The Northwoods Beer Guy Podcast
We love craft beer! Each week we will taste a number of beers from around the country and give you our thoughts, not only will we talk about the flavor, but also the artwork and anything else that comes to mind.
We will also go on location and visit breweries and try a number of their offerings and give you our thoughts as well.
Come sit around the campfire and join in on the fun!
Episodes
157 episodes
Ep 157 - Berry Seltzer Showdown
A berry label can mean anything from “tastes like fruit” to “tastes like carbonated regret” and we put that to the test with a full lineup of hard seltzers and canned cocktails. Cal is back with me to taste and score six berry-driven drinks, st...
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Season 4
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Episode 157
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44:04
Ep 156 - Pineapple Canned Cocktails Taste Test
Pineapple in a can can be either the perfect summer shortcut or a one-sip regret, so we put it to a real-world test. Mike is battling a cold, Callie is back in the Northwoods after her Missouri chapter, and we line up six ready-to-drink canned ...
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Season 4
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Episode 156
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46:18
Ep 155 - Battle Of The Barrels: Eight Heavy Hitters Go Head To Head
Eight heavy hitters. One long table. We lined up barrel-aged stouts from Central Waters, Epic, Founders, Surly, Dragon’s Milk, Destihl, Goose Island, and 3 Sheeps, then chased down the truth about single barrel vs blends, French oak finishes, a...
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Season 4
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Episode 155
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1:39:18
Ep 154 - We Taste Eight Fifth Ward Beers And Rank The Standouts
A suitcase of pint cans, a head full of Oshkosh history, and a guest who knows his bourbon—this tasting tour of Fifth Ward Brewing turned into a masterclass in balance and variety. We invited our friend John to the studio after his trip to Oshk...
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Season 4
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Episode 154
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1:11:03
Ep 153 - How A Bahamas Brewery Survived, Innovated, And Won Fans
A sun‑soaked taproom in Nassau, a flight that stretches from bright shandy to bold porter, and a brewer with a story that won’t quit. We drop anchor at Rip Tyd Brewing to taste through a lineup crafted by Christine, the co‑founder who turned a ...
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Season 4
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Episode 153
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23:24
Ep 152- From Sheboygan To Rochester: Chasing Big Barrel-Aged Beers And Honest Scores
A can that drinks like a cellar whale, a pastry porter that reads like a dessert menu, and a vanilla-forward barleywine that raises a simple question: at what point does “more” become “too much”? We pulled up five heavy hitters, welcomed two fr...
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Season 4
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Episode 152
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1:21:49
Ep 151 - Pirate-Themed Pints, Local Finds
A pirate theme, a cooler of local cans, and a fresh palate in the room—this tasting sails straight into what makes craft beer fun. We crack open seven Skeleton Crew Brew beers from Onalaska, Wisconsin and put them through our no-nonsense scorin...
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Season 4
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Episode 151
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55:08
Ep 150 - From Flannel Browns To Winter Whites: A Candid Craft Beer Review
Ever crack a winter beer that promises cinnamon, nutmeg, orange peel, and coffee… then wonder where the flavor went? We lined up eight seasonal cans—four Lift Bridge Fireside Flannel variants and four from the Sam Adams Winter Break pack—to sep...
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Season 4
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Episode 150
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1:01:22
Ep 149 - Two Podcasters Walk Into A Missouri Brewery And Learn Why Color, Style, And ABV Aren’t What You Think
A quick detour turned into a full-on craft beer adventure at Crossroads Brewery in O’Fallon, Missouri. We teamed up with Spencer from Maybe An Interview to taste through two flights that covered the spectrum: an easygoing American Pale Al...
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Season 4
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Episode 149
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35:11
Ep 148 - Where A 19th-Century Brewery Meets Today’s Craft Palate
A quick beer run turned into a full-on discovery. On our way to grab Barrel Society releases at 3 Sheeps, we swung into Fond du Lac Beer Company and found a revived 1800s-era space, a friendly crew, a legit kitchen, and nine house beers begging...
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Season 4
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Episode 148
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30:56
Ep 147 - From Honey Kolsch To Bourbon Barrels: A Mason City Tasting Tour
Twelve pours, one taproom, and more surprises than we expected. We posted up at Fat Hill Brewing in Mason City and worked through a full lineup that stretches from honey kolsch and American wheat to a Belgian golden strong and multiple barrel-a...
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Season 4
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Episode 147
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32:46
Ep 146 - Beer Of The Year, Poured And Proven
Five rare blends. Twenty-two finalists. One crown. We crack open a vertical of Firestone Walker Anniversary ales and use them as the perfect lens to examine what makes a barrel-aged beer truly special: thoughtful blending, patient aging, and cl...
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Season 4
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Episode 146
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1:04:42
Ep 145 - Nine Cans, Bold Flavors: Thesis Beer Project Review
Ever cracked a can and thought, wait… is that Thanksgiving stuffing? We did—and it actually worked. We set out to spotlight one small brewery and ended up with nine distinct beers from Thesis Beer Project in Rochester that never once felt phone...
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Season 4
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Episode 145
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1:09:21
Ep 144 - Inside Callahan Lake Resort Through Craft Beer
The air hurt our faces, so we made the weather our beer fridge. From there, it turned into the perfect Northwoods night: eight carefully chosen beers, one runaway favorite, and a deep dive into a small, family-first resort that lives bigger tha...
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Season 3
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Episode 144
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1:53:40
Ep 143 - Winter Dark Beers That Actually Warm You Up
A cold night. Six dark beers. Zero mercy for labels that overpromise. We open with a “Mexican hot chocolate” milk stout that whispers cinnamon but forgets the heat, then pivot to a peanut butter chocolate porter that finally smells like the rea...
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Season 3
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Episode 143
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1:19:09
Ep 142 - Cold Cans, Warm Laughs: A Holiday Beer Ride
A snowy day calls for a mixed pack and a little mischief. We cracked open eight winter beers that promised cookies, spice, and holiday cheer—and found a spectrum from burnt-roast stouts to a bourbon-kissed gem that actually delivers the season ...
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Season 3
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Episode 142
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1:15:15
Ep 141 - We Celebrate 1,000 Reviews By Tasting Our Way Through Christmas Beers And Surprising Flavor Twists
The snow hit early, the grill smoke curled over the pines, and we crossed a big milestone: our 1,000th beer review. To celebrate, we poured an ambitious holiday lineup that proves December beer can be more than cinnamon and nutmeg. Think cookie...
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Season 3
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Episode 141
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1:10:07
Ep 140 - Touring Tumbled Rock: 17 Beers In Baraboo
Seventeen taps, one table, and a promise to try them all. We dropped into Tumbled Rock Brewing in Baraboo with fresh palates and open notebooks, then worked our way from malty staples to modern haze and a final flight full of sours, spice, and ...
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Season 3
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Episode 140
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30:02
Ep 139 - From Resort Dreams To Reality BK's New Venture
It’s 12:55 a.m., the first flurries are flying, and our quiet plan to record turned into fifty people at the bar, a late dinner, and a lineup of beers too good to skip. We share what it’s really like to buy a Northwoods resort, reopen a bar on ...
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Season 3
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Episode 139
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1:04:03
Ep 138 - Bourbon County Night: Big, Bold, And Barrel-Aged
Five Bourbon County pours, one 20% curveball, and a table full of strong opinions. We line up the 2022 Goose Island Bourbon County variants—Original, Coffee, Biscotti, the 30th Anniversary Reserve with Knob Creek’s small-batch family, and the T...
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Season 3
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Episode 138
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1:13:55
Ep 137 - Barrels, Blueberries, And Big Bottles
A house band, wax-dipped bombers, and six barrel-aged beers later, we walked away surprised by what truly stood out—and what didn’t. We lined up a spectrum: a 5.1% blueberry pastry sour from 608 Brewing, a Russian imperial stout from Bad Weathe...
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Season 3
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Episode 137
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1:08:45
Ep 136 - Tasting Through Al Ringling Brewing’s Circus-Rooted Lineup
Ever balanced a flight so big it looks like a train car? We headed to Al Ringling Brewing in Baraboo, Wisconsin, home of circus lore and a taproom built with reclaimed bowling-lane wood, to sample all sixteen taps and rank them from easy sipper...
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Season 3
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Episode 136
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37:14
Ep 135 - Stouts, White Stouts, And A Brandy Barrel Surprise
Think stout has to be dark, heavy, and bitter? We crack open a lineup that challenges the stereotype—white stouts that drink silky and bright, classic nitro smoothness, and a surprise brandy barrel lager that channels a Wisconsin old fashioned....
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Season 3
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Episode 135
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1:04:23
Ep 134 - Fall Beers, Found Flavor
The fall beer slump finally met its match. After weeks of thin American Oktoberfests, we lined up a smarter tasting: Sam Adams’ Fall Legends variety pack, a side-by-side of 3 Sheeps’ classic vs. bourbon barrel-aged Oktoberfest, and two high-ABV...
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Season 3
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Episode 134
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1:00:24
Ep 133 - Warm Fall, Cool Beers
What happens when you line up eight American Oktoberfests—NA to 6.1% ABV—and go searching for that rich, toasty, German-style soul? We found drinkable lagers, a few surprises, and a lot of restrained flavor that made us ask why so many U.S. tak...
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Season 3
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Episode 133
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48:00