The Brit and Yankee Craft Beer Podcast

Pubcast 401 - The Brewers Palette of Hop Harmony at Tonality Brewing

Mundelein IL is home to Tighthead Brewing [http://www.tightheadbrewing.com/], who have been around for over 12 years, and now joining them is one of our newest Illinois breweries, Tonality Brewing [https://www.tonalitybrewing.com/]. Tony Bena is co-founder and head brewer, and the podcast crew headed up north to find out more about TBC and sample some of his current tap list. Set in a building which they have completely gutted and renovated, TBC also features a full restaurant menu, and an ‘artistic’ theme that changes from month to month. The Brit and co-host Ken McMullen (Fox Republic Brewing [https://www.foxrepublicbrewing.com/]) visited on a Monday when the taproom was closed, and talked with Tony about his brewing roots and the dynamics of starting a brewery.  Then the conversation somehow turned to T-shirt quality and merch. We hear Tony’s views on adjuncts, why he loves coffee and his dislike for Rauch beers, the dart league at TBC, and we find out what he likes to listen to while he’s brewing. We found the tap list to be solid and classic, and while we couldn’t try the food on this visit, we think it is worth a trip out there based on the menu options and beer quality. Cheers! Beers Sampled: * Analog Kolsch, Kölsch, 5.7% ABV * Ruby Amber Waves, Amber ale,  5% ABV * Dubbel Damage, Belgian Dubbel 6.9% ABV * Crepuscular, Russian Imperial Stout, 12% ABV * Minted Crepuscular, Russian Imperial Stout with mint, 12% ABV Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://⁠www.thebritandyankee.com [Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://⁠www.thebritandyankee.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ... for pictures and more! Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/BritAndYankeePodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube channel - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://youtu.be/6QreGGD2CrM]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for pictures and more! Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/BritAndYankeePodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/BritAndYankeePodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠] YouTube channel - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://youtu.be/6QreGGD2CrM [https://youtu.be/6QreGGD2CrM]

Pubcast 400 - THANKS to Our Listeners and The Brewers!!

This weeks' episode is a retrospective of our show and some of the milestones in our first 399 shows. It's thanks to all our listeners who keep us recording each episode, and thanks to all the brewers who have given their time to talk to us. Plus thanks to all my co-hosts along the way, especially the 'original' Yankee, Lingo! We've drunk a bunch of brews on our journey, and the last 17 years have been a blast, so we'll keep podcasting as long as we can.  The first podcast was published in Oct 2006 (Pubcast #1 [http://www.thebritandyankee.com/pubcasts/BritandYankee-Show1.mp3]), back in 'Phase 1' of podcasting history. With the 'original' Yankee, my chum Mike 'Lingo' Lingafelter, we decided we would like to bring a little 'pub chat' to the internet. We had a different theme tune and a different approach to the show, with more variety, music, and full production segments, but still sampling beers along the way. The first beers we drank were Blue Goat Doppelbock from New Holland Brewing, and a Double Pale Ale from He'brew. Like us, New Holland is still going strong, but He'brew closed, then relaunched in 2022. In Nov 2009 and Pubcast #51 [https://www.thebritandyankee.com/pubcasts/BritandYankee-Show51.mp3], we recorded a show at the legendary, but now gone, John's Tavern in Winfield IL. There we first met with a man who was soon to become a good friend and co-host for the show, Mark Naski.  Mark was a genius when it came to his knowledge of brewing and beer styles, and was instrumental in making the podcast change into what it has become today. He taught us so much about craft beer, and along the way helped a local brewery with advice about their recipes. Sadly Mark was taken from us in 2021, and we miss him dearly. In December 2010, The Brit recorded the first brewery remote when he visited Oskar Blues in Longmont CO., and experienced Ten Fidy on tap for the first time. In 2013, the boom of the craft beer industry, we really started to visit breweries for interviews with the brewers. Some of our first recordings were with breweries that are still around today such as Tighthead Brewing [http://www.tightheadbrewing.com/] (Pubcast#103 [http://www.thebritandyankee.com/pubcasts/BritandYankee-Show103.mp3]), Church Street [https://www.churchstreetbrew.com/] (Pubcast#107 [http://www.thebritandyankee.com/pubcasts/BritandYankee-Show107.mp3]), and Penrose Brewing [https://penrosebrewing.com/] (Pubcast#110 [http://www.thebritandyankee.com/pubcasts/BritandYankee-Show110.mp3]). It was after show 161 that we really started to focus on brewery and brewer interviews, when the Illinois craft beer scene was really starting to grow. Our first collaboration brew was with Hopvine Brewing [https://www.hopvinebrewingcompany.com/] and brewmaster Ken McMullen. It was an English pale ale called HMQ90 (Pubcast #198 [http://www.thebritandyankee.com/pubcasts/BritandYankee-Show198.mp3]), brewed to celebrate the 90th birthday of Queen Elizabeth II, with a recipe from Mark Naski. Ken has since gone on to become another good friend and current co-host of the show, and moved over to help start Fox Republic Brewing [https://www.foxrepublicbrewing.com/]. Chuck Fort, Sr. Brewing Consultant (but then brewer) at Church Street Brewing [https://www.churchstreetbrew.com/], also joined the crew first as a regular guest and then by Pubcast #243, as co-host. Both Chuck and Ken continue to bring a wealth of industry knowledge...plus they're really good chums! We experimented with video back in 2018 with a beer review show recorded at Church Street Brewing, (Barrel of Monks Beer Review), and the result was 'simple' at best. We then started up our YouTube channel [http://youtube.com/channel/UC35x5_KdeEQQwhTva8IWAwg] in 2020 as a result of the Covid pandemic shutting down our ability to have face-to-face contact with people. Like many others, we used Zoom to chat with brewers on our Virtual Happy Hours [https://youtu.be/gPMPkPXK0WM], and then used the medium to continue reviewing brews, and then test brewers' palates with a Blind Taste Challenge [https://youtu.be/8ZLWBUZ8LBY] series. And that brings us up-to-date where today we try to go out and interview as many brewers at their breweries as time permits. Here's a link to a page [https://www.thebritandyankee.com/brewery-interviews/] that lists all our featured brewery interviews. Here's to the next milestone of 500, and here's to the craft beer industry and those hard working brewers!!  CHEERS! Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.thebritandyankee.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [//www.thebritandyankee.com] for pictures and more! Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/BritAndYankeePodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.facebook.com/BritAndYankeePodcast] YouTube channel - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://youtu.be/6QreGGD2CrM [https://youtu.be/6QreGGD2CrM]

Pubcast 399 - Jon Miller of Bubblehouse Brewing

Since 2021, Lisle has been home to Bubblehouse Brewing [https://www.bubblehousebrewing.com/], and when we asked the craft beer community in the Chicago area where we should visit for our next interview, the Bubblehouse 'popped' up as a favorite. The Brit and co-host Ken McMullen (Fox Republic Brewing [https://www.foxrepublicbrewing.com/] brewmaster) headed over there and sat down with Jon Miller, Head Brewer and co-Founder, to discover more about this very popular brewery and taproom! With a highly varied tap list, and a decor that is eclectic and welcoming, Jon and his wife have managed to create a place that the community can come together for conversation and good beer. We find out how the name came about, and how Jon started his journey in brewing like so many other brewers did, by buying a kit from the homebrew shop in St. Charles IL, our friends at Broken Brix [https://homebrewshopltd.com/]. And there's a connection to Ken, as Jon took some of the Business of Craft Beer [https://cod.edu/academics/continuing-education/career-professional-training/food-beverage/craft-beer/index.html] classes at College of DuPage, which Ken is now teaching some of the course topics. The Bubblehouse taproom is also home to a board game evening, and a game we'd never heard of, Crokinole [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crokinole], which Jon describes as the "perfect pub game". What is it? Tune in and find out, together with plenty of other conversation around the state of the industry and how Bubblehouse keeps their customers coming back for more of their great brews.  Cheers! Beers Sampled: * Isle of Lisle, Mexican Lager, 4.6% ABV * All Together Now, Altbier, 5.0% ABV * California VooDoo, West Coast IPA, 6.5% ABV * Origami Binoculars, Schwarzbier, 5.3% ABV * Advantage of Absence, BA American Barley Wine, 8.5% ABV * 10 Second Hug, Hazy DDH IPA, 6.0% ABV Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.thebritandyankee.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [//www.thebritandyankee.com] for pictures and more! Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/BritAndYankeePodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.facebook.com/BritAndYankeePodcast] YouTube channel - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://youtu.be/6QreGGD2CrM [https://youtu.be/6QreGGD2CrM]

Pubcast 398 - A Safe Haven for Hops at Harbor Brewing

In this episode we venture back up to Lake County and the village of Lake Villa, where we visit with a brewery that has been in existence for over 5 years, but seems to be a "best kept secret", at least from those in the southern suburbs!  Harbor Brewing Company [https://www.harborbeer.com/] is located just a short walk from the Metra station, a stop on the North Central Line, so accessible from Chicago. Plus they have a lakefront biergarten location in Winthrop Harbor that has their great brews and awesome views! Founder Kyle Wenzel and Head Brewer Adam Brose talk with The Brit and co-host Ken McMullen (Fox Republic Brewing [https://www.foxrepublicbrewing.com/]) about how they have kept people coming back again and again, building up a solid taproom following, and now doing well with their self-distro. With an impressive 24 tap selection on hand, there is something for all tastes, and we get to sample a few on the podcast. We check out the large event space and how this has helped them host regular events that bring in the local community. With a 'wall o' barrels' on one side they tell us about how they are getting their barrel program off the ground. And with the beer fest season starting up, Kyle talks about how he likes to attend these so he can actually meet and talk to the attendees who are trying his beer.  We find out about what they are viewing and listening to these days, and Ken has a tip for a new band he's been hooked into! Cheers! Beers Sampled: * Harbor Lager, American Lager, 4.3% ABV * Buffer Zone, Dunkelweizen, 5.2% ABV * Wintertide, Rye IPA, 6.6% ABV * Camp Nights, Brown Ale, 5.8% ABV Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.thebritandyankee.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [//www.thebritandyankee.com] for pictures and more! Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/BritAndYankeePodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.facebook.com/BritAndYankeePodcast] YouTube channel - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://youtu.be/6QreGGD2CrM [https://youtu.be/6QreGGD2CrM]

Pubcast 397 - The 7th Annual Barley Wine Show

It's hard to believe we have been recording our annual barley wine show for 7 years, but yes, we have shown this style some love since our first one was recorded in the now gone but not forgotten, legendary John's Tavern in Winfield. We have tasted and reviewed over 40 barley wines from across the USA, and this year we have another 7, plus 2 from the UK! This year, Art History founders, Tom & Cindy Rau, graciously agreed to allow us to record the show from their Geneva Lager Works production brewery location, and are part of our tasting panel, although Cindy comes along later as she has AHB biz to deal with! Joining them are co-host Chuck Fort from Church Street Brewing, Ed and Mike Seaman from the Broken Brix Fermentation Emporium, and ex-tavern landlord, John Karwoski. It's a panel of brewing experts who may or may not be familiar with the ancient style of barley wines. Listen in to hear what they have to say about the style, and then they'll arbitrarily rate their favorite one, with all due respect to all the others we taste! Cheers! The Lineup: * Barrel of Monks Brewing, Boca Raton FL. Trip Sitter, 7th Anniversary English Barleywine, 12% ABV Trip Sitter, 7th Anniversary BBA English Barleywine, 12.5% ABV * Harvey’s Brewery, Lewes, East Sussex UK 2013 Elizabethan Ale, English Barleywine, 7.5% ABV 2023 Elizabethan Ale, Sparkling English Barleywine, 7.2% ABV * Riverlands Brewing, St. Charles IL., J.A.M., American Barleywine aged for 24 months in Four Roses Bourbon Barrels. * New Image Brewing, Arvada CO., Wood Reserve Series: Port Scotch BA, American Barleywine, 13% ABV * Church Street Brewing, Itasca IL., Barley A Prophet, English Barleywine, 10% ABV * Prairie Street Brewing, Rockford IL., BBA American Barleywine, 12% ABV Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.thebritandyankee.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [//www.thebritandyankee.com] for pictures and more! Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/BritAndYankeePodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.facebook.com/BritAndYankeePodcast] YouTube channel - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://youtu.be/6QreGGD2CrM [https://youtu.be/6QreGGD2CrM]