Chicago Beer Pass

Welcome to the Chicago Beer Pass: Your ticket to all the great beer events happening in and around Chicago. On this episode of Chicago Beer Pass, Brad Chmielewski and Nik White are joined by Tom Korder, Brewmaster and Co-founder of Penrose Brewing. The guys talk about Tom Korder’s beer history that took him from AB to Goose Island and then starting his own brewery in Geneva. All that history comes with some great experience and it shows with the terrific beers he’s brewing and the awards that are being won. Since we’re doing this interview during the pandemic, we are safely at home, but the guys talk about the effects this has had on Penrose and how they are getting prepared to re-open for on premises consumption. Brad and Nik have always been fans of the beers that Tom has brewed and it’s great to catch up.  If you’re looking to visit a brewery that is opening and kicking out some great beers, Penrose would be worth the trip, especially as the weather gets nicer, you can also take a walk around the Fox River. Having issues listening to the audio? Try the MP3 (65.7 MB) or subscribe to the podcast on iTunes!

Welcome to the Chicago Beer Pass: Your ticket to all the great beer events happening in and around Chicago. On this episode of Chicago Beer Pass, Brad Chmielewski and Nik White are joined by Phil McFarland. It’s been awhile since the guys had a chance to talk with Phil and it’s always great to hear from someone who has been in the beer business for so long. If you don’t know Phil, he helped get many beer nerds into their current obsession by being the owner of Small Bar Division. Small Bar had an amazing bottle and tap list at a time when craft beer wasn’t so easily found at bars in this city. Brad and Nik can recall countless summer days on the patio where they were able to try a new IPA and fall in love with beer over and over again. After Small Bar closed its doors, Phil has been busy in the beer world in other ways, like helping Half Acre to grow as they realized they could make a ton more beer at the Balmoral Brewery. Now, Phil is in-between projects, taking advantage of the slowdown that comes with this pandemic. Brad and Nik loved catching up with him and even chatted about what the future of Chicago bars or taprooms might be moving forward. Having issues listening to the audio? Try the MP3 (58.5 MB) or subscribe to the podcast on iTunes!

Welcome to the Chicago Beer Pass: Your ticket to all the great beer events happening in and around Chicago. On this episode of Chicago Beer Pass, Brad Chmielewski and Nik White grab a couple beers and recap how their stay-at-home has been going. The two of them also recap the last few guests they’ve had on the podcast, including the latest one with Foreign Exchange. There are still a lot of breweries doing releases and fun things to keep the craft beer fans drinking but without the guys getting out there much, there just isn’t much to report on. So, this episode is a bit more of a sanity check for Brad and Nik, plus they have a moment to dream about the first places they are going to hit up when bars return. Having issues listening to the audio? Try the MP3 (66.8 MB) or subscribe to the podcast on iTunes!

Welcome to the Chicago Beer Pass: Your ticket to all the great beer events happening in and around Chicago. On this episode of Chicago Beer Pass, Brad Chmielewski and Nik White have Ricky Cervantes from Foreign Exchange Brewing joining them. Nik first got wind of Foreign Exchange when Kittywampus dropped and since then we have seen hit after hit come from them. Ricky shared with the guys a bit of his story and future plans which includes getting his own space sometime soon. If you haven’t had the Kittywampus or anything else from Foreign Exchange, it’s worth tracking down and getting your hands on some. Having issues listening to the audio? Try the MP3 (67.5 MB) or subscribe to the podcast on iTunes!

Welcome to the Chicago Beer Pass: Your ticket to all the great beer events happening in and around Chicago. On this episode of Chicago Beer Pass, Brad Chmielewski and Nik White have Jesse Valenciana joining them. The guys have known Jesse for several years, during his time with ManBQue and his time at Goose Island. Recently, Jesse made the move and joined the Dryhop / Corridor crew just as the new space for Crushed By Giants was set to open. Everyone was looking forward to that space and from the pictures, you can find online, it looks beautiful. The guys talk about that project as well as what’s happening at the current brewpubs. To go along with this conversation Jesse was kind enough to drop off some cans of Chula, a mango Gose that he helped brew under his new project, Feast City in collaboration with More Brewing. Brad, Nik and Jesse love Chicago and can’t wait to see it back in action or even evolve into something better. Right now there are a lot of people working to keep beer and food coming from some of your favorite places, so if you can, be sure to support them. This city has some great, food, beer and people. Be sure to do your part to help out the city, by ordering in, ordering beer to go, or even just by staying home for a little while longer. Having issues listening to the audio? Try the MP3 (79.6 MB) or subscribe to the podcast on iTunes!

Welcome to the Chicago Beer Pass: Your ticket to all the great beer events happening in and around Chicago. On this episode of Chicago Beer Pass, Brad Chmielewski and Nik White are joined by Cesar Marron and Sean Curry from Sketchbook Brewing. On a previous sketchbook episode, the guys talked with Shawn Decker just as they were getting ready to expand the Evanston taproom. So it’s great to chat with Cesar as the brewery buildout in Skokie is moving forward. Plus, the guys love talking with Sean Curry, who is often letting them know when they make a mistake on an episode. The four of them not only talk about the new project but also what Sketchbook is doing during their stay-at-home orders and what the city of Evanston is doing to support the small businesses in the area. Our lifestyle has been turned upside down during this time, but be sure to support the small businesses you love and want to see survive when we all move forward. Most breweries are doing pickup or local delivery, check out their website and social pages to see what they are doing to keep their staff and you safe during this time. Having issues listening to the audio? Try the MP3 (64.4 MB) or subscribe to the podcast on iTunes!

chicagobeerpass · Chicago Beer Pass: Eric Hobbs Welcome to the Chicago Beer Pass: Your ticket to all the great beer events happening in and around Chicago. On this episode of Chicago Beer Pass, Brad Chmielewski and Nik White have a guest joining them. Eric Hobbs has had an amazing journey here in the Chicagoland craft beer scene, from Goose Island, to opening Penrose and now a member of the Solemn Oath team. Solemn Oath started in Naperville just as the craft beer revolution was getting rolling in Chicagoland and with a terrific brand and tasty beer, they became a celebrated presence on the scene. Eric Hobbs joined the Solemn Oath team a few years ago as the Chief Operations Officer and has helped push the brand forward even more as well as helping to launch their City Water beverage. Brad and Nik have known Hobbs for years so it felt good to have a beer and catch up while we are all sheltered in place. Having issues listening to the audio? Try the MP3 (73.1 MB) or subscribe to the podcast on iTunes!

Welcome to the Chicago Beer Pass: Your ticket to all the great beer events happening in and around Chicago. On this episode of Chicago Beer Pass, Brad Chmielewski and Nik White are without a guest but they wanted to share their drinking adventures that included some beer delivery from On Tour Brewing, pickups from Maplewood and even a little whiskey collecting. The guys also share some stories about Argus Brewing as this week we learned that as a result of the fallout from COVID-19, they had to close their door. Hopefully you are enjoying these episodes and remember to support your local breweries when you can. Having issues listening to the audio? Try the MP3 (54.3 MB) or subscribe to the podcast on iTunes!

Welcome to the Chicago Beer Pass: Your ticket to all the great beer events happening in and around Chicago. On this episode of Chicago Beer Pass, Brad Chmielewski and Nik White have Bob McDermott, joining them. Bob was the owner of The Beer Bistro, a beloved Chicago beer bar with locations in the West loop and on Fullerton. The Beer Bistro had a huge impact on both Brad and Nik’s craft beer experience and it was sad to see it shut the doors. Bob shares some of the memories from the locations as well as how he would handle the shut down orders that are in place due to COVID-19. Having issues listening to the audio? Try the MP3 (76.0 MB) or subscribe to the podcast on iTunes!

Welcome to the Chicago Beer Pass: Your ticket to all the great beer events happening in and around Chicago. On this episode of Chicago Beer Pass, Brad Chmielewski and Nik White have Josh Grubbs from Black Lung Brewing joining them. Being stuck at home doesn’t allow you to hit up your regular spots but it does allow you to explore some beers that you might not have tried before previously. That’s exactly what Nik and Brad are doing in this episode. Black Lung Brewing is currently up in Waukegan brewing out of the Zümbier’s location. Waukegan isn’t an area Brad and Nik make it to very often but there are some great brewers and beer coming out of that area including, Black Lung Brewing. Josh gives the guys the lowdown of what he’s doing and how he got his start in the beer world. He also gives some insight into how a new and small brand is handling the pandemic outbreak.  If you are leaving your home for supplies, please be sure to support your local breweries as well. Most of them are doing delivery and payment on the internet, you can also pick up beer from a lot of your local beer stores which is where you will likely find Black Lung Brewing. Having issues listening to the audio? Try the MP3 (42.5 MB) or subscribe to the podcast on iTunes!