Forager Brewery | 9th Anniversary Showcase

It’s been about two and a half months since Forager Brewing’s 9th Anniversary Foragerfest celebration, and people are still buzzing about the bottles released for the occasion. Free to attend and open to all ages, Foragerfest has become hugely popular over the years, and people have traveled from near and far to Rochester, Minnesota to get a taste of the one-off barrel-aged offerings, live music, and artisan markets that have become so popular at the event. Austin Jevne and the team were generous enough to send us the full lineup from this year to review and share on PorchDrinking, and we can’t thank them enough for allowing us the chance to share the experience with our readers.

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2024 FoBAB Results | Festival of Wood & Barrel-Aged Beers Award Winners

One of our favorite time for beer throughout the year has returned. Barrel-aged beer season is finally back! The onset of November always signals the perfect time to cozy up to some barrel-aged Stouts, Porters, Wilds, and Sours. And what better way to commemorate the season than with the return of the Festival of Barrel-Aged Beer (FoBAB), one of the best showcases of barrel-aged beers in the country.

The results are IN and we now know all of the big award winners from this year’s 2024 Festival of Wood and Barrel-Aged Beers (FoBAB). This year’s 22nd annual FoBAB was once again a spectacular success showcasing the country’s absolute best producers in the wood and barrel-aged beer categories.

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Tri City Brewing | Ruckinator Doppelbock

The Michigan Tri-Cities have some killer breweries in Midland, Bay City and Saginaw. Today, we’ll look at one of the oldest and most established in the area, Tri City Brewing Company, and one of its flagship brews, the Ruckinator Doppelbock. The beer won Gold at the World Expo of Beer in 2022 in the Strong European Style category, so let’s take a look at what makes it special.  

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Amorphic Beer | They’re Here Aren’t They Imperial Pilsner

Are you ready to be introduced to your new favorite unofficial beer style? We say “unofficial” because it’s not technically a Beer Judge Certification Program style. Thankfully, the fine folks at  Amorphic Beer don’t care about those kind of rules and categories.

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Celebrating Three Years with Duneyrr Fermenta

After originally brewing at the brewery incubator, Pilot Project, in Chicago, Duneyrr Fermenta opened its doors in the South Loop. We spoke with their owner, Tyler Davis, about how Duneyrr started, what is up next for them, and about their upcoming three year anniversary!

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A Year in Michigan Beer | 52 Brews for All Seasons

Michigan is known as the “Great Beer State” for good reason. With over 400 breweries spread through two peninsulae, there’s no shortage of Michigan beer to try. You could spend an entire year drinking your way through the state and still not see all there is to offer. 

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Brewery Showcase | Frankenmuth Brewery

Frankenmuth is one of the top tourist destinations in the beautiful state of Michigan. Located just south of Saginaw and 90 miles north of Detroit along the well-traveled I-75, people have been stopping here for years to visit the German-themed shops, eat world-famous chicken dinners, shop at the giant Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland, and have a pint at the Frankenmuth Brewery.

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Brothership Brewing | BA Space Debris: Hazelnut + Vanilla + Coconut

Stout season is finally upon us! Yes, we’re well aware that many folks enjoy Stouts year-round, and we’re perfectly fine with that. For some folks though, it’s a magical time of year for them to enjoy those dark beers and the crisp air.

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Midwest Coast Fifth Anniversary Celebration

Midwest Coast Brewing opened its doors in the West Town neighborhood of Chicago in 2019, and to celebrate hitting five years, they will be hosting an anniversary event all day on Saturday, September 28th. Despite the obvious bump in the road in 2020, they have been able to craft exceptional beers, open up a beautiful year-round patio (an absolute treat in the midwest winter), and maintain a loyal customer base throughout these five years. This celebration is a thank you to the customers and craft beer community that has made this last half decade possible.

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Sneak Peek: Pulpit Rock | Barrel-Aged $ticker $hock Imperial Stout

It’s alarming at how quickly time has passed since highlighting Pulpit Rock Brewing Co.’s EIGHT Imperial Stout, one of a handful of beers released as part of its eighth anniversary celebration last August. Year nine for the small Iowa brewery has mirrored this fast pace, as it has continued to grow in popularity and also increased its barrel-aged production. On April 16, the brewery announced a save-the-date for its highly sought after $ticker $hock barrel-aged Imperial Stout. $ticker $hock hasn’t seen a new vintage since 2020, and we’ve collaborated with head brewer Justin Teff and the team in Decorah to provide PorchDrinking readers an exclusive sneak peek at the 2024 iteration ahead of its July 13 public release.

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Hop Seasons | What Happens at a Small Hop Farm Throughout the Year

In the year-long agricultural cycle of beer’s main ingredients, hop harvest gets all the glory. Fresh hop and wet hop beers fill shelves and taplists every fall, a celebration of craft beer’s trendiest ingredient. Brewers flock to the Pacific Northwest (or their local hop yard) to evaluate the season’s best lots and choose hops for the coming year. Most of our “seasonal” beer styles today are nods to tradition rather than agricultural dictate, but these beers are different, a hold out from a time when brewing schedules and beer styles were guided by the growing calendar.

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Lua Brewing | Lua’s Birthday Blend Barleywine

A curious question that arises frequently at brewery bars is “How’d you decide on the name?” Sometimes there’s quirky, meaningful backstories, sometimes it’s a spin on the founder’s names, sometimes it’s inspired by their geographic location, or it’s one of a million other possibilities. For Lua Brewing, owners Scott and Whitney Selix found no better namesake for their passion project than their beloved pup. Lua turned 13 years old on March 14th of this year, and a month later the team in Iowa released a very special birthday blend in her honor.
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Colorado’s Best Kölsch Blind Tasting Presented by On Tap Credit Union

Warmer days are rolling in and one of the best beers to pair with the sunshine is a good ol’ Kölsch! Thus, it was the perfect time to conduct the latest blind tasting to find some of the best Kölsch style beers made by breweries in Colorado.

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Event Preview | HOMES Nucleate Fest

HOMES Brewery hosts their annual Nucleate festival on Saturday June 8 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The event features breweries from around the world and will benefit charity.

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CLAG Brewing Company | You Wouldn’t Drink a Clear IPA

One of the PorchDrinking team’s favorite things about craft beer journalism is the people you meet and the stories they share with us. People are what makes the craft brewing community interesting. Don’t get us wrong, we love trying beers and we get to sample some of the best in the country, but the people are what make it interesting and fun. So let’s meet the people behind the Sandusky, Ohio-based CLAG Brewing Company.

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Collaborating for a Cause | For Alex

At the end of May 2023, Wax Wings Brewing pledged their support for Alex Kidd with a dedicated bottle release. This series has always looked to highlight breweries and the benefits they’ve conducted to help support Alex and his family as he continues to fight for his life. As we approach 20 installments to this series from breweries and meaderies all over the country – and even Norway! – we find ourselves back in Michigan to take a deep dive into Wax Wing’s For Alex release.

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Saint Errant Brewing | Skosh Barrel-Aged Stout

In today’s craft beer industry, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to stand out. To this Saint Errant Brewing said “hold my beer,” throwing something entirely new into the barrel-aged stout game. On March 19, the Chicago brewery announced the release of Skosh. A whimsical idea morphed into a pragmatic reality, this oak-aged imperial stout was packaged in a bag. In a box. With a pour spout. There was no way that we weren’t going to showcase craft beer going full Franzia mode, so we asked Saint Errant co-owner Brent Banks to send a box our way to feature on PorchDrinking.

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Chicago Brewery Events This April

Spring has sprung, and there’s no shortage of beer events happening across Chicago this month as we (hopefully) get more sunny days and patio weather. Beer Culture Center starts the month with an event at Siebel Institute of Technology, Industry Ales opens its doors, and you have options for celebrating 420. Here are Chicago brewery events this April!

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Demo Brewing Opens Up in Chicago’s Malt Row

For any beer nerd that is visiting Chicago, the Ravenswood/Andersonville area is an obvious choice; you are within walking distance to Hop Butcher for the World, Dovetail, Half Acre and more. You would think that there are maybe enough breweries for us. That would not be the case. This area is always looking to add another locally owned business, and when it’s a brewery, everyone is even more excited. After the loss of both Empirical Brewery and Urban Brew Labs in 2022, Demo Brewing Company is a great addition to the community.

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Sun King Brewing | RHINOMITE Double IPA

Sun King Brewing is an independently owned brewery and distillery with operations in Indiana and Florida. Conceived by two professional brewers, Dave Colt and Clay Robinson, and started with the help of family and friends.

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