| Played: 211 | Download | Duration: 00:43:51

Mike and Brad discuss why they still haven't made it to Portland, OR.  But they tell the tale of their backup plan.  They visit one of their new favorite breweries, Shorts Brewing Co. out of Bellaire, MI

Ok, so Brad and I....we missed our trip to Portland.  Again, we didn't make it to the Pacific Northwest to experience the greatness of the Oregon Brewers Festival .  We will make it someday, Portland.

BUT, that doesn't mean that just because we're from Chicago, we don't pay attention to what's going on in the beer scene in the western part of our country.   After hearing her interview on Beer O'Clock, I had to jump on the net and check out what Alison Grayson was telling the host Lisa Morrison.  Alison was telling her about the documentary she is currently working on. 


Trailer

Grayson moved from the East Coast to Portland, OR and discovered something.  The Portland beer community.  She instantly fell in love with it.  She later noticed something.  She wasn't the only woman drinking great craft beer when attending beer events and going out.  There were a lot of women who loved great beer.  Yet, within the brewing industry, it is a world greatly dominated by men.  

"For The Love of Beer" is a documentary that Alison decided to film.  It is a celebration and a look into the world of the women in the beer industry.  Following some of the most influencial and inspiring women of the beer world, Grayson gets into their lives to show their passion for beer as well as the personal side of why they do what they do.

I'm a sucker for most movies about beer.  But this one in particular caught my attention and I really want to see this project completed.  If you're passionate for great craft beer and the beer community itself, then check out the video for information on how you can help support the making of this movie .  No matter how small, any contribution you can spare will help Alison Grayson release this film!  So donate what you can, spread the word of the film, and raise a glass For The Love Of Beer !!!

Cheers!
Mike

We would like to take the time to thank Ashley Routson for showcasing us on her website  recently!
It was a lot of fun doing the interview and we really look forward to meeting up and having a beer with the Wench!!

Here are the pics to go along with our second episode about the 3rd Anual Founders Fest a few weeks ago in Grand Rapids, Michigan.










The Backwoods Bastard!!!




Mike


Brad with our friend Sam


A very nice turnout!


Beard Attack!!


Mike, ready for another beer


Brad - Metal or Hippie?  You decide


Founders Logo Dress

| Played: 201 | Download | Duration: 00:31:33

Mike and Brad went on a trip to Grand Rapids, Michigan.  In this episode they talk about beer, music, hippies, food, art, bars, and....yes, yes hippies.  The 3rd Anual Founders Festival at the Founders Brewery .

So, I was sitting around this wonderfully extended 4th of July weekend.  About to decide on what beer to pop open while I let the ole laptop load up.  I noticed in the back of the Dedicated Beer Fridge, I had a beer that I purchased a few weeks back that I had never tried before.  The ingredients used to make it was such a collaboration:  Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme.  A beer that I probably would have waited for to have with some spicy food perhaps.  I tend to lean on that side when enjoying such spicy beers.  Perhaps some good old 4th of July BBQ?  I might even like this beer with some sushi.  Mmm...Ok, before I make myself hungry here I need to finish this.

So what beer is this, Mike?  Ah, yes.  Ladies and Sirs.  I'm speaking of the Saison du Buff.  This beer is not brewed by just one brewery.  No.  This is a collaborative beer made by our favorites over at Dogfish Head (DE), Victory Brewing Co. (PA), and Stone Brewing Co. (CA)



"So wait a minute.  These 3 companies got together and made a beer together?  Aren't they competitors?  Why would 3 breweries make a beer, like they were friends or something?  You wouldn't see Budweiser, Miller, and Coors doing that."

Damn right, you wouldn't!!

And they aren't the only ones to work together like this.
Avery Brewing Co (CO) and Russian River Brewing Co (CA) both had a Belgian Ale that they named, "Salvation."  <Ding, Ding, DING!!!>  Let's get it on!!  You figured these two would fight it out, right?   No, no, no.....what they did was, each of them brewed up their version and decided to make a blend of the two for a special release and call it, "Collaboration, not Litigation Ale!"

Also, here in Chicago, it's been done.  Three Floyds (IN) and Half Acre Brewing (IL) got together and made a Helles Boch and called it "Invasion."  A mighty tasty beer I might add!  And they're not done working together either!  They just released an IPA this past weekend called, "She Wolf."  Hurry and grab some before I drink it ALL.

And I'm just touching the tip of the iceberg that is the list of collaborative beers being made.  Google "Collaboration Beer" and you'll find a great number of them out there.

This is why I am in love, not only with craft beer, but the craft beer industry itself.  Yes, these craft breweries are individual businesses trying to grow on their own.  Trying to compete against the larger macro breweries.  Fighting for shelf space.  Wanting to be discovered.  Wanting to convert the fizzy yellow water drinkers into craft beer drinkers.  So instead of disliking and competing each other, they work together.  They respect each other.  They are friends.  They drink together.  Because they know, what they need to accomplish as an industry.  They need to turn those tastebuds, (used to bland, plain, insipid watered down pilsners they see on tv or hear about on the radio) into curious, adventurous, and desiring beer drinkers.  Once those people have been converted, they will go out and explore all that the craft breweries of the world have to offer.  I'm a convert myself <GASP> ("Hello, my name is Mike, and 7 years ago, I used to drink Miller Lite."  "HELLO MIKE.  Welcome!")
I think we've all been there.  Most of us, our first beer was something that normally we might consider washing our dishes with these days.  That's ok.  We've seen the light.  We took the little Blue Pill and have left the Matrix of boring, bland, beer.

I just love the fact that these breweries work together as a community to do this.  Which is where I thought, "I wish I could be a part of a community like that.  Too bad I am only a very novice home brewer."

But wait, here I sit and type.  About beer.  I might not be a professional brewer, but writing about this, that's part of something right?  Of course it is.  I'm a Beer Blogger.  And man, I'm just a beginner.  There are bloggers all over the country, all over the world, that have been discussing their favorite topic of beer for a long time.  Then it hit me, "Man, I'm part of an awesome community too!"

I have a very strong list of Bloggers, video/podcasters, broadcasters, writers to thank for the inspiration to join this very exciting group.
So I'd like to give a few of the names of Blogs, Casters, Writers who have inspired me to come up with this list of Bloggers I'd Love to Have a Beer With Someday.  And some of them, I have.  But I've always gauged people this way...  "Do I dig that guy/girl?"
"Yeah, I'd totally have a beer with them!" 

So if you're on this list, it's a good thing!


 Brad Chmielewski and Ken Hunnemeder
As a new fan of their video podcast, Hop Cast , I've really enjoyed hearing/seeing their beer reviews and various interviews.   You will often find them talking about a hard to find brew from the other side of the country, giving you updates on new breweries soon to open, a calendar of beer events.  Plus they're fellow Chicago guys, so you know they're cool.   Definitely check out their web site , follow the show on Facebook, and on Twitter.

And I'd like to take this time to make note of a few individuals who are stepping it up in what is considered a male dominated industry.  The ladies...

Christina Perozzi and Hallie Beaune
These two women are based in Los Angeles.  They are best known for co-authoring their first book, "The Naked Pint: An Unadulterated Guide to Craft Beer" .  I have just recently picked this book up.  I'm halfway through it and I will say this, if you think you know a lot about beer, these ladies still have a lot to teach you.  Not only is this book a great way to learn about the various styles, flavors, and textures of the endless choices of beer out there.  But they also teach the beginner or novice of the craft beer world, that beer is a sophisticated rival to any wine.   They show you how to pair your beer with food.  And they debunk the misconceptions that one might have when thinking about that big, scary, dark beer that you might be too intimidated to try.  It's a great, down to earth view of craft and artisan brews from two very intelligent beer sommeliers.  Christina and Hallie provide their expertise from work as beer educators, writers, bloggers, and authors.  They have worked together on sold-out beer dinners at critically acclaimed L.A. restaurants like Rustic Canyon Winebar & Seasonal Kitchen, which was featured in The Celebrator Magazine.
They can be followed on Facebook and on their website, The Beer Chicks.

Ashley Routson
Ashley is best known as The Beer Wench .  According to her blog, she's been running it about 2 1/2 years now and has accomplished quite a bit.  Things we like about the Wench:
1.  One of her favorite beers is the Bell's Two-Hearted
2.  Seems to have a punk rock attitude about beer.
3.  She went to Ohio State University (Go BUCKEYES!!)
4.  She seems to like bacon.  (Pssst, Ashley, in case you've never been to this site ...)
But Ashley is a Cicerone Certified Beer Server and is currently pursuing her Cicerone Certification.  The most important thing she does, in my opinion, is her Featured Beer Blogger segment.  She has interviewed many different beer bloggers (Not me yet, hint hint) from all over the country.  Why is this important?  Because she's doing a great job of creating a sense of community.   Bringing us all together so that we can learn more about beer and spread more information out to more people.  In fact, she's also been named the Chief Blogger of this year's Inaugural Beer Bloggers Conference that will take place November 7-9th in Boulder, CO.  I will be attending so I really can't wait to learn as much as I can from her.
Follow the Beer Wench on Facebook and on Twitter  as well.

Lisa Morrison - AKA The Beer Goddess
Lisa is the host and producer of the Pacific Northwest's only weekly, one hour long commercial radio show about craft beer.  Beer O'Clock .  She is heard on Saturday's on KXL 750AM.  If you're not from the Portland, OR area, you can listen to the live stream on kxl.com or the podcast which is available weekly on iTunes.  I have been listening to Lisa for about 4 months now and just love her enthusiasm for the industry.  As a women in a male dominated industry, she has accomplished an amazing amount that ANY of us should strive for.  She has numerous columns in national magazines ("All About Beer," "Beer Advocate Magazine.")  She's also a contributor on a regular basis of several other publications (Cheers magazine, The New Brewer, Beer Northwest, Nightclub and Bar Magazine, Zymurgy and Ale Street News)  From her posts on Twitter  and Facebook , she sounds like she's ready to publish her first book as well.  Hopefully we'll see that coming out sometime this summer!

Well, that's it for now....I'm sure there will be more Beer Love in the future.  This is my way of doing a Collaorative in my community.  As a newbie, I wanted to throw out some thanks for influencing, inspiring and motivating me to write and talk about one of my favorite subjects.  Beer.
Go to the sites, facebook pages, and twitter accounts.....you will learn a lot!

Played: 212 | Download | Duration: 00:29:44

  Finally! Mike and Brad, on the mics...They talk about what the show is all about.  Great Craft Beer at kick ass craft breweries!!  This week, we visit the Half Acre Brewery and hit the tour!

Played: 168 | Download | Duration: 00:09:29

This is it!  Finally, a voice.  Well, kind of.  Not the official First Episode.  We're finishing up on the touches for the site, Facebook Page, Twitter Page, and logo.  Then Brad will join Mike behind the mics and go into the first brewery they visit.  Listen in while Mike gives you a little hint to things to come. 

This year I had the pleasure to return to Goose Island  as an invite to the MBA Reunion get together.

For those who have not had the pleasure of joining this elite group, allow me to explain. The Goose Island MBA Program (Master of Beer Appreciation) consisted of a list of the Goose Island beers brewed all year round.

As you drink them, your list gets checked off. For those of you beer chuggers, thinking you can join our group in a few short visits to the brewery's locations, think again. Along with the regularly brewed, year round beers, the seasonals are also a part of earning your "degree."

 

Anyways, you get it. Anyone who has earned their MBA has tasted a lot of great beers. Let's just leave it at that.

 

The think I'm most impressed about, is the class of this event. I'm not saying everyone's dressed in tuxes and gowns.

Think beer guts, t-shirts, jeans, shorts, sandals.....totally chill. Don't take this the wrong way...these are MY people!!  What I mean is that people who go here, appreciate their beer.

And the staff that put the event together and carry out the service, are top notch. The food was amazing. I especially loved the pesto chicken pizza, pretzel rolls filled with cheese.  The meats, cheeses, desserts.

SOOO good.

But the staff, always friendly, always smiling. Constantly refilling the empty trays of food for the late comers so that they don't miss out.

And of course, John Hall, owner, walking around personally thanking anyone not currently gorging on food for coming and appreciating all the hard work he and his staff do to make Goose Island what it is. A staple in the Chicago Beer Community.

 

Although this is all nice to hear and all, I know what you really want to hear about. The Beer.

 

So, I started with the Maple Bacon Stout.

 

Very dark. Before tasting, the smell alone was very smoky. I couldn't wait to see where the "bacon" name came from!

I'm a big fan of smoked beers, so I really liked the complexity of the smoked character mixed with maltiness and a slight hop character. 　

Next beer, I wanted to feed the hop craving I was having. So, I had the 22nd Anniversary Ale.

This was a very hoppy ale. Golden/Copper in color, it finished very clean. Not very dry in the end.

Had a very crisp character to it. Not sure of the alcohol content, but it felt like this could be a good session beer. Luckily, I moved on and didn't stick around too long to find out how strong it actually was.

 

I then proceeded to sample some foods and then back to the beers. Before my fun day ended, I got to sample a few more beers:

 

The Sovergn Bitter - Clean, crisp bitter style beer. Poured with a nice head of phone. Had hints of sour apples.

The Silly Goose - Poured a cloudy yellow with just a little head. The smells of spices and wheat created a sweet taste at first sip. But the after flavors, hinted bready characters.

FrankenPorter - This one was a dark, roasty smelling porter. As it poured with very little head, the thick appearance of the beer laced the glass very nicely. But when sipped, the feel of this beer was pretty clean. This one had a bit of a hop bite which created a dry feel at the end.

 

But I wanted to take the time to thank Goose Island, all the owners, brewers, and the staff that made this event another memorable, fun, and relaxing Sunday afternoon.

See Goose Island, That Cask Guy even decorates his home with your gear!!

Can you get your name on the plaques again if you go for another "degree?"

With Chicago Craft Beer Week coming to an end, I thought I'd go into what we did to celebrate great beer.  But then I thought, "Nah, let's save that for the first Podcask.  Brad and I will be recording this week and will have it out by the weekend (at least that's what we're shooting for).  But I didn't want to let anyone hanging all week, thinking we were in a beer coma of some sort.  I felt the urge to throw out a review. 

Man, I should dust my kegerator!


During an event held this week, I had a chance to have the Half Acre Double Daisy Cutter Pale Ale / Doble Cortador on cask.  I'll be reviewing both this tasting and what I've been able to purchase in bottles.

First, the cask version.  I went to Small Bar Fullerton  for the Rare Chicago Beer Event this past Wednesday.  It poured very cloudy, thick, and almost heading in the direction of dirty.  I don't say this as a bad thing.  I actually thought it was because of yeast, perhaps.  But instead of tasting yeast, BAM, you find out why there is a picture of a BOMB on the label of the bottled version.  VERY hoppy.  And that's what this guy.....no, not that guy.....over here....THIS GUY, likes!   The difference in taste from the cask version to the bottled minimal to me.  But the bottled version is less cloudy, clear and crisp looking.  Both were very bitter, with aromas of earthiness, hops, and fruit.  Very citrusy. Tart.   
It's very dry, due to the amount of hops added to this version of an already hoppy American Pale Ale.  I'm a big fan of the original which is 5.2% ABV.  Probably wouldn't be considered a session beer, but I've done my share of "sessioning" the heck out of it.  But don't try this with it's Hop Bully of a cousin.  Coming in at 8.5%, this is more of an American Double/Imperial IPA. 
According to Half Acre's Blog , they've used "reckless amount of pacific northwestern hops"

Kudos to you Half Acre .  You've done it again.  You've given me another beer to put up in the ranks of Three Floyds' Dreadnaught or Bells' Hop Slam.  On top of that, you've given me more reason to stay on top of what you guys are doing lately.  Always coming out with excellent beers and that makes my 20 min drive from the Ukrainian Village neighborhood worth it.  I'll be coming over for another tour soon!

P.S.  For those of you interested in trying this particular beer, go......GO NOW to the brewery and pick it up.  They're no longer doing growlers.  Only bottles.  And when it's gone, it's gone!!  I was told at their store that this is a one time thing for Craft Beer Week.  We don't know if we'll see it again so now's your chance!  It's worth the trip!

Mike

Nope, you can't have mine.  I'm going to drink this one and then I should dust.