AleBlazers Series | One Year Later with Funkytown Brewery

A brewery that has made a huge splash on the Chicago craft beer scene over the past year has been Funkytown Brewery, who brews at Pilot Project Brewing in both Chicago, IL and Milwaukee, WI. Owners Richard Bloomfield, Zachary Day and Gregory Williams chatted with PorchDrinking in February 2022 as a part of our AleBlazers series, so naturally we needed to catch up with them and see how the last year has been and where 2023 is taking them!

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Flora Brewing Set to Make Commercial Debut at Pilot Project Brewing

Pilot Project Brewing, a brewery incubator based in Chicago, with a second location in Milwaukee, WI, is a collaborative space where multiple breweries are able to enter the market without certain barriers that traditionally plague startup breweries. Their newest addition is Flora Brewing, Sarah Flora’s brewery that started contract brewing recently, though many know her from her homebrewing videos over the past six years. Flora Brewing will be launching four beers, with the release event set for Saturday, April 29.

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BREAKING | Karben4 Set to Re-Release Ale Asylum Beers

For those across the Midwest, Ale Asylum Brewery in Madison, Wisconsin, was a staple of their beer fridge until they closed in July of 2022 after 16 years of operation. Less than a year later, however, their bold flavors are set to make a comeback under the Karben4 Brewing flag. Karben4 owners, brothers Ryan and Zak Koga, are excited to re-launch these staples of Madison craft beer in the same city that they operate their brewery.

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Hop Water—The Next Big Thing?

As the weather in some parts of the country is warming up, a bubbly, refreshing NA beverage is riding the shirttails of Dry January. Hop Water is sliding into a go-to position for many beer enthusiasts. Hop water, which is essentially dry-hopped carbonated water, provides that crisp punch of Lupulin flavor we love in IPAs without the carbs and alcohol—making it suitable to drink anytime, anywhere.

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Silly Valentine’s Day Cards for Your Craft Beer Fan

Finding the right Valentine’s Day card can be tricky. Wasn’t it easier just to buy a box of the fun cartoon valentine cards that you gave to friends at school? Well, if you’ve got a craft beer fan in your life, perhaps try one of these cheesy, good, terrible and maybe enticing puns for your valentine this year.

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Downloadable 2023 Bingo Boards for Super Bowl LVII

Whether you’re celebrating the return of Rihanna, the puppy bowl, or just the epic Cain vs Abel match-up between the two Kelce brothers, this Sunday’s big game has a ton of interesting storylines. And to help you stay engaged between all of the ridiculous commercials, and of course a sprinkling of football, we’ve once again helped by creating the 2023 Super Bowl Bingo Boards for Super Bowl LVII.

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Barrel Room Spotlight | The Eighth State Brewing Company

The Eighth State enters the Spotlight as one of the most unique breweries featured in this series so far. We spoke with head brewer and co-founder Cameron Owen to learn more—not only about the barrel program they’re running, but also to gain more insight on the mindset at The Eighth State as a whole. Departing from the traditional brewery model, Owen and The Eighth State transcend what we think about beer. It’s a lifestyle project run on passion and creativity, and it’s a mentality that has led to the development of some of the most exciting beers in the industry.

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Staff Picks for Best Beers of the Month | January 2023

Holy hell, happy new year, here we go again. We’re all signed up for another 12 months and assumingly it’ll go by quicker than the last set did. That’s alright. Whether you did Dry January or were soaking wet all month, we made it through it. That’s what matters. Keep on, keeping on. In the meantime, here’s some of our Staff’s favorite beers from the last month (or so).

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The Epic Origin Story of DuClaw Brewing’s Sweet Baby Jesus

Have you ever tried a beer that was so unexpectedly good that you immediately exclaimed your surprise at its serendipitous deliciousness out loud? Maybe it was another beer, but probably it was DuClaw Brewing Company’s Sweet Baby Jesus! Peanut Butter Porter.

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Zine Review | Pairing Beer & Chocolate by David Nilsen

Disclaimer: The author of this zine, David Nilsen, writes for PorchDrinking. 

Becoming incredibly good at something takes a lot of time, effort and patience. In our constant need for instant gratification and expectation to be perfect at something the first time you do it, it becomes more and more rare to find a true expert. Do you think that a master woodworker was making a canoe during their first time using an oscillating saw? Or an Advanced sommelier knew how to tell what region of France a grape was from when they were 21? No. That’s why when someone shares their expertise and encourages others to learn from the time and effort they have put in, it’s a gift.

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Barrel Room Spotlight | Phase Three Brewing

The first brewery cast in the Spotlight in 2023, Phase Three Brewing is a welcomed addition to this growing series. A culmination of three phases of built relationships, experience and passion, the story behind this young brewery never ceases to garner continued support. We had the opportunity to speak with Shaun Berns, co-founder and Head Brewer at Phase Three, to not only learn more about his passion project as a whole but to hear specifically about their impressive barrel program that has people across the country talking.

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World of Flavor | Sake’s Key Ingredient Unlocks New Possibilities at Hi-Wire Brewing

Hi-Wire Brewing in Asheville, North Carolina, won a gold medal at the Great American Beer Festival in 2021 for a beer its brewers weren’t even sure was going to be any good. Their Japanese Dry Rice Lager earned the hardware in the Experimental Beer category, a catch-all for anything too weird for the nearly 100 other categories judged each year. Typical winners have included an Arnold Palmer-inspired Berliner Weisse and a Sour Rye Saison aged on Prickly Pear Cactus. So what was so unusual about this Rice Lager, a beer that — on the surface — was as simple and unassuming as any beer at the festival?

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2022 Georgia Best in Year Review

Blink and you’ll miss it – 2022 did not slow down for anyone, it seems. It was a busy year in beer, as the industry continues to grow in Georgia, despite the limiting legislation in the state. Whether it be an individual beer, a brand new location, or a great event, there’s a good chance your favorite brewery made 2022 better for you. Read More

Barrel Room Spotlight | WeldWerks Brewing

After an extended Holiday Hiatus, the Spotlight is back and featuring a true powerhouse from the Rockies: WeldWerks Brewing. From humble beginnings in a Colorado garage in 2009 to a friendly wager at the 2014 Big Beers, Belgians and Barleywines Festival, Neil Fisher and WeldWerks Brewery finally made its long-awaited debut in 2015 in Greeley, CO.

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It’s All In The Blend | Tasting Eleven Years of Firestone Walker Anniversary Ales

The coming together of brewers and winemakers mixed with the art of blending and barrels is the genesis of Firestone Walker Brewing Company Anniversary Ale. Read More

PorchDrinking’s Year in Ohio Beer 2022

Ohio is much more than the butt of TikTok jokes. We’re perenially hovering around the top five craft beer-producing states by volume, and bring in a healthy haul of medals at every World Beer Cup, Great American Beer Festival, and Festival of Barrel-Aged Beer. With numerous mid-sized big cities, Ohio has countless beercation destinations for the beer savvy traveler. Here are my picks for the noteworthy beers, breweries, and stories of 2022 in Ohio beer.

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Seventh Son Reborn | One Brewery’s Unusual Strategy for Expansion

Seventh Son Brewing opened in the historic Italian Village neighborhood of Columbus, OH, in April 2013. Their beer was good and their taproom was friendly and inviting—obvious prerequisites for success—and they set about doing what many other breweries around the country had done before them and have done since: offering classic American craft styles in a communal, social atmosphere.

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Exploring Mexican Craft Beer

Mexican beer has come a long way from the thin-bodied, flavorless yellow beverage chugged poolside on spring break. These days there’s a burgeoning Mexican craft beer scene featuring the robust and flavorful styles that craft beer lovers are familiar with. Read More

Barrel Room Spotlight | Horus Aged Ales

Welcome to Round 3 of the Spotlight! For this installment all eyes are on Horus Aged Ales, a one-man operation out of Oceanside, CA. Kyle Harrop, the mastermind behind Horus, originally established himself in 2015. From there, he progressed it from a humble homebrew operation into what it has become today. Through experimental barrel-aging, unique adjunct additions, and countless collaborations with breweries all over the country, Horus has been able to stand out in one of the most competitive beer regions in the United States. We had the opportunity to pick Kyle’s brain and learn more about the methods and techniques he uses, and gain some further insight into what makes his barrel program successful.

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Barrel Room Spotlight | Mortalis Brewing

Entering the Barrel Room Spotlight for round two is another young but quickly-growing brewery out of Avon, New York. Since opening their doors in 2018, Mortalis Brewing has striven to create a portfolio of beers that both utilize the finest ingredients and break the mold to stand out in a competitive market. Beyond that, they want their beers to be enjoyed in a relaxed environment that promotes memorable and heartfelt human connection. Through this unpretentious and admirable formula, Mortalis has also succeeded in establishing a strong program of barrel-aged beers. We had the opportunity to speak with Paul Grenier, one of the co-owners of Mortalis Brewing, and really get a “behind-the-scenes” look at the inner workings of their barrel room.

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