - (00:46:02 - 00:54:21) Amos Lowe of The Austin Beer Garden Brewing Co. [Austin, TX] - (01:02:02 - 01:09:58) Jacob Sembrano of Cruz Blanca Brewery [Chicago, IL] - (01:22:20 - 01:25:22) Jaron Anderson of Helper Beer [Helper, UT] - (01:31:27 - 01:39:48) Matt Malloy of River North Brewery [Denver, CO] - (01:50:44 - 01:55:35) Beers Reviewed WeldWerks Brewing - Gyro Gose (Sour Ale w/ Pita Bread, Yogurt, Cucumber, Lemon, Dill, Mint, Garlic & Sea Salt) Westbound & Down - Infinity Pils (West Coast Pilsner) River North Brewery - White (Witbier)
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Episode 609 - Triptych Quadriptych
10/08/2025
Episode 609 - Triptych Quadriptych
One of Illinois’ best breweries rarely makes it up to Chicagoland shelves, so when Craig had a chance to go down to Savoy for a visit to Triptych Brewing, he loaded up for our fourth featured show in our history. We have five beers that represent what Triptych does best: from immaculate lagers to hop-driven ales to a roasty delight, this show does not disappoint. But also, we may have stumbled upon a secret bus of jugglers; Ryan explains how not all scented candles are created equal; and Craig revisits some dark days when he was addicted to the Dew. Beers Reviewed Herp Slurp (Pale Lager) Tiny Magic (Session IPA) Citra Pilsner And I Think My Spaceship Knows Which Way To Go (Hazy DIPA) Camp Coffee Break (Imperial Stout w/ coffee)
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Episode 608 - IPA All Stars Blind, Rd. 4
10/01/2025
Episode 608 - IPA All Stars Blind, Rd. 4
In our seemingly endless quest to find the best long-made IPA that America has to offer, we are a little all over the map on this one with a mix of Wisconsin and Western U.S. offerings to run through the blind scoresheet wringer. It’s a study in contrasts, as each clear IPA brings a little something different to the table - and then one just blatantly steals the show. Also, we imagine if GABF allowed us to curate their experience areas, we recall the days of IBU bombs, Craig is born anew yet again for this episode, and we invent cheese jibbets (and SlimJim-bets) for when you need a snack from those Crocs. Beers Reviewed Blindly Stone Brewing - IPA Karben4 Brewing - Fantasy Factory Central Waters Brewing - Rift New Belgium Brewing - Voodoo Ranger IPA La Cumbre Brewing Company - Elevated IPA
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Episode 607 - Road to GABF 2025
09/24/2025
Episode 607 - Road to GABF 2025
Our favorite time of year approaches again, but we can’t set off for Denver without doing a ridiculous amount of prep work and research. So to celebrate the oncoming Great American Beer Festival for 2025, we drink four GABF-adjacent beers while sharing our picks for what to drink from local breweries, our most dependable steady hands, the ever-exciting new-to-us names, and the familiar faces that are always worth a pour. Grab a pen and paper, because this episode is chocked full of almost a hundred damn solid recommendations (if we must say so ourselves.) Plus, Craig has an extremely surprising new role at his job, we find one experience area we’ll be camping out in a while, and we get a little lost in Taco Bell memories. Beers Reviewed Pollyanna Brewing Company - Lexical Gap (American IPA) Bow & Arrow Brewing Co. - Besos (Fruited Gose w/ raspberry, dragonfruit, orange zest, and vanilla) Boxing Bear Brewing Co. - Chocolate Milk Stout La Cumbre Brewing Company - Malpais Stout (Foreign Extra Stout)
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Episode 606 - Earth-Friendly Beers
09/17/2025
Episode 606 - Earth-Friendly Beers
Just like most good things in life, the beers we so love can be quite taxing on the planet before even getting to our glasses. But some breweries are taking the lead on exploring more sustainable practices, whether it’s using regenerative grains, organic ingredients, or even solar-powered farms. The five beers on this show represent different ways breweries can make a difference for the sake of the planet - and we’re glad to report that none of that comes at the cost of delicious tasting beers. Also, we call in the experts to help get us out of a regatta, we have our reservations about The L*nd Institute, Craig has to explain why he was buying rare Tickle-Me-Elmos, and we no-scope a Best By date like we never have before. Beers Reviewed Deschutes Brewery/Patagonia Provisions - Kernza Lager Off Color Brewing - Beer For The Future (Belgian Blonde w/ Kernza grain) Brooklyn Brewery - Fonio Rising Pale Ale Riggs Beer Company - Pilsner Giant Jones Brewing Company - Barrel-Aged Adambier
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Episode 605 - Festbier v. Märzen
09/10/2025
Episode 605 - Festbier v. Märzen
There are many essential ingredients for a successful Oktoberfest celebration, but none is more important than the beer. But which style is going to fill your massive stein: the younger, bright Festbier or the old-school, bready Märzen? We found four breweries making both styles to have a side-by-side of each to help determine our personal preference - and the only thing missing is the lederhosen. Also, we explore the world of Christian pirate shanties, consider acceptable adjuncts for Oktoberfest styles, and try not to piss off MC Hammer. Beers Reviewed Paulaner Brauerei - Oktoberfestbier Paulaner Brauerei - Oktoberfest Märzen Moderne Dune - Fezzbier Moderne Dune - Monte Marzen Brothership Brewing - Festbier Brothership Brewing - Märzen Kinslahger Brewing - Festbier Kinslahger Brewing - Märzen
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Episode 604 - Suburbaversary
09/03/2025
Episode 604 - Suburbaversary
The last few months have seen a steady number of big anniversary parties from suburban breweries - and some even released a beer to commemorate it. This show consists of 5 different beers brewed to mark an anniversary, all by brewers who work out of the suburbs of Chicago. We also face some style-based fears, greet the new Mayor of the Beach, develop new slow pour Pilsner techniques, and we meet Mr. No Coco. Beers Reviewed Flipside Brewing - Double Stop Double IPA Goldfinger Brewing - Fifth Anniversary Bock Brother Chimp Brewing - Cheers to Five Years (Imperial Coffee Porter) Soundgrowler Brewing - Day Walker Triple IPA Miskatonic Brewing Co. - X Gon’ Brew It To Ya (Barleywine w/ cocoa nibs)
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Episode 603 - Pittsburgh vs. Chicago: Blind Hazy Throwdown (with Aaron Keefner)
08/27/2025
Episode 603 - Pittsburgh vs. Chicago: Blind Hazy Throwdown (with Aaron Keefner)
When one of our oldest friends and beer industry vet, Aaron Keefner, came back into town from his adopted city of Pittsburgh, we knew we were going to have to throw down - with a blind hazy IPA tasting, of course! We each chose three of the top examples of hazy beers from our respective cities and enlisted the help of the excellent staff at Beer on the Wall in Elmhurst to arrange a blind tasting of all six to determine whose juice is the juiciest. Surprises abound! But also, we talk a lot about Aaron’s experience as a Chicago expat adjusting to life in Pittsburgh - mostly in the areas of beer and food. Also, there’s a few gooballs floating around; we discuss the perils of eating grapefruit; and we learn perhaps the most shocking fact about Pennsylvania Costcos. Beers Reviewed Blindly Old Thunder Brewing Company - False Kingdom Maplewood Brewing Company - Son of Juice Old Irving Brewing - Beezer Dancing Gnome - Lustra Lolev Beer - Lupula Riverlands Brewing Company - Dean Street
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Episode 602 - Rev Heat Wave
08/20/2025
Episode 602 - Rev Heat Wave
For the last few years, Revolution Brewing has tried convincing us that barrel-aged stouts and barleywines can indeed be enjoyed on 90-plus degree days - and gosh darnit, they make a convincing case. On this episode, we dive into the first three 12-ounce Deep Wood beers for the release season and find some very pleasant surprises. We also let things get a bit wavier than usual as we have our first on-air THC beverage, which instantly switches on Craig’s snack detectors. Also, we try to make sense on an anachronistic pizza place; Craig’s chugging sixteen percenters at C2E2; and Ryan reluctantly befriends his local Pop Tart guy to get those rare drops. The beers are as good as two guys playing three guitars. Beverages Reviewed Reverb Splash: Black Cherry Lime (THC & CBD drink w/ fruit juice) Thundertaker (Imperial Rye Stout aged in bourbon barrels) Strawberry Jacket (Barleywine Ale aged in bourbon barrels w/ strawberries) XV - Fifteen Year Beer (Blend of Barleywine Ale & Ryewine double barrel-aged in bourbon barrels w/ cherries)
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Episode 601 - Miskatonic Brewing (with Cory Davidson and Mik Dempsey)
08/13/2025
Episode 601 - Miskatonic Brewing (with Cory Davidson and Mik Dempsey)
Miskatonic has been a western suburban outpost for great beer with an extremely loyal following for a decade now - and it’s due time they get the recognition they deserve. We sit down in Darien with head brewer Cory Davidson and production brewer Mik Dempsey to talk all things Miskatonic, including how they approach brewing such a wide variety of styles with laser-like focus, how branding updates help reflect the beers themselves, what obscure styles they’d like to brew one day, and how they find collaboration partners in both the brewing and music worlds. Also, we talk about contract brewing through their full production brewery, making seltzers for the first time, and both Cory and Mik’s picks for their essential Chicagoland six packs.
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Episode 600 - Suncatcher Brewing (with Matt Gallagher)
08/06/2025
Episode 600 - Suncatcher Brewing (with Matt Gallagher)
Matt Gallagher has been instrumental to Chicago’s craft beer scene for almost two decades as a co-founder of Half Acre, but it’s his new brewery Suncatcher that has had us hooked from the very first visit. Suncatcher Brewing is a relatively unique concept in this time, as they are essentially a bar that serves their own streamlined and immaculate classic craft styles right from the tank with absolutely no designs on packaging or distribution - you have to be there to experience it. We talk with Matt about how this project came to him in a dream before being forced into a years-long hibernation, long before their fall 2024 opening. We also talk about how he found the perfect space, who was instrumental in getting the brewery off the ground, and what influences his stunning recipes. In addition, there’s some loving on pale ale, jumping into hop piles, adjusting to collaborations, opening up to low-gravity wood-aging - and us learning Matt’s picks for his Chicagoland essential six pack.
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Episode 599 - IPA All-Stars Blind, Rd. 3
07/30/2025
Episode 599 - IPA All-Stars Blind, Rd. 3
In our ongoing series that seeks to find the best IPA we can get our hands on, we keep this one a bit more regional with five long-beloved and well-decorated beers from Indiana and Ohio. We taste one Hoosier beer and four Buckeye brews blindly using our much more focused scoring method - and we may just have our very first perfect score on this episode. Also, Craig’s Ohio trip leads him to question weed deals; we add some new terms to our beer descriptor lexicon; and Ryan invents the million-dollar idea of a Walking Deep Dish Pizza.™* It’s getting pretty propulsive around here. Beers Reviewed Blindly The Brew Kettle - White Rajah Upland Brewing Company - Dragonfly IPA Great Lakes Brewing Co. - Commodore Perry Rhinegeist Brewery - Truth Fat Head’s Brewery - Head Hunter * = trademark pending
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Episode 598 - Lime Lagers
07/23/2025
Episode 598 - Lime Lagers
During a particularly sweltering summer, no beer style has come through in the clutch as much as the lime lager. The sheer number of available options is a testament to the ultimate refreshing combo - and with these, there’s no need to shove a questionably dirty lime wedge down your longneck. We have five mostly-local lagers of varying styles that all contain lime - and it’s not long before we’re dreaming of food pairings. Also, Ryan gets stuck in nightmarish balloon duty; Craig is still angry about being promised only a “hint” of lime in his tortilla chips; and we consider becoming the first sommeliers for microplastics. Beers Reviewed Pipeworks Brewing Company - Cold Crispy Lime (Rice lager w/ Key lime juice) Werk Force Brewing - Lima (American lager w/ fresh lime juice) Flipside Brewing w/ The Open Bottle - Frogger Lager (Helles lager w/ lime) Cruz Blanca - Chelada: Lime + Sea Salt (Mexican lager w/ fresh lime juice and sea salt) Old Nation Brewing Co. - Tranquilas (Mexican lager w/ lime)
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Episode 597 - An Overdue Welcome
07/16/2025
Episode 597 - An Overdue Welcome
It seems like it’s been far too long since we’ve extended a hearty “hello” to some new breweries in Chicagoland, so we’re psyched to gather five that have opened locations or started releasing beer into the world relatively recently. We learn about some new-to-us breweries and a few that have been long in the works here, and there are plenty of reasons to be excited about the future of beer locally. But also, Craig is training for the new Speed Showering event at the Olympics; Ryan is reliving his teenage years in Homewood; and we rely on some surprising sources for our background information. Beers Reviewed Brutalist Brewing Cooperative - Industry Plant (American Lager) Somos Monos Cervecería - Chica Fresa (Strawberry Blonde Ale) Homewood Brewing Company - H.B.C.: Head Beer In Charge (American Pale Ale) Monochrome Brewing w/ More Brewing - South East Side (Hazy Double IPA) Foreign Exchange - Between Two Parallels (Imperial Stout conditioned on Madagascar vanilla, Tahitian vanilla, and marshmallow)
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Episode 596 - is/was brewing (with Mike Schallau)
07/09/2025
Episode 596 - is/was brewing (with Mike Schallau)
Although he might use the term “silly little beers,” Mike Schallau’s is/was brewing is making some of the most thoughtful and impressive saisons anywhere in the country right here in Chicago. We travelled up to his Ravenswood brewery and taproom to talk about those beers and how he transitioned his nearly six year-old brewing project from using other people’s spaces to his own in the last year and how that’s allowed him to dive deeper into the wide range of interesting ingredients and experiments he’s become known for. We get into the idiosyncrasies of saison from the outside perception of the drinkers of the style, to changing people’s perceptions of Brettanomyces, why people are more important than the concept of “terroir,” and how he develops his impressive restaurant and brewery collaborations. But also, there’s some throwback talk to his Pipeworks days, a long tangent on Fantôme, a dive into the prison hooch subreddit, some risky urban foraging, and Mike’s picks for his essential Chicagoland 6-pack. Beers Sampled Will Be Always Zag Long Thai Double Rainbow (collaboration with Half Acre)
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Episode 595 - West Coast Pilsners
07/02/2025
Episode 595 - West Coast Pilsners
Newly adopted as its own category for this year’s GABF competition, the West Coast Pilsner has the hoppy influence of its namesake locale while also retaining much of what makes German Pilsners so repeatedly drinkable. We gather five locally-made examples from some of Illinois’ top names in hops, and they help us build a case for the style’s existence. Also, Craig has a new BFF through his new obsession; Ryan doesn’t want to let go of his beloved goo pillow; and we outline exactly when it’s okay to put cheese on a hot dog. Beers Reviewed Hop Butcher for the World - Francheezie Brothership Brewing - Retrograde Maplewood Brewing - My Cousin Binny, Vol. 4 Phase Three Brewing - Geo Old Irving Brewing - Doji
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Episode 594 - Goldfinger Brewing (with Tom Beckmann)
06/25/2025
Episode 594 - Goldfinger Brewing (with Tom Beckmann)
In just 5 years, Goldfinger Brewing Company has made Downers Grove, Illinois a true destination for lager-lovers and much of that is to the credit of founder, co-owner, and head brewer Tom Beckmann’s tireless quest to make the most interesting lagers you’ll ever drink. Tom sits with us for a while to sample through some new and upcoming beers while discussing why telling the stories of his lagers is a key part to reshaping the perception of the category. We also talk about his recent Polish medal for a Polish-style beer, how his first brewing jobs set him up to start his own business, what moves a brewery into the “CollabZone”, which brewers he admires the most, and what specialty serving events could be in Goldfinger’s future. Plus, get the exclusive on his first Citra and Mosaic beer, and marvel at the fact that I don’t think we ever said the word “decoction” once. (No lies told here.) Check out Goldfinger’s Fifth Lagerversary on July 18th, 19th, and 20th! Beers Sampled Grodziskie Summer Beer Sparkling Lager
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Episode 593 - Hop Roundup: Heating Up
06/18/2025
Episode 593 - Hop Roundup: Heating Up
In our second of our quarterly “random hoppy things” episodes wherein we gather notable hop-driven drinks from local breweries, we have a murderers’ row lineup to lead us into the warmer months - and we even include one non-beer. The high quality of the beverages leads to steadily sloppier discussions of Craig’s first Magic: The Gathering tournament, Ryan’s transition into erotic craft beer fiction novelist, our desire for unique taproom experiences, and the assembly of a Hop Conclave to give these experimental varieties an identity. It’s girthy - yet grippable, so grab an earful of this. Beers Reviewed Hop Butcher for the World - Tropical Hop Water for the World (Sparkling Hop Water) Werk Force Brewing - Formerly Light (Session IPA) Suncatcher Brewing - MI Pale Ale (American Pale Ale) Mikerphone Brewing & Saint Errant Brewing - Pale Pauper 2025 (American Pale Ale) Half Acre Beer Company & Firestone Walker Brewing - Daisy Cutter Union (West Coast IPA)
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Episode 592 - IPA All-Stars Blind, Round 2
06/11/2025
Episode 592 - IPA All-Stars Blind, Round 2
In our continuing quest to find the best legacy IPA (that also happens to be widely available), we blindly taste and rate a set of five here that represent four from the West Coast and one extremely familiar local. Are we grading more harshly on this episode than last? And what blind surprise catches us the most off guard? All this will be answered, along with how we can more effectively lie about having seen movies, and why Craig’s Mosaic blindness is going to flip the whole episode on its head. Beers Reviewed Blindly Sierra Nevada Brewing - Torpedo Extra IPA Revolution Brewing - Anti-Hero IPA Lagunitas Brewing - IPA Deschutes Brewing - Fresh-Squeezed IPA Firestone Walker Brewing - Union Jack IPA
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Episode 591 - MoBAB 5: Barrels Alive!
06/04/2025
Episode 591 - MoBAB 5: Barrels Alive!
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 double barrel aged in imperial stout barrels refermented w/ pomegranate) Milieu Fermentation - Bruce (Double barrel-aged Scotch ale) Goose Island Beer Co. - Cordial Rye (Rye stout aged in red wine barrels w/ cherries, boysenberries, cocoa nibs, and black currants) Old Irving Brewing Co. - Cordial Rye (Willett Bourbon Barrel-Aged Rye Wine Ale with blackberries)
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Episode 590 - How Low Can You Go?
05/28/2025
Episode 590 - How Low Can You Go?
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 Pope. Beers Reviewed Sundial Brewing & Blending - Tin Life (Table beer dry-hopped w/ Anchovy hops) - 3.5% ABV Noon Whistle Brewing & Go Brewing - Step Brewers (Low Gravity IPA) - 3% ABV Blind Corner Brewery - Sub4 Hazy IPA - 3.7% ABV Riverland Brewing Company & G5 Brewing Company & Lallemand Brewing - Below the Deck (Hazy Session IPA) - 3.8% ABV Suncatcher Brewing - Golden Ale - 3.5% ABV
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Episode 589 - Czech Dark Lagers
05/21/2025
Episode 589 - Czech Dark Lagers
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 pivovar) - 1795 Original Czech Lager Dark Art History Brewing - Varitace Pollyanna Brewing - Czech Dark Lager Maplewood Brewing - In Dark Trees Roaring Table Brewing - Accordance
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Episode 588 - IPA All-Stars Blind, Round 1
05/14/2025
Episode 588 - IPA All-Stars Blind, Round 1
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 the throne of the Grandmaster Cicerone, and we’re both completely shocked by the absence of Citra. Beers Reviewed Blindly (in order of appearance) Cigar City Brewing - Jai Alai Maine Beer Co. - Lunch Dogfish Head Craft Brewery - 60 Minute IPA Bell’s Brewing - Two Hearted IPA Surly Brewing - Furious IPA
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Episode 587 - Czech Light Lagers
05/07/2025
Episode 587 - Czech Light Lagers
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 Co. - Belobog (Czech-Style Pale Lager) Hopewell Brewing Co. - Tankbeer (Czech-Style Pale Lager) Off Color Brewing - Tooth & Claw (Czech-Style Pale Lager) Half Day Brewing Co. - Lincolnshire Lager (Czech-Style Pilsner)
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Episode 586 - Mosaic Immersion Therapy
04/30/2025
Episode 586 - Mosaic Immersion Therapy
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 Company - Reverb (Hazy IPA) Scorched Earth Brewing Co. - Sloppy Kisser (IPA) Toppling Goliath Brewing Co. - Sosus (Double IPA) Mikerphone Brewing - Super Special Sauce (New England-style Double IPA) Penrose Brewing Company & Riverlands Brewing Company - Anniversary Boots (Hazy Double IPA)
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Episode 585 - Minneapolis Lagers
04/23/2025
Episode 585 - Minneapolis Lagers
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 pizza beer. Beers Reviewed Modist Brewing Co. - Supra Deluxe (Japanese-style Rice Lager) Arbeiter Brewing Company - HaHa Pils (German-style Pilsner) Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery - Dortmunder Local Export Lager Wild Mind Ales (w/ Pizzeria Lola) - Keeper of the Flame (Copper Oven Helles Lager) Utepils Brewing - Springbok (Heller Bock)
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