ABV Chicago Craft Beer Podcast ABV Chicago

Austin, Texas’ Live Oak Brewing has been making world-class lagers and traditional styles through step-mashing and decoction mashing going back to 1997, and their regionally-available beers have inspired brewers worldwide to embrace not taking any short cuts. Thanks to Craig’s Austin trip, we have five stellar beers here, a lineup bookended by their other speciality: smoke. Also, Ryan explains how some food is homework and shares his story of the worst example of that; Craig withholds important beer storage information; and we are having it made in the shade.
Beers Reviewed
Grodziskie
Gold (German-style Pilsner)
Hefeweizen
Kalt IPA (Cold IPA)
Fumigator (Smoked Doppelbock)
 

CHICAGO (ABV) - The folks at Hop Butcher have released some beers of note over the last few months, and we are on the scene (at home) to sample four of these newsworthy beers. A hazy IPA tribute to a beloved Chicago weatherman? That’s here. A collaboration with one of our favorite flavor masters working? You bet. A porter with a history lesson that also happens to be fantastic? You know it. A golden ale with healing powers??? Quite possibly! Also, we consider how to send beers as various secret distress signals, we shout out other notable Chicago news legends, and we might just risk it all for some late night Mexican food.
Beers Reviewed
Regeneration Station (Golden Ale)
Monadnock (American Porter)
Tom Freaking Skilling (Hazy IPA)
Royal Palm [collaboration w/ Cruz Blanca] (Hazy Double IPA)
 

In somewhat sporadic drops over the last few months, Half Acre has released some highly-desired cans of barrel-aged beer that push the ABV further than ever before. We sample four of these special beers while turning half of this into a tribute to the writer of Half Acre’s Instagram beer release posts. It’s not often we have chowder of this sort, so we get a bit shaky aboard the raft of final gravity while trying to avoid the Reinheitsgebot funnel cloud. Also, Ryan’s auditioning to be a pitchman for a new product, we throw back a handful of gravy beans, and Craig is taken aback by all the Suits love. It’s kind of a cosmic gumbo. 
Beers Reviewed
Twin Chariot (Imperial stout aged in bourbon & peach brandy barrels w/ vanilla)
Wilderness of History (Double barrel barleywine)
On & On Pt. 4 [Collaboration with Revolution Brewing] (Double barrel-aged imperial stout)
Triple Barrel Catch Hell (Triple barrel-aged imperial stout w/ vanilla & cinnamon)
 

For over ten years we’ve wanted to do a full lineup of Jester King’s beers, and thanks to Craig’s recent Austin trip, we get to open five unique styles from the farm. We’re happy as a bunch of grazing goats (except for Gary) as we sample through this lineup and Craig revisits his experience visiting the brewery site. Also, Craig has brought Cronch to a whole new level, Ryan’s strongly considering a tattoo straight from one of these labels, and there’s some light Sega talk. 
Beers Reviewed
Staked Plains Pilsner
Hazy IPA
Meowsonry! (Best Bitter Farmhouse Ale)
Nocturn Chrysalis (Barrel-aged sour refermented w/ blackberries)
All Y’all N’ Co. (Blended barrel-aged farmhouse ale w/ Aglianico grapes)
 

As the third in our recent unplanned trilogy of Carolina shows, this one proves that sometimes the B-sides are better than the album. We have five beers from various Carolina locations, thanks to listeners Benji & Suzanne, and each drink finds a way to impress us in unexpected ways. What else could inspire talk of cask alerts, EKG love, Double Table Beers, and foam beards? Also, Ryan needs advice on training his RoboVac, Craig is a beer grandpa, and there are some awkward t-shirt interactions. 
Beers Reviewed
Whaley Farm Brewery [Old Fort, NC] - Best Bitter Ale
Hobcaw Brewing Co. [Mt. Pleasant, SC] - Same Old Sidewalks (Wheat saison)
Baker & Brewer [Charleston, SC] - You’re Kiwing Me Smalls (Kiwi sour ale w/ blue spirulina)
Munkle Brewing Co. (w/ ThaCommunity) [Charleston, SC] - ThaCOMMUNITY (Belgian blonde aged in Uncle Nearest whiskey barrels)
Zebulon Artisan Ales [Weaverville, NC] - Belgian Patersbier (Trappist-style Blonde)
 

Believe it or not, there was a time when breweries would release barleywines that were not aged in any sort of barrel, and the biggest choice you had to make was American-style or English-style. For this episode, we have four local takes on the barleywine, two of each style, none with any barrel or adjunct - and the sips are sending us back in time. Also, we test the impact of age on one barleywine, we wonder if any of these would actually be improved with barrels, and we dare Revolution to bring back the old Institutionalized. Plus, Ryan gets an early glimpse of summer, Craig reveals the amazing choice for the first mp3 he ever downloaded, and one beer actually gets docked for being “too drinkable.
Beers Reviewed
More Brewing Company - Liquid Legacy (American Barleywine)
Miskatonic Brewing Company/Flipside Brewing/Seldom Beer Co. - Pigloo (Barleywine)
Off Color Brewing - Aqua Regia (English Barleywine)
Werk Force Brewing Company - Mabel (English Barleywine)