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Beer Showcases

PD’s own dissect beer. Leave the pretentiousness on the curb.

Great Lakes Brewing Co | Nosferatu

September 17, 2014 |

ABV: 8.0%

IBU: 70

My love affair with Nosferatu began not with the beer but with the film by the same name. Read More

New Belgium Brewing | Lips of Faith: Wild² Dubbel

September 15, 2014 |

ABV: 8%
IBU: 30

As one might expect from the name, New Belgium Brewing has a long-standing reputation built on producing solid Belgian-style beers including their Abbey ale, Trippel, and even Fat Tire, a ubiquitous brew which undoubtedly marked the beginning of many a casual beer drinker’s insobrietous journey to certified beer geek. As such, I was excited to find Wild² Dubbel, a new entry in their Lips of Faith series in a local bottle shop. What makes this dubbel wild? Well, it’s brewed with Schisandra berries, also known as the “five taste fruit” and finished with Brettanomyces. The five flavors promised by the berry are sour, sweet, salty, bitter, and spicy. Brett is something I generally enjoy, but not being familiar with Schisandra, I wasn’t sure what to expect as I opened the bottle.

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New Glarus Brewing Co | Moon Man No Coast Pale Ale

September 12, 2014 |

As a self-imposed Sconnie, I’ve signed up to endure perennial misery each year between November and May. Every fall I watch in horror as the sun sets earlier and earlier, the nights get frostier, and the boat-dotted lakes become empty canvases awaiting a frosty fate. That’s why today, when it could very easily be the last 80 degree day before hibernation begins, I opted out of the office lifestyle and escaped via kayak with my two best friends. One is called Justin – he makes an excellent porch drinking companion. The other is called Moon Man – he makes for excellent drinking. Read More

Cascade Brewing | Gose

September 11, 2014 |

School is back in session, the leaves are beginning to change, and I even need a jacket in the morning on some days. Fall is just around the corner. While breweries are racing to get their pumpkin beers and fall seasonals on tap and on the shelves, I’m refusing to let go of summer just yet. That’s why I’m enjoying my last reserves of Cascade Brewing Gose. Read More

Two Roads Brewing Co. | Worker’s Comp Saison

September 11, 2014 |

 

ABV: 4.8%

The beauty of living on a landmass between the Hudson River, Long Island Sound, and Lower Bay, is that on the other side of those bodies of … Read More

Fountain Square Brewing Co | Stay Classy Scotch Ale

September 10, 2014 |

Fountain Square Brewing Company has delivered a great beer with Stay Classy Scotch Ale, which is a Ron Burgundy, from Anchorman, inspired scotch ale. Before I even started drinking the … Read More

Saint Arnold Brewing | Pumpkinator

September 9, 2014 | 1

Saint Arnold – Pumpkinator 2013
ABV: 10%
IBU: ??

The machines rose from the ashes of the nuclear fire. Their war to exterminate mankind has raged for decades, but the final battle would not be fought in the future. It would be fought here, in our present. Tonight. In this tulip glass! Saint Arnold’s distribution footprint just hit the Colorado Market and one of the heavy hitter’s first out to attack the taste buds is their imperial pumpkin ale, Pumpkinator.

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Thirsty Dog Brewing Company | Barktoberfest

September 8, 2014 |

ABV: 6%

IBU: 15

Mid-September: that between-the-seasons limbo. Labor Day has passed. The first day of fall has not yet arrived with its tantalizing cool. With a nod to many individuals’ preferences for certain beers hitting stores at just the right moment, I present to you a sweet and approachable Märzen from the state of Ohio, Thirsty Dog’s Barktoberfest, perfect for this time of shifting seasons.  Read More

St. John Brewers | VI Massive Series Double IPA

September 3, 2014 |

ABV: 8.8%
IBU: 80

Weddings are usually a fun-filled weekend followed by a week-long hangover. Family weddings, on the other hand, are a whole different animal, especially when the man your sister is marrying decides he is going to brew the beer for it. Pretty challenging in and of itself, but then throw in the extra challenge of bottling and labeling, and you begin to get a scope of this endeavor. Now here comes the whammy: Eight styles. Eight different brews dispersed into 650 bottles and voila, you may kiss the bride. That said, it is safe to say that beer has a warm place in the hearts of most my family- 10 siblings/spouses and counting!

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Alaskan Brewing Company | Freeride APA

September 2, 2014 |

ABV: 5.3%

IBU: 40

I recently started my very first bucket list, which, as a mid-20-something, likely stems from a mix of quarter-life crisis and the awareness of a wonderful, travel-filled summer coming to a close. In any case, so far the list has proved to be an exciting excuse to plan out my vacations for the next five years. In fact, the very first item on the list is “hiking/snowboarding in Alaska,” so this week I decided to showcase a beer from Alaskan Brewing Company, headquartered in Juneau. Their Freeride APA perfectly complemented my newfound bucket list aspirations – its label explains, “Freeride is a mountain biking and snowboarding term that can be applied to most any adventure.” And since I have a list of about 14 adventures sitting in front of me, why not open up a bottle? Read More

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. | Flipside Red IPA

September 1, 2014 | 1

ABV: 6.2%
IBU: 60

You can call Labor Day the end of summer all you like, but it certainly doesn’t feel like fall. The trees will still be green for a few weeks, sweaters and jackets aren’t necessary, and sunburns are still a reality for anyone standing 4 hours in an open air stadium. However, it’s very clearly time to retire the sunny beers of summer. This week I attempted to make the switch to heavier seasonal beers and within minutes of sipping my first pumpkin ale of the year, my phone buzzed. At that precise moment the Porchdrinking.com staff decided we needed to discuss drinking pumpkin beers out of season. I looked around the bar, positive someone also in search of a big beer list and 20 cent wings was ratting me out for moving to fast into Fall. Read More

Crown Valley Brewing | Imperial Pumpkin Smash Stout

August 29, 2014 |

ABV: 10.6%
IBU: 48

There’s an ongoing debate on pumpkin beers here at PorchDrinking that you can read all about here. Should they be released in the fall or is the practice of getting them on shelves in August acceptable? The big box retailers put their holiday merch out in October and Halloween candy out in what seems like August. Should craft beer be following their lead? If you’re on the fence, get your paws on a bottle of Crown Valley Brewing Imperial Pumpkin Smash Stout. And find yourself firmly in the Summer pumpkin camp.  Read More

Wasatch Brewery | Evolution Amber Ale

August 28, 2014 |

ABV: 4%

The best part about sitting in the bleachers of a minor league ballpark in the rain, watching the grounds crew mess with the giant tarp is the fact that the delay makes more time for beer drinking. Luckily, as messed up as a lot of Utah’s beer distribution laws are, the Salt Lake Bees serve good craft beer in addition to the 3.2% Bud Lite piss-water that is more appropriate for sprinkling the outfield grass than it is for human consumption. I’m really glad that the Bees serve Evolution Amber Ale from Wasatch Brewery, giving me the opportunity to try it for the first time. 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

Fat Head Brewery | Head Hunter IPA

August 27, 2014 |

ABV 7.5%
87 IBU
Columbus, Simcoe, Centennial
Pale, CaraMalt, C-15, Cara-Pils

We dismissed Fat Head Brewery’s beer immediately the first time we saw that chubby, caricatural face grinning behind sunglasses and a mustache on a bottle of beer. Then, the fat man began appearing, pale, naked, and in a barrel, perched atop tap handles as Fat Head’s beer began infiltrating our local bars. His enormous head had several inches on all of the other handles. It was Ohio in the early 2010s, the fat man was everywhere, and we were skeptical. 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.

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Martin House Brewing | Pretzel Stout

August 25, 2014 | 2

ABV: 6.5% | IBU: 47 | SRM: 50+

“That’s right, The Original Pretzel Stout. This 6.5% abv stout is as black as oil and is brewed with over six pounds of crushed sourdough pretzels per barrel. Guess what? There’s no style guideline for this one. The salty fingerprint of the pretzels works with the sweet and roasty flavors of the chocolate malted & roasted barley to give this beer a flavor that is much greater than the sum of its parts.”

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Scarlet Lane Brewing Company | Dorian Stout

August 21, 2014 |

Scarlet Lane Brewing Company is one of the newest breweries to enter the Indy metro landscape, and they have come on the scene guns blazing. Their original lineup really impressed me … Read More

Westbrook Brewing Co. | India Pale Ale

August 20, 2014 |

ABV: 6.8% IBUs: 65

Making the trip to Kiawah Island, South Carolina is not something I’m new to. Whether it’s packed in a car with my family or squeezed on a plane from Denver, I’ve been there and done that. But, as a craft beer-drinking woman in my mid-20’s, I realize that there was something missing from my trips—and that something was Westbrook Brewing Co.’s India Pale Ale. Read More

The Brew Kettle | White Rajah IPA

August 19, 2014 |

ABV: 6.8%

IBU: 70

The craft beer industry, at least from what I have seen and experienced, has embraced the average beer imbiber’s attempt at brewing a beer that one might enjoy from home. Though this write-up will not be exclusively about a brewery, I must provide some background before delving too deep into the specific beer I am showcasing. So, without further delay, let me provide you with one more summertime bevvy for your enjoyment: White Rajah IPA. This beer is one of the Brew Kettle’s best, and it is the perfect option for those who revel in hops, citrus in smell and flavor and a relaxing afternoon lounging at the pool: my place of choice for this sunny beverage.  Read More