Christian Moerlein Brewing Co. – Barbarossa

IBU: 25

ABV: 5.0%

With the blustery winds of Hurricane Sandy blowing outside, I wanted a beer that would warm my innards. As I searched the Kroger beer aisle, it was as if Barbarossa and his bright red beard were calling my name. It was the last six-pack of the Moerlein beer on the shelf, so I grabbed it with gusto and headed home. Read More

Backcountry Brewery – Frisco, CO

I stumbled across Backcountry Brewery when I was at Great American Beer Festival (GABF) a few weeks back. Their range of annual and seasonal beers combined has won six gold, silver and bronze medals at GABF from 1998-2011. But, what really put Backcountry on the map? In 2011, they submitted six beers for competition at the Colorado State Fair and all six received medals. Pretty impressive, if you ask me.

The 1996-year-old brewery and restaurant is located in Summit County on Main Street. If you’re like me and on your way to a ski resort out west, you are easily passing this place without knowing it.

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Rolling Rock Extra Pale- Latrobe Brewing Co.

ABV: 4.6%

Rolling Rock holds a special place in my heart. I recently rediscovered the joy in a bottle of Rolling Rock that I felt when I first had it a long time ago. It feels slightly carbonated and lacks taste until you swallow and then you get a slightly wheaty, citrus after taste. No, it’s not remarkable or even that good– it’s the sentiment that makes this beer special.

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The Evolution of Beer Part II

The general consensus around the Porch is that for most of us, our first foray into drinking consisted of shitty watered down piss poor beers. In fact, I spent the first two decades of my life swearing up and down that I would never drink beer. This likely was a direct result of stealing sips from my father’s Milwaukee’s Best, or to the layman, BEAST, when I was just a little guy. Needless to say, most uninitiated drinkers have at one point or another served their time sloshing swill before arriving at the great awakening that is craft beer.

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Evolution of Beer Part I

The general consensus around the Porch is that for most of us, our first foray into drinking consisted of shitty watered down piss poor beers.  In fact, I spent the first two decades of my life swearing up and down that I would never drink beer.  This likely was a result of stealing sips from my father’s Milwaukee’s Best, or to the layman, BEAST, when I was just a little guy. Needless to say, most uninitiated drinkers have at one point or another served their time sloshing swill before arriving at the great awakening that is craft beer.

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Mt. Hood Brewing Company: Ice Axe IPA

ABV: 5.9%

Mt. Hood Brewing Company brings beautifully crafted beer from the Ice Axe Grill in the shadows of Mt. Hood. Their website states that Ice Axe IPA is their flagship beer. Why would you have anything else be your flagship beer when your home and neighboring states produces the largest quantity and best quality of hops in the US? Read More

Ultimate 6er: BYOB Party for Hop Lovers

Beer is good. Hops are awesome. When arriving at a BYOB party or event never be ‘that guy’ (or gal). We all know who they are. Don’t be the person that brings the ‘cheap’  beer, unless it comes in a 30 pack and that’s by design. Here are a few suggestions for what to include in your Ultimate 6er if it’s BYOB.
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Cigar City Brewing Company- Marshal Zhukov

ABV: 9%

Cigar City Brewing serves up several brews that have garnered a cult follow, partially because they’re only available in Florida, partially because they are one of the only solid breweries at the moment to come out of Florida and mostly because they make fantastic, cult following worthy beers. One of those pedestal level rarities is Marshal Zhukov.

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Dream Team Breweries

I think it’s safe to say that the United States is in the midst of a gold age in craft beer.  As of July 1, 2012 the Brewer’s Association counted 2075 craft breweries in operation, and I’m guessing since then at least a hundred more have opened.  During the diminutive tenure of my craft beer journey, I have managed to make a small dent in that two thousand some brewery sample.

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Cigar City Brewing Company- Jai Alai

One of the coolest thing about visiting breweries when you kinda have an inside connection (and I use that term very loosely, as starting a beer blog hardly qualifies as having any clout in the beer industry), one of the coolest perks is snagging a beer fresh off the line.  Trust me, it makes a huge difference.

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D.G. Yuengling and Son- Yuengling American Lager

Yuengling isn’t particularly amazing, but it is.  It’s not particularly flavorful, but it is.  It’s not particularly easy to drink, but really it is.  You see, Yuengling is the beer of the midwest.  Anytime anyone from the region spies a can they’re sent to a place of nostalgia and awe.  It’s kinda like seeing your childhood stuffed animal or blankey for the first time in many years, but in alcoholic liquid form.

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GABF Finds and Must Tries!

One of the best things about attending GABF is the ability to try a ton of rare, completely off the wall or just hard to get beers. As such we’ve got some solid takeaways. If you happen to cross paths with these beers, you should probably jump at the chance to give them a taste. Read More

Drink Like A Fictional Character

Goodness gracious, people from movies and TV love alcohol. I’m one of those nerds who scrutinizes any scene with drinking to figure out what specifically characters ordered (my friends got angry when we went to see “Friends With Benefits” because I was the guy saying “Oh, they’re drinking Shiner Bock. I like that beer!”). But you don’t always have to study beer labels or examine a cocktail glass to deduce what characters are drinking; sometimes they order stuff so often, their drink becomes a character trait. Here’s a look at what some of our favorite on-screen heroes drink over and over and over again. Hit up the comments section to let us know what drinks of choice we missed. Read More

One Minute Beer Review: Ska Brewing Company’s Euphoria Pale Ale

It’s not often that a brewery’s winter seasonal is a pale ale. But, Ska gives zero cares about that. Their Euphoria Pale Ale not only works as a winter seasonal … Read More

Black Mountain Brewing Co. – Cave Creek Chili Beer

ABV:  4.2%

My fascination with chili beer started this summer, and as you may recall from an earlier post, I’ve been searching for that spicy, smoky flavor ever since.

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Sweet Action Celebrates Awesome Beer with Beer Ice Cream

Have you discovered that Sweet Action Ice Cream yet?

No?

Well, get the hell over there. It’s just past 1st on Broadway, not but a mere block away from the Mayan Theatre–which just might be the greatest one-two punch in date history. Read More

Vine Street Pub and Brewery- Denver, CO

OK, I’ll admit it, I’m not a Colorado native. I came up for school at Colorado State from New Mexico and only moved down to the capital a little over a year ago. That means, like so many other migrant Coloradans, I’m still discovering all that the Mile High City has to offer, and it’s a lot. So many pubs, clubs, breweries, hangouts, bars and so much more that this self-proclaimed beer snob is sure that funds will dry up well before my thirst for something new does.

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PorchDrinking.com -New Belgium Brewing Company GABF Booth Set Up

Ever wonder what goes into setting up a major booth, or as the industry calls them, an endcap booth at the Great American Beer Festival?  New Belgium Brewery out of Fort Collins, Colorado was nice enough to allow us to shadow their Thursday morning set up. We condensed that approximately two hour process into one and a half minutes.  A big thanks to New Belgium Brewing!

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Odell Brewing Company – The Meddler

ABV – 8.9%

When it comes corked in a Belgian bottle, I’m that much more excited about trying new beers. The Meddler from Odell Brewing Company is a rendition of a traditional style Flemish ale, Oud Bruin, in which traditional yeast is mixed with bacteria to produce an honestly sour concoction. Uncorking this hibernating beast scared my roommate away from his fixation on a two-star Netflix movie, not because of fear, but because he is well in tuned with the sound of beer corks popping. Read More

Black Hemp- O’Fallon Brewery

ABV: 5.8%

I tend to have the same routine for choosing a new beer that I do for choosing a new book. I usually judge books by their cover and I usually take the title into consideration before I care to read the synopsis. I once plucked a book off the library shelf just because it was called This Book Will Save Your Life. Catchy title, not so life-saving book. So when I stumbled upon this beer called Black Hemp, I was a little intrigued. Beer and books come with expectations, too. I always come up with an idea of what I think a beer is going to taste like and how the book is going to read. Unlike the aforementioned library choice, O’Fallon Brewery did not disappoint me. Read More