ABV Chicago Craft Beer Podcast
542 episodes - English - Latest episode: 8 days ago - ★★★★★ - 87 ratingsA Chicago-based craft beer podcast with beer and events reviews. Visit our website at www.abvchicago.com!
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Episodes
Episode 90 - Door County Brewing Co.
October 14, 2015 13:13 - 1 hour - 53.4 MBBefore 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 L’Automne Farmho...
Episode 89 - Saisons Across America
October 07, 2015 12:45 - 1 hour - 53.8 MBWe 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 d...
Episode 88 - GABF 2015
September 30, 2015 14:13 - 1 hour - 78.4 MBOnce 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);...
Episode 87 - Oktoberfest
September 23, 2015 20:24 - 1 hour - 53.4 MBProst! 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 w...
Episode 86 - de Garde Brewing
September 16, 2015 14:49 - 58 minutes - 46.9 MBThe 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 h...
Episode 85 - Beer For Breakfast
September 09, 2015 16:05 - 1 hour - 66.4 MBIn 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 sha...
Episode 84 - Trillium
September 02, 2015 13:03 - 1 hour - 55.5 MBThe 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 ...
Episode 83 - Brett Friends Forever
August 26, 2015 16:35 - 1 hour - 59.7 MBThis 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 brettanomyce...
Episode 82 - Hill Farmstead 3: Rise of the Growlers
August 19, 2015 17:07 - 1 hour - 54.8 MBCraig'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...
Episode 81 - House of 1000 Hops
August 12, 2015 16:57 - 1 hour - 55 MBSimply 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 ...
Episode 80 - Tree House Brewing Company
August 05, 2015 18:43 - 1 hour - 67.1 MBCraig’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...
Episode 79 - CAN You Feel The Love Tonight?
July 29, 2015 23:30 - 1 hour - 61.9 MBWe 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 Raspberr...
Episode 78 - The MN Show
July 22, 2015 18:59 - 1 hour - 51.5 MBWe 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 extensi...
Episode 77 - Wild Chicago
July 15, 2015 13:01 - 1 hour - 51.5 MBJoin 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 ...
Episode 76 - Pils Pils Pils
July 08, 2015 17:02 - 1 hour - 55.3 MBAchtung 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...
Episode 75 - The Rare Barrel
July 01, 2015 17:23 - 1 hour - 55.5 MBWe’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 pr...
Episode 74 - New Glarus Fruit Beers
June 24, 2015 19:24 - 1 hour - 57.5 MBThe 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, a...
Episode 73 - The Beerists Cellar Invasion
June 17, 2015 21:06 - 1 hour - 55.4 MBThe 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 com...
Episode 72 - The Mostly ME Show
June 10, 2015 23:05 - 1 hour - 54.8 MBWe 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, an...
Episode 71 - Crooked Stave 2: Crookeder Stave
June 03, 2015 17:14 - 56 minutes - 45.3 MBWe 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, ...
Episode 70 - Night Shift Barrel Society
May 27, 2015 17:07 - 1 hour - 49.9 MBEd 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. An...
Episode 69 - Temperance Beer Company
May 20, 2015 15:58 - 1 hour - 75.9 MBTemperance 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...
Episode 68 - Imperial Oak Brewing
May 13, 2015 16:45 - 1 hour - 61.7 MBImperial 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...
Episode 67 - Mexican Hot Chocolate Blind
May 06, 2015 16:20 - 1 hour - 50.4 MBIt’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 Abraxa...
Episode 66 - Café Au Craig
April 29, 2015 16:15 - 1 hour - 55.5 MBCraig 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 Goldfi...
Episode 65 - The Open Bottle
April 22, 2015 22:12 - 1 hour - 62.9 MBThe 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 ...
Episode 64 - Welcome to Chicago
April 15, 2015 16:46 - 1 hour - 49.1 MBWith 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...
Episode 63 - 51st Ward Beer Co.
April 08, 2015 21:16 - 51 minutes - 40.9 MBThe 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 2. Down Over Vienna Lager 3. The Mayor Cream Ale 4. The Poll Tax Scottish ...
Episode 62- Cookie Drunk
April 01, 2015 21:27 - 1 hour - 55.4 MBWe 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 ...
Episode 61 - Anything Gose!
March 25, 2015 17:08 - 58 minutes - 46.8 MBThings 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...
Episode 60 - Transient: Bindle of Fun
March 18, 2015 16:08 - 48 minutes - 38.9 MBWe 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...
Episode 59 - Barrel-Aged What's New Chicago?
March 11, 2015 22:36 - 58 minutes - 47 MBWith 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. Manhat...
Episode 58 - The MA Show
March 04, 2015 23:12 - 1 hour - 49.3 MBFor 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 a...
Episode 57 - Middle Brow Chocolate Homebrew Contest
February 25, 2015 15:00 - 1 hour - 56.1 MBChocolate 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...
Episode 56 - Voodoo Brewery
February 18, 2015 16:25 - 1 hour - 54.3 MBIt’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 ...
Episode 55 - Ryan's Choice
February 11, 2015 18:06 - 1 hour - 55.1 MBVersion: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...
Episode 54 - Dark Horse Disaster
February 04, 2015 16:59 - 58 minutes - 46.9 MBVersion: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 hav...
Episode 53 - 2nd Shift Brewing
January 28, 2015 18:17 - 43 minutes - 34.6 MBIt’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. Albin...
Episode 52 - Revolution Deep Wood
January 21, 2015 17:13 - 56 minutes - 45.5 MBVersion: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 pru...
Episode 51 - Cantillon
January 14, 2015 17:06 - 1 hour - 60.5 MBNow 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 heartbu...
Episode 50 - Hill Farmstead II: Back 2 The Farm
January 07, 2015 15:44 - 1 hour - 54.4 MBFor 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. Ji...
Episode 49 - Wintry Mix
December 31, 2014 19:44 - 59 minutes - 47.5 MBWinter 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...
Episode 48 - Holiday Special
December 24, 2014 17:48 - 1 hour - 69.8 MBAs 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 (Transien...
Episode 47 - Firestone Walker Anniversary Ales
December 17, 2014 16:10 - 55 minutes - 44.8 MBWe 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...
Episode 46 - The Art of Beer
December 10, 2014 17:48 - 1 hour - 68.9 MBIn 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...
Episode 45 - BCBS Alternatives
December 03, 2014 16:28 - 51 minutes - 41.5 MBIt’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 re...
Episode 44 - Bourbon County 2014
November 26, 2014 20:03 - 58 minutes - 47.1 MBEpisode 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, autobiographie...
Low ABV 2 - FOBAB Hangover
November 19, 2014 17:08 - 48 minutes - 38.5 MBOn 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 w...
Episode 43 - Barrel Aged Pipeworks
November 12, 2014 20:16 - 1 hour - 49.7 MBVersion: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 bee...
Episode 42 - Russian River: The Tioning
November 05, 2014 17:04 - 59 minutes - 47.4 MBVersion: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 ...