Average Joe and Friends Podcast

From being drugged by your friends on Thanksgiving, to Turkey Day Turducken and living in the bush, Todd and Jake covered just about everything in the epic episode.  And we talked a little about beer and shit too.  These guys are two of the most engaging people I have had on, and the stories just keep coming.  You can't not listen to this one.  

Cruz Blanca Social:

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Oz opened up his doors and his skills to make Crafted 1979 an Anniversary beer.  So as our crew so often does, we descended upon his place on a Monday morning with beers to share, and shit to talk.  It was an awesome day, hanging with good friends, talking beer and consuming it.  We also got to hear from Matt Griseta, the executive chef over at Square Roots, and one half of the new Mokena Brewery Brothership brewing in Ryne Willig.

Is/Was Brewing is small and it is new, and I suggest everyone put them on their radar now.  What my guest, Mike Schallau, is doing is completely different than everything we are consuming in the current Chicago market.  It is not a "never been done" scenario, but out side of Off Color, Afterthought, and a handful of others, no one is focusing on these Saison style beers.  There are other Fermentation forward breweries out there, but Mike is doing it with 5 barrel fermentors out of Marz Brewing in Chicago.  He is splitting off batches of the same beer and fermenting half straight up with a specific yeast and the other half with the same yeast but treating it with Brettomyces.  You can taste the beer as it is and as it was.  Please follow this young brewery:

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So one year after leaving my "regular" job to join the beer world, Crafted 1979 decided to surprise me by having my wife bring my podcast gear to the shop so that they could do a performance review podcast with customers and beer industry folks.  They thought, I ask enough questions on this podcast, they wanted to have our customers and some beer industry folks as me some questions.  It was a fun day either way, even if it was weird as shit for me.  Thanks to Crafted 1979 for allowing to live my passion daily while also supporting a family.  It means everything to me.

That Woodridge area is so hot right now.  I love the design and layout of the place, and the beer was spraying to all fields.  Nathan the brewmaster and owner Ed were a great pair to chat with about some beer, pizza, and Iktoberfest activities.  Wish I had gotten out to this place sooner.  It always fascinates me to hear about how a place goes from planning to opening those doors to the public.  Their story satiated that impulse.

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Finally, I got to sit down with a Chicago original, Goose Island Beer co.  Thanks to Renee for putting this together and getting me Keith Gabbett (Brewmaster), Mike Siegel (Research & Development), and Bjorn Johnson (Lead Brewer).  We got to explore a little about what drove them all to beer and ultimately Goose Island.  We talked about some new beers they have in the works, and exactly what it takes to get them from idea states to actual products.  Bjorn, broke down a little about process on how to create some beer.  Of course we talked Bourbon County Stout and where the beer world is going.

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If you don't know, you soon will.  Viking Artisan Ales is incredible.  And I got a bonus with Aaron, the owner of Boneflower Craft Mead, who is making a massive name for themselves.  We had a blast and drank some insanely good beer while we bullshitted for 2 and a half hours.  Really impressed with both these dudes and the beverages they are creating.  

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Boneflower:

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Cruising Down I57 with my beef jerky in hand I shot down to Savoy, IL to document a pretty awesome Collaboration brew day with Triptych Brewing and Windmill Brewing.  I was joined by Anthony Benjamin, brewer and managing partner of Triptych Brewing, along with Mike G. and Justin V. from Windmill Brewing.  They brewed up a Horchata style Milkshake IPA with tons of Silk Almond milk, vanilla and a little bit of lactose.  It was really awesome to see these guys interact and actively learn while drinking and having a little fun as well.

I may sound like a broken record, but another episode and another world class human to talk beer with.  The one, the only Oswald White of The Sour Note Brewing.  The self-proclaimed Southern Wild Boy.  What a smart and insightful dude Oz is.  Loved hearing about his path to brewing beer and the early days of his relationship with Drew Fox of 18th Street, who also joined us for a few minutes.  The beer is killer and the conversation even exceeded that!

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Lane and Beth opened up their doors on a Monday morning for me, and then they served me one of the best over fruited sours I have had the pleasure of tasting.  We had a great conversation about what led them to open up a cozy and elegant taproom in the middle of a crazy strip mall in Lake Zurich, IL.  These guys are a must visit with killer NEIPA's, the Fruit Shoppe Series, and a ton of classic styles they are hitting out of the park right now.  

Roaring Table Social:

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