Category Archives: Brewery

Pubcast 367 – The Curious Case of Banging Gavel Brews

It was beautiful Fall weather when we headed down to Tinley Park to record our latest episode outside in a beer garden. We’re at Banging Gavel Brews who have been brewing since the end of 2014 but still have not been able to brew or serve at their chosen location, the historic Vogt House, for a variety of reasons. Instead, they have opened up a fantastic beer garden, complete with their version of a ‘jumbotron’ so their patrons can enjoy the outside, drink their great brews, and watch their favorite college and pro sports.

Owner Jim Richert and head brewer J.T. Rea welcome The Brit and co-host Ken McMullen with samples of their current tap list, and relate the tale of their historic house that will eventually become their brewpub. We hear about the buildings’ origins and the problems encountered during the reconstruction, but the end is hopefully in sight!

Join us to hear about the brews, the beer name origins and the the theme of their brewery, plus we find out about J.T’s background and how he started in brewing and the path life took him to  be at BGB.  We recommend a visit before the beer garden closes on Oct 31st. After that it is back to cans only as the way of obtaining some of their very drinkable beer

Brews Sampled:

  • Civil Code, Märzen, 5.7% ABV
  • Amicus Curiae, Kölsch, 4.5% ABV
  • Offshore Trust, Tropical IPA, 5.1% ABV

Play the audio podcast on our players above…or your favorite smartphone podcast app…we have a direct link to iTunes for iPhone users below…and lots of other links on the sidebar, including Spotify!

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Pubcast 358 – Erik Pizer of Milk Money Brewing

Milk Money Brewing was a victim of the Covid pandemic insomuch as it delayed their opening and when they did open, it wasn’t the ‘hurrah’ that normally accompanies a new brewery opening. Erik Pizer is the brewer at the LaGrange location, and in this episode we hear from him about his beers and what Milk Money is doing to set itself apart from other brewpubs.

Ken McMullen and The Brit sample some of his brews, and the great food that is being served up. Erik has managed to produce a great range of classic and new styles, and The Brit finds a pal who also doesn’t like coconut in beer! We recommend a trip to LaGrange for brews and dinner! Cheers!

Brews Sampled:

  • Queen Takes Pawn, English Bitter, 5% ABV
  • LaGrange Lager, American Lager, 4.2% ABV
  • Milk Money, Milk Stout, 7.5% ABV
  • Amai, Witbier, 4.9% ABV

Here’s a link to the YouTube channel 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 Google Play for Android users:

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Pubcast 356-4 – Zoomin’ To Idaho – Jerry Larson of Mad Swede Brewing

We get two Scandinavian’s for the price of one on this edition…well, at least one who was born there, and one who has Swedish descent! It’s the latter we are focusing on in Part 4 of our Idaho brewery series, as we meet up with Jerry Larson who is the driving force behind Mad Swede Brewing.

The beer we are sampling is perfect for the colder weather, and you could say it was ‘awesome’…yes it’s a robust oatmeal porter called Helm of Awe. We chat with Jerry about his background, his brewery, and of course his beers. We’ve sampled several in past podcasts and all of them are fantastic, including the GABF medal winner, Naked Sunbather. Mark Naski is there to keep Jerry company, and thanks to him for setting all this up. We had a little issue with the sound in some places, so bear with us this time round. Skål!

Here’s a link to the video on our YouTube channel –  

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 Google Play for Android users:

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Pubcast 356 – Zoomin’ To Idaho – Part 2 – Sean Pletcher of Clairvoyant Brewing

In Part 2 of our series featuring 5 Idaho craft breweries, we travel East across town to Boise’s West side and land up at Clairvoyant Brewing, where we meet with brewmaster Sean Pletcher. Beer aficionado Mark Naski is on hand again to help The Brit find out about the feature beer, a Vanilla Russian Imperial Stout that has all the impact but is light in body. Sean tells us about the brewery, what is being drunk on tap, and gives us a whirlwind tour of the location. It’s a dog-friendly, neighborhood brewery and taproom that is making an impression on the locals, and certainly on The Brit after he samples the brew. Cheers!

Here’s a link to the video on our YouTube channel –

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 Google Play for Android users:

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