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ABV Chicago Craft Beer Podcast

ABV Chicago

A Chicago-based craft beer podcast with beer and events reviews. Visit our website at www.abvchicago.com!

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23 episodes
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Avg 1 hr 21 min
English

Episodes 23

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S13 · E658
Monday · 1 hr 24 min
Episode 658 - Pick of Destiny (with Mikerphone Brewing)
After being invited to taste through bourbon barrels by distillers for a few Mikerphone barrel picks, Mike Pallen said, "We should do that." And they have - now for the 36th time - invited industry friends, business owners, and even - yes - craft beer podcasters to sample through their barrel-aged beers with the goal of finding their own Pick of Destiny. We go through the whole blind tasting process alongside owner Mike Pallen, head brewer Mike Witkowski, and cellar man Matt Lakota to find the barrel-aged beer of our dreams. Then, we open the resulting bottle (subtitled "All Up In That Wood") to make sure we didn't royally screw up. (Spoiler alert: we didn't.) If you want a chance to try the beer, head to Mikerphone Brewing in Elk Grove Village on September 19th for the release - and toast with us to the everlasting allure of lactose. Beer Picked (and Subsequently Drank Many Weeks Later): Mikephone Brewing (w/ ABV Chicago) - Pick of Destiny #36: All Up In That Wood (Imperial milk stout aged in Pappy Van Winkle barrels)
S13 · E657
September 9 · 1 hr 33 min
Episode 657 - One Hop This Time
It's not so common anymore to see beers with just a single hop, but when we do, we embrace the opportunity to teach ourselves a little something. We have five beers, each made with a different single hop, and we dive into the background of each - and the surprisingly long hop development process. But also, we discuss if Citra is in fact the GHOAT; Craig shares a eulogy for the best way to get 12 CDs for a penny; Ryan's teeing off at the Wafting Greens; and we are about as far divided as we can be about one particular hop. Beers Reviewed Spiteful Brewing - Strata Time (Pale Ale w/ Strata hops) Hopewell Brewing Co. - Bound: Galaxy (IPA w/ Galaxy hops) Hop Butcher for the World - Meet the Nectarons (Hazy IPA w/ Nectaron hops) Bell's Brewery - SMaSH Hearted IPA (IPA w/ Dolcita hops) Pipeworks Brewing Company - Citra On Repeat (Hazy IPA w/ Citra and Cryo Citra hops)
S13 · E656
September 2 · 1 hr 24 min
Episode 656 - Mikerphone Duets II (ft. Mike Pallen)
Perhaps the most prolific collaborators of any local brewery, Mikerphone has a rolodex the size of a mash tun and isn't hesitant to bring in friends of all kinds to brew up inspired beers. We drink through five Mikerphone collaboration beers and get some input from Mike Pallen himself throughout this episode as he shares some of the background, stories, and ingredient choices that make these beers special. Also, we consider whose kind faces could ease a violent end; Craig meets Smash Mouth and doesn't actually ask them about meeting Shrek; Ryan's still thinking about his Sam Goody purchases; and we remember the 1990s when the world discovered BASS. Beers Reviewed I'm A Believer (California-style lager, collaboration with Smash Mouth) Mall Culture Was So Cool (Hazy Pale Ale, collaboration with Young Blood Beer Co.) Now Playing: Finback (Modern West Coast IPA, collaboration with Finback Brewery) Natural History (Double IPA, collaboration with Saint Errant Brewing) Ghost In the Mikerphone (DDH Double IPA, collaboration with Parish Brewing Co.)
S13 · E655
August 26 · 1 hr 47 min
Episode 655 - Great Taste of the Midwest (Craig's Version)
As an experienced attendee, Craig was back in Madison yet again for the 2026 edition of the Great Taste of the Midwest and brought back interviews, festival-exclusive beers, and a full report (including where not to look for sandwiches). You'll hear about all the pre-fest events he attended; a combined interview with Justin from Hop Butcher and Kyle from Young Blood on beer collaborations; a brief chat with Jeff from Wisconsin's own Ooga Brewing about the beer name that caught Craig's eye; a booth theme report; and a full rundown of the best beers Craig sampled at the fest. Ryan's just along for the ride on this one as his massive FOMO solidifies with every sip. Justin Miller (Hop Butcher for the World) and Kyle Gregorash (Young Blood Beer Co.) interview [00:32:30 - 00:42:58] Jeff Scanlan (Ooga Brewing Co.) interview [01:28:13 - 01:30:55] Beers Reviewed Karben4 Brewing - Supply Drop (Fruited Sour w/ pineapple, mango, tangerine, and passionfruit) Working Draft Beer Company & Lakefront Brewery - WorkFront (Czech Special Lager) Hop Butcher for the World & Young Blood Beer Company - Canary Yellow '79 Seville (Fruited Sour w/ mango & pineapple) Hop Butcher for the World & Young Blood Beer Company - That Tingle In Your Spine (Hazy Double IPA) New Glarus Brewing Company - R&D Kriek 2026 (Wild ale aged in oak foeders w/ Balaton cherries)
S13 · E654
August 19 · 1 hr 21 min
Episode 654 - Toronto
Craig's summer travels brought him north of the border this year, which is why we're fortunate to drink five Toronto-based beers for this little taste of Canada - and we have nothing to complain about (outside of beer shipping limits and metric system conversions). Also, we get a recap of Craig's experience at many of these breweries during World Cup games and wildfires; we find a few surprising Goldfinger connections; Craig avoids going on a much-anticipated date with Drake; Ryan wants to know Canadian brewers' favorite Kid in the Hall; and we accidentally discover the drug of the future. Beers Reviewed Godspeed Brewery - Sklepník (Czech-style Pilsner) True History Brewing - Mild Lockout (Helles Lager) Blood Brothers Brewing - Blood Light (Hazy Pale Ale) Great Lakes Brewery - Octopus Wants to Fight (American-style IPA) Rorschach Brewing Co. - Malevolent Benevolence: Maple Syrup Apple Brandy Barrel-Aged 2021 (Barrel-aged imperial stout)
S13 · E653
August 12 · 1 hr 35 min
Episode 653 - U.S. Open Beer Championship Illinois Winners 2026
The U.S. Open Beer Championship, started in 2009, is the third-largest competition that recognizes and rewards beers from all over the world - and this year, Illinois brewers collected a considerable amount of hardware. We drink through five medal-winning beers while talking about the competition itself and looking back on some past years' winners as well. Also, Craig is thrust into an awkward "you-make-the-call" situation; Ryan recaps his U.S.O.B.C. mini-taproom tour, and we want to know exactly what makes a beer "extreme." Beers Reviewed Mikerphone Brewing - Misty Mountain Hop (Gold in American Pale Ale) Forbidden Root Brewing Company/Ology Brewing Co. - Sprinkles Required (Gold in Collaboration Beer) Flipside Brewing - Monochrome Dream (Bronze in New England/Juicy/Hazy IPA) Brothership Brewing - Exoplanet (Silver in West Coast Style IPA) Werk Force Brewing Co. - Humongous Chungus (Silver in Barrel-Aged Strong Stout/Porter Specialty)
S13 · E652
August 5 · 1 hr 9 min
Episode 652 - Wheat Hot American Summer
Summer still has some heat to beat, so we're drinking wheat. We round up five interesting wheat beers from five different states to quench our thirst and remember why the style got so many people into craft beer in the first place (and how it can go terribly wrong at times, too). Also, we work on a concept for a Michelin-starred pizza restaurant; 9 year old Ryan will take another virgin mimosa, please; Craig is dancing in the fields of gold with Sting; the nation's dads are up all night watching Crime 101; and we're looking to get rocked at the Umbrella Cover Museum. Beers Reviewed Allagash Brewing Company - Slow Set (Light wheat beer w/ citrus peel) Phase Three Brewing - P3 Wheat (American wheat beer) Supermoon Beer Company - Garten (Wheat ale w/ spices) Sea Dog Brewing Company - Blueberry Wheat Ale Lost Coast Brewery - Tangerine Wheat
S13 · E651
July 29 · 1 hr 13 min
Episode 651 - Beer Tropics
Who says you need a cocktail to drink tropical in the hot heat of summer? We found five different styles of beer that all fit nicely under a (miniature paper) tropical umbrella, and no one will have to call the TropCops on you for bringing them to the beach. Also, we meet Mr. America and his secret weapons; Craig has a baffling reaction to one of the beer names; Ryan is readying the CurdBurglars for some squeaky cheese discussion; and now we have to add Ube to the list of things that we need to taste more. Beers Reviewed Pipeworks Brewing - Round of Tropical Margs Mango (Sour ale w/ mango, guava, peach, lime, and salt) Third Space Brewing - You Be You (Tropical pale ale) Cruz Blanca - Coco Frio (Lager w/ coconut and pineapple) Lakefront Brewery - Tropical Rabbit (Tropical IPA) Phase Three Brewing - Mana Wahine (Stout w/ coconut, coffee, and ube)
S13 · E650
July 22 · 1 hr 18 min
Episode 650 - Revolution Summer of Wood
These annual Revolution Deep Wood summer releases seemed to start off as fun little experimental takes on some of their core beers, but these days, they are truly bringing the heat with some of the best stuff they'll release all year. This lineup of four is just outstanding - with more than one that could be in our top ten Deep Wood beers of all time. On a similar note, we talk about unexpected brands we're weirdly loyal to; we get lost in the liminal backrooms of the beer forums; Craig finally shares his matcha review; and our algorithms are going absolutely nuts right now. coffeeberrybeer. Beers Reviewed Supermassive Café Deth Mixed Berry Supermassive Café Deth Double Barrel Straight Jacket Peach Apricot D.B.V.S.O.J.
S13 · E649
July 15 · 1 hr 16 min
Episode 649 - IPA All-Stars Blind, Round 7
The IPA will NEVER DIE, and neither will this series of blind tasting podcasts if we can successfully find more beers that fit our criteria. Thankfully, listeners Benji & Suzanne went to California and brought back some all-West Coast, long-made IPAs to deepen our ongoing quest to find the country's best, and our scoresheets are showing high numbers on this one. We also discuss the deep thoughts of great philosophers (like a toddler in a shopping cart); Craig might've had a Mosaic breakthrough; and we share our overall Top 35 lists of every IPA we've drank through this series - and boy do we feel silly about some of the names at the bottom. IPAs Reviewed Blindly North Park Brewery - Hop-Fu! Societe Brewing Co. - The Pupil Ballast Point Brewing - Sculpin Elysian Brewing - Space Dust Highland Park Brewery - Hello, LA
S13 · E648
July 8 · 1 hr 9 min
Episode 648 - Saint Errant Brewing (with Brent Banks and Roger Cuzelis)
As a brewery whose name acknowledges their wandering ways, Saint Errant has finally laid some roots in a familiar spot in Evanston - and we are excited to sit down with our old friends (and co-owners) Brent Banks and Roger Cuzelis to talk about their new taproom and expanded production. We dip a little into some shared nostalgia - and their reintroduction of some Temperance beers into the market - but we're just happy to discuss all the growing pains and early opening successes that should have any Chicagoland beer drinker excited for what's to come. We also talk about pilot batches, niche brewery-world jobs in high demand, English beers, serving methods, meaningful collaborations, new hop products, the label artist/brewer relationship, and of course, barrel-aged beer in boxes.
S13 · E647
July 1 · 1 hr 23 min
Episode 647 - Red, White, and Blue: Two Ways
With the impending 250th anniversary of this country of ours (AMERICA), we celebrate the only way we know how: by drinking three IPAs and three Belgian Trappist beers that are only united by three common colors. We sample the Reds, Whites, and Blues of Lombard, Illinois' Noon Whistle Brewing and Chimay, Belgium's Brasserie de Chimay in a side-by-side that frankly makes no other sense (and creates a real boondoggle in rankings.) We get a bit nostalgic in a different way as we feel some 2012 coming back to us; we get some real superstars for our own patriotic backyard wrestling celebration; we entirely ignore proper chalice use; and we're just looking for someone to validate our chocolate. Beers Reviewed Noon Whistle Brewing - Hop Prism Red (Red IPA) Noon Whistle Brewing - Hop Prism White (White IPA) Noon Whistle Brewing - Hop Prism Blue (American IPA) Brasserie de Chimay - Chimay Première: Red (Belgian Dubbel) Brasserie de Chimay - Chimay Cinq Cents: White (Belgian Tripel) Brasserie de Chimay - Chimay Grande Réserve: Blue (Belgian Strong Dark Ale)
S13 · E646
June 24 · 1 hr 17 min
Episode 646 - Hot Days, Cold Times
You can thank the lager renaissance for allowing this nerdy and delicious mixed 12-pack to exist, and Revolution absolutely knocks it out of the park with this one. Along with the four different lagers under the "Cold Time" brand, we add in a throwback Wit just for kicks - and we can anticipate many coolers full of Rev this summer. But also, we debrief on the first ever tornado delay on the podcast (and the legion of dads keeping an eye on it); we introduce Chunky Boy Lagers™ into the mix; and we create our ultimate dream mixed Revolution 12 pack. Revolution Beers Reviewed Cold Time (American Lager) Cold Time Dry (Japanese Rice Lager) Cold Time Amber (Amber Lager) Cold Time Extra (Export Lager) Bottom Up Wit
S13 · E645
June 17 · 1 hr 10 min
Episode 645 - Tales From The Kettle
While more and more craft breweries streamline their releases to reflect what's popular and marketable, we're happy to see when others make weirdo quick sours that include unconventional ingredients - and we're here to celebrate four of those types of beers. For this one, we try to abandon our fears and embrace the tart while learning a bit about what we prefer off of these quickly-made abnormal sours. Also, Ryan's ready to market an invention that'll change how you wash your face; Craig was secretly hoping for a smoothie; and we relive the horrors of that one Genesis music video. (You know the one.) Beers Reviewed Mikerphone Brewing [w/ Xul Beer Company] - Land of Transfusion (Fruited Sour w/ Concord grape juice, lime juice, and ginger) Neuronova Brewing - Solstice Fires (Berliner Weisse w/ blueberry, marionberry, and loganberry) Dokkaebier - Kimchi Sour (Sour w/ Kimchi culture, ginger, and gochugaru) Stillwater Artisanal/Freigeist Bierkultur/Meinklang - Organic Ancient Grain Sour
S13 · E644
June 10 · 1 hr 18 min
Episode 644 - Hop Roundup: Taste The Summer
Bare knees and tight tees on patio dads call for some hopped-up brews to pair with that carefully-curated summer vibes playlist, and we're here sampling a half dozen interesting locals. We're also considering what makes warm weather food vs. cold weather food; we're having a hell of a time ranking our favorite hops; and we are admittedly a little biased against gazpacho. Four out of five dentists agree - and we don't even like that fifth dentist. Beers Reviewed Revolution Brewing - Anti-Zero (Non-Alcoholic IPA) Old Irving Brewing Company - Billy Goat (IPA) Saint Errant Brewing - Rivers of Suggestion (IPA) Brutalist Brewing Cooperative - Aisle of Pine (IPA) Half Acre Beer Co./Allagash Brewing Company - Daisy Cutter Crown (IPA) Half Acre Beer Co. - Double Daisy Cutter Evergreen (Double IPA)
S13 · E643
June 3 · 1 hr 16 min
Episode 643 - Supermoon Cellar Society 2025
It takes a certain level of trust in a brewery to join a membership program - and we have full faith in everything Milwaukee's Supermoon does, so Craig's re-upping every year he can. We get to sample the four quarterly, limited releases for members of Supermoon's Cellar Society from last year, and it's downright spooky how good they all are. Also, Ryan just might have to fight a bird, Craig is uncertain about mushrooms, and we are proposing that next year Rob make a bad beer, just to see what it's like. Beers Reviewed No Sudden Moves (Flanders Oud Bruin-style Sour aged in oak w/ Montmorency cherries) Golden Teacher (Mixed Culture Saison w/ Sencha Green Tea & Chanterelle Mushrooms) Zig Zig (Mixed Culture Saison aged in French oak w/ red currants and red wine grapes) Cellargeist Reserve (Gin Barrel-aged Mixed Culture Saison w/ Tahitian Vanilla Beans)
S13 · E642
May 27 · 1 hr 14 min
Episode 642 - London Pouring
While American craft breweries are cycling back to showing English appreciation, what's going on with craft beer from England? Thanks to friend & listener Ryan Lamb, we get to sample beers from five London breweries that prove that there's no loss of quality across the pond. We get the stories behind each of these producers while appreciating the subtle differences in their presentation that make us respect the British way. But also, Ryan is mad at Guy Fieri for tarnishing the name of dad jokes, so it's still the same old ABV Chicago. Beers Reviewed Signature Brew - Studio Lager (Pilsner) Bianca Road Brewing Company - EASY (Session IPA) Anspach & Hobday - London Black (English Porter) Pretty Decent Beer Co. [collab w/ Apollon] - Spinning Plates (NEIPA) The Kernel Brewery - Export Stout
S13 · E641
May 20 · 1 hr 22 min
Episode 641 - Tennesseein' is Tennedrinkin'
It's been a long while since we've celebrated some of the great breweries of Tennessee, but thanks to Craig's Dollywood trip we have a lineup of solid and surprising options here from The Gulch and beyond. We study up on the breweries, which includes a "World's First…", and then we learn more about chestnuts than we expected. Also, we wonder if the music industry is de-valuing the album anniversary; Ryan's found the robustanut; and Craig shares the truth about Knoxville's Sunsphere - and why you really shouldn't jump in its elevator. Beers Reviewed Yazoo Brewing Company - Daddy-O Pilsner Tennessee Brew Works - King Chestnut (Brown ale w/chestnuts) Marble Fox Brewing - Ghost Runner On 1st (West Coast-style IPA) Pretentious Beer Co. - New Kids (Double IPA) Yazoo Brewing Company - Sue (Imperial Smoked Porter)
S13 · E640
May 13 · 1 hr 22 min
Episode 640 - Lactose Tolerance
Some might say that using lactose is antithetical to good beer, but there's some distinct purpose in using milk sugar in certain beers despite it causing all us 40-and-ups some real tummy troubles. For this episode, we try four lactose-enhanced beers to see how it impacts mouthfeel and sweetness, and we are a little surprised by the all-bangers lineup that results. But also, Craig's got a new dog-walking mystery, we're trying to find the right pairing for meat crepes, Ryan's SNL audition was a little one-note, and we're popping those bungs through the ceiling with some Lemon Milk™. Beers Reviewed Hop Butcher for the World - Blazed Orange Milkshake (IPA w/ oranges, vanilla, and lactose) Pipeworks Brewing Company - Cow vs. Unicorn (Double IPA w/ lactose) The Explorium Brewpub - Carver's Peanut Butter Stout (Imperial stout w/ peanuts, chocolate, and lactose) More Brewing Co. - Rye Tide (Rye milk stout w/ lactose aged in rye whiskey barrels)
S13 · E639
May 6 · 1 hr 17 min
Episode 639 - IPA All-Stars Blind Rd. 6
Back from a brief IPA supply-based hiatus, we resume our quest to review and rank as many long-tenured and well-regarded flagship IPAs as possible - and this ragtag bunch is adding some unexpected twists to the results. Acquired while in Wisconsin, these five IPAs span the map and keep us guessing long past the end of the episode. Also, we continue our secondary purpose of being a CostCo podcast by talking about large backyard games; Craig's story about running into a bike is slightly exaggerated; and you get the pleasure of experiencing a blind show where the more convinced we get, the wronger we become. Beers Reviewed 3 Sheeps Brewing - Waterslides Odell Brewing Co. - IPA 4 Hands Brewing Company - Incarnation IPA Terrapin Beer Company - Hopsecutioner Lakefront Brewery - IPA

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