Collaborating for a Cause | ALEX KIDD IS LIFE!

While Mikerphone Brewing out of Chicago is the latest brewery in this series, they were one of the first to take action in support of Alex Kidd and his family following the news of his cancer diagnosis. Just like what we saw most recently with Bob D’Angelo and Esker Hart Artisan Ales, Mikerphone Brewing was founded from a passion for homebrewing. Now, eight years since their first commercial beer, Mikerphone has become a Chicago beer staple and Owners Mike and Lisa Pallen have been fortunate enough to travel the world making and sharing beer. Upon hearing Alex’s devastating news, they knew they wanted to do what they could for him and his family during this unprecedented time. We were able to talk briefly with Mike and discuss a little more about the special single barrel English-style Barleywine released for the man behind the Barleywine is Life movement.

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Wayfinder Beer | Winged Creatures West Coast IPA

Craft beer label artwork has become a huge selling point over the past few years. We all know that it’s what is inside that makes the beer enjoyable, but sometimes those eye-catching labels are enough to get you to buy a beer without knowing much about it. Buyer beware, you might end up with something you don’t like at all.

That isn’t the case with Winged Creatures, an outstanding West Coast IPA from the mind of Natalie Baldwin, Brewmaster, and Orion Landau, Art Director for Wayfinder Beer.

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E9 Brewing Company | The Bearer Robust Porter

Have you ever heard the old saying, “I hate to be the bearer of bad news”? More than likely you have, and like it suggests, it’s going to be bad news. What if we could be the bearer of good news, wouldn’t that be so much better? When we say good news in this instance, we’re talking about craft beer of course. So, let’s get into the good news!

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New Trail Brewing | State Light American Lager

There’s something almost magical about this time of year. Even more so if you’re a football fan. The air is starting to turn cool, or cold depending on where you are located. Warm weather backyard barbecues have turned into significantly cooler afternoons with friends huddled by a small fire. Or, perhaps, you’re with friends hanging out in the stadium parking lot before the game starts. If you happen to be a Penn State Nittany Lions fan, then New Trail Brewing Company has just the beer for you!

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ENAY Brewing Co. | Day Ripper NA Pilsner

There could be a multitude of reasons why you might have to cut back or give up on alcohol completely. Maybe you are the designated driver for the night, but you still want to sip on something that won’t impair your driving ability. Perhaps you have to stop due to medical reasons. No matter the reason, the Non-Alcoholic beer market has evolved, and you can actually find some really good NA beers. Long gone are the days of trying to drink something that tastes like rainwater that has been poured through a rusty pipe, thank goodness!

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Von Ebert Brewing | Pils German-Style Pilsner

You see them everywhere! Passed over by the wandering eyes of craft beer enthusiasts looking for that fresh Hazy IPA drop or perhaps, for this time of year, that beast of a Barrel-Aged Stout. Often times they are even relegated next to the dare we say it, American domestics! Of course, we’re talking about the craft Pilsner. A truly underrated style of beer.

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Gnarly Barley Brewing | FestBier

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! No, we are not talking about Christmas yet, but simply referring to the release of Oktoberfest style offerings from all around the country. Every year it seems as though the releases start earlier and earlier in August, yes August! An Oktoberfest style lager can be enjoyed year-round, but there’s something about sipping on these seasonal offerings when the air turns a bit crispy!

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Amalgam Brewing | Bloom Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout

It has been said for many years that humans have five basic senses. Those senses being Sight, Sound, Touch, Smell and Taste. Some scientists believe that we have even more than the five basic senses that we have been taught. We’re not confirming or denying that there could be more than the basic senses, but we can confirm that we were given Smell and Taste as a gift for the beer we’re going to be talking about today!

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New Terrain Brewing Co. | Mirage Sour IPA

A mirage is an optical effect that is sometimes seen at sea, in the desert, or over a hot pavement, that may have the appearance of a pool of water or a mirror in which distant objects are seen inverted, and that is caused by the bending of reflection of rays of light by a layer of heated air of varying density. That’s the literal definition of a mirage from Merriam-Webster. We will be talking about a mirage today as well, just not the literal kind.

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Pulpit Rock Brewing | EIGHT Imperial Stout

Some may find it hard to believe that eight years have already come and gone for Pulpit Rock Brewing. Having recently showcased their high-gravity program in the Barrel Room Spotlight, it’s no secret that they’ve really honed in on mastering all things big and malty. Pulpit’s 8th Anniversary was celebrated on August 19th and featured live music, food vendors, and eight brand new craft beverages to honor the special occasion. For this showcase, we take a look at their headliner EIGHT, Pulpit Rock’s first Barrel-Aged release of 2023 and one that not only pushed the boundaries of their program, but also looked to support a local Iowa organization. Read More

Seedstock Brewery | Marzen

Coming off a gold medal at the Great American Beer Fest (GABF), Seedstock Brewery’s Marzen epitomizes the clean yet robust character of this malty style. The win also feels particularly sweet for the McIlvenna family, which purchased the brewery just two years ago. Read More

Prison City Brewing | DDH Riot In Vermont New England IPA

Auburn is a small city of 30,000 year-round residents located in the heart of the Finger Lakes Region of New York. It also happens to the home of the state’s longest running prison facility. While other big cities were dubbed “Salt City,” “Flour City,” “Nickel City,” and so on, Auburn has long carried the moniker of “Prison City.”

With the brewery’s original location a mere two blocks from the prison, the name just fit for one of the first local breweries to open within the city in nearly a century.

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Weathered Souls | 2023 Whale Rider Set

Weathered Souls Brewing has been around since 2016, and since then has made waves throughout the industry. Most notably in 2020, co-owner and Head Brewer Marcus Baskerville started the Black is Beautiful initiative, a movement with the mission to bring awareness to the injustices that many people of color face daily. This open-ended collaboration has inspired the support of hundreds of breweries across the country, and this year even saw the launch of Volume 2.0 of the Black is Beautiful initiative in honor of the opening of the National Black Brewers Association (NB2A) back in May. Marcus and Weathered Souls also had another exciting ‘first’ in 2023 with their highly sought-after Whale Rider Imperial Stout. July 29th marked the date of the inaugural Whale Rider Day.

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Collaborating for a Cause | Bear: Stay Strong Alex

The Stay Strong Alex initiative continues this week with a special iteration of Esker Hart Artisan Ale’s Bear series. With his first full-production location slated to open in early 2024, Bob D’Angelo started his brewing journey nine years ago. Early support from Alex served as a huge kick start to what has now become Esker Hart, and in the wake of his unanticipated cancer diagnosis, Bob knew that he wanted to honor and dedicate this second Blend of Bear to him in support of the long road ahead. We had a chance to talk with Bob and learn more about his history with Alex as well as the beer itself and the special raffle that was set up to help raise money for the Kidd family.
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Precarious Beer Project | Bronze Thunder Twins IPA Collab

Baseball, at its core, is a wonderful game that generations of kids have played in the backyard or in dirt parking lots. For as many Hollywood stories and movies that have helped in the romanticizing of baseball, it certainly gets a lot of hate in sports conversation due to its “lack of excitement” and length of play among other reasons. Hey – there’s a pitch clock now! The love of baseball runs deep for some, though, and the experience of going to a ballgame makes for good plans damn near any night of the week during the season. Read More

Collaborating for a Cause | 2 Live Gran Kidd

In a continually impressive showing of togetherness for a shared cause, Stay Strong Alex and similar initiatives have been raising an incredible amount of money to support Alex Kidd and his family as they navigate the road ahead following his Stage IV cancer diagnosis. This week we look to Pennsylvania and Voodoo Brewing Company. Having just celebrated the 10th anniversary of its original Arch Street Brew Pub last year, these guys are no strangers to the industry. The devastating diagnosis of the satirical beer icon resonated heavily with the team in Meadville, and we had the opportunity to speak briefly with Voodoo CMO Tom Guzick to gain some insight about the most recent release in their famous Barrel Room Collection series dedicated to Alex Kidd.

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Necromancer Brewing | Crush Hour: Strawberry Blonde

Sometimes a craft beer is about more than just what’s inside the can—or bottle—for that matter. While there are beers that have fancy labels, or tongue-twisting names, in the end it’s always going to be about what’s inside that really matters. The same thing is often said about people, it’s about what’s inside that matters the most. One such brewery and beer encompasses that mantra. Read More

22 Northmen Brewing Co. | Barrel-Aged Night Axe Imperial Stout

As you walk into the cave, the air turns cool and damp, and the sounds of the outside world fade away. The darkness envelops you, but as your eyes adjust, you begin to see the glimmer of stalactites hanging from the ceiling and the rugged texture of the cave walls. The scent of earth and minerals fills the air, creating an otherworldly atmosphere. It is an adventure into the unknown, where every step brings anticipation, wonder and in this case, beer!

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Collaborating for a Cause | For The Kidd’s

The high-production powerhouses of the industry have been far from the only ones showing support towards Alex Kidd and his family during his continuing fight with Stage IV cancer. A collaborative effort out of New Jersey, For The Kidd’s is the next feature in a growing series highlighting the incredible support provided by the craft beer community for a craft beer icon. Chris with Shore Side Brewing allowed us the opportunity to sit down and discuss a beer that he felt was more than fitting to be released for Don’t Drink Beer.

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St. Louis CITY SC Star Tim Parker Collaborates with 4 Hands Brewing Co. for Parker Pilsner

St. Louis CITY SC fans can now add a new beer to their game-day repertoire. Tim Parker, center back and all-star player for the team, has partnered with St. Louis-based 4 Hands Brewing Co. to create Parker Pilsner. This American-style pilsner made its debut at 4 Hands before St. Louis City SC returned to CITYPARK to defeat Austin FC in a stunning 6 – 3 victory! 

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