The Beer Report

TBR 69 We had recorded this show directly following the last Fox Pub show last month…  We had wanted to make sure we put out the last one lickity-split, in order to get the word out on the North-side Beerfest.  (Which we heard was awesome!) This show, we get a little more into the doing’s and business of the Fox Pub, and get Matt to defect questions left and right.  That means we are doing our jobs right?  We had a great time, and Rob (Central Illinois’ version of Bonus Beer Bob) makes sure we have some comedic interruptions.  Chad shows up with the bonus beer though… So, we may need to rethink the titles of these “extras”. I have to admit… This show had me smiling all the way through on production.  I hope you enjoy it as much I did!  G Beers on the show:  Stone 15th Anniversary Ale, Schlafly Raspberry Coffee Stout, Boulevard Coffee Ale. On the show: Groucho got kicked out of Joe’s Brewery in Champaign. (20 years ago) Matt shares Anhesuer Busche’s latest canned offering.  (Didn’t even bother to spell check that!) Code for locals when a macros are ordered! Stone brewing talk and wishing we could be as cool as Greg Koch. Big Al’s talk. Matt deflects! Matt gives us the whole story on the Fox!  Beer is his passion! If Rob owned a bar…  Bad idea! Do what you love…  And you’ll never work a day in your life?  lol! Spaceball Quotes ensue with Raspberry beer! Rob’s whale farm. Tingle theme. Schlafly beers where Groucho’s gateway. Does Matt’s wife wear a fake smile?  We all wonder how she stayed in Central Illinois! Fox Pub bus trip to GABF. Growth market… Central Illinois! The Fox “Tourie”. Trivia on Thursdays, live bands on Saturdays. “I hate God!” Shout out to Kevin at Harvest Cafe. Thanks to Matt and all the gang for letting us hang out and have a great time talking about beers at an awesome local venue!  Make your way there if you get the chance!  And don’t let them make the ducky noise!!!

Groucho and CHUD were once again part of the craft-beer tasting at the Speakeasy in Pekin IL. We were happy be a part of this fundraiser again. Word on the street is that we will be doing this again on December 4th or 5th. About halfway through the show we get into a great conversation with Shane and Bryan about beer tastes and what people are going for now. On the show: Dude that CHUD knows? Reviews all the beers… We do not endorse his IPA stance. Personally, mowed grass is a great think to be drinking in our books! Nightcrawler Dan says hi. One of Groucho’s employees stops by. Second half of the show is all Groucho, Shane and Bryan. Shane Wicklund from Wolfe Distributing and Bryan Harlan from Baumgarten Distributing talk with Groucho about working an event like this. Why we love it… How we can work together… Then it becomes a conversation about Destihl and what they are up to. Kudos to Bryan for letting us talk about a competitor at length. He is owed his fair share of air time now! Look for the Matt Rixner show out soon. Like 1 week!!! Sorry for the delay!  I was going to lump it in here… But its not fair to the Fox and Matt to play second fiddle on a podcast!!!

Two beer special! Groucho, CHUD and AB hang out for a bottle of Founders Nemesis and Leinenkugel’s Big Eddy Russian Imperial Stout! GROUCHOS MICROPHONE GOES WEIRD FOR A GOOD CHUNK OF THE SHOW!!! SORRY!!! IT DOES GET BETTER HALFWAY THROUGH. MIGHT HAVE BEEN ALL THE TED WILLIAMS IMITATIONS! On the show: Ted Williams voice Cuba baby! Homelessness? Groucho is out of touch! NASA announcements suck. Lasering at income aircraft is not smart! twang.com Groucho’s volume sucks! 7 Hour energy is our idea!!! The gout! Leinie’s love. The Citadel Sanitarium. Putin, CHUD loves him. Impending divorces. Smith’s and Morrissey hate. CHUD bares his artistic soul Groucho lays down the velvet vocals to Depeche Mode’s Enjoy the Silence. Groucho and CHUD are going to start a brewery in a 3rd world country. Brazil with Hawgdog? Beers on the show purchased at some unknown liquor store in Schaumburg near IKEA! That’s all I can remember! Sorry! Listen to this audio abomination here:  

In celebration of the Peoria Craft Beer Week, we get with Matt Rixner of the Fox Pub to talk about this weeks event. CHUD was bumped in lieu of brother CHUMP (Who has been absent since episode 6) to join...

Groucho, CHUD and Kevin hit the big city for this years VIP tent at the Peoria International Beerfest. We had some amazing beers, but really, gained enormous respect for the event that Pat Hartzler and the Peoria Jaycees put on.  It was a spectacle! This audio show is taken directly from a 25 minute YouTube video that will be released on Monday.  We did cut a 44 minute show, but it was way long, and really needed to be cut down more.  We have left it online, and after we get the better show out, we will be more forthcoming with links. Thanks again to everyone who helped raise money for the Jaycees… And thanks for the TBR invite!

We tried to overstay our welcome with Todd and Christian at the Peoria Brewing company, but they were game for all the nonsense that we were spewing on this episode of TBR.  This is a full blown show, don’t think its just a filler piece.  (Well, aren’t they all?)  You get a solid 20 minutes of beer content interweaved with talk about “Chud’s girlfriend at the time”, Clown fears, Stevie Knicks (SP? Didn’t care enough to look it up) and Bob Dylan.  Sounds like a normal show to us! Thanks again to those guys letting us hang at the Peoria Brewing Company.  Thanks for the free samples and we look forward to all the progress reports on the facebook page.  https://www.facebook.com/PeoriaBrewingCompany Beers on the show:  TBR Pear Trippel, Mikkeller Beer Hop Breakfast, Clown Shoes Vampire Slayer American Imperial Stout. Tilted kilt? Way to start a show! Why cant beer places stick in Peoria? Plug for http://hopshoppe.com/ Beer-A-Sutra? “I had to drink them honey… It’s my job”. Groucho brought TBR homebrew!  The Pear Golden! CHUDs lost rhizome! Kent Goldings debate! Nipples and Nuts reference.  Who’s been around that long? Green Apple IPA conversation leads to pilot system talk. Todd has a midsection like a wasp nest. Groucho has a looming argument for the local beer stores. Is PUNK Brewery still around? Is the dog thing overdone? The beer biscuit idea leads to the peanut butter birthday story. Get your clown shoes on CHUD. CHUD is a clown hater?  The X story. Everything sounds better at Red Rocks? Fleetwood Mac?  RUSH talk. Ramones VS Bob Dylan car commercial showdown. Burning records and crosses in Pekin?  Lets move on! Malaysian Airlines predictions.  Still timely!!! Take me out EuroTrash Girl…  Edited for Grouchos enjoyment. Beers on the show, Honey Wheat courtesy of Peoria Brewing Company, Homebrew provided by Groucho and CHUD, Beer Hop Breakfast and Clown Shoes Vampire Slayer bought at Friar Tuck in Peoria Illinois. Link to the show:  

So, when you go shooting your mouth off about some guys creating a brewery in Peoria…  And you do that for a few months in a row… You better be ready to step up to the challenge if they call...

Groucho just got back from the deep south!  And what should he have in his suitcase???  Beer of course!  Only one beer was deemed good enough to bring back as the representative  of Florida’s brewing scene.   But we did find a few other unique brews while we were at it. Beers on the show:  Cigar City Jai Alai India Pale Ale, Sweetwater Brewing Red Hot Mama – Dank Tank – Imperial Red Ale, Mission Brewing Dark Seas Russian Imperial Stout. On the show: We are frontrunners for Tazewell County Podcasters of the Year! Groucho avoids the polar vortex!  Never did find Disneyworld! Fort Myers talk. Miami in August… Hells *sshole??? Show ideas solicited. Canadian suck?  Who knew? Trout…  Salmon…  The same fish?  Beer Report Fact! Java Stout!  Groucho is getting old! Twitter rant?  Follow the Iron sheik! http://www.Shouldidrinkthat.com Satanic sculpture at the Oklahoma State House. Sam Adams vs. Lagunitas!  Then we get distracted, and come back around to it after the Dark Seas read. Skunked beer from Sweetwater!!!!  Boo! Groucho’s Hangover story about San Diego. Reverb read of Dark Seas! Need to hang with Brain Gravy crowd on chat!!! Jim Koch, craft brewer? Florida, wasteland of beer…  Big shocker! Long talk about craft brewer vs. craft brewer from our Sam Adams talk. Peoria Brewing Company.  Groucho got some insider information.  Todd Hayes, thank you! Show at Peoria Brewing? SPUDNUTS! CHUD is dating again…  Lets hear about it! The “Old Tupperware Date” Mazzy Star make-out dream… Duck Dynasty? Beers on the show picked up at Publix and Total Wine & More in Fort Myers Florida.  The skunked beer was probably sitting in the Total Wine store for a year!  Shame on them for keeping that on the shelf!  The folks at Sweetwater deserve decent representation of their product!  

  TBR Superbowl 2014 Groucho and CHUD lay down the facts and subtle nuances that might make or break your Superbowl wagers.  Also, this commentary will help you non-football fans sound knowledgeable when you show up and uber-NFL fans house for the big game. We are here to help! Beer on the show: 2010 Envious by New Holland Brewing. On the show: The Greatest little podcast in Central Illinois? Russel Wilson love. Match-ups! Weather factor? PJ…  Apologies! Bi-Polar Vortex! Olympics in Chicago???  Glad we missed it! Predictions. CHUD:  Denver 32 – 26 Groucho:  Denver  31 – 27 The Tom Brady beat-down! Check the You Tube video of his High Five fails! Seattle has a rock sculpture of a rock at the Seahawk stadium???  For real? Duck tours???  CHUD really? Stratford on Avon bus tour.   Drinking fresh Spitfire. Hoperation Overload from Destihl will be out soon!  Canned Destihl beer!!! CHUD says try the Goat Cheese stuffed Meatballs! Groucho, not a Doctor Who fan! VERY SPECIAL INTERVIEW WITH Payton Manning.  (Or was that a Dalek?) Cigar Store Indian equates to Dalek when making sports to geek comparisons!  Neither has legs to move around out of the pocket…  Now do you get the reference??? Podcast awards! CHUD looks like a complete dumb-ass speaking of home-team advantage. Carlin and Hicks Sword-fighting in heaven! Go to the Exchange in Delavan or Destihl in Normal to watch the game!!! Beer on the show almost certainly purchased at Friar Tuck in Bloomington IL…  A long time ago! Direct link: 

Groucho and CHUD sit down on Christmas night 2013 to hammer out one last show of the year.  But, being your typical brothers who hang out in the basement, we didnt get this Christmas card out till after the new year.  Its the thought that counts right? The show is a little long, but we were not dragging bottom anywhere.  Lots of topics and some interesting beer. Merry Christmas!  (Or whatever pagan ritual based religious event you celebrate at the solstice!) Beers on the show: Winter Yule Smith, Robinsons Brewery The Trooper!, Jester King’s Blackmetal Farmhouse Imperial Stout. On the show: Rocktober! New Maureen Ogle book…  About MEAT!  http://maureenogle.com/ CHUD’s whiskey mojo. Cred back to Hog Dawg for this gifted mixer that is still going strong. The Pekin Beer Tasting.  Success! Shout outs to Rob and Chauncey! CHUDs X’s…  Getting heaped up. Business cards!  I’m rolling like Rick from bigfoamyhead.com Local shows bring our numbers down??? A TBR Sumble???  Is that spelled right CHUD? CHUD’s thumbnail sketch of British Military prowess. Iron Maiden talk…  Groucho plays along…  And takes it to One Direction talk! PJ!  He’s the one making bank on that ticket! Uncle CHUD is going to abandon Grouho’s kids. Is there a tap handle for this beer? Hand Crafted?  A devalued phrase. What are the best Eddie posters? DJ Ashba talk:  @DjASHBA B-Dubs sucks per CHUD.  Groucho says get the Buffalitos. Bent River Beer dinner at Harvest Cafe.  Groucho saw this brewer was making beer for Goods Furniture in Kewanee…  And declined purchasing the beer based on that brewery. Congrats to Peoria Brewing company.  Funding is secured.  What is the Miller Distribution angle? Whats a good night for a beer tasting? Matilda…  Still good. Brewery bubbles!  Oh My! Mikey Mason…  Wheres my Kickstarter shit? OK…  Who is up for a The Beer Report beer tour of Chicago?  We need to get a heads count! TEXAS ORGANIC! Jesterking brewing…  We love what you have done with this beer bottle. Forgot the drinking horn! Black metal should sound like this tastes! Twitter?  Why bother? Secret Beer Handshakes?  Groucho is sick of businesses having secret ways to get decent beers.  UFS failed me!  http://www.ufsdeal.com/ The beer passion? THIS SHOW IS NOT ABOUT BEER!!!! CHUD’s new blog on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/bieristkrieg Year End Thank You’s!   Links to great people who helped bring the Pekin Beer Tasting to fruition: @DESTIHLbrewery @HarvestDelavan @RADincorporated @PekinMainSt www.facebook.com/CrescentSunBrewingCo Beers on the show purchased at Broadway Liquors in Pekin Illinois and Bine and Wine in San Diego. http://BineandVine.com  

Call this our little tribute to Ole Uncle Lare…  With the passing of Larry Lujack, a big slice of Chicago radio history has come to an end. We had recorded this segment back in 2005…  I think we may have shared it on the old “Confrontation Board”.  It was a one off segment that Groucho thought would be fun to record.  Surely it was fueled with lots of beer.  The audio is crappy, so, don’t get your hopes up!  

Thanks to Pacific Brew News Rick for reminding me of Maureen’s awesome tome of beer knowledge called “Ambitious Brew”.  Today being the anniversary of the repeal of Prohibition, makes a fine day to dig this back up! Maureen was cool enough to let us do a phone interview and even sent an autographed copy of the book for a giveaway. Here is a re-post of that show. Enjoy!

We did it!  We got people in the door (Lots of TBR People!) and had a blast on a weeknight in Pekin with craftbeer!  Snow is now being shoveled in Hell! Here is the audio that Groucho took while wandering the crowd and chatting with some Pekin Main Street folks. Listen as I shill DeStihl to some folks who want more!!!

CHUD free show???  Groucho has to wing it as he hits Delavan to do a show about all the current beer doings that are coming up here in November.  Beer “Doings” in Tazewell county!!!  Lets make this be the start of a trend!!!! Beers on the show: Goose Island Illinois, Will Wheaten Stone Brewing collaboration beer Woot Stout, Uinta Punk’n. On the show: Groucho and Kevin man the show from Hometown Wine and Spirits. Bent River Beer dinner at Harvest Cafe…  November 14th!  309 244 7000 Josh is working up a menu! Hop infused butter! Craft Beer Tasting in Pekin! The Beer Report and Crescent Sun Brewing with Pekin Main Street  association at the Speakeasy in Pekin on November 21st. Boulevard Brewing gets purchased by Duval…  Greg Koch starts the name calling? Goose Island… Honest opinions of what they have done since being bought by Anheuser Busch. Oh…  Mitch Steele is still head brewer at Stone… He hasn’t left! Will Wheaten Beer. Hop butter tasting… Live and in person. 3 Floyds?  Where are you in Illinois??? Beard talk?  World series sets Groucho off. Ashley from Hometown Wine and Spirits says that beards add to a mans overall appearence!?!? Groucho’s San Diego trip. Incredi-beard. Low Rise Jeans… Groucho has a problem with them apparently! Old man clothes. Beers on the show provided by The Harvest Cafe.  Thank you for all you guys do.  Special thanks to Ashley for letting us invade her store to do the show at Hometown Wine and Spirits. Listen here:  

Groucho and CHUD break in Studio C with a show about Midwest Beer info!!!  Say its not so!  We talk about beer and locals who are doing it here in the Central Illinois area. Beers on the show:  2 Brothers Resistance IPA Growler, Perennial Artisan Ales Hommel Beer. On the show: This episode brought to you by THE EXCHANGE in Delavan IL! Beer news!!!  Whats up with that?? Destihl builds a production brewery.  Watch out america…  Sour beers are coming from the Midwest!  http://www.destihlbrewery.com/ Cantillon is now hard for us to get???  Beer geeks suck! The Marijuana report?  Groucho is sure its a conspiracy!  CHUD brings him down and then freaks him out with his version of the “docile American”. CHUD at school.  Sociology.  He hates his classmates. The Peoria Brewing Company.   https://www.facebook.com/PeoriaBrewingCompany Cool old building or industrial park…  Whats the better choice for a startup? Crescent Sun Brewing Company from PEKIN ILLINOIS!!!!  http://crescentsunbrewing.com/ How do you name a brewery these days? Granite guys look like brewers?!?!  Tats and beards for everyone! Ear stretching?  Whats the logic?  Lip plates please? Neck rings!  PLEASE! 4″ in waist drawbacks! CHUD’s blind date dilemma!  Burning churches??? CHUD knows the market price on human schools… Good time or bad time to start a brewery?  Thank god these local start-ups are here in the beer wasteland that IS Central Illinois! Groucho totally starts making up some marketing and distribution mumbo-jumbo. CHUD compares beer start-ups to death metal saturation. Hey Applebee’s…  GET SOME DECENT BEER!!!! Syria and Vlad. CHUD’s motorcycle lust?  Ewan McGregor??? Harley weenies! George Carlin takes us out.  Wait for it. TBR Theme is “Drunk and in Love” from Too Much Joy.  Check them out at http://www.toomuchjoy.com/. We love them… You should too!   Beers on the show picked up at the 2 Brothers Roundhouse and Friar Tuck in Peoria IL.