Category Archives: American Pale Ale

Pubcast 257 – Corridor 55 Special Release #2 – Imperial Oak Brewing

American Pale Ale, Brewery, Craft Beer, Imperial Porter, Milk Stout, Sour Ale

This is the second in our series of podcasts recorded LIVE at breweries along the I-55 corridor, within 4 miles of an exit. This time we head to Willow Springs and visit Imperial Oak Brewing. Our hosts for the evening are brewer / co-founders, Brett Semenske and Grant Hamilton, who bring with them their Flagship, Showcase, and Inspiration beers for us to taste and talk about, and we hear stories of how the brewery came to be, how it has developed, and what’s in store for the future. And finally, bringing in the ‘chain’ beer ready for our next Corridor 55 podcast, brewers Jordan Isenberg, and Justin Rigoni, from Blue Nose Brewery in Hodgkins.  Usual co-host Chuck Fort is busy at a UKG meeting, so joining me as guest co-hosts are Corridor 55 producer and craft beer promoter, Kevin Herbst, and the ‘Yankee’, Mike ‘Lingo’ Lingafelter.

As we talk about the origins of the brewery, the futures, what their favorite TV shows are, and home brewing versus commercial brewing, we taste and review their beer selections.

Flagship Beer – a brew that represents a mainstay, and something you should always try when you visit
Udderly Black, Milk Stout, 5.4% ABV
Showcase Beer – a brew that the guests want to highlight as something special
Cognac Barrel Aged Double Dee’s, Imperial Porter, 10% ABV
Inspiration Beer – a brew that has some type of inspirational aspect or personal sentiment to our guests
Dave’s Pale Ale, American Pale Ale homebrew, a beer that won mant awards and inspired Imperial to have it on tap from time to  time.
Chain Beer – the brew that links our focus brewery to the next podcast release
Blue Nose Brewery, Lenna, Kettle Sour, 4.2% ABV

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

Pubcast 237 – Ignorance is Bliss

American Pale Ale, American Wild Ale, Saison

This week, The Brit heads up to Itasca to meet his co-host, Chuck Fort, on his home turf at the Church Street Brewing. We have 3 beers to taste that will test the expertise of Chuck, and also joining us is another CSB brewer, Andy Wright to also put his taste buds to the test. What is the test? Without knowing the style, name or brewer, I pour samples of each and see how close the lads get to identifying at least the style and adjuncts.

We also slip in an Instant Brew Review I did with the show’s resident tavern owner, John Karwoski, this time with a beer from North Carolina.

And finally, stay listening at the very end for a Dr.Who trivia question posed by Chuck. Send in your answers to pints@thebritandyankee.com and if we any, we’ll pull out a winner and send them a prized Brit and Yankee t-shirt!

Beers Sampled:

Lookout Brewing, Black Mountain NC, Kousa Blueberry Saison, 11.2%
Transient Artisan Ales, Bridgman MI, Flightless APA, 5.5%
Granite Falls Brewing, Granite Falls NC, Leaves of Grass Series – In Paths Untrodden, Pear Wild Ale Aged in Oak Barrels, 5.0%
Sketchbook Brewing, Evanston IL, Barrel-Aged Saison in Red Wine Barrels, 6.4%

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

Pubcast 233 – Everyday Beers

American Pale Ale, Craft Beer, Imperial IPA, IPA, Lager, Red Ale, Scottish-Style Ale

This week we pull out a number of brews collected from across several states, ones which which we think could be everyday, very drinkable beers.  We visit Colorado, Ohio, North Carolina, and of course we had to include one from Illinois.  Joining Phil this week is Chuck Fort, assistant brewer at Church Street Brewing, who now seems to have taken over the reins from Mark as our resident smarty-pants and BJCP judge!  John Kaworksi from John’s Tavern comes by for our last 2 brews.

Our first trio of beers come from Bristol Brewing Company out of Colorado Springs, CO.
Beehive, Honey Wheat, 4.4 ABV
Laughing Lab, Scottish-Style Ale, 5.4 ABV
Compass, IPA, 6.9% ABV

Next we hit Ohio, and a quartet of brews from Sibling Revelry Brewing
Sublime, Lager brewed with Lime, 5.0% ABV
Red, American Red Ale, 5.5% ABV
Swing State, Dry-hopped Pale Ale, 4.5% ABV
IPA, India Pale Ale, 6.5% ABV

At last we’re back in Illinois, and our beer from the home state is Prairie Kraft’s Trishul Pale Ale, 6.0% ABV

And finally, we end up at Ass Clown Brewing from North Carolina, and try their Imperial IPA, 8.0% ABV.

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

Pubcast 223 – Illinois vs Idaho

American Pale Ale, Blonde Ale, Craft Beer, Double IPA, Kolsch, Sour Ale

With March Madness behind us we thought it might be fun to match up a couple of breweries from two states beginning with the letter ‘I’ – Illinois and Idaho.  So with a complete arbitrary approach to balance and fairness we select Solemn Oath brewing to stand up against 2 Idaho breweries, Edge Brewing and Sockeye Brewing.  The Landlord stands by our Illinois brews, but will the all the taster’s agree? Chuck Fort, assistant brewer at Church Street, once again joins Mark and Phil for this episode, recorded at John’s Tavern in Winfield.

Phil has supplied the following from Solemn Oath:
Lü, Kölsch-style Ale, 4.7% ABV
Old Faithorn, American Pale Ale, 5.5% ABV
Funsponge, Belgo-American Blonde Ale, ABV: 4.8% IBU: 24


Mark has returned from his trip up to the North west and brought back the following:
Edge Brewing Co.
Odelay, Vienna Lager, 5.5% ABV, 23 IBU
Obligatory DIPA, 9.2% ABV, 88 IBU
Sockeye Brewing
Sour Puss, American Sour, 5.5% ABV, 6 IBU (why bother!)

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