Preview | 2019 Surly Darkness Day and Your Chance to Win Tickets

Rewind the cold beer time machine just five years and you’ll notice only a handful of iconic beer events that have withstood the test of time. As beer festivals continue … Read More

Prost Brewing | Helles Lager

It’s a sunny day in Denver, and it’s hot—like, record-breaking hot. The raging misters on the patio of Prost Brewing are creating a fog that veils the normal view of the Mile High City’s skyline, obscuring one of the main perks of this taproom location but providing a necessary reprieve in this unprecedented September heat.

It’s this heatwave draping much of the American West this summer that has created a conundrum of sorts for craft beer drinkers in this part of the country. This month on the calendar denotes not just the early days of autumn, but a perhaps more important, even more special, time of year for craft connoisseurs: Oktoberfest season.

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Burning Barrel Brewing Co. | Oater Boat IPA with Strawberry

Burning Barrel Brewing Company has just recently celebrated their 1-year anniversary in the crowded Sacramento craft beer scene…and business is booming. Located in the Sacramento suburb of Rancho Cordova, just a quick drive from downtown Sacramento, Burning Barrel has made a name for themselves as specializing in fruit-forward sours and hoppy IPAs. It only made sense for them to eventually start adding fruit to some of their IPAs, and the results were terrific.

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Paulaner Brings Authenticity to Oktoberfest Celebrations Across America

This post was sponsored and supported by Paulaner USA. 

While trendy styles like Hazy IPA’s and Pastry Stouts continue to gain steam among craft beer fans, one style that has seen … Read More

What We’re Drinking | September 6, 2019

I am 100% sure summer just started, and now everyone’s talking about fall. But you know what, I’m not falling for it. Football can happen in hot weather. Pumpkin beers can cool you off on a warm summer evening. Oktoberfest can wait its happy little self a few more weeks so I can cram in some more patio time. But I suppose if I have to give in and deal with cooler nights, at least I know the PorchDrinking team’s out there, drinking good beers. The PD team abides. I don’t know about you, but I take comfort in that.  It’s good knowin’ they’re out there, takin’ it easy for all us sinners in this week’s What We’re Drinking.

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Indeed Brewing Company’s New Taproom Now Open In Milwaukee

Indeed Brewing Company, home to Northeast Minneapolis’ original taproom, has officially completed its expansion farther east with the opening of its Milwaukee brewery and taproom.

On August 23, the brewery announced via social media the official soft opening for the new location on 530 S. 2nd St. in Milwaukee’s Walker’s Point neighborhood would take place on September 6. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held at 3 p.m. to celebrate the opening.

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Mikerphone Brewing | Ging and Juice

Over the past few years Mikerphone Brewing, out of Elk Grove Village, Illinois has become one of Chicagoland’s most popular and sought-after breweries. From their impressive list of hazy IPAs, to Stouts, to even beer slushies (yes, please!!), they have proven time and again that they can make any style.

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Event Preview | Wiley Roots Vanilla Anonym Release and MORE!

There’s been a lot of hype around Wiley Roots Brewing Co.‘s upcoming beer releases. The brewery is releasing not one, but SIX beers tomorrow, September 6, 2019. “It is our belief that beer embodies a sense of place and time, reflecting both where we are at any moment as well as where we have been,” shares the brewing company on their Facebook page, “When we release a new Slush variant, we believe those beers represent the summer months, easy drinking, refreshing, fruit forward, and most important of all – FUN.”

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New Belgium Expands Fat Tire Brand with New Niman Ranch BBQ Collection

While Colorado’s New Belgium Brewing Co. boasts the oldest wood-aged sour program in the country and a stable of well-crafted IPAs, their biggest brand remains their Fat Tire Amber Ale. First introduced in 1991, the iconic Amber Ale remains a pivotal beer in the U.S. beer scene. Now you can consider it a part of America’s grilling culture as well.

In partnership with Niman Ranch, New Belgium recently introduced their Fat Tire BBQ Collection, which combines the malty deliciousness of Fat Tire with Niman Ranch’s Certified humane pork and beef raised by independent U.S. family farmers. With five current offerings at launch, the Fat Tire BBQ Collection offers a variety of great grilling options perfect for a Saturday tailgate or backyard grill session. 

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Karl Strauss Brewing Co. | Aurora Hoppyalis

Once in a while, some news story comes out talking about how the Northern Lights are visible from not-too-far away. This excites us sky geeks. For most of us in the U.S., unfortunately, the caveats are extreme (e.g. hiking three miles into un-mapped forest in the hopes that the sky is clear enough during the five-minute window when the Aurora Borealis can actually be seen). Finding a good location that’s dim enough to see this spectacle of nature is a challenge if you live in the lower 48.

On the other hand, if you live in a hot craft beer city like San Diego, it’s real easy to find quality beer. So save the skywatching for your bucket list vacation to Iceland, or if you have to lay low for a while and need to move to Alaska. We’re not here to judge; what you do in the privacy of your own back-alley gambling hall is your own business. Beer though…that’s our business. And business is booming, dammit.

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PorchDrinking’s Weekly Denver Beer Beat | September 4, 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 | Easy-Drinking Beers for Football Season

Now that the last NFL pre-season game is in the books, it’s time to get serious. Week one starts this week, and it’s game on! The Packers take on the Bears for Thursday Night Football and wraps up with the Broncos playing the Raiders on Monday. Needless to say, the lineup in between will be awesome! As you’re completing your Fantasy Football drafts or simply reaching for a nice, cold craft beer to sip on as you’re cheering on your favorite team, here’s a few beers that will go great with the games as week one is set to begin.

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2019 Guide to Colorado’s Oktoberfest Celebrations

This post was sponsored and supported by Paulaner USA. 

Believe it or not, summer is once again drawing to a close, but before we dive into pumpkin spice bombs and fresh hop season, let us raise a liter to German-style beers with a round-up of Colorado’s craft beer-centric Oktoberfest celebrations. So lace up those dirndls and strap on the lederhosen it’s time for the beautifully crisp, easy-drinking, toasted malt forward profile of Oktoberfest Märzen lagers. Check out our craft beer guide to Colorado’s Oktoberfest celebrations. Keep in mind, we’ll keep adding Oktoberfest beers from Colorado’s craft breweries as they’re released, as well as Oktoberfest celebration events as they’re announced.

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Boulevard Brewing Company | The Sixth Glass

They say you can’t go home again. I beg to differ, at least when it comes to beer. 

A big part of my introduction to craft beer, as I’m sure is the case for many of you, was sampling as many different beers from as many different styles as I could, within reason (and sometimes without). I didn’t realize this at the time, but these were my formative craft beer years: a time spent feeling out boundaries and developing personal standards and learning what I like and why. One of the most outstanding examples in my mind is The Sixth Glass, a Belgian-style Quadrupel from Kansas City’s Boulevard Brewing Co.  Read More

2020 Big Beers Belgians & Barleywines Tickets On Sale

For the initiated, it’s already well-know that if there’s one non-negotiable can’t miss beer festival in the state of Colorado that represents the ultimate beer fest experience, it’s Big Beers … Read More

WeldWerks Brewing Co. | Citra Extra Extra Juicy Bits

Ah, Juicy Bits: The beer that launched a thousand hazy IPAs. WeldWerks Brewing Co.’s Juicy Bits may not have been the original New England IPA (the whole “New England” part should have given that away), but it’s consistently at the top of the list in terms of popularity and praise. Its tropical juicy hops character and creamy mouthfeel, along with its relatively wide distribution in Colorado, make it the perfect go-to for both hardcore and new-to-the-scene craft beer drinkers.

Because of the immense success of Juicy Bits, WeldWerks has had a lot of fun experimenting with that base, seeing how far they can push the limit on hops, flavor and ABV. This beer showcase highlights their most recent invention: Citra Extra Extra Juicy Bits.

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The Best BBQ Beer is Light and Smoky

The best beer to pair with a Labor Day BBQ is light and smoky. Beers like Schlenkerla’s Helles, or the historic Polish beer known as Grodziskie (“Grätzer” in Germany), can’t be beaten. They have the perfect combination of being refreshing and low-alcohol, with a smoky character to complement whatever’s cooking on the grill. Read More

Pike Brewing Company | Kilt Lifter Scotch Ale

We are in the midst of a craft beer revival in this country. The excitement and allure of the newest brewery or beer is tantalizing. However, this array of ever-expanding options can easily steal focus from the foundation of this revolution. One such brewery is Pike Brewing Company in Seattle. Pike Brewing was founded by husband and wife team Charles and Rose Ann Finkel in 1989. This October they will celebrate the brewery’s 30th anniversary.
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Texas Craft Brewers Celebrate Beer-To-Go Day

On Sunday, September 1, Texans will finally have the opportunity to take beer home from their favorite craft brewery, which makes Texas the final state to allow take-home sales from a manufacturing brewery.

A brief history: Texas brewers have been fighting for reforms for more than a decade that would allow them the same benefits a winery, brewpub, or distillery enjoys — allowing visitors the ability to take home their product. Finally, during the 86th Legislative session, the law passed with a tremendous effort from the Texas Craft Brewers Guild, brewers and thousands of supporters.

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What We’re Drinking | August 30, 2019

Happy Friday kids! You made it. You know, one of the great things about beer is that you really can associate every season with something pleasant. Winter time? No problem we’ve got stouts. Summer? Break out the lagers, ball games and long nights on the patio. But when fall starts to creep in, even if it’s 100 degrees where you’re at right now, there’s something really special about fall. Football. Oktoberfest. Pumpkin beer, if that’s your sort of thing. And of course, the Great American Beer Festival is just around the corner. It’s a helluva time to be a beer drinker, and this week the PorchDrinking staff is showin’ off again with a ridiculous lineup of beers in this week’s What’ We’re Drinking.

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