Abv Chicago Craft Beer Podcast

For the past two years, Off Color’s line of Beer For… beers have been a steady source of creative pairings executed immaculately, so we talk with co-founder Dave Bleitner about the project he heads up. Dave shares some of his process for conceptualizing these beers, why it was the right time to do his first ever pale ale (and make it a year-round release), how the label art and merchandising comes about, and why you shouldn’t sleep on a hop pillow for too long. We also drink through five of the Beer For beers while attempting to lure a new sponsor, removing the squeaking from televised basketball, and putting our whole mouths under the butter dispenser.  Dave Bleitner Interview (00:09:39 - 00:41:46) Beers Reviewed Beer For Hoops (Cream Ale w/ peach puree and vanilla beans) Beer For Movies (Popcorn Kolsch-Style Beer)Beer For Lounging (American Pale Ale) Beer For Bathtubs (Belgian-Style Wit w/ citrus, flowers, spices, and epsom salt) Beer For Bowling (English-Style Session Ale brewed w/ wood)

A sequel to one of our favorite shows of 2021 might seem rushed, but Keeping Together’s time in Chicago is limited. For this one, we drink five more of Averie Swanson’s artful creations in an exercise that honestly feels shamelessly self-indulgent due to how good the beers are. Also, we speculate on a provolone problem, conjure up some Joey Pants, do a sitcom t-shirt reveal, and feel inspired to don windbreakers. Expect a very early contender for beer of the year that we never saw coming. Who says the sequel can’t be better than the original?? Beers Reviewed Dreaming of a Common Language (Dry-hopped saison w/ Hallertau Tradition, Tettnanger, and Saaz hops) Everything Glistened and Sparkled (Saison w/ roasted rhubarb, angelica root, and honey) The Earth Is What We All Have In Common (Bière de Garde w/ roasted chestnuts, dried oranges, and rosemary) Make Art Not Content (Saison w/ coffee, sage, peach leaves, and honey) Undulant & Impermanent (Barrel-aged saison w/ maple-roasted carrots and spent Fernet bot

Though our very existence denies it, we love the idea of Dry January - a time when people can re-evaluate their habits around beer and explore more sober and healthy options. But we never really intended on doing this show - not until Ryan got Covid. So to keep this weekly show going amidst that diagnosis, we explore how non-alcoholic beers have come to mimic craft styles much more than they did half a decade ago. Also, Craig needs help with a t-shirt resolution, Ryan’s just grateful he can still smell and taste things, and we find the perfect names for a few yet-to-be-founded NA breweries. Plus we still manage to talk about lactose a bunch. Beers Reviewed Big Drop Brewing Co. - Pine Trail Pale Ale WellBeing Brewing - Hellraiser Dark Amber Athletic Brewing Company - Free Wave Hazy IPA Bravus Brewing Company - Oatmeal Dark Untitled Art - S’mores Dark Brew

The Cold IPA itself is an oxymoron. So is it a hopped-up lager, or a lagered-down IPA? Or is it neither? We speak with Doug Veliky, CFO of Revolution Brewing and industry trend-spotter, about why the Cold IPA could be a legitimate trend, and what could keep it stuck in fermentation. Then we examine the style further by drinking through five local examples, hoping to create our own frame of reference. Additionally, Craig has a new workout plan for 2022, Ryan’s creating the Slow Pour Cold IPA at-home device, and we class it up by talking about all the best smells in craft beer. Let’s have a cold one together, shall we? Doug Veliky interview (00:06:03 - 00:35:45) Beers Reviewed Revolution Brewing - Subz-Hero (Cold IPA) Phase Three Brewing - Cold Pixel (IPL) Riverlands Brewing Company - Cold Synergy (Cold IPA) Maplewood Brewing Company - Cold Chisel (Cold IPA) Alarmist Brewing - Woodland Chill (Cold IPA)

As if barrel-aging alone wasn’t enough, breweries these days are taking beers that have already experienced an extended oak rest and dumping them into another barrel to age even further. We sample five beers that result from this process (or something similar) to see if all that patience pays off in the end. This final installment of Barrel-Aged December features two legit top ten candidates for beers of the year, and we attempt to extend our merchandising output. And as if two barrels for every beer wasn’t enough, Ryan has brought the extra heat for this one: two Craigs. Get ready for the Craigboard.  Beers Reviewed Off Color Brewing/Metropolitan Brewing - Avec Le Guillotine (Blend of doppelbock, calvados foedre-aged Flemish-style with apples, and American Wild Ale aged in wine barrels with Cabernet Franc grape must; all refermented with cherries and aged in bourbon barrels and Pomegranate Fox Wild Ale barrels) Church Street Brewing Company - Double Barrel Doppelbock (Doppelbock aged in bourbon and port barr

This is Deep Wood Stout Edition 2021 for our fourth Barrel-Aged December episode, as we drink through the five Revolution stouts in their fall/winter specialty release series. Each year, this lineup finds a new way to step forward - and there’s one beer in particular here that surprisingly leaps to the top of our lists. Also, Ryan confronts Craig about the Hair Bag Incident, Craig keeps insisting on entering the chat, Ryan’s High Life vertical is f*cked, and we just sort of have a love fest about Revolution’s output in 2021. Stay tuned for the drunkest rankings of the year. Beers Reviewed Deth’s Tar (Barrel-Aged Imperial Oatmeal Stout) Café Deth (Barrel-Aged Imperial Oatmeal Stout w/ coffee) Deth by Raspberries (Imperial Stout aged in bourbon barrels w/ raspberries) Vanilla Deth (Imperial Stout aged in bourbon barrels w/ vanilla) Dark Mode (Imperial Milk Stout aged in bourbon barrels)

An oasis in a month of enormous beers, this episode resets our palates to ready us for the remainder of Barrel-Aged December. But that’s not to say that saisons don’t have quite a few tricks up their sleeves, like the five on this show certainly do. We also are introduced to Milwaukee’s Supermoon Beer Company, and Craig grabbed an interview with co-founder Rob Brennan. Additionally, we have surprising strolls through the mall, and Craig tells you where he’ll take his glitter. #DrinkSaisons Beers Reviewed Supermoon Beer Company - There Is A Plot (Gin Barrel Blended Saison) Keeping Together - It Was Like A Holiday (Barrel-aged Saison w/ toasted coconut, lemon, orange, and honey) Werk Force Brewing Company - Barrel-Aged Farmhouse Vultures (Saison w/ blackberries and raspberries aged Cabernet Sauvignon barrels) Zero Gravity Craft Brewery - Après Vous (Gin Barrel-Aged Saison) Lawson’s Finest Liquids - Saison Aged in Barr Hill Tom Cat Gin Barrels

No matter what your strategy is at the fest, it’s almost impossible to avoid FoBAB FOMO. We were lucky to attend the 19th edition of FoBAB, but we also felt like we missed out on trying some of the exciting medal winners - until now. For our second Barrel-Aged December show, there are five medal winners from 2021 across various styles on this episode that confirm, hey, yeah, maybe the judges know what they’re doing. We also brainstorm some local beer gift box ideas, find Craig roaming the island of misfit candy, and audition to #FineTuneFoBAB. Beers Reviewed The Hopewell Brewing Co. - Arrow of Time [Blend 002] (Oak-aged Wild Ale) - Silver in Wild Mixed Culture Beer (Acidic) Sours Black Horizon Brewing Co. - Gin Barrel-Aged Stand and Deliver (Gin Barrel-Aged Golden Strong Ale) - Bronze in Other Pale Beer Milwaukee Brewing Company - Barrel-Aged Barleywine - Bronze in Barleywine/Wheatwine Short Fuse Brewing Company - Bourbon Barrel-Aged Precious Little Treats (Imperial Stout aged in bourbon barrels w/ vanilla be

Rising from the depths of an obsidian sea to bring about an experience both conceptual and elemental that bends past the traditional, or something: Benthic 2021. To kick off Barrel-Aged DecemberNFT we wade through the cosmic gumbo for this show on Half Acre’s big adjunct stout release for 2021. Five variants of the barrel-aged coconut stout are up for review and lead us to the 4PM Shedd Aquarium tour where things get a bit raunchy. Also, we talk about the podcast we would’ve started at age 15, a Craig soundboard for prank calls, and the symptoms of Fish Can Influence. Ready your decks and watch your hit points, folks. Beers Reviewed Benthic (Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout w/ coconut and coffee) XTRA DUBL Benthic (Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout w/ 3x toasted coconut and 2x coffee) Vanilla Benthic (Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout w/ coconut and vanilla) Rum Coconut Benthic (Rum and Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout w/ coconut) Vampira Benthic (Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout w/ coffee and coconut

We take on five beers from the great city of Cincinnati for this episode, courtesy of listener Andrew who picked out an exceptionally fun variety of styles and odd ingredients. It’s not every week we get beers with juniper berries, paw paw, and tayberries. Also, we discuss a tweet about which famous old people could identify Mario; we talk about some of our favorite signature fonts; and we have the majesty of dolphins ruined for us forever.  Beers Reviewed Streetside Brewery - Return of the Mac (Coffee blond w/ caramel creme coffee and vanilla) Rhinegeist Brewery - Infinite Dawn (Sour blonde ale aged in an oak foeder) Rebel Mettle - Volume (Schwarzbier with juniper berries) Urban Artifact - Dilophosaurus (Barrel-aged wild ale w/ paw paw) Fibonacci Brewing Company - Ploidy (Imperial oatmeal stout w/ tayberries)

Add a 2021 FoBAB Gold Medal to the many reasons why Cruz Blanca’s seasonal barrel-aged beer release is not to be missed, but you hopefully already knew that anyways. For this one, we chat with head brewer Jacob Sembrano before opening up all eight of these grapplers in the Luchador series. Jacob talks with us about growing Cruz beyond just a brewpub, what makes something a “Cruz beer,” and some of the surprising flavor inspirations behind this year’s Luchadors. Then we drink ‘em all up, and it’s a wild ride, y’all. Also, Craig has a hard time enjoying the aquarium, and Ryan just wants to talk about candles.  Beers Reviewed Escorpión (Imperial prickly pear and dragon fruit ale aged in Cabernet red wine and Barbados rum barrels) Barbarosa (Imperial black and red raspberry ale aged in Heaven Hill bourbon and Cabernet red wine barrels) Maravilla (Imperial blonde ale aged in Barbados rum and Woody Creek rye whiskey barrels with Mexican vanilla) Coco Fantasma (Imperial blonde ale aged in Barbados rum and Woody Cree

We’re finally caught up on Craig’s summer Northeast trip which took him to Barreled Souls, who do 100% oak-fermented beers out of their Maine location. The flavors are big and bold, and some work much better for us than others. But the standouts are incredible, and we’re even getting some slushie vibes. Also, Craig considers his scent, Ryan runs down all the different sub-styles of soup beers, and we hold a community Fluff event.  Beers Reviewed  Space Gose (Gose w/ coriander, Maine sea salt, and lemon zest) Speakeasy Red Sangria (Red wine barrel-aged gose w/ Concord grape, cranberry, orange, currant, & lemon) 8x Magnification (Quadruple IPA) Crazy Squares 2.0 (Barleywine w/ Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal) Woodford Bourbon Stay Puft (Imperial stout w/ marshmallow fluff aged in Woodford bourbon barrels)

It’s the episode where we drink all the Bourbon County beers being released on Black Friday this year, and give you our honest reactions to this eight-bottle lineup. Whatever we say probably won’t influence your purchasing decisions whatsoever, but we had fun and got drunk while doing it. Honestly, we try to run our podcast with a set of principles as there's a drive into deep left field by Castellanos and that'll be a homerun. And so that'll make it a 4-0 ballgame. Beers Reviewed Bourbon County Brand Stout 2021 Bourbon County Reserve 150 Stout Bourbon County Reserve Blanton’s Stout Bourbon County Cherry Wood Stout Bourbon County Double Barrel Toasted Barrel Stout (BCDBTBS) Bourbon County Classic Cola Stout Bourbon County Fourteen Stout Proprietor’s Stout 2021

In another tale of the macabre (beers), our palates are attacked and our bodies shake with that unmistakable burn: it can only be Crypt Fever! We once again try to outdo one another by picking beers we think are going to be revolting for a blind test of our tolerance for bad - and most of these drinks fit the horrible bill. We also envision the Skoilet, smell some sockfruit, invent Flushtones™, and discuss why hard seltzers are the future of the Torture Test.  Beers Administered The Bruery Terreux - Frucht: Cucumber (Sour Berliner Weiss w/ cucumbers)Hoppin’ Frog Brewery - Verrückter Brauer (Strong Lager) Abita Brewing Company - Strawberry Lager Shipyard Brewing Company - Pumpkin Head Hard Seltzer 5 Rabbit Cervecería - ChocFruit Piña (Stout w/ pineapple, from 2016) Forbidden Root - Money on My Rind (Wheat beer w/ juniper and grapefruit, from 2016?)

For the 28th installment of our State Show series, our friend Don Kasak brought us back a nice (IPA-less) lineup from South Dakota. We have five different beers from five different breweries, although one host’s personal curse seems hellbent on lowering that number. But in addition to these enjoyable brews, we construct five different nostalgia/pop culture-based Mount Rushmores of our own, which leads to discussions around cereal mascots, Seinfeld NPCs, classic WWF wrestlers, Saturday morning cartoons, and 90s bassists. We also find new ways to describe “yellow,” dream of our favorite highly dangerous vehicles, and piledrive our friends.  Beers Reviewed Remedy Brewing Company [Sioux Falls, SD] - MarketBrew (Hoppy wheat ale) Sawyer Brewing Co. [Spearfish, SD] - Blood Orange Blond Ale Obscure Brewing Co. [Sioux Falls, SD] - SoDa Kölsch Eponymous Brewing Company [Brookings, SD] - Blueberry Indiglow (Barrel-aged sour w/ blueberries) A Homestead Brew [Valley Springs, SD] - Blood Run Belgian Dubbel

With Duneyrr Artisan Fermenta Project, Tyler Davis wants to explore the ways wine and beer fermentation can cross over into styles that defy traditional categorization. And with Moderne Dune, he is using newer ingredients and techniques with IPAs and lagers in thoughtful and artful ways. We talk with Tyler about his many projects and upcoming taproom, the origins of Duneyrr, his brewing history, choosing quality over locality when it matters, and how deep into the world of wine he’s looking to venture. Then we drink five beers - two from Moderne Dune and three from Duneyrr - to better appreciate his vision and see how our beer-centric tastes react to his wine hybrids. We also threaten to kill the Cold IPA, Craig goes all Whitman on us, and Ryan’s getting rich off those NFTs. Can we be franc? Beers Reviewed Moderne Dune - River Yacht (Cold IPA w/ Mosaic, Meridian, and Motueka) Moderne Dune - Invited Concept (DDH Lager w/ Loral and Citra) Duneyrr Artisan Fermenta Project - Freya Franc (Sour Hybrid w/ strawberri

To recognize the improbable 400th episode of this show, we take it all the way back to the beginning - with a little added age. We revisit the same five local breweries from “Episode 1 - Chicago Stouts” - but this time, there are barrels involved. We take stock of all that has changed along the way and share a few memories from listeners. But there’s also our Top 3 arcade cabinets, shameless Trader Joe’s plugs, some babka truths, stout luge races, and a little old-fashioned Ryan rage over unwieldy beer prices. I’d buy that for a dollar.    Beers Reviewed   Spiteful Brewing - Barrel-Aged Hostile Harry - Cinnamon Bun 2020 (Russian Imperial Stout w/ cinnamon and vanilla aged in Weller barrels) Solemn Oath Brewery - Nourri Au Pistache (Imperial Milk Stout w/ vanilla and pistachio aged in bourbon barrels) Half Acre Beer Company - Double Barrel Catch Hell (Imperial Stout w/ Vietnamese cinnamon and vanilla, aged in Four Roses Small Batch and Four Roses Single Barrel Select barrels) Pipeworks Brewing Company - Phanto

In a record year at the Great American Beer Festival, Illinois breweries captured 16 medals across a wide variety of styles. We ran all over Chicagoland to assemble six of the medal winning beers to sample while sharing a pretty comprehensive history of Illinois beers at GABF in the 21st century. Also, we pitch some ideas for Extreme Bingo, play a game of Stumptappd about beers with depressing movie names, and get stuck between a glitter bomb and a jamband. More lactose categories next year, please. Beers Reviewed Alarmist Brewing - Midwest Royalty (Bronze Medal in American-Style Lager) Pollyanna Brewing Co. - Party Penguin (Bronze Medal in Other Strong Beer) DESTIHL Brewery - DeadHead IPA Series: Haze of the Dead (Bronze Medal in Juicy or Hazy Imperial India Pale Ale) Old Irving Brewing Co. - Della (Silver Medal in German-Style Koelsch) Short Fuse Brewing Co. - Tropical Hurt Locker (Silver Medal in Fruited American Sour Ale) Will County Brewing Co. - Bamm Bamm Loves Pebbles (Gold Medal in Fruit Wheat Beer) F

From the rolling green hills of Vermont, we have five beers that span the state for our 27th installment in our State Show series. All five breweries included are new to the show with a wide variety of styles, and at least one beer elicits the strangest divergent reactions we’ve had in quite some time. Also, Ryan is living through an unwritten Seinfeld episode, Craig is disappointed by the lack of moose, and we both fixate on parts of songs we had never noticed before. You’re going to have to speak a little louder - I had a Crunchwrap® today. Beers Reviewed von Trapp Brewing [Stowe, VT] - Vienna Style Lager Collaborative Brewing [Waitsfield, VT] - Salute Your Schwarz (Schwarzbier) River Roost Brewery [White River Junction, VT] - Neon Burning Bright (Mixed-culture saison aged in gin barrels w/ ginger, lime, and Cara Cara oranges) Foam Brewers [Burlington, VT] - Galaxie 500 (Double IPA) Hermit Thrush Brewery [Brattleboro, VT] - Rowdy Monk (Mixed-culture quadrupel aged in red wine and scotch barrels)

This week, we’re perusing the aisles of three of the most popular grocery store chains who contract brew their own IPAs so they can sell them at a steep discount, all to determine if it’s okay to skip your trip to Beer on the Wall every now and then. (It’s not.) We have some, uh, spirited reviews of the IPAs made by Costco, Aldi, and Trader Joe’s, with one nearly-redeeming surprise. Also, we welcome a live studio audience to the show for the first time, petition to take over the Challenge Butter Twitter account, and make people a little h*rny for soup beers. A true adventure awaits. Beers Reviewed Costco: Kirkland Signature (Hopfen Und Malz/Gordon Biersch) - Citra Hop Session IPA Aldi: State of Brewing (Octopi Brewing) - Hopping Nomad Session IPA Aldi: State of Brewing (Octopi Brewing) - Hazy IPA Trader Joe’s: Farm Island Brewing (Peak Organic) - Organic IPA Trader Joe’s: Rhinelander Brewing Company - Boatswain Double IPA