We’ve been off on our vacation for a couple of weeks, but we’re back with a bumper show, and we’ve gathered together a rather special panel of brewers and consumers on this edition of the pubcast.

We have Ken McMullen, hosting our podcast at Hopvine, with Marc Wilson from Oswego, Chuck Fort from Church Street, and Brandon Wright from WerkForce, plus Pollyanna’s VP of Operations Ed Malnar, Kevin Herbst, and last but not least the original Yankee, Mike ‘Lingo’ Lingafelter.

We’re talking about the implications of recently passed HB 4897 (what!) that affects our Illinois brewing industry, and we hear what this really means to breweries and brewpubs. As we chat, we’re tasting beers from Tennessee that Ken collected during his May trip to the Craft Brewers Conference in Nashville, in May this year.  We also touch on 360 tabs, ICBG, craft beer demographics and politicians, IMBIBE, Brewer’s Association (BA), the price of beer, adjuncts, and much, much more.

It’s a bumper edition and an evening of ‘raw’ brewer talk, and backroom chat, so listen in and here from the guys who make the beer we love! And because Brandon and Ken love bluegrass, we’re playing segues from that genre!

Brews Tasted:
Hopvine, Bodacious Blonde Infusion, 5.9% ABV
Symposium beer for CBC Mockingbird Maibock, ABV 7.2%
Yazoo Brewing, Saison du Bois, ABV  5.7%
Blackstone Brewing, St. Charles Porter, ABV 5.8%
Wiseacre Brewing, Gotta Get Up To Get Down, Coffee Milk Stout, ABV  5%
Quaff On! Brewing,  Busted Knuckle, Ale, ABV 7.2%
Strawberry Blonde, American Blonde Ale, ABV 4.2%
Against The Grain, The Brown Note, Brown Ale,  ABV 5%

Bluegrass Music Segues:
The Joydrops, Not Drunk
Black Twig Pickers, Bushey Fork of John’s Creek
​Shake That Little Foot, Turkey in the Straw
Sam Hill, Tennesee Mine
M Shanghai String Band, Same Old Moon

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In this edition, friends of the show, Tim and Tom Stephenson bring over a selection  of cellar beers from their vast collection. We wanted to have them select a variety of styles but also include comparison years from a single vertical.

I called in a few ex-John’s Tavern punters, Jon Harlson and John Karwoski, with The Yankee, Lingo joining us mid-recording.  We embark on a trip through time, and what did we learn?  Were the beers worth keeping? Is there a finite time-frame within which you should crack it open and enjoy?

We do get a variety of opinions on the beer from no carbonation to cardboard, to disappointing and weak, to freaking over-the-top. Listen in and then take note that beers are meant to be drunk in a finite period, so don’t over-cellar and the ‘best by’ dates are meant to be adhered to in most cases!  And we culminate the show with one of the strongest beers we have tasted, and to quote John K, “…it will make your nose hairs curl!”

Beers Reviewed:
New Holland Brewing
Envious, 2010, Ale brewed with pear juice with raspberries added, aged in oak – 7.5% ABV

Left Hand Brewing Co
Imperial Stout 2007 Aged in Oak Barrels – 10.4% ABV
Imperial Stout 2009, Aged in Brandy Barrels – 10.2% ABV

Firestone Walker
Double DBA, Barrel aged Imperial special bitter, 2012 – 12% ABV
Velvet Merkin, Barrel aged Oatmeal Stout, 2013 – 8.5% ABV

Brewdog
Tactical Nuclear Penguin, Uber Imperial Stout, 2009, 32% ABV

Our summary, Left Hand IP 2009 seems to have aged the best, with a second place vote for the Penguin!

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This week, The Brit, Phil Clark, and The Yankee, Mike ‘Lingo’ Lingafelter, take a trip to Crete IL, and meet up with head brewer Steve Kamp from Evil Horse Brewing. We sat down in the expansive taproom with both Steve and his wife, Amy, to talk about Evil Horse, Steve’s background, and the historic building the brewery is located in.

We taste a sample of their brews that Steve selected, but The Brit had a special request to include one that is on the B & Y top ten brews to try, and we hear the correct pronunciation of the name. After our interview, we also enjoyed a pint of their American porter, Paxon the Ponyless, and we agree with Steve that chocolate notes are noticeable, but it proves to be a great all-year-round beer!

So, if you are looking for a nice destination brewery, with solid, mostly traditional style beers, you should head over to Evil Horse, and you won’t be disappointed!

Beers Reviewed:
Balmoral, Best Bitter (ESB), ABV 4%, 40 IBU
Sgt. Reckless, APA, ABV 5.5%, 45 IBU
Eyjafjallajökull, Russian Imperial Stout, ABV 12%, 98 IBU
Seggebruch, German-style Pilsner, ABV 5.6%, 44 IBU

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A slightly different episode this week, and recorded very much on the spur-of-the-moment. The Brit heads out to the pub deck, and sits down with his buddy and also remodeling contractor, Pete Kraft, to see if working at the Brit and Yankee pub these past few months on various projects and enjoying an after-hours brew from time-to-time, has influenced him to drink local craft offerings.

Pete was very much a Leinenkugel Shandy drinker in the past, and The Brit has introduced him to many local and Midwest brews to see if he can train his palette in a different direction. This week, as the projects come to an end, Pete visited a local Binny’s and selected a couple of craft brews to reciprocate with.  Although not Illinois brews, Pete selected based on his tastes and we get one selection from a well-established Colorado brewery and one from a Wisconsin craft brewery with a great reputation.

Hear this conversation and then decide if The Brit has been successful in promoting craft beer, and if there is now another convert to better beer!

If you need remodeling done then call Pete at Kraftwork – 847-878-9811

Beers Tasted:
Left Hand Brewing, Longmont CO – Nitro Milk Stout, ABV 6%
Central Waters Brewing, Amherst WI, Cassian Sunset, BBA Imperial Stout with coffee, vanilla beans and cinnamon, ABV 10.5%

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