Malt Couture

After 317 episodes, Malt Couture wraps up season 1 as Alex and Stephen taste top-of-class brews from Andechs, Rodenbach, Chimay, and Straffe Hendrick in an old world, old money Power Rankings showdown. Does a flanders red still give Stephen a dopamine hit? Will recency bias from Alex's trip to Andechs come into play? What's the cliffhanger for this season finale? Will there be irresponsible use of...

Three breweries make their Malt Couture debut as four old world beer styles clash in the Power Rankings. Beers from Sapwood Cellars Brewery, Noble Beast Brewing Co., CLAG Brewing Co., and Phase Three Brewing will face off to see who produces a brew worthy of eras past. In the Beer News, the Japanese Sharp Pour starts to find its way into US taprooms, an Uptappd check in almost leads to an internat...

No pizza jokes, no I'm-walkin'-heres, no big piles of trash on the sidewalks in this episode because Alex and Stephen are avoiding Manhattan and heading straight upstate for this episode's Power Rankings. Beers from Wayward Lane Brewing, Deep Fried Beers, Frequentem Brewing Co., and Fallside Brewing break out the chains, baseball bats, and broken bottles as they fight to the death in this Upstate...

What happens in the Power Rankings when a 6% Barrel-Aged Ale from Keeping Together in collaboration with Hill Farmstead takes on the ABV heavy Barrel-Aged beers from The Veil and Hair of the Dog, Revolution Brewing, and Wax Wings Brewing Co.? Oh, Keeping Together, they don't believe us. But you won't let those Barrel-Aged robots defeat us. In the Beer News, the aluminum can supply is in short supp...

There's a rumble in the Golden State as the second iteration of the California Classic sees rare gems from Lost Abbey, Alesmith Brewing Company, Russian River Brewing Company, and North Park Beer Company get put through the Power Ranking treatment. In the Beer News, it's more California content as Toronado finally finds a new owner, Stone Brewing gets hot potato'ed to Firestone Walker who's owned...

EVERYONE GET IN THE PIT! It's a New England throw down with beers from Treehouse Brewing, Trillium Brewing, Alchemist Brewing, and a homebrew from Massachusetts filled with double barleywines and experimental hops. In the Beer News, Firestone Walker assumes stewardship of Trumer Pils, a new Teku mug enters the arena, and the Costco hot dog aesthetic once again graces the limited drop black market....

In one of the wildest Power Ranking throwdowns, a white whale from the year 2000 by De Dolle Brouwers finds itself up against barrel-aged barleywines from Brujos Brewing and Dimensional Brewing Company and a locals only single-barrel 2026 BCBS. In the Beer News, beer sales on St. Patrick's Day have bounced back, Chicago claims the American English Mild Ale crown for the three-peat, and Tilray team...

Alex won his first ever razzle in order to put this episode together when he sources a hazy DIPA from Threat Beer Company. A mysterious benefactor sells Alex a Stone Stonewall bottle from 2005. Then rounding out the Bottleshare is the 2025 Toronado Barleywine Festival winner from Wonderous Brewing Co. and a love letter to Dark Lord from a bunch of basement dwellers in Chicago. In the Beer News, Ge...

We all had one. She'd buy you tickets to R-rated movies or go on pre-Thanksgiving dinner walks. She adds Coke and ice to her red wine and smokes slims. She's your cool aunt and she's not judging anyone for drinking NA beers. The Malty Boyz™ also do their due diligence when they crack open Bud Light Blizzard Brew and take in the terroir of HIghmark Stadium. In the Beer News, Tilray acquires BrewDog...

Alex tracks down another White Whale as Surly Darkness Batch 1 lands on the show and finds itself in the mix with Holy Mountain Brewing Company's Summoning Spell, Bissell Brothers' Brewing Super Swish, and Fiddlehead Brewing's Second Fiddle. In the Beer News, a beloved SoCal brewery closes shop, BrewDog announces they're being sold but not without tons of drama, and Budweiser takes the top spot in...

Returning to their old way of ranking beers, Alex's video game and Stephen's wrestling rating systems are back for this batch's motley lineup of beers. Bell's Brewery's Hopslam finally makes it on the show. A throwback to the IBU Wars, Three Floyds Arctic Panzer Wolf, takes the Malty Boyz ™ back to the mid-2000s. Alex's leather jacket-gate inspires a massive collaboration with Barreled Souls Grift...

Alex hunts down the best and most sought after whiskeys released in 2025! E.H. Taylor BTAC, Russell's Reserve 15 Year, Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Special Release Tanyard HIll Rye, Bardstown Bourbon Company Distillery Reserve Hokkaido Mizunara Oak Barrel Finish, and Hill Farmstead Whistle Pig Rye 10 Year all compete for that coveted spot atop the Malt Couture Power Rankings. In the Beer News, the...

Alex and Stephen start 2026 with a visit from Lord Maris for the seventh Barleywine is Life episode with four Barleywhales that have been lighting up the tradeboards on the secondary market. Featuring barleybobs from The Veil (STARVE: Exhibit H), Goose Island (King Henry II), Anchorage Brewing (Penta Oaked A Deal With the Devil), and Half Acre (Bazalt Wilderness of History). In the Beer News, Jim...

After braving the Black Friday crowds outside Binny's and pissing in bottles in now temperate weather, Alex and Stephen have sourced a horizontal of all six of Goose Island's Bourbon Country Brand Stout releases from this year. They'll be goosin' it, they'll be loosin', and they'll be Power Rankin' it to see how this year's Chicago Juice stacks up. Nothing like 14% ABV beers in the AM to kick off...

Call us The Malty Boyz™. Some years ago--never mind how long precisely--having little or no malty bucks in our purse, and nothing particular to interest us on the shelves at Binny's, we thought we would sail about a little and see the watery part of the world. Now we've slayed many a white whale but it's been a minute since we've searched for a modern day whale. Which is why in this episode, Alex...

After a run of White Whales, Old Money, and lots of fresh hops, Alex and Stephen return to the NA space to Power Rank an XL line-up of beers (and a soda) that have popped up in the Beer News in recent months. Sapporo, Paulaner, Years Beer, Rhinegeist Brewery, and Athletic Brewing Company are all represented for this due diligence episode. In the Beer News, A Class of '88 pillar topples as Rogue Br...

Alex looks into some old dogs learning new tricks as Brasserie Au Baron, Kern River Brewing Company, 3 Fonteinen, Brasserie Fantôme, and Yazoo Brewing Company break from traditions. In the Beer News, Paulaner gets into the soda game, Untappd allows any beverage to be checked in, and craft beer legend and long time New Belgium brewer Lauren Woods Limbach retires after 28 years. To get involved with...

Alex and Stephen celebrate 300 episodes by cracking open tried and true old money staples and one not so old money beer. Beers from Brasserie de Blaugies, Uerige Obergärige Hausbrauerei, De Ranke, and Sierra Nevada will be put through the Power Rankings treatment. In the Beer News, Schramms Meadery released a batch of The Statement Reserve to help pay off their orchard loan, Sapporo gets in the NA...

It's fresh hop season and Alex sources four of the best fresh hop beers from the heart of hop country: the Pacific Northwest. Beers from Fremont Brewing, Crux Fermentation Project, Little Beast Brewing, and Gigantic Brewing Company will face off to see who's got the dankest offering this fresh hop season. In the Beer News, Alex recaps the NA winners at GABF, another twist is added to Ballast Point...

Alex busts out his trusty ticking harpoon and hunts down four beers off the White Whale list. Lost Abbey Veritas 006,  Stone Brewing Vertical Epic 02.02.02 Encore, New Glarus R&D Very Sour Blackberry (re-release), and Cantillon Loerik go head-to-head and then get put through the Power Ranking treatment. In the Beer News, a series of closures sadden and anger the craft beer community, Unibroue La F...

In one of the most competitive Power Ranking episodes, new releases from Pulpit Rock Brewing Company, Russian River Brewing Company, Mcilhenney Brewing Company, and Figueroa Mountain Brewing Brew Co. go head-to-head featuring an array of styles. In the Beer News, longtime Chicago burger joint Burger Antics announces their closure, Charlie Sheen gets into the NA beer space, and Budweiser teams up w...

Alex praises the recent Sierra Nevada Pils releases in 8.4 oz cans! But does he really believe what he says or is this another #nostrilgate? Then Alex and Stephen try some NA beverages and a new contender challenges St. Agrestis for the throne. They try their first NA wine and revisit a NA beer favorite then throw all four drinks through the Power Rankings treatment.  To get involved with the  "Li...

It was a summer of boozy beers but Alex and Stephen hop back on the NA train with four summer "refreshers." Not quite a cocktail, not at all beer, possibly soda-ish, offerings from Casamara Club, Something & Nothing, Melo, and Pentire battle it out to see if any NA drink is worthy of dethroning St. Agrestis. In the Beer News, new tariffs will hit the beer industry soon, Spindrift 86s their Spiked...

Alex and Stephen approach completion in trying all the Trappist beers out there as they tick Zundert Trappist, Engelszell Trappist, Mount Saint Bernard Abbey, and Mont Des Cats Biere Trappiste. This leaves only 1 Trappist Beer left to try. In the Beer News, Schramm's Mead is for sale Ken Schramm is told to retire due to health complications, Boston Beer Company closes two of their LA ventures incl...

It's a Trappist beer showdown as Alex sources four Trappist beers from three different Trappist breweries that have never been featured on the show, then he and Stephen put the beers through the Power Ranking treatment. In the Beer News, a huge shakeup goes down in the distribution side of the beer world, Buffalo Trace grasps at straws for their next limited release, and it's the annual GOOSE IT O...