Crafty Brewers: Tales Behind Craft Beer

How did a brown ale score 97 out of 100 to become the best beer in the country? Plus: learn exactly what its brewer put into it.Kishwaukee Brewing Co-Owner and Head Brewer Dan Payson and Co-Owner Cara Payson (marketing, customer service,and self-described “Jill of all trades”) share how a laid-off Seattle architect turned homebrewing into a pro career, thanks in part to a hockey challenge against legendary brewer Skip Madsen. Dan explains what separates a Kolsch from a Pilsner, why a hybrid yeast gives Kestrel Kolsch its citrus-rind finish, and what makes Bufflehead, an American-style brown ale, different from its English cousin. Plus: how Bufflehead went from a single pilot keg to World Beer Cupsilver and a 97-point rating as The Beer Connoisseur's 2025 Best Beer of the Year, why opening during the pandemic made Kishwaukee a bottles-only brewery, and Cara's case that “hazy is lazy.”0:00 Inside Kishwaukee Brewing in Woodstock, Illinois3:20 The Seattle Craft Beer Scene in the Early 2000s5:48 Did Beer Bring Dan and Cara Together?7:23 Why an Architect Started Homebrewing During the Recession10:24 Learning Beer at Bottleworks and Fremont Brewing12:08 Dan's First Homebrew: A West Coast IPA13:43 Remember 22-Ounce Bomber Bottles?14:39 Deciding to Go Pro (and a Hockey Story Tease)17:29 Scoring on Skip Madsen: The Hockey Challenge That Built a Brewery22:36 Brian Noonan vs. Brian Noonan: A Blackhawks Mix-Up25:40 Beer break25:47 Brewer's Choice: Kestrel Kolsch From a Mug Club Brew Day27:47 Kolsch vs Pilsner: What's the Difference?28:10 What Is a Kestrel? The Story Behind the Bird-Themed Beers30:17 Why the "Original Six" Beers Don't Get Names33:37 Why Kolsch Has a Citrus Finish (Hybrid Yeast Explained)34:43 How a Pilot Beer Earns a Permanent Spot35:54 How to Pick a Beer When You Want "Beer-Flavored Beer"37:15 Sandhill Lager: A Dry-Hopped Lager38:08 Traditional German Pilsner With Soft Bitterness38:38 Bufflehead: The Beer Connoisseur's 2025 Beer of the Year39:35 American Brown Ale vs English Brown Ale41:20 Why the Hops Hit at the End42:04 What "Fully Attenuated" Means and Why Brewers Are Yeast Herders43:58 What Sets Bufflehead Apart?44:54 From One Pilot Keg to World Beer Cup Silver47:08 Rated 97: Learning Bufflehead Was the Best Beer of 202550:17 Why Kishwaukee Only Packages Beer in Bottles51:04 Building and Opening a Brewery During the Pandemic52:17 Bottling Line vs Canning Line: The Cost Decision53:07 The Short Pour: Rapid-Fire Questions54:54 The Biggest Mistake People Make When Judging Beer55:30 A Hoppy Red Ale for People Who Don't Like Hoppy Beer57:46 The Weirdest Ingredient Ever Added to a Tank58:34 Are Pumpkin Beers Fading Out?59:50 "Hazy Is Lazy": Why Kishwaukee Rarely Brews Hazy IPAs1:05:39 The Final ToastAbout Kishwaukee Brewing Co: Located in Woodstock, Illinois, Kishwaukee Brewing Co. brews award-winning takes on traditional German, English, and West Coast styles in a taproom built for meeting friends and making new ones, located in Woodstock, Illinois. Learn more on their website athttps://www.kishwaukeebrewing.com/—Learn more about Crafty Brewers at https://craftybrewerspod.com Support Crafty Brewers on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/c/craftybrewersCrafty Brewers is a production of Quantum Podcasts, LLC, an enterprise podcast growth and attribution consultancy. Learn more at https://quantum-podcasts.com/Our executive producer and editor is award-winning podcaster Cody Gough. He insists that we tell you that in this episode, you’ll learn about: Breakaway IPA, AmericanBrewing Company, Seattle Craft Beer Week, Elysian Brewing, Köln German beer styles, cold fermentation, Canadian two-row pale malt, Munich malt, caramel malt, Newcastle Brown Ale, kettle hop additions, yeast viability, India Pale Lager, Imperial Red Ale, pumpkin spice beer, green beer on St. Patrick’s Day, New England IPA, The Alchemist, Kishwaukee River Valley, and McHenry County craft beer.

Explore double-barrel bourbon-and-rye stouts and the science behind a perfectly balanced hazy IPA.Brothership Brewing Co-Owner Tom Soltis and Head Brewer David Basile break down why their signature stouts go through two barrels instead of one, the vanillin compound that ties barrel-aged beer together, and what turbidity has to do with a well-balanced hazy IPA. Plus: New Zealand Peacherine hops, a hot take on THC seltzers, and a blueberry beer brew day gone hilariously wrong.0:00 Intro1:00 Meet Brothership Brewing's Tom Soltis and David Basile1:46 Is the Taproom UFO Real?2:53 Celebrating Six Years in Mokena4:40 Why They Picked Mokena, Illinois5:37 Is Chicago Water Really the Best for Brewing?6:45 How Brothership Got Its Name8:29 From Chicago Kitchens to Head Brewer: David's Origin Story9:47 The First Beer David Ever Brewed10:25 Cooking vs. Brewing: The Biggest Difference12:56 Who's the Boss, You or the Yeast?13:53 David's First Brewing Job at Mad Hatchet14:42 The Sour Beer David Won't Recreate15:46 From Werk Force Brewing to Head Brewer at Brothership17:47 How Tom Decided to Hire David20:10 Tasting the Experimental 008 Hazy IPA20:32 What Happened to the Orbit 6 Anniversary Beer21:16 Bright Lights, a 4.5% Light Lager23:02 Why Lagers Are Harder to Brew Than Hazies24:56 Brewer's Break25:47 Brothership's Full Beer Lineup (Sours, Lagers, Oktoberfest)26:48 Inside Brothership's Award Case28:05 Tasting Anti-Matter Hazy IPA with Peacherine Hops28:58 What Makes a Truly Balanced Beer30:50 What Is Turbidity in a Hazy IPA?31:56 Anti-Matter vs. Experimental 008: What's the Difference?32:58 Wait, Is Alcohol Actually Sweet?34:19 Introducing the Double Barrel Space Debris Stout Series36:50 What Sets Brothership's Barrel Program Apart38:02 Why These Stouts Take Nearly Three Years39:44 David's Approach to Blending Barrels Like a Chef41:47 How the Barrel “Speaks” to a Brewer42:52 The Rum Barrel Secret: Pina Colada Seltzer44:11 DBVR: A Stout Made With Vanilla From Three Countries47:25 The Science Behind Vanilla in Barrel-Aged Beer47:29 Why the Messier Series Is On Hold50:58 A Shoutout to the Launch Sequence Anniversary Stout51:12 Key Lime Pie Sneak Peek53:03 Short Pour: Tom's Most Overrated Beer Trend55:23 Short Pour: David's Craziest Brew Day Mishap56:42 Outro and How to Support Crafty Brewers58:28 Final ToastAbout Brothership Brewing: Brothership Brewing is a craft brewery and taproom in Mokena, Illinois, brewing IPAs, DIPAs, sours, stouts, pilsners, and barrel-aged beers under the motto “Believe in Beer.” Learn more on their website at https://www.brothershipbrewing.com/—Learn more about Crafty Brewers at https://craftybrewerspod.comSupport Crafty Brewers on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/c/craftybrewersCrafty Brewers is a production of Quantum Podcasts, LLC, an enterprise podcast growth and attribution consultancy. If your brand would like to capture a loyal audience to drive business results with the power of podcasting, then visit https://quantum-podcasts.com/Our executive producer and editor is award-winning podcaster Cody Gough. He insists that we tell you that in this episode, you'll learn about: New England IPA, hazy IPA brewing science, bourbon barrel aging, rye barrel aging, barrel-aged imperial stout, vanillin flavor compound, beer turbidity, American light lager brewing, Peacherine hops, New Zealand hops, homebrew to professional brewer, craft beer competition medals, Festival of Wood and Barrel-Aged Beer (FOBAB), Mexican lager craft beer, kettle sour beer, Chicago craft beer scene, Mokena Illinois brewery, coconut stout, craft beer yeast pitching, small-batch experimental beer series.

Brian and Cody preview all six 2026 Goose Island BourbonCounty Brand Stout variants just as they are announced.On this special preview episode of Crafty Brewers, Brian andCody break down the entire 2026 Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Stout lineup. They cover all six bourbon barrel-aged beers in this year's release: the Original Stout, Tiramisu Cask Finish Stout, Apple Crisp Stout, Triple Oak Barleywine, Toasted Barrel Rye Stout, and Proprietor's Stout (Pineapple Upside-Down Cake), discussing tasting notes, barrel programs, and what makes each variant in this year's Bourbon County Brand Stout release worth seeking out. 0:00 Intro0:53 2026 Bourbon County Brand Original Stout3:27 2026 Bourbon County Brand Tiramisu Cask Finish Stout5:31 2026 Bourbon County Brand Apple Crisp Stout7:13 2026 Bourbon County Brand Triple Oak Barleywine9:15 2026 Bourbon County Brand Toasted Barrel Rye Stout10:53 2026 Bourbon County Brand Proprietor's Stout(Pineapple Upside-Down Cake)14:43 Recapping the Full 2026 Bourbon County Lineup15:20 Why You Should Still Support Your Local Brewery17:33 Oak Park Micro Brew Review Preview (Aug 22, 2026)About Goose Island Beer Co.: Founded in Chicago in1988, Goose Island created the original bourbon barrel-aged stout for the brewery's 1,000th batch in 1992. Learn more on their website at https://www.gooseisland.com/ — Learn more about Crafty Brewers at https://craftybrewerspod.comSupport Crafty Brewers on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/c/craftybrewersCrafty Brewers is a production of Quantum Podcasts, LLC, anenterprise podcast growth and attribution consultancy. If your brand would like to capture a loyal audience to drive business results with the power of podcasting, then visit https://quantum-podcasts.com/ Our executive producer and editor is award-winning podcaster Cody Gough. He insists that we tell you that in this episode, you'll learn about: Bourbon County BrandStout, bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout, Goose Island barrel program, Black Friday beer release, Tiramisu Cask Finish Stout, rum barrel finished beer, Apple Crisp Stout, Triple Oak Barleywine, Angel's Envy Triple Oak Bourbon, Chinkapin oak beer aging, Toasted Barrel Rye Stout, Elijah Craig rye whiskey barrels, Proprietor's Stout Chicago-only release, pineapple upside-down cake beer, panela sugar beer, Montmorency cherry beer, Buffalo Trace barrel beer,Heaven Hill barrel beer, Four Roses barrel beer, Wild Turkey barrel beer, and craft beer barrel aging.

A mission-driven brewer explains why "beer alone isn't enough" — and how a 45-year-old wedding invite, an accidental World Beer Cup medal, and a legendary Czech dark lager came together in Batavia, Illinois.Sturdy Shelter Brewing Owner and Head Brewer Frank Mercadante shares the personal story of a brewery built on a Catholic scripture — one that was unknowingly already on his 45-year-old wedding invitation. He discusses the community-first mission that drives every decision at Sturdy Shelter, the international brewery trips that led Frank to the legendary U Fleků in Prague, the science behind why Hefeweizen is the hardest style to brew, and why his phone started flooding with congratulatory messages when he least expected it. 0:00 Intro2:15 The Historic Building and Mark Twain2:47 Introducing Frank Mercadante3:17 How Every Beer Tells a Story4:32 The Francesco Italian Pilsner9:22 The Scripture Behind "Sturdy Shelter"11:10 The 45-Year-Old Wedding Invitation12:38 From Youth Minister to Brewer14:33 Getting Serious About Homebrewing16:36 Entering Homebrew Competitions17:54 What Youth Ministry Taught Frank About Running a Brewery19:10 Why Frank Needed More Than Beer20:45 The Food Pantry and Giving Back23:36 Brewer's Choice: Dancing House Dark Czech Lager24:15 What Is a Dark Czech Lager?25:12 Sturdy Shelter's International Brewery Trips26:55 How U Fleků in Prague Inspired the Dancing House29:14 Two Years to Perfect the Czech Dark Lager31:11 Why Dancing House Became Their #1 Beer35:17 Why Hefeweizen Is So Hard to Brew36:45 Sweaty Yeast, Circus Peanuts, and Hefeweizen39:08 Winning a World Beer Cup Medal by Accident42:03 What Makes a Great Dunkel?44:26 Why Frank Chose Batavia45:27 Batavia's Inferiority Complex46:10 "This Is All Ours"46:37 Why All Their Merch Says "Batavia"47:10 How Frank Found (and Afforded) This Building50:56 What's Next: A Riverfront Deck53:05 The #1 Mistake People Make Judging Beer54:03 Frank's Most Emotional Moment55:37 Final Toast: Cheers to CommunityAbout Sturdy Shelter Brewing: Sturdy Shelter Brewing is a community-driven craft brewery and taproom in a historic mid-1800s building on the Fox River in Batavia, Illinois, where the mission is to create a "treasured and genial" gathering space one person, one conversation, and one highly crafted beer at a time. Learn more on their website at https://sturdyshelterbrewing.com/—Learn more about Crafty Brewers at https://craftybrewerspod.com Support Crafty Brewers on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/c/craftybrewers Crafty Brewers is a production of Quantum Podcasts, LLC, an enterprise podcast growth consultancy. If your brand would like to capture a loyal audience to drive business results with the power of podcasting, then visit https://quantum-podcasts.com/Our executive producer and editor is award-winning podcaster Cody Gough. He insists that we tell you that in this episode, you’ll learn about: Italian Pilsner brewing, dark Czech lager, Czech dark lager history, decoction mashing, Bohemian lager ingredients, Saaz hops, ferulic acid rest, step mashing Hefeweizen, Munich Dunkel brewing, World Beer Cup 2024, spirituality of hospitality, homebrewing competitions, community-focused brewery, brewery international trips, Iroclia Weyermann malt, Zuppersaser hops, Italian Pilsner malt profile, Carobohemian malt, homebrew to commercial brewing, barrel aged stout, and Klüber IPA.

How do you build a 3-time GABF-medal winning craft brewery from scratch in 10 years with no investors, and one brewer with no sense of smell?Brandon and Amanda Wright, co-owners of Werk Force Brewing Company in Plainfield, Illinois, trace the 10-year arc of how Chicago Brew Works — the homebrew supply shop they opened in 2012 — evolved into one of Chicagoland's most influential breweries, with multiple GABF medals to show for it. They cover what it's like to build a brewery as a married couple, the next big beer trend, the whole-bean coffee technique behind their stout series, and how Brandon brews award-winning beer without a sense of smell. 0:00 Intro0:45 Welcome to Werk Force Brewing in Plainfield, Illinois2:53 How Werk Force Started as a Homebrew Supply Store in 20123:27 From OfficeMax to a Winery to Homebrewing Full-Time4:45 Brando's House of Awesomeness (And Why Amanda Said No)5:32 How They Started Chicago Brew Works on a Kitchen Table5:59 Building Chicagoland's Biggest Homebrew Supply Store8:37 Why Werk Force Never Took an Investor9:06 Where the Name Werk Force Comes From11:16 What's It Like to Run a Brewery With Your Spouse?15:28 Designing the Taproom (No TVs, Communal Tables)17:07 The Six Degrees of Werk Force Brewing19:15 What Was Werk Force's First Beer?19:55 Why You Can't Call This West Coast IPA Pineapple Express21:57 How West Coast IPAs Have Changed in 12 Years24:10 The Next Big Beer Trend: Under 4.5% ABV25:42 Really Decent: A 3.9% All-Malt Lager27:04 Beer Break27:47 Welcome Back: Meet Brandon's Brewing Team29:36 How Werk Force Won 3 GABF Medals in 2 Years32:38 What Are the Best Bourbon Barrels for Aging Beer?34:44 Where Sleepy Bear Got Its Name35:39 Polar Bear: A Two-Year Bourbon-Barrel Coffee Stout36:24 How Werk Force Designs Sleepy Bear Labels39:16 The Whole-Bean Coffee Trick That Avoids Off-Flavors40:57 How to Decide on Sleepy Bear Variants Each Year44:15 Brian Doesn't Have a Sense of Smell45:37 How Brandon Brews Award-Winning Beer Without Smelling It48:24 What's the Hardest Part of Brewing Without a Sense of Smell?50:18 Does Werk Force Use AI to Design Recipes?53:26 What Makes a Great Oktoberfest Beer?56:08 Marzen vs. Fest Beer: What's the Difference?56:52 Inside the Barrel Den: Werk Force's Event Space58:09 What's Next for Werk Force Brewing?59:43 Final Four: The Beer They'll Never Brew Again62:00 Brandon and Amanda's Off-the-Clock Beer Picks62:33 Final Four: Best Food and Beer Pairing65:11 Final Toast: Calm Down, Have a Beer, Hit the RoadAbout Werk Force Brewing Company: A three-time GABF medal winning craft brewery in Plainfield, Illinois, known for the Sleepy Bear barrel-aged imperial stout series, classic West Coast IPAs, and lower-ABV lagers. Learn more on their website at https://www.werkforcebrewing.com/ —Learn more about Crafty Brewers at https://craftybrewerspod.com Support Crafty Brewers on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/c/craftybrewers Crafty Brewers is a production of Quantum Podcasts, LLC, an enterprise podcast growth consultancy. If your brand would like to capture a loyal audience to drive business results with the power of podcasting, then visit https://quantum-podcasts.com/Our executive producer and editor is award-winning podcaster Cody Gough. He insists that we tell you that in this episode, you’ll learn about: Werktoberfest, Buffalo Trace bourbon barrels for beer, Blanton's barrel-aged stout, Weller bourbon barrels, 10 Drops Coffee Roasters Outsiders Blend, Vireman malt, Rocky Reef Brewing collaboration, Metal Monkey Brewing, Goose Island barrel aging legacy, Bell's Two Hearted Ale, Pineapple Express TTB label rejection, DDH double dry hop IPA, Madagascar vanilla and cacao nibs in stout, diacetyl off-flavor detection, wax-dipped 375ml limited release bottles, and U.S. Open Beer Championship gold.