The Brit and Yankee Craft Beer Pubcast: Recent Episodes
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The Brit stopped by Riverlands Brewing the other day and friends of the channel, Eric Bramwell and Brianna Levi from Riverlands, and Carson Souza from Obscurity Brewing, were on hand to do an impromptu Instant Brew Review.
So we had each one taste and review one of the others beers, and The Brit provided a third one for them all to try. It’s a fun time with friends and brews! Cheers!
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Everyone’s favorite warehouse club Costco has a new beer available, this time produced by a well-known brewery in Oregon. They’ve also been stocking a classic
Kirkland Lager & Trumer Pils – Everyday lagers Worth Trying?
Everyone’s favorite warehouse club Costco has a new beer available, this time produced by a well-known brewery in Oregon. They’ve also been stocking a classic pils from California via Austria. These two selections are value-priced but are they worth trying? The Brit samples both of these and passes judgement, but is he in favor or against a purchase? Check out this video and find out! Cheers!!
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It’s the 3rd and final celebrity gin, and as our retired distiller from Pollyanna, Ed Malnar, is in the pub we quiz him on some of the finer points of American gin making. We explore the botanicals he added, and try some of their unique barreled Cadence coming in at 100 proof! And finally, we actually put together the classic gin and tonic cocktail – which gin do the lads choose, and is it lemon or lime they add?
gin #pollyannabrewing #cadencegin #americangin #british #britandyankee #ginandtonic #lemonorlime
Click on the picture to view the video!
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Continuing our foray into the world of spirits with the second celebrity-made gin. The Brit, Ken, and guest distiller Ed Malnar sip on Outlander star Sam Heughan’s Sassenach gin which has an impressive list of botanicals included from Scotland. And just in time for Valentine’s Day there’s a special announcement at the end of the vid from Sam himself (courtesy of Instagram!)
gin #samheughan #sassenachspirits #british #britandyankee #ginandtonic #outlander #jamesfraser
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Mundelein IL is home to Tighthead Brewing, who have been around for over 12 years, and now joining them is one of our newest Illinois breweries, Tonality Brewing. Tony Bena is co-founder and head brewer, and the podcast crew headed up north to find out more about TBC and sample some of his current tap list. Set in a building which they have completely gutted and renovated, TBC also features a full restaurant menu, and an ‘artistic’ theme that changes from month to month.
The Brit and co-host Ken McMullen (Fox Republic Brewing) visited on a Monday when the taproom was closed, and talked with Tony about his brewing roots and the dynamics of starting a brewery. Then the conversation somehow turned to T-shirt quality and merch. We hear Tony’s views on adjuncts, why he loves coffee and his dislike for Rauch beers, the dart league at TBC, and we find out what he likes to listen to while he’s brewing.
We found the tap list to be solid and classic, and while we couldn’t try the food on this visit, we think it is worth a trip out there based on the menu options and beer quality. Cheers!
Beers Sampled:
- Analog Kolsch, Kölsch, 5.7% ABV
- Ruby Amber Waves, Amber ale, 5% ABV
- Dubbel Damage, Belgian Dubbel 6.9% ABV
- Crepuscular, Russian Imperial Stout, 12% ABV
- Minted Crepuscular, Russian Imperial Stout with mint, 12% ABV
https://www.thebritandyankee.com/pubcasts/BritandYankee-Show401.mp3Play our audio podcasts using your favorite smartphone podcast app or our player above. We have a direct link to Apple Podcasts and Spotify below…and lots of other links on the sidebar! Plus you can subscribe to our YouTube channel by clicking this link.
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This weeks’ episode is a retrospective of our show and some of the milestones in our first 399 shows. It’s thanks to all our listeners who keep us recording each episode, and thanks to all the brewers who have given their time to talk to us. Plus thanks to all my co-hosts along the way, especially the ‘original’ Yankee, Lingo! We’ve drunk a bunch of brews on our journey, and the last 17 years have been a blast, so we’ll keep podcasting as long as we can. Here’s our story so far…
The first podcast was published in Oct 2006 (Pubcast #1), back in ‘Phase 1’ of podcasting history. With the ‘original’ Yankee, my chum Mike ‘Lingo’ Lingafelter, we decided we would like to bring a little ‘pub chat’ to the internet. We had a different theme tune and a different approach to the show, with more variety, music, and full production segments, but still sampling beers along the way. The first beers we drank were Blue Goat Doppelbock from New Holland Brewing, and a Double Pale Ale from He’brew. Like us, New Holland is still going strong, but He’brew closed, then relaunched in 2022.
In the early days, we published once a fortnight (every two weeks to you Yanks!), our first brewer interview was recorded when The Brit went to Hawaii for a vacation. On Feb 19, 2007 in Pubcast #9, The Brit talked with the then independent Kona Brewing‘s head brewer, Thom Tash. We even got nominated that year for a Podcast Award, although we didn’t win…and maybe you can tell why if you listen to those early podcasts!
The next milestone came in November of 2007, when we recorded a live show from the Globe pub in Chicago, joining up with many other Chicago podcasters, and local band Beatnik Turtle. This was a 2 episode effort, (Pubcast #28-1, Pubcast#28-2) and despite technical difficulties we had a great time! Along the way we have recorded other live shows, but it’s really a ‘stressful’ event to ensure the audience can hear you properly without the proper PAs!
2008 saw us focusing more on craft beer, and doing more remote recordings. In Pubcast #36, The Brit and guest host/homebrewer Dave G, visited The Drunk Monk Challenge homebrew competition, held at Walter Payton’s Roundhouse (now Two Brothers Roundhouse).
Then we took a break between April 2007 show 38 and March 2008 show 39 while The Brit installed his British Pub studio which opened officially in Pubcast #50.
In Nov 2009 and Pubcast #51, we recorded a show at the legendary, but now gone, John’s Tavern in Winfield IL. There we first met with a man who was soon to become a good friend and co-host for the show, Mark Naski. Mark was a genius when it came to his knowledge of brewing and beer styles, and was instrumental in making the podcast change into what it has become today. He taught us so much about craft beer, and along the way helped a local brewery with advice about their recipes. Sadly Mark was taken from us in 2021, and we miss him dearly.
In December 2010, The Brit recorded the first brewery remote when he visited Oskar Blues in Longmont CO., and experienced Ten Fidy on tap for the first time. In 2013, the boom of the craft beer industry, we really started to visit breweries for interviews with the brewers. Some of our first recordings were with breweries that are still around today such as Tighthead Brewing (Pubcast#103), Church Street (Pubcast#107), and Penrose Brewing (Pubcast#110).
We celebrated Pubcast #100 in Dec 2012, and met our chum and Illinois beer historian John Bittermann in Pubcast #161 Oct 2015. By that time, Mark was a regular co-host as Lingo had changed jobs and couldn’t make it to all the recordings.
It was after that show that we really started to focus on brewery and brewer interviews, when the Illinois craft beer scene was really starting to grow.
Our first collaboration brew was with Hopvine Brewing and brewmaster Ken McMullen. It was an English pale ale called HMQ90 (Pubcast #198), brewed to celebrate the 90th birthday of Queen Elizabeth II, with a recipe from Mark Naski. Ken has since gone on to become another good friend and current co-host of the show, and moved over to help start Fox Republic Brewing.
Chuck Fort, Sr. Brewing Consultant (but then brewer) at Church Street Brewing, also joined the crew first as a regular guest and then by Pubcast #243, as co-host. Both Chuck and Ken continue to bring a wealth of industry knowledge…plus they’re really good chums!
We experimented with video back in 2018 with a beer review show recorded at Church Street Brewing, (Barrel of Monks Beer Review), and the result was ‘simple’ at best. We then started up our YouTube channel in 2020 as a result of the Covid pandemic shutting down our ability to have face-to-face contact with people. Like many others, we used Zoom to chat with brewers on our Virtual Happy Hours, and then used the medium to continue reviewing brews, and then test brewers’ palates with a Blind Taste Challenge series.
And that brings us up-to-date where today we try to go out and interview as many brewers at their breweries as time permits. Here’s a link to a page that lists all our featured brewery interviews. Alas, not all of the breweries are still in business, but we have a historical record on file of the good times when they were going strong. We’re very proud of the content we produce, and hope you have enjoyed listening to them as much as we have enjoyed recording them!
Here’s to the next milestone of 500, and here’s to the craft beer industry and those hard working brewers!! CHEERS!
https://www.thebritandyankee.com/pubcasts/BritandYankee-Show400.mp3Play our audio podcasts using your favorite smartphone podcast app or our player above. We have a direct link to Apple Podcasts and Spotify below…and lots of other links on the sidebar! Plus you can subscribe to our YouTube channel by clicking this link.
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Since 2021, Lisle has been home to Bubblehouse Brewing, and when we asked the craft beer community in the Chicago area where we should visit for our next interview, the Bubblehouse ‘popped’ up as a favorite. The Brit and co-host Ken McMullen (Fox Republic Brewing brewmaster) headed over there and sat down with Jon Miller, Head Brewer and co-Founder, to discover more about this very popular brewery and taproom!
With a highly varied tap list, and a decor that is eclectic and welcoming, Jon and his wife have managed to create a place that the community can come together for conversation and good beer. We find out how the name came about, and how Jon started his journey in brewing like so many other brewers did, by buying a kit from the homebrew shop in St. Charles IL, our friends at Broken Brix. And there’s a connection to Ken, as Jon took some of the Business of Craft Beer classes at College of DuPage, which Ken is now teaching some of the course topics.
The Bubblehouse taproom is also home to a board game evening, and a game we’d never heard of, Crokinole, which Jon describes as the “perfect pub game”. What is it? Tune in and find out, together with plenty of other conversation around the state of the industry and how Bubblehouse keeps their customers coming back for more of their great brews. Cheers!
Beers Sampled:
- Isle of Lisle, Mexican Lager, 4.6% ABV
- All Together Now, Altbier, 5.0% ABV
- California VooDoo, West Coast IPA, 6.5% ABV
- Origami Binoculars, Schwarzbier, 5.3% ABV
- Advantage of Absence, BA American Barley Wine, 8.5% ABV
- 10 Second Hug, Hazy DDH IPA, 6.0% ABV
https://www.thebritandyankee.com/pubcasts/BritandYankee-Show399.mp3Play our audio podcasts using your favorite smartphone podcast app or our player above. We have a direct link to Apple Podcasts and Spotify below…and lots of other links on the sidebar! Plus you can subscribe to our YouTube channel by clicking this link.
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In this episode we venture back up to Lake County and the village of Lake Villa, where we visit with a brewery that has been in existence for over 5 years, but seems to be a “best kept secret”, at least from those in the southern suburbs! Harbor Brewing Company is located just a short walk from the Metra station, a stop on the North Central Line, so accessible from Chicago. Plus they have a lakefront biergarten location in Winthrop Harbor that has their great brews and awesome views!
Founder Kyle Wenzel and Head Brewer Adam Brose talk with The Brit and co-host Ken McMullen (Fox Republic Brewing) about how they have kept people coming back again and again, building up a solid taproom following, and now doing well with their self-distro. With an impressive 24 tap selection on hand, there is something for all tastes, and we get to sample a few on the podcast.
We check out the large event space and how this has helped them host regular events that bring in the local community. With a ‘wall o’ barrels’ on one side they tell us about how they are getting their barrel program off the ground. And with the beer fest season starting up, Kyle talks about how he likes to attend these so he can actually meet and talk to the attendees who are trying his beer. We find out about what they are viewing and listening to these days, and Ken has a tip for a new band he’s been hooked into! Cheers!
Beers Sampled:
- Harbor Lager, American Lager, 4.3% ABV
- Buffer Zone, Dunkelweizen, 5.2% ABV
- Wintertide, Rye IPA, 6.6% ABV
- Camp Nights, Brown Ale, 5.8% ABV
https://www.thebritandyankee.com/pubcasts/BritandYankee-Show398.mp3Play our audio podcasts using your favorite smartphone podcast app or our player above. We have a direct link to Apple Podcasts and Spotify below…and lots of other links on the sidebar! Plus you can subscribe to our YouTube channel by clicking this link.
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This weekend is Labor Day and there’s going to be plenty of barbecues and parties held across the state. Why not offer your guests something that won’t leave them with a headache the next day, or perhaps you have guests who don’t drink, but want to be part of the craft crowd.
In this edition we visit with what we believe is the only non-alcoholic craft beer brewery in the state, Go Brewing Company, located in Naperville IL. Joe Chura is one of the co-founders and the President of GBC, and James Bigler is their head brewer. The Brit and co-host Ken McMullen (Fox Republic Brewing) sat down in their brewery taproom and talked with them about their ‘meteoric’ rise as one of the premier NA breweries in the country.
We talk build-out, process, styles and marketing, discovering many of the differences from being a traditional brewery, the biggest one of which is the distribution channel, online sales, which has led them to be able to sell on Amazon. Of course their brews are available in brick-and-mortar stores, plus many of the area breweries are now carrying their brews as the NA alternative. There’s also a bonus for those counting the calories with most of their brews coming in at less than 80 calories!
By the time this episode has published, their Oktoberfest Märzen will have been released, but we get a pre-taste of it, and a look at the awesome can art. This brew will be a hit at Oktoberfest celebrations for those who don’t drink alcohol, but want to raise their glass for a Prost toast!
We think they are going to only grow more, and The Brit has certainly been converted! We think you will be as well once you try them…cheers!
Beers Sampled:
- Suspended In A Sunbeam, Pilsner, 0.49% ABV, 45 calories
- New School Sour Berry, Sour with strawberries &blueberry, <0.5% ABV, 63 calories
- Damn Good Oktoberfest, Marzen, 0.47% ABV, 65 calories
- Street Cred Nitro Bold, Nitro Stout, 0.35% ABV, 60 calories
- Vanilla Porter, 0.5% ABV
https://www.thebritandyankee.com/pubcasts/BritandYankee-Show390.mp3Play our audio podcasts using your favorite smartphone podcast app or our player above. We have a direct link to Apple Podcasts and Spotify below…and lots of other links on the sidebar! Plus you can subscribe to our YouTube channel by clicking this link.
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There have been two new breweries opening in Illinois in the last few weeks. We visited with Fox Republic in the last episode, and this week we focus on the one that opened just a week before, Sundial Brewing and Blending. Co-owners/brewers, Mike DeMalpartida and lan Swanson, together with co-owner Diana Carlini, have taken over … Continue reading Pubcast 389 – Sundial Brewing and Blending →
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This episode we are down in Yorkville IL, and one of the newest breweries to open in the Chicagoland area, Fox Republic Brewing. Of course, it was a shoe-in getting an interview here as the Brewmaster and General Manager is one of my co-hosts on the podcast, Ken McMullen. Joining him is his brewer, Sam … Continue reading Pubcast 388 – Fox Republic Brewing →
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McHenry County in northern Illinois, is home to several great craft breweries, all of which you can check out on the McHenry Co. Craft Beverage Trail. This week we are visiting one of the two located in Woodstock IL, Kishwaukee Brewing who recently won a silver medal for their Bufflehead Brown Ale at the 2023 … Continue reading Pubcast 387 – Kishwaukee Brewing Company →
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We jump in the car and head south to Route 66 in Wilmington, IL., where located on an island between the Kankakee River and the Mill Race channel is Old School Brewing. Paul ‘Pauly’ Bidne is the head brewer there, and we chat with him about his brewery which can literally be described as an … Continue reading Pubcast 386 – Getting Our Kicks on Rt 66 at Old School Brewing →
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All of us at the podcast are just cock-a-hoop to post this announcement!
Yorkville’s much-anticipated Fox Republic Brewing Co. is scheduled to open in the next couple of months, but who will be brewing the suds has been kept under wraps!
Well folks, it’s time to reveal the mystery is over, and it’s congrats to my good chum and co-host, Ken McMullen!!
Ken will be leaving his role as head brewer at Hopvine Brewery in Aurora, and starting the next chapter in his distinguished career by joining the team at FRBC in Yorkville, IL. where he will not only be leading the brewing operations, but also acting as the General Manager at the latest brewery to open in the Fox River corridor.
We wish Ken all the best for the future, and look forward to heading down there to sample the first batch of brews!! Cheers matey!!!
britandyankee #foxrepublicbrewing #FRBC #yorkvillebreweries #craftbeer #craftbrew #breweries #ICBG #DrinkIllinois #beer #podcast #yorkvilleil #yorkville
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Recently, our friends over at Broken Brix, Ed and Sue Seaman, took a trip out to Iceland. Aside from traveling the country and going to see Chicago’s legendary band Wilco for their 3-night tour in Reykjavik, Ed was on a quest to find what the Icelandic nation drank during all those long winter days! He brought back (or was it ‘smuggled’ back?) a suitcase of goodies, including craft beer, and who did he think of sharing them with but of course the Brit and Yankee team!
We welcomed Ed and Sue to the Brit and Yankee Pub studio for this recording of a travelogue and tasting session, and joining the Brit is co-hosts and brewers, Ken McMullen from Aurora’s Hopvine Brewing, and Chuck Fort from Itasca’s Church Street Brewing.
We didn’t know what to expect, and the beers were tasted with an open mind. What we found out was that Iceland sounds a cool place to visit and that the craft beers are pretty darn good. We’re not sure that any of them are exported to the USA, but hopefully Ed and Sue paint a picture of a place that you can visit to try them yourselves. One of the reasons they went there at this time of year was to see the Chicago band Wilco, who were performing 3 nights in Reykjavik, and Ed and Sue went to all three performances!!
So listen in while we hear tales of thermal pools, great food, and struggle with the Icelandic language, but are rescued by Google Translate! This is a fun episode, and many thanks to Ed and Sue for sharing the beers with us! Skál (pronounced “sk owl”)!
PS – sorry about the sound quality for Ed’s mic…he sounds a little distant!
Beers Sampled:
- *Dokken Brugghus*, Paska Puki**, California Common, 4.7% ABV
- *Dokken Brugghus*, Dynjandi**, American IPA, 5.9% ABV
- Viking Brugghus, Krummi, Stout, 5.8% ABV
- Gaedingur Brugghus, Namm Namm, Milk Stout, 5% ABV
- KHB Brugghús, Gellivör, IPA – English, 6.2% ABV
- KHB Brugghús, Steinbui, Pale Ale, 4.5% ABV
- Gaedingur Brugghus, Sweet New England, NEIPA, 8% ABV
- Gaedingur Brugghus, Baltazar, Baltic Porter, 6.6%
https://www.thebritandyankee.com/pubcasts/BritandYankee-Show385.mp3Play our audio podcasts using your favorite smartphone podcast app or our player above.Skál (pronounced “sk owl”) We have a direct link to Apple Podcasts and Spotify below…and lots of other links on the sidebar! Plus you can subscribe to our YouTube channel by clicking this link.
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The Brit took a trip out West to the craft brewing mecca of Denver, Colorado. While there, he visited a unique brewery where real ale takes the spotlight, Hogshead 54 Brewery. Robert Bell is one of the 3 people responsible for this oasis of British ales and does most of the brewing. In this special episode, we find out about his passion for brewing beers that can be dispensed through hand-pull engines (of which there are 7 at HH54), and give the drinker a taste of the UK!
Robert talks about what makes real ale so special and what needs to happen in the brewing process to produce them, and what ingredients they use. We find out the history of HH54, which is just over 10 years old, where the name came from, and how Robert came onboard. They also have keg beers and are venturing into lagers on a limited basis, some of them on cask.
Join us for this fascinating look into a one-of-a-kind brewery paying homage to the roots of British beer…check them out the next time you visit Denver!
Beers Sampled:
- Chin Wag – Extra Special / Strong Bitter (ESB), 5.8% ABV
- Barges’ Mild – English Dark Mild Ale, 4.2% ABV
- Gilpin Black Gold – English Porter, 5.0% ABV
- Hogwild IPA – English IPA, 5.9% ABV
Check out our ‘quick look’ video here, then head over to our YouTube channel for more videos!
https://www.thebritandyankee.com/pubcasts/BritandYankee-Show384.mp3Play our audio podcasts using your favorite smartphone podcast app or our player above. We have a direct link to Apple Podcasts and Spotify below…and lots of other links on the sidebar! Plus you can subscribe to our YouTube channel by clicking this link.
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We’re back with and audio podcast this week, and recording down in the Brit and Yankee Pub studio. The Brit’s co-host is Ken McMullen from Hopvine Brewing, and together they welcome Chuck Grote of Wood Fired Pizza fame.
Chuck is probably one of the most well-known food truck vendors in Chicagoland’s western suburbs, but not many people know that he also has recipes for brewing excellent beers, and has a fascinating back-story. We’re peeling back the onion, and finding out a little more about the man with the distinctive look and great pizzas.
This episode was recorded just after the busy St. Patrick’s Day weekend, so Chuck was happy to just sit, relax, and talk pizza and beer! He talks about how he smokes barley for his Red ale in his wood-fired pizza oven and what wood he uses for firing his pizzas. We head back in the annals of time to how Chuck’s background shaped his interest in baking and then selling baking ingredients. How does he make his dough? Well, we get some details but he still keeps some proprietary secrets to himself! And why the rectangular shape? There’s a story to that as well! We all reveal our favorite ingredients and sample a selection of brews…it was a great session! Cheers!
Beers Sampled:
- Chuck’s Temple Red -collab with Art History Brewing, Irish Red Ale, 5.5% ABV
- Pilot Batch 40: Rye Irish Red – Hopvine Brewing, Irish Red Ale, 4.3% ABV
- Fastenbier, Art History Brewing, Franconian Dark Lenten Smoked Lager, 4.8% ABV
- Thor, Hopvine Brewing, APA, 6.0% ABV
https://www.thebritandyankee.com/pubcasts/BritandYankee-Show383.mp3Play our audio podcasts using your favorite smartphone podcast app or our player above. We have a direct link to Apple Podcasts and Spotify below…and lots of other links on the sidebar! Plus you can subscribe to our YouTube channel by clicking this link.
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Sometimes a brewery sneaks up on you, and their beers just wow the heck out of you!! That’s what happens in this week’s episode when we talk with Afterthought Brewing’s owner/brewer, Mike Thorpe. They have been producing beer for sometime, their first release being 6 years ago, and we have tried and enjoyed some of them obtained from bottle shops, but we had never been out to the taproom in Lombard.
OK – We’re sorry!! So, this week we put that to rights and oh boy, if you like Belgian saisons and wild ales, then you’ll be in heaven out there! My co-host is Ken McMullen from Hopvine Brewing, and we enjoy a range of samples that are out of this world, including a Cantillon ‘calibration’ beer!
Mike talks about his process for producing these ales, the types of barrels he uses, and how the yeast contributes to the fermentation process and the flavor of the beers. Their main production brewery was inherited from another brewery (where we recorded a show way back in 2013!) and it is only 800 square feet, but they are producing amazingly ‘big’ beers from such a ‘small’ space!
Please note: the taproom was very echoey, so our recording reflects that somewhat…but we hope it won’t distract too much from the conversation!
Beers Sampled:
- Flowerfield #1 – Blend of Saison Meer: Lilac and Strange Wit (witbier with citrus, grains of paradise, and chamomile) aged in a Caledonia Spirits Barr Hill Gin barrel
- Extra Noble – Saison brewed with pilsner malt and rye alongside Noble hops
- Bière De Pieces #44 – Blend of blonde saisons including some with second-use cherries and raspberries plus a bit of Wedding Table and then aged in the Manic mead barrel that held Bière de Pieces #39
- 5 Years, 5 Barrels – A blend of saisons aged in (1) neutral oak, (2) a marionberry gin mead barrel, (3) a black currant mead barrel, (4) a whiskey barrel, and (5) a Chardonnay barrel, including a blend of oak-aged Afterthought Ale and Thelia that was re-fermented with marionberries and huckleberries
https://www.thebritandyankee.com/pubcasts/BritandYankee-Show382.mp3Play our audio podcasts using your favorite smartphone podcast app, or our player above. We have a direct link to Apple Podcasts and Spotify below…and lots of other links on the sidebar! Plus you can subscribe to our YouTube channel by clicking this link.
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We head out to the newest addition to the Chicago brewing scene, and the first in Carol Stream IL. A converted Subway store is now home to a nano-brewery called 206 Brewing, where we talk with owner, brewer, retired firefighter, Bill King. The brewpub had just opened for the day when we showed up, so you may get a little background noise, but hey, it’s all pub ambiance!
After many years in the fire service, and still active in the Central DuPage stroke unit, Bill decided to put his homebrew experience into a commercial venture, but keep it to a manageable size. 206 is a small location that presents a selection of their own beers, plus serves as an outlet for other local craft brewery offerings. He also wants it to be a craft beer location where First Responders and Veterans can come by for a chat and a brew!
We hear from Bill about why he wanted to embark on this project, what types of beers he likes to drink and how he speeds up his brewing schedule by using Kveik yeast. Plus, he tells us the story of the décor and his recipe for good biscuits and gravy!
This podcast will be published the day before their Grand Opening on March 18th, 2023, so you may want to head over there that weekend and check them out – tell them The Brit sent you!!
Beers Sampled:
- Honey Brown – American Brown Ale, 5.8% ABV
- Engine House Stout – Dry Irish Stout, 4.7% ABV
- Pseudo Lager – Vienna lager recipe using ale yeast, 5.3% ABV
- Mackinac APA v1 – American Pale Ale, 4.9% ABV
https://www.thebritandyankee.com/pubcasts/BritandYankee-Show381.mp3Play our audio podcasts using your favorite smartphone podcast app, or our player above. We have a direct link to iTunes and Spotify below…and lots of other links on the sidebar! Plus you can subscribe to our YouTube channel by clicking this link.
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This episode might seem late for last year’s Festival of Barrel Aged Beers (FOBAB), or perhaps too early for next year but…there were a number of FOBAB brews that needed drinking so we gathered a few chums at the Brit and Yankee Pub and had a tasting session!
On the distinguished panel are FOBAB volunteers Ken McMullen from Hopvine Brewing, Kevin Herbst, and John Bittermann, plus your host Phil ‘The Brit’ Clark. Then rounding everything out is someone who has had entries at FOBAB, co-owner of Art History Brewing, Tom Rau.
We find out why the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild relies heavily on volunteer help to ensure the festival is a success, plus how you can sign up and help out in the future. Plus of course the usual pub chat including how The Brit keeps his toenails under control, what steps are taken to control ‘over-served’ attendees, the rigors of emptying the ‘slop buckets’, and the pros and cons of the UIC venue. Tom Rau also provides his views from the brewer’s side and how the decisions are made of which beer and style to enter for any given year. And finally, each panelist tells us which of the beers they preferred…not the winner, as these are all winners!
Yes, it’s a longer episode but we hope that you enjoy the perspectives of some of the people who experience this great festival as volunteers, and perhaps you will volunteer for the 2023 event!! Cheers!
Link to ICBG Volunteer signup
Beers Sampled:
- Tin City Brewing – Paso Robles CA, Malus At the Palace – Dry Cider, ABV 11% – Best of Show 2020, Gold Medal – Cider Perry Mead Category
- Alter Brewing – Downers Grove IL, King’s Blood – Cherry-wheat aged in red wine barrels, ABV 5.5% – 2016 Silver Medal, Fruit Beer Category
- Destihl Brewing – Normal IL, Saint Dekkera Reserve Sour – Flanders Oud Bruin, ABV 7.2% – 2020 Gold Medal, Wild Beer Sours (Acidic)
- Off Color Brewing – Chicago IL, Beer for Burgers – Helles Bock Style Beer blended with Bourbon Barrel Aged Lager, ABV 7%
- Cruz Blanca Brewing, Chicago IL, Barbarosa – black and red raspberry ale aged in Heaven Hill bourbon and Cabernet red wine barrels – 2021 Gold Medal, Fruit Beer Category
- Wolf’s Ridge Brewing, Columbus OH, Dire Wolf – Armagnac – Imperial Stout aged in Armagnac Cognac barrel, ABV 10.8%
http://www.thebritandyankee.com/pubcasts/BritandYank%20ee-Show380.mp3Play our audio podcasts using your favorite smartphone podcast app, or our player above. We have a direct link to iTunes and Spotify below…and lots of other links on the sidebar! Plus you can subscribe to our YouTube channel by clicking this link.
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Energy City Brewing was one of the early pioneer breweries in the Fox Valley area, and gained quite a following from craft beer drinkers. David Files, along with his wife Heidi, first opened in Batavia IL and sold their limited number of styles from a small location beside the Fox River, so small that people had to line up outside and they only opened one day a month for to-go sales. Six years later, things are very different with the expansion to a taproom, a wide range of beers with one they are particularly known for, and their customers can now get their beers through a wide range of distro channels.
We have long wanted to meet with David and find out more about him and ECB, so when an opportunity came up we jumped at it. The Brit’s co-host for this episode is Chuck Fort from Church Street Brewing, who has known David since their days in Urban Knaves of Grain, and now professionally as ECB brews their production runs at Church Street.
We find out about David’s background, the early days in the small river location and how they came to the current taproom, and of course we are sampling his beers. Their range of fruit ‘smoothie’ beers and pastry stouts have been big sellers, and The Brit challenges his tastebuds with a couple of these. What we do find out is that David and ECB are producing high quality beers, and being very successful at doing it. Oh, and he will tell us about his extra-long shuffleboard table that stands in the taproom! Cheers!
Beers Sampled:
- Westphalia Jump Start, Dortmunder lager with Saphir hops, ABV 6.5%
- N9nth Circle, Baltic Porter (collab with Church Street Brewing), ABV 9.5%
- Bistro Smoothie – Mango, Banana & Pineapple, Flavored Berliner-Weisse Style fruit beer, ABV 6.5%
- Bistro Grape PB&J, Flavored Berliner-Weisse Style fruit beer with Peanut Butter and Grape Jelly, ABV 8%
- Marmion Abbey Quadruple – Batch 2, Belgian Quadrupel, 11% ABV
Here’s out short video from the visit to the brewery…
http://www.thebritandyankee.com/pubcasts/BritandYankee-Show379.mp3Play our audio podcasts using your favorite smartphone podcast app, or our player above. We have a direct link to iTunes and Spotify below…and lots of other links on the sidebar! Plus you can subscribe to our YouTube channel by clicking this link.
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This week we are excited to visit again with someone who has been on our podcast before, and is now owner and brewer at his own establishment. Erik Pizer has been part of the brewing community in the Chicagoland area for many years, and is now firmly ensconced in Tinley Park at Flipside Brewing.
Open for just under 6 months, he has built his business around the brewpub model, providing a range of solid beers and other liquors, while offering a fantastic food menu. Located only a short distance off I-80, this is fast becoming the place to hang out for locals. We talk about how he is trying to provide a small, but full range of offerings including beer cocktails, locally distilled liquors, and as The Brit discovers his “well-balanced” beers. As Erik says he has 10 years of experience so he may not know all of what to do, but he does know what NOT to do, and we agree that he’s doing things right!
Tinley Park is another core of great craft breweries and we highly recommend a visit to Flipside during your visit! Cheers!
Beers Sampled:
- Grey Skies Surprise, Dortmunder Golder Lager, ABV 5.9%
- Driveshaft, West Coast IPA, ABV 6.5%
- Haunted Past, English Mild, ABV 3.8%
- Warm Hug, American Porter with vanilla and coffee, ABV 5.5% ABV
- Pigloo, Barleywine, collaboration with Miskatonic Brewing, ABV 10.5%
Here’s our short ‘teaser’ video showing the brewery…
http://www.thebritandyankee.com/pubcasts/BritandYankee-Show378.mp3Play our audio podcasts using your favorite smartphone podcast app, or our player above. We have a direct link to iTunes and Spotify below…and lots of other links on the sidebar! Plus you can subscribe to our YouTube channel by clicking this link.
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Last week our podcast interview was with one of the newest breweries in Illinois, and this week we chat with one that has been around for over seven years…Metal Monkey Brewing in Romeoville IL.
We have been tracking the owner/brewer team of Dan Camp and Jason Janes since their opening, which incidentally saw some 1100 people attend. We checked in with them 1 year later in show 215, we featured them in our series of ‘live’ recordings featuring breweries along the I-55 corridor, and most recently albeit March of 2020, we ‘zoomed’ with Dan during the pandemic.
So, it just made sense that following their recent 7-year anniversary weekend, we should sit down and get a retrospective from them on how this journey is progressing. We are pleased to say that the beers and their prospects are still great! But don’t take our word for it. Listen to this podcast where Dan and Jason provide some stories from their history, including how their ‘original’ pickle sour, Rick, came into being. Plus an insight into the future, all to the background of construction noises. Construction for what? Tune in to find out!
Beers Sampled:
- Breath of Pestilence, Czech Pilsner, ABV 5.7%, collaboration with Glacial Tomb
- Horns Up, Golden Ale with Blood Orange, ABV 5.1%, collaboration with Elwood in The Morning on QRock 100.7
- The Gnostic Mass, International IPA, ABV 8.5%
- Monkey Fuel, Belgian Tripel, ABV 9.3%
Here’s our short ‘teaser’ video showing the brewery…
http://www.thebritandyankee.com/pubcasts/BritandYankee-Show377.mp3Play our audio podcasts using your favorite smartphone podcast app, or our player above. We have a direct link to iTunes and Spotify below…and lots of other links on the sidebar! Plus you can subscribe to our YouTube channel by clicking this link.
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Over the past couple of years, the Fox River Valley is starting to rival downtown Chicago in the sheer number of craft breweries. The tri-cities of St. Charles, Geneva, and Batavia alone can boast 11 locations and Sturdy Shelter Brewing is the newest of these, located beside the Fox River in historical downtown Batavia.
Co-owner and brewer, Frank Mercadante along with his wife Diane, and General Manager Oliver Bulley have created a taproom and brewery that has become an important meeting place in the Batavia community, plus the all-important brews are well made and there is something for everyone.
The Brit and co-host Ken McMullen (brewmaster at Hopvine Brewing) visited with the Sturdy Shelter team one Monday when the brewery was closed and we could sit down and enjoy some good conversation, and sample some of their current taplist. We find out how the name of the Italian Pilsner came about, the history of the building, and plans for the future.
Beers Sampled:
- Francesco, Italian Style Pilsner, ABV 5.6%
- Batavia Lager, Helles Style Lager, ABV 5.5%
- Huckleberry Sour, Fruited Kettle Sour, ABV 4.3%
- Pulped Up! Tropical, New England Hazy IPA, ABV 7.1%
- Robustacious, Imperial Red Ale, ABV 7.5%
- Porter, ABV 5.3%
Here’s our short video showing the brewery…
http://www.thebritandyankee.com/pubcasts/BritandYankee-Show376.mp3Play our audio podcasts using your favorite smartphone podcast app, or our player above. We have a direct link to iTunes and Spotify below…and lots of other links on the sidebar! Plus you can subscribe to our YouTube channel by clicking this link.
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This year we changed the format for our Barleywine show to focus on a vertical of a classic beer. It is primarily a video edition, but we have extracted the audio for our podcast feed.
The Brit was able to source 4 variants of the classic J. W. Lee’s Harvest Ale from one of his favorite watering holes, Broken Brix Fermentation Emporium in St. Charles, IL. To share in the tasting he invited his co-hosts and some guest brewers to sample them, both at the Pub and in their breweries.
All of these beers are matured in a variety of casks – sherry, calvados, port, and Lagavulin whisky. On hand to help The Brit are co-host Ken McMullen, head brewer at Hopvine Brewing, Steve Newman and Sam Altaner from Brother Chimp Brewing, and co-host Chuck Fort, and head brewer Sean Gregor from Church Street Brewing. Oh, and a cameo from Mike Seaman of Broken Brix, and the Brother Chimp guys insisted we taste and compare their barrel-aged version of Samson barleywine, so they snuck in that ‘bonus’ beer!
What are the panel’s opinions on the brews? Do the beer they stand up to the ‘historical’ hype? Are they ‘treat’ beers that are worth seeking out? Tune in and find out!
Beers Sampled:
- J. W. Lees Brewers, Harvest Ale, Barleywine, 11.5% ABV
- Harvest Ale – 2017 – Matured in Sherry Casks
- Harvest Ale – 2017 – Matured in Calvados Casks
- Harvest Ale – 2015 – Matured in Lagavulin Whisky Casks
- Harvest Ale – 2017 – Matured in Port Casks
Click HERE for the link to our YouTube channel video
The Audio Podcast:
http://www.thebritandyankee.com/pubcasts/BritandYankee-Show375.mp3Play our audio podcasts using your favorite smartphone podcast app, or our player above. We have a direct link to iTunes and Spotify below…and lots of other links on the sidebar! Plus you can subscribe to our YouTube channel by clicking this link.
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This year, The Brit (me) had a lot of life stuff going on so was not as diligent as usual when recording a list of brews that I felt really “hit the spot”. So, instead of a list of 10, 20 or more ‘Beers of the Year’, I decided to post a list that was very self-indulgent, biased, and in most cases, produced by breweries located locally to the pub. In most cases it reflects my palate preference and leans towards classic styles (note the absence of hazy IPAs), and all of these beers would be ones that I would purchase and drink again.
People ask me many times what my favorite beer or brewery is, and I reply “that’s like picking your favorite child”, but beers are not children so I don’t have to worry about offending a kid. Now, I think I can honestly say that a) I do have a favorite beer, and b) I have a couple of favorite styles that I prefer.
The beer is Sussex Best Bitter from Harvey’s Brewery in Lewes, East Sussex nestled in the heart of England’s South Downs. Harvey’s have been around since the second half of the 18th century, so you would hope they have figured out how to produce good beer by now!
Aside from those classic British bitters and mild ales, my favorite styles are Belgium beers, rauch (smoked) beers, and German lagers, of which the more historic recipes are ones I am increasingly seeking out.
Despite the name of our podcast, I am becoming more and more dissatisfied with the term ‘craft beer’. In my opinion, it’s somewhat of a marketing term that is now used to hype up a beer, akin to using ‘fresh’ and ‘artisan’ in supermarkets. That said, the definition of ‘craft’ is “an activity involving a special skill at making things with your hands”. Beer has been made for thousands of years, and until it started to be mass-produced, each brewer did exactly that…used their skills and hands to produce their beers. Witness the way that Zoigl is still made in Germany in this video…it’s in German but don’t worry, you won’t have trouble understanding it! Next time you down one of the macro-brews, just remember that the process is now all computer controlled and the only ‘craft’ piece of producing the beer is the recipe and the quality control.
Finally, you will note that there is an absence of ‘outrageous’ adjuncts in nearly all of the list beers. Whereas I have tasted many beers that have used adjuncts well to effectively increase the flavors and produce a varietal that is highly enjoyable, but I am not going to seek them out. Once again, it is a personal palate preference – we all hate some flavors and certainly do not want to drink them in beer. For me, coconut and cinnamon are turn-offs, but of course added with skill and in the right amount, they can still be quite delightful in the right base style.
OK this is becoming a rant, so… after over 50 years of ales and lagers, here’s my list of brews that DID ‘hit my spot’ in 2022. If you have drunk these I’d love to hear about what you liked about them. I’ve added some comments on why I liked the beers, and if you notice, and with no apologies from me, there’s is a bias toward 2 breweries who consistently produce great beer!
2022 Spot Hitters:
- Cathedral – Art History/Church Street collaboration, 5% ABV.
Brewed to honor the Dampfbier (steam beer)/California Common-Style, this is a lager that has a lovely golden color, slight maltiness, and at 5% you can have a couple. That’s good because the first one goes down pretty quick, and you can then savor the second. Check out our video about this beer.
- 10th Anniversary Special Hell Lager – Church Street Brewing, 5% ABV.
It was made with Sugar Creek’s under-modified German Pilsner malt, so the flavor is a little more bready. 10 years of experience at Church Street show through in this one!
- 6-Row Pils – Riggs Beer Company, 5%ABVI first tasted this when the team went down to visit Riggs in Urbana, IL, where we recorded a podcast episode with the Riggs brothers. Unique grassy notes reflects the Illinois hops and malt they used. The barley and white corn was grown on Riggs own farm, and the Chinook and Crystal hops were from Hallowed Hops Farm in Lewistown, Illinois. Truly an all Illinois pilsner!
- Odious Cellars – Novo Terrano, 5.5% ABV
In June we spoke with Joseph Reeve from Odious Cellars, and it was the first time I had tasted a wet-hopped Brett IPA. All of their brews are fantastic mixed-culture fermentations, but this one was particularly original and tasty. Not only that but the can art is just out of this world. They brew down in Chicago, so seek out the beers! Here’s a link to the podcast interview.
- Barrel-aged Sour Red – D and G Brewing, 5.5% ABV
Brewer Alex is not really know for his barrel program, but back in August he released this little winner, and to me it was a raving success reminding me of those great Flanders reds. It was very complex, and a first from a solera barrel. I hope they do more like this one, which will add a lot of depth to their already solid line of beers!
- Graf Barleywine Cider – Broken Brix Fermentation Emporium, 10% ABV
Made with cherry cider, this blended barleywine proved to be one of those gems you come across from time to time that don’t get all the kudos they deserve. Ed Seaman has once again shown that his ability to produce unusual brews – a graf is a beer cider hybrid – and you won’t find many of these around!
- Old Ale – Firebird Brewing Company, 4.5% ABV
In September, I headed back home to the UK for a visit and while there I was able to sit down and chat with a craft brewery in Sussex…check out our podcast. Firebird, produces a great range beers but this Old Ale was the one I came back to again and again. Reminding me of a mild ale, this beer was chocolaty and malty but with a light body, and old ales is the term applied to this style in the England.
- Caeles – Art History Brewing, 10% ABV
Released in December, this is a Weizendoppelbock that many may have tasted as part of the 2022 Lodi Beer Calendar. For me, if pressed, this was the beer of the year. Dark, smooth, rich, complex yet still maintaining all the characteristics of a lager. If you see this still in cans anywhere, buy it!
- Rock of Ages – Church Street Brewing / Art History collaboration, 5.4% ABV
This beer attempted to recreate the old German brewing style of Steinbier, or Stone Beer. The brewers took granite rocks, heated them, then lowered them into the wort. This caramelized on the stone adding a more toasty note to the beer. Originally, Austrian gray slate was used, but this was a little tough to find in Illinois. The granite proved a worthy substitute and the resulting beer was delicious. Top marks to both breweries for attempting to recreate history!
- Book of Mark – Church Street Brewing / Riverlands Brewing / Brit & Yankee collaboration, 5% ABV
Mark Naski was a brewing guru, and also a co-host of our podcast, but sadly he passed away unexpectedly in 2021. To celebrate his life we used one of his recipes to produce a Zoigl Lager using bottom fermenting yeast. It was a simple recipe that produced a great, easy drinking beer that reflected his personality and the ability for a beer to generate conversation and community. He is missed, but this beer reminds us of his contribution to the industry. Click this link to view our video where we talk about it’s making.
- Exemption – Taxman Brewing, 8.5% ABV
I spent some time in Indiana this year and took the opportunity to pick up some of Taxman’s brews which I had discovered a couple of years previous. Their forte is Belgian-inspired beers and they produce many different styles, so picking one to include in this list was tough. I went with this tripel which is one of their house beers, and is a great representation of their ability to brew Belgian styles. Alas, the only way to get their beer outside of Indiana is via the Tavour app…unless you drive across the border. It’s worth the trip!
- Monk’s Cafe Grand Cru – Brouwerij Van Steenberge, 5.5% ABV
This was part of a delightful variety pack given to me as a Christmas present…just the sort of gift I really like! This beer is a Flanders Oud Bruin and is a blend of 3 year old tripel ales. It is a great example of the skilful way Belgian brewers can create a special beer at a low ABV that can be savored and sipped across an evening. It was yummy!
- Samson – Brother Chimp Brewing, 10.2% ABV
Oh boy, do I like barleywines, and this example of an American barleywine hit all the notes you need. It almost should be called an English barleywine as Maris Otter malt and English hops we used to make it. It was an attractive light mahogany in color and had notes of toffee and honey, with the high ABV not being noticed until you felt the warming down your esophagus! The first one BCB brewed and they also barrel-aged some of it which I haven’t tasted yet.
- Barrel of Monks – Trip Sitter, 12% ABV
Barrel of Monks hails from Boca Raton FL, and is known for Belgian-style ales. Recently however, they have branched out and created some of the more mainstream styles such as IPAs, and this English Barleywine was made to celebrate their 7th anniversary. It is as good a barleywine as you hope to find and has all the malty, caramel goodness you need to enjoy this sipper. It does not taste like 12%, with a smooth mouthfeel that says take another sip. The can art is kinda wacky, and the I can only imagine the name refers to a person who is the DD if you have a couple of these at the brewery!! We reviewed this one in our BoM sampler video.
Play our audio podcasts using your favorite smartphone podcast app. We have a direct link to iTunes and Spotify below…and lots of other links on the sidebar! Plus you can subscribe to our YouTube channel by clicking this link.
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It’s the time of year that breweries release beers that contain cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and other adjuncts. The Brit visited a local chain liquor store and randomly selected 7 beers for the panel to taste and chat about. And that panel comprised the two co-hosts of the podcast, Chuck Fort from Church Street Brewing, Ken … Continue reading Pubcast 374 – ‘Tis the Seasonal Ales! →
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The Brit is on vacation visiting family in the UK, so what better opportunity than to visit a few pubs and a brewery! The southern county of Sussex is home to Harvey’s Brewing, originating in 1745, but it also boasts plenty of new craft breweries including the one we visited, Firebird Brewing, located in an … Continue reading Pubcast 373 – UK Special – Firebird Brewing →
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In this bumper episode of Behind The Pint we are exploring why lagers have experienced a new surge in popularity, even though they have been the backbone of the beer industry for hundreds of years. The Brit and his Yankee co-host, Chuck Fort from Church Street Brewing, took a road trip downstate to Urbana IL, … Continue reading Behind The Pint – Episode 4: The Lager Resurrection? →
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Every year in the January/February time period, the pub staff and a lineup of guests sample a selection of that outlier style, the barleywine. For 2022, we had set a couple of dates but had to postpone them due to some life stuff happening. Then it got to be summer when a young beer drinker’s … Continue reading Pubcast 372 – The 5th Barleywine Classic →
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This week we are excited to be talking to Reeve Joseph who is bringing mixed culture and sour ales to Chicago with his project called Odious Cellars. He is currently brewing out of Duneyrr Fermenta Brewery in Chicago’s Motor Row, while working on their taproom in west Logan Square. That said, you can obtain their … Continue reading Pubcast 371 – Reeve Joseph of Odious Cellars →
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We all know that the cost of goods and labor is going up, but how does this affect the cost of your pint of craft beer? We gathered 3 brewers to discuss this and help you, the craft consumer, understand why the price of your pint and 4-pack might be a little higher this year. … Continue reading Behind The Pint – Episode 3: The Rising Cost of Your Pint →
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This is our Illinois Craft Beer Week edition, and we’re doing a Zoom call with Jamie Albert from Will County Brewing. Head directly south down Rt.59 from the Brit and Yankee pub studios, and just before you get to I-55 you will find Shorewood IL, home to Will County Brewing. March 2022 saw the 4th … Continue reading Pubcast 370 – Jamie Albert of Will County Brewing →
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Church Street Brewing is celebrating their 10 year anniversary! We have always had a great relationship with these fine folks, and we have enjoyed their brews for many years and followed their changes and expansion with interest. There was a social media post asking for memories of the brewery, so we thought we would replay … Continue reading Pubcast 369-Church Street 10 Year Anniversary…Our First Visit →
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Today we examine the craft style phenomenon which seems to be highly divisive, Hazy or New England IPAs. You either love ’em or hate ’em! We assembled a panel of local expert brewers from the Chicagoland area who join Phil ‘The Brit’ Clark to examine this relatively new style. They include my co-host Chuck Fort, … Continue reading Behind The Pint – Episode 2: Is The World Really Clear on Hazys? →
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We begin a new series of podcasts where we try to delve a little deeper into the business of craft beer. We want to go Behind the Pint. To kick us off, we’re asking if Craft Beer is really just beer, or if it’s a marketing ploy that has exploded into an industry. We have … Continue reading Behind The Pint – Episode 1: Is Craft Beer Really Just Beer? →
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Back in February, owner Lisa Gregor from Church Street Brewing Company gave The Brit a call and asked “Wanna stop by?” Alas, for several reasons he couldn’t be there in person but he asked co-host Chuck Fort to man the smartphone camera and we did a Zoom video call! It’s not as great as we … Continue reading Pubcast Special: Pink Boots Society – Chicago Chapter – Brew Day! →
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In this edition, my co-host Chuck Fort (Church Street Brewing) and The Brit welcome a 2021 GABF Gold Medal winner and someone who is intensely passionate about his craft. Matt Manthe is the brewer behind Odd Breed Ales, a small brewery in Pompano Beach FL, who is making quite a mark in the arena of wild and farmhouse ales using a unique mixed culture of wild yeast and bacteria, and aged them in oak barrels. His success at GABF came in the Mixed-Culture Brett Beer category, and Matt tells us all about how he comes to be able to make such fantastic brews. Also joining us is return guest and chum of the podcast, Kevin Abbott, who is Director of Operations for Barrel of Monks Brewing in Boca Raton FL. BoM is the partner brewery to Odd Breed and he tells us how the relationship came into being and the many benefits it brings both parties.
This is an in-depth podcast which should appeal to home and professional brewers as well as the craft beer drinker who wants to understand more about this side of the industry.
Want to know what a puncheon is? Want to hear Matt’s thoughts on how to store the bottles in your cellar? Does the water quality affect the type of beers Matt makes? These and many more questions are answered here.
It was recorded via Zoom and Matt’s connection sometimes suffers from connection ‘blips’, so please forgive those few seconds, as this is a great opportunity to hear from an expert who has a passion for working with wild yeast and barrels. Alas, distribution has not reached Illinois yet (any out there who want to jump in, please contact Matt and Kevin!), but listen for Matt hinting about possibly entering a brew into this years FOBAB…we can only hope!
If you liked this edition, we are hoping to get Matt back on for more insight, so please send us your comments, emails and questions, and we’ll work on a better mic and connection for Matt!! Cheers!
Brews Sampled:
- The Brit – Beth, Saison, 6.7% ABV, Roaring Table Brewing
- Chuck – Bishop Bock, Bock, Church Street Brewing
- Kevin – La Temporada, Tequila Barrel Aged Wild Ale, 5% ABV, Odd Breed Ales
- Matt – Elusive Illusion, Wild IPA, 7.3% ABV, Odd Breed Ales
http://www.thebritandyankee.com/pubcasts/BritandYankee-Show368.mp3 Play the audio podcast on our players above…or your favorite smartphone podcast app…we have a direct link to iTunes for iPhone users below…and lots of other links on the sidebar, including Spotify!
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It was beautiful Fall weather when we headed down to Tinley Park to record our latest episode outside in a beer garden. We’re at Banging Gavel Brews who have been brewing since the end of 2014 but still have not been able to brew or serve at their chosen location, the historic Vogt House, for a variety of reasons. Instead, they have opened up a fantastic beer garden, complete with their version of a ‘jumbotron’ so their patrons can enjoy the outside, drink their great brews, and watch their favorite college and pro sports.
Owner Jim Richert and head brewer J.T. Rea welcome The Brit and co-host Ken McMullen with samples of their current tap list, and relate the tale of their historic house that will eventually become their brewpub. We hear about the buildings’ origins and the problems encountered during the reconstruction, but the end is hopefully in sight!
Join us to hear about the brews, the beer name origins and the the theme of their brewery, plus we find out about J.T’s background and how he started in brewing and the path life took him to be at BGB. We recommend a visit before the beer garden closes on Oct 31st. After that it is back to cans only as the way of obtaining some of their very drinkable beer
Brews Sampled:
- Civil Code, Märzen, 5.7% ABV
- Amicus Curiae, Kölsch, 4.5% ABV
- Offshore Trust, Tropical IPA, 5.1% ABV
http://www.thebritandyankee.com/pubcasts/BritandYankee-Show367.mp3 Play the audio podcast on our players above…or your favorite smartphone podcast app…we have a direct link to iTunes for iPhone users below…and lots of other links on the sidebar, including Spotify!
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As we are busy with Fall pub activities, we jumped into the Brit & Yankee archive and pulled out this episode from May of 2016. It was one of the first onsite interviews and featured co-host Mark Naski and The Brit, on the road down at Werk Force Brewing. Here we chatted with owner/brewer Brandon Wright, ahead of their expansion and the closing of the homebrew piece of their business. You’ll see the coziness of the taproom as it was and the cramped brewing conditions from the photos in our web post. Now they have expanded and expanding even more, as their brews are forever in demand with the craft beer community.
Brandon has always been a chum of the podcast and we’d like to thank him for his continued support. Tune in to this ‘historical’ episode. Cheers!
http://www.thebritandyankee.com/pubcasts/BritandYankee-Show191.mp3 Play the audio podcast on our players above…or your favorite smartphone podcast app…we have a direct link to iTunes for iPhone users below…and lots of other links on the sidebar, including Spotify!
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We finally made it up to Lake Zurich and to a brewery that we have long wanted to check out and sample their brews, and with a 4th Anniversary looming at the end of September this was the right time! Roaring Table Brewing has been slowly but surely producing some of the finest brews in the area, and even national craft industry magazines are starting to be aware of how good they are.
Co-host Ken McMullen and The Brit sat down with Lane Fearing, half of the dynamic duo who run the business, Beth May being the other. Due to a storm running through the area and knocking out the home power, Beth couldn’t be with us, so it fell to Lane to face the questions from the B&Y team.
As we chatted, we sampled the cask, hand-pull Best Bitter and found out how Shakespeare had an influence of naming the brewery. Then we moved on to a classic bottle-conditioned saison and how their magnificent foeder plays a leading role in many of their brews. For the final curtain, we headed to the bright tanks, and tried the latest batch of their NEIPA and a preview of the just-released doppelbock, which they were canning the next day and is now available. Apologies for the first 8 minutes of audio as The Brit’s mic wasn’t fully engaged, but no matter, Lane’s was fine and he’s the man we came to chat to!! Cheers!
Brews Sampled:
- Best Bitter, English cask ale, 4.6% ABV
- Beth, Saison, 6.7% ABV
- Tuba Solo, NEIPA, 7.2% ABV
- Luxuriator, Doppelbock collab with Black Lung Brewing
Here’s a link to our YouTube video teaser for this episode…
http://www.thebritandyankee.com/pubcasts/BritandYankee-Show366.mp3 Play the audio podcast on our players above…or your favorite smartphone podcast app…we have a direct link to iTunes for iPhone users below…and lots of other links on the sidebar, including Spotify!
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