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About- Tristan Chan

Tristan Chan

Tristan Chan

Tristan is a craft beer fanatic who originally hails from Kentucky, which used to be a veritable wasteland for craft beer. Since moving to Colorado, he discovered a passion for hops, malts, brett strains, tinctures, nitros, and all things craft brew. He created this blog as a means for his friends across the country to a virtual porch drink and he hopes that you’ll join the revolution.

Posts By Tristan Chan

Epic Brewing Announces Closure of Denver Taproom & Brewery

November 9, 2022 | 2

After nine years of operating as one of the pioneer breweries in Denver’s RiNo neighborhood, Epic Brewing will close its Denver location before the end of the year. Opening just a year after River North Brewery, Our Mutual Friend Brewing, and Black Shirt Brewery, Epic Brewing joined a groundswell of craft beer producers to transform the North side of Denver into one of the most heavily saturated craft brewery neighborhoods in the country.

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2022 Midterm Election Night Drinking Game

November 7, 2022 |

It may not be a presidential election year, but it feels like the stakes are higher this year than any other midterm election year in recent memory. With highly combustible perspectives on initiatives like reproductive rights, immigration, inflation, gun violence, and election fraud all weighing heavily on the country it feels like a major turning point for the country.

With as stressful and anxiety-ridden as this election might be, we thought we’d lighten up the room a bit by reviving our Midterm Election Night Drinking Game. If anything, pour yourself a few glasses of something nice and easy-drinking and find solace in the fact that you now have a two-year reprieve from political mailers, robocalls, and SPAM texts.

So kick back, take a deep breath, and enjoy a bit of levity with our 2022 Midterm Election Night Drinking Game. Keep in mind, that we in no way recommend that you actually adhere to the rules presented below as you would assuredly require a trip to the hospital. This post was meant as a parody. Please drink responsibly.

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2022 FoBAB Results | Festival of Wood & Barrel-Aged Beers Award Winners

November 5, 2022 |

The results are IN and we now know all of the big award winners from this year’s 2022 Festival of Wood and Barrel-Aged Beers (FoBAB). This year’s 20th anniversary of FoBAB was once again a spectacular success with over 160 breweries showcasing the country’s absolute best producers in the wood and barrel-aged beer categories.

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These Are America’s Best Breweries for Barrel-Aged Stouts

November 3, 2022 | 28

As warmer days begin to dwindle and the daylight hours dissipate, it feels only natural for our taste preferences to evolve accordingly. The onset of colder weather, as well as the arrival of the holiday season, always feels like a natural signal for beer drinkers to shift their focus toward boozier, barrel-aged Stouts. In addition to the perceived liquid layer of warmth, these specialty releases also feel fitting for gifting or saving for special occasions, which become more bountiful as the end of the year draws nearer.

Coincidentally, in celebration of International Stout Day, we decided to showcase the country’s best breweries for barrel-aged Stouts. This post was co-authored by Tristan Chan, Eric Griffin, Alysia Shoemaker, and Britt Antley.

Photo by Brittni Bell Warshaw

This post was made possible with the support of Laws Whiskey House. In addition to their no-shortcuts approach toward producing world-class whiskey. They also have lent their barrels to some of the best barrel-aged beers in the country. Explore more at www.lawswhiskeyhouse.com

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Catching Up on the Latest Colorado Craft Beer News, Events, Openings

October 19, 2022 | 1

While the Great American Beer Festival has come and gone, the frenzied pace of the largest beer festival in the country descending upon the Centennial State certainly hasn’t subsided. In fact, in the two weeks since GABF a lot has happened. So we thought we’d recap some of the more notable comings and goings surrounding Colorado’s craft beer scene as of late.

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The PorchCast Ep 98 | Chris Black & Henry Schwartz – GABF Recap

October 12, 2022 |

In episode 98 of the PorchCast, we were joined by Chris Black former co-founder of Falling Rock Tap House, and Henry Schwartz, co-founder of MobCraft & Denver’s MobCraft Dee Tacko … Read More

Colorado Breweries Who Won Big at the 2022 GABF Competition

October 8, 2022 |

Colorado has perennially performed well at GABF, but after a somewhat lackluster showing last year with only 21 medals they rebounded in a big way in 2022. This year, independent … Read More

2022 GABF Guided Routes | Hoppy Beers to Try at GABF

October 5, 2022 |

The Great American Beer Festival is nearly upon us! And as we always do, each year at PorchDrinking, we’re here to help you navigate the vast lineup of beers to help with planning your route at the fest. As part of that research, we’ve sifted through every beer pouring at this year’s event to bring you a series of themed routes to help you plan for your GABF based on various styles and flavors.

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2022 GABF Guided Routes | Lagers & Session Beers to Try at GABF

October 3, 2022 |

The Great American Beer Festival is nearly upon us! And as we always do, each year at PorchDrinking, we’re here to help you navigate the vast lineup of beers to help with planning your route at the fest. As part of that research, we’ve sifted through every beer pouring at this year’s event to bring you a series of themed routes to help you plan for your GABF based on various styles and flavors.

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PorchDrinking 10th Anniversary Beer Festival Pour List Revealed

September 26, 2022 | 1

By now, it’s no secret that PorchDrinking’s 10th Anniversary Beer Festival has brought out an all-star cast of breweries from across the country and locally to kick off GABF week in a massive way. Now, with just over a week until the festival, we’re thrilled to unveil an equally jaw-dropping initial pour list that features a prolific array of rarities that span a wide diversity of styles.

From barrel-aged Stouts to Barleywines, crispy Pilsners, and historic ales, to spontaneous and wild ales and fruited icebiers, there’s truly something special for everyone.

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The PorchCast Ep 97 | David Bergen – Joyride Brewing

September 20, 2022 |

In episode 97 of the PorchCast we were joined by David Bergen, co-founder of Joyride Brewing to preview their upcoming Fresh Hop Festival taking place this weekend. We also took … Read More

This Weekend’s Breckenridge Wine Classic Boasts 3 Days of Special Programming

September 14, 2022 |

With food and beverage festivals returning to full glory after a two-year hiatus, the best events are often the ones that incorporate hybrids of the two for a truly immersive festival-going experience. This weekend’s Breckenridge Wine Classic is the ultimate example, showcasing three jam-packed days of programming featuring master winemakers, special pairing dinners, wine hikes, and much more.

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Colorado’s Knotted Root to Host Welcome Farmhouse & Lager Fest

September 14, 2022 |

Unlike the East or West Coasts, which have carved out niches for their iconic IPA interpretations, Colorado breweries have found wider success and acclaim across a multitude of different styles. And while breweries like WeldWerks, Cerebral and Amalgam have grown a national following for their Barrel-Aged Stouts, icons like Bierstadt Lagerhaus, Cannonball Creek, Zwei Brewing, Cohesion and Wibby have put the state on the map for Lagers, one of the oft-forgotten about styles that first drew attention to Colorado breweries were pioneers in the field of Farmhouse, spontaneous, and wild styles.

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2022 Great American Beer Festival Pour List Released + Initial Can’t Misses

September 14, 2022 |

The wait is nearly over as the Great American Beer Festival returns in less than a month. Returning October 6-8, the country’s largest beer event will celebrate its 40th anniversary after a two-year hiatus. And while this year’s festival footprint is noticeably smaller due to renovations to the Colorado Convention Center, upon first glance the breweries and beers that are anticipated to be poured look like a true return to glory.

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Beer Industry Workers Find Community Through Craft Beer Professionals Group

September 2, 2022 |

For an industry so tightly built around togetherness and community, the pandemic could have easily crippled many aspects that came to define the very fabric of craft beer. But the digital age has helped us to adapt quickly and for one online beer community, it was the perfect opportunity to serve as a resource for togetherness at a time when connecting in person was prohibited.

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PorchDrinking 10th Anniversary Beer Festival Tickets On Sale Now

August 30, 2022 |

It seems like just yesterday that a small group of friends was gathered around a wooden porch bench, sharing beers and listening to The Lumineers right before their first album release. This memory took place at a special moment in time when there were less than 1000 breweries in existence in the United States, but those that did exist laid the groundwork for a greater sense of community and camaraderie that would transcend all other industries. It was this idyllic sense of togetherness that propelled us to start a beer publication focused on promoting positivity and great storytelling.

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Could Novel Strand’s New Fermented Tea Beverage Spark The Next Big Trend?

August 19, 2022 |

The art of fermentation has been around for thousands of years, with evidence of fermented beverages tracing back to as far as 7000 BCE. Even still, innovative new techniques, modern ingredients and a deeper understanding of the science of fermentation have broken ground for new advancements in the field.

Tamir Danon, co-founder of Denver’s Novel Strand Brewing has embraced an unconventional approach toward microbial sciences since beyond the Baker neighborhood brewery first opened in 2018. Prior to Novel Strand, Danon earned his master’s degree in microbiology with a focus on genetically modifying yeast to model diseases like cancer for his graduate thesis. And at NYU, Danon worked studying genetic disorders. But nowadays, he’s applying what he’s learned toward experimenting with Brettanomyces and testing out unique new hop varietals.

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This Weekend’s Vail Wine Classic Offers Three Days of Tasting Experiences

August 11, 2022 |

While we’ve all likely grown accustomed to big over-the-top beer festivals that bring out some of the industry’s biggest names and most hyped beers, the truth is that the wine industry tends to go even harder. This weekend’s Vail Wine Classic is the ultimate example, offering three jam-packed days of programming featuring master winemakers, special pairing dinners, wine hikes and much more.

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The PorchCast Ep. 95 | Ranking the Best IPA Styles

August 11, 2022 |

In episode 95 of the PorchCast we kicked it back to the old school with a guest-free edition featuring just the core team of Korey David, Bryant Vander Weerd and Tristan Chan. With Bryant now located in Madison, WI, the team reconvened debated some hard hitting topics ranging from: whether it’s fair or foul to sneak in snacks into a movie, to whether Oktoberfest beers should be released in August. We also touched on the CO2 shortage and what that means for the beer industry. However the big topic of the show was ranking our favorite IPA styles.

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Colorado’s Best Pilsners Blind Tasting Presented by On Tap Credit Union

August 9, 2022 |

In the third edition of PorchDrinking’s Blind Tasting Series presented by On Tap Credit Union, we called on all Colorado breweries to submit their best Pilsners to help beat the … Read More