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, try to put the baseball in New Orleans, fret over drinking a plastic baby, and hold down school in the weird fruit aisle.

Beers Reviewed

Brieux Carré Brewing Company [New Orleans] - Teensy Pale Apparition (Grisette)

Miel Brewery & Taproom [New Orleans] - Flor De Jamaica (Gose w/ hibiscus, pink sea salt, and cinnamon)

Rally Cap Brewing Company [Baton Rouge] - Wendy Peffercorn (White stout w/ coffee and vanilla)

Urban South Brewery [New Orleans]/Cruz Blanca Brewery - Desert Lights (Fruited sparkling ale w/ lemon, lime soda syrup, and prickly pear)

Zony Mash Beer Project [New Orleans] - King of Carrot Flowers (Fruited sour w/ mango, tangerine, carrot, and lactose)

Though the only true kölsch can be found in Cologne, Germany, the broad appeal of the style is an obvious draw for brewers and drinkers alike. We find six local examples of kölsch-style beers and sample them in a blind tasting, while trying unsuccessfully not to embarrass ourselves. We also share strange yet optimistic signs in a return to “normalcy,” consider spicy cereals, discover raw bread, and create a bunch of new band names. Grab yourself six for the lazy river. 

Beers Sampled Blindly (in order)

Metropolitan Brewing - Krankshaft

Maplewood Brewing Company/Goldfinger Brewing Company - Coaster King

Half Acre Beer Company - Discus

middle brow beer co. - Yard Work

Dovetail Brewery - Kölsch

Whiner Beer Co. - Curb Cutter

If only there was some relevant reason to do our first Hop Butcher show in a year...oh yeah! They released four single-hopped hazy beers! Well, there’s that and the whole “purchasing the Half Acre Lincoln taproom to convert into their own space later this year” thing. We talk with our friend Jeremiah Zimmer from Hop Butcher for the World for a good while about the surprising taproom purchase, from what greased the wheels on the deal to what kinds of plans they have with a tentative late-October opening date. We also get real nerdy about hop acquisition, why different hop lots can make all the difference, and how the Suez Canal blockage is holding back a choice batch of hops. We also talk about how the Smashing Pumpkins collaboration came to be, and who those two handsome gentlemen might be welcoming you to the Hop Butcher taproom in the future. And that’s not all, because the rest of the episode is dedicated to us tasting through four single-hop hazies while expanding on the 311 mythos that surrounds this show. (Welcome to our Mt. Rushmore, P-Nut.)

Jeremiah Zimmer Interview (0:11:35 - 1:04:40)

Beers Reviewed

Beef Dipped (Simcoe-hopped Double IPA)

Snorkel Squad (Citra-hopped IPA)

Lord Octopus (Mosaic-hopped Double IPA)

Soul Head (Strata-hopped IPA)

Mikerphone has become notorious for being willing to toss anything edible (and usually sweet) into a beer, but they’re not all style with no substance. For this episode, we tried to sample a more stripped-down version of Mikerphone, choosing five beers without much added (except for the occasional dry hop or barrel treatment). There are many delightful reminders that sometimes simple is better, but we also muck it up with a forced auction, the art of CD tracks, the seasons of Dexter*, a new future for Hellraiser, bad song parodies, and a game about MTV Unplugged in the 90s. Welcome to the five-timers club, Mikerphone!

Beers Reviewed

Jagged Little Pils (Dry-hopped pilsner)

Naked and Famous (Berliner Weisse)

Misty Mountain Hop (IPA)

Barrel-Aged Flipped The Switch (Imperial Czech-Style Dark Lager aged in Smoke Wagon Bourbon Barrels)

Barrel-Aged Imperial Smells Like Birthday Suit Spirit (Imperial Stout aged in Heaven Hill Bourbon Barrels)

*I was wrong about the Dexter.

Trends with IPAs come and go, but the West Coast-style IPA is foundational for what craft beer is today. So when a bunch of awesome local breweries set aside their hazy tendencies to deliver something more bitter and clear, we’re ecstatic to drink through five of them. Also, we mount up for Michael McDonald, admire some Choice Cones©, and welcome the new steel drum player for the Smashing Pumpkins. We also roll out another round of Personal Preference, which leads to talk of boozy mayonnaise and Craig unsuccessfully crashing a Hood Internet show. We’re getting throwback drunk on this one.

Beers Reviewed

Phase Three Brewing - West Coast Pixel Density IPA

Art History Brewing - Avenue of the Giants IPA

Revolution Brewing Co. - DDH West Coast Hero DIPA

Hubbard’s Cave - Clearly Hopsurd IPA

Miskatonic Brewing Company - DDH Nelson Wizard DIPA