Listener and friend Don Kasak conceptualized this show around five Illinois breweries that are practically suburbs of St. Louis, and we are more than happy to drink through a lineup from this mostly unfamiliar-to-us territory. We also can’t get over Smokey Robinson’s new album and song titles, Craig discovers that side-of-the-tongue flavor, and Ryan’s got some hot tips on pretzel investments. 

Beers Reviewed

Millpond Brewing & Incubator [Millstadt, IL] - Lawrence (German-style Pilsner)

Excel Brewing Company [Breese, IL] - Lefty’s Lager (Helles Lager)

Stubborn German Brewing Company [Waterloo, IL] - Stubbornfest (Märzen)

White Rooster Farmhouse Brewery [Sparta, IL] - Syllables (Foeder-aged Mixed Fermentation Saison)

The Old Bakery Beer Company [Alton, IL] - 7th Anniversary Imperial Stout (Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout w/ chocolate, coconut, caramel, and peanuts)

We’re taking our taste buds on a trip down south thanks to listener Crystal Nguyen we get to sample five unique and tasty beers from the Dallas area. There’s a beer that’s even better when sipped, one that might be made with “Skittlemalt,” and one that inspires the singing of “SkaMan.” Also, we’re thinking big for our eventual Texas show; we look for new innovations in leather pants (and stray cat storage); and we’re putting sippy-cup lids on snifters.

Beers Reviewed

Celestial Beerworks [Dallas, TX] - Murphy’s Law (Dark Lager)

Turning Point Beer [Bedford, TX] - Dangerouser Salad (Berliner Weisse w/ blueberry, vanilla, coconut, almond, and granola)

Community Beer Company [Dallas, TX] - Hop Unity: Green Edition (Double IPA)

Bitter Sisters Brewing Company [Addison, TX] - Family Trip (Belgian Tripel)

Peticolas Brewing Company [Dallas, TX] - The Usual (Barleywine w/ cherries, fresh orange peel, bitters and whiskey soaked American oak chips)

We’re flipping to Side B of the 2022-2023 Deep Wood releases for this episode, and it’s a whole lineup of immaculate bangers. It’s two ryewines, one stout, and two barleywines with a bigger emphasis on special barrels and extended wood-aging to create the magic in these 12 ounce cans. Plus, Craig’s looking for new ways to trick his Apple Watch; Ryan will trade you half of an open can of DBVSOJ for a Switch controller; and we get to hear the syrup-drinking story again.

Beers Reviewed (2022-2023 releases)

Ryeway to Heaven (Ryewine aged in bourbon barrels)

Boss Ryeway (Ryewine aged in WhistlePig The Boss Hog VIII: LapuLapu’s Pacific barrels)

V.S.O. Dark Mode (Imperial milk stout aged in bourbon barrels)

Straight Jacket (English Barleywine aged in bourbon barrels)

D.B.V.S.O.J. (Cuvée of barrel-aged English Barleywines aged 1-3 years and rebarreled and aged in Templeton Rye barrels)

More breweries are embracing malt-forward easy-drinking options as an essential part of a seasonal lineup, and the Schwarzbier may be one of the styles seeing the most taplists these days. For this show, we put five locally-made Schwarzbiers through a blind tasting to help us better understand the style and see how subtle variations can make all the difference for our arbitrary rankings. Also, we fit Chicagoland breweries into boy band archetypes; Craig’s going hard on the Schwarz puns; and Ryan tries to assert himself as the young/cheeky one. 

Schwarzbiers Reviewed (Blindly)

Soundgrowler Brewing Co. - No Ice

Skeleton Key Brewery - 7th Evil Ex

Half Acre Beer Company - Schwarzbier

Riggs Beer Company - Schwarzbier

Pipeworks Brewing Company - Select Schwarzbier

Since throwing open the doors to their Lincoln Ave. taproom just a few months back, Hop Butcher has worked to offer some draft variety by stepping outside of the style(s) for which they’re most recognized. For this episode, we got our hands on four cans that are not IPAs to see how well one of the country’s best haze producers can make something for the hop-averse. Also, we say hello (and goodbye) to Winter Break Ryan which opens an unclosable rift between the hosts over crewneck sweaters and turtlenecks. We also consider the missed opportunity of an Italian Pilsner show; Ryan bores the bartender with his old man shit; Craig’s got a bizarre preference with beer and pizza; and we have a bold new marketing plan for HBFTW and the White Sox. 

Beers Reviewed

Cricket Hill (ESB)

Supreme Being (German-Style Pilsner)

Double Saaz (Italian-Style Pilsner)

Magic [Collaboration with is/was brewing] (Saison)

To commemorate our 9th year of this podcast, we celebrate local breweries that opened since we first started broadcasting our shabby little beer reviews. Craig and Ryan each bring three blind beers to the table for the other to guess with a focus on years and a few additional mystery themes. It’s also one of those shows where you get to hear Craig fall head-over-heels in love with a beer, which is always a treat. Also, we’re angling to take that Girl Scout cookie taster position; Ryan’s just completely flummoxed by a bomber; and Craig is Raging Against A Thin Stout.™ We want to thank everyone who has ever listened or supported the show in any way for making nine years a possibility - it feels truly surreal.

Beers Reviewed Half-Blindly

One Allegiance Brewing [opened 2020] - Double Vanilla Rambler (Imperial Stout aged in Bourbon Barrels w/ vanilla beans and cocoa nibs)

Werk Force Brewing Company [opened 2014] - Genuine Authentic (Black Pilsner)

Miskatonic Brewing Company [opened 2015] - Rye Bell Witch (Imperial Stout aged in Rye Whiskey Barrels)

Skeleton Key Brewery [opened 2016] - Indomitable (Double Rye IPA)

On Tour Brewing Company [opened 2017] - Apres (Black Lager)

Double Clutch Brewing Company [opened 2021] - Helles Rauchbier Lager

After two years of selling bottles from what is essentially his front porch, Rob Brennan opened the doors to his Milwaukee taproom in 2022 - and his rustic farmhouse beers are absolutely worth a trip. For this episode, we drink through four funky and beautiful Supermoon bottles that show artistry beyond what you might expect from such a young brewery. Also, Craig has a bounce in his step (and not just because of the house cultures); Ryan shares some moon facts and comes up with the perfect collaboration; and we’re both aching for that Yanni/Bootsy/McD collab to drop. 

Beers Reviewed

Saison Bay View (Farmhouse style saison brewed w/ pilsner, malted spelt and oats)

Oaxen (Abbey Style Pale Ale brewed w/ aged hops & fermented w/ Brettanomyces Bruxellensis in neutral French Oak)

Epitope (Bière de Coupage - Young saison blended w/ French oak fermented saison aged for 3 years)

Marbelle (A blend of mixed culture saisons fermented in French Oak aged 12 months, refermented on Petite Pearl wine grapes & Tart Montmorency cherries)

We were just as surprised as anyone to find five beers that are made to mimic a briney jar of pickles, and it’s certainly something you have to be really into - or just brace yourself and gulp. Both are true for us on this episode, as one host might have some major life regrets after going through all five of these puntastic pickle beers. Also, we play a short original dice-rolling RPG called “Pickle Me This, PickleMan”; Craig is trying to define that “classy energy”; and Ryan is just holding on for dear life.

Beers Reviewed

Mikerphone Brewing - Slick Pickle Rick (Golden Ale w/ dill pickle juice)

Noon Whistle Brewing - Pickle Someone Your Own Size (Berliner Weisse w/ pickles)

Three Blondes Brewing - Dill With It! (Cucumber Dill Berliner Weisse)

DESTIHL Brewery (& Suckerpunch Pickles) - Dill Pickle Sour Beer

Prairie Artisan Ales - Spicy Pickle Monster (Sour Ale w/ dill pickles, orange, lemon, and lime)

It’s always a good idea to welcome a new year with good vibes, and we’d be hard pressed to find a brewery better than New Glarus to fit that bill. For this show, we have five seasonal or speciality release beers from Wisconsin’s premier craft brewery, and the excellence unsurprisingly holds for the duration. Also, nothing beats a car full of jerky smells; Craig embraces the Live Más mentality; and Ryan’s bloodlust is finally explained. Side effects of this episode may include sour throat, time traveling, and rabble-rousing.

Beers Reviewed

R&D Vintage 2021 (Gueuze-style Ale)

Black Currant ‘22 (Fruit Beer)

R&D Champ Rosé (Belgian Strong Ale w/ grapes)

Weizen Doppelbock

R&D Bourbon Barrel Stout (Bourbon barrel-aged sweet stout w/ cocoa nibs, vanilla, and coffee beans)

It’s not just stouts, barleywines, and sours that should receive the benefits of wood-aging. For our final episode of Barrel-Aged December, we try five beers from breweries brave enough to take their drinkable cold-fermented beers and let them rest in different types of wood for any matter of time. The results are truly unique and enlightening as to how wood can transform a lager, and we bend our elbows with almost too much confidence for the night. Also, there’s motorized-cart mayhem in the grocery aisles, weather-based clothing gets a rebranding, and we play a soundbite-based game of Name That Wood. Happy New Year to all - and thanks for listening to us at any point in this past one. 

Beers Reviewed

Forbidden Root Brewing Company - Hoodie Weather (Oak-Aged Vienna Lager)

Werk Force Brewing Company - Rip Cut (Oat Lager aged in oak puncheons)

Solemn Oath Brewery - Foederface (Foeder-Aged Märzen)

Begyle Brewing - Foeder Doppelbock (Oak-Aged Dopplebock)

Waypost Brewing Co. - Keptwell (Bourbon Barrel-Aged Lager)