Features
Ultimate 6er | Top Chef Winners & Beer
March 31, 2021 | Emma Wargolet
In honor of the Top Chef Season 18 premiere tomorrow, I thought I’d pair my top six winners with some craft beer. While always a fan of Top Chef, it has grown into a bit of an obsession during quarantine. Picking six winners of seventeen was hard enough, so other contestants are not included in the sixer, mainly because there would be no way to choose. If you love food and haven’t watched Top Chef, start watching now instead of reading this article because there are definitely spoilers (even if the spoilers are between one to thirteen years old).
Maplewood Brewery & Distillery | Sidewalk Surfer Double IPA
March 31, 2021 | Dave Drury
Maplewood Brewery & Distillery has quickly become one of the best places in Chicago to find delicious beers and spirits. And they have continued to show that they can make any style of beer and make them really well.
One of their newest beers, Sidewalk Surfer, is no exception. This West Coast Double IPA takes it back to the days when IPAs weren’t all hazy and infiltrated with lactose and fruits. Read More
Wellspent Brewing Company launches “The Well” Membership Program
March 30, 2021 | Brian Margiotta
Having recently celebrated its third anniversary, Wellspent Brewing Company is still considered a relatively young–yet notable–brewery in the already burgeoning St. Louis craft beer scene. This year, after the rollercoaster of COVID, they also launched a new membership program called “The Well.”
Why I Gave Up Beer for Lent
March 29, 2021 | Michelle Thomas
February 17, I gave up beer for Lent. Not just beer, though – I actually gave up all gluten. It was an experience at first. I am that person, after all, who had to wonder if a pretzel had gluten in it. I wanted this year’s Lent to be an education, to learn something while relating to some people in my life who are gluten-free, and the helpful benefit of simultaneously giving up one of my favorite drinks in the whole wide world: beer.
Firestone Walker Doubles Down on Success with New Double Mind Haze Release
March 26, 2021 | Taylor Laabs
When a bet works, it’s not a bad idea to double down. California’s Firestone Walker Brewing Company bet big on the Hazy IPA trend back in 2019 with the release of Mind Haze IPA. Firestone Walker believed that they had dialed in the hops and malt bill needed to create a standout Hazy IPA with the Firestone Walker spin that would be competitive in the California – and US – landscape. And they were right. Mind Haze is a best-seller for the brewery and the Hazy IPA trend shows no signs of slowing down. Two years later, Firestone Walker is doubling down on their Hazy IPA bet with the release of Double Mind Haze – a beer that they call their “juiciest, fruitiest and haziest IPA ever.” Here are the details.
Colorado Beer Beat | Bi-Weekly Beer Release Guide 3/25
March 25, 2021 | Mackenzie Helms
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 to find out what’s new in the Colorado beer scene.
With March Madness in full swing this week, you’re undoubtedly going to be spending more time in front of a screen watching the games play out. What better than a tasty new beer to help calm your nerves as you panic about whether your parlay is going to hit (We all know you have no idea what you’re doing betting on sports)? Well luckily for you, you’ve come to the right place! Take a look down below to see what’s new this week, you never know what’s being brewed up next.
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Braxton Brewing Starts New Year with the Debut of Two New Products
March 25, 2021 | Kindsey Bernhard
Braxton Brewing was ready to leave 2020 in the past and start the new year off right. The Northern Kentucky brewery did just that by debuting two new products, a new variety pack as part of their VIVE Hard Seltzer brand and a collaboration beer with a legendary Cincinnati ice cream company.
West Sixth Brewing | Kentucky Coffee
March 25, 2021 | Brian Haitz
West Sixth Brewing Kentucky Coffee, a Bourbon Barrel-Aged Coffee Stout with vanilla and lactose is a Southern take on an Irish coffee that will leave you feeling warm and toasty inside.
Bia Hoi | The Budget Beer of Vietnam
March 24, 2021 | Scott Grossman
Sure, it seems a little sketchy to buy beer from a guy tapping a keg on a Hanoi street corner, but it’s actually totally legit. Besides, at 5,000 Vietnamese dong (VND)—about 22 cents U.S.—what do you have to lose? Bia Hoi is a traditional low-alcohol beer that’s brewed fresh daily and brought to the street vendors via Vietnam’s ever-present motorbikes.
Ultimate 6er | Pairing Beers with Female Leads of Video Games
March 17, 2021 | Brandon Cohran
One of the best perks of playing video games is the escape it provides from your day-to-day. Video games allow you to go from parachuting into high-stress combat environments to wielding a torch and ball of magic in an underground cave somewhere in a fantasy land devoured by dark spirits and dragons.
It’s no secret that people enjoy seeing themselves in video games, movies and other media. Representation is important. So, this list highlights some of the absolute best female-led video games whether you’re looking for action or a narrative-driven experience.
Grab a beer and start browsing your preferred digital store while you wait on these must-play titles to download.
Women in Beer | Katherine Valleau of Exit Strategy Brewing
March 17, 2021 | Mathew Powers
When Katherine and Chris Valleau say they built Exit Strategy Brewing Co. from scratch, they’re not kidding. “When we first walked into the building, the skylight was hanging down from the ceiling and there were birds flying around. Everything had been stripped. No plugs. No running water. Only four walls,” said Katherine. Nearly six years later, the couple has turned that once empty space into a popular, name-brand brewpub (food and beer), frequented by locals and often visited by traveling craft-beer aficionados.
Save the Arts with Curtain Up Beer Project
March 16, 2021 | Emma Wargolet
The arts and the hospitality industry are more intertwined than we often consider. When someone has tickets to see a show, it is highly likely they will also go grab food near the venue; they might be making an entire trip out of the event depending on the ticket (“Hamilton,” anyone?). While the hospitality industry has been hugely affected by COVID-19, at least they could have some income coming in. Theatres have been completely shut down, causing thousands of people to be out of work across the country. It is not just actors: It is set builders, costume and makeup designers, conductors, lighting and so many more jobs that are involved in live theatre.
How City Built Brewing Landed a Collaboration with Run the Jewels After Infringing on Their IP
March 12, 2021 | Jason Ley
As the first anniversary of COVID-19 hijacking everything as we knew it laps us, City Built Brewing Company, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, reflect back on their risky, yet well-executed homage to Hip-Hop duo, Run the Jewels, which otherwise could’ve easily tanked them in legal hot water.
Okay, so what had happened was…
Women in Beer | Bailey Spaulding & Lisa Peterson of Jackalope Brewing
March 12, 2021 | Jesse Valenciana
When they opened their doors, Jackalope Brewing Co. were the hip, new brand taking up space in a modest sized brewpub. Fast forward a decade and Jackalope Brewing have become respected pioneers and leaders of Nashville beer. They now operate out of a towering production facility in a rapidly growing city that seemingly sprouts one brewery for every new high-rise residential building.
Pouring It Forward with Savagewood Brewing Co.
March 11, 2021 | Emma Wargolet
We have all seen how beer can help make a difference, from the Black is Beautiful collaboration to the newly-launched Curtain Up Beer Project. So, when Savagewood Brewing Co. wanted to collaborate with female beer blogger Beer Babe Jess (Jessica Merritt), they immediately knew they wanted the collaboration to be for a good cause. The end result is Pouring It Forward, a Raspberry Ale featuring a special hop blend from the Pink Boots Society (Ahtanum, Cashmere, Citra, Loral and Sabro) with proceeds going towards the Big Sister League in San Diego.
5 Questions With | Victory Brewing’s Founders Ron Barchet and Bill Covaleski
March 10, 2021 | Taylor Laabs 1
Sustaining a business for 25 years is an achievement in any industry, but it is particularly impressive in the tumultuous and unpredictable world of craft beer. Downingtown, Pennsylvania-based Victory Brewing Company has been churning out Bavarian-inspired beers and other inventive offerings since 1996, establishing itself as a pillar of the Pennsylvania beer community and as somewhat of an innovator thanks to the rampant success of its Golden Monkey Belgian Tripel brand. Being able to properly execute a variety of European-styles, with Victory’s own unique twists, has generated acclaim and a passionate following for the brewery. With the brewery celebrating 25 years in business, I asked Victory Brewing founders Ron Barchet and Bill Covaleski about how they’ve been able to sustain success, their approach to community building, and what excites them about the craft beer market today.
Ultimate 6er | A Toast to Historical Women of the 1920s
March 10, 2021 | Jessica Spengler
The 1920s was an important decade for women. The 19th Amendment gave us the right to vote in 1920, and what followed was a decade of strength and a search for equality that broke barriers and changed women forever. Women of the 1920s did everything men did, and sometimes they did it better.
Women in Beer | Stephanie Kushnir of Ravinia Brewing Co.
March 10, 2021 | Rachel Morrison
You already know that Ravinia Brewing is coming soon to Chicago. You may be familiar with their Highland Park location, distribution throughout Chicago, or teasers for their new brewpub. If so, then you should also know the woman behind the scenes, Stephanie Kushnir. Stephanie is Head of Sales and Marketing for Ravinia Brewing. She’s getting Ravinia beer into our fridges and onto our feeds, all leading up to a highly anticipated opening right here in Chicago.
DuClaw Brewing Co. Wants You to ‘Give a Crap’
March 7, 2021 | Kindsey Bernhard
Send a poop, get a six-pack. That’s what DuClaw Brewing Co. is asking people to do for their “Give a Crap Campaign.” The Baltimore brewery has partnered with Squatty Potty and the Colon Cancer Foundation to raise awareness for colon cancer and reach the foundation’s yearly goal of providing 10,000 colorectal cancer screenings to underserved communities in 2021.
Kentucky’s First Sake Company to Open Mid-Spring
March 3, 2021 | Kindsey Bernhard
Most people’s experience with sake is at the Hibachi grill when the chef sprays it into your mouth from three feet away. You either nail it or you leave the restaurant with sake all over your shirt. That’s the extent of your knowledge of the Japanese rice fermented alcoholic beverage. The Void Sake Company in Lexington, KY is ready to change people’s perception of sake and that it’s more than just a fun part of your Hibachi dinner.
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