Monthly Archives: January 2016

Pubcast 174 – Bitter Mann!

An exceptional show tonight as we welcome to the pub studio, John Bitterman, together with co-host and BJCP judge Mark Naski who provide entertainment and education on a few beer styles that we taste tonight.
Mark brings back from his trip to Florida a European styles he likes a lot, a Kolsch called Der Chancellor brewed by Twisted Trunk Brewing in Palm Beach Gardens, FL.
John comes bearing his namesake brew from 51st Ward, Bitter Mann. This is an English IPA and we feature it as our Style of the Week.
To end up the pubcast, we have a local collaboration beer from Transient Ales and The Beer Cellar called Neckbeard Nectar.  It’s an Imperial Stout with Cinnamon, Vanilla, Coconut, and Molasses which BC owner Dave Hawley brewed up with Transient and was a rare favorite that came out at the holiday season.

Pubcast 173 – Big, Rare, and Awesome

This show welcomes two craft beer aficionados to the friendly confines of the Brit and Yankee studio, and they bring with them fabulous brew gifts!  Admittedly, you may not be able to obtain these gems to easily, but we’ve done the tasting to help you decide if they need to go on your wishlist!
First up we head to Three Floyd‘s, just over the Illinois border in Munster, IN.   Alpha Kong is a Belgian sextuple (who knew!) with cardamon.
Next back a few miles to Lansing, IL and Transient Ale’s Objectification Barrel Aged Sour Blonde Ale.  This is one of their special reserve series.
Then back over to Three Floyds again for their Wiseblood, Wood-Aged Baltic Porter.
Finally, our brew-de-resistance, Wicked Weed from Asheville, NC. produce a series called Dark Arts.  Our one is the Tequila Barrel-Aged Dark Arts with Brettanomyces and Espresso and we found it is quite a mouthful in many ways!
All this and the lads comment on a couple of 2016 beer predictions, and we enjoy much pub talk!!

Pubcast 172 – May The Schwarzbier With You!

Chuck Fort from Church Street and John Karwoski from John’s Tavern join us for some tasting fun, as this show takes a trans-continental trip from Oregon to Missouri, then back home to Illinois.
Our group of distinguished guests pontificate over a rather special sour ale, Seizoen Bretta, one of the award-winning Logsdon Farmhouse Ales, rating it very highly.
Style of the Week is Schwarzbier, and Mark Naski talks about the origin of this dark lager. We taste two samples of the style, one from St. Louis, Missouri, Schlafly’s Schwarzbier, and one from here in Chicago, Illinois, Metropolitan Brewing’s Magnetron.
Also, Phil’s Top 10 notable beers of 2015, and each guest throws in one of their favorites.

Pubcast 171 – Dark Star Brewing (UK)

The pubcast returns from the holiday break, and we have an international flavor to this edition.  We visit a UK brewery in Sussex on the south coast, Dark Star Brewing, who have been around since 1994 and can be considered one of the bigger brewers on the south coast of England.
Head Brewer, Alex Paterson, took time out of his brewing day to chat to us, and also many thanks to the brewery marketing diva, Stephanie Chitty for arranging it all.
We also taste some of their brews, and have smuggled back a couple for Mark Naski to taste and pass his ‘expert’ opinion upon.
We don’t desert our Illinois brewers, as Noon Whistle has new brew out to sample, Magie Noir, which seems to defy categorization but turns out to be tasty!