It’s always wine o’ clock somewhere, especially when you’re opening up the finest barleywines and ryewines Revolution has to offer. This episode features three different ‘wines and a special release stout as part two (or three?) of their barrel-aged Deep Wood series for this year, and at least one of us deems this the best set of four Rev has ever done. Also, we don’t think we really want to smell our TVs; someone is in need of a little Halloween costume inspiration; and we get to know Captain C...
Dec 11, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Season 11Ep. 566
Even though Black Friday doesn’t mean what it once did, Bourbon County is still an event - and we have Ryan Tracy with us at Beer on the Wall to help us taste through this year’s lineup of six from Goose Island. Sure we were banned from the official media tasting, but we assess the whole group fairly - and find some surprises that are real standouts in the history of BCBS. Also, shenanigans may be afoot at FoBAB in regards to our Fantasy League; Ryan T. and Craig have a proposed wardrobe swap; w...
Nov 29, 2024•1 hr 42 min•Season 11Ep. 565
It’s been 8 years since we last did a whole lineup of ciders, and this was just the re-evaluation we needed to fall back in love with these well-crafted non-beer drinks. But it’s not just apples this time: each cider brings something else to the mix - to consistently surprising results. Also, Craig has created a glitter problem he can’t solve, Ryan learns of a surprising cidery connection to the beer world, and we’re both forced to put on the oversized blazer before being let inside. Ciders Revi...
Nov 27, 2024•1 hr 19 min•Season 11Ep. 564
Not content with waiting for one single day to stuff ourselves with our favorite traditional foods, we just had to drink our way through a feast of Thanksgiving-adjacent beers to get us hyped for what might be our favorite holiday. We see how many of this lineup of five Illinois beers would make a nice addition to the table while also playing a full game of Personal Preference: Thanksgiving Foods. Plus, Ryan tries to make sense of a possibly inappropriate teacher costume, Craig takes a hardline ...
Nov 20, 2024•1 hr 29 min•Season 11Ep. 563
As this year’s Festival of Wood and Barrel-Aged Beers approaches, we dive deep into FoBAB topics while drinking through four barrel-aged beers from breweries featured at this year’s fest. Our jumbled attempts to look back at previous year’s memories notwithstanding, we look ahead to new and returning breweries we can’t wait to try, old favorites and dependable options to seek out for a first pour, our general tips for navigating FoBAB, and a little mock Fantasy FoBAB draft to round things out. P...
Nov 13, 2024•1 hr 31 min•Season 11Ep. 562
The warmest thing about the colder months is that we have three different Deep Wood releases to look forward to, and we start the season with four stouts - three as variants of their annual Deth’s Tar line. We talk about what makes this year’s lineup unique while Revolution supports its case as one of the most dependable barrel-aged programs anywhere. Also, Craig waited in a line only to learn about bad dog names; Ryan has basically forgotten the last two years of beer releases; and we get a lit...
Nov 06, 2024•1 hr 14 min•Season 11Ep. 561
The horrible tradition continues for an eighth year as we try to outdo one another in a test of our ability to withstand liquid torture - and this year might be the most spiteful, mean-spirited collection of all. Seizing upon our known flavor aversions, each of us hosts finds something to attack our insecurities and threaten our actual livelihood through a half-blind tasting - all leading to an unimaginable Cuvée of Doom in the end. Also, we live out some mundane horror situations, we raise a fe...
Oct 30, 2024•1 hr 55 min•Season 11Ep. 560
After a long, arduous Brat Summer, we be-sweater ourselves for a little Farmhouse Fall by opening five autumnal saisons from some of the best in the rusticity business. Whether it’s due to ingredients, barrels, or aesthetic, each saison here is the liquid equivalent of jumping into a pile of crunchy leaves, and we have some wildly divergent rankings by the end. Also, Craig immediately destroys our attempts at having a classy show for once; we define what we mean when we say “rustic”; and we cons...
Oct 23, 2024•1 hr 32 min•Season 11Ep. 559
This year’s Great American Beer Festival brought some new energy (with a small pour of confusion) to the four decade-old fest and competition, and we were out in Denver to cover it all. Though the theme areas were a bit disorienting at times, this year’s GABF felt like more of a party than ever. We report back on the amazing beers we drank while sharing some top-notch festival floor interviews with new friends and industry-influencing vets alike. We also open three stellar Denver lagers in the h...
Oct 16, 2024•2 hr 18 min•Season 11Ep. 558
We’re right at the end of hop harvest season, so now’s the time to bask in the seasonal glory that is fresh and wet hop beers. We expand our understanding of fresh and wet hop beers on this episode by sifting through the research while drinking five pretty incredible local beers using those straight-from-the-bines hops. Also, we have a little unfulfilled Chekov’s Corgi situation; we take some responsibility for getting the Conservatory slide shut down; Ryan’s got a metaphor straight from 2005; C...
Oct 09, 2024•1 hr 29 min•Season 11Ep. 557
As we plan our 11th year of covering the Great American Beer Festival out in Denver, we take this episode to preview some of the Illinois beers pouring at the fest while sharing a comprehensive list of which breweries we’re most amped to check out. We review the Illinois pour lists, find many exciting “new-to-us” breweries, revisit some “familiar face” breweries, and put our total faith in those “steady hands” that still crank out essential beers. Also, we discuss t-shirts that aren’t exactly ge...
Oct 02, 2024•1 hr 36 min•Season 11Ep. 556
IPA can be a whole lot of things, but when we were cutting our teeth on hoppy beers, the West Coast style dominated. Appreciation of the style never really died off, but it’s regaining a bit of ground on the still more-popular hazy IPAs. So we turn to the actual source - the West Coast - for five beers that are somewhat varied in their interpretation. And because we love this style so much, it doesn’t take us long to have too good of a time. Also, we deem 90s music safe for professional developm...
Sep 25, 2024•1 hr 29 min•Season 11Ep. 555
Using rice as a fermentable in an adjunct lager has been common in Japanese brewing for a long time, and recently more American craft brewers have made their own versions with an emphasis on the remarkably dry finish of the style. We try two icons of Japanese Rice Lagers before sampling three from the Chicagoland area, and we’re surprised with how much rice really does make the difference. Also, Craig’s such a sucker for certain I.P. that he bought his first ever coffee, Ryan would be down with ...
Sep 18, 2024•1 hr•Season 11Ep. 554
Just a short drive north from Chicago, a land of interesting breweries awaits across the Wisconsin border, so we drink through five beers that’ll hardly cost you a quarter tank of gas to pick up yourself. The beers bring up a lot of interesting discussion about beer styles loved and lost, and we even have a brief chat with G5 Brewing’s head brewer Tim Goers about anchovy hops, gluten-free smoothie sours, and calling in for a little advice from Stone Brewing. Also, Ryan finally experiences the Do...
Sep 11, 2024•1 hr 21 min•Season 11Ep. 553
Like some sort of softball-sized, hairy drupe falling from a tree to knock us on the head, within this lineup of four beers is a surprise that almost completely brings the show to a grinding halt. But otherwise, it’s a fun little exploration of our relationship with coconut as an adjunct in barrel-aged stouts, and there’s no suntan lotion to be found here. Also, 3 Floyds is normal now, Disney is entering ill-advised music territory, Head & Shoulders should sponsor this episode, and Ryan expl...
Sep 04, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Season 11Ep. 552
The titular exclamative comes thanks to Craig’s unexpected finds during a recent trip to Toledo, Ohio. This lineup of five Toledo-area beers is almost total adjunct bacchanalia - and one that surprises us at every step. We get into the geography of Toledo while shouting out most of the bartenders that made this one possible. Also, we discuss odd school fundraisers, make some major baseball and football connections, choose syrup beard as the worst possible torture, and try to make sense of the wa...
Aug 28, 2024•1 hr 28 min•Season 11Ep. 551
At the start of August, Craig and Ryan took extended weekend getaways to Wisconsin and Michigan, returning with a sweet little haul highlighting some favorite spots along the way. Whose weekend three-pack turns out the best? We gladly sip through these six to report back with our arbitrary opinions. Plus, we both share some recent notable DJ experiences, Ryan has a new superpower he doesn’t want, Craig relives some Wisconsin IPA Fest highlights, and we have a brief interview with Nate Fakler of ...
Aug 21, 2024•1 hr 39 min•Season 11Ep. 550
Though this was recorded in the early summer months, this episode explores a broad style designation that’s seeing a bit of a resurgence - and hopefully more so with the coming colder temperatures. We open five red ales to see what makes a good one and learn quite a bit about the broad variance that exists beyond simply “red” and “hoppy.” Also, Craig recommends the horrors of MLB Rain Delay Twitter, we debunk a pretty dumb beer belief around ABV, and we make some picks for the worst candies ever...
Aug 14, 2024•1 hr 20 min•Season 11Ep. 549
The story of Flipside Brewing begins and ends with Erik Pizer, the owner and head brewer whose career has led him back to Tinley Park with his now 2-year old brewpub. This conversation is a long-time coming as we’ve been fortunate to follow Erik’s brewing career over the last decade - and we must concur that Flipside is an excellent showcase for his talents. After a few handfuls of garlic cheese curds, we sip through a nice variety of his high quality beers while talking about everything that br...
Aug 07, 2024•1 hr 27 min•Season 11Ep. 548
These summer Deep Wood releases keep getting bigger and bolder, so we sample the three barrel-aged beers Revolution released in July (alongside a little leftover Springtime coffee pick-me-up) to once again fawn over the results. Craig puts on his silly sun hat while we sip through all 55.2 ounces, and Ryan lets his Revolution truth spill out with all the subtlety of Bobcat Goldthwait in a Godzilla costume. Also, Craig gets recognized and gifted ramen, Ryan’s dreaming up the lozenge for weaning y...
Jul 31, 2024•1 hr 14 min•Season 11Ep. 547
For all the high concept shows we’ve done over the past decade, we were shocked to learn that we’ve never just focused on the American Pale Ale - those clear, approachably hoppy styles of old. We have five Chicagoland examples here (well, two Lake Zurich and three Chicago, oddly) that are all impressive in their own way as we try to figure out what we look for in this style. Also, Craig is left with an infomercial cliffhanger, Ryan’s got your next beer trip all figured out, and we accidentally f...
Jul 24, 2024•1 hr 12 min•Season 11Ep. 546
We’ve covered a lot of summer-friendly light drinking beers on the podcast lately, but this one goes right for the freezer aisle. Taking inspiration from a few popular icy treats, this lineup is summer fun in a glass, for the most part, even if said “fun” isn’t, like, “beer.” We have two beers inspired by lemon italian ice and two beers (plus a seltzer) mimicking that blue raspberry-white lime-red cherry trio of classic American popsicle. Also, we consider what eating contests we might have an o...
Jul 17, 2024•1 hr 17 min•Season 11Ep. 545
Since we last sampled a batch of non-alcoholic sparkling hop waters in November, we assumed the market would be flooded with new options from local and non-local breweries alike. That growth has proven to be a lot more gradual, but we hope the dam bursts sooner than later because this lineup of five hop-enhanced sparkling waters has us happier than we should be while sober. Also, Ryan throws Craig into the neighborhood Facebook group cesspool, we try to find a way to make drinking hop waters at ...
Jul 10, 2024•1 hr 7 min•Season 11Ep. 544
We can tell you that our love for these breweries will still be strong even after these beers of summer are gone, but heck, we’ll enjoy them now while they’re here. We drink through five beers marketed as easy Summer drinkers - three lagers, and two ales - to determine what’s stocking our coolers for the next month-plus. Also, Craig has joined the gummy revolution, Ryan has a lot to say about CostCo, and we get a nice little Patrick Swayze story in as well. Put your Wayfarers on, baby. Beers Rev...
Jul 01, 2024•1 hr 18 min•Season 11Ep. 543
These sweltering summer days have set off our symptoms that can only be diagnosed as a serious case of Pineapple Fever. For this show, we’re as surprised as anyone that we have a swinging good time cruising through a whole set of pineapple beers in defiance of our usual fruit show disappointments. Also, we’re finding ways to invite crows to the table; a chunky phase is never realized; Tim Allen answers for Craig now; and we request that our cakes stay right-side up. Beers Reviewed Temperance Bee...
Jun 26, 2024•1 hr 14 min•Season 11Ep. 542
In the 10 years since Maplewood started producing beers in Chicago, the brewery and distillery has become one of the most recognizable, available, and consistent craft brands in the city. We sit down with the crew of Roger Cuzelis, Adam Smith, and Adam Cieslak to talk about how the company has evolved over the last decade with their multiple medal-winning beers and spirits leading the way. We also drink through a 4-pack of their “Heritage Series” beers for their 10th anniversary which resurrects...
Jun 14, 2024•1 hr 57 min•Season 11Ep. 541
CHICAGO (ABV) - With the 15th anniversary of the American Pale Ale that changed craft brewing in Chicago - Daisy Cutter - we file an urgent report on Half Acre beers recently released and break some news about the potential beer of the year (already). Expect to hear memories of early Daisy Cutter experiences, some slight pandering for a Firestone Walker Invitational ‘25 invite, a philosophical issue with variant beers, and a top beer/life experience for Ryan. Also, shout-out to all the Spreadshe...
Jun 12, 2024•1 hr 31 min•Season 11Ep. 540
After years of pushing boundaries with flavor, craft beer has come all the way back to banking on uncomplicated light lagers built for summer coolers. For this episode, we test out five local versions of lighter lagers in a blind tasting, finding ourselves surprised by the amount of variation contained within. Also, Craig is reaching unprecedented levels of comfort, Ryan’s confronting his lager biases, and we take a little run through the corn field. Beers Reviewed Blindly Hop Butcher for the Wo...
Jun 05, 2024•1 hr 8 min•Season 11Ep. 539
Our fourth installment of drinking more barrel-aged beers (MoBAB) at about the halfway point to FoBAB lifts off into orbit with four different styles aged in bourbon and whiskey barrels. Sipping these leads to talk about length of barrel stays, some cocktail inspirations, and the hopeful regular return of a once-mighty barrel program. Also, Ryan’s got an unexpected “kids in taprooms” take; we sort out some John Cusack 80s movie details; and Craig gets knocked off of his socks - which he was appa...
May 29, 2024•1 hr 15 min•Season 11Ep. 538
Science beckons us to drink these side-by-side versions of similar IPA recipes: one hazy and one clear. We want to know how much difference the yeast makes in the flavor, whether bitterness levels will be noticeably changed, and how the mouthfeel transforms the experience. We also want to know why we got so drunk by the end of this one. Plus, Craig’s curious about condiment-based Monopoly, Ryan reveals the true worth of blue Jolly Ranchers, and we assert that we are indeed a grown-up podcast for...
May 22, 2024•1 hr 13 min•Season 11Ep. 537
