EP-227 Obadiah Poundage with Mike Siegel and Ron Pattinson

Today’s episode is the second we’ve done with this duo of Mike Siegel of Goose Island and Ron Pattinson, beer historian, writer, and a collaborator on a recipe revival project of sorts. Way back in 2016 we invited these two over to the studio to discuss their Brewery Yard Stock Pale Ale, a barrel-aged brett pale reminiscent of what a beer brewed in England over a century ago may have been like according to their research. 

Today’s conversation is about a new beer called Obadiah Poundage, which isn’t trying to replicate a recipe so much as try to approximate what a porter might have tasted like if it were brewed in London in 1840. 

These beers have both been fascinating, not only for their history and story, but the final product itself. They taste and feel familiar, but with an edge that’s entirely foreign. Like a bizarro world version of a beer you think you know. Sometimes that’s an ingredient choice, or a process decision, or in some cases, a fermentation character that’s just slightly outside the norm. All of it adding up to a wholly enjoyable, yet intriguing  version of, in this case, a porter. 

I love getting these two guys together—you can see the child-like excitement that comes out of their shared passion for these collaborations. It’s a great reminder of how genuinely fun beer, brewing, and history can be when it all comes together in a project like this. 

This is Ron Pattinson and Mike Siegel, listen in.