Podcasts by ABV Chicago Craft Beer Podcast
A Chicago-based craft beer podcast with beer and events reviews. Visit our website at www.abvchicago.com!
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Episode 514 - Marked For Deth from 2023-12-13T13:30
There’s no escaping Deth, so we gather up four of the barrel-aged Revolution stouts from this year’s Deep Wood lineup and drink with reckless abandon. It’s no shocker that Revolution i...
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Episode 513 - Metropolitan Forever from 2023-12-06T13:30
For over 15 years, Metropolitan blessed this great city with high quality lagers and traditional German styles. They ushered in a second wave of Chicago craft brewing back when there w...
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Episode 512 - FoBAB Winners 2023 from 2023-11-29T13:30
Earlier in November, the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild put on the 21st Festival of Wood and Barrel-Aged Beers to recognize some of the breweries making the finest wood-aged beers around...
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Episode 511 - Chicago Browntown from 2023-11-22T13:30
Hop on the Brown Line straight to Browntown with us, as we discover a hopefully-growing local resurgence of the brown ale with five examples from Chicagoland breweries on this episode....
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Episode 510 - Hop Waters from 2023-11-15T13:30
Carbonated water treated with hops is pretty simple in concept, but these five breweries prove that there’s a lot of variation and skill that goes into making these “zero/zero” drinks....
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Episode 509 - The DE Show from 2023-11-08T13:30
Though it might be one of the smallest states, the brewing scene in Delaware is mighty, and we’re ushering in our 33rd State Show with a lineup of five flavorful beers from five differ...
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Episode 508 - FoBABlin’ 5: Return to FoBABlin’ from 2023-10-30T12:30
Chicago’s biggest, baddest and most-barreled festival is back in its 21st year, so we’re eager to FoBABble about it for the first time in four years as a lead-up to the competition. We...
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Episode 507 - Cruz Blanca Luchadors 2023 from 2023-10-25T12:30
The seven barrel-aged beers that comprise this year’s Luchador lineup feature styles and ingredients we have rarely - or never - seen in the past, and no local “special release” lineup...
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Episode 506 - Torture Test: Seven Deadly Beers from 2023-10-18T12:30
We’re indulging in our capital vices for our yearly attempt to destroy each other over bad beers, and this one features some of the most unexpected pours we’ve ever seen. There’s at le...
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Episode 505 - Lager Heads: Welcome to Chi-Taste-O from 2023-10-11T12:30
Chicagoland is pretty gifted in lager-centric breweries, but now that trends have shifted back towards the more drinkable, almost every brewery is featuring more and more lagers. This ...
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Episode 504 - Amberama from 2023-10-04T12:30
Now somewhat relegated to an occasional fall seasonal from breweries, the Amber style is essential to the history of American craft beer as we know it. So we’re pumped to see five loca...
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Episode 503 - GABF 2023 from 2023-09-27T12:30
We were just back in Denver for the 41st Great American Beer Festival, and we’ve got an episode chock full of interviews and beer highlights that’s as good as gold (medals). Catch up o...
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Episode 502 - Barrels Out West from 2023-09-20T12:30
In the week that we’re heading out west for a certain fest, we gather up four barrel-aged beers from West Coast breweries that are pretty well-known for their wood-aged offerings. Expe...
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Episode 501 - Road to GABF: Far Flung IL Medals from 2023-09-13T12:30
The Great American Beer Festival is right around the corner, and since we’re attending again this year, we’re providing an audio guide to what to drink at the fest while also sipping o...
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Episode 500 - Part Two, with Josh Deth from 2023-09-08T12:30
For the second part of our big 500, we sit down with Revolution Brewing founder Josh Deth and talk about the last ten years of his brewery while sharing a rare beer from Craig’s cellar...
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Episode 500 - Part One, with Jason Klein and Gabriel Magliaro from 2023-09-06T12:30
500 episodes is a long time to do arbitrary beer reviews, so we reach out for some help in reviewing a few beers from Craig’s cellar. We chose brewers that have been around longer than...
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Episode 499 - Blind Oktoberfests from 2023-08-30T12:30
Once every four years, we gather up nine Märzens or Festbiers for a blind review revue as a not-so-subtle excuse to drink what might be our favorite seasonal style. And again, we have ...
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Episode 498 - The AZ Show from 2023-08-23T12:30
We’re bringing the dry heat with our 32nd State Show, drinking through five beers from five different Arizona breweries, courtesy of listener Ryan Lamb. There’s a lot to like from this...
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Episode 497 - Deep Wood Summer 3-Pack from 2023-08-16T12:30
Revolution is back at it this summer with a threesome of barrel-aged delights for an early kickoff to the Deep Wood series, and we take our time breaking down these complex blends to f...
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Episode 496 - Half Acre Beer Co. from 2023-08-09T12:30
We can give a lot of credit to Half Acre co-founder Gabriel Magliaro for helping awaken the craft beer scene in Chicago. And more than 16 years later, Half Acre is still a leader in cr...
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Episode 495 - Hoppy Wheats from 2023-08-02T12:30
It’s another show about highly drinkable summer styles, and this minor trend of local breweries releasing hopped-up wheat beers caught our attention enough to put five beers in front o...
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Episode 494 - Private Press Brewing from 2023-07-26T12:30
Brad Clark is the man behind the highly sought-after blended barrel-aged beers of Private Press, and Craig sat down with him over some decanted barleywine to talk about the history and...
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Episode 493 - Hazy Flagship IPA Blind Battle Royale: Championship Edition from 2023-07-19T12:30
After six episodes and 25 beers, we’re finally putting our top 6 choices for best Chicagoland/Illinois hazy IPA to one last blind test. This showdown features four GABF gold medal-winn...
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Episode 492 - Saisons of SARA from 2023-07-12T12:30
We’ve been admirers of Sante Adairius Rustic Ales for a decade now, and Craig’s recent trip to California brings us back the gift of SARA saisons - and a wonderful conversation with ow...
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Episode 491 - Bay Area Brews from 2023-07-05T12:30
Summer Craig is starting off strong this year by bringing back five fantastic beers from California’s Bay Area (and beyond) for us to fawn over and attempt to recreate those vacation v...
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Episode 490 - Hawkeye Homecoming from 2023-06-28T12:30
Ryan’s a University of Iowa graduate, and in the 15 years since his last visit, a few breweries have popped up and thrived in the area. After a weekend with the family in Iowa City, Ry...
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Episode 489 - Chicago Italian Pilsners from 2023-06-21T12:30
Another somewhat recent trend in the world of local lagers is the Italian Pilsner, a style with only about a 30-year history that adds a bit more noble dry-hop character to something c...
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Episode 488 - Hazy Flagship IPA Blind Battle Royale: Round 5 from 2023-06-14T12:30
In our penultimate round before the championship, we have one spot up for grabs with these fan favorite hazy IPAs from Chicagoland breweries. Bringing our grand total of hazy IPAs blin...
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Episode 487 - Hoppy Lagers from 2023-06-07T12:30
As we open our arms to embrace the start of summer, our empty glasses are going to need something flavorful yet refreshing. Luckily, Chicagoland breweries have been cranking out the ho...
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Episode 486 - MoBAB 3: Barrel Warriors from 2023-05-31T12:30
We’re just about halfway to FoBAB, so we are once again doing battle with the barrel featuring a roundup of beers we’ve been saving for this very episode. These four barrel-ag...
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Episode 485 - Hazy Flagship IPA Blind Battle Royale: Round 4 from 2023-05-24T12:30
Our quest to find the best flagship hazy IPA from Chicagoland breweries enters its fourth round, as we blindly sample through a fresh set of five to pick a winner that best fits our ow...
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Episode 484 - The NC Show from 2023-05-17T12:30
In our 31st installment of our decade-long State Show Series, we are sampling a hop-heavy lineup from North Carolina courtesy of listener Rodney Knox. We learn about these five breweri...
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Episode 483 - Wax Wings Brewing from 2023-05-10T12:30
Though they’re maybe not the first brewery that comes to mind when you think of Kalamazoo, Michigan, Wax Wings Brewing (est. 2018) flourished during the pandemic with their fresh hazie...
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Episode 482 - Hazy Flagship IPA Blind Battle Royale: Round 3 from 2023-05-03T12:30
A new set of five hop warriors enter the extremely flimsy ring for another blind tasting to lead us to our favorite Chicagoland flagship hazy IPA. This one features many more hops than...
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Episode 481 - B4ck to the B4rrel from 2023-04-26T12:30
If it wasn’t obvious from the totally easy to understand episode title, this show is a return for us to a whole lineup of barrel-aged beers from different breweries we love. We add a l...
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Episode 480 - Cellar West, Chapter 2 from 2023-04-19T12:30
Though still somewhat unknown around these parts, Cellar West Artisan Ales out of Lafayette, Colorado became known to us as an award-winning saison brewery. This episode further proves...
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Episode 479 - Hazy Flagship IPA Blind Battle Royale: Round 2 from 2023-04-12T12:30
The second installment in our ongoing (and expanding) arbitrary competition to determine what we deem to be the best Chicagoland Flagship Hazy IPA continues with this murderer’s row of...
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Episode 478 - The Smoke Shop from 2023-04-05T12:30
Seemingly popping up on more local taplists than ever, smoked beers are moving past being a niche brewery-only oddity. We find five beers that enlist smoked malts in their production t...
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Episode 477 - Barrel-Aged Triptych from 2023-03-29T12:30
This year marks the tenth anniversary of Savoy, Illinois’ Triptych Brewing and their creative, artfully-crafted brews, and we’re toasting to them with four of their barrel-aged beers. ...
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Episode 476 - Hazy Flagship IPA Blind Battle Royale: Round 1 from 2023-03-22T12:30
In this first round of what will become an ongoing arbitrary competition, we conduct a blind tasting of five Chicagoland breweries’ go-to, year-round, flagship hazy IPAs to determine o...
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Episode 475 - English-Style Chicago from 2023-03-15T12:30
Even without a proper cask engine, we sample five Chicagoland interpretations of centuries-old English styles to appreciate what is hopefully a still-growing trend. The beers sometimes...
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Episode 474 - Irish Reds Blind from 2023-03-08T13:30
St. Patrick’s Day in Chicagoland is a whole season, and thanks to that more local breweries are making the curiously not-traditional Irish Red Ale. To learn more about this style (and ...
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Episode 473 - St. Louis, Illinois from 2023-03-01T13:30
Listener and friend Don Kasak conceptualized this show around five Illinois breweries that are practically suburbs of St. Louis, and we are more than happy to drink through a lineup fr...
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Episode 472 - Dallas from 2023-02-22T13:30
We’re taking our taste buds on a trip down south thanks to listener Crystal Nguyen we get to sample five unique and tasty beers from the Dallas area. There’s a beer that’s even better ...
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Episode 471 - Deep Wood: VSoooo Good from 2023-02-15T13:30
We’re flipping to Side B of the 2022-2023 Deep Wood releases for this episode, and it’s a whole lineup of immaculate bangers. It’s two ryewines, one stout, and two barleywines with a b...
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Episode 470 - Schwarzs Unseen from 2023-02-08T13:30
More breweries are embracing malt-forward easy-drinking options as an essential part of a seasonal lineup, and the Schwarzbier may be one of the styles seeing the...
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Episode 469 - Hop Butcher: No IPAs from 2023-02-01T13:30
Since throwing open the doors to their Lincoln Ave. taproom just a few months back, Hop Butcher has worked to offer some draft variety by stepping outside of the ...
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Episode 468 - 9 Year Blind from 2023-01-25T13:30
To commemorate our 9th year of this podcast, we celebrate local breweries that opened since we first started broadcasting our shabby little beer reviews. Craig an...
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Episode 467 - Supermoon Beer Company from 2023-01-18T13:30
After two years of selling bottles from what is essentially his front porch, Rob Brennan opened the doors to his Milwaukee taproom in 2022 - and his rustic farmho...
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Episode 466 - License to Dill from 2023-01-11T13:30
We were just as surprised as anyone to find five beers that are made to mimic a briney jar of pickles, and it’s certainly something you have to be really into - o...
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Episode 465 - New Year, New Glarus from 2023-01-04T13:30
It’s always a good idea to welcome a new year with good vibes, and we’d be hard pressed to find a brewery better than New Glarus to fit that bill. For this show, ...
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Episode 464 - Lagers In Wood from 2022-12-28T16:14
It’s not just stouts, barleywines, and sours that should receive the benefits of wood-aging. For our final episode of Barrel-Aged December, we try five beers from...
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Episode 463 - Barrel-Aged Half Acre (Non-Benthic Edition) from 2022-12-21T13:30
Focusing on drinkable lagers, pales, and IPAs has already carried Half Acre to legend-status locally, but their barrel program has developed into an undeniable fo...
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Episode 462 - Barrel-aged Stout Grab Bag from 2022-12-14T13:30
Throughout this year we’ve been collecting barrel-aged stouts from different states without a real purpose for them: until now. From five states we have three str...
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Episode 461 - Chicago BA Base Stouts Blind from 2022-12-07T13:30
As winter barrel-aged beer releases expand into more adjunct variants and special barrels, you can’t overlook the base. For this show, we blind sample six barrel-...
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Episode 460 - FoBAB 2022 Winners from 2022-11-30T13:30
We kick off Barrel-Aged December a little early with a six pack of mostly locals who took home medals at this year’s Festival of Wood and Barrel-Aged Beers. Unsur...
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Episode 459: Weldwerks 3: Weirdwerks from 2022-11-23T13:30
In this return to one of our favorite Colorado brewery’s beers, we find some of the more offbeat and odd offerings from Weldwerks. Also, Craig catches up with co-...
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Episode 458 - The New OR Show from 2022-11-16T13:30
As we brace ourselves for an extended Barrel-Aged December, we dip back into the summer archives for this final Oregon-centric show from Craig’s trip to highlight...
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Episode 457 - Cruz Blanca Luchadors 2022 from 2022-11-09T13:30
We’re just going to come out and say it: this is the best lineup in the history of this series, and it might be the best complete lineup of barrel-aged beers to c...
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Episode 456 - Deth Becomes Them from 2022-11-02T12:30
With one summer and one fall release, Revolution has already put six cans of this year’s Deep Wood series out into the world, and we’re eager to have them all sid...
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Episode 455 - Torture Test 666: Beer of the Beast from 2022-10-26T12:30
Unknowable horrors await us on our sixth annual Torture Test show, wherein we try to find weird, old, and terrible beers to blindly afflict one another, and this ...
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Episode 454 - GABF 2022 from 2022-10-19T12:30
For the 40th year of GABF - and the first festival in three years - we had to go bigger than ever, so much so that we couldn’t fit it into one episode. Even thoug...
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Episode 454.1 - GABF 2022 Part One from 2022-10-17T12:30
For the 40th year of GABF - and the first festival in three years - we had to go bigger than ever, so much so that we couldn’t fit it into one episode. Even thoug...
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Episode 453 - The NM Show from 2022-10-12T12:30
The 30th installment in our State Show series takes us to the Southwest thanks to listener Don Kasak’s recent trip to New Mexico. To beat that dry heat, things st...
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Episode 452 - Waypost Brewing Company from 2022-10-05T12:30
Just off the Lake Michigan shoreline sandwiched between popular vacation beach towns, there’s a little farmhouse brewery in Fennville, MI called Waypost. Opened i...
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Episode 451 - Maximum Minneapolis from 2022-09-28T12:30:45
Further expanding our recent slew of city-centric shows, Craig took a brief trip to the Twin Cities area and scored five killer beers from Minneapolis breweries. ...
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Episode 450 - Saison is the Reason from 2022-09-21T12:30:06
Who says you need a reason to saison? Saison is all the reason you need. On this landmark Listen
Episode 449 - The OR Show from 2022-09-14T12:30:34
For our 29th State Show in our decade-long intermittent series, Craig’s travels reward us with beers from one of the great beer states in the nation: Oregon. This...
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Episode 448 - Just Tables from 2022-09-07T12:30:56
It’s our job to bring together five local table beers (and deal with Eddie Munster), so we seek to further understand this lighter cousin of saison by talking wit...
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Episode 447 - BlackStack Brewing from 2022-08-31T12:30:51
BlackStack Brewing has built quite a reputation off of exceptionally well-crafted hazy IPAs, and we have three of them in this lineup to prove it’s true. Craig al...
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Episode 446 - The Peach Pit from 2022-08-24T12:30:17
Unlike a usual episode where we rub our fuzzy faces and gaze at our navels, this peach beer show comes with a twist. Certainly we review five local beers under a ...
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Episode 445 - Portland, Oregon from 2022-08-17T12:30:45
Known as Beervana for a reason, Portland, Oregon is maybe the premier beer destination city in the United States. Summer Craig recently spent some time getting to...
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Episode 444 - Local Hefes from 2022-08-10T14:25:19
The hefeweizen is a pretty universally appreciated summer beer, and we’ve amazingly never dedicated an entire show to the style. But thankfully a bunch of cool lo...
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Episode 443 - The Bend Show from 2022-08-03T12:30:57
Though it may not be many people’s pick for Oregon’s best beer city, it’s hard to ignore the quality beers produced in Bend. From Craig’s trip, we have five diver...
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Episode 442 - Mixed Culture Cooler from 2022-07-27T12:30:35
Plunge that hand deep into the slushy depths of that beach-ready cooler and help yourself to a cold and refreshing serving of…lactobacillus, saccharomyces, and br...
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Episode 441 - Hair of the Dog from 2022-07-20T12:30:13
For almost 30 years, Alan Sprints and his Portland, Oregon brewery Hair of the Dog pioneered American craft beer through some of the earliest barrel-aging experim...
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Episode 440 - Saison Death Match: Chicago vs. Milwaukee from 2022-07-13T12:30:02
The time has finally come to pit the world’s premier saison producing cities - Chicago and Milwaukee, obviously - against one another in an arbitrary competition ...
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Episode 439 - Pfriem Pforever from 2022-07-06T12:30:16
We’ve long loved Hood River’s Pfriem Family Brewers, and thanks to Craig’s recent travels, we are able to drink through five of their impressive beers. For this o...
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Episode 438 - Necromancer Resurrections from 2022-06-29T12:30:03
Pittsburgh’s Necromancer has just crossed over a year in operation, and we’re already onto our second show featuring only their beers. Why? Listen
Episode 437 - Midwest Pils from 2022-06-22T12:30:02
No matter how much trends fluctuate, one of the steadiest beers to bank on is the pilsner. Everyone who loves beer loves a great pilsner, and in our opinion, no b...
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Episode 436 - MoBAB 2: Dark Territory from 2022-06-15T12:30:10
It is once again time for us to drink more barrel-aged beers (MoBAB), with Craig and Ryan as the only two heroes that can withstand this lineup of sinister and impos...
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Episode 435 - Giant Jones Brewing Company from 2022-06-08T12:30:41
Based in Madison, Wisconsin, Giant Jones is a woman-run, certified organic brewery specializing in big beers and obscure styles - a few of which are completely ne...
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Episode 434 - Kuhnhenn Brewing Company from 2022-06-01T12:30:31
Established in 1998, Kuhnhenn remembers a simpler time for craft beer. But Kuhnhenn also remembers that there were big and flavorful beers done differently - to e...
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Episode 433 - Smooj from 2022-05-25T12:30:26
Hard seltzers are starting to see a bit of a dip in sales, but it’s probably because they’re not all loaded up with chunky fruit and 250-plus calories per can. La...
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Episode 432 - Azadi Brewing from 2022-05-18T12:30:42
Currently operating out of Pilot Project, Azadi Brewing may be small at the moment, but their flavors are big and inspired by ingredients from regions all over In...
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Episode 431 - Bocks of Spring from 2022-05-11T12:30:01
Malt-forward and flowery, the bock-style lager most made for the Spring season is typically a maibock, though not all breweries embrace the confines of that title...
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Episode 430 - Cream Team from 2022-05-04T12:30:54
One of America’s few original styles also happens to be a commonly misunderstood one. The Cream Ale has no dairy or lactose (much to Craig’s chagrin) but is inste...
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Episode 429 - Haze Court from 2022-04-27T12:30:07
We’ve been summoned to do our civic duty in Haze Court, giving five hazy beers their due process through our arbitrary…arbitration. We’re ready to be convinced be...
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Episode 428 - Atrium Brewing from 2022-04-20T12:30:34
In less than two years, Atrium Brewing already has folks claiming them as the best brewery in Louisville - so Craig had to visit and find out for himself. Head brewe...
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Episode 427 - Hot Drops, Part Deux! from 2022-04-13T12:30:24
As if the Chicago shelves couldn’t be more saturated with tantalizing options, a whole new round of hot drops has hit recently that got us out to the bottle shops to...
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Episode 426 - The Louisville Show from 2022-04-06T12:30:27
Well ahead of Derby Day, Craig trotted down to Louisville, Kentucky to check out their beer scene and bring back a five-pack, along with an interview. The range i...
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Episode 425 - Ethereal Brewing from 2022-03-30T12:30:29
Craig’s recent travels brought him to Ethereal Brewing who have been bringing a wide variety of bold styles to Lexington, Kentucky for the better part of a decade. W...
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Episode 424 - Dubbel Play from 2022-03-23T12:30:50
Inching ever-closer to our Belgian cycle, we finally reach for the Dubbel on this show by drinking the style-originator and several American examples - including ...
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Episode 423 - Grape Expectations from 2022-03-16T12:30:44
We don’t always have the best luck with fruit feature shows, so we hand our expectations over to some of our most trusted local brewers to give grapes a chance. All ...
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Episode 422 - Fruit Stupid from 2022-03-09T13:30:35
Sometimes you just gotta say, “What the f***?” and open five cans absolutely crammed full of fruit slurry and let the whole notion of beer just leave your mind. W...
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Episode 421 - Back to the Barr3l from 2022-03-02T13:30
For the third straight year, we return to the type of enormous barrel-aged beers that destroyed us throughout December…and fall in love all over again. This lineu...
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Episode 420 - Dark Lagers 2 from 2022-02-23T13:30:01
Yeah we know what episode this is, and truthfully, the pressure of somehow delivering The Funny Weed Number Show was too much, leading us to sip on five delicious...
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Episode 419 - Grave Jacket to Heaven from 2022-02-16T13:30:53
We’re finishing off this season’s Deep Wood series from Revolution by doing all the non-stouts - and in many ways we’ve saved the best for last. Though the barrels d...
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Episode 418 - Tripel Threat from 2022-02-09T13:30:32
Once brewed as a “superbier” to push the limits of ABV in a Belgian Blonde ale, the Tripel has almost a century of history with many American breweries embracing ...
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Episode 417 - Crazy 8th from 2022-02-02T14:00:57
Ushering in our 8th year of the podcast, this anniversary episode is a surprisingly sessionable trip down memory lane. Each host blindly leads the other through t...
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Episode 416 - Beers For Podcasting from 2022-01-26T13:30:38
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 ...
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Episode 415 - Keeping 2gether from 2022-01-19T13:30
A sequel to one of our favorite shows of 2021 Listen
Episode 414 - Non-Alcoholic Adventure from 2022-01-12T13:30
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 heal...
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Episode 413 - Cold IPAs from 2022-01-05T13:30
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 ...
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Episode 412 - Double Barrel Blast from 2021-12-29T14:00
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 bar...
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Episode 411 - Faces of Deth from 2021-12-22T14:00
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 re...
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Episode 410 - Barrel-Aged Saisons from 2021-12-15T13:30
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 d...
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Episode 409 - FoBAB 2021 Winners from 2021-12-08T13:30
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 ...
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Episode 408 - Half Acre Benthic 2021 from 2021-12-01T13:30
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. ...
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Episode 407 - The Cincinnati Show from 2021-11-24T13:30
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 od...
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Episode 406 - Cruz Blanca Luchadors 2021 from 2021-11-17T13:30
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 anywa...
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Episode 405 - Barreled Souls from 2021-11-10T13:30
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 flavor...
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Episode 404 - Bourbon County 2021 from 2021-11-03T12:30
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 line...
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Episode 403 - Torture Test V: Crypt Fever from 2021-10-27T12:30
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 t...
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Episode 402 - The SD Show from 2021-10-20T12:30
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 f...
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Episode 401 - Duneyrr/Moderne Dune from 2021-10-13T12:30
With Duneyrr Artisan Fermenta Project, Tyler Davis wants to explore the ways wine and beer fermentation can cross over into styles that defy traditional categoriz...
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Episode 400 - Barrel-Aged Chicago Stouts from 2021-10-06T12:30
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 bre...
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Episode 399 - IL GABF Winners 2021 from 2021-09-29T12:30
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 assemb...
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Episode 398 - The VT Show from 2021-09-22T12:30
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...
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Episode 397 - Grocery Store IPAs from 2021-09-15T12:30
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,...
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Episode 396 - Allagash Brewing Company from 2021-09-08T12:30
We’ve long been spoiled to have Allagash beers in the Chicagoland market, considering they still only distribute to about a third of the country, if that. But thi...
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Episode 395 - Portland, ME from 2021-09-01T12:30
In a state where there’s a brewery for about every 8,000 people, Portland is the ultimate beer-lovers’ destination in picturesque Maine. Craig’s travels bring us ...
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Episode 394 - The Alchemist from 2021-08-25T12:30
Stowed away in Northern Vermont, The Alchemist has been a world-renowned brewery for almost two decades thanks to its tremendously popular and influential Heady T...
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Episode 393 - Oxford Comma Stouts from 2021-08-18T13:00
If you’re going to toss the whole pastry shelf into your stout, we better see some proper punctuation. For this episode, we’ve gathered five stouts that are on a ...
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Episode 392 - Haze Suburbia from 2021-08-11T13:00
On some episodes, we just wanna act stupid and have some fun, so for this one we’re doing an all suburban, all haze, all blind show to prove that we don’t give a ...
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Episode 391 - Hot Rev Summer from 2021-08-04T13:00
Revolution Brewing’s mission is to dominate your whole calendar. They release one of the most coveted barrel-aged beers in the last few years as a surprise for th...
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Episode 390 - Quad Goals from 2021-07-28T13:00
The Belgian Quadrupel is a style one might associate with decades of Trappist-brewed tradition, when in actuality, it was first coined a style in 1991 in the Neth...
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Episode 389 - Pitt Stop from 2021-07-21T13:00
Summer Craig’s travels brought him to the Steel City of Pittsburgh to explore their vibrant beer scene and bring back five beers for the podcast. We have an unusu...
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Episode 388 - Keeping Together from 2021-07-14T12:30
Keeping Together, the saison-focused project from Averie Swanson, has brought world-class mixed culture farmhouse-style beers to Chicago - if even for all too sho...
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Episode 387 - Necromancer Brewing from 2021-07-07T13:00
The good folks at Necromancer Brewing in Pittsburgh want to bring dead beer styles back to life, learning from the past while also using modern techniques and ing...
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Episode 386 - The LA Show from 2021-06-30T13:00
In our 26th installment of our State Show Series, we get surprised with a box from listener Andrew F. and try to turn this admittedly New Orleans-heavy show into ...
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Episode 385 - Blind Kölsch from 2021-06-23T12:30
Though the only true kölsch can be found in Cologne, Germany, the broad appeal of the style is an obvious draw for brewers and drinkers alike. We find six local e...
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Episode 384 - Single Hop Butcher from 2021-06-16T12:30
If only there was some relevant reason to do our first Hop Butcher show in a year...oh yeah! They released four single-hopped hazy beers! Well, there’s that and t...
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Episode 383 - Mikerphone Unplugged from 2021-06-09T12:30
Mikerphone has become notorious for being willing to toss anything edible (and usually sweet) into a beer, but they’re not all style with no substance. For this e...
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Episode 382 - West Coast-Style Chicago from 2021-06-02T12:30
Trends with IPAs come and go, but the West Coast-style IPA is foundational for what craft beer is today. So when a bunch of awesome local breweries set aside thei...
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Episode 381 - The Collab Lab from 2021-05-26T12:30
More than just a mash paddle photoshoot for Instagram, these brewery collaborations focus on how their own pre-existing strong recipes can complement those of ano...
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Episode 380 - MoBAB from 2021-05-19T12:30
Not to be confused with FoBAB (Festival of Wood and Barrel-Aged Beers) or MOBAB (Missouri’s Board of Anime Bookstores), this episode simply promises
Episode 379 - B-Sides from 2021-05-12T12:30
This show is a tribute to when the b-side is even better than the a-side, as we drink through five beers that for random reasons didn’t make the cut for recent ep...
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Episode 378 - Madison Beers from 2021-05-05T12:30
Ticking off another Midwestern hotspot for beers, we try out five different beers from Madison, Wisconsin breweries this week. We drink as a badger does and uncov...
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Episode 377 - Baseball Beers from 2021-04-28T12:30
In our minds, there’s hardly a better combination than drinking beer and appreciating baseball - a pastime as wholesome as apple pie milkshake IPAs. So we step in...
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Episode 376 - Young Blood Beer Company from 2021-04-21T12:30
Looking to provide an “oasis for life and leisure,” Madison, Wisconsin’s Young Blood Beer Company had to bring the oasis to the people in their first year of oper...
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Episode 375 - Fox River Five from 2021-04-14T12:30
Head about 45 minutes west of Chicago, and you’ll find a cluster of fresh craft beer options that are certainly destination-worthy. Ryan took a weekend to check o...
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Episode 374 - The CT Show from 2021-04-07T12:30
In our triumphant return to our state series, we venture into the beers from the great state of Connecticut for our 25th installment. And we do so in a big way - ...
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Episode 373 - Around the Bend from 2021-03-31T12:30
From their first batch of beer released in 2015, Around the Bend has been committed to an unconventional take on traditional styles. The brewery’s trajectory has ...
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Episode 372 - Baltic Porters from 2021-03-24T12:30
Despite the allure of warmer temperatures, we’re not quite ready to be done with stout season. So we grab the next-closest seasonally appropriate alternative: bal...
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Episode 371 - Back 2 The Barrel from 2021-03-17T12:30
Finally ready to recover from Barrel-Aged December™, we assembled a star-studded sequel to last year’s episode, bringing on five barrel-aged beers presented witho...
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Episode 370 - Russian River from 2021-03-10T13:30
It’s always been exciting to drink Russian River - every bottle opened feels like an event, and it has felt that way for us for well over a decade. On this show w...
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Episode 369 - Black IPAs from 2021-03-03T13:30
Either through public demand or divine intervention, the Black IPA has made an unexpected comeback in 2021, and We. Are. Here. For. It. We snagged the first five ...
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Episode 368 - Local News from 2021-02-24T13:30
Tonight, we have the story of five breweries local to Chicagoland who opened amidst a global crisis, and the five beers that lifted the spirits of two weary beer ...
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Episode 367 - Bock to Basics from 2021-02-17T13:30
The bitterly cold winter months call for rich and bready lagers, and the bock beer is ready to swaddle you in warming flavors. For this show, we try five very dif...
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Episode 366 - OEC Brewing from 2021-02-10T13:30
We’ve long sought out the strange and elusive beers of Connecticut’s Ordinem Ecentrici Coctores - or OEC Brewing, informally - so we have a ritualistic orientatio...
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Episode 365 - Revolution: Straight to the Ryeway from 2021-02-03T13:30
We send off this season’s Deep Wood series by opening up some of their finest ‘wines. Big on barrel variation, this lineup of barleywines and ryewines features a ...
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Episode 364 - 7 Year Surprise from 2021-01-27T13:30
This year is our seventh as a podcast, and because we couldn’t throw a party like we usually do, we’re bringing the drunken fun inside your head holes. It’s certa...
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Episode 363 - Brown Ales from 2021-01-20T13:30
Though it may not be considered all that popular, the brown ale is resilient. Craft brewers have been making them for decades, and even now it’s more common to se...
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Episode 362 - Odious Cellars from 2021-01-13T13:30
Starting a sour-focused brewery comes with a unique set of challenges, especially when you enter the market in the midst of a pandemic. But Odious Cellars founder...
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Episode 361 - Cellar West from 2021-01-06T13:30
In a city called Lafayette, somewhat between Denver and Boulder, Zach Nichols runs his farmhouse-focused brewery, Cellar West Artisan Ales. In under five years, t...
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Episode 360 - Exciting! Barrel-Aged Stouts! from 2020-12-30T14:00
We might as well send off 2020 on an upbeat note and just get wild with the ingredients, so we let it all hang out on this mixed five pack of barrel-aged variant ...
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Episode 359 - Revolution: Deth Wish from 2020-12-23T14:00
The imperial oatmeal stout at the heart of it all, Deth’s Tar may have seemed like a fun little pun back when it first came out of barrels in the early part of th...
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Episode 358 - Barrel-Aged Coffee Stouts from 2020-12-16T13:30
Coffee was once the only adjunct a good stout needed, until recent years has brought the entire pastry case with it. So finding five barrel-aged stouts with just ...
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Episode 357 - FoBAB 2020 Winners from 2020-12-09T13:30
Barrel-aged December is now officially underway, and we’re delighted to crack open four medal-winning Illinois beers from this year’s Festival of Wood and Barrel ...
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Episode 356 - Sweet Treats from 2020-12-02T14:00
If there’s ever been a month for careless indulgence, it would be December of 2020, so we’re going full-on dessert and pastry beer for this episode. These five en...
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Episode 355 - Triple IPAs from 2020-11-25T14:00
Once more of a niche taproom-only style, the Triple IPA has become a more common sight on the shelves thanks to craft beer customers who never say no to more. Haz...
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Episode 354 - American-Made Mexican-Style Lagers from 2020-11-18T13:30
We’re on flavor sabbatical for a week, so we’re looking around for minor trends to cover that we haven’t properly explored. As a twist on the traditional German l...
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Episode 353 - Cruz Blanca Luchadors 2020 from 2020-11-11T13:30
For a few years running, Cruz Blanca’s Luchador series has been perhaps the most inspired and creative lineup of the holy trinity of Chicago barrel-aged beer spec...
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Episode 352 - Bourbon County 2020 from 2020-11-02T14:00
In preparation for a Black Friday like never before, we got a chance to sample through this year’s full lineup of Goose Island’s Bourbon County to help you decide...
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Episode 351 - Torture Test IV: Zoom of Doom from 2020-10-28T12:30
As if this year hasn’t been cruel enough, we once again try and assemble a tapestry of nightmares out of old and bad beers. Each host brings the three worst beers...
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Episode 350 - Bless This West from 2020-10-21T12:30
In need of a haze hiatus but unwilling to give up our hop addiction, we are ISO IBUs as we sample through five West Coast-style IPAs to travel back to a time of m...
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Episode 349 - GABF Memories from 2020-10-14T12:30
For the first time since this podcast started almost seven years ago, there’s no trip to Denver to drink beer at the Great American Beer Festival - and we’re feel...
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Episode 348 - Chill Pils from 2020-10-07T12:30
It’s as good a time as ever to take time to chill with some simple and refreshing pilsners, so we try to lower our resting heart rates through a little lager love...
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Episode 347 - Illuminated Brew Works from 2020-09-30T12:30
Enshrouded in a dark and mysterious energy, Illuminated Brew Works has become a cult favorite in Chicago - because they are probably an actual cult. Our initial a...
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Episode 346 - More vs. Phase Three Blind from 2020-09-23T12:30
In a state chock full of great hazy IPA producers, More and Phase Three still stand amongst the best and most-revered. The fact that they have an intertwined hist...
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Episode 345 - Old Irving Brewing (ft. Trevor-Rose Hamblin) from 2020-09-16T12:30
Soon to be celebrating their 4th year in business, Old Irving Brewing has established itself as one of the best brewpubs in the city - with the hardware to prove ...
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Episode 344 - Craft Seltzers from 2020-09-09T12:30
We held out so long on seltzers, until the exact moment when we saw some of our favorite breweries releasing their takes on the flavored malt beverage craze. Are ...
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Episode 343 - Double Your Fun from 2020-09-02T12:30
When a brewery releases a double dry-hopped version of one of their go-to hoppy beers, it’s often a surefire hit with consumers. Though it has somehow become syno...
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Episode 342 - The KS Show from 2020-08-26T12:30
After delousing in quarantine for 14 days, our Kansas show is ready to bring our State Show series up to #24, with the help of loyal listener Don Kasak. We traver...
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Episode 341 - Off Color IPAs from 2020-08-19T12:30
Quite possibly Chicago’s best brewery, Off Color still doesn’t make an IPA - nor do they have any plans to. And that’s quite alright. Seven years in, this little ...
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Episode 340 - Barrel Heat from 2020-08-12T12:30
Our passion for barrel-aged beers doesn’t disappear in August - it achieves a steady simmer below the surface, always ready to unleash itself when the opportunity...
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Episode 339 - Chicago Hop Leaders from 2020-08-05T12:30
Recent years have seen a surprising emergence of Chicago as one of the top destinations for hop enthusiasts, bolstered by a few well-publicized national medals an...
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Episode 338 - So It Gose from 2020-07-29T12:30
So, was anyone going to tell us that gose puns weren’t cool anymore? Well, at least the beers are better than they’ve ever been as we sample five enhanced goses f...
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Episode 337 - Saisonathon at Home from 2020-07-22T17:42:39
Once we accepted the cancellation of beer fests for the foreseeable future, we knew we had a hole to fill. A farmhouse hole. So, we do our best to recreate one of...
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Episode 336 - Fruited Berliners from 2020-07-15T12:30
If it seems that the string of 90-degree days will never end, well have we got a beer style for you. Berliner weisses experienced a considerable rejuvenation in t...
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Episode 335 - New Local Cans from 2020-07-08T12:30
If it’s been a while since you’ve last visited a craft bottle shop, you’ll likely encounter a whole new slew of labels from local breweries to explore. We pick up...
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Episode 334 - 5new2us from 2020-07-01T12:30
After months of curbside-only beer shopping, craft bottle shops have opened their doors to customers looking to pluck some single cans off the shelves in hopes of...
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Episode 333 - Meeting Beers from 2020-06-24T12:30
By the time you hit that third Zoom meeting of the day, you’re likely thinking about a beer to drink discretely that won’t get you in trouble. On this episode, we...
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Episode 332 - Hop Butcher for the Quarantine from 2020-06-17T12:30
Even though people are chasing pre-orders instead of trucks these days, Hop Butcher is still as hot as ever thanks to their consistent schedule of mostly hoppy - ...
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Episode 331 - Milkshakes Not Handshakes from 2020-06-10T12:30
Soothing that early summer heat with big ol’ glasses of lactose and hops, we’re sharing shakes from afar this week with the hopes of better understanding our comp...
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Episode 330 - Café a la Maison from 2020-06-03T12:30
Since you won’t find either of us sitting on some coffeehouse patio anytime soon, we’re bringing the coffee home in the form of five stouts. While they all delive...
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Episode 329 - Fruit Salad from 2020-05-27T12:30
Here’s hoping that we can talk you out of attending that backyard barbecue by offering up this refreshing bowl of audio fruit salad to help your summer isolation ...
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Episode 328 - Stone Redemption from 2020-05-20T12:30
When you’ve been around as long as Stone, you’re bound to take some lumps. And lumps we have delivered in the past by subjecting Stone beers to undeserved spots o...
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Episode 327 - SIP Lagers from 2020-05-13T12:30
We were already becoming very good at staying home and drinking copious amounts of lager before this whole mess, so it’s only natural that we shelter-in-place wit...
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Episode 326 - Curbside Haze from 2020-05-06T12:30
This week, we celebrate the resilience of local breweries and bottle shops that are still finding a way to keep getting hazy IPAs into the begloved fans of the ju...
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Episode 325 - Third Space Brewing from 2020-04-29T12:30
Craig extends his curbside to wherever he may roam, and after a month of quarantine, he hit up Milwaukee, carbound and down to score some more Third Space. After<...
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Episode 324 - SIP Dark from 2020-04-22T12:30
As we continue our shelter-in-place recordings, this time we’ve got a somewhat random mix of dark beers to distract us from *gestures broadly* and get us nearly i...
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Episode 323 - SIP Hops from 2020-04-15T13:00
We’re sheltered-in-place and slamming way more of some killer hoppy beers than normal, because we don’t actually have to share. In our first remotely-recorded epi...
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Episode 322 - The KY Show from 2020-04-08T12:30
In lieu of, you know, actual travelling, we’re taking our tastebuds down to Kentucky thanks to our good friend Sarah Rehmer. As our last in-person recording for a...
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Episode 321 - 3 Floyds from 2020-04-01T12:30
We can all use a heaping helping of beer-based nostalgia right now, so we spend an hour drinking and talking about one of the most significant craft breweries Chi...
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Episode 320 - Girl Scout Cookie Press from 2020-03-25T12:30
Because, what else are we going to do? A while back, Ryan bought three French presses and was determined to make an absolute mess of some good beers for your ente...
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Episode 319 - Jersey? Sure! from 2020-03-18T12:30
It’s good to have friends back East, as listener Mike Bobal sent us a box of New Jersey delights to reacquaint us with beers of the Garden State. And yeah, we snu...
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Episode 318 - Peanut Butter Cup Stouts Blind from 2020-03-11T12:30
Three great tastes that taste great together: peanut butter, chocolate, and stout combine in all six beers on this blind tasting - and a few prove that there Listen
Episode 317 - Single Hop Blind from 2020-03-04T13:30
With most blind shows, we aim to learn more about how our biases impact our perception of beer styles, and we are often surprised and enlightened by the results. ...
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Episode 316 - Revolution: Deeper and Woodier from 2020-02-26T13:30
The second half of Revolution’s most recent Deep Wood series is all about the barrels, with beers featuring ambitious blends and extended aging to close out the b...
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Episode 315 - 1840 Brewing from 2020-02-19T13:30
Back in July, we were lucky enough to spend a little time with Kyle Vetter at his 1840 Brewing in Milwaukee (which you can hear on our Brew City episode), and sin...
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Episode 314 - More Brewing from 2020-02-12T13:30
Villa Park’s More made a big splash from the moment they opened their doors in 2017, due to their hiring of a rising star brewer and their embrace of big flavor b...
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Episode 313 - Back to the Barrel from 2020-02-05T13:30
After taking a month to recover from our Barrel-Aged December, we hop right back in the wood with five big beers from Illinois breweries. It leaves us feeling pre...
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Episode 312 - Goose Diaspora from 2020-01-29T13:30
The complex story of Goose Island extends far beyond their innovations and acquisition, because throughout their history, they’ve cultivated a truly impressive br...
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Episode 311 - Danks for Legal Weed from 2020-01-22T13:30
The start of legalized marijuana in Illinois has been a real mixed bag with massive lines and product shortages dominating the headlines. So rather than feeling e...
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Episode 310 - Under the Table and Drinking from 2020-01-15T13:30
It’s flavorful yet restrained. It’s refreshing and sessionable. And it’s loosely bound by any real style designation. It’s the table beer! We explore five Chicago...
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Episode 309 - Beer on the Wall Collabs from 2020-01-08T13:30
We’re quite transparent about two things on this podcast: we genuinely enjoy supporting our sole long-time sponsor, and we love getting free beer to review. So wh...
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Episode 308 - middle brow. from 2020-01-01T13:30
Following the story of middle brow has been a privilege for us, as their generosity and selflessness has been pretty well-documented during years of limited produ...
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Episode 307 - Bourbon County 2019 from 2019-12-23T14:00
Wherein we consume over a gallon of Bourbon County, this episode attempts to balance detailed reviews with what is basically stunt drinking. We enlist the help of...
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Episode 306 - FoBAB Winners from 2019-12-18T13:30
To continue Barrel-Aged December, we track down five beers that brought home medals from this year’s Festival of Wood and Barrel-Aged Beers. (We swear this isn’t ...
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Episode 305 - Cruz Blanca Luchadors 2019 from 2019-12-11T13:30
At some point, these guys can’t stay “underrated” or “under the radar” with the ridiculous blends and adjunct-enhanced beers from barrels they release every year....
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Episode 304 - Deep Wood 2019 Part 1 from 2019-12-04T13:30
The best yearly barrel-aged release series has hit its halfway point, so we’re using that as an excuse to drink through the five newest releases in Revolution’s D...
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Episode 303 - Hot Drops from 2019-11-27T13:45:30
When a beer festival with national interest comes through Chicago, beer consumers are met with a whole new array of options at their favorite bottle shops, even i...
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Episode 302 - Listener Supported from 2019-11-20T13:30
We took last week to recover from FoBAB, so this week we dip into our short-storage vault for this episode we recorded back in May with five listener-donated beer...
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Episode 301 - Dark Lagers from 2019-11-13T14:00
With winter approaching, one might feel it necessary to lament the passing of lager season. But dear listener, never fret! Brewers from all over the world have go...
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Episode 300 - 3 Fonteinen from 2019-11-06T13:43:21
We’re celebrating our big 300 by treating ourselves to the exquisite (and expensive) beers from one of Belgium’s longest-running gueuze producers, Brouwerij 3 Fon...
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Episode 299 - Torture Test III: Pain Train from 2019-10-30T16:26:04
The most terrible tradition returns with our third annual gauntlet of gore as we try and outdo each other with the absolute worst-tasting beers we can find. Throw...
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Episode 298 - FoBABlin’ 4 The People from 2019-10-23T13:17:25
In our yearly tribute to Chicago’s biggest and best beer fest, we continue our tradition of giving our recommendations for the Festival of Wood and Barrel-aged Be...
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Episode 297 - Craig’s Choice from 2019-10-16T12:52:52
It’s a joyous time in the ABV bunker as we celebrate Craig’s engagement by letting him pick a lineup of seemingly incongruous beers that are as significant as the...
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Episode 296 - GABF 2019 from 2019-10-09T12:56:43
For three whole days, we are the masters of our domain - which is the expansive festival hall in Denver, Colorado for the Great American Beer Festival. We’re doub...
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Episode 295 - Rev Against the Machine from 2019-10-02T10:15:45
Already an established force in IPAs, Revolution was curiously slow to embrace the hazier varieties. Not rushing in has afforded them the ability to learn from ot...
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Episode 294 - Road 2 GABF from 2019-09-25T12:30
In this long-awaited sequel, we are filling our meters with GABF excitement as we talk about the upcoming fest while drinking some local medal winners. We sample ...
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Episode 293 - New Chicagoland Sampler from 2019-09-18T12:30
The number of breweries in or around Chicago has surpassed 200 at this point, deflating the opinions of those that speculated about a major bubble bursting in the...
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Episode 292 - Oktoberfest Blind from 2019-09-11T12:30
Like hooded sweatshirts and nutmeg-dusted coffee drinks, Oktoberfests make the impending colder temperatures much more bearable. Is it beer’s most popular seasona...
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Episode 291 - The NH Show from 2019-09-04T12:30
Our state show journey reaches New Hampshire, courtesy of listener and friend David Leshinski, who sent us a state sampler box with *Listen
Episode 290 - Kveik Beers from 2019-08-28T12:30
The *ahem* hot new yeast on the scene for both homebrewers and professionals alike is actually an ancient and pastoral tradition, propagated by Norwegian farmers ...
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Episode 289 - Triptych Diptych from 2019-08-21T12:30
Though it’s been three years since their last feature on the podcast, Triptych has remained one of our favorite downstate breweries while continuing to grow into ...
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Episode 288 - Gaga for GA from 2019-08-14T12:30
In the three years since we last drank five Georgia beers on the show, there have been significant law changes allowing breweries to sell directly to consumers, r...
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Episode 287 - Brew City from 2019-08-07T12:30
Milwaukee’s great reputation as the home of brewers (and The Brewers) was long built on cheap adjunct lagers. But in three years time, the Brew City has been rebo...
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Episode 286 - Eagle Park Brewing Company from 2019-07-31T12:30
Even though they’re not even three years old, Eagle Park Brewing Company has already acquired its third location to brew their top-tier beers to serve the Milwauk...
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Episode 285 - Phase Three vs. Hop Butcher Blind from 2019-07-24T12:30
The two great local conquests of the haze-chasers in Chicagoland for 2019, Phase Three and Hop Butcher have built a hype train of hops that has no signs of slowin...
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Episode 284 - Rabid Brewing from 2019-07-17T12:30
Founded in 2017 as the first brewery in Homewood, Rabid Brewing combines mythical lore with artistic passion to bring a diverse and delicious beer menu to their t...
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Episode 283 - The TN Show from 2019-07-10T12:30
We’re taking a liquid voyage to the great state of Tennessee for our 21st state show, thanks to listener Matt Milam. There are five beers from four breweries for ...
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Episode 282 - Untitled Art from 2019-07-03T12:30
Born from a union of Funk Factory’s Levi Funk and Octopi Brewing’s Isaac Showaki, Untitled Art was launched in late 2016 to bring exciting new styles to Wisconsin...
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Episode 281 - Diet Beers from 2019-06-26T12:30
Though we’d all like to pretend Hazy IPAs or pastry stouts represent the most significant trends in beer over the last decade or so, the real big money game-chang...
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Episode 280 - School of Brett from 2019-06-19T12:30
For decades, brewers have been harvesting the funk from brettanomyces yeast strains for a variety of purposes. Whether it’s to add some phenolic funk to a sour be...
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Episode 279 - Farm to Podcast from 2019-06-12T12:30
More sustainable and definitely more rustic than your city brewery, these five beer producers also operate in conjunction with a farm, using ingredients grown on ...
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Episode 278 - The OK Show from 2019-06-05T12:30
For our 20th State Show, listener and friend Jim Plachy offered to round up five Oklahoma beers, and we said that’d be alright with us. And with a lineup this fla...
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Episode 277 - Haze Buds from 2019-05-29T16:51:16
What’s better than hanging with your buds and sipping on some murky hop suds? We don’t know because everyone’s preferences are subjective! On this episode, we dri...
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Episode 276 - Saisonathon 2019 Live from 2019-05-22T13:46:03
For the third straight year - and our first at Forbidden Root - we celebrated Illinois Craft Beer Week by bringing together some of the area’s best saisons and sa...
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Episode 275 - Angry Chair Brewing from 2019-05-15T12:30
The folks from Angry Chair are not shy to admit that non-locals are likely most familiar with their heavily-hyped stouts. We try and do right by this Tampa brewer...
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Episode 274 - Tampa Bay Beers from 2019-05-08T12:30
When Craig vacations, we all win. This show is the result of Craig’s recent trip to Florida for a week of Harry Pottering and beer hopping on the Bay as we drink ...
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Best of Low ABV 4: Flavor Adventures from 2019-05-01T17:08:01
For more than three years, we’ve been releasing weekly one-shot episodes - Low ABVs - exclusively for our Patreon Patrons. In addition to interesting beers review...
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Episode 273 - Blind Saisons from 2019-04-24T12:30
It’s that magical time of year again where the warm weather and budding flowers necessitate the enjoyment of saisons - and it’s also when we have our annual Saiso...
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Episode 272 - Mikerphone Duets from 2019-04-17T11:30
Mike Pallen and his crew at Mikerphone are some of the most prolific collaborators in the business, and each year they expand their Cool Beer Friends Club by thro...
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Episode 271 - Cellar Roulette from 2019-04-10T12:30
It’s a high concept week in the bunker as we gamify our cellars by letting a roll of the dice determine the show’s lineup. Both Craig and Ryan dug deep into their...
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Episode 270 - Forager Brewery from 2019-04-03T12:30
Though the name suggests a more rustic approach, Forager Brewery out of Rochester, Minnesota is finding an audience with their adjunct-laden stouts and mixed-cult...
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Episode 269 - SARA Revisited from 2019-03-27T12:30
A sequel almost five years in the making, this episode reunites us with the beers of Sante Adairius Rustic Ales thanks to listener Mike Rousseau. Recognized by Ra...
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Episode 268 - The Legend of the Seven Sierras from 2019-03-20T12:30
An ancient prophecy foretold of a legacy brewery that would make a baffling number of IPAs to be available all at the same time, and that those IPAs would remind ...
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Episode 267 - The HI Show from 2019-03-13T12:30
To help push us through the last bits of this awful Chicago winter, we drink beers from paradise to tackle our 19th state show. This episode features five beers f...
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Episode 266 - Cherry On Tap from 2019-03-06T13:30
Like a lucky slot machine pull, we have a winning lineup of cherries on this show as we try five different styles of beer from five breweries, all featuring cherr...
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Episode 265 - BA Vanilla Stouts Blind from 2019-02-27T13:30
With a secondary price tag higher than our mortgage payments, this show is an embarrassment of riches in flavor and in rarity. But will we be embarrassed by our b...
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Episode 264 - Flagship February from 2019-02-20T13:30
Whether you see it as beer’s #version of Record Store Day or as a viral marketing ploy to drive sales for struggling brands, we here at ABV Chicago embrace these ...
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Episode 263 - Central Wisconsin Craft Collective from 2019-02-13T13:30
Deep in the heart of Wisconsin, there exists a not-so-secret society of like-minded artisans - specializing in beer, liquor, and wine - that have formed a collect...
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Episode 262 - Black Project Spontaneous&Wild Ales from 2019-02-06T13:30
Since our first encounter with James and Sarah Howat’s Black Project back at GABF in 2015, we’ve wanted to dedicate a show to their spontaneously-fermented wild a...
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Episode 261 - Afterthought Brewing from 2019-01-30T13:30
Now that bottles of Afterthought beers are starting to leave Lombard to reach more drinkers in the Chicagoland area, we celebrate by popping five elegant saisons ...
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Episode 260 - Deep Wood Deeper Dive from 2019-01-23T13:30
After the first five Deep Wood releases, Revolution Brewing could’ve taken the rest of the season off and enjoyed a victory lap. Instead, they drop five more barr...
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Episode 259 - Cruz Blanca Brewery from 2019-01-16T13:30
In almost three years, Cruz Blanca has quietly become one of the city’s best breweries, churning out everything from lagers that pair perfectly with a smokey tlay...
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Episode 258 - Blind Bruts from 2019-01-09T13:30
Opinion on Brut IPAs seems to be passionately divided between love and hate. But many brewers are banking on it gaining traction with the hopes that their version...
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Episode 257 - The CA Show from 2019-01-02T14:00
We’re truly in Beer Country now as our States Series takes us to the home of the most breweries in the nation: California! We have six beers on from six breweries...
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Episode 256 - The Full Vermonty from 2018-12-26T14:00
When you are gifted a mix of beers from Hill Farmstead and The Alchemist, you stop everything and drink them. Thanks to listener/Patreon supporter/forever friend ...
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Episode 255 - WeldWerks 2.0 from 2018-12-19T15:05:12
When Neil Fisher crushes your porch with a big box of WeldWerks beer for sampling, you don’t hesitate to revel in the flavorful delights contained within. Recorde...
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Episode 254 - Bitter Pops Advent Calendar from 2018-12-12T13:30
Adults have proven time and again that all childhood nostalgia is better with booze, so beer advent calendars became a thing. Bitter Pops makes one of the best su...
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Episode 253 - Beer Gifts from 2018-12-05T13:47:58
Have a fellow beer lover in your life that you want to spoil during the holidays? Or are you heading to some ugly sweater, ornament-decorating, cookie-binging hol...
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Episode 252 - Deep Wood Deep Dive from 2018-11-28T13:30
Revolution has taken some serious steps towards becoming THE barrel-aged beer producer in the city of Chicago by churning out varied, high-quality product in an a...
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Episode 251 - BCBS 2018 with Mike Siegel from 2018-11-20T13:30
Every Black Friday, Goose Island strives to deliver on a year-plus promise of bringing together consistent quality and technical innovation for a Bourbon County l...
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Episode 250 - Gueuz'n USA from 2018-11-14T15:00
For our big 250, we bring together a show that’s been over four years in the making about beers that take at least three years to produce. It’s all American-style...
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Episode 249 - FoBABlin’ 3: Season of the Barrel from 2018-11-07T13:30
The 16th annual Festival of Wood and Barrel-Aged Beers is almost upon us, and we continue our yearly tradition of geeking out about our favorite Chicago festival....
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Episode 248 - The Torture Test II: Craig’s Revenge from 2018-10-31T12:30
What horrors abound in this blind gross-out tasting challenge, wherein we try to inflict suffering on each other through liquid terrors? After the inaugural Beer ...
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Episode 247 - The IN Show from 2018-10-24T12:30
Our 50 States Quest continues as we take on our fireworks-selling neighbors to the East: Indiana! Recorded over the summer after Craig returned from a jaunt aroun...
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Episode 246 - Pumpkin Chuckin’ from 2018-10-17T12:45
The proliferation of pumpkin-flavored everything has slowed significantly compared to five years ago, and that seems to be the case in beer as well. Even in a yea...
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Episode 245 - WeldWerks Brewing from 2018-10-10T12:35:24
When we first met Neil Fisher from WeldWerks back in 2016, we couldn’t help but root for him: an affable guy making outstanding be...
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Episode 244 - Hops! We Did It Again from 2018-10-03T12:46:57
Taking three New England-made hoppy beers and pitting them against three Chicago ones in a blind taste test would seem like a novel idea, if we hadn’t already done it like 11 months ago. But her...
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Episode 243 - GABF 2018 from 2018-09-26T04:05
For our fifth straight year at the Great American Beer Festival, we drank all of the beers in Denver so you didn’t have to. This episode is our full recap of this...
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Episode 242 - Milkshake IPAs from 2018-09-20T00:05
As IPA further becomes a parody of itself, we stare down the ultimate challenge to our perception of what hoppy beers could - or should - be. Milkshake IPAs are a...
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Episode 241 - Road to GABF 2018 from 2018-09-12T12:58:30
We’re counting down the days to the 37th annual Great American Beer Festival, and going into our fifth year attending, we finally feel like we’re qualified to give advice for those attending, or...
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Episode 240 - Belgian Sour Starter Pack from 2018-09-05T12:44:09
Years ago, before every other American brewery had a koelschip or a “sour program,” the options to foster a love for sours was mostly limited to shelf-available B...
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Episode 239 - The WI Show from 2018-08-29T13:02:08
From the Stüssy of craft beer podcasts, this episode focuses on five Wisconsin breweries that aren’t that one you were just thinking about. Along with four interviews Craig gathered at the Great...
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Episode 238 - 450 North Brewing from 2018-08-22T13:09:34
Situated on a farm that also serves as a winery and restaurant, among other things, this unassuming Indiana brewery has made a name for itself through the perfect...
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Episode 237 - BRUT by Chicago from 2018-08-15T17:12:48
We finally realize our champagne wishes and IPA dreams as we gather some of the first beers released locally under the new Brut IPA style. What makes this San Francisco-born variation on IPA so ...
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Episode 236 - St. Louis Six from 2018-08-08T19:12:51
This one’s for all you Breeniacs out there. Listener Don Kasak hooked us up with a mixed bunch of St. Louis goodies, and ranking them does not prove to be easy. T...
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Episode 235 - American Kriek from 2018-08-01T17:39:16
A little background noise for your next de-stemming party, this episode has us drinking American takes on the cherry-featuring “kriek” - with four of the five pro...
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Episode 234 - Bearded Iris Brewing from 2018-07-25T19:51:04
For the past three years, Bearded Iris has been bringing some exciting flavors to its home of Nashville, Tennessee, and thanks to listener Matt Milam, we get to indulge in some of their hazy and...
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Episode 233 - Rosé Three Ways from 2018-07-18T19:47:58
Like diamonds, we have many facets. And on this highly Instagrammable show, we explore rosé as a wine, as a cider, and as a beer. Will our complete inexperience i...
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Episode 232 - Just Peachy from 2018-07-11T18:10:23
Well this episode isn’t THE PITS! Get it?!? We sample six pretty different beers that prominently feature peaches to pick our favorites. We talk about the secrets to finding the best peaches, ho...
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Episode 231 - Still Hazy After All These Years from 2018-07-02T23:16:26
We were shocked to learn that it’s been 8 months since our last hazy beer/New England-style IPA-focused show - can we learn to love them again? Well, the six beer...
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Episode 230 - SaisOn The Shelf from 2018-06-27T16:58:35
Our love of saisons runs deep - far deeper than our technical knowledge of them - but nevertheless, we get excited when we see new saisons filling up our local beer stores. We taste five recentl...
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Episode 229 - Lager Me Blindly from 2018-06-20T17:05:20
Lagers still represent the most consumed style of beer in the U.S. and it’s not even close. But consumers demand more than the watered-down adjunct-laden fare peddled by the biggest brewers and ...
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Episode 228 - Candy and Cakes from 2018-06-13T12:34:17
It’s like an hour-long cheat day, for on this episode, we indulge in everything sweet and sugary to enrobe ourselves in stouts just in time for the summer. We review five stouts that all feature...
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Episode 227 - Chicago Sour IPAs from 2018-06-06T12:38:38
As an amalgamation of two styles seen as so disparate in their processes, it’s easy to call Sour IPAs a gimmick - a style that cannot nor should not exist - or simply, liquid clickbait. We put o...
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Episode 226 - BeerCrimes from 2018-05-30T12:40:26
In the world of brewing, beer is brewed by two separate yet equally important groups: the independent brewers who make interesting beer, and the corporate brewers who imitate the former. On this...
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Episode 225 - Halfway to Black Friday from 2018-05-23T12:49:41
It’ll be another six months before the next wave of Bourbon County hits the supermarkets, so we check in on the 2017 lineup to see how they’re tasting after half a year. We are joined by Josh No...
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Episode 224 - New Crush from 2018-05-16T12:47:42
Stealing furtive glances from across the liquor store, you let your gaze finally fix on what could be your new summer crush - a local canned beer under six percent alcohol. We flirt with some ne...
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Episode 223 - The Science of Saison from 2018-05-09T16:40:11
Few styles are as satisfying as a perfectly executed saison. It’s no wonder that the devotees of this heterogeneous style are as passionate as they are, passing on the latest fad IPA to reach fo...
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Episode 222 - Polish Beers from 2018-05-07T13:53:10
To commemorate everyone’s favorite early-May drinking holiday, we have six beers to celebrate Polish Constitution Day! (Thursday, May 3rd!) Though this show cost ...
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Episode 221 - The Old/Fresh Blind Test from 2018-04-25T12:41:48
It’s a HIGH concept week here at ABV Labs as we determine whether certain beloved beers should or should not be aged. We have six beers to drink: two vintages of three different beers, and we ap...
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Episode 220 - Smoked Beers Everyday from 2018-04-18T17:48:18
An episode we swore we would never do, it’s all smoked beers of different styles on this show as we attempt to shake our long-running distaste of drinking ashy campfire ales. Do we finally open ...
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Episode 219 - Spring Cleaning from 2018-04-11T12:48:43
As another dogged Chicago winter comes to a close, we have some leftover beers that need to be emptied out into our swollen hibernation tummies. For this show, we...
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Episode 218 - Hop Butcher for the World from 2018-04-04T12:53:03
Slow growth is better than no growth - and it may be even better than rapid growth, as the crew at Hop Butcher for the World proves. After nearly two years of intermittent releases of their (mos...
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Episode 217 - The S’more You Know from 2018-03-28T18:42:27
In the grand order of the pastriarchy, the s’more stout reigns supreme again and again. But are they any good when you remove the hype? We blind taste five s’more...
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Episode 216 - Top IPAs Blind from 2018-03-21T12:46:33
The most beloved and influential American IPAs of the last decade are being churned out in record volume, yet the juicy beers are getting all the hype while diluting the meaning of the very styl...
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Episode 215 - Yazoo: Embrace the Funk from 2018-03-14T12:43:44
Our hearts are wide open and ready to embrace the funk, but will it embrace us back? Yazoo Brewing out of Nashville, Tennessee has been brewing since 2003, but their obsession with making comple...
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Episode 214 - Energy City Brewing from 2018-03-07T13:55:56
What would you do if you were a brewer at a one barrel brewery with a family and full time job with only a handful of brew days each month? Well if you’re Energy City Brewing, you’d probably ope...
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Episode 213 - Cigar City Brewing from 2018-02-28T13:49:15
About two years after a buyout from a private equity firm that joined them with crafty canning giants Oskar Blues, Cigar City Brewing is poised to make 2018 a year of expansion. Now that their w...
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Episode 212 - German-Style Chicago Reboot from 2018-02-21T13:52:04
Four years ago, no one wanted to hear us drink German styles coming out of Chicago. Now that more local breweries are pay...
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Episode 211 - The AR Show from 2018-02-14T13:46:12
Although Arkansas is known for many important things, brewing beer isn’t exactly one of them, as it ranks near the bottom in the nation for breweries per capita. But of course a passionate few a...
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Best of Low ABV Volume 3: Hops n’ Games from 2018-02-07T14:17:43
Each week for the past two years, we’ve released special mini-episodes for our Patreon supporters that we call Low ABVs. It’s our small way of saying thanks to those who commit even a small amou...
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Episode 210 - Holy Mountain from 2018-01-31T01:32:16
This Seattle brewery’s been on our wishlist for quite some time, and listener Raj Shah sent us a heavenly array of Holy Mountain beers to review. Big hops, barrel...
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Episode 209 - Lost Forty Brewing from 2018-01-24T14:12:47
Unknown to most of us Midwesterners but regarded highly in their native Arkansas, Lost Forty Brewing is canning up some stellar takes on a wide variety of styles. We taste five beers from this L...
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Episode 208 - The IA Show from 2018-01-17T13:48:11
Our 14th state show is with beers from all over the Hawkeye state, thanks to listener TJ Osborn. We review five beers from five different Iowa breweries and run into our first-ever CrowlerFreak....
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Episode 207 - New Taproom Tour from 2018-01-10T13:50:38
In the last six months, four hotly anticipated taprooms threw open their doors for thirsty Chicagoans, and we took a day to visit them. We brought back beers from each spot to review while shari...
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Episode 206 - pFriem Family Brewers from 2018-01-03T22:06:04
The pfabulous brewery with the pfunny name, pFriem Family Brewers out of Hood River, Oregon has been perfecting styles and racking up medals since 2012. We get to try a variety of styles here th...
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Episode 205 - F*** Off 2017 from 2017-12-27T18:52:57
The perfect soundtrack to setting your 2017 calendars ablaze over your electric stove, this episode features five beers that are, like, Listen
Episode 204 - Holiday Party 2017 from 2017-12-20T17:26:58
A shining star led many wise men and women to our place of recording, with each bearing wondrous homages of beer as we give audio birth to this blessed baby podcast. Actually, it’s just our holi...
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Episode 203 - Nuts 4 Stouts from 2017-12-13T14:01:14
Few things pair with falling temperatures, snow flurries, and holiday stress as well as big roasty and nutty stouts, so we get cracking on five beers that feature unique nut additions. We learn ...
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Episode 202 - The CO Show from 2017-12-06T13:59:59
Recorded after our return from this year’s GABF in October, we add to our State Show Series by sampling five beers from five Denver-area breweries, completely neglecting the rest of this beer-ri...
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Episode 201 - Lineless in Chicago from 2017-11-29T13:57:54
Did you strike out on BCBS this year? Is your Black Friday haul picture too pitiful to boastpost to that one Facebook group? Be not dismayed weary barrel-aged beer seekers - we have a whole show...
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Episode 200 - The 200th Episode Extravaganza from 2017-11-22T22:50:11
To commemorate our big 200, we ditched all of our high concept ideas to bring it back to the podcast’s origins by having a bottle share of random beers that interested us. But we couldn’t stop t...
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Episode 199 - Metal Monkey Asmodeus from 2017-11-15T19:24:31
As Metal Monkey Brewing in Romeoville gears up for the largest release in their almost two-year history, they decided that we should spread the word on the four barrel-aged versions of their hug...
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Episode 198 - FoBABlin’ 2: FoBABlin’ in the City from 2017-11-08T13:47:10
Each fall, Chicago holds one of the best beer fests in the country, so don’t blame us for getting all giddy about it. We talk a lot about what we’re excited for at the 15th Festival of Wood and ...
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Episode 197 - Blinded by the Haze from 2017-11-01T12:55:20
Be cautious beer audio traveler, there’s a dense fog advisory covering this episode as we blindly taste through six New England-style hoppy beers. We pit murky IPAs and DIPAs from Illinois again...
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Episode 196 - The Torture Test from 2017-10-25T12:49:28
In what will surely become a Hellish yearly tradition, we get gruesome on this show by trying to break each other by pouring the worst beers we could find. It’s a contest of depravity as we each...
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Episode 195 - Vanilla Stout Bottle Share from 2017-10-18T12:57:35
For many years now, vanilla has been the adjunct that takes a beer’s status from gold to platinum, instantly raising its secondary value to ridiculous levels. Not wanting to waste a drop, we inv...
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Episode 194 - GABF 2017 from 2017-10-11T22:16:36
Our Fourth Annual GABF Recap Spectacular is bursting with content, as we gathered more interviews and drank more beer than ever before! Recorded from our Denver hotel room, this show - featuring...
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Episode 193 - Cali Cans from 2017-10-04T10:46:04
We broke our self-imposed hop hiatus in spectacular fashion, thanks to listener Mike Rousseau. Five super sexy hoppy cans from the Golden State don’t even stand a chance here, as no drop is left...
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Episode 192 - Too Many SKUs from 2017-09-27T12:51:51
There is a ridiculous amount of options for the Chicagoland beer buyer, but that won’t stop five more established breweries from carving out some shelf space! We try five beers from these new ar...
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Episode 191 - Kane Brewing from 2017-09-20T12:47
The third show in our own Jersey Trilogy (thanks to listener Mike Bobal), we finally get to try more from a brewery that’s blown us away at festivals in the past - Kane Brewing. We have three ho...
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Episode 190 - The MI Show from 2017-09-13T13:05:14
We’ve been smitten with The Mitten for as long as we’ve loved beer, because Michigan just might be the best beer state in the Midwest. We stick to the western coast of MI as Craig gathered four ...
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Episode 189 - Face/Off: WI vs. IL from 2017-09-06T12:44:38
This episode will, once and for all, determine which state is the greatest on Earth: Wisconsin or Illinois? We find so...
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Episode 188 - Around the World in 5 Beers from 2017-08-30T12:53:14
Taking a much-needed vacation from hops, we let our taste buds travel to five different continents to sample beers from around the world. In addition to an interview with Pete from Garage Projec...
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Episode 187 - Saint Errant Brewing from 2017-08-23T21:19:53
While many of their friends were starting breweries and gaining notoriety, Brent Banks and Ryan Jacobs were honing their craft as home brewers while juggling jobs in finance and the medical fiel...
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Episode 186 - Carton Brewing from 2017-08-16T16:59:10
From the tip of New Jersey’s elbow, Carton Brewing makes beers sometimes born of unusual inspiration that combine culinary artistry with just the right amount of whimsy. Listener Mike Bobal sent...
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Episode 185 - Can’t Stop the Hops from 2017-08-09T17:20:25
Ignoring the fact that there are plenty of beers out there that relegate hops to a simple supporting ingredient, we again indulge our insatiable appetites for chronic hop-led tonics by tasting o...
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Episode 184 - Hops for Downloads from 2017-08-02T17:19:11
We love hops - and more importantly, our listening audience loves hops too. So to keep pushing those download numbers higher, we take our palates to the limit with six random hoppy beers. We tal...
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Episode 183 - Transient Artisan Ales from 2017-07-26T16:06:46
It’s been a year and some months since Chris Betts made Transient Artisan Ales not-so transient by opening up a brewery and taproom in Bridgman, Michigan. We take the short jaunt around the tip ...
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Episode 182 - Dovetail and Riggs: Crossfire from 2017-07-19T13:05:21
Two Illinois brewing traditionalists inspired us to dig deeper into lagers and hefeweizens, so we pitted a bunch against each other in a goofy Crossfire showdown....
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Episode 181 - Narrow Gauge Brewing Company from 2017-07-12T15:52:44
From the basement of an Italian restaurant just outside of St. Louis, Narrow Gauge has started to gain a name in the Midwest and beyond as purveyors of great hazy IPAs - and other outstanding be...
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Episode 180 - Mikerphone Brewing Live! from 2017-07-05T14:22:35
Mike Pallen opened the doors on the tasting room for his new Elk Grove Village brewery back in March, and the rarest thing - besides some of his beers - is finding an open seat at the bar. We sa...
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Episode 179 - Chicago Cooler Beers from 2017-06-28T16:11:14
Whether it’s for a barbecue or a beach, choosing the right refreshing beer for your summer outing is more daunting than ever with so many choices. So, for your benefit, we drink eight Chicago-ar...
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Episode 178 - The NJ Show from 2017-06-21T17:07:46
Thanks to listener Mike Bobal, we are able to drop another pin in our map as we tackle the Garden State. We review five beers from five different New Jersey brewe...
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Episode 177 - Jackie O’s from 2017-06-14T17:47:19
Starting back in 2005, Jackie O’s has grown from a brewpub to inc...
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Episode 176 - DESTIHL Brewery from 2017-06-07T12:40:19
Over the course of a decade, DESTIHL Brewery has been extending t...
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Episode 175 - The PA Show from 2017-05-31T12:45:28
We add another pin on our map with a Pennsylvania show that rings...
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Episode 174 - Can Do, Chicago! from 2017-05-24T12:48:05
We’re not quite ready to let another Chicago Craft Beer Week go, ...
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Episode 173 - DrippyIPAs from 2017-05-17T12:44:50
Bring your raincoat and galoshes as there’s bound to be some moisture as we sip six DrippyIPAs© on this episode. We’re simply sodden with delicious hoppy ales, but one beer is the biggest shocke...
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Episode 172 - Milky Treats from 2017-05-10T12:36:54
Sweet creamy delights fill our mouths on this engagement as we savor five adjunct-heavy milk stouts, and most are true to their intentions. It’s a roguish gallery of dessert flavors featuring co...
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Episode 171 - Midwestern Wheats from 2017-05-03T12:46:14
For many, wheat beers are summer. So we get tired of waiting for the weather to turn and initiate summer on this episode with five wheat beers from five Midwestern states. Which summer wheat sho...
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Episode 170 - Pizza Boy from 2017-04-26T12:44:13
Hot and ready at your ear doors, this episode is all about the Pizza Boy - Brewing, that is. Craig delivers another tasty lineup with five beers from his visit to this Enola, PA brewery. Of cour...
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Episode 169 - The OH Show from 2017-04-19T16:30:51
Continuing our intermittent liquid tour of the nation, the Buckeye State is the focus of this one with five beers from five Ohio breweries. Craig regales us with ...
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Episode 168 - Left Field Brewery from 2017-04-12T14:20:51
Hailing from Toronto, Canada, Left Field Brewery makes an array of beers you can suck down alongside nine innings of baseball. The beers lead off strong and hardly let up, as we’re all too happy...
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Episode 167 - Half Acre&Heavy Gem from 2017-04-05T12:47:37
Chicagoans have long been lucky jerks to be able to call Half Acre their own, and now with the mysterious new Heavy Gem project between Half Acre and Tired Hands, it just got even better. We sam...
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Episode 166 - New Chicago Brewery Tour from 2017-03-31T18:09:07
The show is on the road for this one as we dropped into four Chicago breweries that are all under a year old to chat with brewers and procure some beers to review. Our first stop is at Pilsen’s ...
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ABV Extra: Best of Low ABV, Volume 2 from 2017-03-29T22:20:39
As a peace offering while we ready some hot new content for this week, here’s a compilation of our favorite Low ABV episodes that were previously only available t...
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Episode 165 - Old Barleywines from 2017-03-22T13:46:02
The general beer aging debate rages on, but barleywines have long been a staple for cellar keepers with the promise of better beer always further ahead. For this episode, we take on a murder of ...
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Episode 164 - Rodenbach from 2017-03-15T12:35:03
Get ready to journey through time with a nearly 200 year-old Belgian brewery on an episode that took us two weeks to record! Rodenbach makes some of the best sour beer in the world that is often...
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Episode 163 - Race to Juice Mountain from 2017-03-08T13:44:14
It’s all about those juicy hops on this episode, as we review five beers from larger breweries looking to capitalize on the current juice obsession in hoppy beers. It’s a perilous summit to the ...
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Episode 162 - I Need A Hero from 2017-03-01T13:45:55
Revolution has done something downright heroic for hoppy beer fans by assembling a mixed 12-pack of their Hero beers that will see variations as a year-round release. We crack into a fantastic f...
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Episode 161 - Deciduous Brewing from 2017-02-22T13:40:55
We pop five beers from New Hampshire’s Deciduous Brewing, and it gets a little Gushyⓒ. But the beers are impressive all around, and we finally learn what a “pLambic” is. The tangents are frequen...
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Episode 160 - Odell Brewing from 2017-02-15T13:52:04
Made to cellar and improve with age, this episode was recorded back in 2014, and we release it now to coincide with Odell’s entrance into the Chicago market. The younger version of us tastes thr...
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Episode 159 - BCBS Vertical from 2017-02-08T13:53:01
Eight years of Bourbon County tells an interesting story about Goose Island as a brewery, so we have the guy who is literally writing the book on it join us for a vertical tasting. Josh Noel fro...
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Episode 158 - Suburban Fruit Basket from 2017-02-01T13:41:40
Summer Craig is back and ready to fire up the boat and mix up some cocktails! Actually, it’s Ryan’s stupid idea to put a bunch of fruit in these five suburban-brewed beers that were all very goo...
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Episode 157 - Central Waters Anniversary from 2017-01-25T14:20:09
Over the last half-dozen years, Amherst, Wisconsin’s Central Waters Brewing have released a special barrel-aged imperial stout for their anniversary at their annual party. Craig is a loyal atten...
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Episode 156 - Escape to Canada: Bellwoods Brewery from 2017-01-18T15:30:04
Good news to all our future expats, Toronto’s Bellwoods Brewery is making outstanding light hoppy beers that are bulging with deliciousness. Thanks to listener Ch...
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Episode 155 - Chi NEIPAs from 2017-01-11T13:40:04
Bring your bendy straw, we’re dipping into some juicy, hazy New England-style IPAs made locally. Whether it’s an actual style or not, stores can hardly keep any b...
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Episode 154 - Coffee Stouts from 2017-01-04T15:40:02
A Craig divided against itself cannot stand - especially if he’s drinking a bunch of high ABV coffee stouts. We challenge Craig’s hatred of coffee and love of sto...
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Episode 153 - Cypress Grove Meets Chicago from 2016-12-28T23:18:46
Our new best friends at Cypress Grove make some of the finest goat’s milk cheeses in the country, and they sent us some to pair with local beers. Win your New Year’s ...
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Episode 152 - Holiday Party 2016 from 2016-12-21T13:43:35
We manage to throw a holiday party with no eggnog, ugly sweaters, or inappropriate mistletoe placement - just great friends and great beers. Actually, Cr...
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Episode 151 - Stocking Stuffers from 2016-12-14T13:44:11
Need a stocking stuffer or an effective mood-lifter for a family gathering? We try six different Christmas beers to help you better lubricate your holiday train. Our top beer is a huge surprise,...
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Episode 150 - The Seasons from 2016-12-07T16:25:04
We celebrate the big one-five-oh with the most valuable lineup of beers we’ve ever put to our lips - and the bottles practically pop themselves in revelry. Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen made these four ...
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Episode 149 - Bourbon County 2016 from 2016-11-30T13:41:26
In the wake of another Black Friday, we sample the four releases from Goose Island’s infamous Bourbon County line for 2016. So, was all the Friday madness worth it? That’s really subjective base...
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Episode 148 - FoBAB Hangover 3: Non-Alcoholic Beers from 2016-11-23T17:02:36
In our yearly moment of clearheadedness after the Festival of Barrel-Aged Beers, we take on four non-alcoholic beers for the sake of science. To take our minds off of these near beers, we go ove...
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Episode 147 - O’so Sours from 2016-11-16T13:39:49
Wisconsin’s O’so Brewing has dabbled in sour beers for a few years, and ...
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Episode 146 - FoBABblin’ from 2016-11-09T18:38:12
The Festival of Wood and Barrel-Aged Beers (FoBAB) enters its 14th year as one of Chicago’s premier beer fests, and we are so pumped for it that we drink four beers that’ll be pouring over the w...
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Episode 145 - Bright Green Bangers from 2016-11-02T12:41:02
Pure joy will emanate from your listening devices on this one as we taste some of the best hoppy beers on the planet. We can hardly contain our giddiness with a mixed six pack of beers from both...
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Episode 144 - Wiseacre from 2016-10-26T13:11:42
We welcome Wiseacre to the Chicago market by sampling five of their beers and discovering that they will be a welcome addition even in this highly-competitive region. This show features three re...
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Episode 143 - GABF 2016 from 2016-10-19T12:45:40
For our third annual pilgrimage to Denver, we again recorded mere hours after the closing of GABF from our hotel room to recap the fest, share some interviews, an...
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Episode 142 - Darkness from 2016-10-13T01:53:25
Ah, you think Darkness is your ally? Well, it is! Anticipating this year’s big release day, we drink a vertical-plus of Surly’s special release Russian Imperial S...
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Episode 141 - Triptych Brewing from 2016-10-05T12:42:17
If you haven’t heard of Triptych yet, you’re not alone - at least for now. On the edge of the University of Illinois campus, this brewery is making a variety of s...
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Episode 140 - Chicago Porters from 2016-09-28T12:47:39
It took a surprising amount of heavy lifting to bring together five Chicago porters, and *record scratch* Listen
Episode 139 - Funk Factory Geuzeria from 2016-09-21T12:34:28
Levi Funk is taking the foundation laid by breweries like Russian River and Allagash and making American lambic-style beers to match the quality of Belgian master...
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Episode 138 - The WA Show from 2016-09-14T12:51:34
Parched after an evening of marmot spotting, we continue our 50 states quest by sipping on some Washington. We review six beers from six breweries from The Evergr...
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Episode 137 - Best of Low ABV, Volume 1 from 2016-09-07T12:40:55
It’s New Baby Hiatus time at ABV Studios, so we have gathered some of our favorite Low ABV episodes that were previously only available to our Patreon donors. Uh, sorry Patreon donors. But you’l...
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Episode 136 - The FLA Show from 2016-08-31T13:00:42
Our next stop on our mission to taste the whole USA brings one of the overall most satisfying lineups - and maybe Craig’s favorite beer of all time. Five Florida breweries are featured with two ...
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Episode 135 - NOW That’s What I Call Nepotism! Vol. 1 from 2016-08-24T17:40:14
At one point, this show had a purpose and a modicum of decency - but this episode takes it pretty far from either. We review a bunch of our favorite (favored?) breweries’ beers and debut our new...
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Episode 134 - Funky Buddha, Little Buddha from 2016-08-17T14:09:48
No one can ever accuse Funky Buddha of false advertising, but their brewing methods certainly seem unholy. We taste a few dessert beers and one IPA that are perfect executions of this Florida br...
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Episode 133 - Hop Butcher For The World from 2016-08-10T17:12:07
How does a brewery that owns a single fermenter in a borrowed space with a staff of three people with other full-time jobs not only survive but thrive in the mark...
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Episode 132 - Goose Island Clybourn II from 2016-08-03T16:50:02
It’s been almost two years since we first recorded in the legendary Chicago institution, and as much as things have changed, Goose Island Clybourn is still about ...
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Episode 131 - IPA Plus from 2016-07-27T15:13:26
Well dammit if we can’t just be happy with our regular ol’ IPAs, brewers have been adding all sorts of stuff to our favorite hopdrinks. This show features five IP...
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Episode 130 - Chicago in Wood from 2016-07-20T16:54:05
Used to be that a beer aged in wood was a rare shelf find, but now you can’t throw a bottle cap without hitting one. For this episode, we have five barrel-aged “C...
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Episode 129 - The GA Show from 2016-07-13T16:50:38
Not so long ago, Craig took the midnight train to Georgia and came back with a bushel of tasty beers. Here we drink five of them and throw in a few brief intervie...
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Episode 128 - Mikerphone Remastered from 2016-07-06T15:26:28
Mike Pallen is releasing instant classics on a regular basis, and since the rabid fans demanded it, we drink some “updated” versions of his beers from our recent go-round with Mikerphone - with ...
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Episode 127 - Oxbow Brewing from 2016-06-29T22:01:08
Just a spit trail east of Cowshit Corner in Newcastle, Maine, Oxbow Brewing has been making actual farmhouse beers since 2011. We’re lucky to try five of their lo...
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Episode 126 - Maplewood Brewery&Distillery from 2016-06-22T15:34:26
Only one brewery in Illinois is also in the distilling business, and we leave the bunker to record amongst those lovely vapors. Maplewood is not only crushing it ...
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Episode 125 - Goodbye ABV West from 2016-06-15T21:19:42
Get ready for a ton of nostalgia as we drunkenly bid farewell to the original recording space for the podcast. We clean out five of Ryan’s cellar beers to help reduce the load and reveal our ori...
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Episode 124 - Random Acts of Hoppiness from 2016-06-08T12:29:50
After last episode’s penance, we are blessed with five outstanding hoppy beers on this one. United by their hop-forward nature, these beers prove that a perfectly-made IPA is no longer a rare fi...
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Episode 123 - Old Hops from 2016-06-01T14:06:33
Hoppy beers are best enjoyed fresh - that’s just a fact. But what happens when you let them age well beyond their suggested shelf life? On this episode, we subject ourselves to a little experime...
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Episode 122 - Saved By CCBW: The New Class from 2016-05-25T13:15:12
It’s alright, because it’s Chicago Craft Beer Week! We mark the occasion by drinking six beers from local breweries we’ve never featured before - and we’ve been missing out. We try to give some ...
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Episode 121 - NIPAs from 2016-05-18T14:12:18
Sometimes the show is about what we don’t drink, and on this one, we have No IPAs. It’s really just a cute name for a random beer show we recorded while already d...
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Episode 120 - Other Half from 2016-05-11T13:56:04
Other Half Brewing is the latest small East Coast operation churning out heavily-hopped (and hyped) beers that are increasingly in demand. We scrutinize five of t...
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Episode 119 - Fonta Flora from 2016-05-04T13:55:09
At the foot of the Appalachian mountains just outside of Asheville, Fonta Flora embraces local ingredients while honoring the history of a flooded sharecropping community. For some reason, revie...
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Episode 118 - Dark Lord from 2016-04-27T14:08:38
Another Dark Lord Day approaches, so we review a vertical of 3 Floyds’ signature special release with a little help from the Chicago Tribune’s beer columnist Josh Noel. Should you ever age a Dar...
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Episode 117 - Midwest BA Stouts Blind from 2016-04-20T15:14:06
Nothing is certain and all of life is a lie. We drink five Midwestern barrel-aged stouts without knowing what they are to test their true quality and our very confidence in ourselves. And it is ...
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Episode 116 - Trillium, Again from 2016-04-13T14:17:24
We’re all too eager to try more from Boston’s Trillium Brewing Company as we were positively gobsmacked by their beers last time. This time around, we have MC Joh...
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Episode 115 - Mikerphone Brewing from 2016-04-06T13:05:55
Check. Check. Is this thing on? Everybody wants some Mikerphone Brewing, and we find out exactly why on this episode. With a mixed 4-track of Mike Pallen’s beers,...
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Episode 114 - Une Année: Le Seul from 2016-03-30T13:12:14
Somewhat quietly, Jerry Nelson from Une Année has been making some of the best sour beers in Chicago - or anywhere, frankly. On this show, we review the first five beers from the Le Seul series ...
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Episode 113 - Short’s vs. Odd Side: Illinois Edition from 2016-03-23T14:03:15
Two Michigan breweries enter Illinois; only one will be declared victorious. Well, not really, as we’re sure that both Short’s Brewing and Odd Side Ales will make a lot of new fans in Illinois. ...
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Episode 112 - Speedway Stout Grand Prix from 2016-03-16T14:02:47
We disengage our clutches and rev up our car metaphors for a whole show dedicated to the Speedway Stout from AleSmith. Mike Zoller from Listen
Episode 111 - Stoneface Brewing Co. from 2016-03-09T15:07:53
Episode 111 - Stoneface Brewing Co.
Since 2014, the people of Stoneface Brewing Co. have been focused on churning o...
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Episode 110 - Just A Little Off.....Color from 2016-03-02T14:55:38
To celebrate the opening of their new bottle shop, Off Color has released a few unique beers that we combine with two other shelf selections for review on this ep...
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Episode 109 - Cider House Rulez from 2016-02-24T15:05:49
We enter unfamiliar territory on this one by doing our first-ever cider show. Kim Leshinski of Hail to the Ale and MC Johnsen of Worth 1000 Beers join us to educa...
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Episode 108 - Side Project II: The Secret of the Booze from 2016-02-17T14:56:52
Straight out of the cellar and into your earholes, five Side Project beers are on the table for this one as Steph from Listen
Episode 107 - New Glarus R&D 2015 from 2016-02-10T17:58:12
From the caves and laboratories of New Glarus, these four beers undergo our own “research and development” - by which we mean we “review” them and get surprisingl...
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Episode 106 - Collaboration Nation from 2016-02-03T15:04:57
We dipped into our vault this week to bring you our little tribute to working together. All five beers on this show were the product of collaboration featuring at...
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Episode 105 - Casey Brewing and Blending from 2016-01-27T14:54:17
It’s about to get all rustic up in here with four tart beers from Casey Brewing and Blending. Troy Casey subscribes to the Old World philosophy of brewing by using local Colorado ingredients and...
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Episode 104 - Beers for Bowie from 2016-01-20T15:10:04
To clumsily pay tribute the only way we know how, we drink some beers to honor David Bowie that have some tangential relationship to his career. And though we don...
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Episode 103 - Mother's from 2016-01-13T15:07:05
It’s a mother-loving good time on this episode as we drink six different beers from Springfield, Missouri’s own Mother’s Brewing Company (Thanks Jeb and Eden!). And just like our own mothers, th...
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Episode 102 - Yet Another Beershow from 2016-01-06T23:59:06
Who says a little danger can’t be a lot of fun? Well on this show, we drink five random beers we had around and give them the ol’ arbitrary review treatment. Ryan...
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Episode 101 - Winter Warm-Up from 2015-12-30T17:30:40
It’s sweaters and stouts season again, and we bask in the warmth of five dark beers on this episode. We also look back on the year in beer by reminiscing on some ...
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Episode 100 - Holiday Party 2015 from 2015-12-23T20:21:38
For the big 100, we threw a little holiday party and invited our friends - and to our delight, they came bearing gifts of beer! On the show, we drink with them an...
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Episode 99 - Spiteful Barrel-Aged Ballers from 2015-12-16T17:52:48
On this episode, we sit in the sticky lap of luxury and sip on some premium barrel-aged offerings from Spiteful Brewing. We review four beers: two of which rightf...
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Episode 98 - Pipeworks: The Quest For Cans from 2015-12-09T15:23:13
2015 might as well be deemed “The Year Pipeworks Came to Cans”, because as this show proves, it’s one of the best things to happen to Chicago beer in a while. We review the five currently availa...
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Episode 97 - Bourbon County 2015 from 2015-12-02T15:35:55
No tents were pitched in the making of this episode as we review the 2015 lineup of Goose Island’s signature special release stout. And we went extravagant on thi...
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Episode 96 - FoBAB Hangover&Craft Sodas from 2015-11-25T21:34:26
For our brief, annual sabbatical, we drink ten different craft sodas while recapping our experience at this year’s Festival of Wood and Barrel-Aged Beers. We atte...
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Episode 95 - The Other Illinois from 2015-11-18T18:30:53
On Craig’s day off, he went due south to central and southern Illinois to check out their burgeoning beer scene. He brought back five beers for us to review, and ...
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Episode 94 - West Coast Shelf Takeover from 2015-11-11T16:43:16
Man, it’s a hot one. We try five West Coast beers that have started popping up on Chicagoland shelves to determine if they’re worth your all-important dollar with...
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Episode 93 - Wicked Weed from 2015-11-04T13:37:12
Listener Keef Debonzo sent us a box of treats from Wicked Weed Brewing, and we sat down on Halloween night to taste ‘em. We’re downright giddy to find out that this Asheville brewery is doing ju...
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Episode 92 - Gueuze Crueuze from 2015-10-28T22:30:12
For this episode, we blend with the Johnsens - MC and Matt - for this special trip on the Gueuze Crueuze™. We taste-tour five Belgian gueuzes and attempt to rank them, which is mixed in with som...
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Episode 91 - Night of the Hunter from 2015-10-21T14:38:35
18th Street Brewery from Gary, Indiana is just over halfway through their Hunter variant series, and we round up five beers to review for this one. Colin Joliat from Boozist joins us to knock ba...
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Episode 90 - Door County Brewing Co. from 2015-10-14T13:13:33
Before the weather all goes to shit, we look to the north for a flavor vacation with beers from Door County Brewing Co. We try almost everything they make while h...
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Episode 89 - Saisons Across America from 2015-10-07T12:45:57
We load up the wagon for a cross-country tour of saisons, and we go all ‘Murica on you anyways despite drinking delicate Belgian-style beers. On this episode, we review five saisons from five di...
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Episode 88 - GABF 2015 from 2015-09-30T14:13:34
Once again, we concluded our extended weekend of drinking and chafing in Denver at the Great American Beer Festival by recording an episode chock full of interviews and arbitrary beer reviews. Y...
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Episode 87 - Oktoberfest from 2015-09-23T20:24:59
Prost! This week, we put nine Oktoberfest/Märzen-style beers into an ultraviolent cage match of arbitrary opinions. Beers from Germany, the U.S., and Chi...
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Episode 86 - de Garde Brewing from 2015-09-16T14:49:18
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Episode 85 - Beer For Breakfast from 2015-09-09T16:05:39
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Episode 84 - Trillium from 2015-09-02T13:03:28
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Episode 83 - Brett Friends Forever from 2015-08-26T16:35:33
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Episode 82 - Hill Farmstead 3: Rise of the Growlers from 2015-08-19T17:07:24
Episode 81 - House of 1000 Hops from 2015-08-12T16:57:57
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Episode 80 - Tree House Brewing Company from 2015-08-05T18:43:45
Episode 79 - CAN You Feel The Love Tonight? from 2015-07-29T23:30:54
Episode 78 - The MN Show from 2015-07-22T18:59:28
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Episode 77 - Wild Chicago from 2015-07-15T13:01:33
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Episode 76 - Pils Pils Pils from 2015-07-08T17:02:40
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Episode 75 - The Rare Barrel from 2015-07-01T17:23:02
Episode 74 - New Glarus Fruit Beers from 2015-06-24T19:24:34
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Episode 73 - The Beerists Cellar Invasion from 2015-06-17T21:06:50
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Episode 72 - The Mostly ME Show from 2015-06-10T23:05:44
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Episode 71 - Crooked Stave 2: Crookeder Stave from 2015-06-03T17:14:33
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Episode 70 - Night Shift Barrel Society from 2015-05-27T17:07:34
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Episode 69 - Temperance Beer Company from 2015-05-20T15:58:30
Temperance Beer Company is churning out medal-winning beers from their Evanston brewery, and brewmas...
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Episode 68 - Imperial Oak Brewing from 2015-05-13T16:45:08
Imperial Oak Brewing is approaching their first anniversary, and we visit them at their Willow Springs brewpu...
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Episode 67 - Mexican Hot Chocolate Blind from 2015-05-06T16:20:12
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Episode 66 - Café Au Craig from 2015-04-29T16:15:50
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Episode 65 - The Open Bottle from 2015-04-22T22:12:34
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Episode 64 - Welcome to Chicago from 2015-04-15T16:46:37
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Episode 63 - 51st Ward Beer Co. from 2015-04-08T21:16:22
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Episode 62- Cookie Drunk from 2015-04-01T21:27:19
Episode 61 - Anything Gose! from 2015-03-25T17:08:35
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Episode 60 - Transient: Bindle of Fun from 2015-03-18T16:08:15
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Episode 59 - Barrel-Aged What's New Chicago? from 2015-03-11T22:36:25
Episode 58 - The MA Show from 2015-03-04T23:12:21
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Episode 57 - Middle Brow Chocolate Homebrew Contest from 2015-02-25T15:00:37
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Episode 56 - Voodoo Brewery from 2015-02-18T16:25:38
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Episode 55 - Ryan's Choice from 2015-02-11T18:06:18
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Episode 54 - Dark Horse Disaster from 2015-02-04T16:59:27
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Episode 53 - 2nd Shift Brewing from 2015-01-28T18:17:36
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Episode 52 - Revolution Deep Wood from 2015-01-21T17:13:09
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Episode 51 - Cantillon from 2015-01-14T17:06:19
Episode 50 - Hill Farmstead II: Back 2 The Farm from 2015-01-07T15:44:09
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Episode 49 - Wintry Mix from 2014-12-31T19:44:31
Episode 48 - Holiday Special from 2014-12-24T17:48:54
Episode 47 - Firestone Walker Anniversary Ales from 2014-12-17T16:10:30
Episode 46 - The Art of Beer from 2014-12-10T17:48:40
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Episode 45 - BCBS Alternatives from 2014-12-03T16:28:55
Episode 44 - Bourbon County 2014 from 2014-11-26T20:03:11
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Low ABV 2 - FOBAB Hangover from 2014-11-19T17:08:52
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Episode 43 - Barrel Aged Pipeworks from 2014-11-12T20:16:39
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Episode 42 - Russian River: The Tioning from 2014-11-05T17:04:13
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Episode 41- Goose Island Clybourn from 2014-10-29T16:09:13
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Episode 40 - Founders Brewing Co. from 2014-10-22T16:54:58
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Episode 39 - What's New, Chicago? from 2014-10-15T23:46:10
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Episode 38 - GABF from 2014-10-09T21:38:30
Episode 37 - The Great Pumpkin Beer Show! from 2014-10-01T13:38:46
We try to have the most sincere show in hopes of a visit from The Great Pumpkin Beer, as we try 8 of them. Ki...
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Episode 36 - Chicago After Dark from 2014-09-25T00:02:25
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Episode 35 - Abraxas from 2014-09-17T23:32:19
Perennial Artisan Ales’ Abraxas is Craig’s favorite beer, so we drink it four times. Actual...
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Episode 34 - The Hoppening from 2014-09-10T16:07:09
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Episode 33 - Chicago Berliner Weisse from 2014-09-03T22:53:32
Episode 32 - Horse Thief Hollow from 2014-08-27T15:26:16
Episode 31 - Transient Artisan Ales from 2014-08-20T17:01:23
Low ABV 1 - Great Taste of the Midwest 2014 from 2014-08-16T17:39:06
Episode 30 - Sante Adairius Rustic Ales from 2014-08-13T21:22:13
Episode 29 - Beermiscuous from 2014-08-06T21:18:49
Episode 28 - The MO Show from 2014-07-30T21:46:12
Episode 27 - Toppling Goliath from 2014-07-23T21:27:36
Episode 26 - Goose Island with Brett Porter from 2014-07-16T20:54:19
Episode 25 - Chicago Fruit Basket from 2014-07-09T22:16:21
Episode 24 - Side Project from 2014-07-02T22:20:51
Episode 23 - Hoppy Chicago from 2014-06-25T20:22:13
Episode 22 - Blind Session IPAs from 2014-06-18T21:50:58
Episode 21 - Chicago Growlers from 2014-06-11T23:00:18
Episode 20 - 4 Hands Brewing Co. from 2014-06-04T21:36:59
Episode 19 - Pipeworks Gets Weird from 2014-05-28T23:01:01
Episode 18- DIPA 2 from 2014-05-21T23:53:49
Episode 17 - Bee's Knees and Chicago Brews from 2014-05-14T22:50:27
Episode 16 - Tired Hands from 2014-05-07T23:25:16
Episode 15 - Wheat Home Chicago from 2014-05-01T00:02:25
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Episode 14 - Lawson's Finest Liquids from 2014-04-23T21:35:44
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Episode 13 - Chicago Saisons from 2014-04-16T21:30:15
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Episode 12 - Alpine Beer Co. from 2014-04-09T21:05:24
Four hoppy delights from Alpine Beer Company star in this episode, as Craig and Ryan try to rank them from best to less-than-best. Also, Craig shares some tips for beer trading...
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Episode 11 - Une Année from 2014-04-03T04:05:46
Episode 10 - Crooked Stave from 2014-03-26T21:13:24
Episode 9 - Half Acre from 2014-03-19T22:06:03
Half Acre Beer Company is a Chicago craft beer luminary, and we invite Dennis to try 6 of their beers with us. Dennis brings his experience as a food writer to the show and makes us eat a Subway...
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Episode 8 - Central Waters Brewer's Reserve from 2014-03-12T23:09:48
In January, we sat down with Central Waters' Brewers Reserve beers to commemorate their 16th anniversary. No infections here! We fawn over 6 bourbon barrel aged beers, Craig shares his account o...
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Episode 7 - German Style Chicago from 2014-03-05T22:24:12
We drink six German-style beers from Chicago-area breweries. Listen as we talk about local breweries, traditional German styles, lederhosen comfort, German drinking games, and our favorite album...
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Episode 6 - West Coast Bias: San Francisco from 2014-02-27T03:24:25
Craig just came back from San Francisco, and he brought some beer back with him! Craig also spins yarns about his trip and we try to diversify our advertising porfolio with Nabisco and Tums. L...
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Episode 5 - Pipeworks Ninja Retirement Party from 2014-02-19T22:59:47
We send off the Pipeworks Ninjas (in name) in style by throwing them a retirement party for the ages. To complement these massive double IPAs, we taste two varieties of delicious Bee’s Knees nut...
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Episode 4 - Double India Pale Ales from 2014-02-12T18:45:28
Six of the most beloved double IPAs are on the menu for this show, and we drunkenly try to make sense of how to rank them. Also, we talk about Craig’s travelling philosophy, and Dennis stops by ...
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Episode 3 - Chicago Barrel Mix from 2014-02-05T22:42:43
We put four Chicago barrel aged beers to the test. Plus our first contest and the debut of our theme song!
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Episode 2 - Hill Farmstead from 2014-01-29T23:04:36
We take one for the team and imbibe five Hill Farmstead beers, plus one Grassroots brew. Plus Craig talks about his trip up to Hill Farmstead during the summer and there's more male moaning tha...
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Episode 1 - Chicago Stouts from 2014-01-22T23:24:38
We try 5 Chicago Stouts (with Bee's Knees nuts) and rank 'em. Simple. Plus Ryan goes on a small rant and we air our grievances.
The list:
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