The Tap Takeover Podcast crew hits the road for a special beer release Saturday. First up, we sit down with Max from Eagle Park Brewing in Milwaukee to discuss the release of their Nelson Sauvin New England-style IPA, as well as some other upcoming releases. Then we travel to contract-brewers Octopi Brewing in Waunakee, WI to check out the release of the Untitled Art/Mikerphone collaboration Barrel-Aged Hazelnut Stout. We sit down with Isaac Showaki from Octopi and Levi Funk from the Funk Factory Geuzeria, as well as special guests Danny and Jonny from TheFullPint.com, for a live tasting and a discussion about the making of a collab beer and all of the shenanigans that can occur during the process. Grab a pint of your favorite Special Release Beer and join us! Cheers!
TTP Beer News – 10-04-18
Stay up-to-date with a quick 5-minute Installment from the Beer News Department at the Tap Takeover Podcast! Certified Fresh as of 10/04/18. Grab a bottle of The Brewing Projekt’s Dare Mighty Things IPA and join us. Cheers!
TTP – Red Eye – Great Taste of the Midwest 2018
The crew catches up with Kevin Eichelberger, Brewmaster at Red Eye Brewing in Wausau, WI. He’s been going to Great Taste of the Midwest for 10 years. We hear some of his best memories, his background and he gives us the lowdown about what they brought to the Great Taste! Cheers!
TTP – Mikerphone – Great Taste of the Midwest 2018
The crew catches up with Mike Pallen, Owner and Head Brewer at Mikerphone Brewing in Elk Grove Village, IL. He tells us about his love for Madison, his old stomping grounds. We also talks about the recent expansion and the plans going forward with the new canning line. Some breaking news! Finally, he gives us the lowdown about what they brought to the Great Taste! Cheers!
TTP Episode 54 – Oktoberfest Tasting
The changing colors and the cooler nights can only mean one thing: Oktoberfest beers! The boys are back in the studio for an Octoberfest tasting, trying four Marzen style beers. With so many being released now, we wanted to see what a couple of old friends and some larger breweries had to offer. In today’s episode, we tried the Oktoberfest beers from Fermentorium, Mobcraft, Bell’s and Sierra Nevada. Hear what the guys had to say about the 2018 offerings from these four breweries, and enjoy a little history lesson from Alex about why we celebrate Oktoberfest. Grab your favorite Oktoberfest beer and join us. Prost!
TTP – Blind Pig – Great Taste of the Midwest 2018
The crew catches up with Bill Morgan, brewmaster at Blind Pig Brewery in Champaign, IL. He has memories dating back to 1992 when he first started pouring at the festival! He tells us about the time those crazy kids at Bell’s made a boat out of of old kegs! Cheers!
TTP – Schlafly – Great Taste of the Midwest 2018
The crew catches up with Stephen Hale, brewer at Schlafly: The St. Louis Brewery. He tells us the story of why a brewery that doesn’t distribute in Madison has made the trek every year since 1993. From the first trip in his 1990 Ford F-150, which he still drives to this day, to the great selections they brought in 2018. Check out Stephen’s thoughts on the event and the organizers. There is even a special guest half way through our visit. Great Taste of the Midwest Brewer Liaison, Fred Swanson. Check out this fun interview as the two guys relive some of their greatest memories at Graeat Tast of the Midwest!
#lovefest
TTP Episode 53 – Pulpit Rock
This week, we’ve taken the Tap Takeover Podcast on a “beer-run” to visit Pulpit Rock Brewing in Decorah, IA! We sit down with head-brewers Robert Slack and Justin Teff as they lead us through a live tasting of their many highly sought-after brewery creations. In today’s episode we’ll be discussing Pulpit Rock’s ties to the Decorah community and it’s Norwegian heritage, the advantages and challenges of brewing in small, boutique batches, and we’ve got a number of shout-outs to many of Pulpit Rock’s collaborators and brewing friends. Grab a can of Show and Tell Blackberry Berliner Weiss and join us! Cheers!
TTP Episode 52 – Hazy IPA Tasting
The Tap Takeover Podcast Crew get together for another special tasting episode. We wanted to pay tribute to the hazy beers of summer by trying the New England Style Hazy IPA’s. We’ll be discussing the transition of a “craze” into a “style,” what the additions of different hops at different times in the brewing process can mean for the flavor profiles, and the spectrum between “juicy” and “bitey.” The tasting begins with a side-by-side comparison of Eagle Park’s Demon Haze IPA and 1840’s New New Double IPA. Next up are two IPA’s from our trip to Decorah, IA to sit down with Bob and Justin at Pulpit Rock Brewing (interview episode to follow next week), with a single IPA Decorah’s Sweetheart and the double IPA Rhyme Animal. Then we round out our tasting with three offerings from the Brewing Projekt in Eau Claire, WI as we try the single-hopped Mosaic Dare Mighty Things, the single hopped Cryo-Citra “DMT,” and a Double version of the original DMT IPA. Grab a pint of something hazy and juicy and see if you agree with the guys’ assessment of the “haze craze!” Cheers!
TTP Episode 51 – Great Taste of the Midwest Event
For Brewers and Fest-Attendees alike, the Great Taste of the Midwest feels like coming home, thanks, in large part, to the amazing volunteers and organizers who have performed the herculean effort of putting on this event for the past 32 years. This week on the Tap Takeover Podcast, we present our “Love Letter” to the Great Taste. Featured on this week’s episode are a number of world class brewers discussing their beers, their breweries, and their reasons for returning to Madison, WI year after year. Surprises, breaking news, laughter and tears; Episode 51 is loaded with perfectly-timed experiences, and cogent moments! So grab a pint of something rare and delicious, and join us for the fun. Cheers!
Breweries Featured:
Wisconsin – Eagle Park, Raised Grain, Lakefront, Working Draft, Miller Valley, Shipwrecked
Midwest – Toppling Goliath, Forager, Livery, Dangerous Man
Breaking News – Mikerphone, Mobcraft, Central Waters
Illinois – Hailstorm, 5 Rabbit, Cruz Blanca, Goose Island, Revolution, Off Color
Fred’s Corner – Red Eye, Blind Pig, Schlafly