ABV Chicago Craft Beer Podcast

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

Direct download: ABV_Chicago_79_CAN_You_Feel_The_Love.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:30pm CDT

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

Direct download: ABV_Chicago_78_The_MN_Show.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:59pm CDT

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

Direct download: ABV_Chicago_77_Wild_Chicago.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:01am CDT

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”

Direct download: ABV_Chicago_76_Pils_Pils_Pils.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:02pm CDT

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)

Direct download: ABV_Chicago_7_Rare_Barrel.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:23pm CDT

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