Hop Cast

With Chicago Craft Beer Week kicking off today, Brad Chmielewski and Ken Hunnemeder were on today’s episode of the Chicagoist Podcast talking with Karl Klockars about the Hop Cast and the upcoming event at Small Bar Fullerton. Head over to the Chicagoist website and give it a listen.

It’s here, the third installment of the Man B Que / Hop Cast / SmallBar burger and beer pairing is right around the corner.

This month, the grilling geeks from Man B Que dig into their recipe arsenal and come up with The Godfather’s Honey Brie Burger which will be paired with the North Coast Prankqster. But one burger and beer pairing wasn’t enough for this event. Man B Que also has their Linus Burger #4 featuring Irish cheddar, jalepenos, and cumin which is paired with Victory Prima Pils. The beer brains at Hop Cast and SmallBar hand picked both of these beers for a perfect meat and beer combination.

$15 gets you all you can eat sliders and endless glasses of the two featured beers as well as a raffle ticket for your chance to win a “Picnic Pairing” goodie.

Stop by May 27th at 7:00 PM, and bring your friends!

In honor of the first ever Chicago Craft Beer week, Beer Mapping and Hop Cast have joined forces with Small Bar Fullerton to bring you a Rare Chicago Beer Night. The event features limited beers from over seven local Chicagoland craft breweries. This event is open to the public and will be pay per glass, so enjoy as many as you can before it’s gone. You’re not likely to see all of these beers on tap together anywhere else. So be sure to tell your friends and come join Beer Mapping and the Hop Cast at Small Bar Fullerton to celebrate all the great craft beer that Chicago has to offer.

The wait is over! The second installment of the Man B Que / Hop Cast / SmallBar, burger and beer pairing is right around the corner.

This month, the grilling geeks from Man B Que dig into their recipe arsenal and pair their Godfather’s Gouda Burger with the Schlenkerla Helles and Two Brothers Oak Aged Long Haul Ale that the beer brains at Hop Cast and SmallBar hand picked. The result is meat and beer perfection!

$20 gets you your fill of The Godfather’s Gouda Burger, unlimited glasses of the Oak Aged Long Haul Ale and Schlenkerla Helles as well as a raffle ticket for your chance to win a “Picnic Pairing” goodie.

Stop by and bring your friends!

To kick off the week of the 2010 Craft Brewers Conference two powerhouses have joined forces to create a beer dinner that will undoubtedly be special. Two Brothers Brewing Co. and The Publican are known for their excellence in beer and food respectively, but they’ve taken this event one step further. They have collaborated on a one-off beer that will debut with one of the courses.

Michael McAvena, beer director at The Publican, has a background in homebrewing so it seemed to be a no-brainer that he go out to Warrenville and make a beer with Jason Ebel, founder/owner of Two Brothers Brewing Co. The style is said to be a sour mash triple that will be available as is and also in two different blends. One of the blends is with the Two Brothers Bitter End Pale Ale, and the other is with an especially rare Two Brothers Brett beer that was the second beer brewed when they opened their current brewery in 2007.

Executive chef Paul Kahan is passionate about his food and his beer, which shines through every night at The Publican. It has quickly become a destination spot for beer drinkers looking for a flawlessly executed menu and a fantastic beer selection to boot.

A glimpse at the menu should say everything.

• Jamon Iberico with fried morels and pickled fiddlehead fern
paired with Prairie Path
• Guinea hen, foie gras galantine with ramps orange mustard greens and cashew paired with Ebel’s Wiess
• Crawford Farm corned lamb mix grill with spring, rye, panzanella
paired with Longhaul Oak Aged Session Ale
• BBQ salmon
paired with the collaboration beer
• Brown butter, orange, honey, coffee and almonds
paired with Domaine DuPage

Keep an eye out for the upcoming Hop Cast episode featuring the brewing process and highlighting the dinner at The Publican. Hop Cast will be there Monday, April 5th and you should be too!

The price of food is $55, beer will be $20.
Reservations are encouraged. 
For more info please contact The Publican 837 West Fulton Mkt. Chicago 60607
(312) 733.9555

Hope to see you there!

The Illinois Craft Brewers Guild has come together to make the 2010 Symposium Ale for the Craft Brewers Conference that is happening this April in Chicago. This Symposium Ale is a blend of four different beers, a Russian Imperial Stout, a Scotch Ale, a Barleywine and an Imperial IPA. All four beers were aged in Woodford Reserve barrels before blending together and then bottled. The Hop Cast was invited along to document each step of the brewing process. For those lucky enough to be attending the CBC this year, they will get to try this very limited collaboration beer.

Having issues watching this video? Try the Quicktime (197.4 MB).

Ken Hunnemeder and Brad Chmielewski sit down with the Nerd City guys to talk about; the dog-eat-dog world of podcasting, road trips, and of course beer. So grab yourself a beer and check episode 79.

Here are Ken & Brad’s ten favorite midwest craft breweries and the towns they are in.

1. Three Floyds – Munster, Indiana
Three Floyds is located just 30 minutes outside of Chicago in Muster, Indiana. These guys love the big beers. Three Floyds knows how to really bring the hops in their beers though they may be most famous for their Russian Imperial Stout, Dark Lord that tops many lists as one of the best beers in the world. Dark Lord bottles are sold only on ‘Dark Lord Day,’ the last Saturday in April where you are sure to find Brad and Ken and several thousand other fellow beer lovers in line and having a good time. Besides being an excellent brewery, they also have a brew pub that is cranking out some seriously tasty food. Don’t think you can come to Chicago and not make a trip out to see these guys

Episodes Featuring Three Floyds – Episode 3, Episode 12, Episode 23, Episode 39, Episode 66, Episode 74, Episode 75

2. Bell’s – Kallamazoo, Michigan
Bell’s was the first Michigan brewery to serve beer by the glass to the public. With over 20 years of brewing, Larry Bell has built a nationwide reputation with Bell’s Brewery. They played and are still playing a significant role in changing the craft beer landscape of the nation. They continue to produce a large variety of excellent beer and that’s why they are one out our favorites.

Episodes Featuring Bell’s – Episode 3, Episode 37, Episode 65, Episode 71

3. Founders Brewery – Grand Rapids, Michigan
Founders Brewing is talked about constantly in the craft beer community for so many great beers and they just keep coming out with more. More flavor, bigger body, huge aromatics and increased complexity is the goal of Founders and they bring it to you. They continue to push the envelope and that’s what makes them great. Both Ken and Brad are excited to see what they have coming out in the years to come.

4. Boulevard Brewing – Kansas City, Missouri
Boulevard Brewing is one of the few breweries that Ken and Brad haven’t visited in the midwest. They are a fairly large brewery and also have a rather large distribution area but unfortunately you can’t find their beers in Chicago. Outside of the quality year-round brews they offer, its what they’ve been doing with their Smokestack Series releases that has really made us drink up and take notice.

Episodes Featuring Boulevard Brewing – Episode 15, Episode 56

5. New Glarus Brewing Company – New Glarus, Wisconsin
Just on the outskirts of the small “Swisstown” New Glarus, Wisconsin is where you will find the New Glarus Brewing Company. They are perhaps the biggest of the Wisconsin craft breweries and it’s hard to find a bar in Wisconsin that doesn’t have New Glarus beer on tap. They don’t distribute outside of Wisconsin so if you live outside of the state then a road trip is in order! Luckily Ken drives to Wisconsin often enough and brings back beers to share with fellow beer lovers in Chicagoland. As well as excellent year-round offerings, what these guys are doing with fruit is incredible! It will make the ladies and the gents in your life extra happy. Just.. wow!

Episode Featuring New Glarus Brewing Company – Episode 56

6. Jolly Pumpkin - Dexter, Michigan
Jolly Pumpkin has a little something different going on there and their beers are not for everyone. Focusing on traditional rustic country style beers they use open fermentation, oak barrel aging, and bottle conditioning. Many of you know that Brad isn’t a huge fan of the sour beers but Jolly Pumpkin is slowly helping him to learn to appreciate that style and the Hop Cast really respects the quality product that Jolly Pumpkin creates.

Episodes Featuring Jolly Pumpkin – Episode 4, Episode 57, Episode 70

7. Surly Brewing – Brooklyn Center, Minnesota
If you’re visiting Minnesota and love beer it’s likely you have heard of what Surly Brewing is producing. You’ll find most of their beers in 16 oz cans at local liquor stores throughout the Twin Cities and beyond. If you are willing to brave the weather in Minnesota in October and stand in line early then you get a rare, magnificent taste of their much lauded once a year release, Russian Imperial Stout; they call Darkness.

Episodes Featuring Surly Brewing - Episode 20, Episode 62, Episode 69

8. Goose Island – Chicago, Illinois
Goose Island and Chicago sort of go hand and hand. They are widely distributed throughout the majority of states and many people know about their bottled beers including the much loved and praised, Bourbon County Stout. But a trip to Chicago wouldn’t be complete without seeing what else Goose Island has to offer. At the Goose Island Clybourn brewpub you’ll find about 10 beers that are not in bottles and exclusively only available there. They are constantly rotating in new offerings so make sure you stop on by and see what they have on tap.

Episodes Featuring Goose Island – Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 47, Episode 65, Episode 77

9. Two Brothers – Warrenville, Illinois
Head directly west of Chicago to Warrenville and check out Two Brothers and their brew pub. Since Warrenville is Brad’s birthplace, Two Brothers holds a special spot in his heart. Two Brothers beers are solid and although with the exception of Hop Juice, many of their beers may not completely blow away the craft beer lover. They are go-to beers; the kind of beers that you can also give to your average beer friends (if you have any) and they are still going to enjoy them. When you need a good, solid beer that isn’t too experimental then a Two Brothers is a dependable choice.

Episode Featuring Two Brothers – Episode 11

10. Kuhnhenn – Warren, Michigan
Kuhnhenn Brewing Company is your typical hardware store turned microbrewery story… ok there’s nothing typical about Kuhnhenn. Run by brothers Bret and Eric Kuhnhenn in the small town of Warren, Michigan these brothers have the craft beer community talking. You can find their beers in 12 oz and 22 oz bottles. And if you see them, pick them up because they are pretty amazing. A couple favorites are the Simcoe Silly, Creme Brulee Java Stout & the Solar Eclipse.

Honorable Mention
With so many great top notch breweries in the midwest it was hard to just pick 10. There were a few that almost made the list and we just wanted to give them props for what they are doing.
Half Acre – Chicago, IL
Metropolitan Brewing – Chicago, IL
Dark Horse Brewing – Marshall, Michigan
Futhermoore Beer – Spring Green, Wisconsin

I wanted to take a moment and share with you some things that are planned for the Hop Cast in 2010. But first off let me say that the last year and half has been amazing for the Hop Cast and it couldn’t of been down without everyone who has been watching.

In a few weeks Ken and I are going to hit the road and head down south for the Sexual Chocolate Release. On the trip we’re going to be visiting Sweetwater Brewery, Terrapin, Brickstone Pub, Brusin’ Ales, Pisgah Brewing, and Foothills Brewery. At some of these stops we will be recording interviews that will be available on the Hop Cast site and on Facebook. Ken and I will also be posting photos and videos from the road onto Facebook so be sure to join the Hop Cast group and become our friends. (Ken Hunnemeder & Brad Chmielewski).

Coming up in April is the Craft Brewers Conference in Chicago. Even though this conference is for professional brewers, Ken and I are in talks with some of the folks here in Chicago to get us into the conference. Whatever it takes! Around CBC there are a ton of great events happening at all the breweries; including limited edition beers going of tap. It’s going to be an amazing week and Ken and I hope to be a part of it. Depending on what happens, perhaps we’ll be doing a daily recap on ustream for everyone.

Outside of those two big events you can also count on us being at Three Floyds Dark Lord Day and the Surly Darkness release again. We also have plans to visit more midwest breweries; including Barley Island Brewing, Bell’s Brewery, New Glarus Brewing and Jolly Pumpkin. And of course we will keep bringing you great craft beer reviews. I also hope to work on a new graphics package for the show this year and give it bit of an updated look.

Let us know if there is anything you would like to see us focus on this year, we would love to hear from you. Just leave a comment on the site, send us an email or message Ken or me on twitter. We love hearing from everyone!

Next month the Hop Cast will be hitting the road. We’ll be visiting Lexington (KY), Atlanta (GA), Athens (GA), Asheville (NC), and Winston-Salem (NC). All times are subject to change based on traffic and if we end up making any other stops. We’ll try and update this list if we add any new places in the next few weeks. Let us know if you would like to meet up for a drink at any of these places or someplace nearby.

Wednesday, February 3rd 2009
SweetWater Brewery – 6:00 P.M.
Hop City – 8:00 P.M.
5 Seasons Brewing – 8:30 P.M.
Taco Mac Bar – 10:30 P.M.

Thursday, February 4th 2009
Brick Store Pub – 11:00 A.M.
Terrapin Brewing Company – 2:00 P.M.
Brusin’ Ales – 6:00 PM

Friday, February 5th 2009
Pisgah Brewing Company – 1:00 P.M.
Sweet Potatoes – 6:00 PM

Saturday, February 6th 2009
Sexual Chocolate Release at To Foothills Brewery – 10:00 A.M.
Mellow Mushroom Pizza Bakers – 2:00 P.M.

Sunday, February 7th 2009