Midwest
Sour Series: Rake Beer Project | Raspberry Mylk Atomic Milkshake Sour
February 23, 2021 | Jason Ley
“Atomic” mylkshake sours are what happen when a brewery gets tipsy off their own supply and sparked up with inspiration. Rake Beer Project’s new Raspberry Mylk takes creative license from their Imperial Milk Stouts juxtaposed with their flagship line of popular, ever-rotating smoothie-style Joose beers to devise a high-ABV, heavily-fruited hybrid.
Sour Series: Side Project Brewing | Pêche du Fermier Farmhouse Ale
February 22, 2021 | Loren White
Few styles can be as divisive among craft beer fans as fruited Sours. Some avoid them altogether, while others see them as the pinnacle of craft brewing. From time to time a beer comes along that can successfully bridge this divide. Side Project Brewing Pêche du Fermier is the poster child for this kind of mass appeal.
Produced by one of the greatest American brewers of sour beers, Side Project is as highly regarded as they come. Their ability to consistently produce delicious and complex beers is staggering and explains why trying to find their beers sometimes feels you’re on a quest for the holy grail. Read More
Sour Series: Humble Forager | Coastal Sunrise V1
February 19, 2021 | Jason Murphy
Pastry beers have had their day in the spotlight… but fruited breakfast pastry sours? Well, that’s a horse of another color. At Humble Forager Brewery in Madison, WI, the recipe looks simple yet contains so much more.
What Happened To the Black IPA and Its Comeback
February 15, 2021 | Mike Zoller 1
In an industry dominated by the Hazy IPA and beers with ingredient lists you’re more likely to find in a grocery store candy or cereal aisle, one classic style saw a resurgence in 2020.
Indeed Brewing Company | Pils
February 12, 2021 | Max Sundermeyer
One of the most admirable characteristics of the brewing industry is the constant pursuit of perfection. The art of rebuilding or tweaking/fine-tuning classic worldly or new and innovative recipes is an art — an art the industry does well. In Minneapolis, there’s not a better example of this process than Indeed Brewing Company’s Pils.
Harold’s ’83 Collab Highlights Lack of Diversity in the Alcohol Industry
February 11, 2021 | Mike Zoller
Harold’s ’83 is a Honey Ale, but the story behind the beer is much more than just a 5.2% ABV beverage that Haymarket Brewing Co. is releasing in cans for the first time.
Illinois BEERacket Fundraiser Boxes Go On Sale Friday
February 10, 2021 | Mike Zoller
With their regular roster of beer events canceled due to the pandemic, the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild has had to be creative to find other ways to generate revenue for the non-profit organization. One solution has been mixed variety beer boxes for the general public to purchase. They sold out of the “FoBAB at Home” boxes in November and are releasing a new box with a March Madness-like BEERacket theme.
Ultimate 6er | Female Friendships to Celebrate
February 10, 2021 | Emma Wargolet
Celebrating friendships has always been extremely important, even more so after experiencing the trash fire of 2020. Galentine’s Day is a favorite holiday of mine, as it is a day where I can bake and craft and celebrate the incredible women in my life. I spend more time preparing for Galentine’s Day than I do most things, so knowing that this year will need to be postponed just equals more time to make celebrating female friendships extra special.
Boys Are From Märzen Podcast | Danielle D’Alessandro Illinois Craft Brewers Guild
February 5, 2021 | Kindsey Bernhard
In Episode 24 of the “Boys Are From Märzen” podcast, Kindsey Bernhard is joined by Danielle D’Alessandro, executive director of the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild.
D’Alessandro was hired as the executive director of the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild in September 2016, and currently has over 200 brewery members in the Guild.
Wellbeing Brewing Company | Hellraiser NA Dark Amber
February 2, 2021 | Rachel Morrison
Dry January looked much different this year. Now, more than ever, local breweries need consumers’ support to survive. We continue to live through the pandemic and continuous major historical events. As a result, many have decided this isn’t the year to cut out drinking for a month (or at all).
However, for those who participated in alcohol abstinence, you didn’t have to sacrifice flavor. Recently, there has been a surge of non-alcoholic (NA) options in the market. Additionally, there are breweries solely dedicated to it. Meet Wellbeing Brewing Company, a Missouri-based craft brewery focused on non-alcoholic beers. They offer a range of NA styles, all consisting of 0% alcohol but thankfully–plenty of flavor. Read More
Outdoor Spaces During COVID-19 | 56 Brewing
February 1, 2021 | Erik Eidem
“Burn the Jenga!” the crowd feverishly chanted. The patio was bustling and the taproom at 56 Brewing was out of firewood, so something had to go. Your typical brewery staples of Yahtzee and Scrabble would only stoke the flames for so long. This called for something bigger, bolder… something that would warm their patrons for hours. When one is dealing with both pandemic-based shutdowns and the frosty winds of the North, out-of-the-box thinking is required. Welcome to the Patio Pintometer.
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5 Questions with Schlafly Brewing’s Lead Designer, Sarah Frost
January 28, 2021 | Taylor Laabs 1
Picture your favorite beer. What do you see? Maybe it’s poured in a proper glass, bubbles bursting. Odds are though, you’re picturing the can or bottle the beer initially came in. While the liquid itself brings great pleasure, it’s typically the vehicle it comes in that you associate with first. That’s why beer can artwork is so fun, so creative, so celebrated at times. Because it makes the beer standout both on-shelves and in your mind. St. Louis-based Schlafly Brewing continues to churn out great beer can designs that celebrate the history or place of origin behind a beer’s name or style. It’s a unique approach that has paid dividends for the brewery and for their lead designer, Sarah Frost. To learn more about Frost’s unique approach to beer can art, what inspires her and what labels she’s most excited about this year, I asked her five questions.
Boys Are From Märzen Podcast | Sherry Wohlgemuth Missouri Craft Brewers Guild
January 26, 2021 | Kindsey Bernhard
In Episode 21 of the “Boys Are From Märzen” podcast, Kindsey Bernhard is joined by Sherry Wohlgemuth, the executive director of the Missouri Craft Brewers Guild.
Sherry Wohlgemuth was hired as the executive director of the Missouri Craft Brewers Guild in October 2018, becoming the guild’s first full-time, paid employee. Currently, the Missouri Craft Brewers Guild has 55 brewery members and four in the planning stages. The state of Missouri has more than 100 independent craft breweries.
Marz Community Brewing | The Love Brew (Gose)
January 25, 2021 | Christiana Torres
Marz Community Brewing Co. takes their name to heart. The Love Brew is a collaboration with a local Chicago mutual aid organization, The Love Fridge. With each 4-pack sold, $1 will go towards The Love Fridge community.
The Love Fridge is an organization that has placed community fridges throughout the city, inspired by similar movements in New York City, Portland and all over the world. They aim to offer a solution to food waste and food insecurity through community involvement. As millions of people lose their jobs because of the ongoing pandemic and with months ahead before any progress is made, our community efforts mean the most now.
Outdoor Spaces During Covid-19 | Brass Ring Brewery
January 22, 2021 | Jessica Spengler
In 2020, we entered a new normal. When once we crowded hip-to-hip in breweries and barrooms, we now spread out six feet, stick to our tables, and wear masks whenever we move about. During summertime, since outdoor eating is a norm many people enjoy, it felt a little bit better, a bit less stifled. But in late fall, when cold weather set in and a surge in COVID-19 cases caused a new round of indoor dining closures throughout the country, breweries, bars and restaurants had to get creative. Plastic outdoor igloos began to show up, allowing a private space for groups to gather outside. Some establishments chose to keep their patios “as-is,” installing large space heaters to keep people warm and cozy. But others have gone a different route, to stand out due to cost issues — or because as the weather gets colder, even large space heaters don’t do the trick.
Here at Porchdrinking.com, we’ve decided to highlight the creativity of these establishments to keep their businesses open, even when indoor dining is an absolutely non-starter. Our first profile is Grand Rapids, Michigan’s Brass Ring Brewery, and their colorful ice shanties.
Zipline Brewing Co. | Milk Stout
January 21, 2021 | Lori Kitzing
As winter rolls into Nebraska, it’s time to slow down and enjoy some locally-crafted stouts. Zipline Brewing Co. has released their winter seasonal beer, Milk Stout. This is their second year brewing Milk Stout, and locals are glad to see it come back. Last year the beer was so popular, they ran out earlier than expected. This year you should be able to find it on store shelves (and at one of their four locations in Lincoln and Omaha) into mid-March.
Revolution Caps Off Deep Wood Series with Half Acre Collab
January 20, 2021 | Mike Zoller
To wrap up their 2020-21 Deep Wood release, Revolution Brewing decided to go with two non-stouts, featuring an Imperial Rye Porter made in collaboration with Half Acre as well as a spin on their popular Ryewine Ale by putting it into Apple Brandy barrels.
Thesis Beer Project | Rookie Card IPA
January 19, 2021 | Jason Ehrreich
With the market oversaturated with Hazy IPAs and adjuncts, how do you find that one beer that sticks out amongst the rest? You compare a beer menu to a first-round draft pick. Some are unproven and many times there is so much unknown from them. Folks tend to sort a beer list by putting the ones you know you will like on top and putting the others on the bottom. So when there is a rookie on the list, where do you put the unproven beer you might overlook because it doesn’t have that hazy, juiciness or adjunct flavors we see so much of today?
2020 Illinois Best in Beer Year-End Honors
January 15, 2021 | Mike Zoller
It’s cliche to say that 2020 was a year unlike any other but how else do you describe what was most likely the most challenging year in a long time. While breweries and organizations mainly cancelled or refashioned beer festivals and release parties, the beer continued to flow. In 2020, Illinois brewers still managed to produce an abundance of of notable beers.
Pollyanna Brewing | Lite Thinking
January 15, 2021 | Mathew Powers
In 2016, I wrote a piece about Pollyanna Brewing Summerly Raspberry Wheat that stated, “Pollyanna Brewing‘s rapid success is almost unfathomable until you try the beer — and then it makes perfect sense. Just shy of two years old, Pollyanna Brewing is already expanding its production.” Well, nearly five years after that story published, the brewery has opened two new locations and won a host of prestigious beer awards, including its Lite Thinking American Lager that won 2019 gold and 2020 bronze at the Great American Beer Fest (GABF).
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