Columbus Brewing Company | IPA

CBC IPA     6.5% ABV

As much as I love trying and exploring all the craft beer that is out there, I know no matter what there will be one beer that stands above the rest. One that will always have a special place for in my heart, and in my refrigerator.  To me, that is Columbus Brewing Company IPA.  I always feel a nice sense of pride for Columbus and all the great local breweries, and CBC is among the best, especially when it comes to making a great IPA. The brewery itself is located in the historical brewery district in downtown Columbus, and you can find their beers on tap almost anywhere in this fine city. Read More

Ultimate Sixer | Six Beers I’m Afraid to Drink

In the course of discovering new beers, you inevitably uncover some concoctions that seem… strange. Maybe they showcase an unusual flavor, or an odd ingredient; maybe they just make you go, “huh.” Sometimes they’re downright scary. These are the brews that push the envelope a little further than you wanted. Their recklessness inspires respect… and maybe a little fear.

I decided to construct an Ultimate Sixer to showcase a few of the beers that have caused me a moment of questioning pause. What would happen if I ever decided to drink all of these at once? Would I die? It’s exciting, isn’t it!

Let’s check it out! Six Beers I’m Afraid to Drink:

Read More

PorchDrinking’s Weekly Denver Beer Beat

Hey there PorchDrinkers! Native to the city and looking for events to tide you over for the week? 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 . . . did we miss any events in this week’s? Let us know.

Read More

Sun King Brewing Co. | Grapefruit Jungle

Sun King is Indianapolis’ oldest and largest production brewery and they just turned five years old! Like all five year olds, there had to be a party. Sun King didn’t … Read More

Bell’s Brewery | Two Hearted Ale

7.0% ABV

In preparing for my recent move from Michigan to Utah I had grand plans of bringing along cases and cases of hand selected Michigan microbrews. But then as I looked at my piles of stuff and the tiny little trailer that was supposed to carry it all, I had to reason with myself a little bit and cut back. As I put the Great Lakes in my rearview I did make one stop. I allowed myself one little six pack, and Bell’s Brewery Two Hearted Ale was the easy choice. Read More

The PorchCast | Episode 2 – Justin Patti, Amy Osgood

One of these days we’ll figure out how to get our PorchCast up on time. In the meanwhile, feed your ears to our second episode of the PorchCast where we … Read More

Festival Recap | Colorado Brewer’s Festival 2014

This year’s Colorado Brewer’s Festival was a special occasion… moreso than usual. This year marks it’s quarter-century anniversary. That’s right, for 25 years, breweries from all over this fine state have gathered to appease the thirsty masses by way of crafting delicious, cold beer, ranging the gamut of style and taste. With over 50 breweries showcasing over 100 Colorado-crafted beers, there was a pretty sure change to find something perfect to drink. Read More

Weekly Growler Fill | National Beer News Roundup

Just like every other week, I’ve compiled the craft beer news from around the country. This edition:  another state progressed forward, we will soon be able to tap any beer from home, and the PorchDrinkers partied like it was 1999. Keep reading to expand your craft beer knowledge and distract yourself from work that may have been in front of you.

Read More

Stoudts Brewery | Stoudts Pils

Stoudts Pils Adamstown, PA 5.4 % ABV German Pilsener

While perusing the beer distributor for the perfect “AMERICA BEAT GERMANY!!!” libation last week, it was certainly hard to stray from … Read More

Red, White & Brew | An Independence Day Ultimate 6er

The American celebration of Independence Day is upon us. It is a weekend of fireworks and flag shorts. Koozie factories across the nation are working overtime this week. Hot dog farms are at capacity. What better time, I wonder, to drink a good beer? There isn’t! And I know you PorchDrinkers hate to come unprepared, so I’ve brainstormed my best suggestions for the perfect Independence Day six pack. Drink up!

Read More

Finnegans Charitable Beer Company | Drink Beer & Do Good

In my experience, reasons to drink a beer can vary widely: it’s your birthday, it’s someone else’s birthday, it’s sunny out, it’s rainy out, you had a good day, you had a bad day, there’s beer in the fridge, and so on. I’m happy to announce that new to this list, thanks to Finnegans of Minnesotta, is that you want to help feed the hungry. Read More

PorchDrinking’s Weekly Denver Beer Beat

Hey there PorchDrinkers! Native to the city and looking for events to tide you over for the week? 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 . . . did we miss any events in this week’s? Let us know. Read More

If in Doubt, Barrel Age It | A Look into the Vast Barrel Aging Program of Alltech’s Lexington Brewing Co.

As a Kentucky native, bourbon is in my blood. Needless to say, we have been barrel aging things for quite awhile. Though bourbon is not a uniquely Kentucky product (though it is a uniquely American product – one thing you can actually thank the federal government for!), many agree that the Bluegrass state does it best. Maybe it’s the limestone bedrock that adds that special blend of minerals to the water that is used to distill the spirit; or perhaps it is the Kentucky climate – with its frigid, ice-storm bringing winters and ever-so-muggy, sticky hot summers – that allows those oak barrels to expand and contract just the right amount to impart those woody, caramel, and toffee nuances from the barrel char into otherwise clear corn liquor; or maybe it is something about the Kentucky spirit that lends a warmness and hint of Southern hospitality to the things we are passionate about. Whatever it is, Kentucky bourbon is something special and the rest of America – especially the craft beer industry – has recognized that, as well.

Read More

PorchDrinking.com 2nd Anniversary Party Recap

Since our inception, PorchDrinking.com has always been about positivity, community, hilarity and craft beer. This past Friday night we celebrated those ideals with a bottle share event for our PD staff, friends and industry members. It was one of those perfect Colorado summer evening where a light afternoon storm gave way to brilliant orange skies, and later transforming to an emerald ocean green. Read More

Firestone Walker Brewing Co. | Opal

Farmhouse Ale | Dry-hopped Saison

ABV: 7.5%

IBU: 35

It’s an early spring morning, the first bit of sunlight on the horizon peeks through my south-eastern facing window and I begin to stir. The chickadees and robins are creating quite the early morning chatter. It’s more peaceful than my usual weekday alarm but I still grumble and roll over covering my head with my pillow. 5:30am – seriously?! I think to myself. As I try and coax myself back to sleep, I’m inundated by the crisp spring morning air wafting through my windows. Laden with pollen the air is ripe and wonderful. It’s what I’m sure Charmin was shooting for, but fell far short of, in their “Spring Breeze” detergent. The sun climbs higher in my window and I become more aware of the beautiful spring aromatics- growth, pollination, snow run-off and life. As the Colorado spring transitions to summer, I walk to the farmers market. On my way I cross Boulder Creek, a run-off fueled torrent raging through the middle of town. The sounds of earth erosion are almost deafening; I’m humbled knowing that what I’m hearing is but a fraction of the change the Boulder Creek watershed will see in its lifetime. The farmers’ market is bustling with people; young, old, families, children and smiling faces. I walk past a small stand on the northern side of the market and a 6-year-old boy Jason greets me. The Plowshares farmstand has the most beautiful arrangement of spring vegetables. After conversing with Jason about the creek, playground and squirrels I’m warmed from the inside by his charm and joy. I purchase a bundle of beets, mizuna, collard greens, and a bag of mixed salad greens from his mother. Walking back through the market the ripe aromas of fresh herb starter plants consume me. Basil, cilantro, parley, rosemary, thyme and lemongrass create an unforgettable floral bouquet. Read More

Weekly Growler Fill | National Beer News Roundup

New ideas, new brews, and new news. Is Sam Adams too big to be considered ‘craft beer’? Are craft beer firms overvalued? Are you excited for Great Divide’s new releases? I explore these hard-hitting questions and more in this edition of the Weekly Growler Fill.

Read More

Event Preview | 2014 Big Eat Denver

Denver Craft beer lovers know how hard it is to stay on top of your suds between new breweries popping up like wildflowers and all those special and seasonal releases from your old standbys tempting you from the shelves of your local bottle shop. It’s even more difficult to make progress through our ever-expanding list of fine independent restaurants. Fortunately, EatDenver throws an epic annual summer food and drink bash giving us an opportunity to sample what some of the Mile-High City’s best culinary minds have to offer. Read More

Frankenmuth Brewery | Twisted Helles

ABV: 5.5%

Summers in Michigan were a staple of my childhood, from celebrating my first birthday at Higgins Lake to weeklong vacations in Harbor Springs. We took day trips to Petoskey, Charlevoix and Big Bear Dunes, and we usually made a pit stop in Frankenmuth, Michigan’s Little Bavaria. It should come as no surprise then that today’s showcase from Frankenmuth Brewery is Twisted Helles Summer Lager. Read More

Dry Dock Brewery | Aloha Biz Hawaiian Porter

ABV 5.7%

We left the Denver city confines last night to get brewing supplies at our favorite store, The Brew Hut, in Aurora, Colorado. After purchasing the items on our list (and then some), we ducked into Dry Dock Brewery for a beer. The Brew Hut is literally fused to Dry Dock’s brewhouse, making after-shopping samples close to impossible to resist. Tricky bastards.

Read More

Jungle Jim’s 9th Annual International Beer Festival

Over 350 beers and 100 breweries. This bold statement rang true the weekend of June 13-14 as Jungle Jim’s International Market in Fairfield, Ohio (Greater Cincinnati) delivered another phenomenal beer festival.

Jungle Jim’s International Market specializes in bringing in a large and diverse selection of, well, everything. From produce, to seafood, to deli, to foreign land’s cultural foods. Jungle Jim’s has a lot of everything and their beer festivals are no exception.

Read More