ABV Chicago Craft Beer Podcast

Horse Thief Hollow is a South Side neighborhood brewpub that is churning out quality brews and delectable food, and we were invited to sample a whole lot of it. Head brewer Dave Williams and owner Neil Byers share a mic and their craft with us. Neil discusses some of the thoughtful choices made in distinguishing the business from the many nearby Irish pubs and how they manage to keep up with the considerable demand they’ve created. Dave educates us on yeast pitching, aging on oak spirals versus barrels, contracting hops and much more. They also stuff us full of delicious food and share the last bottle of their World Beer Cup Silver Medal-winning sweet potato beer. A post-episode nap is highly recommended.



Craig

1. Cheval Deux (2013)

2. Annexation (w/ Galaxy hops)

3. 6410

4. 773

5. The Caretaker



Ryan

1. Cheval Deux (2013)

2. Annexation (w/ Galaxy hops)

3. 6410

4. The Caretaker

5. 773

Direct download: ABV_Chicago_32_Horse_Thief_Hollow.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:26am CDT

Brewer Chris Betts brings some of his Transient Artisan Ales for us to sample, and we couldn’t be happier. Humble and soft-spoken, Chris is one of the only brewers in Chicago focused on handcrafted barrel-aged sours, and the buzz that has followed is rightfully earned. We’ll learn about Chris’ history at Witch’s Hat and One Trick Pony, his “barrel library”, how he manages wild yeasts and bacteria in his beers, and why staying small can be a good thing. There’s also pertinent news on the Reserve Society and what we can expect to drink from Transient in the near future. And there’s a puppy. So freakin’ cute.

 

Craig

1. Oud Bruin (Wild Turkey barrel)

2. Obelus Galaxy (Red wine barrel)

3. Salarium

4. Obelus Galaxy

 

Ryan

1. Obelus Galaxy (Red wine barrel)

2. Oud Bruin (Wild Turkey barrel)

3. Salarium

4. Obelus Galaxy

Direct download: ABV_Chicago_31_Transient_Artisan_Ales.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:01pm CDT

Craig spent a long, drunken weekend at the Great Taste of the Midwest in Madison, Wisconsin, and he brought a microphone. So we’ve assembled a “Low ABV” show around a few clips from his experience, and we open two incredible New Glarus beers while wading through the alcohol-induced fog of Craig’s memory. Here’s what you’ll hear:

- Dan Caray from New Glarus discusses the Wild Peach release and a few upcoming (including the slightly-delayed Gueuze).

- Mike Saboe from Toppling Goliath shares barrel information on their 2014 Assassin and some exciting details regarding the upcoming batch of Kentucky Brunch.

- Where did Captain Adam Vavrick steer his ship? He’ll tell you.

- Michael Kiser from Good Beer Hunting talks long Polish last names and his personal drinking highlights, while Craig screams at him.

- Craig and some drunk fans talk favorite beers and get weird.

 ...and all at a sessionable 46 minutes!

Beers reviewed:

1. New Glarus R&D Wild Peach

2. New Glarus Oud Bruin

Direct download: ABV_Chicago_Low_ABV_1_GTMW.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:39pm CDT

CHAOS reigns as we open five “Rustic Ales” from Sante Adairius in Capitola, California. We enlist the help of Ken Getty, president of the CHAOS Brew Club, and he drops knowledge bombs all over us about brewing techniques and why CHAOS is doing truly unique things for homebrewers. But we also talk about the Beer Futurists movement, invent Cosmic Beer Pong™, drink Ken’s incredible Kiwi Strawberry Berliner homebrew, and endure a Dennis cameo. Did we just become best friends? Yup.

Direct download: ABV_Chicago_30_Sante_Adairius_Rustic_Ales.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:22pm CDT

For this show, we’re at Beermiscuous in Lakeview, and we “drink around” with owner Paul Leamon to review some great tap offerings and learn about his unique beer café concept. Paul gives us a thorough background on the business, from finding inspiration internationally to overcoming licensing headaches and finding the perfect location. We’ll learn about why proper glassware matters, the ordering habits of customers, and the many weekly events happening at Beermiscuous. We are also visited by head “beerista” Austin Bainard, and he talks about how his background in the Chicago craft beer industry helped fill the tap lines with so many delicious, local brews. Which we drink a lot of on this episode. Never has our drunkenness been so public.

Direct download: ABV_Chicago_29_Beermiscuous.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:18pm CDT

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