Cooking with Beer | Sweet Pork Rillons in Blue Mountain’s Dark Hollow

Although craft beer fans are becoming more keen to pairing beers with their favorite cheeses and meals; I’ve always found that cooking with beer to be a challenge. If you are not acclimated to the natural bitter flavors of hops and malts, then beer can turn your dish into an overwhelming, unwieldy experience. The upside to this we can now discover new recipes by experimenting with more beer styles. In all my years of cooking; these crowd-pleasing pork rillons may be the perfect vehicle to harness the true flavors of beer.

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Karl Strauss Brewing Co. | Queen of Tarts

You know the scene in Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure where he’s saving pets from the burning pet store, and he keeps passing over the snakes because they gross him out? Eventually he bites the bullet, grabs the snakes and runs out screaming. Sometimes that’s how I feel about the Sours in my cellar. I know I’m going to drink them all eventually, but aren’t there any Barrel-Aged Stouts I can rescue first?

That’s probably a little dramatic. Just like with Sours, some snakes are pretty cool. I used to have an empty field by my house where we’d go and collect garter snakes to take to school and put them in teachers’ desks. That’s not really relevant other than now you know I was kind of a dick as a kid. I’m sure I’ve outgrown that through the years. Anyway, to push myself out of my cozy, hoppy, comfort zone, several times a year I like to sit down and get personal with a bottle of funky tartness. This month’s offering to the Sour Gods is Karl Strauss‘ fan-favorite Queen of Tarts.

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Santa’s Cookies Milk & Cookies Stout helps Chicago-area families in need

The fourth annual release of Santa’s Cookies Imperial Milk (and Cookie) Stout, a collaborative effort by Hailstorm Brewing and The Open Bottle in Tinley Park (Chicago), arrives November 30. Since its first release in 2016, Santa’s Cookies popularity has grown and expanded to include variants, which is good news because part of the proceeds of the beer goes towards the Tinley Wish Foundation, who help local, needy families.

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Every Black Friday Beer Release in Colorado Not Named BCBS

While BCBS may have fueled the tradition of offering craft beer fans rarities to hunt down on Black Friday, over the past 3-4 years local breweries from around the country have stepped up their release game to offer a local … Read More

Chicagoland Best Stout Alternatives to BCBS This Black Friday

For years, Black Friday has been a day for craft beer fans to hunt down Goose Island Bourbon County and its variants. 

But as more and more breweries pop-up, the options for prolific barrel-aged beers are becoming greater and greater. If you don’t want to stand in line or feed big beer’s coffers by purchasing BCBS in Chicago, you have plenty of other options. Here’s our roundup of barrel-aged beers available in the Chicagoland area that you don’t have to wait in line for.

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PorchDrinking’s Weekly Denver Beer Beat | November 26, 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

BuckleDown Brewing Set to Release Four Varieties of its Significant BBA Series

On Black Wednesday (Nov 27), BuckleDown Brewing in Lyons, IL (just outside of Chicago proper) will release the third edition of its Significant BBA (Bourbon-Barrel-Aged) Imperial Milk Stout. The three-year-old program has transitioned from bombers to cans, and has grown from one bottled variety to four canned offerings:  the base and three variants. Each year, the brewery has used different barrels to store the beer with this year relying on Few Spirits, located in Chicago.

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Brickway Brewery & Distillery | Jalapeño Pineapple Pils GABF Gold

Being a fan of spicy food, I’ve tried to like chili beers. Some are too mild, some blast out my taste buds; I rarely finish a full pint before tapping out. But when I heard that the GABF Gold Medal Winner for Chili Beer was a quick drive away in Omaha, Nebraska, I knew I had to try it.

When you take your first sip of Brickway Brewery & Distillery’s Jalapeno Pineapple Pils, you will set down your glass and say, “Oh, I get it. That’s what a chili beer is supposed to taste like.”

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Old Irving Brewing Set to Release Barrel-Aged Krampus

The brewery that took gold in the hazy IPA category at the Great American Beer Festival is getting ready to release its barrel-aged series this week as Old Irving Brewing’s Krampus is out of the barrels.

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Event Recap | 2019 Wynkoop Brewing Day of Darks

Again this year dark beer lovers filled the top floor of Wynkoop Brewing Co. for some of Colorado’s best dark beer pours. Breweries from up and down Colorado’s Front Range brought heavy, dark and malty brews to Day of Darks. Meanwhile, Wynkoop supplied chocolate treats for pairing, including ice cream made with Wynkoop’s own Cowtown Milk Stout.

Brewers brought their A-game with kegs, cans, bottles and even some growlers with extra-special brews. While most beers were production-level and available at the breweries, enjoying them all in one space was certainly a great convenience. Attendees also had fun trying a handful of one-offs and pre-release beers that some breweries brought, although one had to sniff those out early as they tended to go fast. Read More

Moody Tongue Opens New Brewpub in Chicago’s South Loop

Upon walking into the new Moody Tongue space, the only thing that would slightly remind you that the building once housed the old Baderbrau brewery would be the stairs you walk up. Otherwise, a full transformation has brought the feel of the Pilsen location to the South Loop.

The new space opened just a couple of weeks ago and allows for owner and head brewer Jared Rouben to finally pair his two passions of food and beer together.

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The PorchCast Ep 64 | Breaking Down the New Belgium Acquisition

In episode 64 of the PorchCast, Tristan and Sam got together to talk through some of the nuances of last week’s New Belgium Brewing acquisition by Lion Little World, Kirin Holdings’ craft beer arm. The two also re-hash some of … Read More

3 Freaks Brewery | Adam’s F%&#in’ Turkey Beer

Always one for brewing with unusual ingredients like squash or ginger, 3 Freaks Brewery delivers another unique brew just in time for Thanksgiving. Adam’s F%&#in’ Turkey Beer brings intense spice flavors and a hearty body to capture Thanksgiving in a glass.

3 Freaks, located near Denver in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, adds five boxes of Stove Top Turkey Stuffing to each 2.5 barrel batch to achieve the savory holiday flavors. Additions of sage, rosemary and thyme round out the herb profile. Read More

What We’re Drinking | November 22, 2019

This week has been a crazy one for craft beer – news of New Belgium Brewing’s acquisition by Kirin’s Little Lion World Beverage rocked the industry! As we lean into the weekend and start making plans for Thanksgiving, or your … Read More

Pour List Preview | Wynkoop’s 2019 Day Of Darks

As the days get shorter and the temperatures lower, the beer drinker’s mind turns to thoughts of rich, comforting Porters, Stouts, and other dark beers. Thankfully, Wynkoop Brewing Co. in Denver anticipates those longings by hosting their annual Day of … Read More

TUPPS Brewery | Day of the Dead

Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead celebrations are vibrant, unique events that inspired TUPPS Brewery out of McKinney, Texas to release a beer in honor of the holiday. Day of the Dead is a juicy, hazy Pale Ale dry-hopped with Galaxy, Citra and Mosaic, resulting in a citrus aroma and stone fruit flavors. At only 5.5% ABV, it’s compared to a crushable version of their wildly popular TUPPS DDH series. To capture the spirit of the holiday, all of the cans were designed by local artists. I caught up with Head Brewer Chris Lewis to talk more about the beer and what’s on the horizon for TUPPS.

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Crystal Lake Brewing Boathouse Reserve 2019 Series Preview

Fresh off its Silver Medal at the Festival of Wood and Barrel-Aged Beer (FoBAB) for its Rye Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout, Crystal Lake Brewing has unveiled its 2019 Boathouse Reserve barrel-aged series, which will formally be released on Saturday, November 23. … Read More

Brewery Showcase | Subversive Malting and Brewing

For Subversive Malting and Brewing, making their own malt is not just about quality, control and flavor. Their carbon footprint, relationships with farmers, and the local economy are perhaps more important. While slogans like “go local” are often used in the craft beer community, creating a truly local product is nearly impossible for most due to the lack of local grain and malthouses. Subversive is working hard to make it happen. Read More

Fair State Brewing Cooperative | Spirit Foul

It’s baaaaaack. At the beginning of the month, Fair State Brewing Cooperative reintroduced its highly regarded seasonal collaboration with San Diego’s Modern Times Beer – Spirit Foul, a double dry-hopped hazy IPA for the ages.

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PorchDrinking’s Weekly Denver Beer Beat | November 20, 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