Ask the Experts | How to Properly Return a Beer

If you’ve drank enough beer, you’ve probably found yourself in this situation. It’s an unfortunate experience that leads to apprehensiveness among patrons and bar owners: how do you handle the conversation when there is something clearly off with your beer? With January being the biggest month for gift returns, I thought it might make sense to take a look at how and why patrons should return a beer to their bartender or bottle shop manager. It’s not a cheery subject, but common sense from both sides can lead to a positive outcome that betters the drinking experience of the patron and the drinking relationship between the patron and beer purveyor. To help provide a full perspective on the issue, I asked craft beer bar owners and craft brewers alike to gather their insight. Here is what they said.

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Pollyanna Brewing Company | Foudre 1

Whether you’re from the Chicagoland area or beyond, you’ve likely heard of Pollyanna Brewing Company. My introduction to the brand was through their Fun Size series, which never fails to impress with all of the unique variants. While I’m familiar with the brand, I hadn’t visited either of the brewery’s two Chicagoland locations until recently when I visited and toured Pollyanna’s second location in Roselle, IL. Read More

Stem Ciders Celebrates 5 Years with $5 Ciders, Release & RiNo Party

When it comes to Colorado’s craft beverage scene, the main headline almost always focuses squarely on the meteoric rise of craft breweries. But for anyone following closely, one of the more significant success stories to emerge from the Rocky Mountain region in recent years actually comes from Colorado’s Cider industry in Denver’s Stem Ciders.

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PorchDrinking’s Weekly Denver Beer Beat | January 16, 2019

The Denver Beer Beat is a weekly roundup of brewery openings, special tappings, firkins and one-off batches, bottle releases, dinners, pairings, and more happening in the Front Range and beyond. Be sure to check in each Wednesday to discover anything and everything happening around Colorado’s beer scene. Now let’s get to this week’s can’t miss beer events. Read More

We Talked with Allagash | Canning Allagash White; River Trip Debut

Classics can stay classics while still getting a refresh. Such is the case for Allagash White, one of the staple Belgian beers in the United States. Allagash announced last week that they’ll be canning Allagash White, as well as a new beer in their core lineup: River Trip. I got in touch with Brett Willis, marketing specialist at Allagash, to learn more about the announcement.

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Hudson Valley Brewery | Bloom

Just north of the hustle and bustle of Manhattan, the Hudson Valley in New York has long inspired artists and writers, like Norman Rockwell, with its Victorian homes, charming villages and amazing cuisine. The valley is full of outdoor activities like boating, kayaking and the opportunity to summit some pretty intense mountains; a section of the Appalachian Trail even runs through the area. So, it should come as no surprise that the Hudson Valley is becoming a hot spot for breweries. In fact, there are more than 50 breweries and counting within the region.

Hudson Valley Brewery is located in Beacon, NY. Situated just off the main street in a 1960s factory building, Hudson Valley Brewery opened their doors in 2017 and have already made quite a name for themselves—Hop Culture Magazine named them Best New Brewery of 2017.

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Event Preview | Chicago Ale Fest — Winter Edition

We’re entering another Chicago winter. The wind, lack of sun and bitter cold tend to keep Chicagoans indoors. But before you enter hibernation mode, it’s time to drink some of Chicago’s finest winter beers. What better place to do so than at the Chicago Ale Fest on February 2. This year, the festival makes its way to Pilsen, where Lacuna Artist’s Lofts will host. The festival boasts live music, food trucks and more than 100 beer pours from over 40 breweries. It will be a day off full of fun, surprises, mouth-watering munchies and plenty of strong, hearty ale to keep you warm until spring.

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Schlafly Beer Releases Flagship Beer in Cans | Pale Ale

Have you heard? Schlafly Beer will be releasing their flagship beer, Pale Ale, in 12 packs of 16 oz. cans! This is a big move from the largest, locally owned St. Louis brewery, that introduced the Midwest to craft beer in 1991. This announcement comes just ahead of Can Appreciation Day, which is coming up on January 24. Since their flagship beer has stood well over the test of time, Schlafly made the move to distribute in cans so that it’d be even more accessible to current and future craft beer lovers.

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Exhibit ‘A’ Brewing Company | We’re Going To Need You To Come In On Saturday

It’s Friday afternoon and you can feel the weekend has finally arrived. It’s a short walk from your desk to the door. All you have to do is make it there without being seen. If you can do that, you’re free. The coast looks clear, and you make a break for it. Out of nowhere, there’s Bill. “We’re going to need you to come in on Saturday, mmmk?”

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Dogfish Head Reveals New Off-Centered Art Series Beer | The Perfect Disguise

Is it an IPA disguised as a Kölsch or a Kölsch disguised as an IPA? Well, you’ll be able to weigh in on this mystery in very soon because Dogfish Head Craft Brewery is revealing their newest Double IPA, The Perfect Disguise. In doing so, the Delaware brewery leverages two different beer styles to show off their creativity and come up with a beer that will surely be a topic of debate.

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What We’re Drinking | January 11, 2019

You made it through the first full week of the year! Pat yourself on the back, or better yet, pour yourself a beer. I started off my first week paddle boarding and hanging out with friends at the sandbar, and I’m ending my week going to an infamous beer festival in Fort Lauderdale. This year has treated me well and I love highlighting the best moments in between grad school and work. We are all about that life-work balance at PorchDrinking, and we would love to share some fine beers to lead you in the right direction.

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The Bruery | Weekday Stout Lineup

Exclusive…Brues? I love lists. With craft beer, it has never been any different. When I first started drinking craft, The Bruery’s Black Tuesday quickly came onto my radar. With its exclusive nature, only being available once a year on the final Tuesday in October, I made it a mission to get a hold of one. I quickly discovered that not only was there Black Tuesday, but The Bruery brewed arguably even more exclusive Stout releases for other days of the week, using Black Tuesday as the base beer and then adding different adjuncts to each other day. These other variants were available to Reserve Society Members only.

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Drink Beer, Protect the SF Bay with Anchor Brewing | Baykeeper IPA

Is there a better way to kick off the new year with a new brew that makes a fierce impact on the environment? Probably not! Anchor Brewing Company is doing just that. They’re proud to release Baykeeper IPA, which is made in collaboration with a local non-profit. The San Francisco Baykeeper has been defending the Bay from pollution for 30 years; so, Anchor teamed up with them to create this bright and delicious IPA.

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Firestone Walker Expands its National IPA Profile with Release of New Mind Haze IPA

“We’re finally ready do a hazy IPA the Firestone way.” Those were the words from Firestone Walker brewmaster Matt Brynildson in this week’s press release. While 2018 created the initial haze craze, 2019 represents the second wave of the trend, with more major players like California’s Firestone Walker Brewing Co. entering the fray with their new Mind Haze hazy IPA.

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Stone Brewing | Xocoveza

I think everyone can agree that January is the worst month of the year. For the entire first week, you’re nursing your holiday hangover. The second and third weeks you spend frantically trying to catch up on all the work you avoided during December. The last week, you fully realize how long it is until you get another holiday. I guess what I’m trying to say is that good beer is what will help you get through January.

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Oskar Blues and Cigar City Announce First CANarchy Collab

With the passing of each new year, it’s natural for beer fans to wonder what new innovative beers are in store for the next 12-months. And now we’ve got the first big offering from two major industry names in Oskar Blues and Cigar City. It comes in the form of Bamburana, a collaborative beer between these two CANarchy Collective owned breweries. Not only does it mark the first widely released collaborative release within the CANarchy family, but it’s also the first nationally distributed collab beer for the two as well.

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