The 4E Podcast

Chris, Micah and Rob try their hand at blind taste testing (and identifying) Non-Alcoholic, NA beers vs. A Beers. Chris surprises Micah and Rob with special golf beer glasses — though this is not a golf podcast. Beers reviewed in this episode are: Guinness, Guinness 0 (zero), Go Brewing Sunshine State Tropical IPA, and Sierra Nevada Tropical Little Thing IPA. On top of that, the boys talk about be...

Chris, Micah and Rob bring each other a Christmas gift in the form of a Christmas beer. That’s right, three beer reviews packed into this Christmas episode extravaganza! Beers reviewed this episode: Half Acre Far Star Winter Lager; Bell’s Christmas Ale; and 3 Floyd’s Alpha Klaus. On top of that, the boys talk about beer brewed using melted snow from an NFL stadium , Christmas movies, a drunk racco...

We hit the “big time” with professional sound equipment! Sound engineer Chris transformed Rob’s basement into a podcast studio! In this episode, Chris, Micah & Rob review a Kirkland barrel aged beer, and Arches by P3, while Chris and Rob recount their media coverage of FoBAB. Come for the reviews and FoBAB talk, but stay to find out what gift the guys would bring to an audience with the Pope.

The 4E Podcast has become the Rough Draughts podcast. Micah is now joined by (friend of the show turned host) Rob, and (sound engineer) Chris. The format remains the same! This new triumvirate review three Aldi beers, and discuss a range of news: how a Chicago cyclist distributes her (free) home brew; speed dating therapists; and beer on the rocks. All that and more in this episode of your favorit...

Hey! The boys are back! They review Fresh Hop Vista - a collab between Art History Brewing and Binny's. The Festival of Wood and Barrel Aged Beer (aka FoBAB) is coming up on Nov. 22 and 23rd. Get your tickets at fobab.com. They'll be there, so if you're going, look out for The 4E Podcast. Other highlights from this episode: Dave Hoops answers beer questions (like does beer make you fat?); early ad...

It's been a minute ... The guys have not abandoned you, loyal listeners! Russell & Micah are back with an episode that was recorded at the end of May (side note: we may need to fire our editor). There's a beer review (Kinslahger Brewing's Gold Wing Pilsner), talk of birding, golden wing warblers, Russell went to BUG (Micah was sick), killer bee brewed beer (How many killer bees doe...

It's been a minute. The boys are back with an extra long hour-and-a-half episode to make up for the hiatus. Russell and Micah brought suprise/mystery beers to review - reveal to one another during the podcast recording. Russell brought Maplewood Simplicity is Bliss. Micah brought Werk Force Mable. And, while drinking a bonus beer (Off Color's Crispy Beer for Pizza), the guys get silly with...

Micah and Russell review two beers: Wry Expression (a rye stout collab between Art History Brewing & the Women of Binny's) and Onward (a New England IPA and the very last Lab Beer from Exit Strategy Brewing). The 4E Podcast is going to the Festival of Wood and Barrel Aged Beer (FoBAB), which takes place on Nov. 3 and 4, 2023. The boys preview the event, what they're looking forward to...

Apologies in advance ... this episode was recorded on August 1 and is just now dropping. What can we say ... it's. a hobby. For all your patience, you get a great episode from Micah and Russell. There's two beer reviews: Three Floyd's Dismembers Only (a Barrel-Aged Imperial Milk Stout) and Schlafly's White Lager. All that plus a baboon working the switchboard of a train depot and A...

The boys took to the road for this special episode of The 4E Podcast! Russell and Micah met up with Ray Stout - Executive Director of the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild - at Noon Whistle Brewing Company in the Lombard location, where we were hosted by Paul Kreiner - co-founder of Noon Whistle. We cover a bunch of topics, including 2023 Beer Under Glass (BUG); how the guild is working to make craft b...

Do three lefts make a right, or do three rights make a left? Who knows, but Micah and Russell drink and review Three Left Turns and Three Right Turns - two collaborations between Noon Whistle Brewing (Lombard, IL) and More Brewing (Villa Park, IL). The gentlemen enjoy both hazy IPAs, discuss #HopFunk, the need for a drinkware sponsor, tongue maps, and much more. Beer news this episode includes: Wh...

Your Favorite Brewer's Favorite Brewer, Sam Ross ( @therealbrewersamross ), joins Micah and Russell for a special episode of The 4E Podcast. Sam is a brewer at Goose Island, and has had some special beers released through Haymarket. The guys cover many topics, including: How Sam got into brewing (hit: his origin story involves Whole Foods); telling stories with beer (we sample and review two of hi...

Russell and Micah break new ground this episode, reviewing not one, not two, but THREE holiday beers: Great Lakes Brewing's Barrel-Aged Christmas Ale, Half Acre Beer Co.'s Tend, and finally, Hop Butcher for the World's Minted. The invitation is not merely to listen to two guys reviewing beers, but to join us in holiday cheer (and silliness) as we go off track with tangents such as: a possible Capt...

It's a special episode of The 4E Podcast, as the guys dig into their awesome experience at the 2022 Festival of Barrel Aged Beer (FoBAB), while sipping Sir Blends A-Lot Blend #2 from Mikerphone Brewing. The boys share their Mount Rushmore of beers they had at the festival, the big medal winners and how Micah, despite what Instagram thinks, is in fact, alive (obviously)! They'll get back to their r...

Russell and Micah review a new(ish) collab between two Chicago institutions, Revolution Brewing and Garrett Popcorn Shops: CaramelCrisp Caramel Popcorn Ale.  Then there's an exciting, special announcement regarding this year's FoBAB (hint: we're going and you should, too!). While sipping on AVL IPA from Highland Brewing Co. (out of Asheville, NC), the boys talk about beer they had while on va...

What the heck is a table beer?! Listen to find out, as the boys are back for the SEASON PREMIER of The 4E Podcast. The beer review: Microvolt, a 3.8% Table Lager + a mystery bonus beer! The beer news: Goose Island Bourbon County Stout 2022 lineup ... and a fun retirement home story(?) All of that, plus a quick recap of BUG (Beer Under Glass) 2022.

Micah & Russell preview Beer Under Glass, a.k.a. BUG 2022. The boys will be there as credentialed media members. The event -- held on Friday, May 13 -- is the kickoff to IL Craft Beer Week and a fundraiser for the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild. All the while, the guys drink an old Polish beer style that Dovetail brought out of the mothballs - Grodziskie (pronounced Grow-Jees-K'ya). Come for the...

Just in time for Easter, the boys are reviewing Beer for Hell from Off Color Brewing. Then, there's a surprise bonus beer on tap as they discuss all sorts of things like Beer Under Glass (BUG), the Molson Coors-Stone Brewing Lawsuit, peeing in Busch beer and much more.

The guys are back after an extended post-FOBAB break! Micah & Russell sit down with Katherine Valleau, owner of Exit Strategy Brewing Company in Forest Park, IL. Katherine was nice enough to talk about many topics including Exit's origin story, highs/lows of owning a brewery, beers she likes to drink, future of the craft brewing industry, and many more. The boys drank some delicious Exit Strat...

The boys are here for a quick recap of all things FOBAB. Highlights of the venue, some of what we drank, the winners, and some under the radar ones we loved ... all while consuming the Best In Show Runner Up VSOJ from Revolution Brewing. Thanks to the Illinois Craft Brewers Association for putting on another great event and inviting The 4E Podcast to cover it.

Micah and Russell have some big news about The 4E Podcast and FOBAB (The Festival of Wood and Barrel-Aged Beer).

Russell and Micah review a fantastic barrel-aged stout from Firestone Walker - Parabola 2021. They also discuss some negative news out of Goose Island regarding a labor organization effort (which included allegations of sexual harassment).  Then, while drinking a bonus beer (Oktoberfest from St. Louis' own Schlafly), they talk about how ancient poop - "Paleofeces" - revealed some interesting...

The boys are back with a Daisy Cutter episode. Micah and Russell review a couple of offering from Half Acre Brewing. First, Daisy Cutter (a beer they've both had before), then they crack open Fully Saturated Double Daisy Cutter. Then, in beer news: more sunken ships - would you drink a 100+ year old beer brought up from the ocean floor? And, finally, special beers for championship teams - melted N...

The boys review two version of the Things We Don't Say IPA - an initiative to draw attention to Mental Health Awareness Month (May). They also tackle the news of allegations of sexual harassment in the craft brewing industry. Plus, Micah and Russell discuss sporting equipment as drinking vessels. 

Why is a baseball game on while the boys are recording? It's Beer for Baseball from Off Color Brewing. The boys drink a bonus beer - Goose's 312 Lemonade Shandy - while they discuss how many bubbles are in a pint of beer and recount bad dad stories that probably won't land their dads in the Bad Dad Hall of Fame in Fairmount, IN.