Category Archives: Mild

192 – CCBW, Bittermann, and New Brews!

Craft Beer, Mild, Saison, Smoked Ale

Join the pub staff and guests, plus a full house of patrons as we closeout Chicago Craft Beer Week.  Our show is recorded from the The Brit and Yankee Pub studios and Mark and Phil welcome guests John Karwoski, and Mr. Illinois Beer, John Bittermann.
Reviewed brews segue from the last episode where we sample Brew Werks Farmhouse Contra, and then try beers that are from breweries in the Chicago suburbs and Illinois that we have not yet tried.

Our line-up looks like this:

Brew Werks, Plainfield Il – Farmhouse Contra, Saison, 6.4%, 24 IBUs, also available in a brew-your-own kit.  Special!

Hailstorm Brewing, Tinley Park, IL – 2nd Anniversary Brett Saison, 8% ABV, a Brett Saison with Black Currants  fermented in Oak wine casks.

​Crystal Lake Brewing, Crystal Lake, IL – Beach Blonde, Golden Lager,ABV: 5.3%, 18 IBUs.  A bronze medal winner in the “Muenchner-Style Helles” category at the 2016 World Beer Cup.

​White Oak Brewing, Normal IL – Me Llama Llama, English Mild Ale with Coffee, Vanilla, Cinnamon & Cocoa, ABV: 4.0%, IBU: 20

Scorched Earth Brewing, Algonquin, IL – Foraging Swine, Smoked Ale, 7.7% ABV, IBU 12, malty sweet and smoky ale.

It cheers from the crew to the great brews we are producing in this state!

Play the show from our player below, or from SoundCloud…

Pubcast 161 – John Bittermann – Illinois Beer Historian

Beer History, Craft Beer, Mild, Pubcasts

Mark and Phil start the podcast by discussing the Style of the Week, Mild, but don’t actually drink any – that’s up to Phil when he meets Illinois beer historian, John Bittermann.  What they do drink is a 51st Ward, Krispy Kascadian, and you find out why no Mild.

Meanwhile, at Hopvine Brewing, John and Phil are drinking Weekday Mild, and chatting about GABF, Illinois and Joliet beer history, and the Illinois beer scene in general.  It was a great pleasure meeting John who has wealth of knowledge and breweriana waiting to be shared!

Joliet John - Expert
Check out this article on John while you listen to the podcast!