Collaborating for a Cause | Odd Breed Wild Ales Relentless Perseverance

On July 9th, 2024, Odd Breed Wild Ales announced the impossible decision to close their doors at the end of the month. The logistics fueling brewery ownership have become increasingly difficult worldwide, and it’s seen some truly talented programs shut down as a result. Odd Breed owner and head brewer Matt Manthe is a true gem in the industry, emphasized by his incredible gratitude to all the support from loyal customers both near and far. In an effort to pay that generosity forward, he announced that the final bottle release that Odd Breed would conduct would be Relentless Perseverance, a massive barrel-aged barleywine created in collaboration with The Hallway Tap & Brew, in support of Alex Kidd and his family.

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Bean to Barstool Podcast | Pairing Fall Styles with Craft Chocolate

The arrival of fall means the arrival of fall seasonal beer styles. Fortunately for us, fall beer styles like pumpkin beer and Oktoberfest can pair great with craft chocolate, and today we’re going to talk about some of my favorites and recommendations to check out.

Pumpkin ales, Märzen, Festbier, and even fresh hop and wet hop beers can be paired with craft chocolate. Listen to this bonus episode to learn which bean to bar chocolate bars will work best with each seasonal style.

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FlyteCo Brewing | Hop Is My Co-Pilot

Many breweries claim to have the freshest wet hop brew, but FlyteCo Brewing Hop Is My Co-Pilot likely takes top honors. Early in the morning on Aug. 15, FlyteCo co-founder Eric Serani piloted a small plane from Denver across the Rocky Mountains to Billy Goat Hop Farm on Colorado’s western slope. After a quick tour of the farm, Serani loaded 60 pounds of freshly-picked hops onto his plane and flew back to Denver for a mid-day brew session. Read More

Crafting History | Brussels Edition

Back in July, I had the incredible opportunity to visit Brussels, Belgium. A city and country rich with beer history, this trip is a bucket list destination for many connoisseurs. Belgium’s diversity of styles, centuries-old brewing techniques, and preservation of tradition have all impacted its place as one of the most culturally significant countries in the world when it comes to heritage. This installment of Crafting History features contributions from legends of the industry Werner Van Obberghen – Owner and Managing Director of 3 Fonteinen, Moeder Lambic owner Jean Hummler, and former Chairman of De Heikantse Bierliefhebbers Fons Minne, as well as reviews of a few Belgian relics – some of which have been cellared for over two decades.

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2024 Bourbon & Beyond Festival Pairs Elite Musical Lineup with World-Class Distilleries

Over the past decade, we’ve had the opportunity to attend some of the country’s best music, culinary, and craft beverage festivals. However, while most festivals specialize in one discipline over another, it’s rare to find an event that checks multiple boxes, and even rarer for one to check all three. But as massive festivals continue to evolve to remain relevant toward festival-goers who have seen and tasted it all, offering an elevated experience for everyone is a surefire way to make some noise.

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Bean to Barstool Podcast | Bonus: All About Beer Fermentation

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Voodoo Brewing | ManBearPig South Park Anniversary Showcase

It may only be diehards who know this, but today marks the 27th anniversary of South Park. The show, which chronicles the misadventures of Stan, Kyle, Cartman and Kenny, has divided viewers with its controversial takes on political, religious and social issues since its first episode in 1997. It has had a lasting impact on popular culture through its boundary-pushing comedy, unique animation and rapid-fire turnaround time allowing for quick responses to real-time world events. It’s even made its way into craft beer. The team at Voodoo Brewing are long-time fans of the influential series, and we thought who better to celebrate another year of South Park with than the crew that brought us ManBearPig.

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Book Review | Pairing Beer & Chocolate by David Nilsen

While beer trends come and go, pairing is and continues to be a skill that never goes out of fashion, and quite rightly so. As beer lovers, we seek out sensory experiences from every sip we take, factoring in variables ranging from serving temperature to glass size to express and explain the precise nature of our drinking experience, so naturally once food substances are thrown into the mix, we aim to optimize our enjoyment by successfully pairing flavors and textures that are complimentary.

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Bean to Barstool Podcast | Coffee, Chocolate & Beer in Panama

In this episode of Bean to Barstool, host David Nilsen talks with Franz Zeimetz of Lost Origin Coffee Lab and Casa Bruja brewery and Jaime Pérez of Bocao chocolate, all from Panama. They discuss the state of craft chocolate, craft beer, and coffee in Panama, and a series of experiments and collaborations they’ve pursued between these three worlds. Franz has used raw cacao fruit from Jaime in a mixed-fermentation Saison, and is experimenting with various cacao and coffee fermentations, including some using brewing yeast or hops. Listen in as they talk coffee, chocolate, and beer in Panama.

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Bay City Brewing Co. | Fiesta Island German Pilsner

“We serve great beer with the freshest ingredients all across the county,” said Rob Vetere, chief operating officer for San Diego, California-based Bay City Brewing Co. He believes the brewery has something for everyone — from its Fiesta Island Pilsner on a beach day, to their Jucci Gang Double IPA when it’s time to crank it up a bit.

“There’s a broad spectrum of beer styles we offer,” Vetere said.

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Collaborating for a Cause | Narragansett Life Barleywine

It’s been nearly three months since the last installment of Collaborating for a Cause. This newest collaboration with Narragansett Brewing and their Life barleywine is the perfect place to pick the series back up, highlighting a very special beer that had two iterations bottled exclusively for PorchDrinking.

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Colorado’s Primitive Beer & Cellar West Brewery Team Up for Special Sunday Release

The nature of a beer collaboration is working together with (hopefully somewhat) like-minded people to create a harmonious product that reflects the ethos of both breweries. For Primitive Beer, a brewery only making spontaneous barrel-aged sour beer, this process often involves guest blenders tasting through different barrels to determine “what works together and how they want to emphasize different ingredients,” explains Brandon Boldt, half of the duo running the brewery alongside his wife Lisa Boldt. Creating a collab is a journey that involves drinking and finding the right mix, and a frequent co-conspirator in this process is Zach Nichols of Cellar West Brewery. Together they have made many a beer, and today we will highlight one old and one new collaboration of theirs: SuperMoon SuperFriends and Meager Portmanteau (Blend 2) respectively available this Sunday.

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Incantation Brewing Opening New Taproom & Coffee Shop

The taproom model of brewery expansion has proved to be a popular means for breweries to open new locations while keeping profit margins higher through on-site sales. However, as craft beer sales have slowed and the public is not drinking beer like it used to, breweries must adapt to the changing landscape by offering patrons options beyond beer.

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Bean to Barstool Podcast | Bonus: All About Hops

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Mountain Toad Brewing | Golden Stout

In a small town with nine craft breweries it takes a lot to stand out, but Golden, Colorado’s Mountain Toad Brewing’s Golden Stout does just that. The brew may seem a strange choice for summer, but its lighter body and color paired with robust flavors actually make it an all-season brew. Read More

Event Preview | 2024 Denver Rare Beer Tasting

Denver Rare Beer Tasting (DRBT) is back for its 15th edition, and this year it features a brand new location that is sure to excite all beer lovers. For the first time ever, Denver Rare Beer Tasting (DRBT) will be held at the combined space of Bierstadt Lagerhaus and Deep Roots Winery, an intimate environment allowing for the close interactions DRBT is well known for. 

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