Abv Chicago Craft Beer Podcast

We continue our mission to drink the United States with a little help from listener Jeb who provided six Minnesota beers for this episode. And we’re positively blown away by some of the beers coming from the North Star state. In addition to our reviews and arbitrary rankings, there’s much discussion of Minnesota’s cultural contributions and infuriating baseball team (for two White Sox fans). We also let our inner fat kids loose and rage about Oreo Thins a little bit. Craig shares his extensive research. Ryan does a bad Craig Finn impression. Boof Bonser has a pipe made from a Pringles can.   Rankings   Ryan 1. August Schell Dawn of Aurora Berliner Weisse 2. Dangerous Man Peanut Butter Porter 3. Indeed Let It Ride IPA 4. Bent Paddle Cold Press Black Ale 5. Bauhaus Stargrazer Schwarzbier 6. Steel Toe Size 7 IPA   Craig 1. August Schell Dawn of Aurora Berliner Weisse 2. Dangerous Man Peanut Butter Porter 3. Bent Paddle Cold Press Black Ale 4. Bauhaus Stargrazer Schwarzbier 5. Indeed Let It Ride IPA 6. Steel Toe

Join Ryan and Craig, your guides to the urban beer jungle, as they experience the eccentric, offbeat, and unexpected Wild beers of Chicago! They imbibe six different ales fermented with wild yeasts and bacteria and review them for your listening pleasure. They’ll also visit with a singing cab driver, check out the 14th annual Contortionists’ Parade, and visit the last Russian bathhouse in Chicago! Or they’ll complain about heartburn and wax, discuss childhood television, and describe things as “lemony” a lot. Either way, you’ll want to strap on your safari hat and join them on this episode. And f’ your wax!   Ryan 1. Off Color/Jester King Radiolaria 2. Transient/Fountainhead Brutus 3. Une Année Esquisse 4. Lake Effect Vielle Blond 5. Marz Duchesse de Bridgeport 6. Penrose Wild XI   Craig 1. Transient/Fountainhead Brutus 2. Off Color/Jester King Radiolaria 3. Une Année Esquisse 4. Marz Duchesse de Bridgeport 5. Lake Effect Vielle Blond 6. Penrose Wild XI

Achtung Chicago! On this episode, it’s a pilsner face-off between Germany and Chicago as we review eight of these pale-malted and lightly-hopped lagers to determine the definitive LAND OF PILSNERS. We choose somewhat predictably. In addition, you get a taste of Pilsner history from Craig and a healthy dose of distractions from Ryan. Also, neither of us realize how drunk we’ve become by the end. We also say “balls” three times in the first fifteen minutes, which isn’t like us, so, sorry about that. And listen for Ryan’s very special, limited time offer for free stuff. This episode is dedicated to our homie, Herb Wurzig.   Matchups:   Baderbrӓu Chicago Pilsener vs. Kӧnig Pilsener Metropolitan Flywheel Bright Lager vs. Weihenstephaner Pilsner Local Option Outlawger vs. Kaiserdom Pilsener Half Acre Pony Pils vs. Wolters Pilsener   Rankings:   Craig 1. Weihenstephaner Pilsner 2. Metropolitan Flywheel Bright Lager 3. Half Acre Pony Pils 4. Baderbrӓu Chicago Pilsener 5. Local Option Outlawger 6. Kӧnig Pilsener 7. Ka

We’ve been planning this one for a while, and we finally get to drink a lineup of delicious beers from The Rare Barrel. We review five beers from these young fermentation and blending experts out of Berkley, CA. Ryan did his research, so you’ll learn a lot about the brewery, including the somewhat unusual process by which they make beer, the “3 sip rule”, their naming inspirations, and how they go about finding the real “rare barrel.” There’s a good ten minute discussion about membership programs/reserve societies, and the potential advantages and problems those can present. We also play another game of Beers Against Humanity, which forces us to get pretty weird and raunchy. Gattaca!   Ryan 1. Forces Unseen (Golden Sour Beer Aged in Oak Barrels) 2. Wise Guise (Red Sour Beer Aged in Oak Barrels with Raspberries) 3. Ensorcelled (Dark Sour Beer Aged in Oak Barrels with Raspberries) 4. Shadows of Their Eyes (Dark Sour Beer Aged in Oak Barrels) 5. Another World (Red Sour Beer Aged in Oak Barrels)   Craig 1. Enso

The fine folks of New Glarus brewing in Wisconsin have been brewing the highest quality fruit beers around for longer than just about anyone in the U.S. We invite Marie Cummins back to the show to help us review and rank eight of these outstanding brews. We pair all of the beers with Wisconsin cheeses based on New Glarus’ recommendations, and one is a spectacular failure. Also, hear us talk about booze-soaked Strawberry Shortcake, Chocolate Rain, Hawaiian Punch, “Still the One” by Orleans, and Star Wars. Craig explains why he is the body and face of the show, Ryan basks in sweet heartburn revenge, and Marie puts up with all of Craig’s shit. Did we mention the beer is incredible?   Rankings   Marie 1. Belgian Red 2. Serendipity 3. Apple Ale 4. Raspberry Tart 5. Cran-bic 6. R&D Sour Fruit (Very Sour Blackberry) 7. Strawberry Rhubarb 8. Enigma   Ryan 1. R&D Sour Fruit (Very Sour Blackberry) 2. Belgian Red 3. Serendipity 4. Cran-bic 5. Raspberry Tart 6. Apple Ale 7. Strawberry Rhubarb 8. Enigma   Craig

The Beerists swept through this city like a drunken typhoon, and they stopped by to wreak some havoc on Craig's cellar. John Rubio, Anastacia Kelly, and Mike Lambert join us to do what they've been doing for longer than us: review delicious beers. We talk about their Austin-based award-winning podcast, highlights of their Chicago trip, and their observations on this city's beer culture. Also, Anastacia gives spot-on food pairings, Rubio sings, and Craig and Mike become closer than we are comfortable with. You're welcome!   Rankings   Rubio and Mike 1. Goose Island Rare Bourbon County Brand Stout 2. DeGarde Imperial Blackberry Bu 3. Toppling Goliath Assassin (2014) 4. The Lost Abbey Duck Duck Gooze (2013) 5. Funk Factory Framrood   Craig and Ryan 1. Goose Island Rare Bourbon County Brand Stout 2. DeGarde Imperial Blackberry Bu 3. The Lost Abbey Duck Duck Gooze (2013) 4. Toppling Goliath Assassin (2014) 5. Funk Factory Framrood   Anastacia 1. DeGarde Imperial Blackberry Bu 2. Goose Island Rare Bourbon County B

We bust into some beer mail from Maine and New Hampshire, thanks to our new best friend Dave. We review six beers of varying styles with the help of our most regular and precious guest, Dennis. In addition to our typically eloquent aroma and taste descriptors, we bring a veritable symphony of randomness and small wind instruments. Topics include coolships, “tart” vs. “sour”, agreeable hop profiles, local IPA comparisons, Weird Al, LeVar Burton, Flintstone vitamins, that guy from Mr. Show, and weed. We also get to the bottom of why Craig doesn’t like hoppy stouts. Be one with the trees.   Craig 1. Allagash Coolship Resurgam (2015) Gueuze 2. Stoneface Mozaccalypse DIPA 3. Foundation Forge Russian Imperial Stout 4. Stoneface IPA 5. Bissell Brothers The Substance IPA 6. Oxbow Barrel-Aged Farmhouse Pale Ale   Ryan 1. Allagash Coolship Resurgam (2015) Gueuze 2. Bissell Brothers The Substance IPA 3. Foundation Forge Russian Imperial Stout 4. Stoneface Mozaccalypse DIPA 5. Stoneface IPA 6. Oxbow Barrel-Aged Farmhou

We acquaint ourselves with six more of Chad Yakobson’s fine funky brews from his Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project in this episode. These 2014 Cellar Reserve offerings are all oak-aged and brettanomyces-fermented with fruits added, so rankings become difficult. Ryan is prepared this time with a few homemade heartburn remedies, so hear him experiment and suffer. We talk a lot about Chad & Brett. (4-eva), candy, cereal grain, crossbreeding, yogurt, fancy candles, and Craig’s upcoming memoir, Tough to Touch. Burundi is so happy you’ve come to visit!   Craig 1. Blueberry Petite Sour 2. L’Brett D’Or Grand Cru 3. Raspberry Origins 4. Blackberry Dark Origins 5. Passionfruit Petite Sour 6. L’Brett D’Pluot   Ryan 1. L’Brett D’Or Grand Cru 2. Blueberry Petite Sour 3. Blackberry Dark Origins 4. Raspberry Origins 5. L’Brett D’Pluot 6. Passionfruit Petite Sour

Ed from Boston brought us beers from Night Shift Brewing’s 2014 Barrel Society, and we all review five of them with the “assistance” of Dennis. This solid lineup from the Massachusetts brewery includes many brettanomyces-enhanced sours and barrel-aged goodies. In addition, Dennis provides his expertise on dog food and how the food industry uses specific descriptors to trick you. We try and diagnose what’s wrong with Ryan. There’s a debate over forest floor or forest flora or forced floor. And Craig reads from the bottle and watches the Blackhawks. We somehow manage to talk beers amongst a mixed bag of distractions that also includes mousy taints, Garfield, “Hanging Yoga”, Cool Water by Davidoff, horses, and David Schwimmer.  Someone please hire Dennis.   Ed and Craig   1. Pluto (Sour ale aged with raspberries and brettanomyces) 2. Nebula (Berlinner Weisse aged with brettanomyces and prickly pears) 3. Quasar (Barrel-aged ale with brettanomyces and passion fruit) 4. Orion (Sour dark ale aged in oak barrels) 5.

  Temperance Beer Company is churning out medal-winning beers from their Evanston brewery, and brewmaster Claudia Jendron invited us up to try most of their portfolio. Turns out that spending an afternoon drinking ten beers with Claudia makes for pretty great conversation. In addition to plenty of brewing notes, Claudia talks about the experience of winning a medal at GABF; her extreme commitment to quality control and customer service; and her preference for English ingredients to create a unique take on refreshing, approachable beers. She also talks about moving from receptionist to brewer at Goose Island and how the AB-InBev buyout impacted the brewery. We learn about the challenge of hop contracts, canning’s benefits over bottling, and the calculated risks in barrel-aging. This is a great listen, and by the end, you’ll want to start a hop farm.     Our Top Beers     Ryan   1. Grapefruit Escapist IPA   2. Restless Years Rye APA   3. Smittytown ESB     Craig   1. Smittytown Tart ESB   2. Restless Year

Imperial Oak Brewing is approaching their first anniversary, and we visit them at their Willow Springs brewpub to sample their beers and talk about their operation. Brewers and owners Grant Hamilton and Brett Semenske are getting the most out of their 7-barrel brewery through constant experimentation with post-fermentation additions and barrel treatments. Owner Chris DiBraccio talks about his decade-plus experience running Brixie’s Beer Bar in Brookfield and how it’s helped keep Imperial Oak flowing smoothly. We learn a bit about their unique artwork, the plethora of growler and merchandise selections they sell, and why the local bikers love them. Craig also geeks out a lot on Star Wars, and someone finally calls Ryan out on his shit. It’s a trap! (Please don’t sue us, George Lucas.)     Craig   1. Billy Dee’s Coconut Pecan Porter   2. Barrel-aged Admiral Ackbeer It’s a Barrel-aged Trap!ist Dubbel   3. Barrel-aged Odin’s Beard Imperial Red Ale   4. Brother’s Keeper Imperial Honey Saison      5. Crank It Ho

It’s adjunct stout hour featuring chocolate, vanilla, cinnamon, and peppers - all tasted and reviewed blind! We review and rank six “Mexican hot chocolate” style beers, and only you - the lisener - will know what we are drinking. Get ready for some Telenovela-sized plot twists in this one, as we ruin Craig’s favorite beer for him forever and an unexpected local brewery handily defeats all the others. Bring your mouth!   Ryan 1. Spiteful Malevolence: Chocolate Caliente 2. Perennial Abraxas 3. Cigar City Hunahpu’s Imperial Stout (2014) 4. Westbrook Mexican Cake (2013) 5. Hailstorm Vlad the Conquistador 6. 18th Street Bitches’ Bank   Craig 1. Spiteful Malevolence: Chocolate Caliente 2. Cigar City Hunahpu’s Imperial Stout (2014) 3. Perennial Abraxas 4. Westbrook Mexican Cake (2013) 5. Hailstorm Vlad the Conquistador 6. 18th Street Bitches’ Bank

Craig hates coffee, but he loves coffee beers. Ryan makes Craig taste and smell coffee, and then we drink five high alcohol coffee beers. With the help of massive amounts of caffeine, we answer all of your questions about coffee and coffee beers. What are the best coffee beers out there? How do brewers add coffee during the brewing process? What happens when you pour cheap canned espresso into BCBCS? How does Craig put his cream in? Why do we talk about Four Loko for so long? Remember Goldfinger?   Craig 1. Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Coffee Stout (2014) 2. Off Color Coffee Dino S’mores Stout 3. Epic Big Bad Baptist Imperial Stout (Release #30) 4. Lagunitas High-Westified Imperial Coffee Stout 5. 4 Hands Three Kings Barrel-Aged Tripel   Ryan   1. Epic Big Bad Baptist Imperial Stout (Release #30) 2. Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Coffee Stout (2014) 3. Off Color Coffee Dino S’mores Stout 4. Lagunitas High-Westified Imperial Coffee Stout 5. 4 Hands Three Kings Barrel-Aged Tripel   Coffees   Passion Hou

The south suburbs have exploded with options for great beer, and The Open Bottle is the right beer store for the right time. We sit down with owners Patrick and Julie to talk about their Tinley Park bottle shop and tap room, and we review six delicious local beers. They share what inspired the concept, how they curate their selection, and why Tinley was the right place for the business. They also get us drunk before noon, and we talk about beer muzzles, Bud Light winning blind tastings, and some crying beer hunters. And find out why the alternate title of this episode is “Pay attention, Craig!”   Totally Arbitrary Rankings!   Craig 1. 350 Brewing Crook County IPA 2. Pollyanna Brewing Ocular DIPA 3. Hailstorm Brewing 1st Anniversary Sour 4. Imperial Oak Prediction?...Pain! DIPA 5. Banging Gavel Chicanery Russian Imperial Stout 6. Arrowhead Ales Entry Level Snob IPA   Ryan 1. Pollyanna Brewing Ocular DIPA 2. Hailstorm Brewing 1st Anniversary Sour 3. 350 Brewing Crook County IPA 4. Banging Gavel Chicanery Russ

With so many new arrivals to the Chicago market, we make sure our audio welcome basket is stuffed with goodies. We drink five beers that are new to Chicagoland (and one that is a return), and try to advise on whether or not they’re worth the shelf space - or your money. We discuss whether or not we need any more IPAs and how other breweries recent to the market are doing. Craig recaps his recent beer travels and shares some exciting rib tips. Ryan talks about Dennis Quaid and verbose brewers. Who wants to drink some Sea Monkeys?   Ryan 1. Prairie Eliza5beth Midwest Farmhouse Ale with Apricots 2. Schlafly Kolsch 3. Urban Chestnut Zwickel Bavarian-Style Lager 4. Coronado Blue Bridge Coffee Stout 5. 21st Amendment Hell or High Watermelon Wheat 6. Sweetwater 420 Extra Pale Ale   Craig 1. Schlafly Kolsch 2. Urban Chestnut Zwickel Bavarian-Style Lager 3. 21st Amendment Hell or High Watermelon Wheat 4. Prairie Eliza5beth Midwest Farmhouse Ale with Apricots 5. Coronado Blue Bridge Coffee Stout 6. Sweetwater 420 Extra

The founder of 51st Ward Beer Company, Tim Hoerman, hooked us up with six of his beers, and we find many surprises, mostly pleasant! We occasionally veer away from our reviews to talk brewing with vanilla beans, Jesus' hygiene, and Knuckles from Sonic the Hedgehog - and that's just one segment. We also say "Doody" a lot because we are children. Experience the unexpected!   Ryan 1. Control Freak Rakau Imperial IPA2. Down Over Vienna Lager 3. The Mayor Cream Ale 4. The Poll Tax Scottish Export Ale 5. Pill Hill Vanilla Porter 6. East Clintwood Harvest Ale   Craig 1. The Mayor Cream Ale 2. Control Freak Rakau Imperial IPA 3. The Poll Tax Scottish Export Ale 4. Down Over Vienna Lager 5. Pill Hill Vanilla Porter 6. East Clintwood Harvest Ale

We get our inner fat kid hammered on beer and cookies. In this episode, we’re looking for the right local beer pairings with Girl Scout cookies. We have six pairings to review, but thankfully, Ryan has edited out all the chewing and moaning. We test out some new characters, call for year-round cookie sales, and explain why Twitter hates babies. Craig forgot a beer and then throws some stuff. Ryan is unaware of U2. Support your local troop, y’all!   Beer and Cookie Pairing Rankings Ryan 1. Tagalongs and Three Floyds Behemoth 2. Do-Si-Dos and Arcade Final Level 3. Samoas and Pipeworks Imperial End of Days 4. Thin Mints and Aquanaut Misterioso 5. Savannah Smiles and Scorched Earth General Resin 6. Trefoils and Moody Tongue Steeped Emperor   Craig 1. Tagalongs and Three Floyds Behemoth 2. Samoas and Pipeworks Imperial End of Days 3. Thin Mints and Aquanaut Misterioso 4. Do-Si-Dos and Arcade Final Level 5. Trefoils and Moody Tongue Steeped Emperor 6. Savannah Smiles and Scorched Earth General Resin   Beer Rankin

Things get a little salty as we open up nine different Goses, and good Gose do we overload this episode with crappy puns. But we also talk a little history, embrace Bahl Hornin' (whatever the hell that is), decant some peppers, and get surprisingly sauced on 4 percent alcohol beers. And Ryan wishes Craig was a taco. So it gose.   Craig 1. Ritterguts Gose 2. Freigeist Geisterzug Gose 3. Westbrook Gose 4. Westbrook Gozu 5. Leipziger Gose 6. DESTIHL Here Gose Nothing 7. Anderson Valley Blood Orange Gose 8. Against the Grain There Gose The Neighborhood 9. Marz Ruby’s Tears   Ryan 1. Ritterguts Gose 2. DESTIHL Here Gose Nothing 3. Westbrook Gose 4. Westbrook Gozu 5. Leipziger Gose 6. Anderson Valley Blood Orange Gose 7. Against the Grain There Gose The Neighborhood 8. Freigeist Geisterzug Gose 9. Marz Ruby’s Tears  

We sure drink a lot of Chicago’s own Transient Artisan Ales, and now that some of his beers are being distributed for non-reserve society members, it’s a fine occasion to drink some more! We review five of Chris Betts’ beers of varying styles, and we don’t pull any punches. Well, we don’t have to. This beer is damn good. Expect talk of a new slogan, cherry soda, progressive tingles, and The Power of Almost. Our bindles are bulging full of fun! Craig 1. Presque (Red Wine) 2. Pentameter 3. Henry 4. Presque (Apple Brandy) 5. Cuvier   Ryan 1. Presque (Red Wine) 2. Pentameter 3. Cuvier 4. Henry 5. Presque (Apple Brandy)  

With an award nomination under our belts and a pocket full of new money, we skip the lines and haul in some barrel-aged Chicago-area brews. We review five beers and, occasionally, get distracted! Ryan checks out Exit Strategy in Forest Park, Craig struggles with wax, and Josh Deth does a...uh, nevermind. There’s Tinley Park stories, more FOBAB memories, yogurty cabs, street toughs, Waka Flocculation, and bad Untappd reviewer habits. The struggle is real! Ryan 1. Temperance Beer Co. Manhattan Might Meets Right 2. Middle Brow Beer Co. Who’s That Girl? 3. Imperial Oak Brewing Barrel Aged I Must Break You\ 4. Penrose Brewing Bourbon Barrel Aged Spectral 5. Hailstorm Brewing Vlad the Second Craig 1. Temperance Beer Co. Manhattan Might Meets Right 2. Middle Brow Beer Co. Who’s That Girl? 3. Imperial Oak Brewing Barrel Aged I Must Break You\   4. Hailstorm Brewing Vlad the Second 5. Penrose Brewing Bourbon Barrel Aged Spectral