ABV Chicago Craft Beer Podcast

Whether you're preparing for a fast or a feast, Doppelbocks are the German-born strong lagers you need if "liquid bread" is what you seek. We explore this style with one German version and four from Chicagoland to fine tune our expectations and enhance our overall appreciation of this malty wonder. Also, Craig gives sound advice to help Ryan navigate his children's interest in the White Sox; we alternate between goats and dragons; and we take a mouthfeel ride down the lazy river (of flavor).

Beers Reviewed

Ayinger Privatbrauerei - Celebrator

Goldfinger Brewing - Zlotonator

Sketchbook Brewing - Illustrator

Scorched Earth Brewing Co. - Doppelbock

Seldom Beer Co./Miskatonic Brewing - Jabberbocky

It's been about two years since we last checked in with one of our favorite small breweries in America, and this lineup of five from Lafayette, Colorado's Cellar West is a real flavor ride. We talk about the medal-winning beers sent courtesy of founder Zach Nichols while trying to narrow down which we'd most like off of their cask engine. Also, Ryan's developing a habit of rubbing beers on himself, Craig is mystified by mustache twins, and we make some initial nominations for the ABV Chicago Outstanding Achievements in the Field of Craft Beer Excellence awards.

Beers Reviewed

Tawny Otter (English Pub Ale)

Farmhouse Saison

Single Hop Saison: Cashmere

Spinechiller 2024: Bourbon and Scotch Barrels (Imperial Stout aged in bourbon and scotch barrels)

Spinechiller 2024: Orange, Vanilla, and Rose (Imperial Stout aged in bourbon barrels w/ orange zest, vanilla beans, and rose water)

We get unreasonably excited when local breweries make historical and international styles that are infrequently brewed, so we jumped at the opportunity to bring five examples together. These suburban Chicago beers serve as tributes to centuries of brewing across three different countries, and we couldn't be happier about the results. We dive into the history and stories of these styles while also revisiting our college Newcastle phase, assuming control of our IP, and making our choices for the best vending machine selections on a road trip.

Beers Reviewed

Bubblehouse Brewing Company - All Together Now (Altbier)

Flipside Brewing - Noble Rogue (English Brown Ale)

Goldfinger Brewing Company - Polotmavý 14° (Czech-style Amber Lager)

Art History Brewing - Trent Bridge (English IPA)

Miskatonic Brewing Company/Seldom Beer Co. - Kuddel Muddel (Kottbusser)

Amanda and Brandon Wright of Werk Force Brewing have been in business out in Plainfield for over a decade, but their story and influence goes far beyond that. We spend a good long time talking with the Wrights and sampling through a lineup of their excellent beers, from lagers to IPAs to barrel-aged stouts. Just some of the topics we cover include accepting the inevitability of flagship beers, leaving ABV off the label, creating a community-based space open for all, finding the right food partner, starting a family while opening a business, capturing just the right images for label designs, dealing out rare Lukr side pull handles, withstanding FoBAB controversies, closing a legendary homebrew shop, collecting an impressive array of barrels, and fixing the toilets more than you could ever imagine. Plus, Craig finally gets the vest advice he's been seeking.

Beers Sampled

Really Decent (American Light Lager)

Forklift Road Warrior (American IPA)

Little Big Penguin (Hazy IPA)

DDH Formerly Known As… (American IPA)

Bourbon Barrel-Aged Stupid Sticky Fingers [collab w/ Rocky Reef Brewing] (Imperial Stout aged in bourbon barrels w/ cacao nibs, vanilla, and graham crackers)

3 Year Family Reserve Rye B.A. Sleepy Bear (Imperial Stout aged in rye whiskey barrels)

We love hoppy beers, and truthfully, we need to find an excuse to try more local releases that catch our attention. Introducing the Hop Roundup: a quarterly series of episodes focused on notable hoppy releases in a general timeframe. For this Winter 2025 edition, we have a brand new brewery with a resurgent style; a fresh year-round from local legends; a collab "reverse" continuation from a previous episode; a bigger take than we've seen on a highly-debated style; and a hopeful return for one of our favorite hops. But also, Ryan's trying to help Craig through his jump scare fears; we may need an Oops! All Lactose version; and we log-on with Obi Wan Konami.

Beers Reviewed

Blind Corner Brewery - High Draw (XPA)

Half Acre Beer Co. - Slow Melt (Pale Ale)

Riverlands Brewing & Hop Butcher for the World - Long Time Listener, First Time Caller (West Coast-style Double IPA)

Pollyanna Brewing - Gold and Cold (Double Cold IPA)

Maplewood Brewing - Sweet Imagination (Northeast-style Double IPA)

We're going behind the curtain for our 36th state show, as listener Jeremy hooked us up with five beers from Utah. The beers represent a pretty wide variety and offer a few real standouts as we try and make sense of some pretty…interesting beer laws. Also, there's valuable jorts advice, heavy eye-contact cocktails, barrel-aged flashbacks, and a genuine French ending. Who says we need to keep things under 5 percent?

Beers Reviewed

UTOG Brewing Company [Ogden, UT] - Utah's Only Happy Hour (American Light Lager)

Talisman Brewing Company [Ogden, UT] - Uplifted (Scottish Export Ale)

Shades Brewing [Salt Lake City, UT] - Pina Colada Sour Ale (Sour ale w/ coconut, pineapple, and lactose)

2 Row Brewing [Midvale, UT] - Dangereux (American Farmhouse Ale)

Epic Brewing [Salt Lake City, UT] - Bigger Badder Baptista (Imperial stout aged in whiskey and mezcal barrels w/ coffee, cacao, cinnamon, and vanilla)

To close out the 2024-2025 Deep Wood release lineup, Revolution somehow finds a way to do some new things with barleywine while retaining the spirit of their barrel program we've all come to know and love. It's all about interesting woods here (and a little help from some friends) as we've hardly been so happy about experiencing the barleywobbles. Also, Craig's sweet stock is in jeopardy, Ryan's recovering from hosting his 10 year old's birthday party, and we make some rankings promises that we actually keep (for once). It's audio Sur Lie, because we're definitely on the slop.

Beers Reviewed

Lumberstruck II (Black barleywine aged in bourbon and Amburana barrels)

Firestone Walker - Oakpocalypse Now (Triple-oaked barleywine aged in rye and red wine barrels w/ French oak staves)

Oakpocalypse Later [Firestone Walker collaboration] - Oakpocalypse Later (Barleywine aged in rye whiskey and red wine barrels)

Barleywinery D.B.V.S.O.J. (Barleywine aged in bourbon barrels)

At a very reasonable price, Craig joined the exclusive Cellar Society for Milwaukee's Supermoon Beer Company so we could get our hands on a full lineup of exclusive releases from one of our favorite breweries in the whole world. And this lineup still finds ways to surprise us - from style to barrel to the occasional unusual ingredient. It's all just really really stellar. Also, Craig's wife is developing mundane yet useful superpowers; Ryan's ready for some more beer-inspired soaps; and we're keeping a watch on the Costco cheese aisle for rare releases.

Beers Reviewed

Tabelbear (French oak fermented tart saison w/ tamarind)

CS3 // Vineyard Reserve (Single barrel farmhouse ale aged in French oak w/ Frontenac grapes)

Single Barrel 006 (Unblended farmhouse ale aged 3 years in French oak)

Barbou (Bourbon barrel aged Midwest stock ale)

To recognize our 11th year of releasing this weekly podcast, we're putting a new spin on our annual half-blind shows by…going old. We each divvied up the past years of the podcast and selected one favorite from a year until we ended up with seven to try and stump one another while we dig through our memories. Some represent fresh takes on old faves, and some are just old - which doesn't necessarily mean bad. Also, we talk about a cult Chicago landmark in Craig's neighborhood; Ryan no-scopes a few blind guesses; and Craig calls in a favor to make his secret blind theme work.

Beers Reviewed

Brouwerij De Brabandere - Petrus Aged Pale (Foeder-aged Belgian Sour) / Episode 240 - Belgian Sour Starter Pack (9/5/18)

Flossmoor Station Restaurant & Brewery - Wooden Hell 2017 (Bourbon barrel-aged barleywine) / Episode 198 - FoBABlin' 2: FoBABlin' in the City (11/8/17)

The Conrad Seipp Brewing Co. - Columbia Bock / Episode 379 - B-Sides (5/12/21)

Flipside Brewing - Rascal King (English Pub Ale) / Low ABV 414 - Flipside Rascal King (8/19/24)

Wild Onion Brewery - Drago 2018 (Bourbon barrel-aged Russian Imperial Stout) / Episode 117 - Midwest BA Stouts Blind (4/20/16)

Cruz Blanca Brewery - Rey Cuvée 2024 (3-year blend of barrel-aged imperial stout) / Episode 457 - Cruz Blanca Luchadors 2022 (11/9/22)

New Glarus Brewing - Wisconsin Belgian Red (Sour ale w/ cherries) / Episode 74 - New Glarus Fruit Beers (6/24/15)

In an ill-advised experiment almost 4 years in the making, this episode is our style exploration of the Belgian Single - sometimes called Patersbier, sometimes Enkel, and definitely rarely made stateside. Even most of the Trappist breweries keep them in house and rarely send them overseas. With a glacial pace of local Belgian single releases, we've held on to some American versions with hopes of one day finally completing our Monastic Cycle. So we took one fresh single - and four definitely way less fresh singles - to see how compatible we all could be. It's certainly a learning experience! Also, Craig meets a hand model so we dream of showing off our wrists and elbows; Ryan gets drenched by a surprise gusher; and we all agree not to age this style of beer ever again.

Beers Reviewed

Miskatonic Brewing Company - St. Maximus

Maplewood Brewery - Belle La Vie

Gathering Place Brewing Company - Prière

Buckledown Brewing - Gas Lamp

Spencer Brewery - Trappist Ale