ABV Chicago Craft Beer Podcast

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

  1. 2d ago

    Torture Test X: Wheel of Torture: The Final Torture

    One decade of suffering and despair is enough to push anyone to the limits, and on this FINAL INSTALLMENT of our annual Bad Beer Punish-A-Thon, we take things even further with a seemingly malevolent and vindictive Wheel of Torture. Listen in as we try and eviscerate each other with bad beers both old and new, then the devious Wheel forces us to drink beers from the "Old Beer Lottery" that fall into either category: "Possibly Bad" or "Probably Bad." There's also an unpleasant Run for the Border; Craig is serving his liquid filth completely warm; Ryan's going to force as many spins as possible; and someone must take the dreaded Anti-Hero Malort shot. Expect to hear the phrase "garbage truck crashing into a locker room" as an aroma descriptor, and then say goodbye forever to the Torture Test.  Torturous Beers Consumed Grupo Modelo - Victoria Vicky Chamoy (Vienna-style lager w/ natural flavors) Dark Horse Brewing Co. - Bourbon Barrel Aged Tres Blueberry Stout Rogue Ales - Juniper Pale Ale (Pale ale w/ Juniper berries) Upland Brewing Company - Blackberry Lambic  Founders Brewing Co. - Sweet Repute (Wheatwine aged in maple syrup bourbon barrels) Arcade Brewery - Barrel Aged Mega Milk (Oatmeal milk stout aged in bourbon barrels) Other Liquids Consumed That Are Mostly Old Central Waters - Peruvian Morning (2013) New Belgium - Voodoo Ranger: Fruit Force (2024) Half Acre/Sierra Nevada - Daisy Cutter Select (2024) Hop Butcher for the World - The World's Columbian Exposition (2017) New Glarus - Apple Ale (2018) Hop Butcher for the World - Dark Black (2020) A Taco Bell Diablo sauce packet (2026) Brewery Vivant - Moon Monk (2016) Jeppson's/Revolution Anti-Hero Malort (2020)

  2. Oct 21

    Kiss of Deth

    It creeps up on us every year as it comes earlier and earlier, and this year's alluring part one lineup of Revolution barrel-aged beers has us feeling the love. We sample four variations on the Deth's Tar stout for this segment of the 2026-2027 Deep Wood Release calendar, and we're pretty sure there's no wrong way to cuvée them in the end. But also, Ryan has started seeing shackets (or shirkets, whatever your pleasure); Craig recaps the Blend-a-Barrel event at Rev; we consider Marty's ever-evolving barrel science; and we must always consider WWCD?. 2026 Deep Wood Beers Reviewed Deth's Tar (Imperial Oatmeal Stout aged in bourbon barrels) Café Deth (Imperial Oatmeal Stout aged in bourbon barrels and steeped with fresh coffee beans) Coconut Deth (Imperial Stout aged in bourbon barrels with coconut) Supermassive Coconut Deth (Imperial Stout aged in bourbon barrels with coconut)

  3. Oct 14

    Pumpkin Patch Kidz

    It's about every seven years that the great pumpkin beer show rises again, and this one is just Ryan running wild with some mixed six pack racks until we have a whole mess of adjunct-forward pumpkin beers that (mostly) get us in a Fall mood. But it is a fun way to drink five beers from breweries we almost never have on the show! Listen as we try to keep an open mind while considering why someone might take their height for granted; we chipmunk our cheeks with pumpkin donuts; we face our fears with the masters of pastry beers; and we think everything in haunted houses is scary.  Beers Reviewed Fat Orange Cat Brew Co. - Pumpkin Chai Latte (Oatmeal stout w/ pumpkin spice & chai) Little House Brewing Company - Pumpkin Spice Donuts (Scotch-style ale w/ cider donuts, pumpkin spice, and vanilla) Schlafly Brewery - Vanilla Pumpkin Ale (Pumpkin ale w/ vanilla) Southern Tier Brewing Company - Maple Warlock (Imperial pumpkin stout w/ maple syrup) Shipyard Brewing Company - Smashed Pumpkin (Imperial pumpkin spice ale)

  4. Oct 7

    Alesmith Coffee and Beer

    Back in the summer, we grabbed this mixed four-pack from San Diego's Alesmith because of some eye-catching collaborators and unusual style pairings with coffee. This small but mighty lineup is as delicious as it is…caffeinated. But also, we question whether or not certain multitasking is necessary; Craig cements himself as a real bean squeezer; and Ryan would now like to be known as The Man of La Matcha.  Beers Reviewed Collaboration with Pizza Port Brewing and Jaunt Coffee Roasters - Dark Lager w/ Matriarch espresso, single‑origin Mexican coffee and lemon Collaboration with Mikerphone Brewing and Heady Cup Coffee Roasters - Saison Ale w/ washed Colombian coffee Collaboration with Societe Brewing and Modern Monk Coffee - Amber Ale co-fermented w/ coffee Collaboration with Everywhere Brewing and MoonGoat Coffee Roasters - Imperial Cream Ale with strawberries, vanilla, cinnamon, and tropical Maypop Caturra coffee

  5. Sep 30

    Wild Chicagoland

    Join Ryan and Craig, your guides to the (sub)urban beer jungle, as they experience the eccentric, offbeat, and unexpected Wild beers of Chicagoland! They imbibe four different ales fermented with wild yeasts and bacteria while aged in oak and review them for your listening pleasure. They also look back on the heyday of local wilds and sours, make difficult sleeping arrangement decisions, pay respect to the breweries that made them want to podcast, try to catch a pass from Doug Flutie, and introduce the world to the 'Gurt Guys.  Beers Reviewed Imperial Oak Brewing - Lime Gin Barrel-Aged Straw (Foeder-aged Saison aged in lime gin barrels w/ Brettanomyces) Noon Whistle Brewing - Raspberry Funderen (Mixed fermentation foeder-aged Wild Ale w/ raspberries) Une Année Brewery - Le Grande Monde 2026-1 (Barrel-aged American Wild Ale w/ black currants and vanilla beans) Off Color Brewing - PH1 (Barrel-aged American Wild Ale)

  6. Sep 23

    Cellar West, Chapter 4

    The story of our ongoing Cellar West series goes back to a box sent to us by owner Zach Nichols in late 2020, and we've become quite literate in their mastery of many different styles in the years since. Originating from Lafayette, Colorado (just outside of Boulder) with a second location in Erie, Colorado, Cellar West has won their fair share of awards along the way - and this lineup could end up being the best we've had out of four episodes. Also, Craig is a bit in his head about shoe tying; we marvel at the strange lore and world-building offered by the sides of these cans; Ryan and Craig care about different physical points of moistness; and we get blindsided by the blanket meat. Cellar West Beers Reviewed Kneebone Pils (German-style Pilsner) Surf Sauce (West Coast Saison) Panther Dream (Hazy Pale Ale) Web Foot (West Coast-style IPA) Yellow House (Belgian Blonde/Single)

  7. Sep 14

    Pick of Destiny (with Mikerphone Brewing)

    After being invited to taste through bourbon barrels by distillers for a few Mikerphone barrel picks, Mike Pallen said, "We should do that." And they have - now for the 36th time - invited industry friends, business owners, and even - yes - craft beer podcasters to sample through their barrel-aged beers with the goal of finding their own Pick of Destiny. We go through the whole blind tasting process alongside owner Mike Pallen, head brewer Mike Witkowski, and cellar man Matt Lakota to find the barrel-aged beer of our dreams. Then, we open the resulting bottle (subtitled "All Up In That Wood") to make sure we didn't royally screw up. (Spoiler alert: we didn't.) If you want a chance to try the beer, head to Mikerphone Brewing in Elk Grove Village on September 19th for the release - and toast with us to the everlasting allure of lactose.  Beer Picked (and Subsequently Drank Many Weeks Later): Mikephone Brewing (w/ ABV Chicago) - Pick of Destiny #36: All Up In That Wood (Imperial milk stout aged in Pappy Van Winkle barrels)

  8. Sep 9

    One Hop This Time

    It's not so common anymore to see beers with just a single hop, but when we do, we embrace the opportunity to teach ourselves a little something. We have five beers, each made with a different single hop, and we dive into the background of each - and the surprisingly long hop development process. But also, we discuss if Citra is in fact the GHOAT; Craig shares a eulogy for the best way to get 12 CDs for a penny; Ryan's teeing off at the Wafting Greens; and we are about as far divided as we can be about one particular hop. Beers Reviewed Spiteful Brewing - Strata Time (Pale Ale w/ Strata hops) Hopewell Brewing Co. - Bound: Galaxy (IPA w/ Galaxy hops) Hop Butcher for the World - Meet the Nectarons (Hazy IPA w/ Nectaron hops) Bell's Brewery - SMaSH Hearted IPA (IPA w/ Dolcita hops) Pipeworks Brewing Company - Citra On Repeat (Hazy IPA w/ Citra and Cryo Citra hops)

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

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