Image Image Image Image Image Image Image Image Image Image
Scroll to top

Top

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

Colorado Brewers Weigh in on Session Beers

August 4, 2017 |

It should come as no surprise that most frequently, when given the choice, brewers typically reach for easy-drinking sessionable beers over their big boozy counterparts. All week long we’ve profiled the rise of Session beers, generally categorized as beers 5% in ABV or lower, as well as a preview of this weekend’s Sesh Fest, a celebration of Session beers. Sesh Fest features over 50 breweries, food trucks, lawn games, screen printing, water games, a shandy tent, slushie station and much more. Now hear from the brewers themselves!

Read More

New Belgium Cancels 2017 Denver Tour de Fat, Underscoring Major Year of Change

August 3, 2017 |

It’s been a big 25th anniversary year for Fort Collins-based New Belgium Brewing Company, one scored by significant gains and milestones, as well as a handful of bumps in the road, and directional changes.

Read More

The Complete Guide to Buying 2017 GABF Tickets

August 2, 2017 |

This year marks the 36th anniversary of the Great American Beer Festival, and it’s expected to draw a record approximation of nearly 900 breweries pouring at the fest. We’ve got everything you need to know to score tickets to the 2017 GABF during today’s general public sale.

Read More

2017 Sesh Fest Pour List & Ticket Giveaway

August 1, 2017 |

Yesterday we detailed the rise in popularity of approachable, easy-drinking session beers. From Vienna lagers to pilsners, Berliners to Irish dry stouts, kolsches to session IPAs, just because these styles may be low in ABV, doesn’t mean they lose out on flavor.

Read More

BA Mid-Year Report Tallies U.S. Brewery Count at 5,562 in Operation

August 1, 2017 |

The Brewers Association published its mid-year report this morning announcing that there are now over 5,562 breweries in operation across the United States. That number reflects an increase of 906 operational breweries from this time last year, and an increase of 557 breweries since December alone.

Read More

South East Craft Beer Fest Becoming a National Must-Attend Event

August 1, 2017 |

Two years ago I bemoaned the downward tailspin of craft beer festivals in a piece I penned: Have Beer Festivals Jumped the Shark. It seems in large part that a majority of them have done just that. Two years later, I could expound on an even greater litany of festival organizer faux pas, ranging from a failure to support breweries the day of the festival, to hooking up kegs to the wrong draft lines (I’ve actually seen this happen).

Read More

Beer Trends: The Rise of Session Beers

July 31, 2017 |

This is a sponsored post for Sesh Fest 2017 taking place Saturday, August 5.

In its simplest form, beer is still best consumed cold, and easily, in substantial portions. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll be the first to sign up for a 14% bourbon barrel-aged Mexican chocolate spiced stout, or a tart barrel-aged wild, but do you think medieval knights and Belgian farmhands were crushing big boozy beers before going into battle or tending the fields? There’s a place and time for all styles of beer, and as cyclical as history seems to be, the historical relevance of easy drinking sessionable beers has once again swung back in style.

Read More

2017 Daily Guide to The Underground Music Showcase

July 27, 2017 |

After four consecutive days of hot, sweaty, adrenaline fueled, unkempt, ear drum rupturing, Illegal Pete’s burrito-stained, dance-riddled navigating from one end of South Broadway to another, each year it’s clear, there may be no better representation of Denver’s teeming music than the Underground Music Showcase (UMS).

Read More

The PorchCast | Ep 39 Blue Moon Brewing, Acquisitions & The Underground Music Showcase

July 27, 2017 |

In episode 39 of The PorchCast, Tristan, Hunter and Jesse dropped into Blue Moon Brewing’s River North outpost to talk with Pilot Brewer, Ben Knutson about the brewery’s growth over the past year on the heels of their one year anniversary at the RiNo location. Additionally the team was joined by Tobias Kraus and Kyle Hartman of The Underground Music Showcase, to preview this weekend’s music festival taking place in Denver’s Baker district. Tickets to The UMS are still currently available.

Read More

BREAKING | Brooklyn Brewery Partners with 21st Amendment and Funkwerks for Joint Sales and Distribution

July 26, 2017 |

This post has been updated to include quotes from 21st Amendment and Funkwerks

More breaking news this morning following the heels of Short’s minority share acquisition by Lagunitas announcement. Brooklyn Brewery has announced via it’s blog, a joint partnership agreement with San Leandro, CA’s 21st Amendment Brewery and Funkwerks out of Fort Collins, CO acquiring a minority investment in both companies. The three way partnership was crafted to create a shared platform for national sales and distribution which takes effect January 1, 2018.

Read More

Modern Times Founder Jacob McKean Talks ESOP, Big Beer & Growth

July 24, 2017 |

Modern Times Beer, one of the country’s top five fastest growing breweries made a splash two weeks ago, when it announced that it would begin reacquiring shares from investors to gift back to their employees. We caught up with Modern Times founder Jacob McKean to discuss his decision to implement an employee ownership program, the growing threat of Big Beer, as well as what’s next on the horizon for the San Diego-based brewery.

Read More

Avery Brewing 24th Anniversary Party Pour List Showcases Rarities

July 20, 2017 |

In 2016 Avery Brewing Company joined the ranks of the country’s top 50 breweries by volume. Their ranking as the country’s 48th largest brewery represents more than just the tangible … Read More

Black Project’s Lambic-Inspired Roswell Release is the Real Deal

July 18, 2017 |

Its easy to get lost in the clutter. Currently in craft beer, there’s a shiny new toy wrapped under layers of marketing speak at over 5,000 breweries across the country. New England this, barrel-aged that, it can sometimes become cumbersome filtering through the hype to find the handful of truly inventive, quality beers that are really moving the needle in this market. Black Project Spontaneous & Wild Ales is doing just that with this weekend’s release of their spontaneously fermented barrel-aged, Lambic-inspired ale Roswell, featuring six heavily fruited variants.
Read More

Modern Times Beer Further Cements Independence with Employee Ownership Program

July 7, 2017 |

Over the past four years, Modern Times Beer has exploded on to the craft beer scene in a major way, growing from a production of 2000 barrels in their first year of existence, to over 40,000 barrels this past year. While many breweries who exhibit such a drastic growth pattern have eventually turned to outside funding to help further their endeavors, the San Diego-based brewery has chosen to go the route of employee ownership. Earlier today, Modern Times Beer announced that it has repurchased shares held by its initial investors and that 30% of shares will now be held in an employee stock ownership program (ESOP).

Read More

14er Brewing Opens for To-Go Sales & Taproom Tastings July 1

June 30, 2017 |

Andrew Kaczmarek and Nato Francescato have never been keen on following convention. The two co-founders of 14er Brewing bucked tradition when they launched in the summer of 2016 without a taproom location, focusing solely on contract brewing and canning their beers for liquor store sales for the first year. That gamble proved successful earning the two a gold medal at their very first Great American Beer Festival last October for their Rocky Mountain Saison, a Cilantro Lime Chili Saison, which took home top honors in the Chili Beer category.

Read More

Budweiser’s “The High End” Responds to Brewers Association’s Independent Label

June 30, 2017 | 9

Earlier this week, the Brewers Association announced the launch of a marketing campaign to help distinguish independently owned craft breweries with a special label to raise awareness on a brewery’s independence. Qualifying breweries can utilize the label on product packaging, signage, menus and other marketing collateral.

Read More

The PorchCast | Ep 38 Great Divide & The Grateful Gnome

June 29, 2017 |

In episode 38 of The PorchCast we reunited former co-workers Shannon Berner, marketing manager for Great Divide Brewing, and Bess Dougherty, co-founder for The Grateful Gnome Sandwich Shoppe and Brewery. The two former Wynkoop employees when brought together in a confined space typically end up spiraling down into a deluge of inappropriate jokes/noises, and they did not disappoint.

Read More

Craft Breweries Declare Their Independence with BA’s Official Seal

June 27, 2017 |

As the craft beer industry begins to wade through the murky waters of distinguishing itself from other non-craft entities, the Brewers Association has decided to make the distinction even more clear. This morning the Boulder-based national trade organization announced the creation of an official seal to help independently owned craft breweries for qualifying members.

Read More

Introducing New Belgium’s Wood Cellar Reserve Series and Farewell to Lips of Faith

June 27, 2017 |

New Belgium Brewing Company, one of craft beer’s most storied establishments is reimagining their approach toward specialty beer releases. Yesterday, the Fort Collins-based brewery announced the launch of their Wood Cellar Reserve program described as “a series of very rare, small batch wild & sour ales expertly aged by the most award-winning sour brewery in America.”

Read More

Avery’s 2017 Boulder SourFest Pour List Showcases Local & National Heavy Hitters

June 19, 2017 |

This weekend’s 2017 Boulder Sour Festival will once again showcase a wide array of national and local talent, boasting their best in the sour and wild beer formats. Now it its 7th iteration, Avery’s annual celebration of acidic beers will see one major amendment, this year focusing solely on wilds and sours that have been aged in a wooden vessel, meaning this year’s entries will no longer include standalone kettle soured beers.

Read More