Brewery Showcase | Scorched Earth Brewing

The wall of barrels, two-deep and floor-to-ceiling, that stretches along the length of the brewhouse captures the eyes of those walking through the Scorched Earth Brewing taproom doors. The tantalizing tower of aged beer induces salivation in a manner that would make Pavlov proud. Still, the diverse beer menu and exceptionally warm, inviting taproom environment amounts to a brewery that is attractive to just about every type of beer drinker.

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PorchDrinking Playlist | Halloween Horror

It’s time to embrace the dark side of life (death). Soak in the screams. Face your fears. Take in the terror of a foggy graveyard. Forget cute costumes, trick or treating or the mythological Great Pumpkin. Halloween is for witches; mummies; Viking spirits; vicious clowns; nightmares; zombies; demons; and blood-sucking creatures of all types.

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Brewery Showcase | Alaskan Brewing

The recipe for each Alaskan Brewing beer is simple: Use authentic, regional ingredients; add creative ingenuity and throw in a dash of brewing history. Since 1986, Alaskan Brewing has enthusiastically embraced its Last Frontier location while simultaneously playing the role of craft beer pioneer.

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Goose Island Brewhouse | Out With The Old, In With The New

The pillars are gone. John Hall is gone. The cozy, public house atmosphere is gone. But, the revamped Goose Island Brewhouse oozes elegance; it’s clean, modern and sophisticated. You won’t see any Anheuser Busch InBev (ABI) signs in the taproom, but evidence of the company’s influence is impossible to miss. It’s hard not to ooh and ahh at the grander things in life, like an expensive sports car or a large home — the new Goose Island Brewhouse exemplifies that concept.

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Event Recap | Epic Brewing 50 Firkin Fiasco in Denver

There are few things more inviting than a dimly-lit hall bounded by floor-to-ceiling barrels donned with party lights, all leading the way to a destination where 50 firkins await. Held concurrently with GABF, the Epic Brewing 50 Firkin Fiasco provided beer fans with a bevy of experimental beers along with a plenty of food and live music.
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Ultimate 6er | Comfort Beers

It’s time we all took a seat and enjoyed a comfort beer, don’t you think? We are in the midst of a year dominated by natural disasters, shootings, political turmoil, fake news, nuclear war fears, a cold-war resurgence and societal fractures. But, there’s something about sinking into one’s favorite chair and opening a beer that calms the nerves. Here are six uncomplicated, security-blanket beers that help bring joy even as we are enduring unfathomable tension.

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Brewing News Roundup | Several New Beers Are On The Way

Though many portions of the country remain entrenched in summer heat, the lengthening shadows and longer nights point to autumn’s impending arrival. And let’s not forget about the changing colors… of beer. The fall harvest, Bavarian breadiness, and few other palate-pleasing ingredients are helping beer drinkers embrace the latest seasonal transition. Here’s a few you might be interested in trying.

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Carlsbad Brewfest | San Diego Area Craft Beer Festival, Sept 9

The annual Carlsbad Brewfest (Sept 9, 2017) provides 60 beers and 30 ciders from more than 30 of San Diego’s breweries/cideries to 1,500 guests. Beer aficionados will also enjoy live music performed by local band OSS “Oceanside Sound System,” a DJ, yard games, and food from local restaurants

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Brewery Showcase | Sun King Brewery

“As a startup, you have the opportunity to self-distribute since nobody knows who you are,” said distributors to Sun King Brewery co-founder, Clay Robinson in 2009. Now, as Indiana’s second largest brewery and with numerous, prestigious brewing medals to its name, plenty of people know about Sun King Brewing.

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Church Street Brewing Expanding to the Caribbean #LocalGoesGlobal

Sand between the toes, hammocks, sunshine, rustling palm trees and now Church Street Brewing — that could describe your next Caribbean vacation. The suburban-Chicago brewery is taking its beer to the tropics!

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Event Preview | Chicago White Sox Craft Beer Night

White Sox Craft Beer Night continues the year-long, maturing relationship between craft beer and the White Sox at its home, Guaranteed Rate Field. It started with the introduction of the Craft Kave prior to Opening Day, but anyone going to games has seen craft beer at almost every corner. Now, by hosting its own craft beer festival on Sept 9, the White Sox are demonstrating their active participation within the broader aspects of Chicago’s craft beer scene.

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Chicago’s Beer Denotes its Rich Labor History

Chicago developed its big shoulders through the effort of those who toiled and labored, initially for little pay and having to endure horrendous working conditions. Railroads, meatpacking, printing and construction … Read More

Hurricane Harvey Relief Party in Chicago at The Walk-In

With a slogan of “Friendly as Fuck,” it’s no surprise The Walk-In bar in Chicago would help those ravaged by Hurricane Harvey. It’s even less surprising when you realize the bar’s General Manager, Phillip Smith, recently arrived to Chicago from Texas.

Thus, what was planned as a Labor Day party on Sept. 3 (2pm to 8pm) has transitioned to a relief party. All you have to do is walk in and order a few drinks; 15% of the total sales plus 100% of all gratuities will help support the Greater Houston Community Foundation. So, tip your servers well and help restore some lives
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Firestone Walker Releases Generation 1 IPA

In a world full of juicy IPAs, Firestone Walker (FWBC) is bringing Generation 1, an unfined and unfiltered West Coast IPA, to all its markets for a limited time (eight weeks). The beer is a product of the FWBC R&D program, located at the Propagator pilot brewhouse in Venice, California.

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Tribes Beer Company to Honor First Responders All September

Craft brewing and community are synonymous, but no community can exist without its first responders, the brave souls who serve and protect the town. Both Tribes Beer Company and Tribes Alehouse (suburban Chicago) will honor Police, Fire and EMTs/Paramedics, as well as their spouses and children, throughout September. First responders can enjoy 25% off their food bill as a gesture of appreciation for the hard work for which they bravely perform each day.

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Event Recap | Welles Park Beer Fest

The third leg of the Illinois Craft Beer Guild Festival Grand Slam occurred on Aug 5, 2017 at Welles Park on the north side of Chicago. Festival goers enjoyed sun, 78-degree temperatures, terrific beer and a venue that was tough to beat. Sadly, though, for various reasons, attendance seemed a tad lackluster for Welles. It’s unlikely that will be the case at the next one; the Festival of Barrel Aged Beers (FoBAB) is the Wimbledon or Masters of Illinois beer fests.

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Beer Showcase | Avery Brewing Ginger Sour

August 5, 2017 marks 24 years of brewing for Avery Brewing. To commemorate the achievement, Avery released Twenty Four Imperial IPA — a stellar beer, to be sure. But, the biggest news emerging from the Boulder-based brewery in 2017 involved its decision to substantially alter the beer portfolio by saying goodbye to old standbys and instead concentrating more on barrel aging. Hence, it behooved us at PorchDrinking to look at one of its latest Botanical & Barrel releases, Ginger Sour, while simultaneously raising our pint glasses and exclaiming, “Happy Anniversary, Avery!”
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Brewery Showcase | Kinslahger Brewing

In a craft-beer world abound in ales, a brewery focused on lagers can reap the benefits of exploring a whole new world of brewing innovation and experimentation. And that’s what you’ll find at Kinslahger Brewing in the Chicago suburb of Oak Park, Illinois,
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Sierra Nevada 2017 Oktoberfest with Germany’s Brauhaus Miltenberger

For the third straight year, Sierra Nevada Brewing has collaborated with a German brewery on its fall-seasonal Oktoberfest beer. In 2015, Sierra partnered with 600-year-old Bauhaus Riegele, now into its 27th generation of family-owned, independent brewing, In 2016, Sierra Nevada brewed with the more than 400-year-old, family owned Mahrs Bräu located in Bamberg, Germany. This year, second-generation brewer Brian Grossman, of Sierra Nevada, and fourth-generation Brewmaster Cornelius Faus of Miltenberg, Germany’s Brauhaus Miltenberger, have joined forces.

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Lagunitas Acquires Minority Stake in Short’s Brewing

Stop me if you’ve heard this before. A large conglomerate beer company is acquiring stakes in a smaller craft brewery. This scenario must feel familiar as acquisitions both large and small are all that seem to dominate headlines nowadays. Today’s news involves Short’s Brewing, the third largest brewery in Michigan (behind Founders and Bell’s) announcing a partnership with Lagunitas U.S. Holdings (LUSH) which involves a 19.99% equity stake in the company. The Short’s acquisition comes just three months after Lagunitas Brewing announced that it had sold the remaining 50% of its shares to Heineken (Lagunitas originally sold the first 50% of its operation to Heineken in 2015).
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