ABV Chicago Craft Beer Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Episode 17 - Bee's Knees and Chicago Brews May 14, 2014

Show notes

We kick off Chicago Craft Beer Week with Chris Ferguson from Bee’s Knees, a food company specializing in craft beer snacks. Along with five nut varieties, we open five local beers based on pairing suggestions provided by Bee’s Knees. Chris answers a lot of our questions about his business and helps us understand why his nuts are so damn good with beer. Intelligent dialogue ensues, until we all get drunk and Craig and Ryan bring it crashing back down. Also, we talk about what we’re looking forward to for Chicago Craft Beer Week. It’s a tasty one, so NUT UP.

Episode 16 - Tired Hands May 07, 2014

Show notes

We’re staying up late with four Tired Hands Brewing Company growlers, near-fresh from PA! After a day of drinking at the Mash Tun New Wave Brewer’s Bash - which we reminisce on throughout - we pull it together long enough to review and rank beers from RateBeer’s #2 top new brewery in 2013. We’ll talk Kurt Vonnegut, Stephen Tobolowsky, and our intentions to copyright “Hopularity.” I’m a horse.

Episode 15 - Wheat Home Chicago May 01, 2014

Show notes

We give wheat a chance with six different Chicago-area breweries that feature warmer-weather friendly wheat! There are a variety of styles, an enlightening history of wheat, and even some lemon bars made with Off Color’s Troublesome. We also ruminate on the novelty-shirt-friendly question, “What Would Jesus Drink?” (It’s probably Three Floyds.) This episode features music from Chicago’s own Oblivion, because that’s what Ryan wants.

Episode 14 - Lawson's Finest Liquids Apr 23, 2014

Show notes

Episode 14 - Lawson’s Finest Liquids

There are pancakes on the table to compliment the five beers we drink from Lawson’s Finest Liquids, and we use some of their maple syrup beers in the cooking process. Dennis joins us to help choke down the flattest flapjacks ever made, and yes, there will be some harmonizing. Listen for a surprisingly apt comparison to Brendan Fraser, Dennis shilling for White Castle, and a shocking confession about pickles. World Star!

Ryan

1. Maple Tripple Ale

2. Double Sunshine IPA

3. Maple Barrel Aged Fayston Imperial Stout

4. Fayston Maple Imperial Stout

5. Maple Wheat Ale

Craig

1. Maple Tripple Ale

2. Double Sunshine IPA

3. Fayston Maple Imperial Stout

4. Maple Barrel Aged Fayston Imperial Stout

5. Maple Wheat Ale

Dennis

1. Maple Tripple Ale

2. Double Sunshine IPA

3. Maple Barrel Aged Fayston Imperial Stout

4. Fayston Maple Imperial Stout

5. Maple Wheat Ale

Episode 13 - Chicago Saisons Apr 16, 2014

Show notes

Spring has sprung and saisons are the beer of the season! We drink 6 different saisons from Chicago-area breweries and talk baseball and flowers and bunnies and shit. We also share some listener feedback and hold a little saison history lesson. And be prepared to be moved by Craig's delicate and beautiful singing voice. Taste the refreshment!

Ryan

1. Middle Brow The Life Pursuit

2. Une Année/Bangers and Lace Frères

3. Haymarket The Saison Also Rises

4. Only Child Le Perfectionniste

5. Pipeworks Catch of a Lifetime

6. Revolution Coup D’Etat

Craig

1. Une Année/Bangers and Lace Frères

2. Middle Brow The Life Pursuit

3. Haymarket The Saison Also Rises

4. Only Child Le Perfectionniste

5. Pipeworks Catch of a Lifetime

6. Revolution Coup D’Etat

Episode 12 - Alpine Beer Co. Apr 09, 2014

Show notes

Four hoppy delights from Alpine Beer Company star in this episode, as Craig and Ryan try to rank them from best to less-than-best. Also, Craig shares some tips for beer trading and other ways of acquiring hard-to-get releases. Ryan finds a way to get really drunk on four relatively lower alcohol beers. Join us as we do some Alpine skiing – and it ain’t snowin’!

Ryan

1. Duet

2. Nelson

3. Alpine Ale

4. Pure Hoppiness

Craig

1. Nelson

2. Duet

3. Pure Hoppiness

4. Alpine Ale

Episode 11 - Une Année Apr 03, 2014

Show notes

C'est une célébration de Une Année ! We drink 5 beers from one of Chicago’s best new breweries. Ryan tells his car accident story, and Craig drops some Remedial French 101 on us. There’s also a Bee’s Knees Food Company appearance as we snack on some of their Curry Curry Peanuts. Écouter avec joie!

Ryan

1. Sanguinaire

2. Austere

3. Sanguinaire Première

4. Maya

5. Life Beyond Death

Craig

1. Maya

2. Sanguinaire Première

3. Austere

4. Sanguinaire

5. Life Beyond Death

Episode 10 - Crooked Stave Mar 26, 2014

Show notes

Things get funky with Crooked Stave in our 10th episode. We try six of their barrel-aged offerings - many with that funky Brettanomyces leading the flavor train. Hear why Denver-based Crooked Stave is one of the best artisan breweries going, and let the funk take you over.

Big thanks to our friend Marek for the reserve society beers!

Ryan

1. 1.Raspberry Dark Origins

2. 2. Origins

3. 3.Vielle

4. 4. Bourbon Barrel Cherry Origins

5. 5. Persica Blend #1

6. 6. Persica Blend #2

Craig

1. Raspberry Dark Origins

2. Origins

3. Bourbon Barrel Cherry Origins

4. Persica Blend #1

5. Vielle

6. Persica Blend #2

Ryan’s Top 6 songs with “Funk” in the title from this episode

1. 1. Funky President – James Brown

2. 2. Get the Funk Out Ma Face – Brothers Johnson

3. 3. Bad Motherfunker – Rose Royce

4. 4. Funky Stuff – Kool and the Gang

5. 5. Everything I Do Gohn Be Funky – Lee Dorsey

6. 6. Do You Wanna Funk? – Sylvester

Episode 9 - Half Acre Mar 19, 2014

Show notes

Half Acre Beer Company is a Chicago craft beer luminary, and we invite Dennis to try 6 of their beers with us. Dennis brings his experience as a food writer to the show and makes us eat a Subway Flatizza and drink Boone’s Farm Fuzzy Navel. It was horrible. But the show is great, and so are the beers. It gets so weird.

Episode 8 - Central Waters Brewer's Reserve Mar 12, 2014

Show notes

In January, we sat down with Central Waters' Brewers Reserve beers to commemorate their 16th anniversary. No infections here! We fawn over 6 bourbon barrel aged beers, Craig shares his account of the 16th anniversary party, and we invent more band names. Hear our thoughts on 2014 Peruvian Morning and what should have been.

Rankings

Ryan

1. Peruvian Morning

2. 16

3. Bourbon Barrel Cherry Stout (2013)

4. Bourbon Barrel Barleywine

5. Bourbon Barrel Stout

6. Bourbon Barrel Scotch Ale

Craig

1. Peruvian Morning

2. Bourbon Barrel Barleywine

3. 16