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TJ Maxx Beer Dreams

April 8, 2026·40 min·2 clips

A listener describes a house lager that tasted like 'straight up buttered popcorn' and coated their mouth like the bottom of a movie theater popcorn bucket.

1. Craft Beer Republic hosts Flex and Greg, joined by guest Steph of Beer Nerd Radio and the Utah Brewers Guild, discuss beer prices, bad beer stories, and craft beer news. 2. Flex is 41 days sober and hosting without drinking; Greg returned from a Milwaukee Brewers game; Steph joins remotely from Utah. 3. The episode's premise connects beer pricing history, listener horror stories about bad beer, and current craft beer industry news. 4. New analysis shows a 1980 six-pack costing $3.40 adjusts to $13.30 today, while Budweiser and Miller Lite now average $8-$8.50 — a 37% real-terms decrease — though craft six-packs often exceed $12 and can reach $17+. 5. The hosts debate current craft prices, with Steph estimating Utah six-packs at $9.99-$10.49 and Flex noting he paid $19.99 for a recent four-pack, prompting Greg to propose a 'TJ Maxx beer store' concept for discounted older craft inventory. 6. Steph is drinking a bottle she saved from Epic Brewing's Colorado location (now closed) — a Brainless on Pineapple barrel-aged sour at 6.3% ABV — and calls it one of her all-time favorites, rating it 4.02 on Untappd. 7. Flex tastes the El Segundo Brewing Company x Beer Zombies Apocalypse Road Trip Hazy IPA (7% ABV, 3.92 Untappd) and rates it better than any previous Beer Zombies beer he has tried, though not worth re-buying a four-pack. 8. The 'Poop Gate 2025' listener segment features a submission about ordering a house lager at a newly opened brewery whose second sip tasted like buttered popcorn, slick and coating; the bartender described it as having 'a little extra character right now.' 9. Greg and Flex identify the off-flavor as diacetyl — a fermentation byproduct caused by insufficient conditioning — and coin the term 'diacetyl pterodactyl' for the experience. 10. Eagle Park Brewing and Distilling acquired Milwaukee-based RTD brand Soul Boxer Cocktail Company, known for bottled old fashioneds made with Door County cherries and orange peel; Eagle Park plans canned cocktails and future THC-infused options. 11. The Wisconsin brandy old-fashioned sweet triggers a debate, with Steph calling it 'not an old-fashioned' and the hosts defending it as a regional specialty that should be ordered by its full name. 12. The Lost Abbey announced a fourth tasting room location at a 1,400-square-foot former brewery in San Diego's Miramar district, the Miralani Makers District, expected to open within two months. 13. Greg notes that the former tenants of the space included Thunderhawk Alements, which he visited pre-COVID and found made good beer. 14. The Florida segment features 58-year-old Brian Parker driving through a gate at Daytona Beach International Airport while drunk and on drugs, nearly hitting a moving aircraft, and successfully boarding at least one plane before being arrested. 15. Parker told deputies 'I don't remember' and was charged with attempted aircraft piracy, DUI, and trespassing; the hosts note he was physically sat on a truck tailgate by an airport worker, then ran toward another plane. 16. Flex covers the nine best MLB stadium beer deals for 2026, including $5 drafts at Miami's Loan Depot Park (305 menu, all game) and Seattle's T-Mobile Park (Keystone Light and Miller High Life), and $8 craft options in Seattle. 17. Coors Field in Colorado tops the list with $3 rotating domestic and craft beers available before first pitch at the rooftop, followed by Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati at $3 on Tuesdays. 18. The tone is casual and comedic with recurring inside jokes, tangents about regional food customs (Wisconsin old fashioneds), and a consistent theme of bad beer experiences. 19. Craft beer enthusiasts who follow MLB, enjoy beer pricing analysis, and appreciate Wisconsin-centric inside jokes will find this episode entertaining. 20. Listeners who want structured tasting notes, neutral presentation, or episodes without long digressions into Wisconsin sports grievances will likely disengage.

As heard by us

A loose, funny beer hangout that keeps the tasting grounded with rating math, off-flavor jokes, and easy banter.

Craft Beer Republic starts with ballpark beer lists, drunk Florida drivers, the math of a six-pack, and hangover supplements that sound like they should work better than they do.

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Why you'd press play

For beer banter that spirals from sobriety jokes into a risky hazy IPA.

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