Metropolitan Brewing Celebrates 10 Years of Business in the Increasingly Competitive Chicago Market

Chicago and the surrounding area are currently home to the most breweries in the nation. It’s an especially impressive stat when you realize that the market hasn’t really been around for that long. Being able to create a successful brewery during the early growth period of the Chicago market and then stay equally successful amongst growing competition across every neighborhood in the city is an impressive feat that deserves a bit of praise. It’s not easy, but Metropolitan Brewing has managed to do it, which is why their upcoming 10 Year Anniversary celebration this Saturday is so exciting.

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Event Preview | Pink Boots Society Biannual Conference

The second annual Pink Boots Society biannual conference kicks off this weekend in Austin, Texas with an evening welcome reception. The event is a two-day conference happening January 18th-19th. It features a dual track format covering the business and technical aspects of the brewing industry.

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Revisiting the Highlights from 2019 Big Beers Belgians & Barleywines

Co-Authored by Eric Gorski and Tristan Chan, Photos by Justin Graziano, @BeerBreathCO

While beer festivals have multiplied to point of mainstream adoption, the truly elite continue to thrive and stand tall above the rest. There may be no festival that stands … Read More

Zipline Brewing | Bourbon Barrel-Aged The Stout

When the chill of winer sets in, in the Midwest, we all pile on the layers. Wool socks, scarves, non-ironic stocking caps. But with the sun still setting before you can make it home from work, there’s one more trick to help warm you up – bourbon. One sip warms you from the inside out and takes away that chill that never seems to subside.

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Ultimate 6er | GABF Gold Medal Winners From Texas

Each year thousands of beer drinkers invade Denver for the Great American Beer Festival, a three day event dedicated to American craft breweries. Last year Texas walked away with 18 medals, six of which were GOLD. I caught up with each of the winners to ask how it felt to bring home the Gold in 2018.

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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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