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.

Beers Reviewed

Alarmist Brewing - Midwest Royalty (Bronze Medal in American-Style Lager)

Pollyanna Brewing Co. - Party Penguin (Bronze Medal in Other Strong Beer)

DESTIHL Brewery - DeadHead IPA Series: Haze of the Dead (Bronze Medal in Juicy or Hazy Imperial India Pale Ale)

Old Irving Brewing Co. - Della (Silver Medal in German-Style Koelsch)

Short Fuse Brewing Co. - Tropical Hurt Locker (Silver Medal in Fruited American Sour Ale)

Will County Brewing Co. - Bamm Bamm Loves Pebbles (Gold Medal in Fruit Wheat Beer)

For the complete spreadsheet of Illinois’ GABF Medal History, click here.

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. You’re going to have to speak a little louder - I had a Crunchwrap® today.

Beers Reviewed

von Trapp Brewing [Stowe, VT] - Vienna Style Lager

Collaborative Brewing [Waitsfield, VT] - Salute Your Schwarz (Schwarzbier)

River Roost Brewery [White River Junction, VT] - Neon Burning Bright (Mixed-culture saison aged in gin barrels w/ ginger, lime, and Cara Cara oranges)

Foam Brewers [Burlington, VT] - Galaxie 500 (Double IPA)

Hermit Thrush Brewery [Brattleboro, VT] - Rowdy Monk (Mixed-culture quadrupel aged in red wine and scotch barrels)

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, with one nearly-redeeming surprise. Also, we welcome a live studio audience to the show for the first time, petition to take over the Challenge Butter Twitter account, and make people a little h*rny for soup beers. A true adventure awaits.

Beers Reviewed

Costco: Kirkland Signature (Hopfen Und Malz/Gordon Biersch) - Citra Hop Session IPA

Aldi: State of Brewing (Octopi Brewing) - Hopping Nomad Session IPA

Aldi: State of Brewing (Octopi Brewing) - Hazy IPA

Trader Joe’s: Farm Island Brewing (Peak Organic) - Organic IPA

Trader Joe’s: Rhinelander Brewing Company - Boatswain Double IPA

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. And yes, even when they’re getting experimental, 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, buddy cop films with two talking dogs, and some irate Pokemon fans. Branch beer, branch beer!

Beers Reviewed

From Maine, With Love #04 (Saison with Lemon Verbena)

From Maine, With Love #05 (Tart Pale Ale with Juniper and Sea Salt)

From Maine, With Love #06 (Belgian Lager)

From Maine, With Love #07 (Pale Ale with Lemon and Sea Salt)

Coolship Cerise Estate (Spontaneous ale w/ cherries)

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. Also, we keep those cans a-rolling; Craig feels old thanks to promotional 90s nights; Ryan is a little worried about the sea water; and we’re getting stupid with lactose. 

Beers Reviewed

Rising Tide Brewing Company - Pisces (Gose)

Definitive Brewing Company - Radiant Days: Mandarin Orange, Raspberry, and Marshmallow (Fruited Sour)

Liquid Riot Bottling Co. - Blushing Star (Barrel-aged pilsner w/ Brettanomyces and Maine white peaches)

Battery Steele Brewing - Abstract Object (Coffee milk stout)

Belleflower Brewing Co. - Barn Hex: Mosaic, Strata, El Dorado (Double NEIPA)