ABV Chicago Craft Beer Podcast

At the tail end of summer, we recorded this little gem when we knew we'd need it most to help keep us thinking warm thoughts as the temperature falls faster than the leaves. When our friend Aaron Keefner was in town, he dropped a heavy case of Pittsburgh goodies on us, and we use this episode to sip through an exciting lineup of lagers and hops. Also, Craig has found the perfect exclusive club for a first date (and bulk goods), Ryan wants to see a brewery who is dedicated to kicking ass, and we'll take that time machine straight back to a Wendy's SuperBar. Beers Reviewed Coven Brewing - River Knight (Lager) Coven Brewing - Honed Blade (Pale Ale) Dancing Gnome - West Coast Lustra (IPA) Grist House Craft Brewery - Technicolor Treetops (New England IPA) Lolev Beer - Prismatic (IPA)  

The barrel storm that is Revolution's Deep Wood series rages on throughout the Fall and Winter months, so we're catching up on the last release of their Deth's Tar stout and its variants - and this year's batch is better than they've ever been. We try to place these in the context of past years' releases and try not to overanalyze the calculated magic that comes out of Rev's barrels. But also, we are living for Dumpkin Spice season, we try to name a Skele-Boy, and we're sorry for all the talk about…well, you'll figure it out.  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) Vanilla Deth (Imperial Stout aged in bourbon barrels w/ vanilla) Cocoa Vanilla Deth (Imperial Stout aged in bourbon barrels w/ cocoa and vanilla)  

Unnecessarily crammed with junk, this year's spooky six-pack is an adjunct party that no one ever wanted to be invited to, as we're on to our ninth iteration of the infamous Torture Test. We both try to outdo one another by attacking our flavor weaknesses - or just finding straight-up old catastrophes of beers that were probably never good in the first place. The goal is to avoid the Cuvée of Doom, but we can't avoid descriptors like "rancid piña colada," "wet basement cardboard," dirty old pennies," "liquified grandma's candy," and "diet medicine." But also, you can find out what keeps Ryan awake at night, and Craig realizes he can't coast on last year's domination anymore. (Thanks to Joe for helping wreck our night by providing one of the beers!) Beers Endured 450 North Brewing Company - Jellied Pumpkin Swirl (Sour DIPA w/ pumpkin, pumpkin pie, pralines, vanilla & vanilla soft serve) Stone Brewing/Bear Republic/Fat Head's - TBA [2012] (Extra hoppy brown ale w/ molasses and brown sugar) Energy City Brewing - Mango'Rine Sorbet IPA (Sour NEIPA w/ mango & tangerine puree) DESTIHL Brewery - Spicy Pickle Sour Beer (Gose with spicy pickle brine) O'Fallon Brewery - Salted Caramel Pumpkin Beer (Pumpkin beer w/ lactose, Himalayan sea salt, and pumpkin puree) Rogue Ales - Voodoo Doughnut Grape Guerilla [2016] (Fruit beer w/ grape flavors)  

In our annual leadup to Chicago's best beer fest, we're talking all about the Festival of Wood and Barrel-Aged Beers as it is set to return early in November this year. Along with drinking and reviewing four barrel-aged beers from a few FoBAB regulars (and one new to the fest), we look over the new and returning breweries, share our picks for brewers not to miss, rattle off a few general festival tips, and conduct a mock draft of our Fantasy FoBAB teams. Also, Craig devises a plan for packing future festivals, Ryan keeps pushing that coffee bean, a girthsome and titan beer write-up is read, and we might actually have a reason to walk the awards stage this year - listen to find out why! Beers Reviewed Werk Force Brewing - Waylon (Bourbon Barrel-Aged Black Barleywine) River North Brewery - Barrel-Aged Nightmare Fuel (Imperial Stout w/ coffee and vanilla aged in whiskey barrels) Half Acre Beer Co. - Ancho, Ancho Catch Hell (Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout w/ vanilla, cinnamon, and ancho peppers) The Lost Abbey - Peach Afternoon [2021 Vintage] - (Wood-aged Sour Ale w/ peaches and white tea)  

Denver is the closest to Heaven that we'll ever be, and we don't want to go home right now. Broadcasting amongst the Rocky Mountains (from our very cushy hotel room), we file our annual report on America's largest beer festival and competition: the Great American Beer Festival. We open three Colorado beers over two nights and relive our extended weekend celebrating beer and the people who make it by running through our Denver-area highlights, recapping the festival and awards results, and sharing from our long lists of favorite beers. Plus, we snagged some interviews with brewers from all over the country that share stories of crazy adjuncts, surprising medal wins, and faux-coctions. We also get into how to properly stress out hops and share a story of how we crashed a black tie concert featuring a 90s hitmaker band - but I won't tell you their name.  Interviews Joe Short of Short's Brewing [Bellaire, MI] - (00:25:25 - 00:36:31) Rachael Hudson of Pilot Brewing [Charlotte, NC] - (00:46:02 - 00:54:21) Amos Lowe of The Austin Beer Garden Brewing Co. [Austin, TX] - (01:02:02 - 01:09:58) Jacob Sembrano of Cruz Blanca Brewery [Chicago, IL] - (01:22:20 - 01:25:22) Jaron Anderson of Helper Beer [Helper, UT] - (01:31:27 - 01:39:48) Matt Malloy of River North Brewery [Denver, CO] - (01:50:44 - 01:55:35) Beers Reviewed  WeldWerks Brewing - Gyro Gose (Sour Ale w/ Pita Bread, Yogurt, Cucumber, Lemon, Dill, Mint, Garlic & Sea Salt) Westbound & Down - Infinity Pils (West Coast Pilsner) River North Brewery - White (Witbier)  

One of Illinois' best breweries rarely makes it up to Chicagoland shelves, so when Craig had a chance to go down to Savoy for a visit to Triptych Brewing, he loaded up for our fourth featured show in our history. We have five beers that represent what Triptych does best: from immaculate lagers to hop-driven ales to a roasty delight, this show does not disappoint. But also, we may have stumbled upon a secret bus of jugglers; Ryan explains how not all scented candles are created equal; and Craig revisits some dark days when he was addicted to the Dew. Beers Reviewed  Herp Slurp (Pale Lager) Tiny Magic (Session IPA) Citra Pilsner  And I Think My Spaceship Knows Which Way To Go (Hazy DIPA) Camp Coffee Break (Imperial Stout w/ coffee)  

In our seemingly endless quest to find the best long-made IPA that America has to offer, we are a little all over the map on this one with a mix of Wisconsin and Western U.S. offerings to run through the blind scoresheet wringer. It's a study in contrasts, as each clear IPA brings a little something different to the table - and then one just blatantly steals the show. Also, we imagine if GABF allowed us to curate their experience areas, we recall the days of IBU bombs, Craig is born anew yet again for this episode, and we invent cheese jibbets (and SlimJim-bets) for when you need a snack from those Crocs.  Beers Reviewed Blindly Stone Brewing - IPA Karben4 Brewing - Fantasy Factory Central Waters Brewing - Rift New Belgium Brewing - Voodoo Ranger IPA La Cumbre Brewing Company - Elevated IPA  

Our favorite time of year approaches again, but we can't set off for Denver without doing a ridiculous amount of prep work and research. So to celebrate the oncoming Great American Beer Festival for 2025, we drink four GABF-adjacent beers while sharing our picks for what to drink from local breweries, our most dependable steady hands, the ever-exciting new-to-us names, and the familiar faces that are always worth a pour. Grab a pen and paper, because this episode is chocked full of almost a hundred damn solid recommendations (if we must say so ourselves.) Plus, Craig has an extremely surprising new role at his job, we find one experience area we'll be camping out in a while, and we get a little lost in Taco Bell memories.  Beers Reviewed Pollyanna Brewing Company - Lexical Gap (American IPA) Bow & Arrow Brewing Co. - Besos (Fruited Gose w/ raspberry, dragonfruit, orange zest, and vanilla) Boxing Bear Brewing Co. - Chocolate Milk Stout La Cumbre Brewing Company - Malpais Stout (Foreign Extra Stout)  

Just like most good things in life, the beers we so love can be quite taxing on the planet before even getting to our glasses. But some breweries are taking the lead on exploring more sustainable practices, whether it's using regenerative grains, organic ingredients, or even solar-powered farms. The five beers on this show represent different ways breweries can make a difference for the sake of the planet - and we're glad to report that none of that comes at the cost of delicious tasting beers. Also, we call in the experts to help get us out of a regatta, we have our reservations about The L*nd Institute, Craig has to explain why he was buying rare Tickle-Me-Elmos, and we no-scope a Best By date like we never have before. Beers Reviewed Deschutes Brewery/Patagonia Provisions - Kernza Lager Off Color Brewing - Beer For The Future (Belgian Blonde w/ Kernza grain) Brooklyn Brewery - Fonio Rising Pale Ale Riggs Beer Company - Pilsner Giant Jones Brewing Company - Barrel-Aged Adambier  

There are many essential ingredients for a successful Oktoberfest celebration, but none is more important than the beer. But which style is going to fill your massive stein: the younger, bright Festbier or the old-school, bready Märzen? We found four breweries making both styles to have a side-by-side of each to help determine our personal preference - and the only thing missing is the lederhosen. Also, we explore the world of Christian pirate shanties, consider acceptable adjuncts for Oktoberfest styles, and try not to piss off MC Hammer.  Beers Reviewed Paulaner Brauerei - Oktoberfestbier Paulaner Brauerei - Oktoberfest Märzen Moderne Dune - Fezzbier Moderne Dune - Monte Marzen Brothership Brewing - Festbier Brothership Brewing - Märzen Kinslahger Brewing - Festbier Kinslahger Brewing - Märzen  

The last few months have seen a steady number of big anniversary parties from suburban breweries - and some even released a beer to commemorate it. This show consists of 5 different beers brewed to mark an anniversary, all by brewers who work out of the suburbs of Chicago. We also face some style-based fears, greet the new Mayor of the Beach, develop new slow pour Pilsner techniques, and we meet Mr. No Coco.  Beers Reviewed Flipside Brewing - Double Stop Double IPA Goldfinger Brewing - Fifth Anniversary Bock Brother Chimp Brewing - Cheers to Five Years (Imperial Coffee Porter) Soundgrowler Brewing - Day Walker Triple IPA Miskatonic Brewing Co. - X Gon' Brew It To Ya (Barleywine w/ cocoa nibs)  

When one of our oldest friends and beer industry vet, Aaron Keefner, came back into town from his adopted city of Pittsburgh, we knew we were going to have to throw down - with a blind hazy IPA tasting, of course! We each chose three of the top examples of hazy beers from our respective cities and enlisted the help of the excellent staff at Beer on the Wall in Elmhurst to arrange a blind tasting of all six to determine whose juice is the juiciest. Surprises abound! But also, we talk a lot about Aaron's experience as a Chicago expat adjusting to life in Pittsburgh - mostly in the areas of beer and food. Also, there's a few gooballs floating around; we discuss the perils of eating grapefruit; and we learn perhaps the most shocking fact about Pennsylvania Costcos.  Beers Reviewed Blindly Old Thunder Brewing Company - False Kingdom Maplewood Brewing Company - Son of Juice Old Irving Brewing - Beezer Dancing Gnome - Lustra Lolev Beer - Lupula Riverlands Brewing Company - Dean Street  

For the last few years, Revolution Brewing has tried convincing us that barrel-aged stouts and barleywines can indeed be enjoyed on 90-plus degree days - and gosh darnit, they make a convincing case. On this episode, we dive into the first three 12-ounce Deep Wood beers for the release season and find some very pleasant surprises. We also let things get a bit wavier than usual as we have our first on-air THC beverage, which instantly switches on Craig's snack detectors. Also, we try to make sense on an anachronistic pizza place; Craig's chugging sixteen percenters at C2E2; and Ryan reluctantly befriends his local Pop Tart guy to get those rare drops. The beers are as good as two guys playing three guitars. Beverages Reviewed Reverb Splash: Black Cherry Lime (THC & CBD drink w/ fruit juice) Thundertaker (Imperial Rye Stout aged in bourbon barrels) Strawberry Jacket (Barleywine Ale aged in bourbon barrels w/ strawberries) XV - Fifteen Year Beer (Blend of Barleywine Ale & Ryewine double barrel-aged in bourbon barrels w/ cherries)  

Miskatonic has been a western suburban outpost for great beer with an extremely loyal following for a decade now - and it's due time they get the recognition they deserve. We sit down in Darien with head brewer Cory Davidson and production brewer Mik Dempsey to talk all things Miskatonic, including how they approach brewing such a wide variety of styles with laser-like focus, how branding updates help reflect the beers themselves, what obscure styles they'd like to brew one day, and how they find collaboration partners in both the brewing and music worlds. Also, we talk about contract brewing through their full production brewery, making seltzers for the first time, and both Cory and Mik's picks for their essential Chicagoland six packs.

Matt Gallagher has been instrumental to Chicago's craft beer scene for almost two decades as a co-founder of Half Acre, but it's his new brewery Suncatcher that has had us hooked from the very first visit. Suncatcher Brewing is a relatively unique concept in this time, as they are essentially a bar that serves their own streamlined and immaculate classic craft styles right from the tank with absolutely no designs on packaging or distribution - you have to be there to experience it. We talk with Matt about how this project came to him in a dream before being forced into a years-long hibernation, long before their fall 2024 opening. We also talk about how he found the perfect space, who was instrumental in getting the brewery off the ground, and what influences his stunning recipes. In addition, there's some loving on pale ale, jumping into hop piles, adjusting to collaborations, opening up to low-gravity wood-aging - and us learning Matt's picks for his Chicagoland essential six pack.

In our ongoing series that seeks to find the best IPA we can get our hands on, we keep this one  a bit more regional with five long-beloved and well-decorated beers from Indiana and Ohio. We taste one Hoosier beer and four Buckeye brews blindly using our much more focused scoring method - and we may just have our very first perfect score on this episode. Also, Craig's Ohio trip leads him to question weed deals; we add some new terms to our beer descriptor lexicon; and Ryan invents the million-dollar idea of a Walking Deep Dish Pizza.™* It's getting pretty propulsive around here.  Beers Reviewed Blindly The Brew Kettle - White Rajah Upland Brewing Company - Dragonfly IPA Great Lakes Brewing Co. - Commodore Perry Rhinegeist Brewery - Truth Fat Head's Brewery - Head Hunter * = trademark pending  

During a particularly sweltering summer, no beer style has come through in the clutch as much as the lime lager. The sheer number of available options is a testament to the ultimate refreshing combo - and with these, there's no need to shove a questionably dirty lime wedge down your longneck. We have five mostly-local lagers of varying styles that all contain lime - and it's not long before we're dreaming of food pairings. Also, Ryan gets stuck in nightmarish balloon duty; Craig is still angry about being promised only a "hint" of lime in his tortilla chips; and we consider becoming the first sommeliers for microplastics. Beers Reviewed Pipeworks Brewing Company - Cold Crispy Lime (Rice lager w/ Key lime juice) Werk Force Brewing - Lima (American lager w/ fresh lime juice) Flipside Brewing w/ The Open Bottle - Frogger Lager (Helles lager w/ lime) Cruz Blanca - Chelada: Lime + Sea Salt (Mexican lager w/ fresh lime juice and sea salt) Old Nation Brewing Co. - Tranquilas (Mexican lager w/ lime)  

It seems like it's been far too long since we've extended a hearty "hello" to some new breweries in Chicagoland, so we're psyched to gather five that have opened locations or started releasing beer into the world relatively recently. We learn about some new-to-us breweries and a few that have been long in the works here, and there are plenty of reasons to be excited about the future of beer locally. But also, Craig is training for the new Speed Showering event at the Olympics; Ryan is reliving his teenage years in Homewood; and we rely on some surprising sources for our background information. Beers Reviewed Brutalist Brewing Cooperative - Industry Plant (American Lager) Somos Monos Cervecería - Chica Fresa (Strawberry Blonde Ale) Homewood Brewing Company - H.B.C.: Head Beer In Charge (American Pale Ale) Monochrome Brewing w/ More Brewing - South East Side (Hazy Double IPA) Foreign Exchange - Between Two Parallels (Imperial Stout conditioned on Madagascar vanilla, Tahitian vanilla, and marshmallow)  

Although he might use the term "silly little beers," Mike Schallau's is/was brewing is making some of the most thoughtful and impressive saisons anywhere in the country right here in Chicago. We travelled up to his Ravenswood brewery and taproom to talk about those beers and how he transitioned his nearly six year-old brewing project from using other people's spaces to his own in the last year and how that's allowed him to dive deeper into the wide range of interesting ingredients and experiments he's become known for. We get into the idiosyncrasies of saison from the outside perception of the drinkers of the style, to changing people's perceptions of Brettanomyces, why people are more important than the concept of "terroir," and how he develops his impressive restaurant and brewery collaborations. But also, there's some throwback talk to his Pipeworks days, a long tangent on Fantôme, a dive into the prison hooch subreddit, some risky urban foraging, and Mike's picks for his essential Chicagoland 6-pack.  Beers Sampled Will Be Always Zag Long Thai Double Rainbow (collaboration with Half Acre)  

Newly adopted as its own category for this year's GABF competition, the West Coast Pilsner has the hoppy influence of its namesake locale while also retaining much of what makes German Pilsners so repeatedly drinkable. We gather five locally-made examples from some of Illinois' top names in hops, and they help us build a case for the style's existence. Also, Craig has a new BFF through his new obsession; Ryan doesn't want to let go of his beloved goo pillow; and we outline exactly when it's okay to put cheese on a hot dog.  Beers Reviewed Hop Butcher for the World - Francheezie Brothership Brewing - Retrograde Maplewood Brewing - My Cousin Binny, Vol. 4 Phase Three Brewing - Geo Old Irving Brewing - Doji