Alaskan Brewing Company | Freeride APA

ABV: 5.3%

IBU: 40

I recently started my very first bucket list, which, as a mid-20-something, likely stems from a mix of quarter-life crisis and the awareness of a wonderful, travel-filled summer coming to a close. In any case, so far the list has proved to be an exciting excuse to plan out my vacations for the next five years. In fact, the very first item on the list is “hiking/snowboarding in Alaska,” so this week I decided to showcase a beer from Alaskan Brewing Company, headquartered in Juneau. Their Freeride APA perfectly complemented my newfound bucket list aspirations – its label explains, “Freeride is a mountain biking and snowboarding term that can be applied to most any adventure.” And since I have a list of about 14 adventures sitting in front of me, why not open up a bottle? Read More

Weekly Growler Fill | National Beer News Roundup

This week I gathered more craft beer news than I ever have before…you’re welcome. There is all kinds of exciting things going on in the beer world and you need to educate yourself! The Colorado political groups are dueling it out to see who can brew the best beer. Hill Farmstead is growing, but probably not enough for you to get your hands on their brews. Pabst is bringing back the original American IPA – Ballantine. These are just a few of the many compelling stories you’ll find in this edition of the Weekly Growler Fill. Read More

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. | Flipside Red IPA

ABV: 6.2%
IBU: 60

You can call Labor Day the end of summer all you like, but it certainly doesn’t feel like fall. The trees will still be green for a few weeks, sweaters and jackets aren’t necessary, and sunburns are still a reality for anyone standing 4 hours in an open air stadium. However, it’s very clearly time to retire the sunny beers of summer. This week I attempted to make the switch to heavier seasonal beers and within minutes of sipping my first pumpkin ale of the year, my phone buzzed. At that precise moment the Porchdrinking.com staff decided we needed to discuss drinking pumpkin beers out of season. I looked around the bar, positive someone also in search of a big beer list and 20 cent wings was ratting me out for moving to fast into Fall. Read More

Maine’s Crafty Secret | Marshall Wharf Brewing Co

Marshall Wharf Brewing Co. 2 Pinchy Lane Belfast, ME Tasting Room: 11AM – 4PM, Tuesday – Sunday Beer Garden & Bar: 4PM – Bar close, Tuesday – Sunday

Thousands of … Read More

DryHop Brewers Berliner Weiss Release

The Berliner Weiss is an old German style whose origins are somewhat mysterious. Some say it is a derivative of an old wheat and barley ale brewed in Halberstadt, while others say it was brought to Berlin by the Protestant French Huguenots in the late 17^th century. Still others cite relics that prove it was first invented in Berlin in 1572. Whatever the story, Berliner Weisse beers are delicious. They are tart, sour, and bright, with champagne-like carbonation, and are generally offered with a choice of fruit flavorings.

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Crown Valley Brewing | Imperial Pumpkin Smash Stout

ABV: 10.6%
IBU: 48

There’s an ongoing debate on pumpkin beers here at PorchDrinking that you can read all about here. Should they be released in the fall or is the practice of getting them on shelves in August acceptable? The big box retailers put their holiday merch out in October and Halloween candy out in what seems like August. Should craft beer be following their lead? If you’re on the fence, get your paws on a bottle of Crown Valley Brewing Imperial Pumpkin Smash Stout. And find yourself firmly in the Summer pumpkin camp.  Read More

Coffee Stout Ice Cream Float

During the summer I love using fruit to enhance my beer cocktails, but I also crave cold summertime boozy treats. The post I am sharing today is one of my favorite summer treats and it involves ice cream. I came up with this cocktail because the weather has been quite hot and I needed something to cool me down. I took my favorite ice cream chocolate chip and made a boozy coffee stout float. The beer I used for this cocktail is the Overcast Espresso Stout from Oakshire Brewing out of Eugene, Oregon.

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BrewHaHa Showcases DC’s Deliciousness

It was the food. The beer was fantastic — we knew it would be — but it was the food that seemed to wow the crowd at Friday night’s BrewHaHa … Read More

Denver Event Preview | Colorado Rockies Brew Fest

Coors Field was recently ranked 14th in MLB Stadiums across the U.S. based on craft beer selection by the Washington Post. However this Saturday the stadium will place host to … Read More

Wasatch Brewery | Evolution Amber Ale

ABV: 4%

The best part about sitting in the bleachers of a minor league ballpark in the rain, watching the grounds crew mess with the giant tarp is the fact that the delay makes more time for beer drinking. Luckily, as messed up as a lot of Utah’s beer distribution laws are, the Salt Lake Bees serve good craft beer in addition to the 3.2% Bud Lite piss-water that is more appropriate for sprinkling the outfield grass than it is for human consumption. I’m really glad that the Bees serve Evolution Amber Ale from Wasatch Brewery, giving me the opportunity to try it for the first time. Read More

PorchDrinking’s Weekly Denver Beer Beat

**UPDATE: Ska 19th Anniversary Tickets are SOLD OUT!!**

Hey there PorchDrinkers! Are you native to the city and looking for events to tide you over for the week? Are you new to the city and looking for the best place to find tasty suds? Visiting and looking for events to hit while you are in town? Check out this week’s Denver Beer Beat and every week to find all things #craftbeer.

Welcome back to 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. Read More

Ultimate 6er | College Football Tailgate Edition

Like a barometer falling before a storm, there are certain signs that fall is coming. Some may note “back to school” ads in the paper, or spotting the first Oktoberfest beer in the supermarket. My sure sign is the release of the AP Preseason football poll. While the sales at Target and fall beer releases may be exhibiting the same seasonal creep as Christmas decorations at Macy’s, the release of the AP Preseason poll is my alarm bell to start getting ready for football (and just as important, tailgate) season. No tailgate is complete without a beer (or six). Here’s the six you should bring to your next tailgate.

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Gigantic Brewing Company | Firebird Smoked Hefeweizen

ABV: 6.1%, 24 IBU

As summer rolls to a close, I’m filled with a sense of urgency. Fall/winter/spring is a long hard slog for us Seattleites. We’ve got to make the proverbial hay while the sun shines. I know come October, my beautiful Weber grill will likely be relegated to the garage and temperatures will begin to preclude the drinking of summertime cervezas. Read More

Event Preview | Tiki Tiki Tiki Denver

Hold it right there. Stop packing away your swim trunks, dust off those wayfarers, and pop open another one of those mini umbrellas to add to your coconut drink summer … Read More

Fat Head Brewery | Head Hunter IPA

ABV 7.5%
87 IBU
Columbus, Simcoe, Centennial
Pale, CaraMalt, C-15, Cara-Pils

We dismissed Fat Head Brewery’s beer immediately the first time we saw that chubby, caricatural face grinning behind sunglasses and a mustache on a bottle of beer. Then, the fat man began appearing, pale, naked, and in a barrel, perched atop tap handles as Fat Head’s beer began infiltrating our local bars. His enormous head had several inches on all of the other handles. It was Ohio in the early 2010s, the fat man was everywhere, and we were skeptical. Read More

Event Recap| Chive Fest Denver

Killer music, more tank tops than Justin Bieber’s wardrobe, Chivettes, KCCO Beers, and Blow up dolls, that pretty much sums up Chive Fest Denver. Our preview of the event was astonishingly accurate save for the prediction of the aforementioned blowup dolls but hey we’re all inclined to oversight once and a while.

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Brew Ha-Ha 2014

Cincinnati Brew Ha-Ha is a treat for anyone who loves craft beer, laughing, and friends. If you hate fun, it’s probably not for you. I look forward to this event every year perhaps more so than even—and I am hesitant to admit this— Cincinnati Beer Fest.

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Gigantic Brewing Company – Firebird Smoked Hefeweizen

ABV: 6.1%
IBU: 24

As summer rolls to a close, I’m filled with a sense of urgency. Fall/winter/spring is a long hard slog for us Seattleites. We’ve got to make the proverbial hay while the sun shines. I know that, come October, my beautiful Weber grill will likely be relegated to the garage and temperatures will begin to preclude drinking of summertime cervezas.

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Weekly Growler Fill | National Beer News Roundup

August 2014 is coming to an end and it’s going out with a bang. This month, we have seen the arrival of pumpkin beers, sinkholes decided to become cool, and hopsicles exist. It sounds like some sort of strange craft beer dream, doesn’t it? Well, believe it, people! This ain’t no dream – it’s real life beer news and it’s coming at ya in this edition of the Weekly Growler Fill.

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Martin House Brewing | Pretzel Stout

ABV: 6.5% | IBU: 47 | SRM: 50+

“That’s right, The Original Pretzel Stout. This 6.5% abv stout is as black as oil and is brewed with over six pounds of crushed sourdough pretzels per barrel. Guess what? There’s no style guideline for this one. The salty fingerprint of the pretzels works with the sweet and roasty flavors of the chocolate malted & roasted barley to give this beer a flavor that is much greater than the sum of its parts.”

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