Monthly Archives: October 2019

Pubcast 331 – Darin and Matt Riggs: Riggs Beer Company

On this episode, the podcast crew take a trip downstate to the Urbana side of the Champaign-Urbana area, and sit down with two guys who really know their brewing, as we visit Riggs Beer Company.
Joining The Brit, Phil Clark, are Yankee co-host Ken McMullen from Hopvine Brewing, and riding in the back seat, Illinois beer historian, glass collector, and beer nerd, John Bittermann.

It was Tuesday, and the taproom was closed today, so we had the place to ourselves, so the mics were setup, samples of brews were provided, and we talked with them about their life histories, their journeys into brewing, and the beer styles they are producing. This edition take the farm-to-brewery-to-glass story to another level as we learn about how these guys are growing the corn and wheat needed for a lot of their beers, while at the same time being 90% self-sufficient with their solar panels.

Matt and Darin’s passion showed through in every aspect of their professional and personal lives and careers. As we say in the UK, these guys are “the bees knees!”, or as the term is today, ‘Respect!”

Oh, and did we mention that their beers are some of the freshest, to-style, traditional brews that we’ve tasted in a while, and their glass style lends itself to enjoying the flavors and color of the beer! So, once again, they show that there are great breweries outside of the greater Chicago area that are definitely worth a drive! Cheers to Darin and Matt!

Brews Sampled:

  • Dunkelweizen, 5.2%
  • Oktoberfest, 6.0%
  • American Lager, 5.0%
  • Doppelbock, 8.0%
  • English Barleywine, 8.9%

Play the show from the PodBean player, or our player below…


Pubcast 330 – Barrel of Monks – Part 2

This week we conclude our profile podcast of Barrel of Monks Brewing from Boca Raton FL., and it’s a tasting session with VP of Operations, Kevin Abbott. Held up at Church Street Brewing following a collaboration brew day, head CSB brewer Chuck Fort and owner, Lisa Gregor, join Phil ‘The Brit’ Clark to sample some brews that Kevin brought with him on his trip up to Illinois.

There’s more conversation on Belgium beers styles as Kevin discusses topics like esters and phenolics, and the use of different yeast strains for each type of beer, plus how they brewed a beer with Tampa Bay’s good ol’ #99, Warren Sapp.  Kevin left samples of the brew and asked we share with some of the breweries we visited while he was here, so there is a bonus review of #99 from Eric Bramwell over at Riverlands Brewing!

If you are headed to Florida we highly recommend a visit to their brewery, and tell them, The Brit and Yankee podcast sent you!

Beers Sampled:

  • #99, collaboration with Warren Sapp, Hoppy Belgian-style Blonde Ale, 7% ABV
  • Odd Breed Ales, Past & Future, Saison Aged in French Puncheons, 5% ABV
  • Abbey Terno, Dubbel, ABV 7.5%
  • Grand Cru, Imperial Red Ale, 10% ABV

Play the show from the PodBean player, or our player below…


Pubcast 329 – Barrel of Monks’ Kevin Abbott – Part 1

This week’s show was recorded before The Brit headed out to GABF 2019, and features an extensive interview with Kevin Abbott who is the VP of Operations for Barrel of Monks Brewery in Boca Raton, Florida.  Kevin has a long pedigree in brewing, both for Due South Brewing and Funky Buddha, and now works at one of the top Belgian-inspired breweries in the country, and the only one Florida. We at the podcast rank them very highly, and are anxiously awaiting expansion of their distribution outside of Florida, so that more people can enjoy these classic styles. A recent merger with Odd Breed Wild Ales expands their range both geographically and in styles, and Kevin touches on how this came to pass.

Kevin came in town to do a collaboration brew with Church Street, a Belgian dubbel that will be available as a one-off brew. This show contains audio segments recorded at a variety of different locations, and culminates in the next episode with a tasting of BoM beers that Kevin lugged with him on the plane! Head brewer at Church Street and podcast co-host, Chuck Fort, joins us for the tasting. And making a cameo appearance is Ed Malnar, VP of Operations at Pollyanna Brewing.

Hear about the process of collaboration and how these guys go about making this one-off beer. This is a fascinating conversation with a professional who knows his beer, but especially the Belgian-styles! We’d like to thank Kevin for all the time he spent with us – next stop Boca Raton!

P.S. Kevin also is a podcaster – check out his show, Missed Spots!

Play the show from the PodBean player, or our player below…