General Topics
Everything else discussed on the porch.
Wild Mind Artisan Ales | Electric Factory
January 24, 2020 | Max Sundermeyer
One of the Twin Cities’ best-kept craft beer secrets sits in the middle of a South Minneapolis industrial district. Where I-35 meets Highway 62, amid concrete contractors and industrial steel fabricators, you’ll come across Wild Mind Artisan Ales.
A Different Kind of Hangover | The Mourning After
January 14, 2020 | Seth Garland 1
It’s a rare, quiet moment in the house, about 1:30 a.m. on a Saturday morning. I’ve got an understandably stressed-out wife and a brother-in-law actively dying from cancer in my home. Peaceful moments are few and far between. Selfishly, I crave these quiet moments more than anything else in life right now—the moments when we don’t hear the labored wheezing or pained moaning that stems from cancer eating through the bones of a man who’s barely old enough to be considered middle-aged.
OpenTap | A Beer App That Breaks the Mold
January 13, 2020 | Jadon Flores
For nearly every beer nerd or active barhopper, they have at least one type of beer-based application on their phone. In most cases, it’s Uptappd, as it’s easily the most downloaded and widely used beer application. But there are others worth taking note of, including another big name, Taphunter. And with the influx of so many craft breweries, it’s hard to keep track of everything. This is where the OpenTap app is trying to change the game a bit. This particular application focuses on only California breweries, so we reached out to the founder to learn more about his unique perspective.
Ultimate 6er l Beer to Pair with the Music of Weezer
January 8, 2020 | Eric Oliver
I write this next sentence sincerely: Weezer is one of the most divisive bands of our lifetimes. Two prevailing opinions dominate the discussion and show what kind of Weezer fan you are: the early stuff is the best, or Weezer is just hitting their stride. Whatever side you’re on, here is the definitive guide to what you should drink when enjoying Weezer.
PorchDrinking’s Best in Beer 2019 | Pacific Region
January 6, 2020 | Jadon Flores
With the enormous multitude of breweries in California, not including some of our other states in the Pacific region, it comes as no surprise this was a hard list to … Read More
Best Star Wars Themed Beers for The Rise of Skywalker
December 18, 2019 | Jess Baker 3
You’re probably the fanatic that clicked refresh 1977 times in order to be the first to purchase tickets for Star Wars The Rise of Skywalker. You’ve concocted the wildest theories ranging from R2D2 actually being a Sith Lord, to the Mandalorian and Baby Yoda being Rey’s parents.
As one of the most iconic movies of all time, it’s clear to see how Star Wars has inspired countless numbers of brewers to pay homage to this epic saga that took place a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away….
The Force is strong with these Star Wars Themed Beers. In honor of tomorrow’s epic conclusion with the release of Star Wars The Rise of Skywalker, we’ve updated our roundup of Star Wars beers… just don’t try to drink them all at once. I have a bad feeling about this…
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker | Why I’m Not Nervous (Okay, Maybe a Bit)
December 13, 2019 | Drew Troller
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker will be released in theaters on December 20, 2019. After over 40 years, the saga of a galaxy far, far away will come to a conclusion. Am I excited? Yes! Am I nervous about whether it’ll be good? Not at all. Am I nervous that talking about Star Wars has become fraught with all kinds of inter-fandom drama over the last few years? Sure am!
I’ve shared before just how excited I get for new Star Wars movies. Here I try to make clear how I feel about Star Wars as it goes into this final chapter. Just one diehard nerd’s thoughts. Hope you enjoy… Read More
Boulder Beer is Here to Stay | Brewery Inks Agreement with Sleeping Giant
December 6, 2019 | Scott Grossman
In an indication of just how fast the craft beer market moves these days, earlier this week Boulder Beer Company and Sleeping Giant Brewing Company announced a partnership to bring Boulder Beer back into distribution. This comes fast on the heels of Boulder Beer’s October decision to exit distribution. Boulder Beer was to be available only in the Boulder brewpub.
Roundtable Discussion | How Do You Promote Diversity in Beer?
December 2, 2019 | Keith Adams
It’s unfortunate that it takes public relations disasters like the recent Founders Brewing litigation and other instances of sexual harassment and sexism to open up a greater dialogue around diversity in craft beer. Over the past several months, we’re finally seeing more breweries address the industry’s lack of diversity head-on. Some are also realizing that embracing diversity in their brewhouses and taprooms has benefits beyond PR. The Brewer’s Association points out that cultivating diversity isn’t just a feel-good effort: “Research studies increasingly show that diversity and inclusion (or D&I) can help increase a business’ bottom line, drive innovation, attract more talent, attract more customers and create more opportunities for growth.”
Event Recap | 2019 Wynkoop Brewing Day of Darks
November 25, 2019 | Scott Grossman 1
Again this year dark beer lovers filled the top floor of Wynkoop Brewing Co. for some of Colorado’s best dark beer pours. Breweries from up and down Colorado’s Front Range brought heavy, dark and malty brews to Day of Darks. Meanwhile, Wynkoop supplied chocolate treats for pairing, including ice cream made with Wynkoop’s own Cowtown Milk Stout.
Brewers brought their A-game with kegs, cans, bottles and even some growlers with extra-special brews. While most beers were production-level and available at the breweries, enjoying them all in one space was certainly a great convenience. Attendees also had fun trying a handful of one-offs and pre-release beers that some breweries brought, although one had to sniff those out early as they tended to go fast. Read More
Ultimate 6er | Six Beers to Pair with the Halloween Classic: Hocus Pocus
October 17, 2019 | Jaclyn Menendez
Is there any movie more quintessentially Halloween than the 1993 classic Hocus Pocus? I’ve been watching it annually since I was a kid, but it’s even better now, because now I can drink beer at the same time. So let’s cuddle up with our talking cat, light that Black Flame Candle, and get to it: here are six beers to pair with the bewitching characters from the spooky film Hocus Pocus.
Ultimate 6er | ‘Lover’ Comes to Great American Beer Festival
October 3, 2019 | Danielle Engel
The Great American Beer Fest is an awe-inspiring menagerie of beer. Good beer, weird beers, surprising styles, and not nearly enough time to give them all a thoughtful pause. It can be overwhelming to know where to start, so we over at PorchDrinking have several different routes that we have planned out to make it easier for those who love specific styles. There isn’t really a wrong way to do GABF (except not drinking water, please drink water) so here is a way to dive in that is more musically inclined.
Fulton Beer | Specter
September 27, 2019 | Max Sundermeyer
“It’s there and then it’s not.”
Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States, according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). An alarming public health crisis, the death-by-suicide rate for Americans has grown 30 percent in the last two decades. In 2017 alone, more than 47,000 Americans died by suicide. The tragedy of the suicide epidemic in the last 20 years seems to have touched all of our lives at some point. Three years ago, it touched the family of Minneapolis’ Fulton Beer.
Craft Beer Industry Contributed Nearly $80 Billion to US Economy in 2018
September 25, 2019 | Max Sundermeyer
The craft beer industry made its mark on the U.S. economy according to the 2018 Economic Impact Report released earlier today by the Brewers Association.
Summit Brewing Company | Slugfest Juicy IPA
September 25, 2019 | Max Sundermeyer
Bombasota. The Land of 10,000 rakes. These represent a couple of examples to describe what’s taking place on the baseball field this season in Minnesota.
The nicknames are warranted. The Minnesota Twins are mashing the baseball this season, hitting home runs at a historic pace. At the beginning of the month, the Twins set a new MLB record hitting their 269th home run of the season. Yes, they broke the record with a full month of games to go.
And they’re not slowing down. The Twins keep slugging with currently 289 home runs as I’m typing. But that’s not all. While building on their record-setting season, the Twins broke another MLB milestone. They became the first team in league history with five players to hit at least 30 long balls in a season.
It’s safe to say it’s been a slugfest in Minnesota this summer.
Perrin Brewing Co. Releases New IPA Inspired by Now-Canceled “Storm Area 51”
September 17, 2019 | Taylor Laabs
Brewing new beers to celebrate a local event or festival is not unusual in the craft brewing community. Michigan-based Perrin Brewing Company took that idea and flipped it on its head with their latest IPA: Storming The Gates Area 51 Experimental New England style IPA. Brewed in celebration of their 7th anniversary party, the new NE-style IPA is brewed to celebrate (or mourn) the now-canceled Storm Area 51 event that was supposed to take place on September 20, 2019. While that viral event is now no-more due to a myriad of practical and human safety issues, the IPA remains and has had many Michigan beer fans storming the gates of the brewpub this past week.
Indeed Brewing Company’s New Taproom Now Open In Milwaukee
September 6, 2019 | Max Sundermeyer
Indeed Brewing Company, home to Northeast Minneapolis’ original taproom, has officially completed its expansion farther east with the opening of its Milwaukee brewery and taproom.
On August 23, the brewery announced via social media the official soft opening for the new location on 530 S. 2nd St. in Milwaukee’s Walker’s Point neighborhood would take place on September 6. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held at 3 p.m. to celebrate the opening.
Roundtable Discussion | What Do You Think About Hard Seltzer?
August 29, 2019 | Keith Adams
Hard seltzer has been around for a few years but it has seen huge growth in the last year. The combo of relatively low carbs and alcohol, assortment of inoffensive flavors and lack of gluten appeals to a broad audience. In a similar format to our last roundtable discussion about the best beers of summer 2019, I checked in with a few craft beer enthusiasts to get their take on hard seltzer.
Roundtable Discussion | Best Beers of Summer 2019
July 29, 2019 | Keith Adams
Everyone has their own idea of the perfect summer beer. Breweries are happy to oblige with crisp, refreshing beers to help deal with the high temperatures. I reached out to some craft beer enthusiasts to find out what’s been their absolute standout beer of the summer thus far.
Denver Beer Queers Raising Awareness of LGBTQ Representation in Craft Beer
June 21, 2019 | Katie de la Rosa
Sure, you might have noticed them, anyway. Their table is usually adorned in a rainbow flag, and they often wear shirts with rainbow-colored hop leafs.
But now? Now, the Denver Beer Queers have an official sign. Now you won’t be able to miss that they’re here, queer and drink lots of beer.
recent comments