Beer Events
Event Recap | Left Hand’s Nitro Fest Brings Beer to the Big Tent
November 15, 2017 | Kara Rowland
Chances are most readers of PorchDrinking.com have been to scores of beer festivals, with many—while still awesome—fairly indistinguishable from the other. Left Hand’s Nitro Fest, now in its fourth year, is not one of those.
Imagine some of the world’s smoothest, rarest beers coupled with a psychedelic circus and a legion of hardcore, costumed fans on a warm fall night in Longmont, CO and you’ll get an idea of the experience.
Five Observations from a FoBAB First-Timer
November 14, 2017 | Taylor Laabs
I’ve been to numerous beer festivals, including the massive production that is Sierra Nevada’s Beer Camp, but I’ve never been to a celebration like FoBAB, and now I think I know why. On a cold Saturday, I arrived to the UIC Forum to a line of at least 150 people, anxiously lined up for Saturday’s afternoon session, which didn’t start for another… two hours. Seeing this first-hand raised my eyebrows, but taking the first sip of barrel-aged beer a little past noon almost made my eyes water. This stuff was not for the faint of heart, and that high-octane appeal brought out only the most fanatical beer lovers to the 15th annual Festival of Barrel-Aged Beers. After getting a good buzz from imbibing in a few more sub-5oz sips, I realized FoBAB was a different beer festival than anything I had experienced before.
Event Recap | 2017 Festival of Wood & Barrel-Aged Beers (FoBAB)
November 13, 2017 | Mike Zoller
As you rub your eyes and nurse that pounding headache, it’s time to reflect on another year of FoBAB. The nation’s largest gathering of barrel-aged beers is always the marquee event to hit Chicago’s beer scene. Once again, FoBAB lived up to the hype by bringing together some of the country’s most sought after beers and putting them under one roof for thousands to enjoy.
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Festival of Barrel Aged Beer (#FoBAB) 2017 Awards
November 11, 2017 | Mathew Powers
The world’s largest barrel-aged beer competition — The Illinois Craft Beer Guild‘s Festival of Barrel Aged Beer (#FoBAB) in Chicago — is currently satisfying hoards of beer lovers. For breweries, it’s also a chance to see if their beer stood-out among the sea of special beers. The awards have been announced and our Chicago/Midwest editor, Mike Zoller, relayed the information as it happened. Here are the results — Congrats not only to the winners, but also every brewery that took the time to offer their beer to a thirsty, enthusiastic beer crowd.
Left Hand’s Nitro Fest Brings Elevated Beer Festival Experience (Pour List)
November 8, 2017 | Tristan Chan
In 2017, beer festivals have become a dime a dozen, but the ability to create a standout, memorable event, either through the curation of an impressive pour list, creating an immersive attendee experience, or bringing on vendors and acts that add some extra star-power, can take the mundane, run-of-the-mill festival to legendary status. Left Hand Brewing is no stranger to pulling out all of the stops when it comes to throwing a beer festival. Whether it involves constructing a three story snowboard ramp in the middle of Longmont, CO, signing national bands such as Reel Big Fish, and Jeff Austin band to perform live, throwing a massive 8-act tribute band showcase, or throwing one of the state’s largest craft beer Oktoberfest celebration, these festivals generally revolve around a uniquely curated beer lineup, big name artists, and creating an experience that attendees won’t soon forget.
PorchDrinking’s Weekly Denver Beer Beat | November 8, 2017
November 8, 2017 | Jeremiah Cornelius
The Denver Beer Beat sheds light on news of brewery openings, special tappings, firkins and one-off batches, bottle releases, dinners, pairings, etc.
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PorchDrinking’s Weekly Atlanta Beer Beat | November 8, 2017
November 8, 2017 | Sarah Duffy
The Atlanta Beer Beat sheds light on news of brewery openings, special tappings, firkins and one-off batches, bottle releases, dinners, pairings and more!
Event Recap | Deer Creek Malthouse’s Malt-A-Palooza
November 7, 2017 | Dan Bortz
You couldn’t have asked for a better setting. An idyllic hillside farm—complete with sheep and a horse—is the perfect place to celebrate the harvest and crafting of one of beer’s most important ingredients: malt. Malted grain imbues beers with sweetness, chocolatey notes and bready, biscuity flavors. Without malt, wort wouldn’t contain any sugar for the yeast to convert into alcohol. In today’s “drink local” craft beer scene, shouldn’t beer contain local ingredients, instead of just being brewed locally? Deer Creek Malthouse’s Malt-A-Palooza sought to celebrate that exact idea and succeeded.
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FoBAB—A National Barrel-Aged Party
November 7, 2017 | Mathew Powers
Barrel-aged beers are the dope suits of the brewing world—looking good and ready for a party. Across the nation, brewery’s special releases and anniversary parties frequently involve something from a barrel, and bottle share parties are routinely marked by ice-filled buckets of barrel-aged whales. The Festival of Barrel Aged Beer (FoBAB) involves a sea of brewing alchemy; it’s the A-list party of brews. One will find special beer after special beer produced by some of the nation’s best breweries and barreling programs.
Event Preview | 2017 Festival of Wood & Barrel-Aged Beers (FoBAB)
November 6, 2017 | Mike Zoller
With the 15th annual Festival of Wood & Barrel-Aged Beers (FoBAB) less than a week away, the weeks and months leading up to this year’s event have been different than in the past. With a price increase and the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild releasing the brewery lineup before the event for the first time ever, there seems to be more talk about FoBAB than in recent years.
Event Preview | San Diego Brewers Guild Festival
November 2, 2017 | Pam Catoe
San Diego is a well known craft beer haven and the city is getting ready to host one of the most highly anticipated beer events of the year, San Diego Beer Week. In its ninth year, San Diego Beer Week (SDBW) is presented by the San Diego Brewers Guild and consists of more than 500 beer-centric events spanning 10 days, highlighting the region’s innovative brewing culture.
PorchDrinking’s Weekly Denver Beer Beat | November 1, 2017
November 1, 2017 | Jeremiah Cornelius
The Denver Beer Beat sheds light on news of brewery openings, special tappings, firkins and one-off batches, bottle releases, dinners, pairings, etc.
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PorchDrinking’s Weekly Atlanta Beer Beat | November 1, 2017
November 1, 2017 | Josh Ritenour
The Atlanta Beer Beat sheds light on news of brewery openings, special tappings, firkins and one-off batches, bottle releases, dinners, pairings and more!
Upslope Brewing Announces 50+ Beers for 9th Anniversary Party Pour List
November 1, 2017 | Tristan Chan
During recent history it’s become abundantly clear that Upslope Brewing enjoys throwing a big ol birthday bash. As we’ve detailed in years past, the Boulder-based brewery has gained a rabid following for a solid core lineup of traditional styles, but each year, Upslope goes all-out during its anniversary to venture beyond the norm, mixing in experimental styles, unique and inventive firkins as well as a host of vintages they’ve accrued over the years.
Event Preview | Deer Creek Malthouse’s Malt-A-Palooza
October 31, 2017 | Dan Bortz
Malt is one of the most important ingredients in beer, and Deer Creek Malthouse is throwing a shindig to celebrate the craft of malting grain. Deer Creek’s Malt-A-Palooza aims to blow your mind and dazzle your palate with malt-inspired food, beer and spirits from their customers and friends. Read More
Chicago Quick Sips | October 30
October 30, 2017 | Mike Zoller
Quick Sips is our way of highlighting beer events, tap takeovers and other notable beer news around the city of Chicago. If you’d like to submit something to be included in the next Quick Sips, please email us at [email protected].
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3 Floyds’ 2018 Dark Lord Day Announced
October 30, 2017 | Mike Zoller
3 Floyds Brewing Company has announced that 2018 Dark Lord Day will be on May 19th. This is a week later than last year when the event was on May 13th, and the second straight year the event is in May after traditionally being in late April.No date has been announced for tickets to go on-sale, but tickets for the 2017 Dark Lord Day were available for purchase on March 18th and sold out quickly.
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Big Beers Belgians & Barleywines Announces Massive Brewery List
October 30, 2017 | Tristan Chan
By now PorchDrinking’s infatuation with the Big Beers Belgians and Barleywines Festival should come as no surprise to our most avid of readers. Over the years we have extolled to great length some of the innumerable characteristics that distinguish Big Beers as one of the industry’s best kept secrets.
BREWS For Harvey Looks to Raise Funds for Leukemia Battle
October 30, 2017 | Mike Zoller
You can always count on the beer community to rally together to help one of its own. When Calvin Fredrickson of Spiteful Brewing found out his nephew Harvey was diagnosed with Leukemia, he wanted to do whatever he could to help. This motivated him to organize Brews for Harvey.
Event Preview | Savannah River Brewing Co.’s Fall Beer Dinner
October 27, 2017 | Johnathan Pylant
Savannah River Brewing Co. is very excited to be partnering with Chef Kyle McCloud of Mack’s Street Eats for the brewery’s first ever beer dinner. They will be opening their doors for guests to experience an exquisite five-course meal paired alongside their flagship beers and an exclusively brewed beer for the event. The “Fall Beer Dinner”, as they’ve optimistically named it, is set for November 8, 2017 from 6:30pm to 9:00pm. Read More
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