Simply put, we had a bunch of fresh, hoppy beers and needed an excuse to drink them - but then we go all meta on you. We have six beers from all over and play a game of Hop Bingo © to hopefully invigorate our limp descriptors. Craig takes control of the music on this one, and we explain how Ryan almost sabotaged this show. Also, we explain why we have so many Pipeworks beers on the show, explore the troubling distance growing between the two of us, and discuss how a little Donnie Brasco can go a long way. And, as was written, only shooting stars break the mold.

Play along with the Hop Bingo © Home Edition:

Craig

1. The Lone Pint Brewery - Yellow Rose IPA

2. Lawson’s Finest Liquids - Sip of Sunshine IPA

3. Pipeworks Brewing - Square Grouper DIPA

4. Lawson’s Finest Liquids - Super Session #2 IPA

5. Half Acre Beer Co. - Navaja DIPA

6. Fat Head’s Brewery - Head Hunter IPA

Ryan

1. Pipeworks Brewing - Square Grouper DIPA

2. The Lone Pint Brewery - Yellow Rose IPA

3. Half Acre Beer Co. - Navaja DIPA

4. Lawson’s Finest Liquids - Sip of Sunshine IPA

5. Fat Head’s Brewery - Head Hunter IPA

6. Lawson’s Finest Liquids - Super Session #2 IPA

Craig’s recent travels took him to the town of Monson, Massachusetts where a small, growing brewery is producing some of the best beer in the world. Not only do we drink and react to six stunning Tree House Brewing Company beers, but Craig shares a conversation he recorded with co-founder and co-owner Dean Rohan. With six growlers of the most drinkable yet complex beers we’ve had in a while, we subject these world-class beers to our low-brow drunkenness. Listen for our aggressively horrible spoken seques, an ongoing debate about fruit plates versus fruit bowls, an appearance from Craig’s alter ego Greg, Ryan’s take on why barrel-aging is overrated — and if you stay until the end, you’ll hear a story about how a magician ruined Craig’s trip to the Basketball Hall of Fame. There’s also an ACTUAL limited time special offer for listeners, so get your decoder rings ready*.

Ryan

1. Julius IPA

2. Alter Ego IPA

3. Curiosity 19 DIPA

4. Double Shot Stout (with Sumatra Mandheling coffee)

5. That’s What She Said Milk Stout

6. Trailbreaker Kellerbier

Craig

1. Julius IPA

2. Double Shot Stout (with Sumatra Mandheling coffee)

3. That’s What She Said Milk Stout

4. Alter Ego IPA

5. Trailbreaker Kellerbier

6. Curiosity 19 DIPA

*Decoder rings not necessary for the special offer - a working email address will do.

We can hardly believe the number of local breweries canning beers these days, and in this episode we barely scratch the aluminum surface. We review six diverse styles in our attempt to arbitrarily decide who can kick it. Sidebars and distractions ensue, and we end up doing the sour mash, testing Craig’s local can knowledge, and determining the appropriate number of scarves needed to enjoy absinthe. And Craig sings - BEAUTIFULLY. Can you believe it?!?

Craig

1. DESTIHL Lynnbrook Raspberry Berliner Weisse

2. Spiteful God Damn Pigeon Porter

3. Half Acre Vallejo IPA

4. Atlas Farmhouse Wheat

5. Mikerphone Vinyl Frontier DIPA

6. Slapshot Tripel Deke

Ryan

1. Half Acre Vallejo IPA

2. Spiteful God Damn Pigeon Porter

3. DESTIHL Lynnbrook Raspberry Berliner Weisse

4. Atlas Farmhouse Wheat

5. Mikerphone Vinyl Frontier DIPA

6. Slapshot Tripel Deke

We continue our mission to drink the United States with a little help from listener Jeb who provided six Minnesota beers for this episode. And we’re positively blown away by some of the beers coming from the North Star state. In addition to our reviews and arbitrary rankings, there’s much discussion of Minnesota’s cultural contributions and infuriating baseball team (for two White Sox fans). We also let our inner fat kids loose and rage about Oreo Thins a little bit. Craig shares his extensive research. Ryan does a bad Craig Finn impression. Boof Bonser has a pipe made from a Pringles can.

Rankings

Ryan

1. August Schell Dawn of Aurora Berliner Weisse

2. Dangerous Man Peanut Butter Porter

3. Indeed Let It Ride IPA

4. Bent Paddle Cold Press Black Ale

5. Bauhaus Stargrazer Schwarzbier

6. Steel Toe Size 7 IPA

Craig

1. August Schell Dawn of Aurora Berliner Weisse

2. Dangerous Man Peanut Butter Porter

3. Bent Paddle Cold Press Black Ale

4. Bauhaus Stargrazer Schwarzbier

5. Indeed Let It Ride IPA

6. Steel Toe Size 7 IPA

Join Ryan and Craig, your guides to the urban beer jungle, as they experience the eccentric, offbeat, and unexpected Wild beers of Chicago! They imbibe six different ales fermented with wild yeasts and bacteria and review them for your listening pleasure. They’ll also visit with a singing cab driver, check out the 14th annual Contortionists’ Parade, and visit the last Russian bathhouse in Chicago! Or they’ll complain about heartburn and wax, discuss childhood television, and describe things as “lemony” a lot. Either way, you’ll want to strap on your safari hat and join them on this episode. And f’ your wax!

Ryan

1. Off Color/Jester King Radiolaria

2. Transient/Fountainhead Brutus

3. Une Année Esquisse

4. Lake Effect Vielle Blond

5. Marz Duchesse de Bridgeport

6. Penrose Wild XI

Craig

1. Transient/Fountainhead Brutus

2. Off Color/Jester King Radiolaria

3. Une Année Esquisse

4. Marz Duchesse de Bridgeport

5. Lake Effect Vielle Blond

6. Penrose Wild XI

Achtung Chicago! On this episode, it’s a pilsner face-off between Germany and Chicago as we review eight of these pale-malted and lightly-hopped lagers to determine the definitive LAND OF PILSNERS. We choose somewhat predictably. In addition, you get a taste of Pilsner history from Craig and a healthy dose of distractions from Ryan. Also, neither of us realize how drunk we’ve become by the end. We also say “balls” three times in the first fifteen minutes, which isn’t like us, so, sorry about that. And listen for Ryan’s very special, limited time offer for free stuff. This episode is dedicated to our homie, Herb Wurzig.

Matchups:

Baderbrӓu Chicago Pilsener vs. Kӧnig Pilsener

Metropolitan Flywheel Bright Lager vs. Weihenstephaner Pilsner

Local Option Outlawger vs. Kaiserdom Pilsener

Half Acre Pony Pils vs. Wolters Pilsener

Rankings:

Craig

1. Weihenstephaner Pilsner

2. Metropolitan Flywheel Bright Lager

3. Half Acre Pony Pils

4. Baderbrӓu Chicago Pilsener

5. Local Option Outlawger

6. Kӧnig Pilsener

7. Kaiserdom Pilsener

8. Wolters Pilsener

Ryan

1. Half Acre Pony Pils

2. Metropolitan Flywheel Bright Lager

3. Weihenstephaner Pilsner

4. Local Option Outlawger

5. Baderbrӓu Chicago Pilsener

6. Kaiserdom Pilsener

7. Kӧnig Pilsener

8. Wolters Pilsener

Local Music Featured:

Meat Wave - “Brother”

Rat Hammer - “Don’t Care”

Twin Peaks - “Flavor”

We’ve been planning this one for a while, and we finally get to drink a lineup of delicious beers from The Rare Barrel. We review five beers from these young fermentation and blending experts out of Berkley, CA. Ryan did his research, so you’ll learn a lot about the brewery, including the somewhat unusual process by which they make beer, the “3 sip rule”, their naming inspirations, and how they go about finding the real “rare barrel.” There’s a good ten minute discussion about membership programs/reserve societies, and the potential advantages and problems those can present. We also play another game of Beers Against Humanity, which forces us to get pretty weird and raunchy. Gattaca!

Ryan

1. Forces Unseen (Golden Sour Beer Aged in Oak Barrels)

2. Wise Guise (Red Sour Beer Aged in Oak Barrels with Raspberries)

3. Ensorcelled (Dark Sour Beer Aged in Oak Barrels with Raspberries)

4. Shadows of Their Eyes (Dark Sour Beer Aged in Oak Barrels)

5. Another World (Red Sour Beer Aged in Oak Barrels)

Craig

1. Ensorcelled (Dark Sour Beer Aged in Oak Barrels with Raspberries)

2. Forces Unseen (Golden Sour Beer Aged in Oak Barrels)

3. Wise Guise (Red Sour Beer Aged in Oak Barrels with Raspberries)

4. Shadows of Their Eyes (Dark Sour Beer Aged in Oak Barrels)

5. Another World (Red Sour Beer Aged in Oak Barrels)

The fine folks of New Glarus brewing in Wisconsin have been brewing the highest quality fruit beers around for longer than just about anyone in the U.S. We invite Marie Cummins back to the show to help us review and rank eight of these outstanding brews. We pair all of the beers with Wisconsin cheeses based on New Glarus’ recommendations, and one is a spectacular failure. Also, hear us talk about booze-soaked Strawberry Shortcake, Chocolate Rain, Hawaiian Punch, “Still the One” by Orleans, and Star Wars. Craig explains why he is the body and face of the show, Ryan basks in sweet heartburn revenge, and Marie puts up with all of Craig’s shit. Did we mention the beer is incredible?

Rankings

Marie

1. Belgian Red

2. Serendipity

3. Apple Ale

4. Raspberry Tart

5. Cran-bic

6. R&D Sour Fruit (Very Sour Blackberry)

7. Strawberry Rhubarb

8. Enigma

Ryan

1. R&D Sour Fruit (Very Sour Blackberry)

2. Belgian Red

3. Serendipity

4. Cran-bic

5. Raspberry Tart

6. Apple Ale

7. Strawberry Rhubarb

8. Enigma

Craig

1. R&D Sour Fruit (Very Sour Blackberry)

2. Belgian Red

3. Serendipity

4. Cran-bic

5. Raspberry Tart

6. Apple Ale

7. Strawberry Rhubarb

8. Enigma

The Beerists swept through this city like a drunken typhoon, and they stopped by to wreak some havoc on Craig's cellar. John Rubio, Anastacia Kelly, and Mike Lambert join us to do what they've been doing for longer than us: review delicious beers. We talk about their Austin-based award-winning podcast, highlights of their Chicago trip, and their observations on this city's beer culture. Also, Anastacia gives spot-on food pairings, Rubio sings, and Craig and Mike become closer than we are comfortable with. You're welcome!

Rankings

Rubio and Mike

1. Goose Island Rare Bourbon County Brand Stout

2. DeGarde Imperial Blackberry Bu

3. Toppling Goliath Assassin (2014)

4. The Lost Abbey Duck Duck Gooze (2013)

5. Funk Factory Framrood

Craig and Ryan

1. Goose Island Rare Bourbon County Brand Stout

2. DeGarde Imperial Blackberry Bu

3. The Lost Abbey Duck Duck Gooze (2013)

4. Toppling Goliath Assassin (2014)

5. Funk Factory Framrood

Anastacia

1. DeGarde Imperial Blackberry Bu

2. Goose Island Rare Bourbon County Brand Stout

3. The Lost Abbey Duck Duck Gooze (2013)

4. Toppling Goliath Assassin (2014)

5. Funk Factory Framrood

We bust into some beer mail from Maine and New Hampshire, thanks to our new best friend Dave. We review six beers of varying styles with the help of our most regular and precious guest, Dennis. In addition to our typically eloquent aroma and taste descriptors, we bring a veritable symphony of randomness and small wind instruments. Topics include coolships, “tart” vs. “sour”, agreeable hop profiles, local IPA comparisons, Weird Al, LeVar Burton, Flintstone vitamins, that guy from Mr. Show, and weed. We also get to the bottom of why Craig doesn’t like hoppy stouts. Be one with the trees.

Craig

1. Allagash Coolship Resurgam (2015) Gueuze

2. Stoneface Mozaccalypse DIPA

3. Foundation Forge Russian Imperial Stout

4. Stoneface IPA

5. Bissell Brothers The Substance IPA

6. Oxbow Barrel-Aged Farmhouse Pale Ale

Ryan

1. Allagash Coolship Resurgam (2015) Gueuze

2. Bissell Brothers The Substance IPA

3. Foundation Forge Russian Imperial Stout

4. Stoneface Mozaccalypse DIPA

5. Stoneface IPA

6. Oxbow Barrel-Aged Farmhouse Pale Ale

Dennis

1. Allagash Coolship Resurgam (2015) Gueuze

2. Foundation Forge Russian Imperial Stout

3. Bissell Brothers The Substance IPA

4. Stoneface Mozaccalypse DIPA

5. Stoneface IPA

6. Oxbow Barrel-Aged Farmhouse Pale Ale