Urban Chestnut Brewing Company | Erlkönig

ABV: 8.3%

I really appreciate the stories Urban Chestnut Brewing Company spins on its beer labels. The ancient tale referenced on Erlkönig is especially interesting. This beer, a double wheat bock ale, falls into their “Revolution Series” which is a nod to the revolution of modern craft beer in America taking place in urban areas like St. Louis. The story behind Erlkönig however, could not be less modern. Dating to a poem written in 1782 by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, it describes a boy and his father resisting the lure of a mysterious Elf King. It’s worth a read if you’re into the strange and supernatural. So, how’s the beer?

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Ore Dock Brewing Company | Ski Bum Wheat

5.5% ABV

I don’t ski in the same way I don’t bowl or attend weddings—if I have to rent special footwear, it’s not worth my time. This nonparticipation can be traced back to 1998, specifically Sonny Bono’s skiing accident. His death fueled a fear within that kept me from a middle school trip to a local hill. My paranoia was further confirmed when a friend returned to school the following Monday with a gash and stitches above his eye; he had caught a tow rope with his face. By springtime, he wore a scar that said he had done (and survived) something substantial. I, however, relishing in my newfound neuroticism, was about the same. Unimpressive as ever.

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Great Lakes Brewing Co. | Alberta Clipper Porter

ABV: 7.5% | IBU: 40

Cleveland winters are some of the most enduringly cold, heavily blanketed, and wildly unpredictable in the Midwest. As Lake Erie freezes, city streets are caked … Read More

Ecliptic Brewing | Orbiter IPA

Photo Courtesy of Ecliptic Brewing

It’s hard to stand out – as a beer – in Portland, Oregon. A pillar of the city’s culture is its beer. You discover Portland by sipping your way through – your taste buds tickled by the variety, consistency, creativity, found within the city borders. Bets are that anything you have is going to be good.

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Mikerphone Brewing | One Man Wrecking Machine

ABV : 9.75%

Commuting to work is one of life’s pleasures that many people get to experience twice a day, everyday. Fighting traffic, navigating through throngs of people crossing the street, cramming into train car nooks, tapping impatiently while waiting for a bus to show up — chances are, your daily commute provides some nice slices of stress between which you sandwich your workday.

Oftentimes, the commute ends with a strained “I need a drink!” Well, if you’re lucky enough to take the Metra, you don’t have to wait until you get home. And if you’re even luckier, the local convenience store by your stop will carry some of Mikerphone Brewing’s Big Ass Cans for you to take with. And to really kickstart your workday decompression, it’s probably best to grab a One Man Wrecking Machine. Read More

The Unknown Brewing Co. | Dirty Commie Heathen

ABV: 12.4%

Unknown Brewing Co. is brewing some great beers out of their Charlotte-based brewery located on 1327 S. Mint Street. Right now, they are excited about one thing. Unknown Brewing Co. has recently released their Dirty Commie Heathen and, according to Head Brewer Brad Shell, it is even better than last year. Read More

Funkwerks | Paisley Belgian-Style Brett Saison

ABV: 7%

Paisley is a beer from Funkwerks’ experimental series, packaged in a bright Paisley-decorated bottle that could have come from Pier 1 Imports rather than the liquor store. We were excited to try our first Funkwerks wild ale and popped it open with some anticipation. The beer poured into the glass a hazy golden orange color with delicate lacing. At first whiff there was a strong barnyard smell that immediately transitioned to tropical flavors including apricot, cherry, and spicy passion fruit aided by the Funkwerks’ house yeast strain. Read More

Off Color Brewing | Hell Broth

Off Color Brewing, known for their unique beer styles and wild ales, is set to release a new beer brewed in collaboration with Amager Bryghus in Denmark called Hell Broth.

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Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. | Otra Vez

ABV: 4.5%

We’d been searching for Sierra Nevada Brewing Company’s newest release Otra Vez since we first saw it advertised on Beer Advocate. A Gose with prickly pear and grapefruit sounded like an amazing way to break up the past few months of winter warmers. After contacting liquor stores for weeks we finally were able to track a six pack down. Read More

Beer Showcase | Mardi Gras Beers

Louisianans sure know how to party! Beads, Bourbon and Beer take over the lovely days during Mardi Gras season.

Mardi Gras, French for Fat Tuesday, refers to the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, the last hurrah before the start of the Lenten season. This means no more indulging yourself with rich food, delectable-colorful King Cake and alcoholic beverages for most. Though not everyone practices the religious tradition of this “fasting” season, it is a celebration that happens worldwide. Exotic festival colors fill this time with hues of bright green, purple and gold. Everyone joins in this celebration but no one has quite perfected it than those from my Louisiana neighbors. Festivities include parades with custom-built lavish floats, costumed performers and filled with copious amounts of booze. To kick off the Fat Tuesday festivities, I present two Mardi Gras beers for your Fat Tuesday celebrations.

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Black Project Spontaneous & Wild Ales | Mach-Limit Tempranillo

ABV: 8.8%

The marriage of wine and beer has increased in popularity over the last few years as barrel aging continues to explore new territory. Breweries are finding all sorts of ways to brew with the grape juice and must used to make wine, as well as the barrels these very ingredients are aged in. While many beer/wine hybrids have hints of wine, Mach-Limit Tempranillo from Black Project is not one of them. The combination of a neutral sherry barrel, sour golden ale, grape juice and must together blurs the line of beer and wine in a magnificent marriage of ingredients.

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25 Super Bowl Beers | Colorado vs Carolina

Super Bowl 50 pits the Denver Broncos and the Carolina Panthers in a historic matchup replete with many storylines. Will the grizzled veteran in Peyton Manning, back on the field … Read More

Lawson’s Finest Liquids & Otter Creek Brewing Co. | Double or Nothing

Collaboration has been a vital part of countless creative endeavors throughout history. The idea that multiple unique approaches can come together and produce something unique to individual intent and execution has allowed us to imagine and re-imagine countless approaches to art, music, news and just about every other facet of life. Thankfully, beer has been no exception, a perfect example being the Double or Nothing from Lawson’s Finest Liquids and Otter Creek Brewing Company.
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Two Beers Brewing Co. | Cold Brew Coffee Brown Ale

ABV: 5.2% | IBU: 18

Though all of us Seattle Porchdrinkers like to think that great beer is Seattle’s most popular exported beverage, there is one Seattle drink that may beat even beer in terms of reputation and recognition, and that drink is coffee. As the home of Starbucks, Tully’s and many other roasters, Seattle’s coffee industry rivals its beer industry for options, quality and appreciation. In acknowledgment of the popularity and similarity of the two industries, Two Beers Brewing Co. created the Cold Brew Coffee Brown Ale. Read More

Southern Tier Brewing Co. | Crème Brûlée

ABV: 9.5%

One of the best aspects of a bottle share is bountiful sampling of new flavors, sharing reviews and basking in memories with friends, while also drinking an insane amount of delicious beers leading to that rewarding, almost necessary hangover the next morning.

Another bonus, especially if you host such an event, is the left over bottles that didn’t get to be enjoyed. Read More

Uinta Brewing | Labyrinth Barrel Aged Quadruple Black Ale

13.2% ABV

Last weekend was not a craft beer lover’s dream for me. I was charged with bringing liquor to the Burbot Bash, a nighttime ice fishing derby on Flaming Gorge, on the Utah/Wyoming border. My buddy and derby teammate brought the beer. He went with Coors Lite. Read More

Steel String Brewery | Der Schneid Berliner Weisse

ABV: 3.8% | IBU: 4.6

Carrboro’s Steel String Brewery has grabbed my attention once again. This time, for their Berliner Weisse, Der Schneid. From what I can muster, “der … Read More

Epic Brewing Company | Sour IPA Utah Session Series

We live in a state known for our curious alcohol laws. Laws we would say have inadvertently given strength to the Utah beer industry. Local breweries have been forced to brew beer at the low-alcohol 4% abv in order to serve on draft or be available in grocery or convenience stores. How can this possibly be a good thing you ask? It means: Utah-based breweries perfected the art of the ‘Session’ beer long before ‘Session’ became a thing for breweries (outside of the Beehive state) who looked for ways to avoid knocking out their consumers with huge alcohol content. In a land surrounded by high elevation, we’ve been keeping it low for years. Read More

Red Brick Brewing | Southern Roots Sweet Potato Brown

A.B.V: 6.0% | I.B.U: 30

Pour: A copper-like, light brown hue with a solid, foamy head.

If you’ve ever wondered what a sweet potato or yam tastes like in … Read More

Blank Slate Brewing Co. | Opera Cream Stout

ABV: 5.5%

A new year means new resolutions! For most people, it’s to eat better, drink less, etc. etc. I say this is the year to try more beer … Read More