Features
Celebrating World Pear Day with Mortalis Brewing
December 6, 2024 | Eric Griffin
The team at Mortalis is always down for a creative new showcase idea. For those unfamiliar with the dedicated fruit holidays, the first weekend in December is celebrated as World Pear Day. When it comes to relating this peculiar fruit to the world of craft beer, one specific name comes to mind above all else. We’ve collaborated with Paul Grenier and Mortalis yet again to feature the most monstrous version to date of their famous Pear Brandy Leto in celebration of one of the most-consumed fruits in the world.
Forager Brewery | 9th Anniversary Showcase
December 2, 2024 | Eric Griffin
It’s been about two and a half months since Forager Brewing’s 9th Anniversary Foragerfest celebration, and people are still buzzing about the bottles released for the occasion. Free to attend and open to all ages, Foragerfest has become hugely popular over the years, and people have traveled from near and far to Rochester, Minnesota to get a taste of the one-off barrel-aged offerings, live music, and artisan markets that have become so popular at the event. Austin Jevne and the team were generous enough to send us the full lineup from this year to review and share on PorchDrinking, and we can’t thank them enough for allowing us the chance to share the experience with our readers.
Disc-O Fever | How Craft Beer Got Hooked on Disc Golf
October 30, 2024 | Grace Weitz
I strode up to the cement landing pad, gripping a flat plastic circle in my hand. I surveyed the landscape, spying my gray target in the distance. Brimming with confidence, I took a deep breath, stepped back, and charged. Swinging my body to the left and pivoting forward in a semicircle, I arced like a shot putter, releasing my disc into the air. Up and up, it sailed past brush, birds, and blue sky. An adrenaline rush filled my lungs as I watched my disc sail straight…into the branches of a tree.
Celebrating Three Years with Duneyrr Fermenta
October 17, 2024 | Emma Wargolet
After originally brewing at the brewery incubator, Pilot Project, in Chicago, Duneyrr Fermenta opened its doors in the South Loop. We spoke with their owner, Tyler Davis, about how Duneyrr started, what is up next for them, and about their upcoming three year anniversary!
Voodoo Brewing | Hydrogen Hop Water
September 27, 2024 | Eric Griffin
As Sober October quickly approaches, hopheads are scrambling to find an alternative before the fall hiatus. We come to you with Voodoo Brewing’s Hydrogen Hop Water (HHW). Crafted with natural ingredients and zero alcohol, HHW makes a great alternative not only for those just wanting to take a break but also for those health-conscious consumers looking for a hoppy alternative for any occasion.
Book Review | Pairing Beer & Chocolate by David Nilsen
August 12, 2024 | Ruvani de Silva
While beer trends come and go, pairing is and continues to be a skill that never goes out of fashion, and quite rightly so. As beer lovers, we seek out sensory experiences from every sip we take, factoring in variables ranging from serving temperature to glass size to express and explain the precise nature of our drinking experience, so naturally once food substances are thrown into the mix, we aim to optimize our enjoyment by successfully pairing flavors and textures that are complimentary.
Hop Seasons | What Happens at a Small Hop Farm Throughout the Year
June 28, 2024 | David Nilsen
In the year-long agricultural cycle of beer’s main ingredients, hop harvest gets all the glory. Fresh hop and wet hop beers fill shelves and taplists every fall, a celebration of craft beer’s trendiest ingredient. Brewers flock to the Pacific Northwest (or their local hop yard) to evaluate the season’s best lots and choose hops for the coming year. Most of our “seasonal” beer styles today are nods to tradition rather than agricultural dictate, but these beers are different, a hold out from a time when brewing schedules and beer styles were guided by the growing calendar.
Growing Change: Small Growers Adapt to a Shifting Craft Beer Market
May 28, 2024 | David Nilsen
Craft beer grew at an impressive rate in the decade preceding the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, from 1,813 U.S. breweries in 2010 to 9,092 in 2020, according to the Brewers Association. As it grew, it pulled a number of supporting industries up wthe
ith it, perhaps most notably small-scale ingredient growers and suppliers. The number of small hop farms in the U.S. increased from 68 in 2007 to 817 in 2017 (according to figures published by Penn State University), and member count of the Craft Maltsters Guild grew from eight companies when the guild was founded in 2013 to 67 by 2022.
2024 Firestone Walker Invitational Beer Festival Adds Local Flare to Up Its Fest Experience
May 21, 2024 | Tristan Chan
The Firestone Walker Invitational Beer Festival has perennially proven why it endures as one of the country’s premier craft beer festivals. Elements that have distinguished it above the thousands of other festivals that take place each year range from the festival’s carefully curated list of participating breweries along with brewers/founders who make the trip to interact with attendees, its stellar lineup of food purveyors, dishing out all-you-can-taste high-level culinary bites ranging from charcuterie to lobster rolls, mac and cheese to artisan ice creams, its inherent advantages of showcasing one of the country’s preeminent brewing campuses located in the picturesque setting surrounded by the natural splendor of wine country, special festival-only Firestone Walker beers; with too many more to list.
Mixed Results: How Sour Ale Producers Make the Numbers Work
May 6, 2024 | David Nilsen
Mixed-fermentation, long-aged sours are among the most prestigious styles in all of beer. The esoteric flavors and lore of Belgian Lambic styles have inspired countless American brewers to look beyond conventional fermentations in search of mystery and glory. It’s an expensive but esteemed branch of brewing, and one upon which many reputations have been built. The only problem? Hardly anyone seems to be buying these beers anymore.
milieu fermentation company | Opening Weekend Preview
May 1, 2024 | Britt Antley
Opening a brewery is a journey full of challenging times and rewarding payoffs. For every newly installed and wrenched tapline spewing precious liquid across the countertop upon first test, there is the hard earned reward of that very first draft pour. Rob Bessett and Andrew Bergeron, co-owners of milieu fermentation company (pronounced mil-you) in Aurora, just outside of Denver, know all too well the difficult work that has gone into preparing their brewery for its opening weekend on May 4. Now that the date is set and the opening is just around the corner, PorchDrinking took some time to check out their renovated taproom and chat about what the future holds for milieu.
The Payroll Dept Offers Hands-On HR & Payroll Solutions to Breweries
April 18, 2024 | Tristan Chan
In a world where artificial intelligence is now being used to create beer recipes and entire brew systems are fueled by automation, the craft beer industry is beginning to look less like the scrappy bootstrapped, mom-and-pop entrepreneurial operation that inspired approximately 10,000 neighborhood breweries across the country and more like the big box corporate breweries that have monopolized the market for so many decades.
While automation has helped to create efficiencies that become critical for fueling explosive growth, some aspects of operating a brewery just work better with a human touch.
Demo Brewing Opens Up in Chicago’s Malt Row
March 28, 2024 | Emma Wargolet
For any beer nerd that is visiting Chicago, the Ravenswood/Andersonville area is an obvious choice; you are within walking distance to Hop Butcher for the World, Dovetail, Half Acre and more. You would think that there are maybe enough breweries for us. That would not be the case. This area is always looking to add another locally owned business, and when it’s a brewery, everyone is even more excited. After the loss of both Empirical Brewery and Urban Brew Labs in 2022, Demo Brewing Company is a great addition to the community.
Casks & Camaraderie | Oak & Steel
March 25, 2024 | Eric Griffin
In an unintended continuation from the last installment, Casks & Camaraderie is again headed to Missouri. Previously exploring Cape Girardeau’s Cask Craft Spirits and Beer Lounge, we focused on their elevation of barrel picks to expand exclusively from whiskey distillers into the realm of private picks with local brewery barrel stocks. This iteration picks up in the same barrel room it left off in, with Cory King and Side Project Brewing. His newest collaboration in the Silent Barrel series was with Kyle Howard, owner of Oak & Steel craft drinkery out of Kansas City. We took a deeper dive into his experience, the barrel, and the impact it’s had on the ever-changing beer scene in northwestern MO.
Downloadable 2024 Bingo Boards for Super Bowl LVIII
February 8, 2024 | Tristan Chan 1
It doesn’t matter if you’re only tuning in to catch glimpses of a potential Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce proposal after the Chiefs win yet another Super Bowl, or perhaps you’re looking to re-live your high school prom by making some Love in this Club with Usher. Or maybe you’re just in it for the commercials. Either way, we’re here to help spice up your Super Bowl viewing experience once again with this year’s 2024 Super Bowl Bingo Boards for Super Bowl LVIII.
80+ Black-Owned Breweries to Support Across the Country
February 1, 2024 | Emma Wargolet 20
Back in 2020, PorchDrinking released this list of Black-owned breweries, and we’ve recently updated it to reflect new breweries that have opened across the country. While other prolific beer writers and media members like Ale Sharpton and @BlackBeerTravelers have laid the groundwork previously, we also wanted to help highlight the black-owned breweries who are doing tremendous work in beer throughout the United States. As we continue to reflect on ways to more directly make the craft beer industry a more diverse and welcoming community, one of the easiest ways is by actively spending your money at Black-owned breweries.
Kicking 2024 Off with Indeed Brewing
January 30, 2024 | Emma Wargolet
With a slew of closures in the craft beer world in 2023, it’s always great to watch a brewery flourish. Indeed Brewing Company, with taprooms in both Minneapolis and Milwaukee, had a huge 2023. Not only were its flagship beers, Flavorwave IPA and Pistachio Cream Ale, big hits in its market, but it donated over $50,000 to various nonprofit organizations in Minnesota and Wisconsin.
PorchDrinking chatted with chief business officer Ryan Bandy, who was appointed to the role in 2023 after over 10 years with the brewery, including as director of experiences.
Butchertown Brewing Announces All-Star 2024 Collaboration Lineup
January 26, 2024 | Tristan Chan
If it’s true that you can judge a person by the company they keep, then it’s likely you can also judge a brewery by the company with whom they collaborate.
Like many emerging innovative craft breweries, Louisville, KY’s Butchertown Brewing, has adopted the philosophy of utilizing collaborations as a means to not only further hone their craft, but to also build greater relationships with other like-minded breweries that share similar philosophies and stylistic focus.
Roasty & Alcohol-Free | Brewing Non-Alcoholic Stouts
January 26, 2024 | David Nilsen
While Stouts and other dark beer styles can be enjoyed any time of year, their comforting roast flavors of chocolate, coffee, toast, and burnt caramel provide a cozy accompaniment to the winter season. Many non-alcoholic (NA) producers are brewing NA Stouts both as seasonal releases and year-round core offerings. Brewing these styles without alcohol presents unique production challenges.
A Rising Tide Lifts All Boats: Eight Trillion Allies and the Future of Beer Collaborations
January 17, 2024 | Stephanie Grant
While not the first of its kind, the collaboration between Russian River and Avery Brewing on Collaboration Not Litigation Ale in 2006 would eventually lead to breweries around the world following in their footsteps.
Since then, the craft beer industry has been filled with collaborations of all kinds. Smaller breweries have often partnered with larger breweries, which eventually led to breweries collaborating with people in and around the craft beer industry like rappers, bands, chefs, influencers, and more.
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