Midwest
Revolution Brewing Releases Cuvée de Grâce for Second Time
April 12, 2021 | Mike Zoller
When Revolution Brewing Cuvée de Grâce was last released in January 2020 there was a line around the brewery, a big release party inside the taproom and just three U.S. airports were beginning to screen for COVID simply as a precaution.
Old Nation Brewing Co. | Night Farmer Porter
April 12, 2021 | Jessica Spengler
Old Nation Brewing Co. made waves a few years ago for their highly drinkable take on the New England IPA: M-43. What followed was a “New Orthodox” IPA series that has kept the brewery on top of best-in-beer lists. But the brewery ain’t no one-trick pony. Their Electron Brown and Over Privileged Stout have both been hits with beer enthusiasts and are a far cry from the Hazy IPAs that put them on the map. In what seems like a pattern of success, they’ve managed to create another winner with their newest brew, a 6.5% ABV Porter called Night Farmer.
Boys Are From Märzen Podcast | Kim Collins Guardian Brewing
April 9, 2021 | Kindsey Bernhard
In Episode 37 of the “Boys Are From Märzen” podcast, Kindsey Bernhard converses with Kim Collins, owner and head brewer at Guardian Brewing Company in Saugatuck, Michigan.
Great Lakes Brewing Co. | Crushworthy Lo-Cal Citrus Wheat Ale
April 7, 2021 | Kevin Risner
Receiving good news can be a thrill, but receiving good beer news is even better! Months ago, when Great Lakes Brewing Co. (GLBC) in Cleveland, OH introduced their beer lineup for 2021, a newcomer to the ranks appeared on their list. I saw the style, and grew excited at this new option for a new year. Soon after that, we received fresh can art and more tantalizing details about this beer. Now, Crushworthy Lo-Cal Citrus Wheat, one of GLBC’s next offerings, has finally arrived right on target, a year-round ale for those thirsty for something different.
Scorched Earth Brewing Co. | Fierce Female IPA
April 2, 2021 | Rachel Morrison
We know them. We are them. Fierce Female by Scorched Earth is a West Coast Style IPA brewed to highlight the contributions of women within the industry and around the world. This year, Fierce Female was reimagined. This beer recognizes strong women past and present, while also empowering the next generation of fierce females.
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.”
Ballast Point Chicago Faced Challenges from the Start
March 25, 2021 | Mike Zoller 7
On Tuesday, Ballast Point Brewing owners announced that they would be closing the brewpub in Chicago’s West Loop neighborhood for good. The location was open for just under three years and while the pandemic definitely played a factor, the location for the brewpub was always going to present big challenges.
Women in Beer | Bri Burrows & The Big Rip
March 19, 2021 | Katie Camlin
In an industry where women are still fighting for space, Bri Burrows of The Big Rip Brewing Co. is a humble trailblazer. In just shy of five years, she catapulted herself from weekend bartender, to head brewer and co-owner — a combination that is a first for a woman in the Kansas City, Missouri, brewery scene.
Women in Beer | The Women of Pink Barrel Cellars
March 18, 2021 | Jessica Spengler
There’s something about working alongside family that can make things a little easier. When you don’t have to put on a face, you can get things done, you can make things happen, and you can use that to be a success. Generations of farmers know this, embrace it, and pass it on to their children. And sometimes that can lead to new business, innovation and tasty beer. Or, maybe that’s just the case for Grand Rapids, Michigan-based farm brewery, Pink Barrel Cellars.
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.
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…
Love & Business at Silver Spruce Brewing Co.
March 11, 2021 | Eeva Sharp 1
Silver Spruce Brewing Co. in Traverse City, MI is a marriage of many things—coworkers and spouses, clean and mixed culture beers, parents and business partners. For Leah Tyrell and Scott Stuhr, that all comes together to create a marriage founded in brewing and sustained by a love of their craft.
Brewing Trio Teams Up for Women’s History Month
March 8, 2021 | Taylor Laabs
Getting the proper education to professionally brew and judge craft beer is vital to finding success in the craft beer industry, yet these educational opportunities are not distributed equally. Pink Boots Society, an association designed to “assist, inspire and encourage women fermented/alcoholic beverage industry professionals to advance their careers through education,” is looking to change that. One of the best ways to advance the Pink Boots cause is through added funding and visibility, which commonly manifests through unique brewing partnerships Pink Boots works on with interested breweries.
With this in mind, Brew Pipeline, Potosi Brewery and Pink Boots Society teamed up to brew up a beer just in time for March, which is Women’s History Month. The grapefruit-forward Hefeweizen, dubbed Rosa Stiefel, or German for “pink boots,” is the latest collaboration aimed at advancing educational efforts for women looking to get into the craft beer space. Here are the details.
Women in Beer | Chicago Pink Boots Peaches & Her
March 8, 2021 | David Nilsen
Raiye Rosado still remembers walking into her first meeting of the Chicago Chapter of the Pink Boots Society.
“I was absolutely terrified to walk through the door,” said the co-founder of Rabid Brewing in Homewood, Illinois.
She didn’t need to be.
Wax Wings Brewing Company | V Double IPA
March 3, 2021 | Jack Raymond
Wax Wings Brewing Company’s love for IPA runs deep. In this past year alone, their Into the Labyrinth series has received seventeen iterations, each batch allowing for dynamic experimentation in process and flavor. Like Daedelus from the titular Icarus myth, owner Rob Hopkins is driven by a desire to invent and innovate—to approach the sun without torching his wings. He could talk hops until he’s green in the face so when asked he happily divulged details on what some might consider their crowning achievement: V.
PorchDrinking and Better on Draft Announce Partnership
February 26, 2021 | Jessica Spengler
Co-written by Jessica Spengler, PorchDrinking’s Michigan Regional Editor, and Edwin “Ed” Norton, Better on Draft’s Editor-in-Chief and Lead Writer.
(Michigan) – PorchDrinking and Better on Draft Media are proud to announce a collaborative partnership across both sites regarding coverage of the Michigan craft brewing industry as of March 1, 2021.
Ultimate 6er | Chicago Beer Pairings for the Golden Globes
February 24, 2021 | Rachel Morrison
No, Emily in Paris is not included in this list. For starters, it’s not a film. Additionally, it has no place on the list of nominees for the Golden Globes altogether. If you for whatever reason would like a recommendation to pair with the show, reach for whatever brewery is currently releasing exploding cans to the public.
Sour Series: Company Brewing | Alphabetical Order (Pink Guava Gose)
February 24, 2021 | Emma Wargolet
The growth in popularity of Sours the past couple of years in the craft brewing community has been extremely exciting for the woman who shoved sour gummy worms in her mouth by the handful as a child. While Sour Ales may not get the love and acclaim as Barrel-Aged beers do, they should be recognized as a beer style that takes creativity and patience, not to mention access to interesting ingredients. One such brewery taking risks with their Sours and Goses is Company Brewing, based out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Recently, I enjoyed Alphabetical Order, a Pink Guava Gose that originally started as a collaboration beer with Component Brewing.
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