Wed, 14 September 2016
Parched after an evening of marmot spotting, we continue our 50 states quest by sipping on some Washington. We review six beers from six breweries from The Evergreen State thanks to Raj Shah and only mention grunge a half dozen times. We play a Blood Brothers-based game, do the alternating-brewery-name-pronunciation tango (the forbidden worddance), and discuss “the problem” with New England-style IPAs. Beware the mouth goblin.
Bale Breaker Brewing - Field 41 Pale Ale Urban Family Brewing - Herr Kinski’s Apricot Dream-Spiral Berliner Weisse Cloudburst Brewing - Market Fresh Saison #6: Peaches & Grains of Paradise Holy Mountain Brewing - The Goat Brett Saison Three Magnets Brewing Co. - Little Juice IPA (Smoothie Edition) Stoup Brewing - Citra IPA |
Wed, 7 September 2016
It’s New Baby Hiatus time at ABV Studios, so we have gathered some of our favorite Low ABV episodes that were previously only available to our Patreon donors. Uh, sorry Patreon donors. But you’ll hear four beers reviewed, and a very loose - and edgy - Ryan & Craig on these mini shows that are sure to be the talk of Craft Beer Town. There’s an MC Johnsen appearance, SMaSH desires, 90s rock karaoke, hot takes on some local breweries, a story about a 26-inch hot dog, and a noxious cloud of Hoobastank - all while we seemingly look to find the tag beyond “Explicit” on iTunes. To get access to a whole mess more of these types of shows, go to www.patreon.com/abvchicago and donate to help keep our show listener-supported an ad-free.
Low ABVs Compiled: Low ABV 2 - Buckledown’s Citra Clencher Low ABV 4 - Cycle Brewing’s Tuesday Low ABV 7 - Lord Hobo’s Boom Sauce Low ABV 10 - Moody Tongue’s BA Chocolate Barleywine |
Wed, 31 August 2016
Our next stop on our mission to taste the whole USA brings one of the overall most satisfying lineups - and maybe Craig’s favorite beer of all time. Five Florida breweries are featured with two brief interviews with brewers poised to make a huge name for themselves. Matt Manthe from Odd Breed Wild Ales talks taproom plans and how they do spontaneous fermentation in the Florida climate. Corey Artanis from 3 Sons Brewing explains how he gets the flavors just right - and damn do we have an example of that on the show. We also mention the increased instances of brewers contracting wort and working double duty. Plus, there’s some etiquette talk with Craig, Pitbull trivia, stuff Craig saw on Twitter, being flavor-forward in Florida, and nerding out at J. Wakefield’s taproom. Dale.
Wakefield Brewing - Every Gose Has Its Thorn (Gose w/ grapefruit) Odd Breed Wild Ales - Peaches (Barrel-aged wild ale w/ peaches) Wynwood Brewing - Tres Puentes (Blended saison) Cycle Brewing - Monday (Maple bourbon aged coffee cinnamon imperial stout) 3 Sons Brewing - Summation (Bourbon barrel aged imperial vanilla coffee stout) |
Wed, 24 August 2016
At one point, this show had a purpose and a modicum of decency - but this episode takes it pretty far from either. We review a bunch of our favorite (favored?) breweries’ beers and debut our new theme song. It all starts with just a shameful lead-up thanks to Craig, and ends with a whole new meaning for the abbreviation “ABV” thanks to Inclement Weather. In the middle there’s talk of can-conditioning, pizza beers, the New England IPA non-story, Joey “CoCo” Diaz, and the problem with mouthfeeling everything. Hold me closer, greasy dancer. Beers Reviewed Transient Artisan Ales - Weko (Brett Pale Ale) Maplewood Brewing - Juice Pants (IPA) Middle Brow Beer Co. - Low (Brown Gose) Mikerphone Brewing - Mad Flavor, Batch #2 (Double Dry-Hopped IPA) Une Année Brewery - Framboise (American Raspberry Wild Ale) |
Wed, 17 August 2016
No one can ever accuse Funky Buddha of false advertising, but their brewing methods certainly seem unholy. We taste a few dessert beers and one IPA that are perfect executions of this Florida brewery’s intentions. And because Craig was in Florida recently, there’s a little interview with brewer Jeff Rose included here. Much more funkiness abounds as Ryan confesses a crime, Craig loses a job over khakis, and we plan a brewery sitcom. There’s also a Mario 2/Jesus connection, The Nerding Hour, “Coach” and Applebees talk, Soaky Toast, and a Hurricane of Elbows. And we play a game called “311 or Buddha?” You got to come original. Beers Reviewed Lemon Meringue Pie (Blonde Ale) Muy Bonita (Double Brown Ale) 3 Years & Brewing (IPA with mango) French Toast (Double Brown Ale) Barrel-Aged Chocwork Orange (Imperial Milk Porter) |
Wed, 10 August 2016
How does a brewery that owns a single fermenter in a borrowed space with a staff of three people with other full-time jobs not only survive but thrive in the marketplace? Jeremiah from Hop Butcher gives us the whole story - and a lot of tasty beers. Few stones are left unturned as we talk about the name change (from South Loop Brewing), the brewery’s prospective growth, the importance of good artwork, the difficulty of hop contracts, and how they’ve managed to sell their beer to a few major Chicago sports institutions. We get a little sweaty, taste a very rare barrel-aged treat, and thank Jeremiah for not trolling the show as he had planned.
Beers Sampled Your Wish Is Granted (Double IPA) Alemerica the Beautiful (Mosaic-Hopped American Pale Ale) Good Ryes Wear Black (Black Rye IPA) The World’s Colombian Coffee Exposition (Imperial Coffee Stout) The World’s Colombian Coffee Exposition: Bourbon Barrel-Aged |
Wed, 3 August 2016
It’s been almost two years since we first recorded in the legendary Chicago institution, and as much as things have changed, Goose Island Clybourn is still about creative small batches from some of the most passionate brewers around. Brewers Jon and Steve join us to talk about the implications of the sale to AB InBev including equipment upgrades, recipe ownership, franchising the brewpub model, and the public reaction to “selling out.” They also pour us some unbelievable beers, including maybe our first recorded experience with a “ghost whale.” Also expect to hear about their current issues with brewing sour beers, how they handle bottle releases and determine pricing, and a little teaser regarding Belgian Fest. Steve also absolutely schools us on Old Ales and Stock Ales, Jon gets to bask in his proudest beer-naming moments, and we all give some sweet love to Cory King. This one is chock full of goofs and goodies, folks, so grab a few beers and enjoy. Beers Tasted: Sara Later (Belgian pale ale) Cran-Bruin (Oud Bruin with cranberries aged in red wine barrels) Barrel-Aged Dark Crusader Coconut (Imperial stout aged in bourbon barrels with coconut added during bottling) Nutulhu (Imperial stout aged in bourbon barrels with toasted hazelnuts and vanilla beans) Side Project Brewing - Saison du Fermier Pinot (Wild saison aged in pinot noir puncheons) |
Wed, 27 July 2016
Well dammit if we can’t just be happy with our regular ol’ IPAs, brewers have been adding all sorts of stuff to our favorite hopdrinks. This show features five IPAs...with a TWIST! Might it be possible that we built this show around a “ringer”? Perhaps. But all of the beers more than hold their own, and they bring out an unusual array of distractions: Björk, WiiKush, Offspring beers, and BagelFest. We also challenge each other to come up with a list of unusual ingredients that have yet to be used in IPAs - so brewers take note! Cream bomb: out. Beers Considered Middle Brow Beer Co. - Karin (Belgian IPA + farmhouse ale blend) Like Minds Brewing Co. - Archimedes (IPA + Brettanomyces) Burnt Hickory Brewery - Killboy Powerhead (IPA + orange & vanilla) Stone Brewing - Mocha IPA (DIPA + cacao & coffee) Other Half/Half Acre - Rainbow Never Ends (DIPA + oats, rice flakes, rice syrup, & kölsch yeast)
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Wed, 20 July 2016
Used to be that a beer aged in wood was a rare shelf find, but now you can’t throw a bottle cap without hitting one. For this episode, we have five barrel-aged “Chicago” beers, and the results are...unexpected. We have one of the most mysterious beers we’ve ever opened, experience nostalgia for the days of bottle-waxing, and try to resist the urge to jibboo. And Craig might not be hunting whales, but he sure is hunting something.
Beers Reviewed
Whiner Beer Co. - Le Tub (blended wild farmhouse aged in cabernet barrels) Nomad Brewery - Batch #1 (imperial brown ale aged in bourbon barrels) Mikerphone Brewing - Jibboo (farmhouse ale aged in wine puncheons) Off Color Brewing - Barrel-Aged Dino S’mores (imperial stout aged in bourbon barrels) Transient Artisan Ales - Kentuckley (imperial breakfast stout aged in bourbon barrels)
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Wed, 13 July 2016
Not so long ago, Craig took the midnight train to Georgia and came back with a bushel of tasty beers. Here we drink five of them and throw in a few brief interviews, including yeast talk with Ford from Orpheus, and chattin’ beer styles with Joran from Three Taverns. Craig also recaps his Georgia trip including ballpark food, his guest spot on Beer Guys Radio, and the profoundly stupid beer laws of the Peach State. We’ll also learn how Ryan continues to make the freshest dunks and the actual hotness of 98 Degrees. But then Craig refuses to take us to Stankonia. :-( :-( :-(
Beers Reviewed
Second Self - Maverick & Gose Orpheus - Atalanta Tart Plum Saison Creature Comforts - Tropicália IPA Three Taverns - Inceptus American Wild Ale Burnt Hickory Brewery - Kolb’s Farm Imperial Stout |
Wed, 6 July 2016
Mike Pallen is releasing instant classics on a regular basis, and since the rabid fans demanded it, we drink some “updated” versions of his beers from our recent go-round with Mikerphone - with one bonus “track.” This one also involves a little music trivia, Craig’s new catch phrase, Ryan’s advice for winning at strip-anything, and a huge wax boner. Rock over London! Rock on Chicago! Polaroid: see what develops.
Beers Sampled Hang Me Up To Dry Dry-Hopped Sour Special Sauce (Batch #2) Double IPA Travelin’ Man Dry-Hopped Saison Imperial Smells Like Bean Spirit Breakfast Stout Stop, Collaborate, & Listen Vanilla Rice Stout
Direct download: ABV_Chicago_128_Mikerphone_Remastered.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:26am CDT |
Wed, 29 June 2016
Just a spit trail east of Cowshit Corner in Newcastle, Maine, Oxbow Brewing has been making actual farmhouse beers since 2011. We’re lucky to try five of their low-SRM ales - most of them thanks to David Leshinski - and talk about what makes them unique. Craig has an exciting update on a long-time fugitive, Ryan explains how he chooses music for the show, and we break the space-time continuum. Also: Stuff to shave into your head! Grisette addicts! Crystal IPAs! Ska talk! FrankenCraig! Listen, or tell it to Jimmy Teku. Beers Reviewed:
Farmhouse Pale Ale Loretta Grisette Cross Fade Saison Saison de Kuaska Goods from the Woods Farmhouse Ale |
Wed, 22 June 2016
Only one brewery in Illinois is also in the distilling business, and we leave the bunker to record amongst those lovely vapors. Maplewood is not only crushing it in the beer department, but they’ll soon release their own small-batch spirits. Joining us are Adam Smith (brand manager/assistant brewer), Adam Cieslak (Co-founder/head brewer), and Paul Megalis (Co-founder/business manager), and they share several of their flawless beers and let us pop the bung for a little whiskey sampling. Topics include the upcoming taproom, label makeovers, unique challenges of a brewery/distillery, canning vs. bottling, the dynamics of yeast, selling to CostCo, and the (im)practicality of SMaSH beers. And because it’s our show, we also talk about the band Train, Disney sing-alongs, and who has the best hair at Maplewood. Hike up those juice pants and get ready for an adventure.
Beers Sampled:
The Charlatan Pale Ale Creepy Ginger Belgian Golden Strong Ale Mandarina Bavaria Saison Azacca Morris IPA |
Wed, 15 June 2016
Get ready for a ton of nostalgia as we drunkenly bid farewell to the original recording space for the podcast. We clean out five of Ryan’s cellar beers to help reduce the load and reveal our origin story. You’ll learn about our convoluted early attempts at rankings, the many beta versions of the podcast, and why we’ve never had guests at ABV West. There’s also a ton on aging beer, Malort, the Fire sauce quota, and an excellent addition to our ever-growing list of band names. Shades up, ABV West. Shades up.
Beers Unloaded:
Founders Furniture City Stock Ale (2012) Allagash Mattina Rossa (2015) New Glarus 20th Anniversary Strong Ale (2013) The Bruery White Oak (2013) Goose Island Cherry Rye BCBS (2012) |
Wed, 8 June 2016
After last episode’s penance, we are blessed with five outstanding hoppy beers on this one. United by their hop-forward nature, these beers prove that a perfectly-made IPA is no longer a rare find in the wild. And with great beer, it loosens up our conversation into all sorts of unpleasant, juvenile places. So, behold pellicle porn, a lot of wang talk, Jeff Bridges, cartoon personas, Yaz, and the drunkest rankings we’ve likely ever recorded. Good ol’ Yaz. Beers Reviewed: Toppling Goliath Citra Double Dry-Hopped PseudoSue Pale Ale The Veil Crucial Taunt DIPA Hoof Hearted Wängbär Oatmeal DIPA Hubbard’s Cave Fresh IIPA V2 515 Brewing Hopititis DIPA |
Wed, 1 June 2016
Hoppy beers are best enjoyed fresh - that’s just a fact. But what happens when you let them age well beyond their suggested shelf life? On this episode, we subject ourselves to a little experiment for educational purposes. We discuss a variety of hop-related topics like bottle dates, the insignificance of IBUs, alcohol as a preserver of hoppiness, trusting your bottle shop, and the benefits of canning. Craig recaps a few final CCBW highlights, Ryan has a theory on Zombie Dust’s inflated reputation, and we both experience second puberty. But then it all ends in the NONIC PINT OF DEATH. Come on - grow old with us. Don’t forget to vote for us once a day at podcastawards.com in the Arts category! Beers Experienced: Short’s HumaLupaLicious (2016) & HumaLupaLicious (2013) Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA (2016?) and 120 Minute IPA (2012) Bell’s Mars DIPA (2014) Bell’s Hopslam DIPA (2014) Bell’s The Oracle DIPA (2013) Bell’s This Goes To 11 Imperial Red Ale (2012) Bell’s Harvest Ale (2012) Great Lakes Lake Erie Monster DIPA (2013) New Glarus IIPA (2013?) Dark Horse Double Crooked Tree DIPA (2013) The Alchemist Heady Topper DIPA (2013) Three Floyds Arctic Panzer Wolf DIPA |
Wed, 25 May 2016
It’s alright, because it’s Chicago Craft Beer Week! We mark the occasion by drinking six beers from local breweries we’ve never featured before - and we’ve been missing out. We try to give some background on these breweries, but our “research” has truly reached a new low. There’s also talk of marketing angles, bleach lambics, bomber fatigue, skateboarding orphans, noisy dick, head nipples, dweebs, geeks, and ladders. Ryan reviews the many name changes that some of the these breweries have made, and Craig files his Beer Under Glass report. Beers Reviewed: Around the Bend Beer Co. - Ghost of ‘lectricity Kolsch Motor Row Brewing - New Phenix Lager Alarmist Brewing - Phobophobia Patersbier Maplewood Brewing - Crushinator Session IPA Hop Butcher For The World - Watch for Falling Coconuts Tropical Pale Ale Illuminated Brew Works - Kallisti Golden Ale Local Bands/Artists Featured: Blizzard Babies, Meat Wave, Twin Peaks, The Brokedowns, Yoko and the Oh Nos, Lil Tits, Chance the Rapper |
Wed, 18 May 2016
Sometimes the show is about what we don’t drink, and on this one, we have No IPAs. It’s really just a cute name for a random beer show we recorded while already drunk late on a Friday. There are five beers from a few locals and a few others, and at least for some, we’re happy we didn’t say “No” to them. And hopefully you won’t refuse us as we sloppily pitch movies, scrutinize our own similes, and visit Pen Island. We also find one of the best deals in beer currently. There’s also about four minutes of the drunkest blather Ryan has ever not edited from the show at the end. Go ahead and listen - we’ll just be over here, covering our NIPAs. Beers Reviewed Une Anneé Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien (American Wild Ale w/ lime zest & dry-hopped w/Citra) Sketchbook Turbulence (Imperial Stout) Lindemans Oude Kriek Cuveé René (Kriek Lambic) Blue Island Beer Co. Lost Weekend (Barleywine) Central Waters Cassian Sunset (Bourbon Barrel-Aged Stout w/coffee, vanilla, & cinnamon)
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Wed, 11 May 2016
Other Half Brewing is the latest small East Coast operation churning out heavily-hopped (and hyped) beers that are increasingly in demand. We scrutinize five of these Brooklyn-born ales on this show, trying to determine if their growing reputation is well-deserved. And because it’s us, we also do some “NBA Jam” trivia, drink Sea Monkeys, ruminate on JNCO jeans, and stick our fingers in beer. We also respond to a few listeners and acknowledge our almost aggressive lack of hipness. Boom shakalaka. Beers Reviewed: Forever Ever (Session IPA) Hop Showers (IPA) All Citra Everything (DIPA) Green Diamonds (DIPA) Peachwood-Aged (Sour farmhouse w/peaches) |
Wed, 4 May 2016
At the foot of the Appalachian mountains just outside of Asheville, Fonta Flora embraces local ingredients while honoring the history of a flooded sharecropping community. For some reason, reviewing four of their beers brings out our feisty side - and the most violent reaction to a beer we’ve ever had. We hope you also want to hear about Spanish Yoda, Craig’s cartoon hands, a little spooning, Byron Allen, sharecropping, and Nazi Fanta. The apology list might be long on this one. But at least most of the beers were good. Beers Reviewed Sun Gold Appalachian Grisette Land Trust Appalachian Apple Saison Vestige Bloom Wild Ale (aged in wine barrels w/kiwi) Sal De Gusano Imperial Stout (aged in Mezcal barrels with sea salt & cacao)
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Wed, 27 April 2016
Another Dark Lord Day approaches, so we review a vertical of 3 Floyds’ signature special release with a little help from the Chicago Tribune’s beer columnist Josh Noel. Should you ever age a Dark Lord? Is it really just a decent beer? Are the variants worth it? The answers will probably not shock you. But we do our best to contribute to the conversation by talking about the changes to the fest itself, this year’s variants, and 3 Floyds’ place in local beer culture. There’s also some Goose Island talk, thoughts on the next era of beer, Josh’s day of karmic realignment, and the most Indiana story ever. Jud Jud. Beers Reviewed: Dark Lord (2012) Dark Lord (2013) Dark Lord (2014) Dark Lord (2015) Bourbon Barrel-Aged Vanilla Bean Dark Lord (2015) Jarring metal music transitions courtesy of the lineup for this year’s Dark Lord Day, which you can find here: http://www.darklordday.com/schedule/
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Wed, 20 April 2016
Nothing is certain and all of life is a lie. We drink five Midwestern barrel-aged stouts without knowing what they are to test their true quality and our very confidence in ourselves. And it is discovered that we, in fact, are terrible. But major surprises abound as we mostly play a new game we should call “Is This Bourbon County?” And we learn that spotting a fresh stout in a sea of aged beers is not as easy as one would expect. There’s also stuff about Everclear, pro-wrestling, Wu-Tang, the “Clue” movie, Craig’s hog, and Ryan’s newest brewery idea. Is it getting existential in here, or is just me?
Beers Reviewed, Blindly Wild Onion Drӓgo (2015) Goose Island Bourbon County Stout (2013) Dark Horse Bourbon Barrel Plead the Fifth (2013) Bell’s Black Note (2012) Central Waters Bourbon Barrel Stout (2013) |
Wed, 13 April 2016
We’re all too eager to try more from Boston’s Trillium Brewing Company as we were positively gobsmacked by their beers last time. This time around, we have MC Johnsen from Worth 1000 Beers to help us review these five offerings and steer us into some serious streams of consciousness. We talk a bit about Trillium’s expanded production and second location, saison brewing, and hop blindness. For the digressions on this one, we go deep on candy (of course), feeling cheese, bad accents, ranch-flavored things, elbow dancing, and The Eagles. There’s an exciting announcement for our Patreon patrons; Craig shares his report on new craft beers at U.S. Cellular this season; MC promotes her “RAW” event at the Metro; and Ryan joins the creamy revolution.
Help nominate us for a Podcast Award by going to podcastawards.com and entering “ABV Chicago” in the Arts category between April 15th and April 30th.
Rankings
Ryan
MC
Craig
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Wed, 6 April 2016
Check. Check. Is this thing on? Everybody wants some Mikerphone Brewing, and we find out exactly why on this episode. With a mixed 4-track of Mike Pallen’s beers, we have our asses rocked by a few of the best beers we’ve had in a long, long time. We share an update on Mikerphone’s new location, and discuss New England style IPAs, beers as musical instruments, and the fault of first impressions in craft beer. But then there’s some disgusting stuff about buckets, Gloria Estefan, Halloween masks, and girdles. Also, there’s some weak high fives, Craig’s day of action, and a game about Nirvana lyrics. Goodnight, Chicago!
Beers Reviewed
Nature’s Candy Peach Berliner Weisse Special Sauce Double IPA G Funk Era Golden Ale (w/ grapefruit) Smells Like Bean Spirit (Batch 3) Breakfast Stout |
Wed, 30 March 2016
Somewhat quietly, Jerry Nelson from Une Année has been making some of the best sour beers in Chicago - or anywhere, frankly. On this show, we review the first five beers from the Le Seul series of wild ales and fall in love with the solera method. We also talk about Une Année’s recent news, share some info on the souring process from Jerry, and discuss the challenges of a sour beer membership program. Also, Craig’s voice is eating itself, Ryan gives Chris from Transient Artisan Ales tips on naming beers, and we play another (a)rousing round of Beers Against Humanity. The phrase “canonical dingleberry” has never been so appropriate. Beers Reviewed: Le Seul I (Reddish brown sour with tart cherries and cranberries) Le Seul II (Hoppy golden sour with raspberries) Le Seul III (Wild ale with blackberries) Le Seul IV (Blended golden sour with peaches) Le Seul V (Blended golden sour with kiwifruit) |
Wed, 23 March 2016
Two Michigan breweries enter Illinois; only one will be declared victorious. Well, not really, as we’re sure that both Short’s Brewing and Odd Side Ales will make a lot of new fans in Illinois. We pit six of these Michigan export beers head-to-head on this episode - and the real winner is good taste. But also, we take asides on Craig’s Street Fighter knowledge, offensive beer names, Johnny Cage the Elephant, and that time Ryan almost witnessed Sugar Ray die. (Long live Sugar Ray!) And yes, there will be a little Ween. Beer Matchups Round 1: Short’s Bellaire Brown vs. Odd Side Bean Flicker
Short’s Huma Lupa Licious vs. Odd Side Citra Pale Ale Round 3: Short’s Soft Parade vs. Odd Side Flash Golden
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Wed, 16 March 2016
We disengage our clutches and rev up our car metaphors for a whole show dedicated to the Speedway Stout from AleSmith. Mike Zoller from PorchDrinking joins us to taste five versions of this coffee-fueled, high-octane stout, and it’s a damn good thing we’re not actually driving. We talk about aging coffee beers, infected beers, and barrel-aging’s impact on ABV. But we also discuss Wacky Races, recoil from political talk, step on Craig’s pole, and try not to offend any volcanoes. And someone gets threatened with his own Cicerone pin. There are no friends at 200mph. Got speed? Drive Hard; Get Dirty. Beers Reviewed Speedway Stout (2015) Barrel-Aged Speedway Stout (2015) Speedway Stout - Vietnamese Coffee Speedway Stout - Kona Coffee Speedway Stout - Hawaiian (with coconut and vanilla) |
Wed, 9 March 2016
Episode 111 - Stoneface Brewing Co. Since 2014, the people of Stoneface Brewing Co. have been focused on churning out a small variety of high quality brews. We drink five from the New Hampshire brewery, and there’s nary a complaint to be made about these great beers. But the diversions we take are more, uh, graphic than ever. Expect to hear about a Mozzapocalypse, perfect rimjobs, the genius of Neil Breen, eating babies, Nick Nolte’s Sea Captain period, and Craig’s sexual proclivities. It’s actually not as bad as it sounds. But we do say maybe the worst words we’ve ever said, Craig reveals he’s a Certified Beer Server, and Ryan subjects Craig to a game of “Name That Stone or Face.” Caution: it gets frothy. Beers Reviewed Blip (Session IPA) Rye (India Red Rye Ale) Porter RIS (Russian Imperial Stout w/coffee and vanilla beans) BA RIS (Rum barrel-aged) CORRECTION: Marvin Berry in Back To The Future is actually Chuck Berry’s cousin, not his brother. ABV Chicago would like to formally apologize for this error. |
Wed, 2 March 2016
To celebrate the opening of their new bottle shop, Off Color has released a few unique beers that we combine with two other shelf selections for review on this episode. And because Craig spent the day acquiring cideries at the Cider Summit, we try to keep it brief and on topic - which fails quickly. There’s a little talk of food color byproducts, two new Craig characters (John Apple and French Stupid), Ryan’s trouble in the produce aisle, a reappearance from the orgy tarp, and a solid eight minutes on our second favorite subject: candy. Furry little creatures are welcome. Beers Reviewed Bare Bear (Sahti) Le Woof (Biere de Garde) Whiskers (American Wild Ale) Space Tiger (American Wild Ale) |
Wed, 24 February 2016
We enter unfamiliar territory on this one by doing our first-ever cider show. Kim Leshinski of Hail to the Ale and MC Johnsen of Worth 1000 Beers join us to educate us on these fermented apple beverages. You’ll learn a lot about how ciders are made, apple varieties, local cider sources (including Broken Nose Cider), heirloom apples, and “the long pour.” We go from “cider stupid” to just plain stupid at times, as the diversions here are frequent and give Craig a good core workout. And Ryan is made to feel stupid by being the only one familiar with Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader. Listen and let us be the apple of your...ears?
Ciders reviewed Farnum HIll Dooryard Cider Shacksbury Farmhouse Bantam The Americain Uncle John’s Apple Hard Cider Vander Mill Chapman’s Blend 2014 Wandering Aegnus Wanderlust |
Wed, 17 February 2016
Straight out of the cellar and into your earholes, five Side Project beers are on the table for this one as Steph from The Girl and Her Beer joins us to review these ridiculous works of liquid art. It’s not news that Cory King makes badass 100% barrel-aged beers, but you can live vicariously through us as we experience them. There’s also a musical side projects game, blending talk, a wall of acetone, origins of blue raspberry candy, ideas on how to make wax better, and a gusher we won’t soon forget. We also find out how Craig screens potential guests, and the details will SHOCK you. CLICK to find out MORE!!! Beers Reviewed Marietta Ave. Saison Pulling Nails (Blend 2) Wild Ale Black & Wild (Blend 1) Wild Black Ale The Origin Imperial Stout Blueberry Flanders |
Wed, 10 February 2016
From the caves and laboratories of New Glarus, these four beers undergo our own “research and development” - by which we mean we “review” them and get surprisingly “drunk.” But the beers are of the usual New Glarus quality, so it gives us a lot to talk about: if Barney Rubble smells worse than a band-aid; what a “funk blanket” is and how to use it to get out of your Cicerone exam; and whether or not Craig has ever eaten celery. We also give some tips on beers with Belgian yeast and read an absurd poem. Beers Reviewed Wild Bitter Vintage 2014 Wild Barrel Golden Ale |
Wed, 3 February 2016
We dipped into our vault this week to bring you our little tribute to working together. All five beers on this show were the product of collaboration featuring at least one local brewery (or liquor store) and a brewing buddy. Recorded back in August, this episode just got buried in our release schedule, but we’re proud to finally bring it to you so you can hear our trite discussions of the Aggro-Crag, smelly toys, One Direction, supple buttcheeks, and our idea for a naughty collaboration beer. Also, stay tuned to the end for some HOT TIPS on how to totally ignore bottle release allotments. Grab a friend and do it together! And come to Beermiscuous on February 6th for our 2nd Anniversary party! Beers Reviewed Off Color/Side Project - Corybantic (American Wild Ale) Arcade/Ale Syndicate - Dubbel Time (Dubbel with cocoa nibs) Pipeworks/4 Hands - Black Tuna (Black DIPA with honey) Hubbard’s Cave (Slapshot/Une Année) - Imperial Stout (with vanilla) Jester King/West Lakeview Liquors - Encendia (Mezcal barrel-aged saison with agave nectar, ancho chiles, and epazote) |
Wed, 27 January 2016
It’s about to get all rustic up in here with four tart beers from Casey Brewing and Blending. Troy Casey subscribes to the Old World philosophy of brewing by using local Colorado ingredients and 100% oak fermentation to create these masterful brews. We subscribe to the ABV philosophy of getting completely off-topic from our beer reviews to create a fever-dream of a podcast. In addition to our take on these finely-crafted ales, there’s bits about Craig’s garbage mouth, overzesting your lemons, spaghetti sauce beers, and a long discussion of what styles of beer pair with certain weather and/or clothing. Because why the hell not. Beers Reviewed East Bank Saison (with honey) Apricot Fruit Stand Saison Oak Theory Wild Ale The Cut: Montmorency Cherry Wild Ale |
Wed, 20 January 2016
To clumsily pay tribute the only way we know how, we drink some beers to honor David Bowie that have some tangential relationship to his career. And though we don’t attempt to give Bowie a proper send off, the beers turn out really damn good and silliness abounds. We talk Monster cereals, sing some Cher, fear “target character drift”, defend Elisabeth Shue’s honor, and recall Quantum Leap. And there’s more conclusive evidence that Craig is our greatest living beer poet. Thank you, David Bowie. Beers: Bayerischer Bahnhof - Berliner Style Weisse Marz Community Brewing - Marzcal Kolsch Half Acre Beer Co. - Space IPA Revolution Brewing - Blue Gene BA Porter Uinta Brewing - Labyrinth Quadruple Black Ale/Imperial Stout (2013)
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Wed, 13 January 2016
It’s a mother-loving good time on this episode as we drink six different beers from Springfield, Missouri’s own Mother’s Brewing Company (Thanks Jeb and Eden!). And just like our own mothers, these beers fill us with warm feelings and happiness and alcohol. So we also rattle on about resolutions, crappy candy, hard root beer, TV moms, and Craig’s eHarmony profile. One beer brings out the 15 year-old in both of us (take a wild guess), and then there’s a little coffee talk - no big whoop. Ryan
Craig
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Wed, 6 January 2016
Who says a little danger can’t be a lot of fun? Well on this show, we drink five random beers we had around and give them the ol’ arbitrary review treatment. Ryan shares his complete pitch for Yet Another Stakeout, the prospective third film in the Stakeout Trilogy. And for some godforsaken reason, the whole show is soundtracked by the music of Steven Seagal. It’s like we’re challenging you not to listen - so thanks if you do!
Craig
Ryan
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Wed, 30 December 2015
It’s sweaters and stouts season again, and we bask in the warmth of five dark beers on this episode. We also look back on the year in beer by reminiscing on some of our favorites beers and events of 2015. There’s a lot of love for local favorites like Middle Brow, Temperance, Transient, Imperial Oak, Spiteful, Pipeworks, Pollyanna, and Une Annee; but some of the best beers of the year came from out East thanks to Tree House, Trillium, and Voodoo. Also experience a magically truncated rant on bottle release lines, weird homophone problems, a baby dinosaur Craig (awwww!), and a generally unpleasant walk-up we’ll call Fart Wars. No, Star Farts. No, Star Wars: The Farts Awaken. Yeah, that’s the one.
Ryan
Craig
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Wed, 23 December 2015
For the big 100, we threw a little holiday party and invited our friends - and to our delight, they came bearing gifts of beer! On the show, we drink with them and give our usual reviews while catching up with them and taking many topical detours. Joining us are Kim Leshinski (Hail to the Ale), Ken Getty (from CHAOS Homebrew Club), Nick Burica (of Middle Brow Beer Co.), Chris Betts (of Transient Artisan Ales), Marie Cummins (Down the Hatch beer blog), Dennis Lee (of The Pizzle), MC Johnsen (Worth 1000 Beers) and Matt Johnsen (of Horse Thief Hollow and The Beer Cellar). In addition to thrilling excerpts from Secret Agent Santa (Harlequin 2015), we talk about kettle sours, sensuous languor, the troubles with opening a brewery, fingerless gloves, and much more. Thanks for listening and happy holidays!
Beers Reviewed:
Kane Brewing - Cortijo (Agave Nectar Saison Aged in Tequila Barrels) OEC Brewing - Malefactus (Wine Barrel-Aged Stout) Transient Artisan Ales - Black Raspberry Maigre (Berlinner Weisse) Lake Effect Brewing - Imperial Stout (Bourbon Barrel-Aged) BrainDead Brewing - Bent De Garde (Wine Barrel-Aged Biere de Garde) de Garde Brewing - L’Hiver Melange No. 2 |
Wed, 16 December 2015
On this episode, we sit in the sticky lap of luxury and sip on some premium barrel-aged offerings from Spiteful Brewing. We review four beers: two of which rightfully won gold medals at FOBAB, and one that leaves us speechless (and hallucinating). In addition to all the beer and brewery talk, we audit Craig’s purchases, preview Ryan’s “Goonies 2” script, and drink some semi-legal absinthe. It’s gross. But it’s all worth it in the end, trust us.
Craig
Ryan
4. Absinthe Barrel-Aged G.F.Y. Stout |
Wed, 9 December 2015
2015 might as well be deemed “The Year Pipeworks Came to Cans”, because as this show proves, it’s one of the best things to happen to Chicago beer in a while. We review the five currently available canned beers from Pipeworks because we were too impatient to wait for the sixth. Additionally, we unveil a new game (temporarily) titled “Beer Carnac,” and it goes off better than expected. We also give advice about Beer of the Month clubs, Ryan joins the “Smells Creamy” movement, and Craig is terrible at animals. And we tell a story about the Worst Trivia Prize ever. Caw-caw! Craig
Ryan
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Wed, 2 December 2015
No tents were pitched in the making of this episode as we review the 2015 lineup of Goose Island’s signature special release stout. And we went extravagant on this one, pairing all six Bourbon County beers with special chocolates and the scandalous commentary of one Dennis Lee from The Pizzle. Find out if we think if these were worth waiting in line for on a cold Black Friday morning. In addition to our unique take on these most-desired beers, you’ll get to sup upon our sordid stew of nail polish remover, Charo, porns, Juggalos, David Lynch, Arby’s, salt sticks, and banjos. We also do some crappy improv, talk about Dennis’ tiny hands and Craig’s muppet voice, and spoil some movies. Thanks to Goose Island for providing a few of the beers to help make this vulgar trainwreck possible.
Rankings
Ryan
Craig
Dennis
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Wed, 25 November 2015
For our brief, annual sabbatical, we drink ten different craft sodas while recapping our experience at this year’s Festival of Wood and Barrel-Aged Beers. We attempt to review the sodas, with five produced locally, but spend a lot of time reliving our favorite FoBAB moments. Our highlights include beers from Perennial, Off Color, 2nd Shift, Goose Island Clybourn Brewpub, Spiteful, Brickstone, The Lost Abbey, Metropolitan, Moody Tongue, August Schell, Half Acre, Temperance, Hardywood, and more. But there’s a lot of craft soda information packed in here too, and you’ll learn why we’re so grateful for Prohibition. We also work on Craig’s arts-and-crafts-based standup routine. Come for the FoBAB, stay for the sodas, leave with a gut full of sugar.
FoBAB Moments:
(00:11:30 - 00:18:18) Overall festival talk: organization, glassware gripes, expedited lines, strip club music, and more. (00:26:20 - 00:32:27) Ryan’s top five beers of FoBAB, plus a drunk volunteer story (00:34:44 - 00:38:22) Craig’s top five beers of FoBAB (00:42:10 - 00:50:16) Other beer highlights (00:54:29 - 00:59:19), (01:00:38 - 01:04:14) The beer lowlights (01:06:59 - 01:11:02) What we missed (01:14:12 - 01:15:45) Ranking previous FoBABs
WBC Chicago-Style Root Beer Virgil’s Black Cherry Cream Soda Green River Fentiman’s Curiosity Cola Deadworld Slow Decay Vanilla Root Beer Cicero Beverage Co. Salted Caramel Root Beer Berghoff Orange Sioux City Orange Cream Filbert’s Strawberry Boylan Creamy Red Birch Beer |
Wed, 18 November 2015
On Craig’s day off, he went due south to central and southern Illinois to check out their burgeoning beer scene. He brought back five beers for us to review, and we’re all over them like Abe Lincoln on a steamin’ stack of corn cakes. Amidst the beer talk, we touch on such provincial topics as adhesive, hand growlering, the Kennedys, spray shields, penguin movies, Charleston Chews, service ducks, and Paul Walker. And stay tuned to the end when we pay tribute to the late Jonathan Taylor Thomas. We’re never getting out of this one-stoplight town. Ryan
Craig
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Wed, 11 November 2015
Man, it’s a hot one. We try five West Coast beers that have started popping up on Chicagoland shelves to determine if they’re worth your all-important dollar with our arbitrary reviews. Learn about these new entries to the Chicago market while we pay tribute to a song that defined a generation. Plus, we rant about beer pricing, brewery buyouts, the Better Business Bureau, the Rule 34 of beer, doing the Haka, and using “Mambo #5” for terrorism. We’ll be your Drunken Holiday Uncle. Or else forget about it. Craig
Ryan
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Wed, 4 November 2015
Listener Keef Debonzo sent us a box of treats from Wicked Weed Brewing, and we sat down on Halloween night to taste ‘em. We’re downright giddy to find out that this Asheville brewery is doing just about everything right. To add to the wickedness of this show, we play our favorite game, Beers Against Humanity, and it elicits talk about Cialis, Nickelback, orgies, Def Leppard, and more. We also talk craft beer Halloween costumes, shelf life on hoppy beers, herbaciousness, and naming your brewery. Check out Keef’s band The Debonzo Brothers on their website and iTunes! Ryan
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Wed, 28 October 2015
For this episode, we blend with the Johnsens - MC and Matt - for this special trip on the Gueuze Crueuze™. We taste-tour five Belgian gueuzes and attempt to rank them, which is mixed in with some lambic education, brewery history, Belgium travel stories, and more diversions than usual. Here’s a small sampling of non-beer topics: Nazi ghosts, Eddie Bauer, peanut butter tapeworms, wine bongs, home coolshipping, DMX, pipe-aging, Magic Eye puzzles, Belgian motorcycle gangs, and dangerous roadside Limburger. We also add a few to the Great Band Names List, and Craig continues to smell weird. Check out MC’s excellent visual beer blog Worth A Thousand Beers and buy her kickass art!
Matt & Ryan
MC
Craig
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Wed, 21 October 2015
18th Street Brewery from Gary, Indiana is just over halfway through their Hunter variant series, and we round up five beers to review for this one. Colin Joliat from Boozist joins us to knock back this vertical of Hunter beers and to help us not end up horizontal. Craig is the game master on this episode with several “hunter”-themed trivia segments. We also discuss the Neo and Ne-Yo conundrum, Rare Day, sun tan lotion, blue licorice, and androgynous vampires. This episode is brought to you by Lions Gate Entertainment's “The Last Witch Hunter” starring Vin Diesel, opening October 23rd.* Hunt forever. Live forever. Ryan
Colin
Craig
*We’re really not sponsored by this. Please don’t sue us, fine people at Lions Gate Entertainment. Without you, we’d have no Madea.
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Wed, 14 October 2015
Before the weather all goes to shit, we look to the north for a flavor vacation with beers from Door County Brewing Co. We try almost everything they make while helping you plan your next vay-cay on Wisconsin’s Prehensile TailⓇ (Segway Tours are highly recommended.) We talk about beers with an eco-conscience, the Doors, fish boils, bottle dating, Shebobs N’ Such, and, of course, Kevin Bacon. Thanks to Sarah Rehmer and Danny McMahon for the beers for this episode!
Craig
Ryan
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Wed, 7 October 2015
We load up the wagon for a cross-country tour of saisons, and we go all ‘Murica on you anyways despite drinking delicate Belgian-style beers. On this episode, we review five saisons from five different states all over this great land. You’ll hear some talk of serving temperatures, food pairings, and off flavors as we lazily audition for a freebie Cicerone certification. There’s also some creepy man-crush talk about Cory King and Troy Casey, a digression about the hyper-religious 90’s, some dangerous note-taking, and a few gushing saison problems. We also try hard not to turn it into one giant lemon party. God Bless America. Craig
Ryan
Direct download: ABV_Chicago_89_Saisons_Across_America.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:45am CDT |
Wed, 30 September 2015
Once again, we concluded our extended weekend of drinking and chafing in Denver at the Great American Beer Festival by recording an episode chock full of interviews and arbitrary beer reviews. You’ll hear interviews with Jonathan Wakefield (J. Wakefield Brewing, Miami, FL); Sean Lawson (Lawson’s Finest Liquids, Warren, VT); James Howat (Black Project Spontaneous and Wild Ales, Denver, CO); Paul Kreiner (Noon Whistle Brewing, Lombard, IL); Craig Mycoskie (Rahr & Sons Brewing, Fort Worth, TX); Jason zumBrunnen (Ratio Beerworks, Denver, CO); Jay Goodwin (The Rare Barrel, Berkley, CA); and the lunatics from Melvin Brewing (Jackson, WY). We cover many highlights and aspects of the fest, while still allowing time for our usual random digressions. Craig discusses his weekend spent stalking Troy Casey, and Ryan shares his numerical observations about babies, dreadlocks, and sandals. When you get this high, coming down is the hardest part.
Beers Reviewed/Mutual Rankings
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Wed, 23 September 2015
Prost! This week, we put nine Oktoberfest/Märzen-style beers into an ultraviolent cage match of arbitrary opinions. Beers from Germany, the U.S., and Chicago all enter, and a lot of them are kind of the same, but it’s the small differences that are amplified. We give a real informal history of the style, ponder what Germany smells like, and talk about the common problem with reviewing beers from Europe. But also, we smell creamy, maintain the cage, talk about goalie fights, and discover why we don’t let Craig do the walk-up. How high have we raised the discourse with this episode? So high.
Rankings
Ryan
Craig
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Wed, 16 September 2015
The brewers from Oregon’s de Garde Brewing use a coolship to ferment their beers year-round before aging them in oak, and we taste five of the resulting beers. Despite moments of oppressive heartburn, we find that the Oregonian Coast is blowing some sweet pixie farts into these wonderful beers. We try not to be too self-gratifying, but clutch tightly as this episode includes a touch of French speak, a rub of new band names, and a gentle caress of sensual GoGurt. Craig also loses control of his spittle. And Ryan pleases himself with a very satisfying musical theme. Bu.
Ryan 1. Imperial Cherry Marion Bu Berliner Weisse 2. Amarillo Hose Gose 3. Special Rouge American Wild Ale 4. Oude Rruin Flanders Oud Bruin 5. Peach Bu Berlinner Weisse
Craig 1. Imperial Cherry Marion Bu Berliner Weisse 2. Special Rouge American Wild Ale 3. Amarillo Hose Gose 4. Oude Rruin Flanders Oud Bruin 5. Peach Bu Berlinner Weisse |
Wed, 9 September 2015
In the annals of ABV Chicago, this one will certainly go down as Craig’s masterpiece. We have five maple syrup and coffee breakfast beers and pair them with five doughnut creations from local baking geniuses Glazed & Infused. Once again we are joined by Chicago Reader’s 2015 Best Food WriterDennis Lee, and like the feeling of syrup in the corners of your mouth and the rot of sugar in your belly after a giant stack of pancakes, he will make you feel disgusting yet oddly satisfied. Dennis shares some Pizzle updates, a sad birthday story, his thoughts on a Freegan challenge, and some helpful explanations of “Red Velvet” and ganache. But mostly we hear about his garbage life and Tinder disappointments. Other topics include continental breakfasts, the film “Independence Day” (and the eternal Paxton or Pullman debate), new CK scents, and Craig’s awful diet. Please send insulin.
Featured Glazed & Infused Donuts
Sweet Tooth (w/Butterfinger topping and vanilla glaze)
Rankings
Craig 1. Toppling Goliath Mornin’ Delight 2. Tree House Good Morning 3. Transient Buckley 4. Terrapin French-Toasted Wake-n-Bake Coffee Oatmeal Imperial Stout 5. Funky Buddha Maple Bacon Coffee Porter
Ryan 1. Tree House Good Morning 2. Toppling Goliath Mornin’ Delight 3. Funky Buddha Maple Bacon Coffee Porter 4. Transient Buckley 5. Terrapin French-Toasted Wake-n-Bake Coffee Oatmeal Imperial Stout
Dennis 1. Tree House Good Morning 2. Toppling Goliath Mornin’ Delight 3. Transient Buckley 4. Terrapin French-Toasted Wake-n-Bake Coffee Oatmeal Imperial Stout 5. Funky Buddha Maple Bacon Coffee Porter |
Wed, 2 September 2015
The spoils of Craig’s epic East Coast trip come to an end here, and boy are we spoiled! Trillium Brewing Company out of Boston is making a variety of beers better than pretty much everyone, we discover. Six beers of varying styles get our unequivocal praise here, which leaves plenty of time for Craig to talk about his visit to the brewery, their upcoming expansion plans, and why they should be on everybody’s radar. Also, hear us explain how your stinky ass can help you appreciate beers, the difference between bags and cornhole; our vague memory of “Good Will Hunting” quotes, a story where Craig effortlessly connects drinking syrup and Zelda, some SRM insanity, and something about a fat robot. Trill recognize trill, homie.
Craig 1. Artaic Double IPA 2. Congress Street IPA 3. Bees American Wild Ale with Honey 4. Fort Point Pale Ale 5. Stonington Barrel-Aged Wild Saison 6. Day and Night Blonde Barleywine with Coffee
Ryan 1. Fort Point Pale Ale 2. Artaic Double IPA 3. Bees American Wild Ale with Honey 4. Congress Street IPA 5. Stonington Barrel-Aged Wild Saison 6. Day and Night Blonde Barleywine with Coffee
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Wed, 26 August 2015
This episode goes out to our BFFs in Chicago beer as we open five brettanomyces-enhanced bottles. And despite our fully-disclosed amicable relationships with these brewers, we manage to be brutally honest in our reviews. You’re welcome, buds! Mostly though, you’ll hear us analyze our own friendship through some light reminiscing, reflect on being held, articulate Craig’s specific measurements for beer success, and make at least two fart jokes. Ryan also reads a brief essay about brettanomyces he cobbled together, and Craig is angry about cucumber water. And we become better brett friends than we thought possible. Forever? Forever-ever? Forever-ever?
Ryan 1. Goose Island Clybourn - Brettanomite Sour Wheat Ale 2. Lake Effect - Session Brett Extra Pale Ale 3. Une Année - Xellensis Belgian Blonde Ale 4. Transient - Peur Saison 5. Middle Brow - Cobrastyle Saison
Craig 1. Lake Effect - Session Brett Extra Pale Ale 2. Transient - Peur Saison 3. Goose Island Clybourn - Brettanomite Sour Wheat Ale 4. Une Année - Xellensis Belgian Blonde Ale 5. Middle Brow - Cobrastyle Saison
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Wed, 19 August 2015
Craig's East Coast excursion continues to provide a bounty of spectacular beers for us to review, and we couldn't resist doing a third Hill Farmstead show. We drink five growlers and one bottle from RateBeer's top brewery in the country, and it’s all Vermontastic. And whenever the beer is this good, we get gleefully off topic to talk about cereal, movie trilogies, Crystal Pepsi, Peter Cetera, and Hollywood hunks. Craig recaps his most recent trip to Hill Farmstead and what has changed since he last visited in 2013. And things gets creepy early and carry on to Craig unleashing his most lamentable creation: Ryan’s chub scale. Sorry. Sorry sorry sorry.
Rankings
Craig 1. Susan IPA 2. Society and Solitude #1 DIPA 4. Nelson Sauvin Pale Ale 5. Works of Love Blonde Ale 6. Arthur Saison (Dry-Hopped with Styrian Golding)
Ryan 1. Nelson Sauvin Pale Ale 2. Susan IPA 3. Society and Solitude #1 DIPA 5. Works of Love Blonde Ale 6. Arthur Saison (Dry-Hopped with Styrian Golding) |
Wed, 12 August 2015
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 |
Wed, 5 August 2015
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
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Wed, 29 July 2015
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 |
Wed, 22 July 2015
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 |
Wed, 15 July 2015
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 |
Wed, 8 July 2015
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” |
Wed, 1 July 2015
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) |
Wed, 24 June 2015
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 |
Wed, 17 June 2015
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 |
Wed, 10 June 2015
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 |
Wed, 3 June 2015
We acquaint ourselves with six more of Chad Yakobson’s fine funky brews from his Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project in this episode. These 2014 Cellar Reserve offerings are all oak-aged and brettanomyces-fermented with fruits added, so rankings become difficult. Ryan is prepared this time with a few homemade heartburn remedies, so hear him experiment and suffer. We talk a lot about Chad & Brett. (4-eva), candy, cereal grain, crossbreeding, yogurt, fancy candles, and Craig’s upcoming memoir, Tough to Touch. Burundi is so happy you’ve come to visit!
Craig 1. Blueberry Petite Sour 2. L’Brett D’Or Grand Cru 3. Raspberry Origins 4. Blackberry Dark Origins 5. Passionfruit Petite Sour 6. L’Brett D’Pluot
Ryan 1. L’Brett D’Or Grand Cru 2. Blueberry Petite Sour 3. Blackberry Dark Origins 4. Raspberry Origins 5. L’Brett D’Pluot 6. Passionfruit Petite Sour |
Wed, 27 May 2015
Ed from Boston brought us beers from Night Shift Brewing’s 2014 Barrel Society, and we all review five of them with the “assistance” of Dennis. This solid lineup from the Massachusetts brewery includes many brettanomyces-enhanced sours and barrel-aged goodies. In addition, Dennis provides his expertise on dog food and how the food industry uses specific descriptors to trick you. We try and diagnose what’s wrong with Ryan. There’s a debate over forest floor or forest flora or forced floor. And Craig reads from the bottle and watches the Blackhawks. We somehow manage to talk beers amongst a mixed bag of distractions that also includes mousy taints, Garfield, “Hanging Yoga”, Cool Water by Davidoff, horses, and David Schwimmer. Someone please hire Dennis.
Ed and Craig
1. Pluto (Sour ale aged with raspberries and brettanomyces) 2. Nebula (Berlinner Weisse aged with brettanomyces and prickly pears) 3. Quasar (Barrel-aged ale with brettanomyces and passion fruit) 4. Orion (Sour dark ale aged in oak barrels) 5. Big Dipper (Rye wine aged in Nicaraguan rum barrels)
Ryan and Dennis
1. Pluto (Sour ale aged with raspberries and brettanomyces) 2. Orion (Sour dark ale aged in oak barrels) 3. Nebula (Berlinner Weisse aged with brettanomyces and prickly pears) 4. Quasar (Barrel-aged ale with brettanomyces and passion fruit) 5. Big Dipper (Rye wine aged in Nicaraguan rum barrels) |
Wed, 20 May 2015
Temperance Beer Company is churning out medal-winning beers from their Evanston brewery, and brewmaster Claudia Jendron invited us up to try most of their portfolio. Turns out that spending an afternoon drinking ten beers with Claudia makes for pretty great conversation. In addition to plenty of brewing notes, Claudia talks about the experience of winning a medal at GABF; her extreme commitment to quality control and customer service; and her preference for English ingredients to create a unique take on refreshing, approachable beers. She also talks about moving from receptionist to brewer at Goose Island and how the AB-InBev buyout impacted the brewery. We learn about the challenge of hop contracts, canning’s benefits over bottling, and the calculated risks in barrel-aging. This is a great listen, and by the end, you’ll want to start a hop farm.
Our Top Beers
Ryan
1. Grapefruit Escapist IPA
2. Restless Years Rye APA
3. Smittytown ESB
Craig
1. Smittytown Tart ESB
2. Restless Years Rye APA
3. Gatecrasher English IPA
Beers Sampled:
Gatecrasher English IPA
Restless Years APA
Escapist IPA
Smittytown ESB
Grapefruit Escapist IPA
Smittytown Tart ESB
Greenwood Beach Blonde
Quotidienne Dubbel
Root Down Porter
Manhattan Barrel-Aged Might Meets Right
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Wed, 13 May 2015
Imperial Oak Brewing is approaching their first anniversary, and we visit them at their Willow Springs brewpub to sample their beers and talk about their operation. Brewers and owners Grant Hamilton and Brett Semenske are getting the most out of their 7-barrel brewery through constant experimentation with post-fermentation additions and barrel treatments. Owner Chris DiBraccio talks about his decade-plus experience running Brixie’s Beer Bar in Brookfield and how it’s helped keep Imperial Oak flowing smoothly. We learn a bit about their unique artwork, the plethora of growler and merchandise selections they sell, and why the local bikers love them. Craig also geeks out a lot on Star Wars, and someone finally calls Ryan out on his shit. It’s a trap! (Please don’t sue us, George Lucas.)
Craig
1. Billy Dee’s Coconut Pecan Porter
2. Barrel-aged Admiral Ackbeer It’s a Barrel-aged Trap!ist Dubbel
3. Barrel-aged Odin’s Beard Imperial Red Ale
4. Brother’s Keeper Imperial Honey Saison
5. Crank It Hop - Amarillo IPA
6. Admiral Ackbeer It’s a Trap!ist Dubbel
Ryan
1. Barrel-aged Odin’s Beard Imperial Red Ale
2. Crank It Hop - Amarillo IPA
3. Billy Dee’s Coconut Pecan Porter
4. Brother’s Keeper Imperial Honey Saison
5. Admiral Ackbeer It’s a Trap!ist Dubbel
6. Barrel-aged Admiral Ackbeer It’s a Barrel-aged Trap!ist Dubbel
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Wed, 6 May 2015
It’s adjunct stout hour featuring chocolate, vanilla, cinnamon, and peppers - all tasted and reviewed blind! We review and rank six “Mexican hot chocolate” style beers, and only you - the lisener - will know what we are drinking. Get ready for some Telenovela-sized plot twists in this one, as we ruin Craig’s favorite beer for him forever and an unexpected local brewery handily defeats all the others. Bring your mouth!
Ryan 1. Spiteful Malevolence: Chocolate Caliente 2. Perennial Abraxas 3. Cigar City Hunahpu’s Imperial Stout (2014) 4. Westbrook Mexican Cake (2013) 5. Hailstorm Vlad the Conquistador 6. 18th Street Bitches’ Bank
Craig 1. Spiteful Malevolence: Chocolate Caliente 2. Cigar City Hunahpu’s Imperial Stout (2014) 3. Perennial Abraxas 4. Westbrook Mexican Cake (2013) 5. Hailstorm Vlad the Conquistador 6. 18th Street Bitches’ Bank |
Wed, 29 April 2015
Craig hates coffee, but he loves coffee beers. Ryan makes Craig taste and smell coffee, and then we drink five high alcohol coffee beers. With the help of massive amounts of caffeine, we answer all of your questions about coffee and coffee beers. What are the best coffee beers out there? How do brewers add coffee during the brewing process? What happens when you pour cheap canned espresso into BCBCS? How does Craig put his cream in? Why do we talk about Four Loko for so long? Remember Goldfinger?
Craig 1. Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Coffee Stout (2014) 2. Off Color Coffee Dino S’mores Stout 3. Epic Big Bad Baptist Imperial Stout (Release #30) 4. Lagunitas High-Westified Imperial Coffee Stout 5. 4 Hands Three Kings Barrel-Aged Tripel
Ryan
1. Epic Big Bad Baptist Imperial Stout (Release #30) 2. Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Coffee Stout (2014) 3. Off Color Coffee Dino S’mores Stout 4. Lagunitas High-Westified Imperial Coffee Stout 5. 4 Hands Three Kings Barrel-Aged Tripel
Coffees
Passion House Coffee Roasters Pitch Delay Blend (tasted and reviewed) Intelligentsia El Diablo Dark Roast (smell test) Big Shoulders Falcon Blend (smell test) |
Wed, 22 April 2015
The south suburbs have exploded with options for great beer, and The Open Bottle is the right beer store for the right time. We sit down with owners Patrick and Julie to talk about their Tinley Park bottle shop and tap room, and we review six delicious local beers. They share what inspired the concept, how they curate their selection, and why Tinley was the right place for the business. They also get us drunk before noon, and we talk about beer muzzles, Bud Light winning blind tastings, and some crying beer hunters. And find out why the alternate title of this episode is “Pay attention, Craig!”
Totally Arbitrary Rankings!
Craig 1. 350 Brewing Crook County IPA 2. Pollyanna Brewing Ocular DIPA 3. Hailstorm Brewing 1st Anniversary Sour 4. Imperial Oak Prediction?...Pain! DIPA 5. Banging Gavel Chicanery Russian Imperial Stout 6. Arrowhead Ales Entry Level Snob IPA
Ryan 1. Pollyanna Brewing Ocular DIPA 2. Hailstorm Brewing 1st Anniversary Sour 3. 350 Brewing Crook County IPA 4. Banging Gavel Chicanery Russian Imperial Stout 5. Arrowhead Ales Entry Level Snob IPA 6. Imperial Oak Prediction?...Pain! DIPA |
Wed, 15 April 2015
With so many new arrivals to the Chicago market, we make sure our audio welcome basket is stuffed with goodies. We drink five beers that are new to Chicagoland (and one that is a return), and try to advise on whether or not they’re worth the shelf space - or your money. We discuss whether or not we need any more IPAs and how other breweries recent to the market are doing. Craig recaps his recent beer travels and shares some exciting rib tips. Ryan talks about Dennis Quaid and verbose brewers. Who wants to drink some Sea Monkeys?
Ryan 1. Prairie Eliza5beth Midwest Farmhouse Ale with Apricots 2. Schlafly Kolsch 3. Urban Chestnut Zwickel Bavarian-Style Lager 4. Coronado Blue Bridge Coffee Stout 5. 21st Amendment Hell or High Watermelon Wheat 6. Sweetwater 420 Extra Pale Ale
Craig 1. Schlafly Kolsch 2. Urban Chestnut Zwickel Bavarian-Style Lager 3. 21st Amendment Hell or High Watermelon Wheat 4. Prairie Eliza5beth Midwest Farmhouse Ale with Apricots 5. Coronado Blue Bridge Coffee Stout 6. Sweetwater 420 Extra Pale Ale |
Wed, 8 April 2015
The founder of 51st Ward Beer Company, Tim Hoerman, hooked us up with six of his beers, and we find many surprises, mostly pleasant! We occasionally veer away from our reviews to talk brewing with vanilla beans, Jesus' hygiene, and Knuckles from Sonic the Hedgehog - and that's just one segment. We also say "Doody" a lot because we are children. Experience the unexpected!
Ryan 1. Control Freak Rakau Imperial IPA 3. The Mayor Cream Ale 4. The Poll Tax Scottish Export Ale 5. Pill Hill Vanilla Porter 6. East Clintwood Harvest Ale
Craig 1. The Mayor Cream Ale 2. Control Freak Rakau Imperial IPA 3. The Poll Tax Scottish Export Ale 4. Down Over Vienna Lager 5. Pill Hill Vanilla Porter 6. East Clintwood Harvest Ale |
Wed, 1 April 2015
We get our inner fat kid hammered on beer and cookies. In this episode, we’re looking for the right local beer pairings with Girl Scout cookies. We have six pairings to review, but thankfully, Ryan has edited out all the chewing and moaning. We test out some new characters, call for year-round cookie sales, and explain why Twitter hates babies. Craig forgot a beer and then throws some stuff. Ryan is unaware of U2. Support your local troop, y’all!
Beer and Cookie Pairing Rankings Ryan 1. Tagalongs and Three Floyds Behemoth 2. Do-Si-Dos and Arcade Final Level 3. Samoas and Pipeworks Imperial End of Days 4. Thin Mints and Aquanaut Misterioso 5. Savannah Smiles and Scorched Earth General Resin 6. Trefoils and Moody Tongue Steeped Emperor
Craig 1. Tagalongs and Three Floyds Behemoth 2. Samoas and Pipeworks Imperial End of Days 3. Thin Mints and Aquanaut Misterioso 4. Do-Si-Dos and Arcade Final Level 5. Trefoils and Moody Tongue Steeped Emperor 6. Savannah Smiles and Scorched Earth General Resin
Beer Rankings Ryan 1. Moody Tongue Steeped Emperor Lemon Saison 2. Aquanaut Misterioso Coffee Porter 3. Scorched Earth General Resin DIPA 4. Arcade Final Level ESB 5. Three Floyds Behemoth Barleywine 6. Pipeworks Imperial End of Days Milk Stout (Batch 253)
Craig 1. Three Floyds Behemoth Barleywine 2. Moody Tongue Steeped Emperor Lemon Saison 3. Aquanaut Misterioso Coffee Porter 4. Scorched Earth General Resin DIPA 5. Pipeworks Imperial End of Days Milk Stout (Batch 253) 6. Arcade Final Level ESB |
Wed, 25 March 2015
Things get a little salty as we open up nine different Goses, and good Gose do we overload this episode with crappy puns. But we also talk a little history, embrace Bahl Hornin' (whatever the hell that is), decant some peppers, and get surprisingly sauced on 4 percent alcohol beers. And Ryan wishes Craig was a taco. So it gose.
Craig 1. Ritterguts Gose 2. Freigeist Geisterzug Gose 3. Westbrook Gose 4. Westbrook Gozu 5. Leipziger Gose 6. DESTIHL Here Gose Nothing 7. Anderson Valley Blood Orange Gose 8. Against the Grain There Gose The Neighborhood 9. Marz Ruby’s Tears
Ryan 1. Ritterguts Gose 2. DESTIHL Here Gose Nothing 3. Westbrook Gose 4. Westbrook Gozu 5. Leipziger Gose 6. Anderson Valley Blood Orange Gose 7. Against the Grain There Gose The Neighborhood 8. Freigeist Geisterzug Gose 9. Marz Ruby’s Tears
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Wed, 18 March 2015
We sure drink a lot of Chicago’s own Transient Artisan Ales, and now that some of his beers are being distributed for non-reserve society members, it’s a fine occasion to drink some more! We review five of Chris Betts’ beers of varying styles, and we don’t pull any punches. Well, we don’t have to. This beer is damn good. Expect talk of a new slogan, cherry soda, progressive tingles, and The Power of Almost. Our bindles are bulging full of fun! Craig 1. Presque (Red Wine) 2. Pentameter 3. Henry 4. Presque (Apple Brandy) 5. Cuvier
Ryan 1. Presque (Red Wine) 2. Pentameter 3. Cuvier 4. Henry 5. Presque (Apple Brandy)
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Wed, 11 March 2015
With an award nomination under our belts and a pocket full of new money, we skip the lines and haul in some barrel-aged Chicago-area brews. We review five beers and, occasionally, get distracted! Ryan checks out Exit Strategy in Forest Park, Craig struggles with wax, and Josh Deth does a...uh, nevermind. There’s Tinley Park stories, more FOBAB memories, yogurty cabs, street toughs, Waka Flocculation, and bad Untappd reviewer habits. The struggle is real! Ryan 1. Temperance Beer Co. Manhattan Might Meets Right 2. Middle Brow Beer Co. Who’s That Girl? 3. Imperial Oak Brewing Barrel Aged I Must Break You\ 4. Penrose Brewing Bourbon Barrel Aged Spectral 5. Hailstorm Brewing Vlad the Second Craig 1. Temperance Beer Co. Manhattan Might Meets Right 2. Middle Brow Beer Co. Who’s That Girl? 3. Imperial Oak Brewing Barrel Aged I Must Break You\
4. Hailstorm Brewing Vlad the Second 5. Penrose Brewing Bourbon Barrel Aged Spectral |
Wed, 4 March 2015
For too long we’ve neglected beers from the Eastern seaboard, so we’re dedicating this episode to The Bay State. We sample beers from three Massachusetts breweries, and everything is coming up great (like the mid-aughts Toronto music scene, according to Craig). We pitch a few beer concepts and a show idea for the real “Uppers and Downers,” then Craig shares about how German bratwurst changed his life. Oh the burning!
Craig 1. Tree House Brewing Haze (DIPA) 2. Trillium Brewing Night and Day (Imperial Stout with cold brewed coffee) 3. Tree House Brewing Lights Out (APA) 4. Night Shift Brewing Cape Codder Weisse (Berliner Weisse with cranberries and orange zest) 5. Trillium Brewing Vicinity (DIPA) 6. Night Shift Brewing Mainer Weisse (Berliner Weisse with blueberries and cinnamon sticks)
Ryan 1. Tree House Brewing Haze (DIPA) 2. Trillium Brewing Night and Day (Imperial Stout with cold brewed coffee) 3. Tree House Brewing Lights Out (APA) 4. Trillium Brewing Vicinity (DIPA) 5. Night Shift Brewing Mainer Weisse (Berliner Weisse with blueberries and cinnamon sticks) 6. Night Shift Brewing Cape Codder Weisse (Berliner Weisse with cranberries and orange zest) |
Wed, 25 February 2015
Chocolate is the subject of Middle Brow Beer Co.’s latest homebrew contest, and for some reason, they let us help pick a winner. We’re joined by Nick and Bryan from Middle Brow, and we taste and talk about five of the best beers out of the 23 submitted by local homebrewers. While deciding on which beer will be commercially brewed, we talk oak spirals, MTV, vanilla beans, Beechwood-aging, wax, post-contest success stories, and This Year’s Prop. Plus, the Middle Brow guys share some details on some upcoming releases with Dark Matter, Jimmy Whispers, and much more. Oh, and lots of nut jokes.
Homebrews sampled include:
Pecan Brown Ale with cocoa nibs Chocolate Rye Saison Chocolate Hazelnut Porter Imperial Oatmeal Stout with coffee, hazelnuts, and vanilla bean Imperial Oatmeal Stout with cinnamon, vanilla, and cacao nibs, aged on bourbon oak spirals |
Wed, 18 February 2015
It’s Mardi Gras time, and we’re tasting a carnival of Voodoo Brewery beers. We review six (plus one) beers from the Meadville, Pennsylvania brewery, and we end up having one of our best drinking experiences ever recorded. In this episode, you’ll also hear about Craig’s trip to Voodoo, why Ryan might be leaving the podcast, and our virulent support of the Anti-Waxer movement. Plus, a trio of barrel-aged beers brings about some of the more memorable - and lascivious - reactions we’ve had in a while. For us, every day is Fat Tuesday!
Mutual Rankings! 1. Pappy Van Winkle Black Magick 2. Buffalo Trace Black Magick 3. Laird’s Apple Brandy Black Magick 4. Voodoo Love Child 5. Big Black Voodoo Daddy 6. Wynona’s Big Brown Ale |
Wed, 11 February 2015
Version:1.0 StartHTML:0000000105 EndHTML:0000006128 StartFragment:0000002472 EndFragment:0000006092 To celebrate the birth of his daughter, Ryan got to assemble his show his way, and he did a hell of a job. Six local beers are reviewed, and all are pretty great. Both men drink for the first time in a while, so expect to hear the following: Ryan shares his love for Waka Flocka Flame’s cough drop commercials; Craig forgets about oatmeal and words in general; BCBS is Kanye, and we realize that we are jumping the shark. Also, Ryan learns how to curse again after a few weeks off, and Craig shares a story about how he was rejected by a rising star brewer. Sadly, no Derk Lerd.
Craig
1. Goose Island Bourbon County Stout (2009)
2. (tie) Pipeworks Crimson Snapper and Arcade Winter Slayer
4. Off Color Dino S’mores
5. Une Année/DryHop The Devil’s Reign
6. 18th Street Rise of the Phoenix
Ryan
1. Pipeworks Crimson Snapper
2. Goose Island Bourbon County Stout (2009)
3. 18th Street Rise of the Phoenix
4. Off Color Dino S’mores
5. Arcade Winter Slayer
6. Une Année/DryHop The Devil’s Reign
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Wed, 4 February 2015
Version:1.0 StartHTML:0000000105 EndHTML:0000006555 StartFragment:0000002472 EndFragment:0000006519 We finally release this much-ballyhooed old episode, and it’s one for the books. Back in the Spring of 2014, we drank seven Dark Horse special release beers, and things did not go well. Sometimes the expectations we have for certain episodes do not match the outcome. And in this one, what starts as steadily-growing disappointment ends in a profane crescendo of anger-filled rankings. We do have a hell of a time along the way, and Ryan finally stumps Craig in a game: “Real Dark Horse Beer Name or Something I Just Made Up.” Bask in our suffering!
Craig
1. Bourbon Barrel Plead the 5th (2013)
2. Sarsparilla 666 Bourbon Barrel Root Beer Stout
3. Bourbon Barrel Plead the 5th (2012)
4. Brandy Barrel-Aged 4 Elf
5. Louie’s Long Polymer John Donut Ale
6. Beer is Dark XIII Anniversary Ale
7. Bourbon Barrel 3 Pairs of Legs
Ryan
1. Bourbon Barrel Plead the 5th (2013)
2. Louie’s Long Polymer John Donut Ale
3. Bourbon Barrel Plead the 5th (2012)
4. Sarsparilla 666 Bourbon Barrel Root Beer Stout
5. Brandy Barrel-Aged 4 Elf
7. (tie) Bourbon Barrel 3 Pairs of Legs/Beer is Dark XIII Anniversary Ale
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Wed, 28 January 2015
It’s no secret that we love Missouri breweries, and we’re delighted to try four beers from 2nd Shift Brewing. In this short show we manage to cram in our usual beer reviews, a thorough discussion of yellow candy, a few songs from Craig, and a sneaking suspicion that we have been drugged. This one ends with a tingle!
Ryan 1. Liquid Spiritual Delight 2. Art of Neurosis 3. Albino Pygmy Puma 4. Mullineaux
Craig 1. Liquid Spiritual Delight 2. Art of Neurosis 3. Mullineaux 4. Albino Pygmy Puma |
Wed, 21 January 2015
Version:1.0 StartHTML:0000000105 EndHTML:0000005622 StartFragment:0000002470 EndFragment:0000005586 We’re clearing out Craig’s cellar on this episode by drinking the first five beers Revolution Brewing released under their Deep Wood series. We learn valuable lessons about aging barrel-aged beers, distinguishing dark fruits, and drinking five high-ABV beers before attempting to make sense of rankings. Craig pulls back the curtain on some of our recording secrets, and Ryan does stuff with prunes. This episode is not for suckers, fools, or ho-hum emcees.
Ryan
1. Very Mad Cow (2012)
2. 3rd Year Beer
3. Straight Jacket (2012)
4. Bean Gene (2013)
5. Mean Gene (2013)
Craig
1. Very Mad Cow (2012)
2. Straight Jacket (2012)
3. Bean Gene (2013)
4. 3rd Year Beer 5. Mean Gene (2013) |
Wed, 14 January 2015
Now that we’re a year old, we can finally drink like grown-ups, while still behaving like children. So we attempt to class up the joint by drinking six fancy beers from Cantillon and inviting Ken Getty to join us. Listen in as Craig handles some actual research while trying not to fumble his lambic basket (literally and figuratively). Ken explains why Cantillon’s brewing methods are so hard to reproduce, and why these fruited lambics are so important to drink fresh. Ryan mostly gets heartburn. Oh, and you might not want to listen if the term “Fou’ Foune” offends you. Happy birthday to us!
Ryan 1. Fou’ Foune 2. Lou Pepe Kriek 3. Iris 4. Lou Pepe Framboise 5. Lou Pepe Gueuze 6. Cuvée St-Gilloise
Craig 1. Fou’ Foune 2. Lou Pepe Gueuze 3. Lou Pepe Kriek 4. Cuvée St-Gilloise 5. Iris 6. Lou Pepe Framboise
Ken 1. Fou’ Foune 2. Lou Pepe Gueuze 3. Iris 4. Cuvée St-Gilloise 5. Lou Pepe Kriek 6. Lou Pepe Framboise
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Wed, 7 January 2015
For this milestone episode, we revisit the inimitable Hill Farmstead by drinking and reviewing seven more beers. We reminisce on some of our favorite beers and episodes from the first 49 and reach an unprecedented level of, uh, professionalism by the end of the show. The beer is as good as the content is ribald. Here’s to another 50 episodes of craft beer irreverence!
Ryan 1. Arthur 2. Damon (Bourbon Barrel Aged) 3. Damon (Port Barrel Aged) 4. Beyond Good and Evil 5. Vera Mae 6. Jimmy 7. Everett
Craig 1. Arthur 2. Damon (Bourbon Barrel Aged) 3. Beyond Good and Evil 4. Vera Mae 5. Damon (Port Barrel Aged) 6. Jimmy 7. Everett |
Wed, 31 December 2014
Winter is awful, and usually, so are winter seasonal beers. So we’re surprised to have some great ones on this episode with a few standout locals. We share our New Year’s resolutions and then take a lot of strange diversions along the way. There’s also an announcement of an exciting home brew contest with Middle Brow. Then, Ryan eschews traditional “research” by “making stuff up” and Craig admits he doesn’t know smells from flavors. Grab a beer, turn us on, and join us on our polar bear rug by the fire. (Clothing optional.)
Ryan 1. Upland Bourbon Barrel Warmer 2. Anchor Winter Wheat 3. Middle Brow A Hundred Miles Off 4. Slapshot White IPA 5. Anderson Valley Winter Solstice 6. Bell’s Winter White Ale
Craig 1. Slapshot White IPA 2. Anchor Winter Wheat 3. Upland Bourbon Barrel Warmer 4. Middle Brow A Hundred Miles Ooff 5. Anderson Valley Winter Solstice 6. Bell’s Winter White Ale |
Wed, 24 December 2014
As a gift to you, we brought back almost all of our guests from the first year for a holiday party recording. But since Ryan was absent, Craig took his one mic and brought people together to review some beers. In this episode, we sit down to share some of the audio from the party while tasting some new local stouts. There will be beer reviews and drunken talk of broken Prius locks, slash fiction, Kermit impressions, and Craig’s hatred of nature. The guest list includes Chris Betts (Transient Artisan Ales), Nick Burica (Middle Brow Beer Co.), Marie Cummins (Down the Hatch), David Sullivan (Supple Knuckles Massage Parlor), Matt LaFleur (LaFleur Illustration), Dennis Lee (ThePizzle), Kim Leshinski (Hail to the Ale), and Ken Getty (CHAOS Brew Club).
Beers Had By Craig and Ryan:
Une Annee Feats of ******** Half Acre Big Hugs (2014)
Holiday Party Beers:
Transient Whiskey Barrel Presque Mystic Chardonnary Barrel Fermented Saison de Garde Cran Bu de Garde Kiwi Bu St. Bernardus Christmas Ale Pipeworks Santa Vs. Unicorn Oxbow Synthesis Slapshot McLaughlin’s Red Eye Coffee Porter Transient Sporadic #2 (Wine) |
Wed, 17 December 2014
We unbox five Firestone Walker anniversary ales and try to dissect these complex barrel-aged beer blends through our arbitrary reviews. We also experiment with our own beer blends and feel the effects of these potent potables before we even hit our third pour. Thus, at some point, we make it our mission to raise awareness of...something I’d rather not type (or Google image search). Prick up your ears!
Beer Rankings (with personal blend percentages)
Ryan 5. XVI (10%) 4. XVII (15%) 3. 14 (20%) 2. XV (20%) 1. XVIII (35%)
Craig 5. XVI (5%) 4. XVII (15%) 3. XV (20%) 2. 14 (25%) 1. XVIII (35%)
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Wed, 10 December 2014
In this episode, we discuss the fine art of craft beer labels with artist and homebrewer Matt LaFleur. We each bring a few beers to taste based on their label art, and Matt shares the stories behind the labels he has created for Arcade, Transient, and Middle Brow. We hit other topics like marketing, the overlap of art and craft beer, and homebrewing as an excuse to make beer labels. Our tastes in artwork and beer vary wildly, but by the end Craig gets mad about art and announces that he’s a lumbersexual. Just like always.
(Beer Rankings) Craig 6. Arcade William Wallace Wrestle Fest 5. Solemn Oath Ravaged By Vikings 4. Pipeworks Cherry Truffle Abduction 3. Firestone Walker/Three Floyds Ol’ Leghorn 2. Off Color Le Predateur 1. Transient Wayward
Ryan 6. Solemn Oath Ravaged By Vikings 5. Firestone Walker/Three Floyds Ol’ Leghorn 4. Arcade William Wallace Wrestle Fest 3. Pipeworks Cherry Truffle Abduction 2. Off Color Le Predateur 1. Transient Wayward
Matt 6. Arcade William Wallace Wrestle Fest 5. Pipeworks Cherry Truffle Abduction 4. Solemn Oath Ravaged By Vikings 3. Off Color Le Predateur 2. Firestone Walker/Three Floyds Ol’ Leghorn 1. Transient Wayward |
Wed, 3 December 2014
It’s been a long, stupid week in craft beer thanks to Bourbon County madness, so we wanted to find some substitutes to feed those cravings on a budget and a whim. We review five bourbon barrel-aged beers that are pretty easy to find. It mostly doesn’t work out well. We talk about other barrel-aged beers that regularly inhabit shelves and whether or not length of aging makes a difference. Then the belligerence begins and we use bizarre aroma descriptors, discuss “Battletoads” erotica, and recklessly bash a few breweries in the process. There’s no substitute for our hilarity! Sorry.
Ryan 1. Hoppin’ Frog Barrel-Aged D.O.R.I.S. 2. New Holland Dragon’s Milk 3. FiftyFifty Eclipse Four Roses 2013 4. Central Waters Headless Heron 5. Abita Bourbon Street Imperial Stout
Craig 1. Hoppin’ Frog Barrel-Aged D.O.R.I.S. 2. FiftyFifty Eclipse Four Roses 2013 3. New Holland Dragon’s Milk 4. Central Waters Headless Heron 5. Abita Bourbon Street Imperial Stout |
Wed, 26 November 2014
Episode 44 - Bourbon County 2014
With another Black Friday approaching, we sat down to sample most of this year’s Bourbon County lineup, and things get soulful. If you’re looking for divisive opinions or a contrarian stance on the corporate-owned hype machine that is Bourbon County, then you’ll be disappointed. These beers are delicious. And Goose Island gave them to us for free. We share tales of Black Fridays past, and we divert briefly to talk barrel-aging temperatures, autobiographies, the Sad Reality of Baudoinia Fudgy, and Craig’s ideas on how to improve the BCBS label. There’s also five minutes of Brett Porter talking about this year’s Bourbon County Coffee variant, since Goose Island forgot to send us that beer. If loving Bourbon County is wrong, then I don’t wanna be right.
Craig 1. Proprietor’s Bourbon County 2. Bourbon County Vanilla Rye 3. Bourbon County Brand Barleywine 4. Bourbon County Brand Stout
Ryan 1. Proprietor’s Bourbon County 2. Bourbon County Vanilla Rye 3. Bourbon County Brand Stout 4. Bourbon County Brand Barleywine |
Wed, 19 November 2014
On the day after FoBAB, we muster up the strength to recap our night of sampling barrel-aged beers at one of the country’s premier beer events. We also load up on electrolytes and review some common hangover remedies. We’ll share some of the positives and negatives about the new venue and discuss our favorite beers of the night, including beers from Off Color, Temperance, Upland, Fremont, Goose Island, and more. Not only do you get to relive our FoBAB, but you’ll hear Ryan’s virgin coconut water experience, Craig’s surprising enthusiasm for Pedialyte, and the flavor nightmare that is V8 Original. Doctor, ain’t there nothing I can take?
Craig 1. Pedialyte Mixed Fruit 2. Gatorade Lemon Lime 3. Nice! Spring Water 4. Vita Coco Coconut Water 5. V8 Original
Ryan 1. Pedialyte Mixed Fruit 2. Nice! Spring Water 3. Gatorade Lemon Lime 4. Vita Coco Coconut Water 5. V8 Original
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Wed, 12 November 2014
Version:1.0 StartHTML:0000000105 EndHTML:0000007416 StartFragment:0000002693 EndFragment:0000007380 Pipeworks has rolled out more barrel-aged beers, and we invite general public nuisance Dennis Lee to drink them with us. In addition to reviewing the beers, we let Dennis talk about his blog, depression food, black truffles, and the term “foodie.” There’s also a cogent discussion of how experimentation could be impacting Pipeworks brand loyalty and the general overvaluation of barrel-aged beers. Then Dennis sings as Korean Lorde after sous-viding us a poached egg. This is real life.
Craig
1. As You Wish
2. Murderous
3. Over the Line
4. The Coqui
5. The Delicatessen
Ryan
1. Murderous
2. As You Wish
3. The Coqui
4. Over the Line
5. The Delicatessen
Dannis Ree
1. As You Wish
2. Murderous
3. Over the Line
4. The Coqui
5. The Delicatessen
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Wed, 5 November 2014
Version:1.0 StartHTML:0000000105 EndHTML:0000006666 StartFragment:0000002470 EndFragment:0000006630 This compilation of appreciation for Russian River’s wild, sour, and funky “-tion” beers ends in much exultation. We drink eight different beers, many aged in wine barrels, and experience much elation, with some acidification. We share some listener feedback, Ryan gives tips for vegetarian craft beer drinkers, and Craig plays a few rounds of “Name That Russian!™” What a country!
Craig
1. Beatification
2. Framboise for a Cure (2013)
3. Sanctification
4. Supplication
5. Consecration
6. Temptation
7. Damnation
8. Redemption
Ryan
1. Beatification
2. Framboise for a Cure (2013)
3. Consecration
4. Sanctification
5. Supplication
6. Temptation
7. Damnation
8. Redemption
Direct download: ABV_Chicago_42_Russian_River_The_Tioning.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:04am CDT |
Wed, 29 October 2014
Version:1.0 StartHTML:0000000105 EndHTML:0000004852 StartFragment:0000002471 EndFragment:0000004816 The brewers at the Goose Island Clybourn brewpub embrace experimentation, and they take on their riskiest one yet when they invite Ryan and Craig into the brewhouse to record. Brewmaster Nick Barron and brewers Jacob Sembrano and Jon Naghski share five of their incredible one-off beers and the inspiration, experimentation, and technique that went into each of them. They’ll also discuss their farmer’s market series, upcoming releases and FOBAB goodies, the world’s most obscure Simpsons reference (seriously), and what it’s like to make bourbon barrel-aged beers in the location where it all began. Pull up a stool, and remember to tip your bartender.
Beers Enjoyed and Discussed:
Pineapple Brettanomite
Gorman’s Biere de Garde
Vainglorious
Cran Bruin
Grimm Vicar
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Wed, 22 October 2014
Founders Brewing Company has been influencing the way Midwesterners drink for almost two decades, so we show our appreciation by drinking their beers to excess. We review eight diverse 12-ounce offerings from the Grand Rapids brewery, only pausing briefly to play a little Founding Fathers trivia. Well, actually, the beers are so good that we get obscenely inebriated and talk about Craig’s DJ name, fond Breakfast Stout memories, getting Hop Fades™ for FoBAB, and who’d win in a fight between us. It’s that kind of show, folks!
Ryan 1. Backwoods Bastard 2. Breakfast Stout 3. Imperial Stout 4. Mosaic Promise 5. Dark Penance 6. Devil Dancer (2012) 7. KBS 8. Harvest Ale
Craig 1. Breakfast Stout 2. Dark Penance 3. Imperial Stout 4. KBS 5. Backwoods Bastard 6. Devil Dancer (2012) 7. Mosaic Promise 8. Harvest Ale |
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