While most of the Chicago craft beer scene are downtown at FOBAB 2017, we headed over to Roselle and checked out the new Pollyanna Brewing location, Pollyanna’s Roselare. Nestled along the train tracks, they’ve taken an old building and turned it in to their location for wild and sour ales. But that’s not all that you’ll find there – they have 24 taps of wild and sours and all the Pollyanna favorites.
The Brit headed out there on their ‘soft’ opening day, which by the end of the evening was really humming with a full house of punters. We pulled head brewer Brian Pawola aside and spoke with him about some of his new brews, and the new brewing styles they will be exploring. I also went into the brewing area and chatted with owner and brewery operations head, Ed Malnar.
Listen in and then head out there and experience it for yourself. Cheers!
Play the show from our player below, or from SoundCloud…
Once upon a time begins all good fairy tales, but in the case of Asheville NC brewery, Wicked Weed, has the fairy tale come to an end? At the beginning of 2017, this was one of the new craft breweries who other independents were clamoring to collaborate with, and which was a destination brewery for many outside of North Carolina. Their brews were new, exciting, and highly-prized. But then at the beginning of May, A-B announced the purchase of Wicked Weed, who would join their High End business unit along with Illinois mainstay Goose Island and many others.
This began a vilification of Wicked Weed among independent breweries and craft drinkers alike. Taprooms stopped selling their beer, collaborations ended, and craft beer drinkers posted to their blogs that they would never drink another Weed again.
The Brit had already got Wicked Weed on his list of breweries to visit when he and the lovely Kimberlee, headed down to Asheville for vacation at the end of May. Was the fuss warranted? Would the brews be forever damaged? Should an embargo continue on this brewery? The Brit and Yankee Pubcast has assembled a panel of consumers and brewers in this edition to find out. Joining The Brit are Hopvine brewer Ken McMullen, Church Streets’ Chuck Fort, Midwest Brewer Fest President Kevin Herbst, and pal of the show, Tom Ryan.
Our panel
Chuck lights the way
First pour vs bottom
We have 4 Wicked Weed brews to sample while we chat, and of course as this was recorded at the Brit and Yankee Pub studio, there’s plenty of other topics covered, and a bonus beer sampled at the end.
Wicked Weed brews sampled: Garcon de Ferme, Brettanomyces Farmhouse Ale Fermented with Peaches, 6.2% Medora, American Sour with Blackberries and Raspberries, 6.6% Marina, American Sour Ale with Peaches and Apricots, 6.5% Rubus Viola, Barrel-Aged American Sour Ale Fermented with Boysenberries and Violet, 7.6%
The original co-host of the podcast, The Yankee, has returned from the wilds of Ohio and has brought some brews with him, a couple of which are guaranteed to challenge the taste buds of the Brit. It’s that time of year when those darn spiced pumpkin beers sneak out the dark corners of breweries, and we have a couple to taste.
But first as our lead in brew, we’re drinking Surly’s Coffee Bender, just to get out senses tuned up.
Then we get into a beer style that might not be anyone’s first choice, a shandy from Hoppin’ Frog. Couple that with a brew that snuck in (cos the Yankee thought it came from Ohio) from Clown Shoes, and we have the makings of a bumper edition and an evening of tasting and good old pub chat which is what we love!
The Brit also pulled out a bonus beer that had to make up for, and clear the palette of those spiced ales, from the folks at Innis & Gunn, an Oak aged beer, hopped bourbon cask ale.
This episode is kinda like Part 2 of last weeks’ show, where Mark Naski has brought back more beers from Idaho, and we have 2 from his new favorite watering hole, Bella Brewing. Joining us for this tasting session is tavern owner John, and listener and friend of the show, Lisa. We also throw in an Instant Brew Review from one of our favorite breweries in Missouri, O’Fallon. In this session there is a Brit flavor to 2 of the beers, and The Brit learns a north country word he didn’t know.
