This edition of the podcast is a little different as we are interviewing the interviewers, and talking beer with Tom White and Jack Muldowney who are 2/3rds of The Hop Review, one of the predominant online beer websites based in Chicago. Nick Costa was MIA, and makes up the trio of beer enthusiasts who are responsible for bringing outstanding interviews with all the stars from the brewing world. As their home page states, The Hop Review  “…gathers the best stories & perspectives of craft beer through interviews, photography & travel.”

Tom lives in the brewing capital of Michigan, Grand Rapids and is an ex-pat Brit and Certified Cicerone. Jack is a Certified Beer Server and runs a design business over on the north side of Chicago, Ken McMullen is my co-host and reports in from darkest Naperville, so The Brit, Phil Clark, connected everybody up via phone lines and the cloud for a conversation recorded in the Brit and Yankee pub studio.

We find out how The Hop Review was started, how they manage to get interviews with some of the brewing world’s best, what some of their favorite interviews were, what they are drinking now, a short debate on the hazy trend, and Tom tells us what it takes to become a Certified Cicerone. Also, Tom works for Collective Arts Brewery out of Canada and we hear what they have to offer here in the States, and that leads to opinions on ‘best by’ dates, which segues to a chat on the beer festival they sponsor, Ultra Fresh, to be held on June 25. Then the lads provide us with their view on the UK craft beer scene as they have published a couple of interviews with brewers from across the pond.

It’s a fascinating chat with the talent behind one of the best craft beer websites, and we encourage you to head over and sign up for their weekly newsletter and check out some of their interviews.

Our interview brews:
Tom White – Collective Arts, Hamilton ON, Jam Up The Mash, Dry Hop Sour, 5.2%
Jack Muldowney – Grist House, Pittsburgh PA, Outrun Cowboy, Pilsener, 5.0%
The Brit – Lindemans Faro, Belgian lambic, 4.5%
Ken McMullen – Avery Brewing, Boulder CO, The Reverend, Belgian-style Quad, 10%

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Within the past three months, East Dundee has become home to one of the newest breweries in Illinois, Black and Gray Brewing. Owners Chris and Theresa Kennedy, have given the north-western suburbs a little gem, as The Brit found out recently when he headed out to talk with Chris, aka ‘No Hair Chris’. Joining them was Chris’s brewing partner, Chris Contesso, aka “Long Hair Chris’.

The evening was sunny and warm, following a rather tempestuous band of weather that had swept across the area, and we decided it was too nice to be inside so we set up the mics on the beautiful outside patio. Despite a few passing cars, we found out about their story, and more importantly, we sampled the brews on offer.

Each one sampled was found to be classic, brewed correctly, and just plain delicious; how they achieved this on the small system they have lends testament to some brewing expertise that these guys possess. Chris and Chris talk to The Brit about why they brew the beers they do, their background, and what lies in the future for Black and Gray, plus The Brit gets a lesson in Revolutionary history.

We recommend a road trip out there, or maybe a bike ride on the Fox Valley bike trail. The downtown area has plenty of great restaurants to get food from, and then head over to enjoy it with a flight or a couple of pints from Black and Gray. Thumbs up!

Beers Sampled:

• Farmhouse, Cream Ale, 4.7% ABV 17 IBU
• Das Kolsch, Kölsch, 4.9% 25 IBU
• Zephyr, California Common,
• Minuteman, NEIPA, 6.6%

Full Tap list here.

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This is the final report from the Beer Under Glass festival that started the Craft Beer Week here in Chicago, and the sampling is taking it’s toll on The Brit! Despite that, the team manage to keep him pointing the mic in the direction of brewers, and in this edition we first head out to the further reaches of the park, and find Dan Rosenberg from MyGrain Brewing.  As always he brings beers to  sample that are based on the classics, and taste amazing.

We get attacked by our next interviewee, Sean Curry, one of the co-founders at Sketchbook, who are sharing a booth with Dan, so we have to head over there and find out about the expansion plans for them. Plus there’s a Mexican Lager on hand to sample.

Our final segment is back in the conservatory and at the Goose Island booth, where brewer Dan Floyd is kind enough to step back from his pouring duties and provide his views on their place in craft beer and talk about some of their classics.

We had a great time there, it’s a recommended festival for next year, where the Illinois Craft Brewer’s Guild can showcase some of their best and newest breweries. Drink Illinois!

Day 5, and the Garfield Conservatory and grounds are now packed with attendees, but we’re still finding the stars of Chicago brewing. Today we talk with Marc Wilson ahead of the Oswego Brewing first anniversary and we get a sneak peak of their anniversary brew, Daguerreotype, and a clean-shaven Cory Davidson from Miskatonic astounds everybody as they don’t recognize him.

Then it is over to Riverlands booth, and The Brit tries to chat with brewer and Tottenham supporter Dave Marck, but co-host Ken McMullen decides to give us both a lesson hazy IPA production!

And last in this edition, it’s a chat with David Files from Energy City, who are probably the most well-known of the Hazy IPA producers, and we talk about why that is, and The Brit tries one of their brews with a new adjunct, cardamon. By now it is really busy, so the crowd noise is ever-present!