All posts by Landlord

Pubcast 353 – Phil Castello of Side Lot Brewery

American Pale Ale, Belgian Tripel, Black IPA, Brewery, Craft Beer, Pils

Just like corner taverns, small craft breweries are key communal locations for some neighborhoods, even more so in these days of social distancing and closed bars. Side Lot Brewery in Wauconda IL is one of these craft breweries, who under the guidance of owner/brewer Phil Castello, continues to produce a variety of great style offerings, and has adapted their outside beer garden for safe consumption.

This video / audio edition, recorded via Zoom, visits with Phil to find out more about his brewery, his beers, how they help support local events and organizations. Ken McMullen from Hopvine Brewing joins The Brit to sample and discuss 4 Side Lot brews, a complimentary sample 4-pack of which will be provided to one lucky person!

As The Brit is also a ‘Phil’, he becomes English Phil, and Phil Castello is Italian Phil, and not to be left out, Ken claims the name Irish Ken.

Note:   The drawing is open from 5pm, Nov 11 2020 to Midnight, Nov 16 2020, and the rules are laid out by English Phil at the start of the recording. All you need to do is listen for the “Magic Phrase”! If you are listening past the closing date, then never mind and carry on about your day…the offer expired!

Brews Sampled:

    • Philsner, German Pilsner, 5.5% ABV
    • Yours, Mine + Ours, APA, 6% ABV
    • Vibranium, Black IPA, 6.5% ABV
    • Jimmy The Weasel, Belgian Tripel, 10% 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 Google Play for Android users: 

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Pubcast 352 – Winter Is Coming: Beer Styles for the Winter

Craft Beer

This week we are providing an alternative to election coverage with our edition discussing winter beer styles that we are drinking. Recorded via Zoom and joining The Brit on the tasting panel are 3 head brewers and 3 Covid hair styles! Providing their choices for brews they like to drink as we head into the colder months are co-host Ken McMullen from Hopvine Brewing, occasional co-host Chuck Fort from Church Street Brewing, and completing the lineup and special guest, Eric Bramwell from Riverlands Brewing.

We each selected 2 beer styles that tickle our taste palates during this change of seasons, and chat about why and find out if some of these might be on the brewing calendar. Ken pulls out some recently received malt samples and how he goes about selecting which ones he might want to try in a pilot batch, plus Chuck suggests brewing up a barley tea to get some of the taste profiles.

Great fun and all in the safety of our own socially distanced environments! Cheers!

Brews Sampled:

  • Smoked Porter, 6.5% ABV, Alaskan Brewing Co, Juneau AK
  • Nut Brown Ale, 7.2% ABV, D and G Brewing, St. Charles IL
  • Wicked Googly, 10% ABV, Barleywine, Riverlands/Hopvine/Brit & Yankee Collab
  • Old Order 10 (2017), 10% ABV, Barleywine, Solemnn Oath Brewing, Naperville IL
  • Holy Moly, 7.5% ABV, BBA Milk Stout, Church Street Brewing, Itasca IL
  • English Cardinal, 9.4% ABV, Barleywine,  Käretäs Brewing, Itasca IL
  • Hoppy Grinchmas, 8.1% ABV, Imperial Red Ale, Riverlands Brewing, St. Charles IL
  • Premium Dunkel, 4.8% ABV, Munich Dunkel, Warsteiner Brauerei, Warstein Germany

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 Google Play for Android users:

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Pubcast 351 / Virtual Happy Hour – Jon Lambert of Hairy Cow Brewing

Brewery, Craft Beer, Cream Ale, Helles Lager, Russian Imperial Stout

This edition takes us out to Byron, IL (virtually) and a brewery situated along the Rock River. Hairy Cow Brewing has been open for just over 2 years, and partner/head brewer out there is Jon Lambert. Jon joins The Brit, Phil Clark, and his co-host, Ken McMullen from Hopvine Brewing on a Zoom call to chat about Hairy Cow, and sample some of his brews.

We find out what exactly Hairy Cows are, Jon’s background, and how his beers are brewed to reflect  the tastes of the area. The styles are classic, but he is now starting to branch out into a new barrel program, and because one of the other partners likes them, sours are on the horizon! We finish up by sampling an unpronounceable Russian Imperial Stout, that drinks very smoothly despite it high ABV. Oh, and we should also mention that the deck overlooks the Rock River, and they serve fantastic artisan pizzas!

Brews Sampled:

  • Turtle Tree, Cream Ale, 4.9%
  • Bloody ‘elles, Helles-style Lager, 5.5%
  • Slainte Mhath, Russian Imperial Stout, 11%

Our YouTube video…(available as of 4pm 9/11/2020 CST)

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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Pubcast 350 / Virtual Happy Hour – Rabid Brewing

Brewery, Craft Beer, Fruited Sour, Russian Imperial Stout

Raiye, Tobias and Max form the backbone of this brewery and we chat with them about their beers and the ‘mythical’ theme to their brewery. The Brit is joined by brewer Ken McMullen (live from his Hopvine brewhouse) and we taste a few of the Rabid offerings, including a lactose IPA with the polarizing name of Dripping Teats!

Brews Sampled:

  • Mystis, Fruited Sour with Meyer Lemons and Michigan Blueberries, 4.4%
  • Hexed, Blackberry Apricot Ale, Fruited Sour, 5.8%
  • Dripping Teats, Lactose IPA, 7/1%
  • Hemogoblin, Chocolate Blood Orange Wheat, 7%
  • Manticore, Kveik Russian Imperial Stout, 11%

Sorry about the video quality on this episode, but these days we take what we can, based on the imposed social restrictions! Cheers!

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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It seems we have found a way to keep producing content through the Zoom conferencing application, while still maintaining our inside social distancing requirements. So, through the magic of technology we present this edition of our virtual happy hour series in which we head down to the southern suburb of Homewood, and visit with the splendidly named Rabid Brewing, and three awesome folks.

Raiye, Tobias and Max form the backbone of this brewery and we chat with them about their beers and the ‘mythical’ theme to their brewery. The Brit is joined by brewer Ken McMullen (live from his Hopvine brewhouse) and we taste a few of the Rabid offerings, including a lactose IPA with the polarizing name of Dripping Teats!

Brews Sampled:

  • Mystis, Fruited Sour with Meyer Lemons and Michigan Blueberries, 4.4%
  • Hexed, Blackberry Apricot Ale, Fruited Sour, 5.8%
  • Dripping Teats, Lactose IPA, 7/1%
  • Hemogoblin, Chocolate Blood Orange Wheat, 7%
  • Manticore, Kveik Russian Imperial Stout, 11%

Sorry about the video quality on this episode, but these days we take what we can, based on the imposed social restrictions! Cheers!

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:

Apple podcasts badge