Noon Whistle Brewing is Helping Bring Fully Removable Beer Can Lids to Illinois

Whether it’s in a can, bottle or on-draft, craft beer can be consumed in many ways. Now, thanks to a new state law backed by Chicago suburban brewery Noon Whistle Brewing, there will be a new way to drink: cans with completely removable lids.

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Founders Brewing Company | PC Pils

Founders Brewing Company’s PC Pils has become my summer go-to beer. I’m not certain how that came to be–I didn’t search it out. I simply picked it out one day when looking for an easy drinking brew, and was pleasantly surprised with the light, refreshing style. Before long it became the natural beer to pick up when we were looking to drink something reliable and quenching.

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Brewery Showcase | Ferguson Brewing Company

Brewpubs are not a new trend by any means, as they have been in business in St. Louis since at least 1991, when The Schlafly Tap Room opened just west of downtown. However, the practice of pairing a limited or full menu with beer brewed under the same roof continues to grow more popular in St. Louis, and few do it better than Ferguson Brewing Company.

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Green Flash Brewing Opening 3rd Brewery Location in Nebraska

Almost exactly a year removed from announcing their second brewery location in Virginia Beach, VA, Green Flash Brewing isn’t content with resting on its laurels. The San Diego, CA-based brewery announced this morning that it has acquired a 10,000 sq ft brewery, taproom and restaurant facility in Lincoln, NE.

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St. Louis Entrepreneur Crafting Take-Home Kegs for Draft Beer Lovers

With so many of us enjoying more and greater craft beer, it’s only natural that we would want to share the great beer we find with others. Bringing a cooler filled with your favorite cans and bottles is fine, but what about the great brew we love on tap? Read More

2 Days, 2 Nights | Detroit’s Craft Beer Scene

Detroit: You’ve heard of us. We’re making a comeback! The real story is Detroit never really left, but the leaps and bounds it has made in the last decade are astounding to anyone who has lived in the area since the rebellion. The Motor City has so much history, art, music, and culture to share, but most importantly for our readers it has tons and tons of beer too!
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Tribes Beer Company to Honor First Responders All September

Craft brewing and community are synonymous, but no community can exist without its first responders, the brave souls who serve and protect the town. Both Tribes Beer Company and Tribes Alehouse (suburban Chicago) will honor Police, Fire and EMTs/Paramedics, as well as their spouses and children, throughout September. First responders can enjoy 25% off their food bill as a gesture of appreciation for the hard work for which they bravely perform each day.

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Revolution Brewing’s Deep Wood Series is Coming to Cans

It has been a busy week for Chicago’s largest independently owned brewery. After announcing the exciting news that they will officially begin distribution to Michigan starting August 21^st, Revolution Brewing recently announced even better news for craft beer lovers: the expansion of their Deep Wood barrel-aged brew series into cans.

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Half Acre Beer | Wooden Teeth Brett Saison

Half Acre brings the funk with its Brett Saison, Wooden Teeth. This complex small batch beer, has the sophisticated feel of a champagne coupled with the casualness of a cider. The mixture of flavors brings the old brewing world together with new techniques. Wooden Teeth is funky, sour and a bit sweet for a perfect balance, resulting in an interestingly fun drinking experience.

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Sneak Preview: New Belgium’s Specialty Brands & Single Foeder Oscar No. 65

A little over a month ago, we reported on New Belgium’s decision to reimagine their specialty brands with the suspension of their popular Lips of Faith series and the implementation of their Wood Cellar Reserve series. Two weeks ago while attending the debut of Le Kriek Noir, the first entry in their new cork & cage Wood Cellar Reserve line, we were also treated to a sneak preview of what’s coming down the pipeline as well as a familiar brand that will also receive some fresh new packaging.

On Tuesday New Belgium Brewing Company announced that the second beer from its highly anticipated Wood Cellar Reserve series will be released this upcoming Saturday. At 8.5% ABV, single Foeder Oscar No. 65 is an unblended dark sour that has been maturing for 12 months in a 100 percent Missouri white oak foeder. According to the brewery, the beer pours dark walnut red with subtle notes of vanilla and coconut. These notes play beautifully with notes of plum skin and cherry Coca-Cola. This is a first run through using this foeder and only fresh beer will touch the American oak for the first time, thus the flavors for this release cannot be replicated—making this release truly special. Read More

Event Recap | Welles Park Beer Fest

The third leg of the Illinois Craft Beer Guild Festival Grand Slam occurred on Aug 5, 2017 at Welles Park on the north side of Chicago. Festival goers enjoyed sun, 78-degree temperatures, terrific beer and a venue that was tough to beat. Sadly, though, for various reasons, attendance seemed a tad lackluster for Welles. It’s unlikely that will be the case at the next one; the Festival of Barrel Aged Beers (FoBAB) is the Wimbledon or Masters of Illinois beer fests.

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2 Days, 2 Nights | Green Bay Craft Beer Scene

Green Bay, Wisconsin (aka Titletown, U.S.A.) offers visitors an appealing combination of beer, brats and football. I’m a huge Packers fan, in fact, my recent visit to Green Bay signaled my 20^th straight pilgrimage to Packers training camp. If you travel to Green Bay, you’ll find that the residents religiously follow the Packers during the season, through the offseason and into training camp. And while the Packers offer cheeseheads the best show in town, the beer scene in Titletown is also something worth cheering for. Here is what you should see and drink when you’re in Green Bay – preferably for a Packers home game.

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Off Color Brewing | Sparkles Finds (Some) Trouble Hibiscus Gose

Off Color Brewing offers some of the best craft beer in the country across their portfolio, in my humble opinion. And how could you pass up a beer named Sparkles Finds (some) Trouble? This poor kitten got himself into a little, but not too much trouble. Check out the basically amazing description of the beer from the brewery itself (I feel like there’s no way they’re paying their marketing person enough!):

“Curious kittens sometimes get themselves into trouble. What they find out is some things are best left alone. Likewise, curious brewers sometimes add flowers and junk to their beer to see what’ll happen. What they find out is those flowers will add a sweet note and stunning pink color to an otherwise tart and salty beer.”

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Event Preview | Half Acre Beer Co. The Big North II

As you may know, Half Acre Beer Co. is opening up a big and shiny brewing facility on Balmoral Avenue, which means more delicious beer and food from one of Chicago’s premiere craft beer destinations. To help launch the facility, Half Acre is hosting the 2nd annual Big North festival at the new digs, which will include over 35 Half Acre beer options, including a bunch of rare and experimental brews, drool-worthy food from the Half Acre kitchen, live music, and more. Here are the full details on Big North ’17.

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Ultimate 6er | Best Beers for a Cubs Game

Attending a Chicago Cubs game is an experience. From the bars to the fans to the field, Wrigley Field overwhelms the senses. One thing that has not been traditionally overwhelming near the stadium: the craft beer selection – until now. Thanks to the newly built Lucky Dorr, neighbor GreenStar Brewing and a concerted effort from Clark Street bar owners to stock more craft beer options, it is now easy to sip on some local craft beers before cheering on the 2016 World Champions.

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National IPA Day | Midwest Region Roundup

West Coast, East Coast, New England… Midwest? Yes, here in the land of tornadoes, Great Lakes, major rivers, sweeping winter cold fronts, barbeque, corn, wheat and sausage, we like our IPAs, too. Heck, hops are even grown here in abundance. In the Midwest, as in every other region, IPAs remain the most prominent form of craft beer served, and there are many worthy of having them over and over again.

The difficult part is picking only a few that represent the Midwestern IPA scene. We can’t name them all, but we at Porchdrinking.com can provide a small taste — pun intended — of what the Midwest offers.

Check out the rest of our #IPAday regions:

Northeast | Southeast | Mountain | Pacific Northwest | Southwest

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Ultimate 6er | Six Perfect Beers for Camping In The Midwest

When summer hits, people find just about any reason to spend time outdoors. For many that means camping. While camping can mean something different for each person, I think we can all agree that craft beer is a perfect companion for spending time in the great outdoors. Canned craft beer is especially ideal because it is lighter, easier to recycle and doesn’t break like glass bottles.

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South East Craft Beer Fest Becoming a National Must-Attend Event

Two years ago I bemoaned the downward tailspin of craft beer festivals in a piece I penned: Have Beer Festivals Jumped the Shark. It seems in large part that a majority of them have done just that. Two years later, I could expound on an even greater litany of festival organizer faux pas, ranging from a failure to support breweries the day of the festival, to hooking up kegs to the wrong draft lines (I’ve actually seen this happen).

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Event Recap | Warped Wing Trotwood Derby

One of the highlights of each year when I was between the ages of 10 and 12 was the annual AWANA Pinewood Derby (AWANA was like Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts for church kids—I had a weird childhood). I would give my dad an impossible car design on paper, he would do an impressive job of cutting that design from a three dimensional block of wood, and then on a Saturday morning in February—car in hand and hopes high—we would head to the track to get our asses squarely kicked. We never won anything and never came close, but it was a lot of fun. Read More

Brewery Showcase | Kinslahger Brewing

In a craft-beer world abound in ales, a brewery focused on lagers can reap the benefits of exploring a whole new world of brewing innovation and experimentation. And that’s what you’ll find at Kinslahger Brewing in the Chicago suburb of Oak Park, Illinois,
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