Six pilsners should be predictable, right? We thought we were about to drink six cans of the same crisp lager and politely nod our way through it. Instead, we got a full spread of flavors, finishes, and surprises that made us rethink what a craft pilsner can be, especially when you’re looking for lower ABV beer that still has personality.

We bring home a craft-only lineup from Total Wine and taste through it one by one, including Inbound Brewing’s Laser Loon Pilsner, Sierra Nevada Premium Pils in that tiny 8.4 oz “proper pilsner can,” Millstream’s Oom Pah Pah German Pilsner from Amana, Iowa, Oliphant Brewing’s no-frills Wisconsin pilsner, Modest Brewing’s Last Of The Best Strata Czech Style Pilsner with double dry hopping, and Venn Brewing’s Pills with its bold Czech-inspired promise. Along the way we score each beer, talk clarity and aroma, and keep coming back to one theme: subtle does not mean boring when the malt and noble hops are in balance.

We also dig into pilsner history and the different pilsner styles, then wrestle with the question that always pops up once hops enter the chat: what really separates a hoppy pilsner from an IPA? If you think craft beer equals hazy IPA or high-test stout, this tasting is a clean, cold reminder that lagers can still be interesting. If you enjoy the show, subscribe, share it with a fellow pilsner drinker, and leave a review so more people can find us.

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Thank you for listening to The Northwoods Beer Guy Podcast. If you have a question, comment or would like us to review your beer, please feel free to contact us at northwoodsbeerguy@gmail.com.

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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, starting light and bubbly and ending with a creamy curveball that clocks in at 13% ABV. If you’ve ever stood in front of a variety pack wondering what’s actually worth your money, we do the guessing for you and tell you exactly what we taste.

We get into Vizzy Black Cherry Lime and why “hint of” can be both honest and disappointing, then jump to White Claw Clawtails Blackberry Mojito and the big challenge of getting mint to taste fresh in a can. Nutral’s vodka seltzer lemonades bring tartness and that lemonade bite, while Fresca’s Mixed Berry Citrus lands as the sweeter surprise that feels made for a hot day. We also talk drinkability, heartburn risk, and why carbonation level can make or break a can even when the flavor is decent.

Between pours, Cal shares some of the best Missouri stories, including watching the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout from a packed line of boats, the Freedom One Racing video that looks fake until you realize it’s real, plus concert nights near the Ozarks and a Kansas City weekend with comedy and casino reality checks. We wrap with what we’d recommend to different palates, how to approach high-ABV canned cocktails like Cutwater’s Strawberry White Russian, and which drinks are “try once” versus “buy again.”

If you like honest reviews of hard seltzer, berry canned cocktails, and ready-to-drink alcohol, hit subscribe, share this with a friend who always brings the weird variety pack, and leave a review with the next drink you want us to score.

Send us Fan Mail

Thank you for listening to The Northwoods Beer Guy Podcast. If you have a question, comment or would like us to review your beer, please feel free to contact us at northwoodsbeerguy@gmail.com.

You can also find us on Facebook, YouTube, X (Twitter), Instagram and Tik Tok.

If you are on Untappd, look up NorthwoodsBeerGuy and send a friend request.

Subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, YouTube Music, or wherever you listen to podcasts, or you can click on our RSS feed as well.

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 cocktails to see which ones taste clean, which ones lean too acidic, and which ones disappear into that weird “fridge funk” zone.

We start with Fresca Mixed Spirits, including the Signature Grapefruit Citrus vodka spritz and the Pineapple Citrus version, talking aroma, sweetness, aftertaste, and how quickly some flavors can lead to fatigue or heartburn. Then we hit a curveball with Shaken Pineapple Lime, a non-carbonated hard refresher that proves how much bubbles affect what you think you’re tasting. From there, Carbliss Pineapple shows why it keeps climbing in the RTD cocktail world: smoother finish, clear pineapple flavor, and the kind of drink that actually makes sense on a hot pontoon day.

The back half gets even more fun with Simply Spiked Mango Pineapple and a Good Boy Vodka Cranberry Pineapple pour from John Daly’s line, plus a quick note on why the Good Boy mission to support veterans and service dogs is worth cheering for. Along the way we detour into March Madness brackets, a shoutout to Halle Poock and the Murray State Racers, and a few Wisconsin versus Missouri observations that somehow fit perfectly with a pineapple-themed drink flight.

Subscribe for more Northwoods tastings, share this with a friend who always shows up with a new variety pack, and leave a review telling us your top canned cocktail pick and your biggest flavor letdown.

Send us Fan Mail

Thank you for listening to The Northwoods Beer Guy Podcast. If you have a question, comment or would like us to review your beer, please feel free to contact us at northwoodsbeerguy@gmail.com.

You can also find us on Facebook, YouTube, X (Twitter), Instagram and Tik Tok.

If you are on Untappd, look up NorthwoodsBeerGuy and send a friend request.

Subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, YouTube Music, or wherever you listen to podcasts, or you can click on our RSS feed as well.