ABV Chicago Craft Beer Podcast

One decade of suffering and despair is enough to push anyone to the limits, and on this FINAL INSTALLMENT of our annual Bad Beer Punish-A-Thon, we take things even further with a seemingly malevolent and vindictive Wheel of Torture. Listen in as we try and eviscerate each other with bad beers both old and new, then the devious Wheel forces us to drink beers from the "Old Beer Lottery" that fall into either category: "Possibly Bad" or "Probably Bad." There's also an unpleasant Run for the Border; Craig is serving his liquid filth completely warm; Ryan's going to force as many spins as possible; and someone must take the dreaded Anti-Hero Malort shot. Expect to hear the phrase "garbage truck crashing into a locker room" as an aroma descriptor, and then say goodbye forever to the Torture Test.  Torturous Beers Consumed Grupo Modelo - Victoria Vicky Chamoy (Vienna-style lager w/ natural flavors) Dark Horse Brewing Co. - Bourbon Barrel Aged Tres Blueberry Stout Rogue Ales - Juniper Pale Ale (Pale ale w/ Juniper berries) Upland Brewing Company - Blackberry Lambic  Founders Brewing Co. - Sweet Repute (Wheatwine aged in maple syrup bourbon barrels) Arcade Brewery - Barrel Aged Mega Milk (Oatmeal milk stout aged in bourbon barrels) Other Liquids Consumed That Are Mostly Old Central Waters - Peruvian Morning (2013) New Belgium - Voodoo Ranger: Fruit Force (2024) Half Acre/Sierra Nevada - Daisy Cutter Select (2024) Hop Butcher for the World - The World's Columbian Exposition (2017) New Glarus - Apple Ale (2018) Hop Butcher for the World - Dark Black (2020) A Taco Bell Diablo sauce packet (2026) Brewery Vivant - Moon Monk (2016) Jeppson's/Revolution Anti-Hero Malort (2020)

It creeps up on us every year as it comes earlier and earlier, and this year's alluring part one lineup of Revolution barrel-aged beers has us feeling the love. We sample four variations on the Deth's Tar stout for this segment of the 2026-2027 Deep Wood Release calendar, and we're pretty sure there's no wrong way to cuvée them in the end. But also, Ryan has started seeing shackets (or shirkets, whatever your pleasure); Craig recaps the Blend-a-Barrel event at Rev; we consider Marty's ever-evolving barrel science; and we must always consider WWCD?. 2026 Deep Wood Beers Reviewed Deth's Tar (Imperial Oatmeal Stout aged in bourbon barrels) Café Deth (Imperial Oatmeal Stout aged in bourbon barrels and steeped with fresh coffee beans) Coconut Deth (Imperial Stout aged in bourbon barrels with coconut) Supermassive Coconut Deth (Imperial Stout aged in bourbon barrels with coconut)

It's about every seven years that the great pumpkin beer show rises again, and this one is just Ryan running wild with some mixed six pack racks until we have a whole mess of adjunct-forward pumpkin beers that (mostly) get us in a Fall mood. But it is a fun way to drink five beers from breweries we almost never have on the show! Listen as we try to keep an open mind while considering why someone might take their height for granted; we chipmunk our cheeks with pumpkin donuts; we face our fears with the masters of pastry beers; and we think everything in haunted houses is scary.  Beers Reviewed Fat Orange Cat Brew Co. - Pumpkin Chai Latte (Oatmeal stout w/ pumpkin spice & chai) Little House Brewing Company - Pumpkin Spice Donuts (Scotch-style ale w/ cider donuts, pumpkin spice, and vanilla) Schlafly Brewery - Vanilla Pumpkin Ale (Pumpkin ale w/ vanilla) Southern Tier Brewing Company - Maple Warlock (Imperial pumpkin stout w/ maple syrup) Shipyard Brewing Company - Smashed Pumpkin (Imperial pumpkin spice ale)

Back in the summer, we grabbed this mixed four-pack from San Diego's Alesmith because of some eye-catching collaborators and unusual style pairings with coffee. This small but mighty lineup is as delicious as it is…caffeinated. But also, we question whether or not certain multitasking is necessary; Craig cements himself as a real bean squeezer; and Ryan would now like to be known as The Man of La Matcha.  Beers Reviewed Collaboration with Pizza Port Brewing and Jaunt Coffee Roasters - Dark Lager w/ Matriarch espresso, single‑origin Mexican coffee and lemon Collaboration with Mikerphone Brewing and Heady Cup Coffee Roasters - Saison Ale w/ washed Colombian coffee Collaboration with Societe Brewing and Modern Monk Coffee - Amber Ale co-fermented w/ coffee Collaboration with Everywhere Brewing and MoonGoat Coffee Roasters - Imperial Cream Ale with strawberries, vanilla, cinnamon, and tropical Maypop Caturra coffee

Join Ryan and Craig, your guides to the (sub)urban beer jungle, as they experience the eccentric, offbeat, and unexpected Wild beers of Chicagoland! They imbibe four different ales fermented with wild yeasts and bacteria while aged in oak and review them for your listening pleasure. They also look back on the heyday of local wilds and sours, make difficult sleeping arrangement decisions, pay respect to the breweries that made them want to podcast, try to catch a pass from Doug Flutie, and introduce the world to the 'Gurt Guys.  Beers Reviewed Imperial Oak Brewing - Lime Gin Barrel-Aged Straw (Foeder-aged Saison aged in lime gin barrels w/ Brettanomyces) Noon Whistle Brewing - Raspberry Funderen (Mixed fermentation foeder-aged Wild Ale w/ raspberries) Une Année Brewery - Le Grande Monde 2026-1 (Barrel-aged American Wild Ale w/ black currants and vanilla beans) Off Color Brewing - PH1 (Barrel-aged American Wild Ale)