Faking Adulthood | Preparing for Thanksgiving as a 20 Something

Thanksgiving is my second favorite holiday, ranking only slightly behind America Day (July 4). What makes these two holidays so great? Well they share several key elements that distinguish them from the rest of the pack; the general acceptance of consuming massive levels of food, celebrating the founding of this great country/continent (I like to think of Thanksgiving as the O.G. America Day), and beer… lots of beer. And what Thanksgiving lacks in fireworks, it makes up in turkey, pie and football. However, the combination of family, friends, and gluttony can always yield potentially volatile results, so I thought I’d help you navigate the somewhat treacherous aspects of this time honored holiday with five tips for preparing for Thanksgiving as a 20 something.

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Deschutes Brewery | Zarabanda

ABV: 6.3%

IBU: 18

This week, Deschutes Brewery and LA’s Chef José Andrés release Zarabanda, a spiced saison, that was four years in the making. Friends for … Read More

Beer Cocktails | Vanilla Vodka and Winter Ale Sour

Recently, I have been spending some time in Vancouver, British Columbia working on a special project. This has allowed me to take in all the lovely craft beers available … Read More

PorchDrinking’s Weekly Denver Beer Beat

Phew! That was a whirlwind of a weekend. A couple of openings, Denver Bacon and Beer, and a handful of bottle release. It’s time to start planning for this next week though. No rest for the wicked. Or the thirsty.

Thanks for joining us for another installment of PorchDrinking’s Weekly Denver Beer Beat. The Denver Beer Beat brings news of openings, special tappings, firkins and one-off batches, bottle releases, dinners, pairings, anniversaries, tap takeovers etc. each and every week. Let’s Party!

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Upcoming Flury of Crooked Stave Bottle Releases

Sometimes it takes sacrificing a little, to create a lot. Such is the case with Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project’s recently discontinued Cellar Reserve project, which had the … Read More

Festival Recap | Denver Bacon and Beer Festival 2014

Building upon the vibrant culinary and brew-scene in Denver, Eat Boston and Denver Off the Wagon have brought back THE festival to elevate craft beer to the next level by pairing it with the culinary excellence and prowess of every carnivore’s favorite ingredient, BACON. The Denver Bacon and Beer Festival 2014 was hosted by the Curtis Hotel downtown and was scheduled on a Sunday from 2:30pm to 5:00pm. Our Denver PorchDrinking staffers strolled up in the Curtis with smiles from ear-to-ear to imbibe and nosh at the festival’s third iteration; it’s first time at this location. What was our favorite dish? Favorite brew? Follow along to see . . .

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Ratio Beerworks Finds Home In Former Mile High Spirits Building

Ratio Beerworks recently announced plans to open a production brewery and taproom located at 2920 Larimer St. in the Upper Larimer district of the historic Five Points neighborhood. That building may be familiar to Denverites as the old Mile High Spirits building. The brewery is currently under construction in the 5,500 square foot building that will be home to a 1,500 square foot taproom with the remaining 4,000 square feet to be used for production.

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Midnight Sun Brewing Co. | Sockeye Red IPA

ABV: 5.7%

IBU: 70

Being born a water sign, I have an affinity for things that remind me of my oceanic roots. So, it is only fitting that I was drawn to Midnight Sun Brewing Company‘s Sockeye Red IPA: The Last Frontier’s characterful brewery serving New York as it’s only East Coast distributor. As I was sipping a snifter full of this calming and fresh ale this past weekend, I felt it only right to share my flow of joy with the craft beer community

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Weekly Growler Fill | National Beer News Roundup

This week’s growler is filled with legislation changes, allegations of unfair practice in Massachusetts, and a new glass for your collection. Gov. Cuomo signed in a bill that will promote craft brewers, Bell’s Brewing teamed up with Spiegelau to create a witbier glass, and 10 Barrel Brewing may lose its title as a craft brewer. These are just a few of the things you will learn about when you keep reading this edition of the Weekly Growler Fill.

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Deschutes Arrives in D.C.

Washington, D.C. has its beloved chef, José Andrés, to thank for the newest West Coast beer that will be found on taps throughout the city. Deschutes Brewery’s beverages are arriving … Read More

Bell’s Brewing Co. | Venus – The Bringer of Peace

Venus – The Bringer of Peace

Blonde Ale brewed with Honey, Apricot, Cardamom and Vanilla

ABV: 7.5%

The dust settles, and light begins to shine on the desolate surface of … Read More

Cooking with Beer | Chocolate Pretzel Pie

I bring you the Cappuccino Stout Chocolate Pie with a Pretzel Shortbread Crust. To keep it short, let’s call it the Chocolate Pretzel Pie. Since this confectionery treat is clearly overloaded with sugar, I chose a cappuccino stout to cut the edge off things. If you’re not a coffee person, don’t fret. The Cappuccino Stout from Lagunitas adds just the right amount of bitterness to balance things out without becoming coffee in solid form. All you chocolate lovers out there need to give a big thank you to Christopher Day for giving me the inspiration for this recipe. Cheers and remember: when cooking with beer, the pie’s the limit!

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Mikkeller | Spontanbeetroot

What’s the name of that beer? Damn you Mikkeller and your obscure names and labels! What are you? Seems to be a common thought every time one picks up a Mikkeller bottle. So many bottles with crazy names like Orange Yuzu Glad, Big Worster, Winbic, Wheat is the New Hops, and so on. All “inside joke” names aside, we’re always intrigued to try these innovative beers. Read More

Beer Tech | Drizly Colorado Expansion

We live in a bizarre time. It’s a digital world where money is exchanged between friends at the click of a button, a world where you can have entire outfits curated and delivered to … Read More

Wells and Young’s Brewery | McEwan’s Scotch Ale

Photo credit: McEwan’s.

ABV: 8.0%

IBU: Unknown

If I had to give you the pivotal year that launched my love of beer, it would have to be 2007. Despite my initial enjoyment of cask ales and the Guinnesses I had had in England a few years before that, I had not yet expanded my beer repertoire back in the United States. This beer expansion seven years ago had a lot to do with what I had found at a local bar here in Ohio, which had (and still has) a World Beer Tour with rotating beers from the United States and also across the world. That is where I found McEwan’s Scotch Ale, and that is when I knew that I had found one of my favorite beers and beer styles out there. With its import hiatus to the United States from approximately 2009 to 2013, I did not have the privilege of enjoying occasional pints of what I considered to be the nectar of the gods. However, after stumbling across a discussion board post online last year, I found out that Wells and Young’s had bought the McEwan’s label and decided to begin distributing this particular scotch ale across our great nation once more.  Read More

PorchDrinking’s Weekly Denver Beer Beat

Snow is here. It’s colder than a tin toilet seat on the shady side of an iceberg. Thanks for joining us for another installment of PorchDrinking’s Weekly Denver Beer Beat. The Denver Beer Beat brings news of openings, special tappings, firkins and one-off batches, bottle releases, dinners, pairings, anniversaries, tap takeovers etc. each and every week. Let’s Party!

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Ultimate 6er | Daylight Saving Stouts

As much as we all loved gaining the extra hour the first night of November, I would be hard pressed to find someone who relished the idea of leaving work at dusk and returning home in darkness. This week’s edition commemorates those dark nights of fall and the foreboding weather to come with a delicious and decadent brew to ease your fears and warm your spirit. Enjoy these with caution and care, for consuming all of these in one evening will require more than an extra hour in the morning, and you may think twice before brewing that pot of coffee. Read More

Sierra Nevada Brewing Company | Narwhal Imperial Stout

ABV: 10.20%
IBU: 60

When I think of Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, I usually think of the hop-heavy portion of their offering, from their classic IPA and Torpedo to the less traditional Flipslide Red IPA. I was both surprised and excited to see Sierra Nevada snag a bronze medal at this year’s Great American Beer Festival in the Imperial Stout category. A couple days after the festival, I saw this blingtastic brew at Argonaut and I was not able to turn it down.

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South Durham | Beer Stores & Bottle Shops

Durhamites of North Carolina, you asked for it, and here it is: the skinny on South Durham’s burgeoning beer store and bottle shop scene. Let’s start our journey near Southpoint mall on the corner of highways 54 and 751. There are at least 5 bottle shops or growler fill-stations all within a few short miles so you can visit them all in quick succession. Read More

Brasserie Trois Dames | Sour Framboise

7% ABV

First, let me preface this post with informing my readers that the proper pronunciation of the word “framboise” (raspberry) is fram-bwaz. The French language teaches us … Read More