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About- Brad Hartsock

Brad Hartsock

Brad Hartsock

Brad’s Kentucky roots are responsible for his love of bourbon and his writing for Porchdrinking.com as he started after watching a Kentucky Wildcats game at the College Inn in Denver with Scott and Tristan. A Seattleite now, he believes the only thing more fun that drinking beer is homebrewing beer and the only thing more fun than homebrewing beer is homebrewing beer while drinking beer.

Posts By Brad Hartsock

Event Recap | Fremont Brewing Heron Hunting Club 2017

May 8, 2017 |

There are beer events, and then there is the Fremont Brewing Heron Hunting Club. Read More

Ultimate Sweet 6(teen)er | 2017 March Madness Sweet 16

March 23, 2017 |

Feature Image Source: Chapel Hill Recorder

Once again, here we are on the brink of the Sweet 16! For a couple of days, it sure seemed like the tournament might end up being kind of boring, even if we had no lack of good, competitive games. And then the games were played on Saturday and Sunday and we see Tom Izzo’s Spartans, the overall #1 seed Villanova, and five out of the top six regular season ACC teams (Florida State, Notre Dame, Virginia, Louisville and Duke) get dropped in the Round of 32.

Read More

Ultimate 6er | Presidential Election

October 13, 2016 |

I think we can safely say that our Presidential election is in the Tyson Zone.

On the one hand we have Hillary Clinton. I’ve heard some folks don’t like her. (That’s a real story about a presidential candidate in 2016.)

Read More

Black Raven Brewing Co. | Raven de Garde

June 6, 2016 |

Belgian Style Pale Ale 2014 and 2015 Vintages 7.4% ABV

In spite of, or maybe because of, the number of great beers available in Washington, I usually don’t know until … Read More

I Should Have Gone to the Prince Show

April 24, 2016 |

Almost exactly three years ago, Prince played four shows in Seattle. He played two shows each night on April 18th and 19th at the Showbox at The Market. I lived here. I was in town. And I didn’t go.

Like many my age, there are music icons that I simply never had the opportunity to see; Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix come to mind. Some of them are still performing (see: The Rolling Stones), but even if I had the chance to see them, I’d feel like I wasn’t really seeing them as they were at the height of their relevance and skill. That being said, the number of those icons whose careers have basically spanned my life is pretty limited. Read More

Ultimate 6er | Ultimate Sweet 6(teen)er

March 23, 2016 |

I must admit I’m writing this with slightly less enthusiasm than my 2015 write up celebrating the teams that survived the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament. Sadly (at least … Read More

March Methods | A “How To” Guide For Completing Your NCAA Tournament Bracket

March 16, 2016 | 1

March Madness is upon us and with that the annual tradition of filling in a tournament bracket. The tournament plays out in very unpredictable fashion, making it extremely unlikely to pick even the first round games correctly, let alone the whole thing. Here are 10 possible strategies to setting a bracket that will defeat your friends, family and co-workers, earning you bragging rights and possibly a cash payout. Read More

Cerveceria de Colima | Páramo Pale Ale

March 3, 2016 |

ABV: 5.2%

PorchDrinking.com’s Hannah and Katelyn knocked it out of the park with their 2 days and 2 nights in Seattle article a couple of weeks ago. Most of the beers, … Read More

Reuben’s Brews | Robust Porter

December 14, 2015 |

5.9% ABV | 30 IBU

I’m a big believer in a relaxing Sunday, especially after a busy Saturday. A recent Saturday definitely fit that bill with a 4 dog trip … Read More

Oxbow Brewing Company | Crossfade

December 11, 2015 |

Blended Farmhouse Ale (Dec. 2014) | 5% ABV

Well, I finished my last Thanksgiving-leftover sandwich last week, the one that consists entirely of mashed potatoes and turkey because the … Read More

Fremont Brewing | Cowiche Canyon Fresh Hop Ale

October 7, 2015 |

6.0% ABV

Now that we’ve crossed the threshold from summer into fall, I’ve found myself thinking about seasonality. Certainly the telltale signs of the change in season are part … Read More

Ultimate 6er | Obama’s Big Week

July 1, 2015 |


Given the increasingly gridlocked landscape of American politics it’s kind of astounding that anything ever happens in Washington. But amazingly, President Obama’s administration strung together a big week of victories. Here are six brews I hope he’s sipping while celebrating the outcomes.
Read More

Black Raven Brewing | Trickster IPA

June 16, 2015 |

ABV: 6.9%  | IBU: 70

I’m pleased to announce the winner of the “Best Damn IPA in the World”™ award, according to the official 2015 Brad Hartsock “IPAs I Like”™ rankings, which I made up today while sitting on my couch. The award goes to Black Raven Trickster IPA and in honor of that glorious victory, I thought I’d sit down with myself and ask myself some questions about this special IPA.

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Ultimate 6er | March Madness Beers

March 25, 2015 | 1

I think you can tell from the shredded scraps of paper you hold in your hands you used to call your bracket, the first weekend of March Madness has come … Read More

Ultimate 6er | Clear eyes, Full Pints, Can’t lose

December 17, 2014 | 3

I recently experienced one of the least fun football related weeks I can remember. My San Francisco 49ers were annihilated on Thanksgiving day by Seattle (the city I live in). … Read More

Urban Family Brewing | Baby Cakes Pale Ale

November 5, 2014 |

6.4% ABV

Craft beer enthusiasts have many ways of finding and choosing new beers to try. Sometimes we get a buzz about a new release from a favorite brewery and … Read More

The Ballard Brews Cruise

October 10, 2014 |

Craft beer thrives on a few key factors. High quality, small batches, unique beers, and local breweries act as the natural foil to the big bad macro-brewery where distribution, the … Read More

Gigantic Brewing Company | Firebird Smoked Hefeweizen

August 27, 2014 |

ABV: 6.1%, 24 IBU

As summer rolls to a close, I’m filled with a sense of urgency. Fall/winter/spring is a long hard slog for us Seattleites. We’ve got to make the proverbial hay while the sun shines. I know come October, my beautiful Weber grill will likely be relegated to the garage and temperatures will begin to preclude the drinking of summertime cervezas. Read More

Gigantic Brewing Company – Firebird Smoked Hefeweizen

August 26, 2014 |

ABV: 6.1%
IBU: 24

As summer rolls to a close, I’m filled with a sense of urgency. Fall/winter/spring is a long hard slog for us Seattleites. We’ve got to make the proverbial hay while the sun shines. I know that, come October, my beautiful Weber grill will likely be relegated to the garage and temperatures will begin to preclude drinking of summertime cervezas.

Read More

Widmer Brothers Brewing & Breakside Brewery | Saison a’ Fleurs

July 31, 2014 |

6.7% ABV, 25 IBU

1984 was a hell of a year. I mean, seriously, look at that list. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles AND Scarlett Johansson AND Ghostbusters? You gotta be … Read More