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 from five different breweries, although one host’s personal curse seems hellbent on lowering that number. But in addition to these enjoyable brews, we construct five different nostalgia/pop culture-based Mount Rushmores of our own, which leads to discussions around cereal mascots, Seinfeld NPCs, classic WWF wrestlers, Saturday morning cartoons, and 90s bassists. We also find new ways to describe “yellow,” dream of our favorite highly dangerous vehicles, and piledrive our friends.  Beers Reviewed Remedy Brewing Company [Sioux Falls, SD] - MarketBrew (Hoppy wheat ale) Sawyer Brewing Co. [Spearfish, SD] - Blood Orange Blond Ale Obscure Brewing Co. [Sioux Falls, SD] - SoDa Kölsch Eponymous Brewing Company [Brookings, SD] - Blueberry Indiglow (Barrel-aged sour w/ blueberries) A Homestead Brew [Valley Springs, SD] - Blood Run Belgian Dubbel

ABV Chicago Craft Beer Podcast

Episode 402 - The SD Show

With Duneyrr Artisan Fermenta Project, Tyler Davis wants to explore the ways wine and beer fermentation can cross over into styles that defy traditional categorization. And with Moderne Dune, he is using newer ingredients and techniques with IPAs and lagers in thoughtful and artful ways. We talk with Tyler about his many projects and upcoming taproom, the origins of Duneyrr, his brewing history, choosing quality over locality when it matters, and how deep into the world of wine he’s looking to venture. Then we drink five beers - two from Moderne Dune and three from Duneyrr - to better appreciate his vision and see how our beer-centric tastes react to his wine hybrids. We also threaten to kill the Cold IPA, Craig goes all Whitman on us, and Ryan’s getting rich off those NFTs. Can we be franc? Beers Reviewed Moderne Dune - River Yacht (Cold IPA w/ Mosaic, Meridian, and Motueka) Moderne Dune - Invited Concept (DDH Lager w/ Loral and Citra) Duneyrr Artisan Fermenta Project - Freya Franc (Sour Hybrid w/ strawberries and Cabernet Franc grape must) Duneyrr Artisan Fermenta Project - Sauvÿn Blanc (Sour Hybrid w/ passion fruit, Sauvignon Blanc grape must) Duneyrr Artisan Fermenta Project - Hazy Et Blanc! (Double IPA w/ Sauvignon Blanc grape juice, Phantasm, Citra, Hallertau Blanc, and Nelson Sauvin)

Episode 401 - Duneyrr/Moderne Dune

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 breweries from “Episode 1 - Chicago Stouts” - but this time, there are barrels involved. We take stock of all that has changed along the way and share a few memories from listeners. But there’s also our Top 3 arcade cabinets, shameless Trader Joe’s plugs, some babka truths, stout luge races, and a little old-fashioned Ryan rage over unwieldy beer prices. I’d buy that for a dollar.    Beers Reviewed   Spiteful Brewing - Barrel-Aged Hostile Harry - Cinnamon Bun 2020 (Russian Imperial Stout w/ cinnamon and vanilla aged in Weller barrels) Solemn Oath Brewery - Nourri Au Pistache (Imperial Milk Stout w/ vanilla and pistachio aged in bourbon barrels) Half Acre Beer Company - Double Barrel Catch Hell (Imperial Stout w/ Vietnamese cinnamon and vanilla, aged in Four Roses Small Batch and Four Roses Single Barrel Select barrels) Pipeworks Brewing Company - Phantom Unicorn (Barrel-aged Imperial Stout w/ cacao nibs, vanilla, and lactose) Hubbard’s Cave - Barrel-Aged Bananas Foster Imperial Stout 2021 (Barrel-aged Imperial Stout w/ cinnamon, maple, vanilla and banana)

Episode 400 - Barrel-Aged Chicago Stouts

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 assemble six of the medal winning beers to sample while sharing a pretty comprehensive history of Illinois beers at GABF in the 21st century. Also, we pitch some ideas for Extreme Bingo, play a game of Stumptappd about beers with depressing movie names, and get stuck between a glitter bomb and a jamband. More lactose categories next year, please. Beers Reviewed Alarmist Brewing - Midwest Royalty (Bronze Medal in American-Style Lager) Pollyanna Brewing Co. - Party Penguin (Bronze Medal in Other Strong Beer) DESTIHL Brewery - DeadHead IPA Series: Haze of the Dead (Bronze Medal in Juicy or Hazy Imperial India Pale Ale) Old Irving Brewing Co. - Della (Silver Medal in German-Style Koelsch) Short Fuse Brewing Co. - Tropical Hurt Locker (Silver Medal in Fruited American Sour Ale) Will County Brewing Co. - Bamm Bamm Loves Pebbles (Gold Medal in Fruit Wheat Beer) For the complete spreadsheet of Illinois’ GABF Medal History, click here.

Episode 399 - IL GABF Winners 2021

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 new to the show with a wide variety of styles, and at least one beer elicits the strangest divergent reactions we’ve had in quite some time. Also, Ryan is living through an unwritten Seinfeld episode, Craig is disappointed by the lack of moose, and we both fixate on parts of songs we had never noticed before. You’re going to have to speak a little louder - I had a Crunchwrap® today. Beers Reviewed von Trapp Brewing [Stowe, VT] - Vienna Style Lager Collaborative Brewing [Waitsfield, VT] - Salute Your Schwarz (Schwarzbier) River Roost Brewery [White River Junction, VT] - Neon Burning Bright (Mixed-culture saison aged in gin barrels w/ ginger, lime, and Cara Cara oranges) Foam Brewers [Burlington, VT] - Galaxie 500 (Double IPA) Hermit Thrush Brewery [Brattleboro, VT] - Rowdy Monk (Mixed-culture quadrupel aged in red wine and scotch barrels)

Episode 398 - The VT Show

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, all to determine if it’s okay to skip your trip to Beer on the Wall every now and then. (It’s not.) We have some, uh, spirited reviews of the IPAs made by Costco, Aldi, and Trader Joe’s, with one nearly-redeeming surprise. Also, we welcome a live studio audience to the show for the first time, petition to take over the Challenge Butter Twitter account, and make people a little h*rny for soup beers. A true adventure awaits. Beers Reviewed Costco: Kirkland Signature (Hopfen Und Malz/Gordon Biersch) - Citra Hop Session IPA Aldi: State of Brewing (Octopi Brewing) - Hopping Nomad Session IPA Aldi: State of Brewing (Octopi Brewing) - Hazy IPA Trader Joe’s: Farm Island Brewing (Peak Organic) - Organic IPA Trader Joe’s: Rhinelander Brewing Company - Boatswain Double IPA

Episode 397 - Grocery Store IPAs

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 this show celebrates the brewery differently, with five brewery-only beers from Craig’s recent travels to Portland, Maine. And yes, even when they’re getting experimental, Allagash is as adept at balancing complexity with drinkability unlike few other brewers in the world. This lovefest also features a sentient (and inspiring) Gushy, for the love of B-sides albums, buddy cop films with two talking dogs, and some irate Pokemon fans. Branch beer, branch beer! Beers Reviewed From Maine, With Love #04 (Saison with Lemon Verbena) From Maine, With Love #05 (Tart Pale Ale with Juniper and Sea Salt) From Maine, With Love #06 (Belgian Lager) From Maine, With Love #07 (Pale Ale with Lemon and Sea Salt) Coolship Cerise Estate (Spontaneous ale w/ cherries)

Episode 396 - Allagash Brewing Company

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 five unique and winning beers from five different Portland, Maine breweries. The beers are as charming as the coastal town that bore them, which leads to a little strokin’ of Craig’s ego. Also, we keep those cans a-rolling; Craig feels old thanks to promotional 90s nights; Ryan is a little worried about the sea water; and we’re getting stupid with lactose.  Beers Reviewed Rising Tide Brewing Company - Pisces (Gose) Definitive Brewing Company - Radiant Days: Mandarin Orange, Raspberry, and Marshmallow (Fruited Sour) Liquid Riot Bottling Co. - Blushing Star (Barrel-aged pilsner w/ Brettanomyces and Maine white peaches) Battery Steele Brewing - Abstract Object (Coffee milk stout) Belleflower Brewing Co. - Barn Hex: Mosaic, Strata, El Dorado (Double NEIPA)

Episode 395 - Portland, ME

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 Topper. Craig’s recent travels to the area secured us that precious Heady along with four more beers of substantial quality that have us dreaming of green mountains. Also, Ryan resurrects the soundboard, Craig’s missed opportunity lets us all down, and we reach a decisive conclusion to the “drink from the can” debate.  Beers Reviewed Zomerbier (Summer saison) Sterk Wit (Belgian-style imperial wit) Skadoosh: Crystal (IPA) Crusher (Double IPA) Heady Topper (Double IPA)

Episode 394 - The Alchemist

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 three-adjunct minimum, and we sacrifice our daily calorie count by bringing you our arbitrary reviews. We also consider T-shirts for songs, recommend three flavors for that White Sox waffle cone, conclude our eight year journey of finding a better name for the podcast, pan for cookie dough, smile at bubbles, and bristle at your bold breakfast self-invitation. You hear that, Doink? Beers Reviewed Hop Butcher for the World - Mobula (Imperial stout with chocolate, coconut, and almonds) More Brewing Company - Arketype: Almond Fudge Macaroon (Imperial stout with almond, cocoa nibs, and coconut) Prairie Artisan Ales & The Open Bottle - You Gotta Horchata (Imperial milk stout with cinnamon, vanilla, and sugar) Hitchhiker Brewing Company - Point of Confusion (White stout with oats, coffee, cacao nibs, maple syrup, and hazelnut) Cinderlands Beer Co. - Pastry Badge (Imperial milk stout with mint chocolate cookies, vanilla beans, and milk sugar)

Episode 393 - Oxford Comma Stouts

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 sh*t about tomorrow. Will these five hazy Double IPAs help break Ryan free from his Low Haze Enthusiasm? Will either host hit a respectable average in guessing the blind lineup? How many friendships will be tested? Which White Castle is still squishing the ball? Listen to this tight 50 to hear that and why you might as well papaya.™  Beers Reviewed Blindly (in order of appearance) Triptych Brewing - Batch 900 Mikerphone Brewing - Say Uhh!  Phase Three Brewing/Roaring Table Brewing - Just Down the Road Hidden Hand - Passioned Pastel More Brewing - Elixir Fields

Episode 392 - Haze Suburbia

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 the summer along with two returning favorites, but they also let you wash it all down with exquisite lighter-drinking beers like the pair from this episode. So we chatted with Rev’s communications manager John Carruthers about these hot summer drops, the future of Rev’s packaged offerings, his charitable pizza project and cookbook, and of course, the 90s X-Men Arcade game. Then we drink through a wildly incongruous lineup that has no business being evaluated on the same level, but we do what we know. There’s also talk of souping-up Craig’s Prius, Hall & Oates music videos, new lexicons for 40-year olds, and hope for VSOJ soft serve cones. Snap into a green bean! John Carruthers Interview (00:07:52 - 00:45:52) Beers Reviewed Riot (Bohemian Keller Pils) Pursuit of Freedom: Watermelon Mint (Session Sour) Supermassive Café Deth (Barrel-aged Imperial Oatmeal Stout w/ Coffee) Strawberry Jacket (Barrel-aged Barleywine w/ Strawberries)V.S.O.J. (Barrel-aged Barleywine)

Episode 391 - Hot Rev Summer

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 Netherlands. History lesson aside, these strong dark Belgian-style ales have their American fanatics too, and we try to explore multiple facets of the style through this episode. Also, we talk about non-existent emojis, raw bread, a Sorting Habit, accidental chocolate hand, and Craig accidentally drinking syrup. Our pour discipline is poor on this one.  Beers Reviewed Bierbrouwerij De Koningshoeven - La Trappe Quadrupel Spencer Brewery - Monks’ Reserve Ale Une Année Brewery - Quad Lo Rez Brewing - Rum Barrel-Aged Quad Core Old Irving Brewing Co. - Barrel-Aged As Time Goes By

Episode 390 - Quad Goals

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 unusual mix of styles from five different Pittsburgh breweries, but they impress in ways that make us want to wave our Terrible Towels. Also, Craig has a disorienting experience with the wrath of God at the amusement park, we honor the Warhol Museum Balloon Wrangler, bring Retchy into the fold for one particularly hungover host, and explain how our saggy beers support our pointy ales.  Beers Reviewed Old Thunder Brewing Company - Ordinary Stillage (English session ale) Trace Brewing - Foeder Pils (Czech pilsner aged in an oak foeder) Cinderlands Beer Co. - Gregg (Blended saison) Strange Roots Experimental Ales - Mortal Eidolon (Barrel-aged sour ale aged on grape must) Grist House Craft Brewrey - Solar Submarine (Sour ale w/ tangerine, blood orange, chocolate, vanilla, milk sugar, and graham cracker)

Episode 389 - Pitt Stop

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 short of a time. We catch up with Averie about the future of Keeping Together as its time in Chicago comes to a close, but we also talk with the Master Cicerone and former co-owner/head brewer at Jester King about her evolution as a brewer and business owner - and it feels like she’s just getting started. Also, we extol the virtues of saison as a style, discuss the ups and downs of destination breweries, praise a few more local saison makers, explore the inspiration behind her beer names, and consider a few Chicago delicacies like Home Depot hot dogs and Chicago Handshakes. Then, there’s a whole other segment where Craig and Ryan drink through five Keeping Together beers and just go on and on about how great they are, so you should listen to that too. We also talk about special occasion fonts, pastry saisons, and a new take-home edition of Gushy.  Interview with Averie Swanson (00:06:39 - 00:49:46) Beers Reviewed At The Still Point of the Turning World (Saison made with buckwheat and rye)We Are Not the Counter Culture (Saison brun) From the Outer Edge of Inner Space (Bitter saison with Galaxy hops and wildflower honey) The Grace of Maybe (Saison with peaches, vanilla, and lemongrass) Preoccupied with Memory and Expectation (Saison with Japanese Red Shiso leaf, burnt honey, and dry-hopped with Sabro hops)

Episode 388 - Keeping Together

A Chicago-based craft beer podcast with beer and events reviews. Visit our website at www.abvchicago.com!

hubhopper

ABV Chicago Craft Beer Podcast

hubhopper