Monthly Archives: July 2020

Hops Outside: Ep. 27 – Goldfinger Brewing

We have an exciting, exclusive edition this time round and another video/audio edition. There’s a new brewery in Downers Grove that is getting ready to open at the end of July (as of the release of this video the date is July 31st). Goldfinger Brewing is a lager-only brewery owned and operated by Tom and Alison Beckmann, and their brews are already causing a stir locally, and selling out kegs before the tap room is officially opened!

The Brit, and co-hosts Ken McMullen of Hopvine Brewing, and Jay Rosicky of Malted Tales and Milk Money Brewing, jumped on a Zoom call and chatted with Tom and Alison, plus we were able to sample the brews for ourselves. In the video, you will get Tom’s background and how they came to build out their brewery, and a sneak peek at what it looks like, 2-3 weeks ahead of opening.

Then in the extended audio podcast, we carry on the conversation with Tom, finding out what styles will be brewed in their future, what the taproom experience will be like, and why they went the ‘classic style’ route as the mainstay for their brewery.  Tom talks to their distribution direction, why he likes bottles but has to look to cans practically, and we all postulate on what might be allowed now that wasn’t before lock-down. Cheers!

Brews Sampled are their core three offerings:

  • Original Lager, German-style Helles, 5.2% ABV
  • Vienna Lager, 5% ABV
  • Pils, German Pilsner, 4.9% ABV

Our YouTube video…

Play the audio podcast on our player below…or your favorite smartphone podcast app…we have a direct link to iTunes for iPhone users, and GooglePlay for Android users:

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Hops Outside: Ep. 26 – Grumpy, Stoned, and Here For Looks

In this July 4th-edition of our virtual happy hour series “Hops Outside”, Ken McMullen and The Brit visit with 3 Chicago-area breweries, who have just released an intriguingly named brew. Seeing this as an opportunity to get them altogether, we have gathered Mik Dempsey and Ben Sampson from Dry City Brew Works, Alex Drayer from D and G Brewing, and JD Heinrich for The Forge Brewhouse for some socially distanced beers and chat!

Their new release, “Grumpy, Stoned and Here For Looks“, is perfect drinking for the summer if you are looking for something with a little bite, a classic profile, and a touch of sweetness. This is a farmhouse ale with honey, and we talk to the lads about the making of it. We learn about JD’s background, and how each of them doing in this phase-4 period, and their expectations for the future.

We had some technical challenges when the Zoom connection drops, and we had to finish the recording from a different device! We persevered and got through it for a fun time with this ‘ménage à brew’!

This edition is video only, and please check out our YouTube channel for more episodes. Cheers!