Inside Pollyanna Brewing’s Lexical Gap IPA, Freeze‑Distilled Eisbock, and Snickers‑Inspired Pastry Stout Craft Beers

Learn about the surprising origins of Pollyanna’s award‑winning Lexical Gap IPA, freeze‑distilled Eisbocks, and Snickers‑inspired pastry stout.

Brian Pawola, co‑founder, head brewer, and distiller at Pollyanna Brewing Company, shares the story behind Pollyanna’s most unique beers. In particular, he discusses the freeze distilling involved in crafting their Jötunheimr Eisbock Lager, the reluctance behind creating the award-winning Lexical Gap West Coast IPA, and what goes into creating their Dr. Pangloss Black IPA. He also discusses his German brewing education and his approach to balancing bitterness in high‑ABV beers.

After the beer break, Brian shares some of Pollyanna’s Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Toasted Marshmallow Fun Size pastry stout with peanut, coconut, vanilla bean, sea salt adjuncts, while sharing his thoughts on how to brew with lactose appropriately. Then, he discusses Pollyanna’s expansion into distilling, the difference between brewing and distilling, and how much overlap there is between beer drinkers and consumers of spirits. Plus: why whiskey comes out clear from the barrel, where the color of bourbon comes from, and why roasting coffee is the next logical step in Pollyanna’s evolution.

Learn more about Pollyanna Brewing Company and its three locations in Lemont, St. Charles, and Roselle on their website at https://pollyannabrewing.com/

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Our executive producer and editor is award-winning podcaster Cody Gough. He insists that we tell you that in this episode, you’ll learn about: West Coast IPA, barrel aged beer, pastry stout, milk stout, freeze‑distilled ice bock, Eisbock, barrel aging, freeze distillation, distilling license, Lexical Gap IPA, Black IPA, Hoppy pale ale, American pale ale, Maisy pale ale, Fun Size stout, Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Toasted Marshmallow Fun Size, Mosaic hops, lactose in beer, de‑bittered black malts, bock beer, German style lager, lagering, peanut adjunct, coconut adjunct, vanilla bean adjunct, sea salt adjunct, toasted marshmallow adjunct, Siebel Institute brewing school, Schneider Weisse ice bock, The Full Lemonty, Eleanor Porter, Eugene Porter, Belgian Dubbel, Belgian Tripel, Belgian Quad, and distilling spirits vs brewing beer.