Rowley Farmhouse Ales | Chantal

Santa Fe, New Mexico, was the first capital city in North America. In this historical place with centuries of traditions, there’s a small-scale independent brewery that offers playful twists to classic beer styles. Chantal, their robust French saison, shows this brewery’s passion for brewing.

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Deep Wood vs. Bourbon County | Who Won in Chicago?

With Goose Island’s Bourbon County Stout now fully released and Revolution’s Deep Wood series with one more small release in January, we can take a step back and see how these beers stacked up against one another this year.

In no way am I saying that these are the best and only barrel-aged Stouts coming out of Chicago that we should talk about this season. However, when you have two behemoths like Revolution and Goose Island in one city, it’s hard not to compare them side-by-side with their biggest releases.

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Medusa Brewing | Activate!

Coffee is a huge part of my life along with beer, and I am all about having a combination of those two in a beer any day. Medusa Brewing Company has a coffee porter that I am thrilled to tell you about. If I lived closer, this would be a staple in my beer collection. I do not live anywhere near Medusa, but luckily a fellow PorchDrinker got this to me to enjoy in Florida.

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Preyer Brewing Co. | Undercurrant

It’s been a season of surprises in North Carolina. First, we have one of the biggest December snow storms I’ve ever seen. Then, I discover a new brewery — Preyer Brewing — that managed to fly under my radar for the past 3 years.

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Moody Tongue | BBA Chocolate Barleywine

Given the fact that its buried in snow and doesn’t see the sun for 6 months out of the year, It comes to no surprise the Chicago doesn’t even rank in American’s top 50 fittest cities. But where Chicago lacks in fitness, friendliness, honest politicians, and low taxes, it makes up with its food and beer scene.

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Wynwood Brewing | Pop’s Porter

The Sunshine State is more than 1,000 miles away from me and is experiencing no snow at all (but, is that any surprise?). Meanwhile, the temperature outside my house here in Massachusetts has dropped to the teens. In this totally unfair, location-based insult, what kind of beer will help me endure this unforgiving weather? A porter will do the trick, but it has to be robust, smooth and drinkable. Therefore, Pop’s Porter tops my forecast.

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Firestone Walker | Champs de Fraises (2017)

Firestone Walker is known for creating some awesome brews, from the Luponic Distortion IPA series to Velvet Merkin, at their Paso Robles brewery. I feel that their Barrelworks beers can be overlooked at times, like the Champs de Fraises. I will be the first to say it took me a while to get down with wild ales, always thinking they would turn out a funky “gym sock” Belgian nose. Obviously, I had a lot to learn! Nowadays, wild ales are my jam and I seek out the opportunity to try these beauties.

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Whitestone Brewery | Melted Snowman

Living in Texas, we never really have a traditional fall season, or a normal winter, with temperatures frequently fluctuating 20-30 degrees in a week. So I always mark the start of fall based on the release of the first Oktoberfest brews, and then I wait patiently for the winter warmers to appear to let me know that “winter” is on it’s way. Regardless of the temperatures, nothing says winter and Christmas like a well-spiced winter warmer.

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Call to Arms Brewing | Really, Really, Ridiculously Good Tasting

The nearly four-year-old Denver brewery, Call to Arms Brewing (CTA), won a 2018 World Cup gold in the Fresh or Wet Hop Ale category for a beer inspired by the crew’s love of Billy Madison with its More Like Bore-O-Phyll. In September, during GABF week, the brewery held its third annual F@#*ing Call to Arms Catalina Wine Mixer! Simply, the brewery deftly intertwines the art of sophisticated beer production with relaxed, easy-going fun. And, the recent release of Really, Really, Ridiculously Good Tasting (RRRGT), a farmhouse ale aged in Chardonnay barrels with Brett Claussennii only further cements that concept; one should not feel compelled to stick out one’s pinky—just kick back and enjoy a beer that’s really, really, ridiculously good.
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Foreign Objects Beer Co. | Mystic Flowers of Perpetual Slumber

On a recent trip to Pittsburgh, I decided to visit a bottle shop to see if there was anything this Florida gal couldn’t get her hands on back home. I was immediately taken by the can artwork by a specific brewery; I knew this beer must be something special.

Special, indeed.

Foreign Objects Beer Company is just over a year old but what they’ve got going on belies their young age. Their beer? Amazing. Information about the brewery? Not much. Their intentionally vague descriptions of beers (Ale with hops? Sure.), their brewery and even their location are hard to find and even harder to pin down. Are they in Pottstown, PA, like their can indicated? Are they in New Paltz, NY, like another website said? Are they gypsy brewers? It’s hard to tell, really.

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Wooden Cask | Corruption

When it comes to defining the character of a brewery, there are a lot of decisions to be made, the most important being the type of beer that will be brewed. And Wooden Cask Brewing knew that providing the same modern styles as other breweries wouldn’t make them stand out; it also didn’t represent who they are.

So to gain recognition and embrace their favorite styles, Wooden Cask brews traditional styles that are often overlooked as other breweries are making hazy IPAs and pastry stouts.

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Anchor Brewing | Old Foghorn Barleywine

We’re finally feeling the weather changes here in Northern California. It’s beautiful, and my favorite time of the year. Not only because of the crisp air, but because it’s now barleywine season. Don’t get me wrong, I can drink barleywine anytime of the year; however, it’s difficult to find someone to crush the strong stuff with in the middle of summer. 

I attended the 25th annual barleywine festival at Toronado in San Francisco a few weeks ago. 50 taps flowing, sweaty bodies crowding the bar, and the smell of future hangovers filled the room; I was in heaven. Soon I was sampling with other malt enthusiasts. A ton of great and not-so-great examples of the sweet stuff were tried, but one was particularly delightful. 

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Schlafly Beer | The Variant II Brandy Barrel & Sour Cherry Aged Stout

On Saturday, December 8, at 11 a.m., Schlafly Beer will release The Variant II at its taproom in St. Louis and, in limited fashion, to the broader market. The Variant II is a sophisticated blend of two different variations of the base 9.4% Imperial Stout, receiving flavor from barrels that once held brandy (usually made by fermenting wine), as well as with sour cherries. The elegant beer suits anyone seeking to indulge during the holidays, especially those who possess a mutual love of craft beer and mixology.

“Tart cherries are soaked inside a generous stout and aged in brandy barrels—it’s enough to make you skip right to dessert,” explains founding Brewer Stephen Hale. “Imperial is the right word. This rich, creamy, luxurious experience brings a taste of extravagance, sip after sip. All is right with the world.”

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La Cabra Brewing | Mosaic Shatter

Along Philadelphia’s Main Line, sits a seven-barrel brewhouse in the suburb of Berwyn, PA. It’s the creation of a once Spanish teacher turned professional brewer. La Cabra Brewing, translated to “the goat” from Spanish, is named appropriately since the brewery shares similar features and traits to the animal. Fun, smart, and persistent are just some of the values both goats and La Cabra embody. And one of the latest releases from the Pennsylvania brewery is an IPA that falls in line with that same philosophy. Read More

Captain Lawrence Brewing Company | Fudgie the Beer

Who didn’t have a Fudgie the Whale cake for one of their birthdays while growing up? Thanks to Carvel and Captain Lawrence Brewing Company, the iconic ice cream cake has made its way into a beer.

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Sierra Nevada | Beer for Drinking Hoppy Blonde Ale

As the craft beer industry continues to evolve and become more complex, Sierra Nevada switched gears and brewed an ale for a different beer lover. For the consumer who’s no connoisseur or who may not even care what the hell a hop even is, there’s Beer for Drinking.

It’s not barrel-aged, dry-hopped or infused. It’s beer. Plain and simple. And for many, that’s all they need.

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Ska Brewing | Sour Apple Gose

I have a confession to make. I sometimes hide beer from my husband. We’ve all been there before where the fridge becomes a free-for-all for everyone in the household. Being in my mid-thirties, I’m well past the point of leaving post-its to call beer dibs, so I resort to hiding precious beer that I’ve been clamoring to enjoy—in the broom closet (he’ll never find it there).  And in my broom closet that is where you’ll find Ska Brewing’s Sour Apple Gose, a beer that is meant to be savored even if it’s in secret. Read More

7 Seas Brewing | Boobytraps Cascadian Dark Ale

7 Seas Brewing Cascadian Dark Ale has been one of the premier representations of the Black IPA style within the Pacific Northwest for quite sometime, however it was only recently that this fall gem was packaged for the first time.

Named “Boobytraps” with inspiration coming from the 80’s PNW cult classic film about kids searching for treasure, this Black IPA style beer starts off with nuances of orange marmalade fleeting across the palate. Then a wave of pine and sticky resin comes rushing through with a restrained bitterness and a touch of roasted coffee. From beginning to end this one is velvety smooth.  Read More

Dos Luces Brewery | Chicha Inti

It was a cold, dark and slightly damp fall evening — but as soon as I walked inside Dos Luces Brewery, the stream of twinkling lights, plentiful plants and colorful, open space melted away the snow from my shoulders and why-is-it-dark-at-4 p.m. attitude. The brewery, which opened this summer, was filled with a smattering of locals sipping beers in unassuming white cups on a quiet Wednesday evening. A few sips of the Chicha Inti beer, an Incan drink brewed from blue corn and radiating with sweet spices, quickly made me forget the omnipresent chill and transported me to the warm, verdant oasis of my grandmother’s garden. Read More

Russian River Brewing Company | Windsor Porter

Russian River Brewing Company is an iconic brewery, a brewery that started beer trends, even before we knew what beer trends were. They are also a company that methodically moves at their own speed, with their own vision.

Though there’s no question that Russian River could have expanded earlier, they completed their expansion on their own terms, in my mind further proving their dedication to, and love of, craft beer. The stunning new brewing facility is located in Windsor, CA, just about nine miles from their Santa Rose brewpub. The new location includes a multi-room restaurant and a bar, with both indoor and outdoor bar seating, along with separate tasting and gift shop areas.

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