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PorchDrinking’s own discuss beer.

Hacienda Beer Co. | Back To The Flow Hazy IPA

December 29, 2023 |

Door County Brewing Company opened in 2013 and started out brewing more traditional styles with a focus on Belgian beers. Those brands were doing well, but the brew team at Door County wanted to start trying some new and more innovative styles, such as Hazy IPAs and Pastry Stouts that wouldn’t typically fit under the Door County brand. Enter Hacienda Beer Company.

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Collaborating for a Cause | Westum Hjemmebryggeri

December 28, 2023 | 1

Back in May, immediately after hearing the news of Alex Kidd’s cancer diagnosis, PorchDrinking helped to organize a razzle with the Barleywine is Life Facebook group to raise money for his recovery through donations to his GoFundMe.  On the 19th we published an article outlining how breweries could get involved with rare bottle contributions for the razzle, and then on June 6th officially announced the packages up for grabs. For every $10 forwarded to his recovery fund (with emailed proof), donors would receive one entry. Submissions closed at Midnight EST on June 18, with winners selected live on the morning of Tuesday, June 20 by Stephen Loh and Michael Gabriel of Malt Couture on Instagram.

One brewery donation in particular came all the way from Norway, contributing two special iterations of home-brewed, high-gravity ales that were randomly added to three winning boxes from the PorchDrinking razzle. We had the privilege to talk with Espen Westum extensively about his passion project, Westum Hjemmebryggeri, as well as the inspirations provided by Alex Kidd and what’s led him to this point in his brewing journey. Additionally, we were able to review and share the very exclusive charity releases Westum sent stateside to support the Kidds.

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Colorado’s Best Barleywines Blind Tasting Presented by On Tap Credit Union

December 27, 2023 |

As we head into the coldest months of the calendar, a great-tasting Barleywine can be the perfect warmer. Which one though? Well, we are back with another Blind Tasting putting some of Colorado’s best Barleywines against one another. As it turned out, the Barleywine Blind Tasting ended up being one of our most competitive Blind Tastings as a high percentage of our submitted beers ended up winning recognition of Honorable Mention, Top Marks, or Best In Show.

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Goldfinger Brewing Co. | Original Lager (Helles Lager)

December 27, 2023 |

Are you ready for a small history lesson today? If you’re anything like us, we not only love craft beer, but we also enjoy hearing and reading about craft beer origins. Let us take you on a journey as we learn about Goldfinger Brewing Company, located in the town of Downers Grove, IL.

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Chicago Craft Beer | Best of 2023

December 26, 2023 |

You are not alone if you’re wondering how 2023 is almost over. It was another eventful year in the Chicago craft beer scene. The year included endless beer releases, major events, unique membership offerings, newcomers and bidding farewell to a few local favorites. While naming the “Best of 2023” in Chicago Craft Beer is no easy feat, we’re giving it our best shot.

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Collaborating for a Cause | Life Jacket

December 22, 2023 |

As 2023 nears its conclusion, many families and businesses feel the strain and chaos of the holiday season and the deadlines associated with the final months of the year. Fortunately, the support for Alex Kidd and his family has not even considered pumping the brakes, and we are happy to welcome Revolution Brewing to this week’s installation of Collaborating for a Cause.

(Read: Collaborating for a Cause Series)

Adjusting the spotlight to a beer that Alex himself helped co-create with the Revolution team, this well-known Chicago brewery organized an incredible gesture spanning the month of November involving their Life Jacket Barleywine.

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Distribution Dilemma: Is It Worth the Risk?

December 21, 2023 |

Craft brewery expansion plans are not what they used to be. Traditional paths to profitability usually go something like this: open a taproom, start selling beer to a few neighboring businesses (if that’s legal in your state), buy a packaging line, grow your footprint locally, sign a distribution contract with a wholesaler, expand to new markets and enjoy copious amounts of revenue. But this isn’t 2013 anymore.

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Rupee Beer | ‘British-Indian IPA’ Combines History & Drinkability

December 19, 2023 |

When brothers Van and Sumit Sharma launched Rupee Beer in 2021, their goal was to make the perfect beer to pair with the Indian cuisine they had grown up with, along with other spicy, diverse world foods.

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Hidden River Brewing Co. | Thank You For Letting Me Be Myself DIPA

December 18, 2023 |

We may be well beyond Halloween, but the time is always right for some haunted history. Especially when discussing craft beer! One such brewery is Hidden River Brewing Company located in Douglassville, PA.

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Brewery Showcase | Nuckolls Brewing (Sante Fe, NM)

December 15, 2023 |

It was 4:45 on a weekday in the Santa Fe Railyard, and Nuckolls Brewing was already in full swing. There were 25 people in the beer line and a party of contemporary art gallerists were hobnobbing near the copper-accented bar. Clearly, this was the new Santa Fe hotspot. 

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Sierra Nevada Enters Non-Alcoholic Craft Beer with Trail Pass

December 15, 2023 |

Sierra Nevada Brewing Company is entering the growing non-alcoholic (NA) beer space with their new Trail Pass series, which hits shelves this month with two initial beers: Golden and IPA. The iconic brewery known for standard alcoholic brands like Pale Ale, Celebration Ale, and Hazy Little Thing debuted their new NA offerings at Denver’s Great American Beer Festival in September, and expects the beers to hit shelves across their full distribution footprint by the beginning of January.

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Colorado Beer Beat | Bi-Weekly Beer Release Guide 12/14

December 14, 2023 |

Welcome to the Colorado Beer Beat, a bi-weekly roundup of all of the new can releases around the state. From Denver to Grand Junction and everywhere in between, we have you covered. Be sure to check back on Thursdays (usually!) to find out what’s new in the Colorado beer scene.

One of the best festivals of the winter season has officially been announced, and we can’t wait! Wynkoop Brewing Company is bringing back its most popular beer festival, Day of Darks. This February, come to the ultimate celebration of Colorado’s vibrant craft beer culture at Day of Darks, where the season’s best local dark beers will be poured. Day of Darks is a winter tradition, showcasing the season’s best local dark beers. Keep an eye out for tickets as they become available!

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Casks & Camaraderie | Cask Craft Spirits and Beer Lounge

December 14, 2023 |

Breweries are always looking for new and unique ways to share their beers. Recently, one way that many have looked to showcase their barrel room in particular has been through barrel picks.

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Living The Dream taking over Grist Brew spaces; Ursula Brewery Announces Sale of Business

December 13, 2023 |

As we near the end of 2023, several Colorado breweries are making changes. On November 30, 2023, two Colorado breweries reported significant news changes to their businesses. First, Living the Dream Brewing Co. in Littleton shared they will be opening a tap room at the Sterling Center in the Sterling Ranch neighborhood in Littleton. Then, one week later Living The Dream announced it would be taking over the assets and leases of Highlands Ranch’s Grist Brew Co. In an interview with the Denver Post, Grist Brew Co-owner Chuck Norman said, “Grist will still be alive, but what we do with it, I don’t know.”

Secondly, Jonathan Shikes of the Denver Post shared that Ursula Brewery of Aurora is selling its business to unnamed owners. The new owners will shut down the business temporarily and reopen under a new name at some point in the first half of 2024.

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BuckleDown Brewing | Barbaric Blood Red Ale

December 12, 2023 |

BuckleDown Brewing and Vault Comics recently collaborated on Barbaric Blood Red Ale, launching Friday, Dec. 15. It’s an American Red Ale, offering rich malt flavor, subtle sweetness and a blood-reddish hue. It’s a well-balanced, approachable beer, clocking in at 6.5% ABV. Fans of BuckleDown Brewing and Barbaric can be the first to taste the beer at the BuckleDown Brewing taproom in Lyons, Illinois, on Friday, Dec. 15.

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Meanwhile Brewing | Winter Beer Menu

December 12, 2023 |

As stout season hits its stride, Meanwhile Brewing in Austin, Texas, has taken a broader approach to seasonal offerings and launched a full gamut of winter beers for differing palates and the vagaries of Texas winter weather.

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2023 Georgia Best in Beer Recap

December 11, 2023 |

Here we are again – counting down the days of in-laws, traveling, stress and everything in between – and just strolling through the light shows until the calendar flips to January. Overall, it’s been a great year for the Georgia beer scene, but there are certainly reasons to be a little bah-humbug about the year in review, as closures happened more frequently than in any year in memory. But, this article is all about the great things that happened in 2023, so as usual, grab a glass, pour a pint and let’s highlight the great moments of Georgia beer. Read More

FIRST LOOK | Denver Beer Co. Opens In Downtown Littleton, CO

December 8, 2023 |

The Denver Beer Company (DBC) armada continues to amass an even greater reach across the Front Range opening its 5th taproom and brewpub location in downtown Littleton, CO earlier this … Read More

Brewery Showcase | Denver’s Monolith Brewing Opens in Former Black Project Space

December 8, 2023 |

While Denver’s RiNo neighborhood has dominated beer headlines for the last decade, the Platt Park stretch of South Broadway has certainly been making the most waves over the last two … Read More

Wondrous Brewing Co. | Keller Pils German Style Pilsner

December 5, 2023 |

We love to hear stories about people turning their dreams into reality. People who are so passionate about what they want to do and fully pursue it from the very beginning. Such is the case for Wynn Whisenhunt, owner and brewer for Emeryville, California-based Wondrous Brewing Company.

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