We might as well send off 2020 on an upbeat note and just get wild with the ingredients, so we let it all hang out on this mixed five pack of barrel-aged variant stouts from local breweries. Each of these releases represents a fun little twist on its barrel-aged base, and we’re going to need a new word for “adjunct.” In addition to our reviews, we attempt to tune the GAS scale, share the history of the base beers, dream up new brandy flavors, make some fresh savory pastries, and watch as the Orange Knight rises. Get! Excited!

Beers Reviewed

Werk Force Brewing Company - Bourbon Barrel-Aged Sleepy Beer

Off Color Brewing - Double Barrel-Aged Dino S’mores

Half Acre Beer Co. - Cherry Brandy Benthic

Old Irving Brewing Co. - Barrel-Aged Champurrado Krampus

DESTIHL Brewery - Dosvidanya Orange Chocolate Rye

The imperial oatmeal stout at the heart of it all, Deth’s Tar may have seemed like a fun little pun back when it first came out of barrels in the early part of the decade, but now it’s clearly the centerpiece of the best barrel-aged series in the city. We enlist the help of Revolution’s own barrel wizard Marty Scott to join us via Zoom to talk all about this year’s lineup of Deths, as well as a wide array of reasons why Revolution is working harder than anyone to release the best barrel-aged beers in the city each year. The rest of the episode is us over-indulging in this incredible lineup while also providing OG services, creaming those beans, and testing each other on analogies. 

Revolution Deep Wood Beers Reviewed

Deth’s Tar (Bourbon barrel-aged imperial oatmeal stout)

Cafe Deth (Bourbon barrel-aged imperial oatmeal stout w/ Dark Matter coffee)

Maple Deth (Imperial oatmeal stout aged in maple syrup bourbon barrels w/ BBA maple syrup)

Deth by Cherries (Bourbon barrel-aged imperial oatmeal stout w/ cherries)

Double Barrel V.S.O.D. (Imperial oatmeal stout aged in Weller Special Reserve barrels then Weller 10 Year barrels)

Coffee was once the only adjunct a good stout needed, until recent years has brought the entire pastry case with it. So finding five barrel-aged stouts with just coffee added was a bit of a challenge - but it’s a welcome reminder that sometimes all you need is coffee. (And love? Probably love, too.) These five locally-made coffee stouts saw a small variety of different barrels, and the elevated ABV has us hacky-sacking beer cans around the room in no time. We also assemble our team of experts to compete with the Distillery Channel, survey the absolute not normal-ness of 4 Floyds, get a late start on Beanvember, and learn a lot about the man they call Ludacris. 

Beers Reviewed

Half Day Brewing - Barrel-Aged Warrior Paint Imperial Coffee Stout (coffee beans from Newport Coffee House)

Lake Effect Brewing - Perkolator: Madeira Barrel-Aged (coffee beans from Perkolator)

Transient Artisan Ales - Blanton's Barrel-Aged Neckbeard Nectar (coffee beans from Tugboat)

Lil Beaver Brewery - Adventures Ahead: Coffee (coffee beans from Sirius Roasters)

Revolution Brewing Company - Supermassive Cafe Deth (coffee beans from Dark Matter)

Barrel-aged December is now officially underway, and we’re delighted to crack open four medal-winning Illinois beers from this year’s Festival of Wood and Barrel Aged Beers. Appropriately enough, the barrels are the star of the show, as these four very different styles are presented without additional adjuncts - just wood-made magic. Also, we have our friend Aaron Keefner from More Brewing stop by the Zoom to talk about the beer entry fee he paid to be our first remote guest, but actually he talks mostly about what’s new with More, their barrel-aging program, and their recent move into distribution. We also share our pitches for 90s-themed jukebox musicals, have a pretty weird night in the barn, dare brewers to make a barrel-aged hefeweizen, and determine what’s a sipper and who’s a gulper. Brace yourself for six feet of tube candy.

Beers Reviewed

Imperial Oak Brewing - Savage Oak Gold (Belgian-style Sour Golden Ale) Silver Medal: Wild Beer Sours (Acidic)

Urban Brew Labs - Abba G.O.A.T. (Apple Brandy Barrel-aged Doppelbock) Bronze Medal: Dark Strong Beer

Horse Thief Hollow - Wrenly Rose (Belgian-style Tripel aged in Pinot Noir barrels) Gold Medal: Strong Pale Beer

More Brewing Company - Mehndi 2020 (Bourbon Barrel-aged Imperial Stout) Silver Medal: Strong Porter/Stout

If there’s ever been a month for careless indulgence, it would be December of 2020, so we’re going full-on dessert and pastry beer for this episode. These five entries have us nostalgic for vacation ice cream shoppes, cozy breakfast diners, and gourmet popcorn stores - despite some initial fears. Also, we are stocking our rage rooms, admiring the Sacred Leavings, sniffin’ stuff at Whole Foods (again), and jiggling like a flan. Diet starts tomorrow.

Beers Reviewed

Old Irving Brewing - Cinnamon Prost (White stout w/ Saigon cinnamon, Tahitian vanilla bean, and milk sugar)

Humble Forager Brewery - Coastal Sunrise V1 (Fruited breakfast pastry sour w/ blueberries, maple syrup, cinnamon, and vanilla bean)

Hubbard’s Cave - Rocky Road (Imperial stout w/ almond, walnut, chocolate, marshmallow, vanilla, and lactose)

Liquid Love Brewing - Y’all Come Back Now (Pastry golden ale w/ caramel and pecans)

Lake Effect Brewing - Fannie’s Bourbon Barrel-Aged (Imperial milk stout w/ chocolate cake, aged in bourbon barrels)

Once more of a niche taproom-only style, the Triple IPA has become a more common sight on the shelves thanks to craft beer customers who never say no to more. Hazy or not, these five beers are aiming for the target between too sweet or too strong, and a few veer a bit off course. But they’re still fun to drink, and we find ourselves in mid-show form pretty early on. Also, we are looking to improve our specialized email closings, attempting to decode the Enigma, addressing the butt chugging critics, and getting absolutely riled up over potato pancakes. Stream ya later! 

Beers Reviewed

Hop Butcher for the World - Brain Forest

Old Irving Brewing - E.Nigma

Double Nickel Brewing Company - Family Style

Untitled Art - Hazier TIPA

Hailstorm Brewing Co. - Dominatrix

We’re on flavor sabbatical for a week, so we’re looking around for minor trends to cover that we haven’t properly explored. As a twist on the traditional German lager, Mexican-Style lagers usually use maize or corn as part of the grain bill, but we find that no two American-made takes on this style are the same. (Thankfully!) There’s also an ongoing game involving America’s most prominent mutation of Mexican culture: Taco Bell. We also try and solve a nice balloon mystery, get hoisted by our own stupid petards, develop exciting new bar games, and gush over our new obsession - The Bell Beefer. 

Beers Reviewed

Buckledown Brewing - Cactus Pants

Cruz Blanca Brewery - Mexico Calling

Crane Brewing Company - Odd Bird

21st Amendment Brewery - El Sully

On Tour Brewing Company - Cities

For a few years running, Cruz Blanca’s Luchador series has been perhaps the most inspired and creative lineup of the holy trinity of Chicago barrel-aged beer special releases. We get a mouthful on this episode, as we drink through all eight of these big and burly beers aged in a seemingly endless number of different barrels. And it’s only half stouts; find out what kind of magic Cruz gets up to with Imperial Blonde Ales and Imperial Rice Ales. In addition to our complete remote tasting (with head brewer Jacob Sembrano giving us frequent text updates), we talk about the new life philosophy to help endure the rest of the year, our desire for some dry-bushed beers, and why we might be bailing on barrel-aged December prematurely. Suizo!

Beers Reviewed

El PopStar (Imperial rice ale aged in American whiskey finished Spanish sherry barrels)

Tigre Blanco (Imperial rice ale aged in Italian muscatel barrels with white vermouth botanicals)

Coco Fantasma (Imperial blonde ale aged in bourbon, rum, and rye whiskey barrels with chocolate, coconut, and almond)

Loco Dinero (Imperial blonde ale aged in bourbon, rum, and rye whiskey barrels with Sparrow Coffee)

Rey Gordo (Imperial stout aged in 11 year Bardstown bourbon barrels)

Rey Cuvee (2017 + 2018 + 2019 Rey Gordo blended and barrel-aged in American whiskey finished Spanish sherry barrels)

Senior Bandito (Imperial stout aged in rye whiskey barrels with sweet cherry, cinnamon, and spices)

Tarzan Boy (Imperial stout aged in South American rum barrels with banana, Oaxacan coffee, piloncillo, and vanilla)

In preparation for a Black Friday like never before, we got a chance to sample through this year’s full lineup of Goose Island’s Bourbon County to help you decide exactly how many online lotteries to enter. Though there are no headline-grabbers like Double Barrel or Rare this year, the seven beer lineup is impressively consistent, even though our individual rankings are very divergent. Get the stories behind these beers (as relayed through us from the media tasting with the Goose team), and find out which one Craig calls a “throwback to Rare” and which one Ryan believes is the best of a particular type of variant that we’ve seen in ages. Also, we try and come up with the Seven Beer Wonders of the U.S., relive some missteps of BCBS past, and rebrand as just a couple of nuts in the flavorspace. 

Beers Reviewed

Bourbon County Brand Stout 2020

Birthday Bourbon County Stout (Imperial stout aged in Old Forester Birthday Bourbon barrels)

Anniversary Bourbon County Stout (Imperial stout aged 2 years in Weller 12 Year bourbon barrels)

Bourbon County Caramella Ale (Wheatwine aged in Larceny Wheated Bourbon barrels w/ apple, cinnamon, and natural caramel flavor)

Bourbon County Kentucky Fog Stout (Imperial stout aged in bourbon barrels w/ Earl Grey Tea, Black Tea, and clover honey)

Proprietor’s Bourbon County Stout 2020 (Imperial stout aged in bourbon barrels w/ fresh pistachios, cacao nibs, candied Amarena cherries, and natural vanilla flavors)

Bourbon County Special #4 Stout (Imperial oatmeal stout aged in bourbon barrels w/ Ethiopian coffee and bourbon barrel-aged maple syrup)

As if this year hasn’t been cruel enough, we once again try and assemble a tapestry of nightmares out of old and bad beers. Each host brings the three worst beers they could find to this modified remote version of our yearly late October tradition, and the results are not at all what we would’ve expected. Also, Ryan is trying to make his kids not scared of ska, someone peed in Craig’s soda, and we almost stumble backwards into a Red Ale show. This show is also a tribute to the resilient liquor stores and bottles shops that - despite insistence otherwise - refuse to take old beer off the shelves nor mark it down in any way. This episode is like a haunted beer museum with the ever-present threat of hearing someone gag on microphone - but, like, better than that sounds. The host will let you in....SOON.

Beers Reviled

Urban Legend Brewing - Elizabeth (Red Ale, c. 2015?)

Alpine Beer Company - Willy Vanilly (Wheat ale w/ vanilla from 2016)

Stillwater Artisanal - Duck Sauce (DIPA w/ apricot, plum, pineapple, ginger, and candi syrup)

Browar Wąsosz - Jeżynowe/Blackberry Beer (Fruit beer)

Rude Hippo - Wooden Nickel (IPA aged on oak from 2016)

Church Street Brewing Company - Brimstone (IPA from 2016)

In need of a haze hiatus but unwilling to give up our hop addiction, we are ISO IBUs as we sample through five West Coast-style IPAs to travel back to a time of malt, bitterness, and clarity. It was exactly what we needed, as this lineup becomes one of the best front-to-back that we’ve had in a while. Also, we add some utility to our quarantine wardrobes, Craig is a self-appointed dank expert who once appeared on Nickelodeon’s Legends of the Hidden Temple, and Ryan is drinking a Celebration with his mind. We also discuss the world’s most perfect song and explain why it’s Vin Diesel’s “Feel Like I Do.” (Send Malort.)

Beers Reviewed

Solemn Oath Brewery/Pollyanna Brewing Company - Full Moon Looks (IPA)

Listermann Brewing Company - Purple Parrots (IPA)

Ology Brewing Co. - Resolved Enigma (IPA)

Offshoot Beer Co. - Escape [it’s your everyday West Coast IPA] (IPA)

Miskatonic Brewing Company/Foreign Exchange - Unified Field Theory (DIPA)

For the first time since this podcast started almost seven years ago, there’s no trip to Denver to drink beer at the Great American Beer Festival - and we’re feeling a little sad about it. So we embark on a gleefully nostalgic and self-indulgent episode, wherein we revisit some favorite memories (and interviews) from the first five years at GABF all while drinking five beers to represent years 2014-2018. You’ll hear some brief interview snippets from the past, including Sam Calagione (Dogfish Head), Jay Goodwin (The Rare Barrel), Jeff Stuffings (Jester King), Randy Mosher (Forbidden Root/being “The Mosh”), and Tomme Arthur (The Lost Abbey/Port Brewing/The Hop Concept). We also have a few ridiculous pizza stories, share our all-time top 20 beers from GABF, and fire up a game of Doom on a pregnancy test. It’s also a bit of a meditation on how beer has changed since 2014 through the observation of trends shifting from year to year at America’s largest beer festival. It’s a long one, but we hope you dig it.

Beers Reviewed

Dogfish Head Craft Brewery - 90 Minute Imperial IPA

The Rare Barrel - Forces Unseen 2016 (Golden sour aged in oak)

Jester King Brewery - Bière de Miel

Forbidden Root Brewery (Columbus) - Cosmic Trust Fall (Double Hazy IPA)

The Lost Abbey - Ghosts in the Forest - Guava (Oak-aged wild ale w/guava)

It’s as good a time as ever to take time to chill with some simple and refreshing pilsners, so we try to lower our resting heart rates through a little lager love. We drink five different pilsners that offer a surprising amount of variation for the style, and we try not to let the prospect of arbitrary rankings stress us out. Also, we workshop some tech puns for our IT friends, name all the crazy bassists (well, two of them), investigate the hot dog bun conspiracy, and reclaim our rightful title as “barely a beer show.” And there’s a game about CBD products as well because we were too blissed to say no. It’s Chill Pils. Take one with us, friend. 

Beers Reviewed

On Tour Brewing Company - Lightning Will

Pipeworks Brewing Company - Premium Pilsner

Modern Times Beer - Ice

Foreign Exchange - Chicago-ish

The Conrad Seipp Brewing Co. - Seipp’s Extra Pale Pilsner

Enshrouded in a dark and mysterious energy, Illuminated Brew Works has become a cult favorite in Chicago - because they are probably an actual cult. Our initial apprehension becomes open-armed acceptance as we ingest Five Sacraments of IBW, and dabble in the mystic arts. (Actually, we just use a really bad online Ouija board, but hey, we’re trying!) Additionally, we pay tribute to legendary baseball names both real and fictional, wonder what happened to mobile canning, weakly pitch the Magic 8-Ball movie, and face a few phobias. Will this podcast delight your senses? All signs point to, “maybe.”

Liquids Reviewed

Pleiadian Play Date (Piquette-inspired malt beverage w/ wine grapes and hibiscus)

Trust (Lager)

Astronaut Eye Scream (DDH DIPA w/ lactose)

Watermelon Gun (Farmhouse ale w/ watermelon)

Kreeper (IPA)

In a state chock full of great hazy IPA producers, More and Phase Three still stand amongst the best and most-revered. The fact that they have an intertwined history adds to the stakes of our totally arbitrary blind battle of the haze wherein one brewery will be crowned winner, and the other will be crowned, “still very excellent.” We also attempt to guess the beers based on what we know about ABV, style, and hop profiles - and the results are mind-melting. Also, Craig gets caught up on six month-old beer twitter, Ryan buys a kite at a hardware store, Gerry Rafferty is on the line, and we demand to bring bitterness back. 

Beers Reviewed Blindly (in order of appearance)

Phase Three Brewing - DDH Pixel Density (IPA)

Phase Three Brewing - Mindspark (DIPA)

More Brewing Company - DDH Double Dusty (DIPA)

Phase Three Brewing - Color Scheme (DIPA)

More Brewing Company - Moreover (IPA)

More Brewing Company - Pillow Talkin’ (DIPA)

Soon to be celebrating their 4th year in business, Old Irving Brewing has established itself as one of the best brewpubs in the city - with the hardware to prove it. This episode features an interview with owner and head brewer Trevor Rose-Hamblin, who tells the story of OIB, his culinary background and its influence on the brewpub, that GABF medal that changed everything, the struggles of running a brewpub during a pandemic, and what surprising plans are ahead for the brewery side of the business. Additionally, we acquaint ourselves with five Old Irving beers for reviewing purposes, and the standouts here are as surprising as they are remarkable. Also, we pivot to hand sanitizer reviews, the dog digs up the old video equipment, Ryan has some embarrassing baseball fan memories, and Craig is singing about malt again.

Interview with Trevor Rose-Hamblin (00:10:47 - 00:48:46)

Beers Reviewed

Betamax and Relax (India Pale “Lager”)

Supersonic Fuzz Gun (Kettle sour w/ peaches, lemon peel, and lactose)

Scentinel (IPA)

Double Beezer (DDH DIPA)

All For One, One For All (Imperial milk stout w/ hazelnut, vanilla bean, coffee, and milk sugar)

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

Seltzers Reviewed

City Water - Lime Coconut

Untitled Art - Florida Seltzer: Pineapple Mango

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

4 Hands Brewing - Contact High Hard Seltzer

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

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

Beers Reviewed

Phase Three Brewing - Pixel Density (NE IPA)

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

Alarmist Brewing - Le Jus (NE IPA)

Alarmist Brewing - DDH Sabro Le Jus (NE IPA)

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

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

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

Beers Reviewed

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

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

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

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

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

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

Beers Reviewed

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

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

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

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

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

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

Beers Reviewed

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

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

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

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

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

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

Beers Reviewed

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

Revolution Brewing (f. 2010) - DDH Mango Hero 

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

Spiteful Brewing (f. 2012) - Diggable IPA

Maplewood Brewery & Distillery (f. 2015) - Tropicamo

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

Beers Reviewed

DESTIHL Brewery - Wild Sour Series: Piña Colada Gose

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

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

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

Lake Effect Brewing - Gose Ale Aged in Port Barrels

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

Beers Reviewed

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

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

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

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

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

Cruz Blanca Brewery - Paloma (Grapefruit saison)

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

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

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

Beers reviewed

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

Lo Rez Brewing - Strawberry Shortcut (Strawberry Berliner weisse)

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

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

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

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

Beers Reviewed

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

Roaring Table Brewing - Struts & Frets (Hazy IPA)

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

Liquid Love Brewing - Round the Edges (DDH IPA)

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

After months of curbside-only beer shopping, craft bottle shops have opened their doors to customers looking to pluck some single cans off the shelves in hopes of discovering a few new favorites. We did just that at The Open Bottle in Tinley Park, finding five beers from out-of-state breweries to check out, leading us to one mystery after another. But in that exploration, we learn a lot about ourselves, including just how much older we are than Willy Wonka. (I know, right?!?) This bevvy of contract and altprop beers steers us to remember our lustful sambas, ruin Craig’s craft beer band name, and go on the most boring Mystery Date ever. (By the way, this show should’ve been called “80% Twelve Percent” but Craig wouldn’t let me.)

Beers Reviewed

Public Access Liquids - Constellate (Lager w/ yuzu)

Humble Forager Brewery - Elevated Perspective: Samba, Nelson Sauvin, Mosaic Cryo, & Strata (Imperial oat cream IPA)

______ Brewing - The One That Just Kicked (Double IPA)

Fat Orange Cat Brew Co. - Do the Escalator to the 13th Floor (Double IPA)

Short Throw Brewing Co. - Low Brow Nobility (Imperial stout w/ toasted coconut, coffee, cinnamon, and maple syrup)

By the time you hit that third Zoom meeting of the day, you’re likely thinking about a beer to drink discretely that won’t get you in trouble. On this episode, we have five very different beers that all land under 6 percent, which should keep you out of trouble with HR. Craig seeks out some movie recommendations, Ryan wishes he had a Willi, and we discuss 3-time World Dabbing Champion Tom Emanski. We also discuss the merits of the margarita gose, get shocked to the core by a City Slickers revelation, try to fix Paw Patrol, and share the truth about horses. 

Beers Reviewed

Metropolitan Brewing - Jet Stream (Wheat beer)

Revolution Brewing Company - Rosa (Hibiscus ale)

Dovetail Brewery - Grodziskie 

Off Color Brewing - Beer for Tacos (Gose w/ lime juice, coriander, and pink Himalyan salt)

More Brewing Company - Lil’ Space Booties (DDH Session IPA)

Even though people are chasing pre-orders instead of trucks these days, Hop Butcher is still as hot as ever thanks to their consistent schedule of mostly hoppy - and mostly hazy - releases. The variation amongst these six beers is surprisingly significant, despite all being some sort of play on IPA. This episode is a tribute to what this brewery has become, and we’re satiating the Hop Butcher nerds with two trivia games and some additional information about all elements of their process - plus a tasty little nugget about a possible taproom. We’re also talking about placebo buttons, Cold IPAs, Mai Tais, bad comics about beer, autocorrect malaprops, and Craig’s Sabro insensitivity. We’re bringing phenomenal back. 

Beers Reviewed

Deep Rinse (Centennial, Simcoe, Amarillo & Zuper Saazer-hopped Cold India Pale Ale)

Dese, Dem & Dose (Simcoe, Motueka & Belma-hopped India Pale Ale)

Preserved In Three Dimensions (Sabro & Simcoe-hopped Double India Pale Ale)

Kielbasa King (Mosaic & Nelson Sauvin-hopped Double India Pale Ale)

Circumpolar Cherry Cyclone (Citra & Strata-hopped Milkshake Double India Pale Ale Brewed with Lactose, Vanilla and Cherry)

A Deeper Dish (Citra & Vic Secret-hopped Triple India Pale Ale)

Soothing that early summer heat with big ol’ glasses of lactose and hops, we’re sharing shakes from afar this week with the hopes of better understanding our complicated relationship with this popular style. We have five very different milkshake IPAs from some local favorites and - GASP - there may be a grifter in our midst! Other childish talking points include Green River floats, new Fun Dip slogans, the merits of Neapolitan ice cream, toilet ghoulies, shower sharks, and just who is at the top of the Milkshake Kombat Mountain. 

Beers Reviewed

Maplewood Brewing Company - Son of Shakey (Milkshake IPA w/ wheat, oats, lactose, and vanilla)

Riverlands Brewing - Strawberry Shaky Shaky (Milkshake IPA w/ strawberry, lactose, Mosaic hops, and vanilla)

Mikerphone Brewing - Crushcrushcrush (Milkshake IPA w/ Citra, vanilla, and orange peel)
Phase Three Brewing - DDH Mosaic Sabro Double Crème (DDH DIPA w/ Mosaic, Sabro, oats, and milk sugar)

Hop Butcher for the World - Ocean Key (Citra & Motueka-hopped milkshake DIPA w/ pineapple, key lime, and vanilla)

Since you won’t find either of us sitting on some coffeehouse patio anytime soon, we’re bringing the coffee home in the form of five stouts. While they all deliver the caffeine and the booze, each beer stands on its own unique merits - or is a victim of context. But we’re also here to get Craig prepped to audition for the new Supermarket Sweep, including how to navigate the new craft beer aisle. We also feel nostalgic for beer travels, stop at Ryan’s cooking corner, get VIP access to the fields of Charleston Chews, and observe a series of dissipating heads. 

Beers Reviewed

More Brewing - Hush of Night: Chocolate City (Milk stout blended w/ Dark Matter Chocolate City coffee)

Trillium Brewing - PM Dawn (Imperial stout w/ Barrington Coffee Roasters cold brewed coffee)

2nd Shift Brewing - Coffee Liquid Spiritual Delight (Imperial stout w/ coffee)

Maplewood Brewing - Cuppaccino (Imperial stout w/ Metric coffee, vanilla, and chocolate)

Noon Whistle Brewing - Dodging Traffic (Imperial stout w/ Tugboat coffee)

Here’s hoping that we can talk you out of attending that backyard barbecue by offering up this refreshing bowl of audio fruit salad to help your summer isolation feel a bit more festive. We have five different fruited beers that really span the range from “pleasant fruit accessory” to “chunky berry sludge” - and they honestly succeed in ways we didn’t expect. We plan some totally radical ways to break up illicit social gatherings, please the Tootsie Pop conspiracy theorists, mistake Craig for Instagram, get hostile at Jamba Juice, and eulogize a good blender. Good gorf. 

Beers Reviewed

Haymarket Beer Company - Blood Orange Blonde (Blonde ale w/ blood oranges)

Cruz Blanca Brewery - La Floridita (Sparkling rosé ale w/ hibiscus and passion fruit)

Third Space Brewing - FROG Weiss (Kettle sour w/ fig, raspberry, orange, and ginger)

Trillium Brewing Company - Daily Serving: Raspberry (Berliner weisse w/ raspberry)

More Brewing Company - Frooted 3riberry (“Smoothie ale” w/ blackberry, strawberry, and raspberry)

When you’ve been around as long as Stone, you’re bound to take some lumps. And lumps we have delivered in the past by subjecting Stone beers to undeserved spots on our Torture Test episodes. Thanks to Lizzie at Stone, we are finally able to give the brewery its first proper set of arbitrary reviews, and we only ignore one “enjoy by” date in this episode. The beers on the show are mostly pretty great, but all the talk of redemption arcs has us reflecting on past bad beers. We do a comprehensive reflection on six-and-a-half years of the (subjectively) worst beers we’ve ever had on the show, because, well, we’re quarantined and bored. Craig wants his MTV, Ryan just wants the commercials, and we’re both missing the in-person sexual tension. There’s also talk of slamming pogs, rough pours, ᴁon Flux nightmares, flavor descriptor shirts, and a long-held Eufórqestra grudge. 

Stone Beers Reviewed

Buenaveza (Salt & lime lager)

Notorious P.O.G. (Berliner weisse w/ passion fruit, orange, and guava)

Fear.Movie.Lions (Unfiltered double IPA)

Soaring Dragon (Imperial IPA w/ white tea)

Xocoveza (Imperial milk stout w/ cocoa, coffee, pasilla peppers, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg)

We were already becoming very good at staying home and drinking copious amounts of lager before this whole mess, so it’s only natural that we shelter-in-place with a rich lineup of bottom-fermenting beers.  Featuring six different lager styles from six Midwestern breweries, this episode highlights impressive flavor and mouthfeel variations so we actually, like, have stuff to talk about. Ryan takes unforeseen risks to increase contact with the outside world, Craig ponders, “What is cornbread?”, and we show love for the legend himself Willi Becher. Other topical quarantine talking points include sourdough starter dread, Elon Musk is a douche, 3-word beer reviews, and schwarzbier horniness. 

Beers Reviewed

Pollyanna Brewing Company - Lite Thinking (American Lager)

2nd Shift Brewing - Technical Ecstasy (Czech-style Pilsner)

Kinslahger Brewing Company - Prohibition Pilsner 

Third Space Brewing - La Cocina (Dark Mexican Lager)

Pipeworks Brewing Company - Select Schwarzbier

Maplewood Brewing Company - Gold Noise (Dortmunder-style Lager)

This week, we celebrate the resilience of local breweries and bottle shops that are still finding a way to keep getting hazy IPAs into the begloved fans of the juice. Though not necessarily the most hyped haze producers in the area, the five breweries on this show prove to be absolutely worth your contact-free dollar. We have a rare first-timer on the show, share our drunk online shopping stories, give out orange slices to the whole soccer team, argue best milkshake flavors, and admire Craig’s beach bod. Thicc pale daddies are welcome.

Beers Reviewed

Illuminated Brew Works - Junior Astronaut Juice (DDH IPA)

Foreign Exchange - Foreign Chemistry: Citra & Amarillo (DDH IIPA)

Around the Bend Beer Co. - Lost Words (Hazy IPA)

Marz Community Brewing Co. - Crazy Straws (NE-style IPA)

Riverlands Brewing Company - Gilded King (New England IPA)

Craig extends his curbside to wherever he may roam, and after a month of quarantine, he hit up Milwaukee, carbound and down to score some more Third Space. After our visit last July, we’ve been thirsting for more from this brewery that’s just a Christian Yelich homerun away from Brewers’ stadium. We have a nice variety of five beers, and we take inspiration from the brewery’s Seinfeld obsession to run a round of Stumptappd about nothing. We also share some of our new quarantine names, reimagine the movie theater experience, chase grandma with some fireworks, seek solace in the filthiest chips, and really botch a Zoom call-and-reponse. My wife!

Beers Reviewed

Summer Home (Hoppy Blonde Ale)

Unbridled Enthusiasm (Juicy Double IPA)

Haunted Barrel 2019 (Barrel-aged candy bar porter aged in bourbon and rum barrels w/ cacao and vanilla)

Happy Place (Midwest Pale Ale)

Mystic Knot (Barrel-aged Irish-style Coffee Stout)

As we continue our shelter-in-place recordings, this time we’ve got a somewhat random mix of dark beers to distract us from *gestures broadly* and get us nearly incoherent by rankings time. Whether teeming with adjuncts or not, these five Midwestern porters and stouts compete in the Pretty Head Competition while the show becomes robust with distraction. We imagine an augmented-reality taproom experience, conduct a lunchbox check, break down existentially over Christmas music, get mesmerized by blacklight posters, and let Malt-O-Meal be our quarantine saviors. Let it levitate on your palate. 

Beers Reviewed

Shared - Base Weight (Robust porter)

Pipeworks Brewing Company - Easy Keepers (Oatmeal stout)

Old Irving Brewing Co./Illuminated Brew Works - Ancient Magick (Imperial stout w/ cocoa nibs, vanilla, cinnamon, peanut butter and marshmallow)

Transient Artisan Ales/More Brewing Co. - Breakfast Sauce (Imperial oatmeal stout w/ coffee, vanilla, cinnamon, black tea, and chai spices)

Lift Bridge Brewing Co. - Barrel-aged Silhouette (Barrel-aged imperial stout)

We’re sheltered-in-place and slamming way more of some killer hoppy beers than normal, because we don’t actually have to share. In our first remotely-recorded episode, we overcome a brief technical glitch before returning to what feels very normal: Craig and Ryan fumbling through flavor descriptors while distracting each other with random stories from our past. Craig has invented the perfect game for these times, Ryan’s trying to make a deal with Greg Avola, and we catch up on each other’s new quarantine hobbies. Other talking points include mint creamsicles, Mario Kart coaching, Idahos 1 through 6, Mr. Met, the shirt technique, statued asses, bad Altoids stunts, and the secret of the green river dye. 

Recorded 4/7/20

Beers Reviewed

Hubbard’s Cave - Clean Pale (Midwest pale ale)

Half Acre Beer Company - Tome (Hazy pale ale)

Cruz Blanca Brewery/Hop Butcher for the World - Hard Right Angle (Hazy IPA)

Old Irving Brewing Co. - Beezer (Double dry-hopped IPA)

Hop Butcher for the World/Eagle Park Brewing Company - Swans of Lir (Milkshake DIPA w/ mint and vanilla)

In lieu of, you know, actual travelling, we’re taking our tastebuds down to Kentucky thanks to our good friend Sarah Rehmer. As our last in-person recording for a while, we couldn’t have expected that a show with five different Kentucky beers would have so many standouts - along with one just hateful beer. We’re building 90s quarantine playlist, claiming governance over each others’ bodies, planning our binge-watching material, breaking down the grain brackets, and squeezing into our husky Arizonas. Also, Ryan has a stupid soundboard and is going total jazz with it before packing it away for the foreseeable future. Thanks for listening - and keep coming back, as we’ll still have new episodes every week.

Recorded 3/20/20

Beers Reviewed

Against the Grain Brewery (Louisville, KY) - A Beer (American Light Lager)

Mile Wide Beer Company (Louisville, KY) - Catalina Breeze (West Coast IPA)

Falls City Beer (Louisville, KY) - Slam Dunkel

Monnik Beer Co. (Louisville, KY) - Tropic of Capricorn (Double IPA)

Country Boy Brewing (Lexington, KY) - Nacho Bait (Habanero Blonde Ale)

We can all use a heaping helping of beer-based nostalgia right now, so we spend an hour drinking and talking about one of the most significant craft breweries Chicagoland has ever known: 3 Floyds. For the first time ever, we have five different beers from the Munster, Indiana-based brewery represented, including three that really get us story-telling. Though this was recorded at the early stages of quarantine, Ryan’s lead-up indicates that it’s already gotten to his head a bit. We also talk about wide mouthfeels, classic DIPAs, hop extract vs. other extracts, and the indefinite (and not totally unfortunate) end of line bottle shares. We’ve got that curbside weird you ordered all ready for you.

Recorded 3/18/20

Beers Reviewed

Region X (Dortmunder-style Lager)

Alpha King (Pale Ale)

Zombie Dust (Pale Ale)

Arctic Panzer Wolf (Double IPA)

Wigsplitter (Imperial Oatmeal Stout w/ Espresso)

Because, what else are we going to do? A while back, Ryan bought three French presses and was determined to make an absolute mess of some good beers for your entertainment. Craig picked out six beers from local breweries in a range of styles, and we drink and review those beers as normal before cramming a bunch of cookies into them and sampling the results. The flavor combinations are surprising and, in one case, life-affirming. Here’s some other quarantine talking points from this long player: mysterious yard food, the indomitable Alton Brand, Ewan Macgregor’s body painting, the problem with cookie trub, human-sized podcast bubbles, and the inevitable rise of Girl Scouts in the upcoming barter economy. Let us distract and disgust you. (Support your local bar, restaurant, and brewery!)

Beers reviewed + and the cookies we mash into them

Is/Was Brewing - Methode Dust (Citra-style ale) + Lemon-ups®

Church Street Brewing Company - Holy Cow (Milk stout) + S’mores®

Kinslahger Brewing Company - Dunkel (Dark lager) + Do-Si-Dos®

Half Acre Beer Company - Original Reaper (Stout) + Samoas®

Maplewood Brewing Company - Barley Butcher (English barleywine) + Toffee-tastic®

Alarmist Brewing - Juke Nukem (Double IPA) + Thin Mints®

It’s good to have friends back East, as listener Mike Bobal sent us a box of New Jersey delights to reacquaint us with beers of the Garden State. And yeah, we snuck a ringer on. But there are many great beers to celebrate on this show, as we ponder many important questions. What kind of uncle will Craig be? Is a notebook technically a tree? Why does Craig feel compelled to sing 90’s songs so much? Who doesn’t want our new beer cold roller invention? What’s in the New Jersey water? How did Ryan become the Paul Blart? Why is Craig’s Gambit cosplay the worst? 

Beers Reviewed

Carton Brewing Company - This Town (Helles Lager)

Czig Meister - Deep Sea Series: Oasis (New England IPA)

Jughandle Brewing Co. - Background Radiation (New England IPA)

Icarus Brewing - Rain Sleet or Snow (Imperial Oatmeal Stout)

The Referend Bier Blendery - Berliner Messe: Kyrie 2018.2 (100% spontaneous ale aged in oak, w/ cherries & raspberries)

Three great tastes that taste great together: peanut butter, chocolate, and stout combine in all six beers on this blind tasting - and a few prove that there is a wrong way to drink a Reese’s. Otherwise, we are lavishing in decadence throughout this show with six local-ish peanut butter cup stouts that help us regain our confidence in blind guesses. Ryan reports with the exclusive scoop on the 1st Annual Destination Toddler Rumble 2020 with interviews from a few participants, Craig has a photographic memory of forgotten video game characters, and we go hard for like 7 minutes on Supermarket Sweep. Just watch out for Cheese Jim. 

Beers Reviewed Blindly (in order of appearance):

Hop Butcher for the World - Fat Bear (Peanut butter imperial stout w/ chocolate)

Hubbard’s Cave - Peanut Butter Cup Imperial Stouts 2020-1

Energy City Brewing - Bâtisserie Peanut Butter Cup Stout

Transient Artisan Ales & The Open Bottle - Bowser & Koopa (Imperial stout with Violet Sky cocoa nibs and peanut butter)

4 Hands Brewing Co. - Absence of Light Peanut Butter Chocolate Milk Stout

Untitled Art/Hidden Springs Ale Works - Peanut Butter Cup Stout

With most blind shows, we aim to learn more about how our biases impact our perception of beer styles, and we are often surprised and enlightened by the results. But not this episode. Our attempts to try and determine hop varietals through a blind sampling of five single-hop beers ends disastrously, so listen and enjoy our slow descent into existential crisis. But the beers here are varied and delicious, making the pain go down a bit easier. We analyze Craig’s Van Halen dream, Ryan does well at Celebrity Alias Trivia, and we finally call out the guy who stole our email address. (And despite a few strong proclamations, we are not quitting the podcast.)

Beers Reviewed Blindly (in order of appearance)

Hubbard’s Cave - Fresh IIPA: One Hop Mosaic

Kane Brewing Company - Enigma (DIPA)

Toppling Goliath Brewing Co. - King Sue (Citra-hopped hazy DIPA)

Hop Butcher for the World - Funderbolt (Sabro-hopped hazy IPA)

Pipeworks Brewing Company - Place in Space (Ekuanot-hopped DIPA)

The second half of Revolution’s most recent Deep Wood series is all about the barrels, with beers featuring ambitious blends and extended aging to close out the brewery’s tenth year on a high note. We sample five beers from the city’s best barrel program, and we celebrate the man who makes it all possible: David Lee Roth. Well, okay, he doesn’t actually make any of these beers happen, but he certainly serves as an inspiration and a muse, especially for this episode. Also, Ryan passes on some bad Mario Kart etiquette, Craig loves his Luxardos, and we happen upon yet another fudgebooth. Bring back the Randall. 

Beers Reviewed

Ryeway to Heaven (Bourbon and rye barrel-aged ryewine)

V.S.O.D. (Imperial oatmeal stout aged 2 years in bourbon barrels)

Boss Jacket (English barleywine aged in WhistlePig The Boss Hog ex-Calvados Rye Whiskey barrels)

Cuvée De Grâce (Blend of oatmeal and rye stouts with barleywine and scotch ale, aged in seven different barrels)

Ten Year Beer (English barleywine aged in bourbon and rye barrels for 1 and 2 years blended with sweet and tart cherries)

Back in July, we were lucky enough to spend a little time with Kyle Vetter at his 1840 Brewing in Milwaukee (which you can hear on our Brew City episode), and since then we’ve been dreaming about getting five bottles to the bunker for review. Craig’s recent travels bring us a wide variety of styles from this two year-old brewery, and at least one of these beers will be written into the ABV Hall of Fame for eternity. The whole lineup offers an array of big flavors, and we are already planning our return to Milwaukee. Also, Craig ponders a sympathetic Godzilla, Ryan’s been working on some disturbing fanfiction, and we almost get the podcast taken away from us. Ponder your pastry.

Beers Reviewed

Kascade Kid (Unfiltered lager w/ Hull Melon hops)
Rouge (Spelt and wheat saison dry-hopped with Barbe Rouge)

Hype Moves (Sour vegan gluten-reduced milkshake IPA double dry-hopped w/ Sabro, super-fruited w/ mango & pineapple, and conditioned on vanilla beans and toasted coconut)

Sea Foam (Fruited sour w/ pineapple, passion fruit, blue spirulina, and lactose)

Bere Cioccolato (Imperial stout w/ cacao nibs, coffee, hazelnuts, and lactose aged in grape brandy and two-fill whiskey barrels)

Villa Park’s More made a big splash from the moment they opened their doors in 2017, due to their hiring of a rising star brewer and their embrace of big flavor beers. Much has changed in a few short years, with a different (yet equally talented) head brewer at the helm, a gigantic new facility opening in Huntley at the end of the month, and...those lagers. Thanks to Aaron Keefner, we were gifted an assortment of More beers, and we review five varied styles in our usual arbitrary way. Along with our realization that we’re becoming boring old boomers, listen for Ryan’s singing debut, Craig’s beer label nightmares, a crazy game of mocha, the upcoming sequel to Davidoff’s Cool Water, and a rogues gallery of lager characters. 

Beers Reviewed

More to Life (American Lager dry-hopped with Lemon Drop hops)

DDH Double Space Boots (DDH DIPA w/ Citra and Galaxy)

Peaches & Cream Marbles (Milkshake IPA w/ peaches, milk sugar, and vanilla)

Henna: Cherry Truffle (Imperial stout w/ sweet & tart cherry, cocoa nibs, and vanilla)

Dark Lager (yup)

After taking a month to recover from our Barrel-Aged December, we hop right back in the wood with five big beers from Illinois breweries. It leaves us feeling pretty spoiled to have so many great Winter barrel-aged options that don’t rhyme with Bevolution and Bruce Guyland. Craig starts things off a bit morbid, but we soon invent “smoot” and Staygurt for adults. This episode also contains notes of emotional wort, whipped leather, root beer, chocolate IPA, and Cadbury mini-eggs. 

Get yourself to Beermiscuous on Saturday, February 8th for our anniversary party.

Beers Reviewed

Sketchbook Brewing Co. - Barrel Aged Turbulence Vanilla Bean (Russian imperial stout aged in bourbon barrels with vanilla beans)

Temperance Beer Company - 2019 Hot Cocoa Barrel-aged Might Meets Right (Imperial stout aged in Heaven Hill barrels w/ cacao and vanilla beans)

Half Acre Beer Company - Orin (Bourbon barrel-aged strong ale)

Brickstone Brewery - Dark Secret: Double Barrel 2019 (Imperial stout aged 10 mo. in Buffalo Trace barrels and 10 mo. in Four Roses barrels)

More Brewing Company - Barrel-aged Imperial Falling Colors: Karmic (Imperial porter aged in four bourbon barrels w/ cinnamon, cocoa nibs, and coconut)

The complex story of Goose Island extends far beyond their innovations and acquisition, because throughout their history, they’ve cultivated a truly impressive brewing team. This appropriately-numbered episode is a tribute to all the brewers who developed under Goose’s tutelage and moved on to start or brew at other impactful breweries. (Somebody should write a book about this stuff.) It’s a Goose Island show with no Goose Island beer! Craig tries to get a gritty reboot going that results in an ongoing discussion of grizzled actors, Ryan discovers the secret SRM scale, and we scream out the subtext.

Come to Beermiscuous on Saturday, February 8th because we told you to!

Beers Reviewed

Perennial Artisan Ales - Foeder Coupage Blend 1 (Foeder-aged saison and fresh blond ale blend)

Firestone Walker Brewing Company - Old Man Hattan (Barrel-aged blended strong ale)

Southern Tier Brewing Company - Nitro Hot Cocoa (Imperial milk stout)

Penrose Brewing Company - Spontaneous 2019: Strawberry (Blended spontaneous ale aged in oak w/ strawberries)

Fremont Brewing - B-Bomb 2019 (Barrel-aged winter ale)

The start of legalized marijuana in Illinois has been a real mixed bag with massive lines and product shortages dominating the headlines. So rather than feeling empty-handed, why not head to the beer aisle for a taste of the dank? We sample six IPAs that are united under the simple idea of “heh heh, weed” to see if we can get lifted in another totally legal way. And of course, we talk just a whole bunch about 311 through trivia, personal experiences, inspired lyric readings, and the most 90’s quote we could find. We also weigh in on some recently announced reboots, Ryan apologizes to a high school friend, and we make the lazy river even lazier. 

Don’t miss our 6th anniversary party at Beermiscuous on February 8th!

Beers Reviewed

Burnt City Brewing - Kveik Minded III: The Dankening (New England IPA)

SweetWater Brewing Co. - 420 Strain G13 IPA

Oskar Blues Brewery - Can-O-Bliss Citrus IPA

Lagunitas Brewing Co. - Hazy Memory (New England IPA)

Odd Side Ales - Dank Frank Juice (Double IPA)

Revolution Brewing Co. - Legal-Hero (Double New England IPA)

It’s flavorful yet restrained. It’s refreshing and sessionable. And it’s loosely bound by any real style designation. It’s the table beer! We explore five Chicago-area takes on this non-style that seems to borrow a little magic from Belgian farmhouses before going in a variety of flavorful directions, all while staying under 5% ABV. With this light-weight lineup, we do some heavy lifting by developing two new musical concepts; Ryan works on his verbal plating; Craig doesn’t want to tip the toilet sherpa; and we have our refreshnodes massaged. 

Remember to mark Saturday, February 8th in your calendar for our 6th Anniversary party at Beermiscuous!

Beers reviewed

Off Color Brewing - House Lion

Une Année Brewery - Table

Is/Was Brewing - Bourgeois Daydream

Casa Humilde - Mesita

Keeping Together - The Art of Holding Space

We’re quite transparent about two things on this podcast: we genuinely enjoy supporting our sole long-time sponsor, and we love getting free beer to review. So when Beer on the Wall had their 3rd Anniversary party featuring a wide array of interesting collaborations with great local breweries, they saved us five to review. We also wrap up the year in music with our top albums, open some new flavor doors, pitch some cookie hefeweizens and cake bocks, and further demonstrate why no one really wants us to collaborate on a beer. 

(Also, keep the night of Saturday, February 8th open to come celebrate our 6th Anniversary at Beermiscuous!)

Beers reviewed (all collaborations with Beer on the Wall)

Around the Bend Beer Company - Biscoff the Wall (Cream ale w/ cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and allspice)

Pipeworks Brewing Company - TreESB (Red IPA dry-hopped w/ cedar chips)

Miskatonic Brewing Company - Second Breakfast (Coffee hazy IPA)

Illuminated Brew Works - The Ballad of the Peanut Butter Pony (Stout w/ peanut butter and cocoa)

Mikerphone Brewing - Eat to the Beat (Imperial blond stout w/ white chocolate, cocoa nibs, and vanilla)

Following the story of middle brow has been a privilege for us, as their generosity and selflessness has been pretty well-documented during years of limited production and no actual brewery to call home. But within the last year or so, middle brow has won a gold at FoBAB, bought a few foeders, and opened their cozy brewpub “bungalow,” which recently won the designation of best pizza in the city by Chicago Magazine. And their status as a brewer of elegant and inspired wild ales - like their signature bread - is on the rise. So handsome Pete from middle brow dropped us off a box of beer (and bread!) to catch up on what our old friends have been up to, and we are objectively impressed. Also, we talk about dumb Chicago food traditions, dream up a GueuZero, conduct a Challenge Butter Cultural Butter Challenge, plead for that Chocolate IPA, and envision vengeful beer ghosts. 

beers reviewed.

For You (Wild lager blend)

Bloom (Co-fermented wine beer hybrid brewed w/ 40% frontenac gris grape juice)

Solarium (Mixed-culture solera saison)

Other People (Co-fermented wine beer hybrid w/ negroamaro wine juice)

Neighborhood (Farmhouse w/ locally-captured yeast and Midwestern grains)