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

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)

The general beer aging debate rages on, but barleywines have long been a staple for cellar keepers with the promise of better beer always further ahead. For this episode, we take on a murder of aged barleywines, chiefly American in style, often barrel-aged, and mostly just downright unpleasant. Perhaps we were influenced by our Bracket Fever, but this show brings a lot of lousy old hops and sickly sweet malts, one completely flat beer, and an overflowing Dumpy the Dump Bucket. We do sample some cheese pairings while also discussing Craig’s Shameful Bed Cheese Incident, faded cops, and what killed off the elders of craft beer. Science!   Beers Tasted (For Science)   New Glarus Barley Wine (2012) Central Waters Kosmyk Charlie’s Y2K Catastrophe Ale (2013) Founders Bolt Cutter (2012) Dark Horse Monster 29 (2012) 3 Floyds Barrel-Aged Behemoth (2013) Flossmoor Station Fireside Chat (2013) Stone Old Guardian (2010) Firestone Walker Sucaba (2014)

Get ready to journey through time with a nearly 200 year-old Belgian brewery on an episode that took us two weeks to record! Rodenbach makes some of the best sour beer in the world that is often overlooked in favor of those U.S. acid bombs that garner high trade value. We try to figure out why the hell that is, to little avail. But we sample five absolutely perfect beers here, and they give us all the mouthfeels. We also talk about when it’s right to start macerating, breaking down beer borders, the J-man (and the K-man) and that Magic Eraser life. But seriously, THAT MOUTHFEEL. Beers Reviewed Rodenbach Original Rodenbach Grand Cru Rodenbach Vintage 2014 Rodenbach Caractère Rouge Rodenbach Alexander

It’s all about those juicy hops on this episode, as we review five beers from larger breweries looking to capitalize on the current juice obsession in hoppy beers. It’s a perilous summit to the top, but we arbitrarily agree on which beer should be on your grocery list. We go over the many other large breweries making similar beers, talk a lot about mixed 12-packs and Costco, and show off our sick snowboard tricks. Also, Craig is a mothball-eating garbage boy who wants a musket. Just to summarize. BEERS MOUNTED Stone Ripper Pale Ale Samuel Adams Rebel Juiced IPA New Belgium Citradelic Odell Drumroll APA Two Brothers Pinball Pale Ale

Revolution has done something downright heroic for hoppy beer fans by assembling a mixed 12-pack of their Hero beers that will see variations as a year-round release. We crack into a fantastic foursome along with one rogue Hero and rank them all. We speculate on some hero backstories, imagine the Mt. Rushmore of Chicago beer, and spin the bottle with Randy Mosher. There’s also Craig’s comic book game, nostalgia for Buy the Weigh, and a hot take on Batman Returns. My piney sense is tingling.   Heroes Reviewed   Anti-Hero Galaxy Hero Amarillo Hero Local Hero Mosaic Hero

We pop five beers from New Hampshire’s Deciduous Brewing, and it gets a little Gushyⓒ. But the beers are impressive all around, and we finally learn what a “pLambic” is. The tangents are frequent and our talking points include wrestling and the SLAMbic, bizarre aroma descriptors, fruit soup, the Tannic Suggestion, a blood orange crime, Lap Gushy, and Craig’s take on the RenFair. Oh no, the growler boys are back in town. Thanks to David Leshinski for providing beers on this one! Beer Reviewed Auranja (pLambic with oranges) Auroral Batch 4 (Berliner weisse with blood orange and lychee) Nelson Sylph (Farmhouse ale) Renascence (Porter) Predestination (Blended sour aged in armagnac casks)

Made to cellar and improve with age, this episode was recorded back in 2014, and we release it now to coincide with Odell’s entrance into the Chicago market. The younger version of us tastes through seven (!) different beers from the Fort Collins brewery, and we are pleasantly surprised throughout. There’s also some “interviews”, history on the brewery, very old sours, Craig sniffing plastic, Four Loko, and some good old boat eating. Honestly it just feels good to live back in 2014 again for just a little bit. Do we have to leave?\ Beers Reviewed Loose Leaf (Session Pale Ale) St. Lupulin (Extra Pale Ale) 90 Shilling (Scottish Ale) 5 Barrel (Pale Ale) New Belgium/Odell - Hop Kitchen #6: FOCOllaboration (Pale Ale) IPA Myrcenary (Double IPA)

Eight years of Bourbon County tells an interesting story about Goose Island as a brewery, so we have the guy who is literally writing the book on it join us for a vertical tasting. Josh Noel from the Chicago Tribune helps us nitpick our way through eight years of BCBS. There’s Goose info galore including the backlash over Josh’s sleuthing on the beer’s true origins, and how the brewery went from nearly out of business to being the juggernaut it is. You’ll also hear about the debate over aging beers, Craig the vanilla locomotive, Loggins Run, and actual news about Josh’s book release date. Don’t live life two ounces at a time, man! Years of Bourbon County Brand Stout Tasted, Vertically 2009 (22 oz.) 2010 (12 oz.) 2011 (12 oz.) 2012 (12 oz.) 2013 (12 oz.) 2014 (12 oz.) 2015 (16.9 oz.) bottled 11/9/15 2016 (16.9 oz.)

Summer Craig is back and ready to fire up the boat and mix up some cocktails! Actually, it’s Ryan’s stupid idea to put a bunch of fruit in these five suburban-brewed beers that were all very good before we screwed with them. We review and rank these diverse offerings, and we also get to know Afterthought Brewing well before they are an actual working brewery: brewer/owner Mike Thorpe endures a brief interview with Craig to tell us what we can expect out of Lombard from Afterthought in the (hopefully) near future. We also muddle it up with the worst Zelda joke, a shocking theory about blood oranges, and other whatnots. Summer Craig, I still believe in you! Beers Reviewed Hailstorm & Imperial Oak - LMFAgOse (gose w/ watermelon, blueberry, and salt) Afterthought Brewing - Saison with citrus zest (mixed culture saison aged in oak) Noon Whistle - Cozmo Orange (pale ale with oranges) Middle Brow Beer Co. - Show Me Love (blonde farmhouse aged in wine barrels w/ raspberries) Buckledown & Haymarket - BA Awkward Exchange (dark Belgian ale with blackberry juice aged in bourbon barrels)

Over the last half-dozen years, Amherst, Wisconsin’s Central Waters Brewing have released a special barrel-aged imperial stout for their anniversary at their annual party. Craig is a loyal attendee, so we have a five-year vertical to tackle with the help of Tom, Jack, and Nick from The Hop Review. Along with trying to discern the differences in each vintage, we talk to the Hop Review guys about some of their favorite interviews and what they’re excited about in Chicago for 2017. We also address Craig’s Mosaic blindness, relive the worst Dark Lord Day experience ever, almost make contact with rock royalty, and finally figure out how to capture the elusive Mosh. Vintages Reviewed 1414 Fifteen Sixteen Seventeen Eighteen

Good news to all our future expats, Toronto’s Bellwoods Brewery is making outstanding light hoppy beers that are bulging with deliciousness. Thanks to listener Christopher Nyren, we sample four fresh brews that cross-check us with flavor. Craig gives a brief overview of Canada’s confusing beer laws and liquor sales, then quizzes Ryan in a round of “Dead or Canadian?” There’s also a Ghostbusters lullaby, proper beer presentation, schnapps talk, Craig’s French mishaps, some mall walking, and the worst Afroman album ever. Beers Reviewed Stay Classy (Light Pale Ale) Wizard Wolf (Pale Ale) Jutsu (Pale Ale) Jelly King (Dry-Hopped Sour Ale)  

Bring your bendy straw, we’re dipping into some juicy, hazy New England-style IPAs made locally. Whether it’s an actual style or not, stores can hardly keep any brewery’s NEIPA in stock - so we evaluate seven of them in a blind tasting. We share everything we know about this trend, say “creamy” a few hundred times, and somewhat fail at recognizing Mosaic. There’s some shoe-eating, retired slogans, Sunny D, and our vow to become brother husbands. Disappear into a glass with us, and let your juice loose. I don’t know what the hell that means. Beers Tasted Blindly   #1 Transient Artisan Ales - The Juice is Loose DIPA #2 Maplewood Brewery - Son of Juice IPA #3 Forbidden Root - Snoochie Boochies DIPA #4 Hailstorm Brewing - Stratus DIPA #5 Marz Community Brewing - NE MDW Chi PA #6 Hop Butcher for the World - Reply Hazy, Try Again DIPA #7 The Ram Restaurant & Brewery (Schaumburg) - Morning Fog DIPA

A Craig divided against itself cannot stand - especially if he’s drinking a bunch of high ABV coffee stouts. We challenge Craig’s hatred of coffee and love of stouts by opening four flavorful beers on this one. It’ll take a serious horse-breaking for Ryan to teach Craig anything about coffee, so instead we talk about cereal and double barrels and David Duchovny. But we also have a beer that so completely nails its intentions that it is nearly flawless - and another surprising beer brimming with luxurious coffee aroma but sorely lacking in the flavor department. Listen to find out which is which, and be careful with your cheeseballs! (Huge thanks to Eric Nakamoto for two of the beers on this one!) Beers Reviewed Short’s Brewing - Cup A Joe (Coffee Creme Stout) Weldwerks Brewing - Coffee Coconut Stout Epic Brewing - Big Bad Baptista (Whiskey barrel-aged stout with Mexican coffee, cacao nibs, vanilla & cinnamon) Revolution Brewing - Café Deth (Bourbon barrel-aged imperial oatmeal stout with coffee)

Our new best friends at Cypress Grove make some of the finest goat’s milk cheeses in the country, and they sent us some to pair with local beers. Win your New Year’s party by learning from our pairing experiments, or find out which cheeses to make a staple of all your future bottle shares. We learn a bit about rennet, apply a few brewing ideas to cheesemaking, and once again fail to break the curse that eternally binds us together. Live deliciously! Beer and Cheese Pairings Two Brothers Twenty-Plus Pilsner and Purple Haze Suller’s Past Maiden Berliner Weisse and Humboldt Fog Off Color Sibling Rivalry Tripel and Truffle Tremor Hop Butcher Hoppy Days Are Here Again IPA and Bermuda Triangle Arcade Brewing Mega Milk II* and Midnight Moon *Note: This episode was recorded back in November before we - or anyone - could anticipate Arcade Brewery’s sudden and unfortunate closing. We had many of their beers on the show over the years, and we will miss their contributions to the ever-changing Chicago beer landscape. We sincerely wish Chris, Jay, and Lance the best in all of their future endeavors. Our new best friends at Cypress Grove make some of the finest goat’s milk cheeses in the country, and they sent us some to pair with local beers. Win your New Year’s party by learning from our pairing experiments, or find out which cheeses to make a staple of all your future bottle shares. We learn a bit about rennet, apply a few brewing ideas to cheesemaking, and once again fail to break the curse that eternally binds us together. Live deliciously! Beer and Cheese Pairings Two Brothers Twenty-Plus Pilsner and Purple Haze Suller’s Past Maiden Berliner Weisse and Humboldt Fog Off Color Sibling Rivalry Tripel and Truffle Tremor Hop Butcher Hoppy Days Are Here Again IPA and Bermuda Triangle Arcade Brewing Mega Milk II* and Midnight Moon *Note: This episode was recorded back in November before we - or anyone - could anticipate Arcade Brewery’s sudden and unfortunate closing. We had many of their beers on the show over the years, and we will miss their contributions to the ever-changing Chicago beer landscape. We sincerely wish Chris, Jay, and Lance the best in all of their future endeavors.

  We manage to throw a holiday party with no eggnog, ugly sweaters, or inappropriate mistletoe placement - just great friends and great beers. Actually, Craig does wear an insane gaudy suit, but it only enhances our talks with four guests over five beers. We are joined by our good friends MC Johnson (Worth 1000 Beers), Marie Cummins, Matt Johnsen (Horse Thief Hollow), and Doug Veliky (Revolution Brewing & @beeraficiando) to sample some tasty treats and review our favorite events and stories of 2016 - and what gets us excited for 2017. Then we talk about the year in beer trends, the excellence that is Dovetail Brewing, the Gary Busey woods, chipmunk tickling, winning big time beer medals, Schwimmer Vintage Ales, and how to become an Instagram star by taking pictures of beer. Listen, or I’m telling Santa. Beers Shared Une Année - Le Grand Monde I Dovetail Brewing - Holiday Bock Horse Thief Hollow - Bad Mama Jama (Imperial stout with chocolate aged in Buffalo Trace barrels) Horse Thief Hollow - Barrel-aged Cinnamon Girl (Bad Mama Jama with cinnamon and vanilla) The Lost Abbey - Veritas 017 (Oak-aged wild ale with blackberry)  

Need a stocking stuffer or an effective mood-lifter for a family gathering? We try six different Christmas beers to help you better lubricate your holiday train. Our top beer is a huge surprise, but the whole lineup proves to be a Christmas miracle. And like two slightly tipsy yet overly productive elves, we play two games on this one, talk fruitcakes, explore the Hintonverse, make our ideal gingerbread man together, transcribe the Ying Yang Twins, share some Color Me Badd fan fiction, make a case for The Wallflowers, get banned from pillow fights, plan our pop-up shop, and implore you to stop doing that to our snowman. It’s our gift to you, listeners. Happy Holidays, everyone! Beers Unwrapped Revolution - Fistmas Ale Anchor - Christmas Ale 2016 Great Lakes - Christmas Ale Three Floyds - Alpha Klaus Porter Prairie Artisan Ales - Christmas Bomb Brouwerij Huyghe - Delirium Noël

We celebrate the big one-five-oh with the most valuable lineup of beers we’ve ever put to our lips - and the bottles practically pop themselves in revelry. Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen made these four special gueuzes to save itself after a terrible mishap and released them in very limited quantities back in 2011, and we’re lucky to have them all here. We also commemorate the occasion by resurrecting everyone’s favorite beer podcast reviewing game: Beers Against Humanity. So while we try to wrap our brains around the deliciousness of these world-class beers, we talk about what Billy Corgan smells like and other matters of equal import. Craig introduces a successful new segment, and we duck for cover from flying corks. (It says corks, just to be clear.) Cheers to another 150! Beers Sipped Upon, Luxuriously Armand’4 Oude Geuze Herfst (Autumn) Armand’4 Oude Geuze Winter Armand’4 Oude Geuze Lente (Spring) Armand’4 Oude Geuze Zomer (Summer)

In the wake of another Black Friday, we sample the four releases from Goose Island’s infamous Bourbon County line for 2016. So, was all the Friday madness worth it? That’s really subjective based on your personal experience, but we’ll do our best! At least we concur that it’s a huge step-up from 2015. Two beers exceed their previous years’ versions by a significant margin, and at least one beer needs some time to rest. There’s also Tales of Two Black Fridays, The Gouge Report, and an impassioned plea for real true garlic bread. Beers Reviewed Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Stout (2016) Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Barleywine (2016) Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Coffee Stout (2016) Goose Island Proprietor’s Bourbon County Brand Stout (2016)

In our yearly moment of clearheadedness after the Festival of Barrel-Aged Beers, we take on four non-alcoholic beers for the sake of science. To take our minds off of these near beers, we go over all of our FoBAB beer highlights. But you’ll learn a lot about how non-alcoholic beer is made, why there are no NA-IPAs, and what might be the worst beer-like drink we’ve had on the show. We also find out what Craig is doing in a Petsmart (Petco?), what happens when Ryan pours his own beer, and how to elevate High Life beyond reproach. NA Beers: Buckler Non-Alcoholic Beer (Heineken) Krombacher Weizen Alkoholfrei Kaliber (Guiness) Clausthaler Dry-Hopped Ryan’s FoBAB Top 5 List: 5. Horse Thief Hollow - Margarita Gose (Gose w/ black limes, orange peel, and sea salt aged in tequilla barrels) 4. Mikerphone - Dynamite with a Laser Beam (Saison w/ blueberries, raspberries, and tart cherries aged in wine puncheons) 3. Weldwerks - Peach Climacteric (Sour blend w/ peaches aged in bourbon barrels) 2. Goose Island Clybourn - Big Lazy Joe (Imperial brown ale aged in bourbon barrels and blended with coffee) 1. Trinity - President’s Club (Sour pale ale w/ tangerine zest, coriander, peaches, and apricots aged on French oak) Craig’s FoBAB Top 5 List: 5. Off Color - Market Rate (Wild ale aged in red wine barrels with green strawberries) 4. Jester King - 2016 Spon 3 (or 4?) (Gueuze-style blended sour aged in wine puncheons) 3. Goose Island Clybourn - Impervious (Imperial stout aged in Woodford Reserve barrels) 2. Weldwerks - Peach Climacteric (Sour blend w/ peaches aged in bourbon barrels) 1. Wicked Weed - White Angel (Sour ale w/ Muscadine grapes aged in wine puncheons)

Wisconsin’s O’so Brewing has dabbled in sour beers for a few years, and while the whole brewery grows rapidly, their “Extreme Beers” are finding a captive audience with sour beer lovers. We review five tasty barrel-aged sours and try not to turn this episode into a Tums commercial. We discover “TA” and struggle to make sense of it. Craig explains why SNL was better back in the 1930s. Ryan reveals the true source of his pain. And you’ll pretty much never think of The Giving Tree the same way again. And yes, Craig is totally DTC. Beers Reviewed Project Lo (Barrel-aged sour blonde) Blood of the Cherry (Barrel-aged sour blonde with cherries) Arbor Qui Donne (Barrel-aged sour blonde with peaches) Berry Gibb (Barrel-aged sour with blueberries and  ginger) The Continental (Barrel-aged blended sour refermented on champagne currants)

The Festival of Wood and Barrel-Aged Beers (FoBAB) enters its 14th year as one of Chicago’s premier beer fests, and we are so pumped for it that we drink four beers that’ll be pouring over the weekend. Expect some festival advice, relive FoBAB days of yore, and hear about the beer Ryan named. There’s also talk of the 39th Annual Illinois Craft Beer Awards, Fartboy Slim, the Weekend at Bernie’s unrealized trilogy, and the most evil of bottle sealings. Craig also quizzes Ryan on the many states represented at FoBAB, and we even discuss proper fest attire. Roll damn tide. Beers (p)Reviewed Transient Artisan Ales - Double Barrel Obelus (Wine Barrel-Aged Saison) Goose Island Clybourn - Ground Control (Bourbon Barrel-Aged Old Ale) Noon Whistle - Imperial Bernie (Bourbon Barrel-Aged Milk Stout) Weldwerks Brewing Co. - Barrel-Aged Mexican Achromatic (Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout with cacao nibs, vanilla, and cinnamon)

Pure joy will emanate from your listening devices on this one as we taste some of the best hoppy beers on the planet. We can hardly contain our giddiness with a mixed six pack of beers from both Tree House Brewing of Massachusetts and The Alchemist from Vermont, courtesy of listener Josh Sissman. In between moments of bliss, we talk about Belgian warlocks, blacklight posters, inventive ways to steal beer, and Goldilocks and the Artisanal Porridge. Experience our most divergent and most meaningless rankings ever! Hear our smiles! Beers Enjoyed Tree House Brewing - Green (IPA) Tree House Brewing - Very Hazy (DIPA) Tree House Brewing - Bright (DIPA) Tree House Brewing - Bright w/ Nelson (DIPA) The Alchemist - Focal Banger (IPA) The Alchemist - Crusher (DIPA)

We welcome Wiseacre to the Chicago market by sampling five of their beers and discovering that they will be a welcome addition even in this highly-competitive region. This show features three regular offerings, one seasonal release, one special release, and two slap-happy hosts. You’ll hear us threaten to Flowzie something, try to appeal to the youth, plea for some Sex Syrup, and kill off Jerry Lawler. Piledrive this episode into your eardrums!! Beers Reviewed Tiny Bomb (Pilsner) Oktoberfest: Gemütlichkeit Gotta Get Up To Get Down (Coffee Milk Stout) Ananda (IPA) Astronaut Status (Barrel-aged Imperial Stout)

For our third annual pilgrimage to Denver, we again recorded mere hours after the closing of GABF from our hotel room to recap the fest, share some interviews, and drink even more beer. We review beers from Weldwerks, Odd13, and Copper Kettle with some help from MC Johnsen of Worth A Thousand Beers. There are also interviews with a bevy of brewers: Neil Fisher from Weldwerks Brewing, Ryan Fields from Beachwood Blendery, Eric Larken from Odd13 Brewing, Jonathan Wakefield from J. Wakefield Brewing, Jeff Stuffings from Jester King Brewery, Bob Kunz from Highland Park Brewery, James Howat from Black Project Spontaneous and Wild Ales, and Jeremy Tofte from Melvin Brewing. We discuss our personal festival highlights, Illinois medal winners, non-festival events, the Hanson brothers, Party Chapazian, Schwimmer Vintage Ales, the Tappening, and Little Lemmy & Friends. But the beer professionals we interview share knowledge on branding, coolships, mixed fermentation, the interplay of art and beer, green bottle experiments, a parking spot barrel house, fermenting with weeds, upscaling problems, and some “high” stakes brewer bets. (It’ll all make sense in the end.) Beers Reviewed Weldwerks Brewing - Fruity Bits IPA (Pina Colada Edition) Odd13 Brewing - Hawaiian Bartender (Mango & pineapple Brett sour) Copper Kettle Brewing - Mexican Chocolate Stout Featured Interviews Neil Fisher from Weldwerks Brewing (11:23 - 18:44) Ryan Fields from Beachwood Blendery (21:22 - 24:32) Eric Larken from Odd13 Brewing (31:46 - 36:43) Jonathan Wakefield from J. Wakefield Brewing (43:52 - 46:43) Jeff Stuffings from Jester King Brewery (49:56 - 55:05) Bob Kunz from Highland Park Brewery (1:09:15 - 1:12:38) James Howat from Black Project Spontaneous and Wild Ales (1:22:07 - 1:27:40) Jeremy Tofte from Melvin Brewing (1:31:34 - 1:35:39)

Ah, you think Darkness is your ally? Well, it is! Anticipating this year’s big release day, we drink a vertical-plus of Surly’s special release Russian Imperial Stout, and we’re briefly joined by head brewer Ben Smith to talk about what makes Darkness what it is. MC Johnsen sits in with us to help us make sense of these delectable beers and keep us from going too far off the rails. She succeeds in one of those, as we share some Darkness Lore, invent(?) chocolate Coke, describe Craig’s wild gestures, and give tips on sneaking beer into the Olive Garden. (This episode is not sponsored by Crossfit, even though MC is.) Surly Darkness “Vertical” Darkness 2012 Darkness 2013 Darkness 2014 Darkness 2015 Barrel-Aged Darkness 2015

If you haven’t heard of Triptych yet, you’re not alone - at least for now. On the edge of the University of Illinois campus, this brewery is making a variety of stellar beers - and we’ve got five to taste for this episode plus an interview with founder/owner/brewer Anthony Benjamin. Learn why you should schedule your Savoy trip soon, how they got connected with the Pygmalion fest, and what Triptych does with their beers that a lot of larger breweries wish they could. Throw in a few drunk texts from Craig, another Ryan’s Produce Minute, and the lasting impact of Stefan Urquelle, and you’ve got yourself another ABV Chicago podcast. We hope you like it. Beers Reviewed Little Secret (Session IPA) These Aren’t the Blueberries You’re Looking For (Berliner weisse) Pygmalion Pilsner Because, Chocolate (Imperial Cocoa Stout) Here Be Dragons (Imperial IPA)

  It took a surprising amount of heavy lifting to bring together five Chicago porters, and *record scratch* none of them are actually porters! Sort of! This is a deep exploration of the porter style with our usual reviews, and the variance is wide. We draw from some of the great beer books to piece together a paraphrased history of the porter, and why what’s common today is so radically different than what it used to be. The asides are similarly rich and roasty, with loose ponies, Girl Scout cookies, breakaway glass failures, Craig’s Hunger Corner, prowlers, Sidney Poitier, and Taxidermied Churro. And Ryan does the worst thing he’s ever done on the show, ever. Revolution Brewing - Eugene Aquanaut Brewing - MoonRay Moody Tongue - Carmelized Chocolate Churro Baltic Porter Arcade Brewery - Rye Resolution Cruz Blanca Cerveceria - Winnow

Levi Funk is taking the foundation laid by breweries like Russian River and Allagash and making American lambic-style beers to match the quality of Belgian masters. Or at least approach them. We have five sours from the Funk Factory Geuzeria, and we pimp that coolship. There’s a whole cast of new characters here: Gushy the Bunker Bucket, Jean Cheese, Curtis Mercer, and Dreggy Topoff. Beyond a lot of spontaneous fermentation and lambic talk, there’s also Kraig’s Kandy Korner, Ryan’s Produce Minute, and a graphic mustache experience. We ain’t funkin’ around.   Dweller on the Threshold (Blended American sour) Cassis (Blended lambic-style beer with Champagne currants) White Lodge Reserve (American Gueuze-style beer) Frampaars (Blended lambic-style beer with purple raspberries) Bosbes (Blended lambic-style beer with blueberries)

Parched after an evening of marmot spotting, we continue our 50 states quest by sipping on some Washington. We review six beers from six breweries from The Evergreen State thanks to Raj Shah and only mention grunge a half dozen times. We play a Blood Brothers-based game, do the alternating-brewery-name-pronunciation tango (the forbidden worddance), and discuss “the problem” with New England-style IPAs. Beware the mouth goblin.   Bale Breaker Brewing - Field 41 Pale Ale Urban Family Brewing - Herr Kinski’s Apricot Dream-Spiral Berliner Weisse Cloudburst Brewing - Market Fresh Saison #6: Peaches & Grains of Paradise Holy Mountain Brewing - The Goat Brett Saison Three Magnets Brewing Co. - Little Juice IPA (Smoothie Edition) Stoup Brewing - Citra IPA

It’s New Baby Hiatus time at ABV Studios, so we have gathered some of our favorite Low ABV episodes that were previously only available to our Patreon donors. Uh, sorry Patreon donors. But you’ll hear four beers reviewed, and a very loose - and edgy - Ryan & Craig on these mini shows that are sure to be the talk of Craft Beer Town. There’s an MC Johnsen appearance, SMaSH desires, 90s rock karaoke,  hot takes on some local breweries, a story about a 26-inch hot dog, and a noxious cloud of Hoobastank - all while we seemingly look to find the tag beyond “Explicit” on iTunes. To get access to a whole mess more of these types of shows, go to www.patreon.com/abvchicago and donate to help keep our show listener-supported an ad-free.   Low ABVs Compiled: Low ABV 2 - Buckledown’s Citra Clencher Low ABV 4 - Cycle Brewing’s Tuesday Low ABV 7 - Lord Hobo’s Boom Sauce Low ABV 10 - Moody Tongue’s BA Chocolate Barleywine

Our next stop on our mission to taste the whole USA brings one of the overall most satisfying lineups - and maybe Craig’s favorite beer of all time. Five Florida breweries are featured with two brief interviews with brewers poised to make a huge name for themselves. Matt Manthe from Odd Breed Wild Ales talks taproom plans and how they do spontaneous fermentation in the Florida climate. Corey Artanis from 3 Sons Brewing explains how he gets the flavors just right - and damn do we have an example of that on the show. We also mention the increased instances of brewers contracting wort and working double duty. Plus, there’s some etiquette talk with Craig, Pitbull trivia, stuff Craig saw on Twitter, being flavor-forward in Florida, and nerding out at J. Wakefield’s taproom. Dale. Beers Reviewed Wakefield Brewing - Every Gose Has Its Thorn (Gose w/ grapefruit) Odd Breed Wild Ales - Peaches (Barrel-aged wild ale w/ peaches) Wynwood Brewing - Tres Puentes (Blended saison) Cycle Brewing - Monday (Maple bourbon aged coffee cinnamon imperial stout) 3 Sons Brewing - Summation (Bourbon barrel aged imperial vanilla coffee stout)

At one point, this show had a purpose and a modicum of decency - but this episode takes it pretty far from either. We review a bunch of our favorite (favored?) breweries’ beers and debut our new theme song. It all starts with just a shameful lead-up thanks to Craig, and ends with a whole new meaning for the abbreviation “ABV” thanks to Inclement Weather. In the middle there’s talk of can-conditioning, pizza beers, the New England IPA non-story, Joey “CoCo” Diaz, and the problem with mouthfeeling everything. Hold me closer, greasy dancer. Beers Reviewed Transient Artisan Ales - Weko (Brett Pale Ale) Maplewood Brewing - Juice Pants (IPA) Middle Brow Beer Co. - Low (Brown Gose) Mikerphone Brewing - Mad Flavor, Batch #2 (Double Dry-Hopped IPA) Une Année Brewery - Framboise (American Raspberry Wild Ale)

No one can ever accuse Funky Buddha of false advertising, but their brewing methods certainly seem unholy. We taste a few dessert beers and one IPA that are perfect executions of this Florida brewery’s intentions. And because Craig was in Florida recently, there’s a little interview with brewer Jeff Rose included here. Much more funkiness abounds as Ryan confesses a crime, Craig loses a job over khakis, and we plan a brewery sitcom. There’s also a Mario 2/Jesus connection, The Nerding Hour, “Coach” and Applebees talk, Soaky Toast, and a Hurricane of Elbows. And we play a game called “311 or Buddha?” You got to come original. Beers Reviewed Lemon Meringue Pie (Blonde Ale) Muy Bonita (Double Brown Ale) 3 Years & Brewing (IPA with mango) French Toast (Double Brown Ale) Barrel-Aged Chocwork Orange (Imperial Milk Porter)

How does a brewery that owns a single fermenter in a borrowed space with a staff of three people with other full-time jobs not only survive but thrive in the marketplace? Jeremiah from Hop Butcher gives us the whole story - and a lot of tasty beers. Few stones are left unturned as we talk about the name change (from South Loop Brewing), the brewery’s prospective growth, the importance of good artwork, the difficulty of hop contracts, and how they’ve managed to sell their beer to a few major Chicago sports institutions. We get a little sweaty, taste a very rare barrel-aged treat, and thank Jeremiah for not trolling the show as he had planned.   Beers Sampled Your Wish Is Granted (Double IPA) Alemerica the Beautiful (Mosaic-Hopped American Pale Ale) Good Ryes Wear Black (Black Rye IPA) The World’s Colombian Coffee Exposition (Imperial Coffee Stout) The World’s Colombian Coffee Exposition: Bourbon Barrel-Aged

It’s been almost two years since we first recorded in the legendary Chicago institution, and as much as things have changed, Goose Island Clybourn is still about creative small batches from some of the most passionate brewers around. Brewers Jon and Steve join us to talk about the implications of the sale to AB InBev including equipment upgrades, recipe ownership, franchising the brewpub model, and the public reaction to “selling out.” They also pour us some unbelievable beers, including maybe our first recorded experience with a “ghost whale.” Also expect to hear about their current issues with brewing sour beers, how they handle bottle releases and determine pricing, and a little teaser regarding Belgian Fest. Steve also absolutely schools us on Old Ales and Stock Ales, Jon gets to bask in his proudest beer-naming moments, and we all give some sweet love to Cory King. This one is chock full of goofs and goodies, folks, so grab a few beers and enjoy. Beers Tasted: Sara Later (Belgian pale ale) Cran-Bruin (Oud Bruin with cranberries aged in red wine barrels) Barrel-Aged Dark Crusader Coconut (Imperial stout aged in bourbon barrels with coconut added during bottling) Nutulhu (Imperial stout aged in bourbon barrels with toasted hazelnuts and vanilla beans) Side Project Brewing - Saison du Fermier Pinot (Wild saison aged in pinot noir puncheons)

Well dammit if we can’t just be happy with our regular ol’ IPAs, brewers have been adding all sorts of stuff to our favorite hopdrinks. This show features five IPAs...with a TWIST! Might it be possible that we built this show around a “ringer”? Perhaps. But all of the beers more than hold their own, and they bring out an unusual array of distractions: Björk, WiiKush, Offspring beers, and BagelFest. We also challenge each other to come up with a list of unusual ingredients that have yet to be used in IPAs - so brewers take note! Cream bomb: out. Beers Considered Middle Brow Beer Co. - Karin (Belgian IPA + farmhouse ale blend) Like Minds Brewing Co. - Archimedes (IPA + Brettanomyces) Burnt Hickory Brewery - Killboy Powerhead (IPA + orange & vanilla) Stone Brewing - Mocha IPA (DIPA + cacao & coffee) Other Half/Half Acre - Rainbow Never Ends (DIPA + oats, rice flakes, rice syrup, & kölsch yeast) (Producer’s Note: Like Minds now has a fancy website but did not at the time of this recording.)

Used to be that a beer aged in wood was a rare shelf find, but now you can’t throw a bottle cap without hitting one. For this episode, we have five barrel-aged “Chicago” beers, and the results are...unexpected. We have one of the most mysterious beers we’ve ever opened, experience nostalgia for the days of bottle-waxing, and try to resist the urge to jibboo. And Craig might not be hunting whales, but he sure is hunting something.   Beers Reviewed   Whiner Beer Co. - Le Tub (blended wild farmhouse aged in cabernet barrels) Nomad Brewery - Batch #1 (imperial brown ale aged in bourbon barrels) Mikerphone Brewing - Jibboo (farmhouse ale aged in wine puncheons) Off Color Brewing - Barrel-Aged Dino S’mores (imperial stout aged in bourbon barrels) Transient Artisan Ales - Kentuckley (imperial breakfast stout aged in bourbon barrels)  

Not so long ago, Craig took the midnight train to Georgia and came back with a bushel of tasty beers. Here we drink five of them and throw in a few brief interviews, including yeast talk with Ford from Orpheus, and chattin’ beer styles with Joran from Three Taverns. Craig also recaps his Georgia trip including ballpark food, his guest spot on Beer Guys Radio, and the profoundly stupid beer laws of the Peach State. We’ll also learn how Ryan continues to make the freshest dunks and the actual hotness of 98 Degrees. But then Craig refuses to take us to Stankonia. :-( :-( :-(   Beers Reviewed   Second Self - Maverick & Gose Orpheus - Atalanta Tart Plum Saison Creature Comforts - Tropicália IPA Three Taverns - Inceptus American Wild Ale Burnt Hickory Brewery - Kolb’s Farm Imperial Stout

Mike Pallen is releasing instant classics on a regular basis, and since the rabid fans demanded it, we drink some “updated” versions of his beers from our recent go-round with Mikerphone - with one bonus “track.” This one also involves a little music trivia, Craig’s new catch phrase, Ryan’s advice for winning at strip-anything, and a huge wax boner. Rock over London! Rock on Chicago! Polaroid: see what develops.   Beers Sampled Hang Me Up To Dry Dry-Hopped Sour Special Sauce (Batch #2) Double IPA Travelin’ Man Dry-Hopped Saison Imperial Smells Like Bean Spirit Breakfast Stout Stop, Collaborate, & Listen Vanilla Rice Stout  

Just a spit trail east of Cowshit Corner in Newcastle, Maine, Oxbow Brewing has been making actual farmhouse beers since 2011. We’re lucky to try five of their low-SRM ales - most of them thanks to David Leshinski - and talk about what makes them unique. Craig has an exciting update on a long-time fugitive, Ryan explains how he chooses music for the show, and we break the space-time continuum. Also: Stuff to shave into your head! Grisette addicts! Crystal IPAs! Ska talk! FrankenCraig! Listen, or tell it to Jimmy Teku. Beers Reviewed:   Farmhouse Pale Ale Loretta Grisette Cross Fade Saison Saison de Kuaska Goods from the Woods Farmhouse Ale

Only one brewery in Illinois is also in the distilling business, and we leave the bunker to record amongst those lovely vapors. Maplewood is not only crushing it in the beer department, but they’ll soon release their own small-batch spirits. Joining us are Adam Smith (brand manager/assistant brewer), Adam Cieslak (Co-founder/head brewer), and Paul Megalis (Co-founder/business manager), and they share several of their flawless beers and let us pop the bung for a little whiskey sampling. Topics include the upcoming taproom, label makeovers, unique challenges of a brewery/distillery, canning vs. bottling, the dynamics of yeast, selling to CostCo, and the (im)practicality of SMaSH beers. And because it’s our show, we also talk about the band Train, Disney sing-alongs, and who has the best hair at Maplewood. Hike up those juice pants and get ready for an adventure.   Beers Sampled:   The Charlatan Pale Ale Creepy Ginger Belgian Golden Strong Ale Mandarina Bavaria Saison Azacca Morris IPA

Get ready for a ton of nostalgia as we drunkenly bid farewell to the original recording space for the podcast. We clean out five of Ryan’s cellar beers to help reduce the load and reveal our origin story. You’ll learn about our convoluted early attempts at rankings, the many beta versions of the podcast, and why we’ve never had guests at ABV West. There’s also a ton on aging beer, Malort, the Fire sauce quota, and an excellent addition to our ever-growing list of band names. Shades up, ABV West. Shades up.   Beers Unloaded:   Founders Furniture City Stock Ale (2012) Allagash Mattina Rossa (2015) New Glarus 20th Anniversary Strong Ale (2013) The Bruery White Oak (2013) Goose Island Cherry Rye BCBS (2012)

After last episode’s penance, we are blessed with five outstanding hoppy beers on this one. United by their hop-forward nature, these beers prove that a perfectly-made IPA is no longer a rare find in the wild. And with great beer, it loosens up our conversation into all sorts of unpleasant, juvenile places. So, behold pellicle porn, a lot of wang talk, Jeff Bridges, cartoon personas, Yaz, and the drunkest rankings we’ve likely ever recorded. Good ol’ Yaz. Beers Reviewed: Toppling Goliath Citra Double Dry-Hopped PseudoSue Pale Ale The Veil Crucial Taunt DIPA Hoof Hearted Wängbär Oatmeal DIPA Hubbard’s Cave Fresh IIPA V2 515 Brewing Hopititis DIPA

Hoppy beers are best enjoyed fresh - that’s just a fact. But what happens when you let them age well beyond their suggested shelf life? On this episode, we subject ourselves to a little experiment for educational purposes. We discuss a variety of hop-related topics like bottle dates, the insignificance of IBUs, alcohol as a preserver of hoppiness, trusting your bottle shop, and the benefits of canning. Craig recaps a few final CCBW highlights, Ryan has a theory on Zombie Dust’s inflated reputation, and we both experience second puberty. But then it all ends in the NONIC PINT OF DEATH. Come on - grow old with us. Don’t forget to vote for us once a day at podcastawards.com in the Arts category! Beers Experienced: Short’s HumaLupaLicious (2016) & HumaLupaLicious (2013) Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA (2016?) and 120 Minute IPA (2012) Bell’s Mars DIPA (2014) Bell’s Hopslam DIPA (2014) Bell’s The Oracle DIPA (2013) Bell’s This Goes To 11 Imperial Red Ale (2012) Bell’s Harvest Ale (2012) Great Lakes Lake Erie Monster DIPA (2013) New Glarus IIPA (2013?) Dark Horse Double Crooked Tree DIPA (2013) The Alchemist Heady Topper DIPA (2013) Three Floyds Arctic Panzer Wolf DIPA

It’s alright, because it’s Chicago Craft Beer Week! We mark the occasion by drinking six beers from local breweries we’ve never featured before - and we’ve been missing out. We try to give some background on these breweries, but our “research” has truly reached a new low. There’s also talk of marketing angles, bleach lambics, bomber fatigue, skateboarding orphans, noisy dick, head nipples, dweebs, geeks, and ladders. Ryan reviews the many name changes that some of the these breweries have made, and Craig files his Beer Under Glass report. Beers Reviewed: Around the Bend Beer Co. - Ghost of ‘lectricity Kolsch Motor Row Brewing - New Phenix Lager Alarmist Brewing - Phobophobia Patersbier Maplewood Brewing - Crushinator Session IPA Hop Butcher For The World - Watch for Falling Coconuts Tropical Pale Ale Illuminated Brew Works - Kallisti Golden Ale Local Bands/Artists Featured: Blizzard Babies, Meat Wave, Twin Peaks, The Brokedowns, Yoko and the Oh Nos, Lil Tits, Chance the Rapper

Sometimes the show is about what we don’t drink, and on this one, we have No IPAs. It’s really just a cute name for a random beer show we recorded while already drunk late on a Friday. There are five beers from a few locals and a few others, and at least for some, we’re happy we didn’t say “No” to them. And hopefully you won’t refuse us as we sloppily pitch movies, scrutinize our own similes, and visit Pen Island. We also find one of the best deals in beer currently. There’s also about four minutes of the drunkest blather Ryan has ever not edited from the show at the end. Go ahead and listen - we’ll just be over here, covering our NIPAs. Beers Reviewed Une Anneé Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien (American Wild Ale w/ lime zest & dry-hopped w/Citra) Sketchbook Turbulence (Imperial Stout) Lindemans Oude Kriek Cuveé René (Kriek Lambic) Blue Island Beer Co. Lost Weekend (Barleywine) Central Waters Cassian Sunset (Bourbon Barrel-Aged Stout w/coffee, vanilla, & cinnamon)  

Other Half Brewing is the latest small East Coast operation churning out heavily-hopped (and hyped) beers that are increasingly in demand. We scrutinize five of these Brooklyn-born ales on this show, trying to determine if their growing reputation is well-deserved. And because it’s us, we also do some “NBA Jam” trivia, drink Sea Monkeys, ruminate on JNCO jeans, and stick our fingers in beer. We also respond to a few listeners and acknowledge our almost aggressive lack of hipness. Boom shakalaka. Beers Reviewed: Forever Ever (Session IPA) Hop Showers (IPA) All Citra Everything (DIPA) Green Diamonds (DIPA) Peachwood-Aged (Sour farmhouse w/peaches)