Beervana: Portland, OR (Part 2)

Oregon Brewers Festival (OBF from here on out): So let’s first go over some of the logistics of OBF.  As I said in my previous post, there were about 80 or so breweries present, and it’s all outdoors. Unlike other beer fests, you also choose how much beer you get at each booth. Do you only want a sample? That’ll be one token. A full mug of beer? Four tokens. It’s really a beautiful system. Read More

Blue Point Brewing Company Pumpkin Ale

ABV: 6.0%

IBU: 26

Availability: Mid-August-December

The dog days of August have ended; cooler weather has prevailed. And with the changing weather comes a slew of seasonal beer offerings—a surefire sign winter is fast-approaching. Oktoberfests, pumpkin beers, winter ales—as the heat subsides, they all brave Indian summers to wet our palettes and whet our appetites for blazing fires and snowball fights. Read More

Labor Day Fall Beer Preview Ultimate 6er

In the club of so-called rich countries around the world, workers in the United States put in more hours on the job than any of their peers (source: OECD). The U.S. also consistently ranks as one of the most productive workforces in the world. Although American productivity has recently fallen from historical highs (due to more hours/strain put in at the job during the global economic/financial crisis), there is no question about the effort we put in relative to others around the world. Even more important, then, that we force ourselves to carve a vacation day each September to save each other from our otherwise hectic lives. With a nod to how hard we’ve all worked over the past several years and an eye towards the glorious Fall and its sporting festivities, here’s an Ultimate 6er to get us going with some delicious fall beer this September. Read More

Deschutes Brewery – Chainbreaker White IPA

One of the most important factors to consider when searching for a new home, or at least somewhere new to live, is the availability of a quality neighborhood bar. Seriously, forget the school district and don’t pull your hair out over the distance to the nearest grocery store. It’s all about whether your neighborhood bar has:

1. A solid beer collection
2. A great staff/great service
3. Reasonable prices
4. Great atmosphere
5. Solid food
6. Is close by
7. Non-douchey clientele. Read More

Ellie’s Brown Ale- Avery Brewing Co.

ABV: 5.5%

Mmmm… Brown Ale. You had me at hello.

Brown Ale may or may not be the key to my heart. I do love most beers – yes- but I will never turn down something specifically classified as a “Brown Ale”. Read More

New Belgium Tour De Fat 2012 – Fort Collins

On a sunny summer Saturday, it’s only 8am and the mercury is already over 80 degrees; today is going to be a hot one. I dug into the bowels of my closet to find whatever mismatch of clothing and/or flair I could get my hands on, grabbed a backpack full of water, sunscreen, and PBR and hopped on my bike. This, my friends, is the beginning ritual for thousands of beer enthused, fun lovers all around the country when New Belgium Brewery’s Tour De Fat rolls into town. Read More

One Minute Beer Review: Great Divide Brewing- Rumble

ABV: 7.1%

One of my favorite things about Rumble is the fact that you can enter any room with a six pack and unabashedly exclaim “LETS GET READY TO RUMBLE” without … Read More

Beervana: Portland, OR (Part 1)

“I gave up clowning years ago.”

“Well in Portland, you don’t have to.”

Easy intro, I know. But here’s the thing—Portland is that hipster. This isn’t a knock against the city. I love Portland. Fantastic public transit, fantastic food, and the beer … my God, the beer. But yes, it’s a very hipster city. More so than Denver. More so than even Boulder. The house we rented on the east side of the city was actually called the “Urban Cabin.” Placard and everything. Read More

One Minute Beer Review: New Belgium Brewing- Red Hoptober

ABV: 6%

IBUs: 60

This fall there were several things that I was really looking forward to, football, fantasy football, Kentucky football, then after last weekend’s performance Kentucky basketball, the … Read More

Ultimate 6er Recipes for Cooking with Beer

I grew up watching my dad pour beer over pretty much every single type of meat you can think of before throwing it on the grill. The funny thing about this technique is that it can make even the worst tasting beer into a valuable component of your meal. My dad would only really use cheap beer—Budweiser, Coors, Olympia—so I followed suit. It wasn’t until I left college that I started incorporating better beers into my cooking. It wasn’t just for grilling anymore—stews, chili and other random recipes were enhanced by introducing beer. Read More

Climbing a 14er and Drinking a 12 Ouncer

Typically, Mike Tolliver serves as our resident outdoorsman who hikes, bikes, camps, climbs, rappels, grapples, boulders, skis, snowboards, what not and what have you, all while enjoying a celebratory beverage, after spiking the proverbial flag into mother nature’s ass. Afterwards he’s nice enough to transpose those travails on PorchDrinking while making us all feel like lesser beings. I on the other hand, went on my first camping trip this June. Yes, my first camping trip. However, like most transplants in Colorado, I’ve quickly acclimated to the rest of this great state’s lifestyle by diving head first into the rugged outdoors. The most recent of these adventures involved completing my second 14er. Read More

Breckenridge Brewery – Agave Wheat

ABV:  4.2%

IBU: 9

I originally wanted to write this review about Maumee Bay Brewing Company’s Agave Chili Ale. I took a sip of it at Ohio Brew Week this June and was blown away by just that small taste. Alas, my emails to the brewmaster and sales manager to get my hands on some were to no avail. I searched high and low for something similar, but it was no use. The closest thing I could find was Breckenridge Brewery’s Agave Wheat. Read More

One Minute Review – Anchor Summer Beer

ABV: 4.5%

Availability: April-October

It’s official: summer is winding down. People are starting to head back to school, pools will close soon, and retailers are putting their summer styles on clearance. It’s time to soak up the last you can of summer—including seasonal beers!

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Agave Wheat – Breckenridge Brewery

ABV: 4.2%

IBU: 9

While attending the first annual Big Denver Barbecue Block Party, I had the pleasure of eating some great ribs and sides, listen to some fantastic live music, both with some awesome friends. At the event, they had a variety of a brew from Breckenridge Brewery. Of the ones available, I decided to choose Agave Wheat. I think the choice was good. Life is good when you sit on the grass in the sun, eat some BBQ, listen to live music, and have a beer to tie everything together.

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Fantasy Draft List

Armchair quarterbacks, it’s time to move your recliners to the porch. Nothing goes better together than football and beer —for proof, look no further than the advertisements during any football game ever. And since there’s no shame in having a cold one during a game, it stands to reason that you might as well drink beer during fantasy football too, right?

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Ultimate 6er | Brew Ha-Ha Hops

As you may have heard from our lovely Kate Stark- Cincinnati’s Brew Ha Ha was a super fun time. Although I successfully ignored the comedians, I did enjoy my fair share of delicious beers. I am happy to say that out of all the beer I tasted, there was only one that I didn’t like. I didn’t like it so much that I’m going to call it out right now. Here it goes. Batch 19. Don’t do it. Unless you love Coors light … Then I guess you’ll love Batch 19, too … “To each his own.”
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Ultimate 6er | Brew Ha-Ha: Malts edition

At Brew Ha-Ha, Betsy and I endeavored to create an Ultimate 6er, however there were 100 beers represented and we didn’t want to leave any of our favorites out. You know what that means? Double-dose of Ultimate 6ers today! I’m taking on my favorites from the malts end of the spectrum, while Betsy sorts out the hops in a little bit.
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Picking Hops With Wynkoop Brewery

On August 9, I was invited to join the Wynkoop brewers and staff to pick locally-grown hops for their beer Belgarado. It is a Belgian style Pale Ale made with all Colorado grown ingredients, except for the yeast. Fresh cut Chinook hops were shipped over to the brewery from Voss Farms in Arvada, CO. One of my friends from Kentucky, Andrew, was in Denver for the week and he was thrilled to be a part of this process. Plus, we were goaded with the promise of free beer.
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Cincinnati Brew Ha-Ha 2012

50 Comedians, 100 Beers, One Million Laughs

For six years now, Sawyer Point has turned into a beer haven for two days over the summer. It’s an event that pulls from all demographics and introduces people to new things, something that always gets me excited. With 100 beers to choose from and 35 breweries represented, chances are there are a few brews that weren’t on your radar before.
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Hoppin’ Frog’s BORIS the Crusher, Russian Imperial Stout.

ABV: 9.4%

BORIS the Crusher, or Bodacious Oatmeal Russian Imperial Stout in long form is a multiple award winning brew from Hoppinfrog Brewery out of Akron, Ohio. It also happens to be extremely rare to find on tap, it just recently has been put into kegs and is crazy expensive in keg form. Nearly double the typical price of any normal craft beer pour.
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