PorchDrinking’s Weekly Denver Beer Beat | November 13, 2019

The Denver Beer Beat is a weekly roundup of brewery openings, special tappings, firkins and one-off batches, bottle releases, dinners, pairings, and more happening in the Front Range and beyond. Be sure to check in each Wednesday to discover anything and everything happening around Colorado’s beer scene. Now let’s get to this week’s can’t miss beer events. Read More

Ultimate 6er | Six Beers to Pair with Taco Bell

It started with a question: “Would anyone be interested in finding six beers to pair with Taco Bell favorites?”

My answer: Live Mas!

Now, normally my T-Bell eating is done after a night of beers, not as part of the very professional and high-class pairing you will see below. But, who am I kidding? I’d eat Taco Bell any day, any time.

So we bring you the best six beers to pair with six delicious Taco Bell treats.

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FoBAB Judges Avoiding Heavily Adjuncted Pastry Stouts

While those big pastry stouts that go heavy on the adjuncts might command the hype, long lines, big prices, and high trade value, they’re lacking one thing – FoBAB medals.

A message was sent from the  FoBAB judges once again in 2019: medal-winning beers need to show balance in the ingredients used and they need to feature the barrel. This isn’t a new message though. Looking back at the history of FoBAB medal winners (thank you to the guys at ABV Chicago for compiling the data) pastry stouts have not had a lot of success at FoBAB.

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Revolution’s Gold Medal Beer FoBAB Winner V.S.O.R. Releases Friday

Before Revolution Brewing releases the next two entries in their highly vaunted Deep Wood series, they’ll already be able to boast a FoBAB gold medal for one of those two. Very Special Old Ryeway (V.S.O.R.) and Straight Jacket will be released at the brewery after V.S.O.R. earned top marks in the Other Strong Dark Beer Category at this weekends Festival of Barrel-Aged Beers.

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Firestone Walker Brewing | Coconut Merlin and Molé Merkin Milk Stout

The seasonal transition from summer to fall not only means a shift to shorter days and cooler weather but can also be seen by many of our beloved milk stouts hitting the shelves. This fall, Firestone Walker released two milk stouts created from the base of their seasonal Velvet Merlin Oatmeal Stout that yielded two very different and phenomenal beers.

Velvet Merlin Oatmeal Stout was originally created in 2004 under the name Velvet Merkin. The name was rebranded as Velvet Merlin years later when the beer was packaged for distribution. Velvet Merkin resurfaced in 2013 as the barrel-aged version of Velvet Merlin. In 2015, Velvet Merkin was tweaked again with the incorporation of milk stout.

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Forager Brewing Company Launches Humble Forager

Last month, Forager Brewing Company‘s head brewer, Austin Jevne, took to social media to announce the brewery’s latest adventure: a new brand and distribution brewery, Humble Forager Brewery.

Contract brewing out of Octopi Brewing in Waunakee, WI, Humble Forager will use some of FBC’s favorite recipes to create a series of rotating pastry stouts, hazy DIPAs and fruited sour ales. The beers will be distributed to bars and liquor stores in Wisconsin, Minnesota and select locations in the Southeast in early 2020.

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Yakima Chief Hops Announces the Pink Boots Blend for 2020

Starting in 2017, Yakima Chief Hops (YCH) and members of the Pink Boots Society (PBS) meet up at the Great American Beer Festival for a unique event, aptly named the Annual Hop Rub. YCH brings the best of their hop harvest, carefully laid out on tables for attendees to smell, touch and taste, with the goal of selecting the annual Pink Boots Society hop blend. Read More

Jester King + Other Half | Urban Mutation

Collaboration beer often presents a mixed bag: Excitement races through your beard when you hear that two of your favorite breweries have Voltron-ed, but then the results follow a predictable pattern. Either you get a middling compromise between the two parties, resulting in a solid and forgettable “eh,” or one brewery’s profile dominates the other and the beer is like a Paul Simon album after Garfunkel left town in which the expected quality makes you forget that there’s supposed another element in this equation.

A friend recently Santa Claused me a suitcase full of Jester King and I’ve been doing my best to explore these recent offerings at a responsible pace. Jester King beers always have that incredible lightness and drinkability. A 750ml is never quite enough and a 375ml is just plain disrespectful. Moderne Dansk, included in this bounty, was one of the best beers I’ve had in quite some time. Schopenhauer himself would have impressed at the dour mood that enveloped me, realizing life would be a long struggle with little possibility of another drop. But one that caught my eye in this 20 bottle porch bomb was the collaboration beer with Other Half: Urban Mutation.

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SDBW Event | Ladies Arm Wrestling at Kairoa Brewing

Entering Kairoa Brewing a bit early, there is a full stage and decorations for the special Pink Boot Society fundraising event. Brewer still on deck from a long BrewDay the … Read More

Independence Brewing Company | Stash IPA

Many of you know the secret joy that comes from having something special, almost sinful, tucked away in a hiding place so cleverly disguised that nobody will ever discover. Whether it’s a cache of nostalgic trinkets, a hoard of candy or even a small collection of something not so innocent, at some point we’ve all had a stash that we kept all to ourselves. Luckily for Texas, Independence Brewing Company is more than happy to share their Stash with the rest of us.

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2019 Festival of Barrel Aged Beers (FoBAB) Awards Complete Results

Over the past 17 years, Chicago’s Festival of Barrel-Aged Beers has quickly established itself as one of the preeminent showcases of barrel-aged beers in the country. This two-day festival not … Read More

What We’re Drinking | November 8, 2019

As usual, the crew here at PorchDrinking.com is drinking some great beers this week. You can definitely tell we’re entering the holiday season based off the beers we’re drinking. I think you can make any beer work for just about any occasion, but there are some that perfect for certain times of the year. Here’s What We’re Drinking. Read More

Maplewood Set to Release First Barrel-Aged Cuppa Beers

Known for their thick body, heavy adjuncts and deep flavors, the Cuppa beers from Maplewood Brewery and Distillery enter a new chapter tomorrow with the release of their first barrel-aged versions in the series.

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Pour List Preview | Left Hand Nitro Fest Returns This Saturday

From flying trapeze artists, to silks performers, to outrageous over-the-top costumes, Left Hand Brewing’s Nitro Fest transports attendees to a big top entertainment experience that channels the awe and wonder of PT’s Barnum and Baily Circus. In an age when beer festivals are a dime a dozen, Nitro Fest stands tall as “America’s only exclusively Nitrogenated Beer Festival”, while also transporting attendees to an entirely different world.

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The Veil Brewing Co. | Never Never Backdown Backdown

As the winter months are drawing near and the cooler weather is becoming more of a constant, it’s easy to reach for these lighter, more “summer-y” beers to enjoy on the days that are just slightly warmer. The Veil Brewing Co.‘s Never Never Backdown Backdown is one of those drinks that will bring back the warm memories of summer with just one sip.

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Founders Brewing Reopening Detroit Taproom Pledges Donations Through 2022

Over the year, Founders Brewing has drawn public criticism for its handling of a racial discrimination case involving former employee Tracy Evans. The case resurfaced last month when leaked testimony … Read More

HenHouse Brewing Co. | Best Life Extraordinary Everyday Beer Blond Ale

We all want to live our Best Life and HenHouse Brewing Company brewed a Blond Ale that embodies that exact state of being. The Chicken Gang is at it again brewing up some straight magical elixir to brighten your day and help you to accomplish all your goals. *Disclaimer: might not accomplish all your goals but doesn’t everything seem better if you do it with a beer in your hand?!

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PorchDrinking’s Weekly Denver Beer Beat | November 6, 2019

The Denver Beer Beat is a weekly roundup of brewery openings, special tappings, firkins and one-off batches, bottle releases, dinners, pairings, and more happening in the Front Range and beyond. Be sure to check in each Wednesday to discover anything and everything happening around Colorado’s beer scene. Now let’s get to this week’s can’t miss beer events. Read More

Ultimate 6er | Goses & Other Lip Puckering Treats

While searching the aisles of my local beer store, I thought about what types of beers do people want to hear about? Stout season is coming, and so is porters, browns and the big guns like barleywines and barrel-aged everything. But, not everyone likes those types of beers. So what are some easy drinkers that many people will enjoy but don’t see this time of year? The selection of sours I tried was on point, and I quickly realized how many interesting smaller sours are not that tart, but people will set it aside for the simple reason of what section it is. So here’s a list of delicious brews that only have a little acidic bite, but pack a great amount of flavor!

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Event Preview | Stone Brewing DRK Beer Festival

Friday November 8th, Stone Brewing Headquarters in Escondido, CA will be hosting the DRK Beer Festival. Over the years this festival has gone by different names including Oakquinox … Read More