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Beer In Front: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Dave Zalatoris
I'm Dave, a regular Chicago Beer Guy with a podcast about some old school beers and new classics. Sometimes the Beer In Front of you is the best one yet! https://www.patreon.com/beerinfronthttps://linktr.ee/BeerInFrontBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/beer-in-front--5704447/support.
Latest Episodes
The most recent episodes — sign up to get AI-powered summaries of each one.
- 4 days ago38 min
More Than A Number - Talking IBU's with Walnut River Brewing
IBUs Explained: What Beer’s Bitterness Number Really Tells YouYou’re looking at a beer menu. One beer has 25 IBUs, another has 65, and you’re already deciding which one you’ll like. But how much does that number actually tell you? This week on Beer In Front, I’m joined by BJ Hunt and Rick Gehring from Walnut River Brewing in El Dorado, Kansas, to talk about International Bitterness Units and why two beers with similar IBUs can taste completely different.We get into what happens when brewers add hops at different stages, how bitterness differs from hop flavor and aroma, and why a hazy IPA can be loaded with hops without delivering the same bitterness as a West Coast IPA. We also talk about the expectations we bring to a beer before we’ve even taken a sip. If you’ve ever said, “I don’t like hoppy beers” or “I don’t drink dark beer,” this one’s for you.BJ and Rick also catch us up on what’s happening at Walnut River, including the story behind their Have More Fun blonde ale, their work brewing beers for Wichita Brewing and Tallgrass, and a few of their personal favorites from the taproom.Also in this episode:I try two Chicago beers from Hop Butcher for the World: Cup Snake, a hazy double IPA, and Lovely So Real, a West Coast-style double IPA.For Last Call, I look at the proposed Brews to Barns Act, which would create a tax credit for brewers who donate spent grain for agricultural use.🍺 Find Walnut River Brewing: walnutriverbrewing.com What’s a beer that surprised you after you gave it a chance? Let me know on social media at @BeerInFront.If you enjoy the show, follow or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. And remember: drink what you like, but leave yourself a little room to be surprised.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/beer-in-front--5704447/support.Beer Media Group
- 1 weeks ago20 min
Peggy Is Pissed! Making Sense Of The THC Laws
THC drinks found a spot in the beer cooler. Now everyone’s wondering how long they’ll stay there.This week on Beer In Front, I dig into the changing rules surrounding hemp-derived THC beverages and what’s at stake for breweries, bottle shops, and the people buying them. From Illinois’ looming restrictions to Square’s payment cutoff, the uncertainty is hitting small businesses right where it hurts.We’re talking:Why THC seltzers became a lifeline for some craft breweries.The scramble to move inventory as deadlines approach.How a payment processor can pull the plug before lawmakers do.Why age checks, clear labels, and common sense deserve a seat at the table.Plus, our THC correspondent Peggy is officially pissed.Give it a listen, support your local shops, and let your elected officials know where you stand.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/beer-in-front--5704447/support.Beer Media Group
- 2 weeks ago39 min
Festival Of Wood And Barrel Aged Beer
It’s FoBAB season!Trevor Rose-Hamblin from Old Irving Brewing and the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild joins me to preview the Festival of Wood & Barrel-Aged Beers and talk about what makes this Chicago tradition special.We get into the time, work, and risk behind barrel-aged beer, why balance matters, and why you should explore beyond the big stouts. Trevor also shares details about the new Green Room experience, including opportunities to meet brewers and taste special bottles from their cellars.On this episode:What to look for at FoBAB, from wood-aged sours to ciders, meads, and perries.The expanded Lager Lounge, VIP access, and the new Green Room.What winning a FoBAB medal can mean for a small brewery.How the festival supports the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild’s work.A preview of Old Irving’s anniversary collaboration with Revolution Brewing and upcoming Krampus beers.Plus, I taste VSOIB, Old Irving and Revolution’s 24-month oak-aged anniversary stout. We also talk breakfast sandwiches for festival day, with suggestions from Trevor, Jonathan Surratt of Bounded by Buns, and my own homemade breakfast Crunchwrap. In Last Call, I celebrate Illinois breweries bringing home Great American Beer Festival medals and highlight the Krispy King Lager Competition.Listen wherever you get your podcasts, and let me know: What’s your go-to breakfast before a beer festival?Chicken And Waffle SandwichBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/beer-in-front--5704447/support.Beer Media Group
- 3 weeks ago16 min
Is Beer Better On Tap?
Episode 323: Is Draft Beer Really Better?Does beer taste better on tap, or do we just love the experience of drinking at a brewery or neighborhood bar? This week on Beer In Front, I explore the draft-versus-can-versus-bottle debate and why freshness, storage, clean tap lines, and clean glassware can matter more than the package. From the protection cans offer to the things that can go wrong between a keg and your glass, there’s more to a great pint than the tap handle.Then I put it to the test at Sketchbook Brewing with a blind, side-by-side tasting of Orange Door, one poured from a can and one from the tap. Could I tell the difference? Also in this episode:Why draft beer isn’t automatically the freshest option.How light, heat, and oxygen affect your beer.Why pouring canned or bottled beer into a glass makes for a fairer comparison.How the atmosphere at a brewery shapes the drinking experience.In Last Call, I discuss Admiral Maltings’ closure, and why supporting local craft maltsters matters to the entire beer community.Do you prefer draft, cans, or bottles? Let me know, and follow Beer In Front for more conversations about the beer in your glass.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/beer-in-front--5704447/support.Beer Media Group
- Sep 22, 202641 min
It's The Water!
Water makes up most of what’s in your beer, but it rarely gets the same attention as malt, hops, or yeast. This week on Beer In Front, we look at how water has shaped some of the world’s classic beer styles from the soft water of Pilsen to the sulfate-rich water of Burton-on-Trent, and how today’s brewers adjust water chemistry to create everything from crisp lagers to juicy hazy IPAs.Then I visit Old Irving Brewing’s production facility in Chicago for a conversation with Trevor Rose-Hamblin. We discuss Chicago’s Lake Michigan water, the role of minerals and pH in brewing, how Old Irving approaches the water profiles for beers like Beezer, and what beginning homebrewers should know before adjusting their own water.Trevor also previews Old Irving Brewing’s tenth-anniversary Hoptoberfest celebration and a special collaboration with Revolution Brewing.Plus, I take a look at the challenges facing American hop farmers as craft beer demand changes, and some of the creative ways farms are adapting.Water may work behind the scenes, but it affects nearly everything in your glass. Every beer has a story, and this one begins long before the water reaches the brewhouse.Listen now, and remember: sometimes the beer in front of you is the best one yet.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/beer-in-front--5704447/support.Beer Media Group
- Sep 14, 202637 min
From an Orange Door to Oktoberfest: The Sketchbook Brewing Story
From an Orange Door to Oktoberfest: The Sketchbook Brewing StorySketchbook Brewing began with a group of Evanston homebrewers and an orange door tucked away in an alley. This week, Dave visits Sketchbook’s Skokie taproom to talk with co-founder Cesar Marron about how that small, community-supported brewery grew into two locations. Cesar shares the story of winning the Samuel Adams LongShot competition with a smoked beer, opening a brewery in a city with a long temperance history, and moving ahead with the Skokie location as the pandemic began. They also talk about Sketchbook’s commitment to sustainability, its Oktoberfest celebration, and the Doodle beers that deliver plenty of flavor at under 3% ABV. In Last Call, Dave looks at Middleby’s decision to discontinue its brewing equipment division and what the loss of brands including Wild Goose Filling and Ss Brewtech says about today’s craft beer industry.Sketchbook’s Oktoberfest celebration takes place September 18–20 at its Evanston and Skokie locations. Dave is also looking to hear from Gen Z guests for an upcoming conversation about beer. Interested in sharing your perspective? Email dave@beerinfront.comSometimes the beer in front of you is the best one yet!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/beer-in-front--5704447/support.Beer Media Group
- Sep 8, 202657 min
Celebrating 40 Years Of Alaskan Brewing
Alaskan Brewing at 40: A Conversation with Geoff and Marcy LarsonMost breweries never reach ten years, Alaskan Brewing Company has made it to forty. In this episode, I sit down with founders Geoff and Marcy Larson to discuss how a homebrewing idea became one of America’s pioneering craft breweries. They share the story of launching in Juneau in 1986 with 88 local investors, creating Alaskan Amber from a Gold Rush-era recipe, and building an independent brewery far from the traditional centers of American brewing. We also explore the history of the legendary Alaskan Smoked Porter, the brewery’s use of local ingredients such as spruce tips and alder-smoked malt, and the innovations that allow Alaskan Brewing to recover fermentation CO₂ and use spent grain to help power its brewing operations. Geoff and Marcy also reflect on working together as a couple, surviving the difficult early years, preserving the brewery’s culture, and what they’ve learned from four decades in craft beer. Later, I taste Ascender Pale Ale from Alaskan Brewing’s commemorative 40-pack and explain why you should “put it in the cart.” On Last Call, I look at two American single malt whiskies from Virginia Distillery Company’s Brewers Coalition. One is finished in casks from The Bruery’s Black Tuesday, while the other uses casks from Revolution Brewing’s Straight Jacket Barleywine. In this episode:How Alaskan Brewing began with 88 small investorsThe Gold Rush history behind Alaskan AmberCreating and aging Alaskan Smoked PorterBrewing with spruce tips and alder-smoked maltThe challenges of brewing and distributing beer from JuneauRecovering CO₂ and powering the brewery with spent grainThe story behind the special 40th-anniversary 40-packGeoff and Marcy’s four-decade partnershipWhy Alaskan Amber remains a gateway into craft beerA review of Ascender Pale AleBeer-barrel-finished whiskey from Virginia Distillery CompanyCongratulations to Geoff, Marcy, and the entire Alaskan Brewing team on forty remarkable years! Follow Beer In Front on Instagram and YouTube for additional beer reviews and upcoming tastings of the Virginia Distillery Company releases.Beer and Whisky samples mentioned in this episode were provided for review. Opinions are always my own.Sometimes the beer in front of you is the best one yet!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/beer-in-front--5704447/support.Beer Media Group
- Sep 1, 202641 min
Why Craft Malt Matters More Than You Think
It’s Craft Malt Month, and on this episode of Beer In Front, we’re getting back to one of beer’s most important ingredients: malt. I’m joined by Jeff Bloem of Murphy And Rude, Virginia’s first dedicated commercial specialty malt house. Jeff’s path into malt wasn’t exactly traditional. He came from the corporate consulting world and started experimenting with malting in his basement before eventually building Murphy & Rude into a supplier for breweries and distilleries throughout the region.We talk about what it takes to build a malt house from scratch, working directly with farmers, and why sourcing grain locally isn’t as simple as drawing a line around a state. We also get into the idea of terroir in malt, the flavor potential of heirloom and heritage grains, and how increasingly unpredictable weather can affect barley crops and the malt that ultimately makes its way into your beer. Jeff also makes a great point about authenticity: Does an American brewer really need malt shipped thousands of miles from Europe to make an authentic German or Czech-style lager? Or is authenticity more about the brewing methods than where the ingredients were grown? After the interview, I stay on the malt theme with the 2026 Sierra Nevada Oktoberfest, this year’s collaboration with a German brewery. It’s a dry-hopped Festbier with plenty of malt character—and one you should grab while it’s around.In This EpisodeHow Geoff went from corporate consulting to craft maltingStarting a malt operation in his basementBuilding relationships with Virginia farmersWhy weather and climate matter so much to maltstersLocal grain vs. the best available grainDoes malt have terroir?Why heirloom grains can bring different flavors to beerThe economics behind small-scale craft maltAmerican ingredients in traditional European beer stylesThe changing craft malt business2026 Sierra Nevada OktoberfestBeer In Front: Sometimes the beer in front of you is the best one yet.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/beer-in-front--5704447/support.Beer Media Group
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About Beer In Front
I'm Dave, a regular Chicago Beer Guy with a podcast about some old school beers and new classics. Sometimes the Beer In Front of you is the best one yet! https://www.patreon.com/beerinfronthttps://linktr.ee/BeerInFrontBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/beer-in-front--5704447/support.
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