River North Brewery Announces Return to River North Art District with Upcoming Location

Already well established as the country’s most densely populated craft beer neighborhood, The River North Art District (RiNo) will soon add another brewery to its ranks, however, this newest addition will be a … Read More

2017 New Kids on the Block Beer Fest Pour List

The 5th annual New Kids On The Block beer festival is getting a bit of a reboot. NKOTB once again features one part 80’s dance party and another part celebration of Colorado breweries under two years old. However, this time around we’re also bringing on some radical new restaurant bites to pair with great beer and an even better dance party.

Read More

Event Preview | Door County Beer Festival

*Feature image courtesy of Katie Sikora*

Set on the scenic shores of Lake Michigan, the Door County Beer Festival boasts one of the most unique backdrops of any beer fest in the nation. Door County has been a destination vacation for many years due to its beautiful location, but it’s the recent rise of the local craft beer scene that has added to the luster of the premiere Wisconsin peninsula getaway spot. The Door County Beer Festival celebrates all of this by combining locally sourced food, local beer and a good vibe to create a truly unique beer festival experience.

Read More

Ultimate 6er | Fruit-Forward Sours For a Southeast Summer

Featured image courtesy of Creature Comforts.

If you’re the type of beer lover who really enjoys sour beers, the recent news of acquisitions may have you searching for your new favorite when it comes to fruit-forward sours in the Southeast. Look no further! We’ve discovered 6 sour and funky ales that showcase a variety of fruits, perfect for summer sipping.

Read More

PorchDrinking’s Weekly Denver Beer Beat | June 7, 2017

The Denver Beer Beat sheds light on news of brewery openings, special tappings, firkins and one-off batches, bottle releases, dinners, pairings, etc.
Read More

PorchDrinking’s Weekly Atlanta Beer Beat | June 7, 2017

The Atlanta Beer Beat sheds light on news of brewery openings, special tappings, firkins and one-off batches, bottle releases, dinners, pairings and more!

Read More

The James Comey Testimony Drinking Game

Thursday’s James Comey testimony before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence could end up being one of the most watched live broadcast court case since the OJ trials. The former FBI Director’s court appearance has generated such a buzz that several D.C. based bars already have plans to open early to broadcast the testimony.

Read More

Omaha Brewing Company | Hannahatchee Creek IPA

ABV: 6.6% | IBU: 53.3

Once upon a time, there was a dentist who lived in Omaha, Georgia. Much like a molar’s roots function to secure the tooth, Doctor Robert Lee’s familial roots kept him in Omaha. I will not apologize for the tooth analogy. Doc Lee, as he was known around town, wasn’t going anywhere, and he decided Omaha needed a bit of a boost.    Read More

Event Preview | Sierra Nevada Beer Camp Chicago

*Feature image courtesy of Sierra Nevada*

Sierra Nevada is known for some fantastic beer, from their Narwhal barrel-aged imperial stout to their Torpedo Extra IPA, but they’re also known for hosting the nation’s largest traveling beer festival: Beer Camp. Sierra Nevada’s annual ode to nationwide craft beer takes place in a rotating list of 8 cities every year. Last year, I got to experience Beer Camp in Milwaukee; this year, Beer Camp is coming to Chicago’s Navy Pier, and I can’t wait to check it out. Read More

Bike the World with Fat Tire: Lend a Hand and Win a Trip to Patagonia

Feature image courtesy of New Belgium Brewing

“Most of our students come from so far, like 10 kilometers, so the time the girl is getting to school, already that girl is so tired,” explained Monica Mudonidongo, Vice Principal Bukhaywa Secondary School in Kenya. In the U.S., bikes are a luxury, but for many countries a bicycle is a necessary means with which to obtain life’s basic necessities.

World Bicycle Relief, a global non-profit that mobilizes people through the power of bicycles, is partnering with New Belgium Brewing. This summer, proceeds from specially marked Bike the World with Fat Tire 12 packs will go to World Bicycle Relief to help people in developing countries access education, healthcare and economic opportunities—and you might find the lucky 12 pack that sends you on a gorgeous trip through Patagonia.

Read More

Brewery Showcase | Saint Benedict’s Brew Works

Featured image courtesy of David Nilsen

I had never met a nun before. That feels important to establish at the outset.

Though I grew up religious, the spiritual instruction of my youth came mostly from non-denominational preachers with overactive sweat glands and a predilection toward sermons about the end times rather than from black-clad Catholic nuns. So I had no idea what to expect when my wife and I arrived at Monastery Immaculate Conception, home of the Sisters of St. Benedict in Ferdinand, Indiana. I was there to interview Bruce Luecke, the brewmaster at Saint Benedict’s Brew Works, the only brewery in the country housed on the grounds of a women’s religious community. The graceful but imposing dome of the monastery’s century-old chapel rose above us on a hill as we stepped out of our car in front of the Kordes Center, the monastery’s guest lodging facility. The brewery was nowhere in sight as we entered the doors of the retreat center.
Read More

Dogfish Head Requests to Sever Ties with RateBeer Amid Anheuser-Busch Acquisition

Dogfish Head Founder, Sam Calagione penned a blog post earlier today admonishing ties between RateBeer and Anheuser-Busch InBev (ABI) after it was announced on Friday that ABI’s venture arm, ZX Ventures had acquired minority shares in the popular beer rating/ranking website.
Read More

Great Divide’s Barrel Aged Classics Say Goodbye For Now With Limited Edition Box Set

Great Divide’s Barrel Aged series will be going into hibernation, no pun intended. As the #YetiMafia can attest to the true disappointment that this may bring to us all, don’t fret. There is a silver lining, (read: thin veil of white foam) and that may just make up for its hiatus.

Read More

Beer Cocktail | Redneck Mule with UFO White Ale

Memorial Day weekend signifies the unofficial beginning of summer. Barbecues, parties and parades represent a few traditions that Americans look forward to during this three-day holiday. A new Memorial Day weekend tradition of mine is joining my boyfriend’s family on their annual weekend-long camping excursion. Not just any camping trip, though — this is legitimate redneck camping. Campers travel in droves to the campground and park in Northeast Pennsylvania. Trailers, patio lights, lawn chairs (sometimes the random couch) and plenty of beer cans decorated each campsite, in true backwoods fashion. So, what is more appropriate than creating a cocktail as resourceful as the people I watched create an elevated camper by putting a tent on their truck bed? (Boom. Bed.) Though I do enjoy the classical version of a Moscow Mule, I was low on supplies in the woods and needed to get creative. So, with a beer and a dream, I created the Redneck Mule; a mix of beer and vodka and a bad idea. Part beer, part ginger beer and part vodka, I wanted to create something light, yet citrusy, so I wanted to pick a beer that offered me both.

Read More

Dear Chicagoans: Don’t Ignore the North Burbs Brewing Scene

The breweries that lie north of Chicago’s Saison-Dixon line regularly play the role of the ugly red-headed stepchild. Granted, Mikerphone receives endless, well-deserved praise, but Mikerphone is a transplant that gained its fame prior to moving to Elk Grove Village. Meanwhile, breweries located in the North Burbs, such as Light the Lamp, Ten-Ninety, ZumBier, Chain O’Lakes, Side Lot, Tighthead, Only Child, Flesk — a brewery in the process of moving to Barrington, and countless others are oft-ignored among the pantheon of Chicago-area breweries.

Don’t do it. Don’t rob yourself of that joy. Refuse to ignore northern-suburban breweries. The brewing scene of the North Burbs is too good to miss!

Read More

Cruz Blanca | El Train

Everyone in Chicago has taken the elevated train (or “L” train) at one time or another. Most typically have some story or stories about an adventure they had on a ride. Cruz Blanca is trying to give you another probably less grotesque story to tell with their El Train IPA.
Read More

Last October Anheuser-Busch Acquired Minority Stake in RateBeer

In Anheuser-Busch InBev’s (ABI) ever developing game of Monopoly against the craft market, another pawn has been advanced into position. RateBeer Founder, Joe Tucker announced today that Anheuser-Busch InBev’s ZX … Read More

What We’re Drinking | June 2, 2017

What, did you think it was only Thursday? Oh, the glory of a 4 day work week. PorchDrinkers around the country imbibed in some delicious brews over Memorial Day Weekend. Check out What We’re Drinking this week.

Read More

Event Preview | Firestone Walker Invitational

Part of being an adult is understanding what your priorities are in life. That is exactly why my wife and I are heading down to Paso Robles, California for the Firestone Walker Invitational one day after closing on our house. Yes we could spend the weekend moving out from the in-laws and settling into our first house, but we can do that anytime. And this is the Firestone Walker Invitational, a beer festival described as “An epic yet intimate gathering of 50+ leading brewers from around the nation & world celebrating craft beer in our hometown of Paso Robles.”

Read More

Burial Beer Co. Releases Seasoned Skillet and A Paranormal Vibe

Cover photo courtesy Danele Bova @Daneleheartshops

Tomorrow, Burial Beer Co. (Asheville, NC) will release Seasoned Skillet Donut Stout for the second consecutive year and A Paranormal Vibe Double IPA (DIPA) – the latest addition to their DIPA Earth Series. This comes as Asheville Beer Week announces last call for the week’s celebratory and beer-centric events. Read More