Austin, Texas’ Live Oak Brewing has been making world-class lagers and traditional styles through step-mashing and decoction mashing going back to 1997, and their regionally-available beers have inspired brewers worldwide to embrace not taking any short cuts. Thanks to Craig’s Austin trip, we have five stellar beers here, a lineup bookended by their other speciality: smoke. Also, Ryan explains how some food is homework and shares his story of the worst example of that; Craig withholds important beer storage information; and we are having it made in the shade.

Beers Reviewed

Grodziskie

Gold (German-style Pilsner)

Hefeweizen

Kalt IPA (Cold IPA)

Fumigator (Smoked Doppelbock)

CHICAGO (ABV) - The folks at Hop Butcher have released some beers of note over the last few months, and we are on the scene (at home) to sample four of these newsworthy beers. A hazy IPA tribute to a beloved Chicago weatherman? That’s here. A collaboration with one of our favorite flavor masters working? You bet. A porter with a history lesson that also happens to be fantastic? You know it. A golden ale with healing powers??? Quite possibly! Also, we consider how to send beers as various secret distress signals, we shout out other notable Chicago news legends, and we might just risk it all for some late night Mexican food.

Beers Reviewed

Regeneration Station (Golden Ale)

Monadnock (American Porter)

Tom Freaking Skilling (Hazy IPA)

Royal Palm [collaboration w/ Cruz Blanca] (Hazy Double IPA)

In somewhat sporadic drops over the last few months, Half Acre has released some highly-desired cans of barrel-aged beer that push the ABV further than ever before. We sample four of these special beers while turning half of this into a tribute to the writer of Half Acre’s Instagram beer release posts. It’s not often we have chowder of this sort, so we get a bit shaky aboard the raft of final gravity while trying to avoid the Reinheitsgebot funnel cloud. Also, Ryan’s auditioning to be a pitchman for a new product, we throw back a handful of gravy beans, and Craig is taken aback by all the Suits love. It’s kind of a cosmic gumbo. 

Beers Reviewed

Twin Chariot (Imperial stout aged in bourbon & peach brandy barrels w/ vanilla)

Wilderness of History (Double barrel barleywine)

On & On Pt. 4 [Collaboration with Revolution Brewing] (Double barrel-aged imperial stout)

Triple Barrel Catch Hell (Triple barrel-aged imperial stout w/ vanilla & cinnamon)

For over ten years we’ve wanted to do a full lineup of Jester King’s beers, and thanks to Craig’s recent Austin trip, we get to open five unique styles from the farm. We’re happy as a bunch of grazing goats (except for Gary) as we sample through this lineup and Craig revisits his experience visiting the brewery site. Also, Craig has brought Cronch to a whole new level, Ryan’s strongly considering a tattoo straight from one of these labels, and there’s some light Sega talk. 

Beers Reviewed

Staked Plains Pilsner

Hazy IPA

Meowsonry! (Best Bitter Farmhouse Ale)

Nocturn Chrysalis (Barrel-aged sour refermented w/ blackberries)

All Y’all N’ Co. (Blended barrel-aged farmhouse ale w/ Aglianico grapes)

As the third in our recent unplanned trilogy of Carolina shows, this one proves that sometimes the B-sides are better than the album. We have five beers from various Carolina locations, thanks to listeners Benji & Suzanne, and each drink finds a way to impress us in unexpected ways. What else could inspire talk of cask alerts, EKG love, Double Table Beers, and foam beards? Also, Ryan needs advice on training his RoboVac, Craig is a beer grandpa, and there are some awkward t-shirt interactions. 

Beers Reviewed

Whaley Farm Brewery [Old Fort, NC] - Best Bitter Ale

Hobcaw Brewing Co. [Mt. Pleasant, SC] - Same Old Sidewalks (Wheat saison)

Baker & Brewer [Charleston, SC] - You’re Kiwing Me Smalls (Kiwi sour ale w/ blue spirulina)

Munkle Brewing Co. (w/ ThaCommunity) [Charleston, SC] - ThaCOMMUNITY (Belgian blonde aged in Uncle Nearest whiskey barrels)

Zebulon Artisan Ales [Weaverville, NC] - Belgian Patersbier (Trappist-style Blonde)

Believe it or not, there was a time when breweries would release barleywines that were not aged in any sort of barrel, and the biggest choice you had to make was American-style or English-style. For this episode, we have four local takes on the barleywine, two of each style, none with any barrel or adjunct - and the sips are sending us back in time. Also, we test the impact of age on one barleywine, we wonder if any of these would actually be improved with barrels, and we dare Revolution to bring back the old Institutionalized. Plus, Ryan gets an early glimpse of summer, Craig reveals the amazing choice for the first mp3 he ever downloaded, and one beer actually gets docked for being “too drinkable.

Beers Reviewed

More Brewing Company - Liquid Legacy (American Barleywine)

Miskatonic Brewing Company/Flipside Brewing/Seldom Beer Co. - Pigloo (Barleywine)

Off Color Brewing - Aqua Regia (English Barleywine)

Werk Force Brewing Company - Mabel (English Barleywine)

Because we heard that things tend to be bigger down in Texas, our 35th State Show features six beers from Craig’s recent travels. We try our best to span the Lone Star state (despite being a little Austin-heavy), and the focus on perfect execution and maximum drinkability is clear. Also, Craig tests out how to become a series regular on The Bear, Ryan wants the full recap of the Texas Trader Joe’s, and we both plead with Illinois to follow the lead of the Texas Craft Brewers Cup.

Beers Reviewed

Family Business Brewing Company [Dripping Springs, TX] - Golden Age (German-style Pilsner)

Good Line Beer Co. [Lubbock, TX] - Range Life (German-style Pilsner)

Acopon Brewing Company [Dripping Springs, TX] - Karnstein (Amber Lager)

True Anomaly Brewing [Houston, TX] - Cryonaut (Cold IPA)

Hold Out Brewing [Austin, TX] w/ Keeping Together [Santa Fe, NM] - All Over the Map (Saison w/ orange peel, toasted cumin seed, sage, sea salt, and honey)

Martin House Brewing Company [Fort Worth, TX] - The Penguin (Barrel-aged Imperial Stout w/ peanut butter, chocolate, vanilla, and lactose)

Just as the season can’t decide if it’s going to get warm or stay cold, we choose to get nice and toasty with four barrel-aged stouts we’ve gathered over the past few months from local sources. The four beers on this show ascend in adjuncts, and Craig and Ryan don’t see eye-to-eye on the rankings at all. Also, we explore different foodstuff cafe possibilities; we try not to promote *clown horn*; and we practice the ancient art of the Soul Burp. 

Beers Reviewed

Central Waters Brewing Company (w/ Binny’s) - 12 Seasons of Slumber (Stout aged 3 years in Binny’s hand-picked Weller Wheated Bourbon Barrels)

Hop Butcher for the World - Overwhip (Bourbon barrel-aged Imperial Stout conditioned on Ugandan vanilla beans)

Saint Errant Brewing - Barrel-Aged Tepoztecatl (Imperial Stout w/ Guatemalan coffee, cassia bark, and Mexican vanilla beans aged 30 months in Weller and Sazerac Rye barrels)

Old Irving Brewing Co. - Barrel-Aged Krampus Kandy 2023 (Blend of Willett, 1792, & Basil Hayden Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Milk Stout w/ vanilla, cocoa nibs, toasted almond, and toasted coconut)

St. Louis’ Heavy Riff Brewing has built a strong local following since 2013, and their mix of experimental styles, barrel-aged beers, and rock-n-roll sensibility has started to make its way up the state of Illinois. Craig talks with co-owner Rick Hagen about the past and future of the brewery before we try through a lineup of five standout beers. Also, Ryan takes us down the Robin Williams Quotes Facebook page rabbit hole, Craig is getting spoiled by all the lactose, and we agree that there’s a lot going on in here. 

Rick Hagen Interview (00:13:20 - 00:32:50)

Beers Reviewed

Love Gun (Vanilla Cream Ale)

Velvet Underbrown (Brown Ale w/ lactose)

Vanilla Coffee Underbrown (Brown ale w/ vanilla & coffee)

Gose to Fino’s (Gin barrel-aged Gose w/ lemon and lime zest)

Quadraphonic Euphoria (Belgian Quad-style Ale aged in port wine barrels)

A decade-and-a-half ago, West Coast DIPAs were changing the craft beer curious into full-on obsessives, and breweries were in an IBU arms race to melt faces with hop bitterness. Recently, now that some of the haze has settled, breweries are returning to the aggressive style again - with some bringing newer juicy hop varietals to the mix, while others attempt to throw it back to the classics. For this episode, we enthusiastically drink through five locally made West Coast Double IPAs and can’t really agree on anything other than the beers taste too dang good. Also, Craig’s hyped about the features of his new chair, Ryan swears he did his research, and we put a few hops into the Hop Hall of Fame. 

West Coast-style DIPAs Reviewed

Pollyanna Brewing Company - Beads on a String

Maplewood Brewing Company - Sidewalk Surfer

Miskatonic Brewing Company - West Coast Warlock

Midwest Coast Brewing Co. - Vertical Canine

Old Irving Brewing Co. - Chaos Weaver

The city of Asheville may not even be in the top ten most-populated cities in North Carolina, but it might be the state’s capital for breweries. Thanks to the generosity of listeners Benji and Suzanne, we drink five beers from Asheville (and the surrounding area) that represent a wide amount of styles - and Craig is absolutely giddy about a secret Chicagoland connection to one. Also, Craig has found a secret bag that is oddly fortuitous; Ryan’s taking a week off to put on bread weight; and we’d like a spritz of that Red Vine Perfume, please. 

Beers Reviewed

Hillman Beer - Old Fort Original (American Lager)

Zillicoah Beer Company - Bo Pils (Open-fermented Czech-style Pilsner)

Cellarest Beer Project - Marakio (India Pale Lager fermented in a cherrywood foedre)

Burial Beer Co. (w/ Cloudwater Brew Co.) - A Compilation of Sporadic Contemplations From Minds Unraveled (Imperial stout w/ toasted coconut, fresh orange zest, and cocoa butter)

Whistle Hop Brewing Company - Ilaria (Mezcal barrel-aged smoked peach Lichtenhainer)