We held out so long on seltzers, until the exact moment when we saw some of our favorite breweries releasing their takes on the flavored malt beverage craze. Are they any more refined or impressive than the tacky trendsetters filling a million Yeti coolers and frat house fridges? (And we would know, because we drank five of the highest-selling big seltzers before recording this very episode, and released the unsavory results on Patreon.) We spend most of the episode trying to break seltzers, but they end up breaking us. Also, we envision a dystopian future for breweries, seek out some experienced tree climbers for a highly-specialized mission, and find comfort in sugary yum-yums. I miss beer.

Seltzers Reviewed

City Water - Lime Coconut

Untitled Art - Florida Seltzer: Pineapple Mango

Odd Side Ales - POG (Passion fruit, orange, and guava hard seltzer)

4 Hands Brewing - Contact High Hard Seltzer

Transient Artisan Ales - Sparkle Water Green (Gin Fizz-inspired hard seltzer)

When a brewery releases a double dry-hopped version of one of their go-to hoppy beers, it’s often a surefire hit with consumers. Though it has somehow become synonymous with hazy beers, double dry-hopping has a longer history of adding bombastic hop aromas to beers as far back as the 1970s in the U.S. But does the added “DDH” really level up the beer? We try two local hazy standouts and one all-time hoppy classic alongside their DDH counterparts to figure out if it’s actually worth all the extra hops. Though this episode eventually turns into a half hour love letter to Pliny, we have a fantastic lineup of beers while also reimaging ice cream trucks, being reborn in every episode, making all beers little, sipping on those slippery pillows, and getting aggressively Sabro. 

Beers Reviewed

Phase Three Brewing - Pixel Density (NE IPA)

Phase Three Brewing - DDH Double Pixel Density (NE DIPA)

Alarmist Brewing - Le Jus (NE IPA)

Alarmist Brewing - DDH Sabro Le Jus (NE IPA)

Russian River Brewing Company - Pliny the Elder (Double IPA)

Russian River Brewing Company - Pliny for President (Double IPA)

After delousing in quarantine for 14 days, our Kansas show is ready to bring our State Show series up to #24, with the help of loyal listener Don Kasak. We traverse the state via quaffable liquid as we review five beers from five Kansas breweries - and no IPAs or stouts are in sight! Also, we come to terms with a terrible truth about our listeners; Craig is on college mascot watch; and we have a full-on SMOOTHIE EXPERIENCE. It’s good for the optics.

Beers Reviewed

Wichita Brewing Company (Wichita, KS) - WuShock Wheat (American pale wheat)

Defiance Brewing Company (Hays, KS) - Willy Nilly (Golden ale w/ ginger and orange peel)

Three Rings Brewery (McPherson, KS) - Yankee Rose (Blonde ale)

Sandhills Brewing (Hutchinson, KS) - Plum Wheat (American hazy wheat w/ plums)

Central Standard Brewing (Wichita, KS) - Ping Pong Banana Yard Games (Fruited gose w/ banana, passionfruit, and mango)

Quite possibly Chicago’s best brewery, Off Color still doesn’t make an IPA - nor do they have any plans to. And that’s quite alright. Seven years in, this little critter-lovin’ brewery continues to build one of the best brands around while furthering a stellar collection of esoteric small batches and inspired flavor combinations. We catch up with five recent beers that span the wide range of delectable oddities that make the Mousetrap patio “farm” one of the most interesting places to drink beer in the city. Also, Craig over-celebrates his citation, Ryan is still dealing with his caddy trauma, and we really explore the horrifying new applications of mayo. And listen to find out our picks for cutest label - probably the toughest ranking on the show. 

Beers Reviewed

Beer for Golf (Wit-style beer w/ lemon and black tea)

Beer for Burgers (Helles bock-style beer blended w/ bourbon barrel-aged lager)

Gator Time (Foedre-fermented wild ale w/ cherries)

Spots (Tiki weisse w/ passion fruit and grapefruit peel)

Cave Draw-erz (Bourbon barrel-aged stout blended w/ farmhouse ale)

Our passion for barrel-aged beers doesn’t disappear in August - it achieves a steady simmer below the surface, always ready to unleash itself when the opportunity arises. For this episode we have five barrel-aged beers - all different styles of beer and all from local breweries, four of which we interviewed when they were just starting out in the Chicago-area craft scene, so long ago. Other talking points include the further bastardization of the term “sour” in beer; an embarrassing mask faux pas committed by Ryan; how to capture Craig in full Funko form; and a controversial stance on chocolate chip pancakes that’ll have the fan forums absolutely flush with debate. Feel feel feel feel feel...feel my barrel heat.

Beers Reviewed

Dovetail Brewery - Quetsche 2020 (Blend of spontaneous beers fermented in oak with Italian plums)

Revolution Brewing Company - Mixed Berry Ryeway (Rye whiskey barrel-aged ryewine w/ blackberry, raspberry, boysenberry, and cranberry)

On Tour Brewing Company - Barton Hall (Barrel-aged Scotch ale)

Imperial Oak Brewing - Quiet Giant - Double Barrel 2020 (Bourbon and rum barrel-aged imperial stout)

Lo Rez Brewing/Delilah’s - Delilah’s Woodie Rascal 9000 - Jimmy (Brown ale aged in single barrel Wild Turkey barrels)

Recent years have seen a surprising emergence of Chicago as one of the top destinations for hop enthusiasts, bolstered by a few well-publicized national medals and hype-inducing haze makers. But there were those that helped reshape our palates in the early days: the local leaders of hops. For this show, we review five hoppy beers (Oops! All Hazy) from some of the original hop-crazy Chicago breweries.  Also, we take a seat on the Hot Bench, discuss seasonal drinkers vs. temperature drinkers, slam some Purplesaurus Rex with Dr. Applesauce, use nostalgia as a survival tool, and protect our precious cereals. 

Beers Reviewed

Half Acre Beer Company (f. 2006) - Sunset (Double) Vallejo

Revolution Brewing (f. 2010) - DDH Mango Hero 

Pipeworks Brewing Co. (f. 2012) - Chasing Extra

Spiteful Brewing (f. 2012) - Diggable IPA

Maplewood Brewery & Distillery (f. 2015) - Tropicamo

So, was anyone going to tell us that gose puns weren’t cool anymore? Well, at least the beers are better than they’ve ever been as we sample five enhanced goses from local breweries that only leave us feeling a little salty. Pineapples, coconuts, lavender, lactose - what won’t these crazy breweries put in a gose these days?!? Also, we address the hairless bear in the room, remember when we used to do research, kill some time with some salt talk, sell our urban foraging secrets, rename our erotic fiction protagonists, and sing a little Mellencamp. Then there’s a game about matching Muppets to types of beer drinkers, and we only manage to kill off one. So it goes.

Beers Reviewed

DESTIHL Brewery - Wild Sour Series: Piña Colada Gose

Dutchbag Brew Co. - Summer Kings (Gose w/ fresh strawberry juice, gray sea salt, coriander, and hibiscus)

Marz Community Brewing Co. - Lavender Lemon Gose (Gose w/ lavender, lemon, and butterfly pea flower)

Pipeworks Brewing Company - A Nice Slice (Gose w/ lactose, key lime juice, cinnamon, and vanilla)

Lake Effect Brewing - Gose Ale Aged in Port Barrels

Once we accepted the cancellation of beer fests for the foreseeable future, we knew we had a hole to fill. A farmhouse hole. So, we do our best to recreate one of our favorite annual events - our annual Illinois Craft Beer Week event, Saisonathon - by drinking a wide array of saisons from the comfort of our own homes. There are eight wildly different saisons - six from local breweries - that require us to seek a little off-mic assist from our wives. But mainly, we sing our sweet praises of the style we adore so much, and one of us even takes a full-on saison shower. We also talk about the persistence of GIFs, implement the Malort color scale, wish for regrettable saison flavors, visit the coaster whisperer, and get started on that “life of a beer podcaster” screenplay. It’s Saisonathon 2020 - and you are invited. 

Beers Reviewed

Off Color Brewing - Marañón Predator (Saison with yeast isolated from a rare form of cacao)

Vennture Brew Co. - Vennture To the Farm (Brett saison w/ rye)

Keeping Together - Thoughts Without A Thinker (Mixed culture saison w/ Earl Grey tea, orange juice and zest, and saffron)

Is/Was Brewing - Maestro Marcelino (Saison w/ roasted agave)

Lo Rez Brewing - Bière De Miel (Saison w/ honey)

Cruz Blanca Brewery - Paloma (Grapefruit saison)

Allagash Brewing Company - Cascara Saison (Saison w/ cascara berries)

Afterthought Brewing Company - Saison Auran: Key Lime Gin Barrel-Aged (Saison aged in gin barrels w/orange juice and zest, rose hips, and key line juice)

If it seems that the string of 90-degree days will never end, well have we got a beer style for you. Berliner weisses experienced a considerable rejuvenation in the last five years, but they’ve also recently become synonymous with overfruited slurry beers that buck any sense of tradition. On this show, we seek five local Berliners that add fruit while keeping an eye on the original style. The results are pleasurable for your ears. Additionally, we embrace our new favorite sport (it’s foot golf), confuse our THPs from our THCs and TVPs, track the nefarious Rawber Hortcu, create Beer for Hot Dogs, recommend our favorite Metamucil-sponsored manga, and experience illegal amounts of mayo. And hey, BuzzBalls - if you’re out there, please let us know that you’re okay. 

Beers reviewed

Noon Whistle Brewing - Fuzzy Smack (Berliner weisse w/ peach)

Lo Rez Brewing - Strawberry Shortcut (Strawberry Berliner weisse)

Dutchbag Brew Co. - Maybe the Flamingo Ate Your Baby (Berliner weisse w/ pomegranate & fresh ginger)

Off Color Brewing - Beer for Brunch (Berliner weisse-style w/ orange & chardonnay grape juice)

Mikerphone Brewing - Teleport Massive (Brambleberry Berliner weisse w/ raspberries & blackberries)

If it’s been a while since you’ve last visited a craft bottle shop, you’ll likely encounter a whole new slew of labels from local breweries to explore. We pick up five beers from a few breweries we know and from a few we don’t to hopefully help you navigate those crowded shelves. Meanwhile, Ryan’s tenure as the mayor of Hazytown is short-lived; Craig is going to get cancelled by Carly Rae Jepsen fans; and we uncover the truth about all the fireworks. Plus, there’s beer-to-movie comparisons, doom yoga, mayo beers, mouth sweaters, and new growler innovations. 

Beers Reviewed

Soundgrowler Brewing Co. - Pan’s Bread (Bock-style Lager)

Roaring Table Brewing - Struts & Frets (Hazy IPA)

Rabid Brewing - Shadowstepper (Imperial milk stout w/ cacao nibs & lactose sugar)

Liquid Love Brewing - Round the Edges (DDH IPA)

Brewer’s Kitchen - Green Mountains Only (DDH DIPA)