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Click here to view the embedded video. Welcome to the Hop Cast, where Brad Chmielewski and Ken Hunnemeder share their love of craft beer with the world. On episode 290 of the Hop Cast, where Brad Chmielewski and Ken Hunnemeder get into the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day with a couple Red Ales. The first can the guys open up is the South Side Irish Red, a 5.50% ABV Irish Red Ale from Hailstorm Brewing Co. Then the guys move onto the Roundhouse IRA, a 7.5% ABV Red Ale from Bell’s Brewery. It’s always nice to have a new beer from a great brewery like Bell’s but this beer is 7.5% ABV and it goes down a little too fast, so watch out! Cheers and thanks for watching the Hop Cast! Having issues listening to the video? Try the Quicktime (1.39 GB) or subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or Stitcher.

Click here to view the embedded video. Welcome to the Hop Cast, where Brad Chmielewski and Ken Hunnemeder share their love of craft beer with the world. On episode 289 of the Hop Cast, Brad Chmielewski and Ken Hunnemeder open up two low ABV tall boys. It is always fantastic to see such well renowned breweries releasing crushable beers, especially as the weather is warming up. The first can the guys open up is the Half Acre Beer Company Tuna. This is a 4.5% ABV American Pale Ale and was previously called Golden Tuna before it was released in can. Half Acre continues to do no wrong with this release and this will likely become a main stay beer for both Brad and Ken. The question still remains if it pairs well with Tuna… After the Half Acre Tuna, Brad & Ken reach for a can from a brewery that recently entered the Chicago market; Toppling Goliath. Toppling Goliath pseudoSue has been a talked about beer for a couple years now and it’s nice to see they aren’t just a one hit wonder. The Toppling Goliath Tsunami is a 5.0% ABV American Pale Ale that is smooth, and has a very easy finish. Cheers and thanks for watching the Hop Cast! Having issues listening to the video? Try the Quicktime (842.2 MB) or subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or Stitcher.

Click here to view the embedded video. Welcome to the Hop Cast, where Brad Chmielewski and Ken Hunnemeder share their love of craft beer with the world. On episode 288 of the Hop Cast, Brad Chmielewski and Ken Hunnemeder open up a couple of canned craft beers. First up the guys open a can from a new-ish Illinois brewery, Noon Whistle. This can is their year round 5.0% ABV Cozmo Pale Ale. The falconer flight hops in this beer give off a very easy grapefruit nose. Although the brewery isn’t in Chicago, it’s a pretty easy drive for anyone looking to check out the space and it’s right next to the Whirlyball in Lombard, so that’s an extra bonus. After the Cozmo Pale Ale, Brad & Ken reach for a can from a brewery they are rather familiar with from out in California, Coronado. Chicago’s beer scene has exploded and sometimes these out of state breweries can get skipped over, which is too bad because Coronado’s Easy Up Pale Ale is excellent. Coming in at 5.2% ABV, the Easy Up has a bright hoppy taste that just makes you want to enjoy some afternoon drinking at the beach. Cheers and thanks for watching the Hop Cast! Having issues listening to the video? Try the Quicktime (1.36 GB) or subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or Stitcher.

Click here to view the embedded video. Welcome to the Hop Cast, where Brad Chmielewski and Ken Hunnemeder share their love of craft beer with the world. On episode 287 of the Hop Cast, Brad Chmielewski and Ken Hunnemeder try to warm up with a couple of stouts. Their first beer is from Wiseacre Brewing, a brewery that the guys are extremely excited to see arrive in Chicago. Wiseacre Brewing is brewing out of Memphis, TN but the brewer cut his teeth here in Chicago and has been on the Hop Cast a number of times. The guys dive into a can of Gotta Get Up To Get Down, a 5.0% ABV Coffee Milk Stout. If you’ve been watching the Hop Cast for awhile then you know that these guys love their coffee almost as much as their beer. Here the coffee is bold but not overpowering, making for a beer you can knock back quickly. Following up Wiseacre Brewing, Brad and Ken open up a couple bottles of Stone Brewing’s Xocoveza, an 8.1% ABV Mocha Stout. This beer was one that Brad remembered having last season and it was nice to see it back and in a wider release. Cheers & thanks for watching the Hop Cast! Having issues listening to the video? Try the Quicktime (2.01 GB) or subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or Stitcher.

Click here to view the embedded video. Welcome to the Hop Cast, where Brad Chmielewski and Ken Hunnemeder share their love of craft beer with the world. On episode 286 of the Hop Cast, Brad Chmielewski and Ken Hunnemeder are getting into the election spirit by… drinking. Both of these beers have a political or American theme to them so it made for a perfect combination. First up the guys open 5 Rabbit Cerveceria’s Chinga Tu Pelo, a 4.8% ABV American Blonde Ale. “Chinga Tu Pelo” which translates to “F**k Your Hair,” features a can with Donald Trump’s signature blonde hairstyle. This beer is solid, nothing fancy and nothing that you’ll find too objectionable. Following up the Blonde Ale, the guys move onto the Prairie ‘Merica from Prairie Artisan Ales. ‘Merica is a single malt, single hop Farmhouse Ale coming in at 7.5% ABV. Cheers & thanks for watching the Hop Cast! Having issues listening to the video? Try the Quicktime (1.57 GB) or subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or Stitcher.

Click here to view the embedded video. Welcome to the Hop Cast, where Brad Chmielewski and Ken Hunnemeder share their love of craft beer with the world. On episode 285 of the Hop Cast, Brad Chmielewski and Ken Hunnemeder  do something a little fun and different on this episode. The guys open up four beers from Schlafly Beer’s new Hop Trial SMaSH Pack. This is an experimental new variety pack featuring four distinct hops. The four beers are Hallertau Blanc (floral), Bramling Cross (spicy), Enigma (fruity), and Eureka! (piney). It’s really neat to try the same beer and see how a single ingredient can have a huge affect on it. The Hop Trial variety pack can be purchased at the Bottleworks or Tap Room locations as well as across Schlafly’s distribution area. If you see it, pick it up and have a tasting with some friends. Cheers & thanks for watching the Hop Cast! Having issues listening to the video? Try the Quicktime (487.9 MB) or subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or Stitcher.

Click here to view the embedded video. Welcome to the Hop Cast, where Brad Chmielewski and Ken Hunnemeder share their love of craft beer with the world. On episode 284 of the Hop Cast, Brad Chmielewski and Ken Hunnemeder are joined by Brad Stark. Stark has been on the show a number of times and it’s good to have him back to help talk about these Brett beers. First up the guys open up the Ryan And The Gosling, a collaboration beer between Evil Twin and Crooked Stave. It’s been a while since any of the guys had an Evil Twin beer, which is sad because they are always doing some interesting things. This 4.0% ABV beer was brewed at Westbrook Brewing Co ., It’s a 100% brettanomyces with citrus peel and with citrus juice added. Following that good looking beer, the guys move onto another they should have saved for a little longer. But saving beer isn’t all that fun, it’s way more fun to drink it. The Stone Enjoy After Brett IPA says to enjoy after 10.31.16. This is a Brett IPA, a style that hasn’t been as popular in the last couple years but we used to see more often. It says that this beer won’t be fully carbonated until that date on the bottle but the flavor is great. It would be interesting to see how this beer tastes after the date, so if you can hold onto it, do but don’t feel bad if you decide to pop the bottle early. Cheers & thanks for watching the Hop Cast! Having issues listening to the video? Try the Quicktime (1000 MB) or subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or Stitcher.

Click here to view the embedded video. Welcome to the Hop Cast, where Brad Chmielewski and Ken Hunnemeder share their love of craft beer with the world. On episode 283 of the Hop Cast, Brad Chmielewski and Ken Hunnemeder are cracking open a couple beers from Illinois. Both of these breweries are fairly new and it’s sometimes tricky to keep up with all the great beers they are brewing. If you’re in Chicago you may have had something from these breweries or you may have recently seen the Alarmist Brewing cans in the stores. First up in episode 283 is the Alarmist Brewing, Phobophobia Patersbier. Coming in at 4.8% ABV a Patersbier is sort of like a lawnmower beer for the Trappist Monks. It’s a perfect beer for all day drinking or just something to cooldown with. This is a really fun beer to see Alarmist Brewing because it’s not something you see from a lot of breweries. Next up, the guys move on to the Scorched Earth Exiled Angel. The Exiled Angel is a Belgian Strong Ale coming in at 7.9% ABV. Not having had much from these guys before, it was a real treat to give them a try. We love seeing what all our local breweries are up to in Chicago and if you can get your hands on either one of these, they are worth trying. Cheers & thanks for watching the Hop Cast! Having issues listening to the video? Try the Quicktime (579.4 MB) or subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or Stitcher.

Click here to view the embedded video. Welcome to the Hop Cast, where Brad Chmielewski and Ken Hunnemeder share their love of craft beer with the world. On episode 282 of the Hop Cast, Brad Chmielewski and Ken Hunnemeder are getting into the spirit of summer with a couple watermelon flavored beers. Fruit themed beers have become very popular ever since the Stiegl Radler (Grapefruit) exploded in popularity. Brewers are always looking for the next smash hit and this summer it seems like a lot of different breweries are looking towards watermelon. First up in episode 282 is the Wheatermelon from Odd Side Ales in Michigan. As we see in many of these fruit beers, the ABV is rather low which makes them a great session beer. The Wheatermelon comes in at an easy 4.0% ABV. The label on this beer is a bit scary but don’t let that turn you off. It’s a bit on the sweeter side but watermelon is such a light flavor that it’s often hard to pull off in small amounts. Following up the Odd Side, the guys move onto the Heavy Melon Ale from New Belgium. This beer takes a little different approach and is brewed with juicy watermelon and zesty lime peel. Coming in at 5.0% ABV, it’s slightly higher but very crushable. These are the sorts of beers you might want to dive into on a hot summer day. Cheers & thanks for watching the Hop Cast! Having issues listening to the video? Try the Quicktime (579.5 MB) or subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or Stitcher.

Click here to view the embedded video. On episode 281 of the Hop Cast, Brad Chmielewski and Ken Hunnemeder have a special guest joining them; Chad Boesdorfer. Since there was a special guest, the guys figured they’d step up the ABV a little bit. So, for this episode they are bringing out the Barleywines. The American Barleywine is one of the strongest of the beer styles. A beer of this strength and complexity can be a challenge to the palate, so it’s nice to have a third person to decode these delights. First up, the guys open the 10.5% ABV American-Style Barley Wine from The Fort Collins Brewery. This beer was brewed entirely with Columbus hops and then dry-hopped with El Dorado for a heavy but balanced mouth-feel. Following up this beast is the 11.0% ABV, Old Numbskull from AleSmith Brewing Company. There was a time when the guys seemed to be drinking a lot of AleSmith beers and it’s nice to give them a re-visit. Remember to share Barleywines with friends! Cheers & thanks for watching the Hop Cast! Having issues listening to the video? Try the Quicktime (482.3 MB) or subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or Stitcher.

Click here to view the embedded video. Welcome to the Hop Cast, where Brad Chmielewski and Ken Hunnemeder share their love of craft beer with the world. On episode 280 of the Hop Cast, Brad Chmielewski and Ken Hunnemeder open up a couple American Wild Ales. First up, the guys open the Skully Barrel No. 35 from Paradox Beer Company. This is also known as SALADITOS SALTED PLUM 2015. An 8.0% ABV beer featuring salted and dried plums. Described as a vibrant and piquant beverage meant to stimulate your mind and appetite. Which is perfect for the first beer of the episode. Following up the Saladitos, the guys reach for the Raspberry Sour from a brewery that they are very familiar with; Avery Brewing Company. This 6.5% ABV was aged in oak barrels and is quite different then the beers you usually see from Avery. Everyday more and more sour and wild beers are hitting the market. It can sometimes take a while for your taste buds to get used to the flavors but keep exploring and see what you find. Cheers & thanks for watching the Hop Cast! Having issues listening to the video? Try the Quicktime (539.6 MB) or subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or Stitcher.

Click here to view the embedded video. Welcome to the Hop Cast, where Brad Chmielewski and Ken Hunnemeder share their love of craft beer with the world. On episode 279 of the Hop Cast, Brad Chmielewski and Ken Hunnemeder are drinking a few local Chicago beers. First up, is the Maiden Voyage, a year round Rye India Pale Ale from Aquanaut Brewing. Aquanaut Brewing is still fairly new to the Chicago craft beer scene and their cans have only been on the shelves for a few months now. The guys have always been suckers for Rye beers and this 6.0% ABV beer doesn’t disappoint. Sticking with the local and Rye theme, Brad and Ken reach for the Miserable Rye from Marz Brewing. Marz has been making some great beers and really making a name for themselves on the south side of Chicago. If you’re outside of Chicago, these beers might be hard to get your hands on but if you ever do see them, be sure to give them a try. Cheers & thanks for watching the Hop Cast! Having issues listening to the video? Try the Quicktime (578.6 MB) or subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or Stitcher.

Click here to view the embedded video. Welcome to the Hop Cast, where Brad Chmielewski and Ken Hunnemeder share their love of craft beer with the world. On episode 278 of the Hop Cast, Brad Chmielewski and Ken Hunnemeder jump into a couple pineapple beers. With summer coming up, it’s always nice to grab a beer that’s refreshing and not just a hop bomb. First up, the guys open the Pineapple Kumquat Berliner Weisse from Perennial Artisan Ales. Brad and Ken have been long time friends with the guys from Perennial and they really make some fantastic beers. This 4.2% ABV Berliner Weissbier is fruity, tart and delightfully refreshing. Following up the Berliner Weissbier, the guys move onto a beer they are very familiar with; Pineapple Sculpin. This 7.0 % ABV IPA is available year round in 12oz bottles and on draft. Ballast Point has been all in on these fruit variations of their beers and it’s always a treat to give a new one a try. Cheers & thanks for watching the Hop Cast! Having issues listening to the video? Try the Quicktime (486.9 MB) or subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or Stitcher.

Click here to view the embedded video. Welcome to the Hop Cast, where Brad Chmielewski and Ken Hunnemeder share their love of craft beer with the world. On episode 277 of the Hop Cast, Brad Chmielewski and Ken Hunnemeder have ventured out of Illinois to check out the new Haymarket Brewery that will be opening in Bridgman, Michigan. Joining them on this episode are a couple of guys you might be familiar with Pete Crowley and John Neurauter. It seems like the guys have been in this situation before when they watched Haymarket Pub & Brewery in Chicago come together over five years ago. This is a big step for Haymarket as they grow and expand into distribution. Soon more people outside of Chicago can finally enjoy some of their award winning beers. Cheers & thanks for watching the Hop Cast! Having issues listening to the video? Try the Quicktime (1.18 GB) or subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or Stitcher.

Click here to view the embedded video. Welcome to the Hop Cast, where Brad Chmielewski and Ken Hunnemeder share their love of craft beer with the world. On episode 276 of the Hop Cast, Brad Chmielewski and Ken Hunnemeder are heading down to the Lickinghole Creek. Yes, you read that right. The brewery is called Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery in Virginia. First up, Brad and Ken open up the Magic Beaver, a 5.5% ABV Belgian Pale Ale. This beer was named after the Magic Beaver pond on the farms property. Following up the Magic Beaver, the guys taste ‘Til Sunset. Coming in at 4.70% ABV this is Lickinghole Creek’s Session India Pale Ale. This beer is generously hopped with American Centennial and dry hopped again with even more Centennial for a fantastic hop flavor profile. Cheers & thanks for watching the Hop Cast! Having issues listening to the video? Try the Quicktime (486.9 MB) or subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or Stitcher.

Click here to view the embedded video. Welcome to the Hop Cast, where Brad Chmielewski and Ken Hunnemeder share their love of craft beer with the world. On episode 275 of the Hop Cast, Brad Chmielewski and Ken Hunnemeder kick things off with a little coco loco cocktail before diving into a couple different chocolate stouts. The first beer the guys open up is the Chocolate Stout 5.30% ABV American Stout from Fort Collins Brewery. Subtle hop bitterness rounds out the character of roasted barley and chocolate malt in this beer. Fort Collins Brewery has been around for awhile and this is probably the beer you see most often on the shelves from them. Following up the Double, Brad and Ken open up the Arcadia Cocoa Loco Triple Chocolate Stout. Sadly this 7.0 % ABV stout wasn’t the Coco Loco the guys were really wanting. It also didn’t help that it was bottled in 2014. Which shows that you need to be looking at date codes when picking up beer are the store. Cheers & thanks for watching the Hop Cast! Having issues listening to the video? Try the Quicktime (597.4 MB) or subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or Stitcher.

Click here to view the embedded video. Welcome to the Hop Cast, where Brad Chmielewski and Ken Hunnemeder share their love of craft beer with the world. On episode 274 of the Hop Cast, Brad Chmielewski and Ken Hunnemeder pull out some extremely high alcohol beers. The first beer the guys dive into is one that they originally sampled on the Hop Cast way back in October of 2008. It’s rare that you see a beer re-visited on the Hop Cast but after five years, your pallet is likely to change and so may the beer, you are going to hopefully pick up some new and different flavors. Hair Of The Dog has been a talked about brewery for years and their Doggie Claws was one of Brad’s favorite beers for a very long time. Hair of the Dog Adam is a 10.0% ABV Old Ale and packs a punch. Following up this Old Ale, they open the Bourbon Barrel Aged Dark Star Oatmeal Stout from Fremont Brewing Company in Seattle. The Dark Star is a 14.50% ABV Oatmeal Stout and might be one of the bigger beers that have been on the Hop Cast in a long time.  The Dark Star is an Imperial Oatmeal Stout aged in 15 year-old Kentucky bourbon barrels and then is a blend of 24, 12, and 6 month bourbon-barrel Dark Star Cheers & thanks for watching the Hop Cast! Having issues listening to the video? Try the Quicktime (668 MB) or subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or Stitcher.

Click here to view the embedded video. Welcome to the Hop Cast, where Brad Chmielewski and Ken Hunnemeder share their love of craft beer with the world. On episode 273 of the Hop Cast, Brad Chmielewski and Ken Hunnemeder are back and opening a couple Midwest Milk Stouts. First up the guys dive into the Neapolitan Milk Stout from Saugatuck Brewing Company in Michigan. This 6.0 % ABV beer is one you need to try at least once. Overall, it’s pretty amazing that they are able to get all three flavors to come through in this beer. Following that up the guys move on to a 7.10 % ABV Milk Stout from 4 Hands Brewing called Absence of Light. This is their new and improved Peanut Butter Chocolate Milk Stout and still packs all the same flavors you loved. 4 Hands has several Milk Stouts they brew so they must be doing something right. Cheers & thanks for watching the Hop Cast! Having issues listening to the video? Try the Quicktime (614.5 MB) or subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or Stitcher.

Click here to view the embedded video. Welcome to the Hop Cast, where Brad Chmielewski and Ken Hunnemeder share their love of craft beer with the world. On episode 272 of the Hop Cast, Brad Chmielewski and Ken Hunnemeder are back with a couple local beers to help warm you up this winter. First up the guys dive into the 10 % ABV Santa Vs. Unicorn from Pipeworks Brewing Company. This Imperial Red Ale, American Style Barleywine or Red Double IPA as they are calling it, packs a big bunch. Although Christmas might be gone there is a chance you may find a bottle or two still around. Following up this 10% ABV beast, Brad and Ken move onto the Peppermint Bark Porter from Two Brothers Brewing Company. This 6.70% ABV American Porter is something you really need to taste to get the full effect. Although the Hop Cast isn’t always 100% behind weird things in their beers, the Peppermint Bark Porter is something you’d likely pick up to share with friends, you don’t want to drink this whole bottle yourself. Cheers & thanks for watching the Hop Cast! Having issues listening to the video? Try the Quicktime (693.4 MB) or subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or Stitcher.

Click here to view the embedded video. Welcome to the Hop Cast, where Brad Chmielewski and Ken Hunnemeder share their love of craft beer with the world. On episode 271 of the Hop Cast, it’s December 23rd and it’s Festivus. To celebrate Festivus we have the perfect beer on this episode, Festivus Ale from Piece Brewery. Brad Chmielewski and Ken Hunnemeder make a trip down the street to Piece Brewery on North Avenue to pick up a couple growlers to celebrate this fabulous day. The first growler they dive into is the Memories of Now, a collaboration beer between Piece’s Jonathan Cutler and Matt Brynildson, the brewmaster of Firestone Walker Brewing Co. in Paso Robles, California. It was Brynildson’s first time brewing on the system that he helped install for Piece in 2001. After a glass or two of the Memories of Now, the guys move onto the 8.0 % ABV Belgian Dark Ale known as Festivus. This is a beer that the guys always make a special trip to try at Piece every year. This episode is a true Festivus miracle, cheers & thanks for watching the Hop Cast! Having issues listening to the video? Try the Quicktime (646.3 MB) or subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or Stitcher.