The Northwoods Beer Guy Podcast

The Northwooods Beer Guy
  • 4.8 (5)
  • Food
  • Updated Weekly

We love craft beer! Each week we will taste a number of beers from around the country and give you our thoughts, not only will we talk about the flavor, but also the artwork and anything else that comes to mind. We will also go on location and visit breweries and try a number of their offerings and give you our thoughts as well. Come sit around the campfire and join in on the fun!

  1. 6d ago

    Ep 177 - Fresh Victor Vodka Mixers Put Summer Flavor First

    Beer is our home base, but summer has a way of changing what sounds good after a long, hot day. When Fresh Victor reached out and asked if we’d try their cold-pressed craft cocktail mixers, we said yes, then turned it into a full-on taste test with honest notes, real-life ingredient swaps, and our usual flavor-first standards. If you’ve ever wanted a cocktail that tastes fresh without the muddling, syrups, and bartender-level effort, this one’s for you. We walk through what makes these mixers stand out for at-home cocktails and easy mocktails: bottles that are 75% juice, cold-pressed, gluten-free, non-GMO, and made with no preservatives or artificial colors or flavors. We also talk about how they ship on ice and why seeing a best-by date on a mixer actually matters. Then we get into the fun part, tasting each mixer on its own before building three vodka drinks: Strawberry and Lemon (strawberry vodka lemonade), Cactus Pear and Pomegranate (a cosmo-style mix with triple sec), and Pineapple and Ginger Root (a mule-style drink with sparkling water). You’ll hear us compare flavor intensity, sweetness, acidity, and how well each one hides the vodka, plus a quick rating round on our 0 to 5 scale. Spoiler: Pineapple and Ginger Root takes the top spot with a score that made us both stop and say “wow.” We also share ideas for mocktail-friendly versions and recipes we want to try next with different spirits. Ready to taste along with us? Visit FreshVictor.com and use code NBG20 for 20% off your entire order (shipping not included, no minimum, valid through December 31, 2026). Subscribe, share this with your favorite backyard host, and leave a review so more people can find the show. Send us Fan Mail Thank you for listening to The Northwoods Beer Guy Podcast. If you have a question, comment or would like us to review your beer, please feel free to contact us at northwoodsbeerguy@gmail.com.  You can also find us on Facebook, YouTube, X (Twitter), Instagram and Tik Tok. If you are on Untappd, look up NorthwoodsBeerGuy and send a friend request. Subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, YouTube Music, or wherever you listen to podcasts, or you can click on our RSS feed as well.

  2. Aug 7

    Ep 176 - Bourbon Barrel Stouts And A Food Truck Reality Check

    A bourbon barrel aged stout can be pure comfort or pure chaos depending on what ends up in the glass, so we decided to make it simple and taste our way through it. We’re outside, we’ve got a full Dragon’s Milk lineup, and Brian is back on the mic with Eric joining as our guest for a flight that starts smooth and ends at a very real 17.3% ABV. We dig into what makes Dragon’s Milk work as a flagship barrel-aged stout: bourbon on the front, roast and chocolate in the middle, and coffee bitterness that shows up more as the beer warms. From there we chase the variants and call it like we taste it: the Stroopwafel Reserve brings cinnamon and caramel that hit fast, the oatmeal cookie version turns up brown sugar sweetness with raisin and oats, and the rye barrel edition adds toasted chili spice that lingers without wrecking the balance. If you like craft beer reviews, stout tasting notes, and honest scores, this one is loaded. Then Eric pulls back the curtain on the food truck business with Over Cake Land and Catering. We talk why he finally made the jump, what it costs in time and stress to stay compliant, why every town’s permits can be a headache, and how he keeps a menu different with gyros, Cubanos, street tacos, and breakfast. We close with a shared message we actually believe: support local breweries and local food trucks because your money stays in your community. Subscribe for more craft beer tastings, share this with a friend who loves stouts, and leave a review so more people can find the show. Which Dragon’s Milk style would you try first: cookie dessert, chili spice, or the triple mash? Send us Fan Mail Thank you for listening to The Northwoods Beer Guy Podcast. If you have a question, comment or would like us to review your beer, please feel free to contact us at northwoodsbeerguy@gmail.com.  You can also find us on Facebook, YouTube, X (Twitter), Instagram and Tik Tok. If you are on Untappd, look up NorthwoodsBeerGuy and send a friend request. Subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, YouTube Music, or wherever you listen to podcasts, or you can click on our RSS feed as well.

  3. Jul 31

    Ep 175 - Sam Adams Variety Pack Showdown

    Two Sam Adams variety packs show up at the same time, and we cannot resist turning it into a full-on taste test. Mike and Jim are back in the studio with Julie, and we line up eight beers from the Boston Beer Company to answer a simple question that every craft beer fan cares about: which pack actually tastes like what it promises? We keep it grounded with the details that matter, including ABV, IBUs, aroma, clarity, and the one thing that can make or break a seasonal beer, the finish that sticks around after the sip.  We start with the 2026 Spring Favorites pack and work through Breakaway Blonde, Cold Snap, Alpine Spring, and Blackberry Wit, calling out what hits and what feels muted. Then we crack open the Star Spangled Variety Pack with American Light, Porch Rocker, Summer Ale, and Blueberry Lager, where the “hot day cooler” energy really kicks in. If you’re looking for lawnmower beers, a craft alternative to big box light lagers, or fruit beers that actually deliver fruit flavor without turning into liquid candy, the rankings at the end are worth the ride.  We also sneak in some beer history along the way: Samuel Adams as a maltster, the Sons of Liberty meeting at Boston’s Green Dragon Tavern, the push for drinking local beer over imports, and a wild little detail about Sam Adams pioneering consumer-readable freshness dating. Listen, pick your favorite, and then help us out by subscribing, sharing the episode with a beer buddy, and leaving a review with your top choice from the lineup. Send us Fan Mail Thank you for listening to The Northwoods Beer Guy Podcast. If you have a question, comment or would like us to review your beer, please feel free to contact us at northwoodsbeerguy@gmail.com.  You can also find us on Facebook, YouTube, X (Twitter), Instagram and Tik Tok. If you are on Untappd, look up NorthwoodsBeerGuy and send a friend request. Subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, YouTube Music, or wherever you listen to podcasts, or you can click on our RSS feed as well.

  4. Jul 24

    Ep 174 - On Location At Alchemy Brewing

    Only one house beer on tap at a brewery we drove out to visit, so what do we do? We order it anyway, grab a full guest flight, and turn the whole afternoon into a real-world Wisconsin craft beer tasting with honest scores and zero pretending. This week we are on location at Alchemy Brewing in Cashton, Wisconsin, where the space is beautiful, the food hits the spot, and the small-town surprises just keep coming. We start with Alchemy’s Orange Kiss, a wine-forward, orange-heavy drink that lands closer to sangria than beer, then we move into guest taps that cover a wide range of summer drinking. We taste Elm Creek Road Trippin’ Hazy Pale Ale and talk about why hazy styles often feel smoother and less bitter than classic IPAs. We also revisit a favorite warm-weather pick, Sand Creek Blackberry Hard Lemonade, including the real-life question of why some hard lemonades bring instant heartburn while others go down easy. From there, we test Cider Boys Peach County Cider for that peach candy hit, nerd out a bit about how cider is made, and talk about the ups and downs of the craft beer market and why supporting local breweries matters. The back half closes with two bigger swings: Lagunitas Little Sumpin Sumpin, a wheat-forward IPA that surprises us with how smooth it drinks, and a Delta Beer Lab barrel-aged barleywine that opens up with dried fruit notes and a slow-sip dessert vibe at 10% ABV. If you like brewery reviews, beer style breakdowns, and road-trip-ready recommendations around Wisconsin, hit play, then subscribe, share the show with a friend, and leave us a review so more beer lovers can find us. Send us Fan Mail Thank you for listening to The Northwoods Beer Guy Podcast. If you have a question, comment or would like us to review your beer, please feel free to contact us at northwoodsbeerguy@gmail.com.  You can also find us on Facebook, YouTube, X (Twitter), Instagram and Tik Tok. If you are on Untappd, look up NorthwoodsBeerGuy and send a friend request. Subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, YouTube Music, or wherever you listen to podcasts, or you can click on our RSS feed as well.

  5. Jul 17

    Ep 173 - Tasting 3 Sheeps Barrel Society Stouts With Real Flavor

    The quickest way to learn what you actually like is to drink outside your comfort zone, and we prove it with a table full of 3 Sheeps Barrel Society barrel-aged beers. We pour a tight lineup of imperial stouts and an imperial milk stout, then hold every sip to our simplest standard: if the flavor is on the can, it should be in the can. Coffee, coconut, vanilla, cacao nibs, blueberry, cherry, molasses, and even amburana wood staves, nothing gets a free pass. We start with Mariner, an imperial milk stout aged in bourbon and rye whiskey barrels, and break down why the coconut pops while the coffee stays softer than expected. From there, the fruit beers flip the script. Little Treat brings a surprisingly clear blueberry note, and later the rye whiskey barrel cherry Wolf lands so smooth and balanced that it earns multiple beer of the year nominations, including from guests who normally avoid fruity beer altogether. Between pours, we answer the barrel questions that always come up: how often bourbon barrels can be used, what American oak versus French oak tends to contribute, why oxygen is the enemy during brewing but controlled barrel exposure (microoxygenation) builds complexity, and whether barrel aging automatically raises ABV. We wrap with a unique molasses and amburana wood staves stout that sparks real curiosity about how different woods shape aroma, sweetness, and finish. If you love craft beer reviews, barrel-aged stout tasting notes, and Wisconsin brewery deep dives, hit subscribe, share this with a beer friend, and leave a review so more listeners can find the show. What’s the best barrel-aged beer you’ve had lately? Send us Fan Mail Thank you for listening to The Northwoods Beer Guy Podcast. If you have a question, comment or would like us to review your beer, please feel free to contact us at northwoodsbeerguy@gmail.com.  You can also find us on Facebook, YouTube, X (Twitter), Instagram and Tik Tok. If you are on Untappd, look up NorthwoodsBeerGuy and send a friend request. Subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, YouTube Music, or wherever you listen to podcasts, or you can click on our RSS feed as well.

  6. Jul 10

    Ep 172 - The Great IPA Taste Test

    Seven IPAs hit the table and we do not protect anyone’s feelings, especially our own. Mike brings the Northwoods Beer Guy scoring brain, Jim brings the skepticism, Matt brings the blunt honesty, and Kate joins us as a self-proclaimed IPA lover who actually did homework before showing up. The result is a fast-moving IPA tasting that’s equal parts flavor notes, friendly roasting, and real guidance for anyone who buys craft beer and wonders why the can never tastes like the label. We work through a lineup that includes Surly Mosh Pit Series Juicy IPA, Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA, Third Space Central Time IPA, Sierra Nevada Peachy Little Thing, Surly Mosh Pit Hazy IPA, Surly Axe Man, and Central Waters Far Out Messenger double dry hopped double IPA. We talk citrus vs tropical fruit, piney bitterness, dryness on the finish, and how fruit-forward IPAs land when you just want your beer to taste like beer. Axe Man sparks the strongest reactions, and Far Out Messenger delivers the most satisfying balance for a few of us. Then we get nerdy in the best way: what IBUs actually measure, why IBUs do not equal perceived bitterness, and how labs chemically determine IBU using a solvent extraction and ultraviolet light. We even crack open hop basics, including the lupulin inside the hop cone that drives those essential oils and that classic IPA character. If you like IPA reviews, beer scoring, hop science, and honest craft beer talk, queue this up, share it with your favorite hophead, and subscribe so you don’t miss the next tasting. After you listen, drop us a rating and tell us which IPA style you want us to do next. Send us Fan Mail Thank you for listening to The Northwoods Beer Guy Podcast. If you have a question, comment or would like us to review your beer, please feel free to contact us at northwoodsbeerguy@gmail.com.  You can also find us on Facebook, YouTube, X (Twitter), Instagram and Tik Tok. If you are on Untappd, look up NorthwoodsBeerGuy and send a friend request. Subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, YouTube Music, or wherever you listen to podcasts, or you can click on our RSS feed as well.

  7. Jul 3

    Ep 171 - Six Beers Before The Fourth

    A salty lime lager that promises habanero heat. An orange ale that smells like fresh juice. A vanilla porter that stays smooth instead of burnt. Then we crank up the ABV with an imperial stout, a pastry stout that drinks like hot chocolate, and a barrel-aged Belgian quad that somehow tastes like figs without punching you in the face with booze. That’s the kind of spread we love, and it’s exactly what we pour at Callahan Lake Resort as we prep for a Fourth of July beer tasting. We’re joined by Kirk and Cal, and we keep it simple: open the cans, describe what we actually taste, and score everything from 0.0 to 5.0 in tenths. Along the way, we talk about why salt can take over a beer, why some fruit beers go creamy while others stay crisp, and what makes dark beer approachable even if you’re not an imperial stout person. If you’re searching for craft beer reviews, summer beer recommendations, blood orange ale, vanilla porter, imperial stout, pastry stout, or barrel-aged Belgian quad, you’ll get a clear read on what’s worth tracking down. We also get into what we want from high-ABV beers: flavor without syrupy sweetness, barrel character without harsh burn, and ingredients you can actually pick out like cinnamon, vanilla, figs, and molasses. We wrap with favorite picks, a reminder to support your local brewery, and the Northwoods motto we stand by. Subscribe for more tastings, share this with your beer buddy, and leave a review if you like honest ratings. Which of these styles are you reaching for this summer? Send us Fan Mail Thank you for listening to The Northwoods Beer Guy Podcast. If you have a question, comment or would like us to review your beer, please feel free to contact us at northwoodsbeerguy@gmail.com.  You can also find us on Facebook, YouTube, X (Twitter), Instagram and Tik Tok. If you are on Untappd, look up NorthwoodsBeerGuy and send a friend request. Subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, YouTube Music, or wherever you listen to podcasts, or you can click on our RSS feed as well.

  8. Jun 26

    Ep 170 - Are Modern IPAs Still About Hops

    An IPA episode that starts with skepticism and ends with us genuinely impressed. We line up six different India pale ales and do a true side-by-side IPA tasting, the kind that exposes what labels and marketing blur: some IPAs are hop-forward and dry, some are mellow to the point of confusing, and some modern fruited hazy IPAs barely resemble the old-school “bitter grapefruit and pine” stereotype at all. We crack into Dale’s Easy IPA, then move through bigger names like Stone Brewing and New Belgium’s Voodoo Ranger series, comparing aroma, bitterness, dryness, and that all-important drinkability. Along the way we drop IPA trivia that clears up common myths, including where IPAs actually originated and why they were built for long trips. We also talk beer glassware, including the idea of an IPA-specific glass designed to hold aroma and preserve head, and why drinking IPAs cold still matters. The real plot twist hits when the fruited and tropical IPAs show up. Voodoo Ranger Fruit Force and Voodoo Ranger Tropical bring loud fruit aroma, surprising sweetness, and the dangerous kind of smoothness that hides a 9.5% ABV punch. If you’ve been searching for “best fruited IPA,” “tropical IPA review,” or a craft beer podcast that tells you what’s worth buying, this one gives you clear rankings, honest scores, and who each beer is for. Subscribe for more tastings, share this with the IPA skeptic in your life, and leave a review with the next beer style you want us to put on the table. Send us Fan Mail Thank you for listening to The Northwoods Beer Guy Podcast. If you have a question, comment or would like us to review your beer, please feel free to contact us at northwoodsbeerguy@gmail.com.  You can also find us on Facebook, YouTube, X (Twitter), Instagram and Tik Tok. If you are on Untappd, look up NorthwoodsBeerGuy and send a friend request. Subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, YouTube Music, or wherever you listen to podcasts, or you can click on our RSS feed as well.

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Ratings & Reviews

4.8
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

We love craft beer! Each week we will taste a number of beers from around the country and give you our thoughts, not only will we talk about the flavor, but also the artwork and anything else that comes to mind. We will also go on location and visit breweries and try a number of their offerings and give you our thoughts as well. Come sit around the campfire and join in on the fun!

Information

  • Creator
    The Northwooods Beer Guy
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    177
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Northwoods Beer Guy Podcast
  • Show Website
    The Northwoods Beer Guy Podcast