KelSo Beer Company | Pilsner

ABV: 5.5%

IBU: 23

Barely there at eight years old, KelSo Beer Company lives in the heart of Brooklyn, New York under the supervision of brewer Kelly Taylor and wife Sonia Giacobbe. For a New Yorker, this brewery’s inception surfaced from an interesting background. Taylor, in fact, oversees production for the entire Heartland Brewery group — which, if you are a local here, know is the leading brewpub of the craft beer movement in the nineties. When the distribution of native beers was nearly non-existent, with beer taps so redundant we avoided the bar scene altogether, the fiery red lights of Heartland Brewery shone like a beacon for lost ships in the night. He is a master of his trade, and by all means, a trusted name whispered among the beer-enthusiasts walking our streets. Read More

Beer Cocktails | Greyling Radler

The search continues for a refreshing and tasty beer cocktail to beat the heat of summer. While searching for the perfect beer cocktail l came across the fabulous Greyling gin … Read More

Save The Ales | A Toast to the Environment

Do you ever catch yourself at breweries gazing up at the towering steel brew tanks and wondering about water conservation? When a beer you love is released in cans, do you get a little giddy thinking about the outdoor adventures it can now safely accompany you on? Does a farmhouse ale taste the slightest bit more refreshing when you find that the ingredients came from a nearby farm? We could keep going with the questions on sustainability awareness in the craft beer industry, but we’ll stop for time’s sake.
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Comrade Brewing Company | Superpower IPA

ABV: 7.9%

It’s pretty well-known that Colorado is currently the home to many a brewery. In fact, some people have gone as far as calling Denver’s craft beer market “over-saturated.” Sure, there are tons of breweries, and, sure, some of them don’t quite make the cut, but I always like to give new breweries the benefit of the doubt. When it comes to brand new breweries, I tend to give them at least three periodic visits throughout the year to see how their taste is (or isn’t) improving. Fortunately for these brewers, my first visit to Comrade Brewing Company was a (communist) party (in my mouth). Read More

The Ultimate Community 6er | 6 Saisons And A Movie

Newton’s law of motion was eerily similar to my law of emotion when it came to the cancellation and revival of my favorite show on TV, Community. My initial grief was only matched with my elation when the show was picked up by Yahoo! a few weeks later.

For those uninitiated people that don’t know Community, it is a hilarious show that follows the adventures of a group of community college students in Colorado. In honor of the best mainstream sitcom for nerds that will obviously last for the prophesied 6 seasons and a movie, I decided to find the saison that best represents each member of America’s favorite study group (RIP Pierce). Read More

Festival Recap | Fermentation Festival 2014

Fermentation is defined as “the chemical breakdown of a substance by bacteria, yeasts, or other microorganisms, typically involving effervescence and the giving off of heat.” Sure, that might sound a little bit unappealing, but without the process of fermentation, we wouldn’t have beer, wine, spirits, cheese, vinegar, pickles, chocolate, and so many other foods and drinks we love dearly. As a fan of nearly all fermented treasures – I’m still trying to cultivate a taste for Natto – I was very excited to attend the second annual Fermentation Festival held last weekend.

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PorchDrinking’s Weekly Denver Beer Beat

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.

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Odell Brewing Company | Jaunt

7.6% ABV

I’m always excited to taste new entries in Odell Brewing Company‘s cellar series, a line of unique beers conceived on their pilot system. Over the years, this program has yielded delicious results such as Friek, Fernet-aged Porter, and Treeshaker. Jaunt is a recent addition to the family, a pale ale aged on oak staves and blended with Riesling grape juice sourced from Colorado’s western slopes. When I saw a bottle on the shelf in a local shop, I knew I had to have it.

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Shoes and Brews | Longmont, CO

Longmont, CO gained its twelfth craft beer bar but its first specialty running shoe store with the recent opening of Shoes and Brews. Co-owned by brothers Colin (right above) and Jacob Anderson (left above) and several others, Shoes and Brews brings forth an innovative twist to your average beer bar.
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Elysian Brewing Company | Superfuzz Blood Orange Pale

ABV: 5.4%

IBU: 45

Since I’m originally from the Midwest, I pride myself on being able to withstand harsh weather – frigid winters and humid summers are the foundations of even my earliest memories, and I recall those glory days bravely and often. However, after three summers in Seattle, I’m beginning to turn into a bit of a weather wimp, and once it hit 80 degrees for the 10^th day in a row I started to get that antsy, uncomfortable feeling that had previously only plagued me after a month of 95 degree, 90% humidity days in the Midwest. It was time for a beer. Read More

Weekly Growler Fill | National Beer News Roundup

What do holidays, baseball stadiums, and corn all have in common? They are all topics discussed in the craft beer news of this week’s Growler Fill. Find out if your stadium has the best beer, read about why adding corn to the brew may not be so bad, and tell me what you drank for IPA Day.

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Milking the Tourist Trap | New Holland Brewing

New Holland Brewing

66 E 8th St, Holland, MI 49423

Tours: Sundays at 12:00pm, 1:00pm, 2:00pm and 3:00pm

Pub Hours: 11:00am – bar close

The west coast of Michigan is littered with hearty little beach towns that endure lake effect snow in the winter and hoards of Chicago tourists in the summer. One such town gets extra attention for its namesake brewery, New Holland Brewing. Nestled among ice cream stores and clothing boutiques, this brewery packs an unexpected punch in the form of creative crafts and homemade spirits made onsite. Read More

Perennial Artisan Ales | The Last Word

ABV: 7%

This past July, Perennial Artisan Ales started to celebrate their new Cocktail Series “Dealer’s Choice”. The idea behind this series is to work with bartenders and mixologists at leading bars around the states to create new beers with classic cocktail profiles.

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Adroit Theory Brewing | Scorpion Black IPA

ABV: 8.1%
IBU: 89

I first heard about Adroit Theory Brewing from my sister, Caroline, who lives in the same area of Virginia as this nano-brewery. Right away, the name caught my eye as seeming somewhat unusual but after a dictionary visit, it became clear as you can see here:

Adroit – adjective
Clever or skillful in using the hands or mind.

Theory – noun
a supposition or a system of ideas intended to explain something, especially one based on general principles independent of the thing to be explained.

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Festival Recap | Sesh Fest 2014

By this point in the summer, it seems like there are at least a couple beer festivals happening every weekend in or around Denver. Sure, they’re great and we all love them, but even the thirstiest craft beer drinker can feel a bit fatigued after one too many afternoons spent drinking Belgian Strong Ales, double IPAs, and Russian Imperial Stouts. Plus, they’re usually a bit pricey, so good luck convincing your friends who aren’t quite so beer-obsessed to come with you. Sometimes you just want something a little lighter and more refreshing. Thankfully, Imbibe and the Colorado Brewers Guild rewarded Denver with Sesh Fest 2014, an event dedicated to session beers and the perfect antidote to excessive, expensive beer festivals.

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Cooking with Beer | Grilled French Toast with Rumble Syrup

You’ll never eat regular French toast again. Really, I’m not kidding, you won’t. Also, you most definitely will not go back to that plain, boring pancake syrup found hidden in the aisles of Safeway. Just. Say. No.

With this recipe, I shall convert you to a lover of the oaked goodness that is Rumble syrup. In case you need a little extra convincing, I’m throwing it on top of grilled French toast… that is first cooked in bacon fat. Yeah, you read that right – French toast, cooked in bacon fat, then grilled and finally topped with a glorious syrup made from a fantastic oak aged IPA. Let’s get ready to Rumble! Read More

Red Oak Brewery | Bavarian Amber Lager

ABV: 5.0% | IBU: 20

I attended a soirée recently. Have any of you ever attended a soirée? If not, it’s just like a party, only with a French word. My … Read More

PorchDrinking’s Weekly Denver Beer Beat

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.

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Captain Lawrence Brewing Company | Freshchester Pale Ale

ABV: 5.5%

IBU: 35

As a brew that comes from the South East tip of New York State, Freshchester Pale Ale is a reinvention of one of Scott Vacarro’s earliest encounters with beer making, … Read More

Canadian Roadtrip: Day 1 | Dieu di Ciel

Canada: our neighbor to the north. Most of the beer stereotypes about Canada involve strength over weaker American macros. While this may hold when comparing Bud Light to Molson Canadian or Labatt Blue, the craft market busts these stereotypes wide open. Those of us who have had 1 or 2 Hog Heavens then stood up can attest to this. Read More