ABV Chicago Craft Beer Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Episode 174 - Can Do, Chicago! May 24, 2017

Show notes

We’re not quite ready to let another Chicago Craft Beer Week go, so we grabbed five new-ish canned beers from Chicago breweries to review. This show also serves as our Beer Under Glass festival recap - at least, what we can remember about it. Five highly-drinkable beers and two slightly hungover hosts - what else can we say?

Beers Reviewed

Hopewell Brewing - First Lager

Around the Bend Beer Co. - Vera (Pistachio cream ale)

Hop Butcher for the World - Grid (APA)

Finch Beer Co. - Plumage (IPA)

Whiner Beer Co. - Miaou (Blended barrel-aged Belgian wheat)

Episode 173 - DrippyIPAs May 17, 2017

Show notes

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 shocker we’ve had in a long time. We also revisit our odd time at the Chicago Beer Classic on Soldier Field, long for a visit to St. Louis, relive Craig’s car accident, pray to Pope Meltivus IV, get horses to talk, and discuss all the 90s commercials that matter. (Sorry to Matt Pinfield on this one.)

Beers Reviewed

Shared - J Dub Fan Club (dry-hopped pale ale w/ passion fruit)

Perennial Artisan Ales - Cave Torch (dry-hopped IPA w/ oranges)

Mikerphone Brewing - I Want My IPA

Tired Hands Brewing - Drippy Church (oat IPA w/ orange)

Bearded Iris Brewing - Double Scatterbrain (double IPA)

Transient Artisan Ales - Honeystone (double IPA w/ honey)

Episode 172 - Milky Treats May 10, 2017

Show notes

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 coconut, chocolate, peanut butter, strawberry, cacao nibs, vanilla, cinnamon, peppers, and orange zest. We announce our big buyout, Craig’s bad creamer decision, proper jelly application, ice cream strategies, and a disturbingly erotic beer label. Bite the Bubble Tape. (BT2)

Beers Consumed

The Brew Kettle - Kitka (Chocolate Coconut Milk Stout)

TailGate Beer - PB&J Milk Stout

Saugatuck Brewing - Neapolitan Milk Stout

4 Hands Brewing - Horchata Chocolate Milk Stout

Middle Brow Beer - The Milk-eyed Mender (imperial milk stout made with oranges, peppers, cacao nibs, cinnamon & vanilla)

Episode 171 - Midwestern Wheats May 03, 2017

Show notes

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 should be on your grocery list? Hear our arbitrary opinions! We find renewed love with some of these wheats, and at least one surprising disappointment along the way. HAKAS!

Beers Reviewed

Bell’s Brewery - Oberon

New Glarus Brewing - Dancing Man Wheat

Boulevard Brewing - 80 Acre Hoppy Wheat

3 Floyds Brewing - Gumballhead

Revolution Brewing - Sun Crusher

Episode 170 - Pizza Boy Apr 26, 2017

Show notes

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 course this brewery awakens our appetites and we talk a bit about pizza and breakfast, with a serious diversion into ska. Also, find out Craig’s signature beer-transforming review trick before we get sneak-up drunk on this one. Put it on the pizza!

Beer Slices

Citra Pils

Moonstomp (Berliner weisse)

Sunny Side Up (Bourbon barrel aged stout w/ coffee)

Arck Angel - Peaches (Double IPA w/ peaches)

FLEMboyant (Flanders inspired wild ale aged in oak)

Episode 169 - The OH Show Apr 19, 2017

Show notes

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 tales of his recent travels through Ohio, and he nailed the lineup here with five damn tasty brews. We also share a chat Craig had with Black Cloister Brewing founder (and Lutheran pastor) Tom Schaeffer to learn more about the divine inspirations that led to the opening of his rising Toledo brewery. Also, there’s an odd dual game of trivia, a plea for malt in IPAs, Craig’s two tongues, and Ryan’s conflicted barleywine feelings. We’re monking our asses off over here!

Beers Reviewed

Yellow Springs Brewery - Captain Stardust (Saison)

Hoof Hearted Brewing - Hot Probz (Double dry-hopped pale ale)

Rhinegeist Brewery - Penguin (Blonde stout)

The Brew Kettle - White Rajah (IPA)

Black Cloister Brewing - Chained Dog (Belgian strong golden ale)

(Black Cloister/Tom Schaeffer interview starts at 57:29)

Episode 168 - Left Field Brewery Apr 12, 2017

Show notes

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 to bat around some bad baseball metaphors as we sample. The talk is a bit White Sox-centric at times, with Craig’s review of the impressive new Craft Kave (ugh) at Guaranteed Rate Field (UGH). But there’s also talk of racist Spencer’s, Bud’s new ad slogan, Ryan’s glory days, and a shout out to the Diverticuguys. And don’t forget our Saisonathon at Pub Royale is coming up on Monday, May 22nd - it’s going to be a grand run slam! A real home dinger!

Lineup

Maris* Pale Ale

Anniversary No. 4 Saison

Prospect Single Hop IPA (Hallertau Blanc)

Squeeze Play Sour Ale (w/ blood orange and cherries)

Eephus Oatmeal Brown Ale

Thanks to listener Christopher Nyren for the beers!

Episode 167 - Half Acre & Heavy Gem Apr 05, 2017

Show notes

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 sample some newer Half Acre offerings before trying to get to the bottom of the mystifying Heavy Gem and their obfuscating, trippy website. We also talk about the awfulness that is Hawk Harrelson, a literal Craig situation, and our upcoming Saisonathon event at Pub Royale on May 22nd. (Saisonathongs not included.)

Half Acre - Tuna (Extra Pale Ale)

Half Acre - Double Daisy Cutter (Double Pale Ale)

Half Acre - Big Hugs Salted Chocolate Espresso (Imperial Stout)

Heavy Gem - Humanimal Stasis (Double IPA)

Heavy Gem - Virga (Ale fermented in oak barrels)

Episode 166 - New Chicago Brewery Tour Mar 31, 2017

Show notes

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 yet-to-open Lo Rez Brewing to talk with Dave and Kevin about how their tech background led them to opening a non-mainstream brewery focused on malt-forward and Belgian-style brews. Our second stop is at On Tour Brewing on the Near West side to take in their gorgeous taproom and chat with the two Marks about how they both found themselves back in their home state after years away. Our third visit is with our old friend Jacob Sembrano at Cruz Blanca Cervecería to sample styles ranging from culinary-inspired lagers to big imperial stouts and talk about his plans for bottling beers and their upcoming first anniversary. Our final stop is at the German-inspired Dovetail Brewing to talk with Hagen and Bill about how every step of their process pays homage to tradition but creates some of the most stunning clean beers in the city - at least until they unleash their Lambic-ish beers in the future. In addition to all that, we return to the bunker to review four growlers/crowlers and confront Craig’s Zelda obsession, among other things. A huge thank you goes out to everyone that helped make this show possible and spent time with us on a whirlwind day of drinking - Chicago’s beer scene has never been richer with great beer and generous people.

Tour Stops (Interview & Review Segments)

Lo Rez Brewing (00:04:50 - 00:27:34)

On Tour Brewing (00:27:35 - 00:49:00)

Cruz Blanca Cervecería (00:50:54 - (01:15:10)

Dovetail Brewing (01:15:11 - 01:41:16)

Beers Reviewed

Lo Rez Brewing - Dæmon (Belgian Golden Strong)

On Tour Brewing - Gin Barrel-Aged It Takes Two (IPA)

Cruz Blanca Cervecería - Larger Than Lager (Double Red Lager)

Dovetail Brewing - Hefeweizen

ABV Extra: Best of Low ABV, Volume 2 Mar 29, 2017

Show notes

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 to our Patreon Patrons. We review five beers in total over four segments, and only one is included because you like to hear us suffer. As is the case with all Low ABVs, we spend a significant time gleefully off topic whilst scrapping together passable beer reviews. Hear tales and tangents about my boy Peter Gabriel, Sunny D, bomber fatigue, awful Chicago nicknames, the letter X, and the only (most important) rule at Craig’s brothel. To get a whole lot more stuff like this (and more!), become a Patron by visiting patreon.com/abvchicago to help keep us listener supported! Thank you!

Episodes Compiled:

Low ABV 16 - Mikerphone The Get-Fresh Flow (Recorded 7/6/16)

Low ABV 21 - Hop Butcher Paris on the Prairie (Recorded 9/16/16)

Low ABV 24 - Heady Topper vs. 2x4 (Recorded 11/4/16)

Low ABV 35 - Stone Chocolate Coffee Enjoy By 2.14.17 (Recorded 2/10/17)

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