Central State Brewing | Table Rustic Blonde Ale

January 2021 is here. Finally.

A time-honored tradition among many craft-beer drinkers every January is Dryanuary or, a month without alcohol. But this January, craft breweries need our help more than ever. And, let’s face it, we all need a beer more than ever. So what’s a good compromise between cutting out drinking altogether for a month and giving craft breweries our support? Let’s go with drinking more low-ABV beers. If you indulged in a lot of high-ABV beers over the holidays like we did, it’s time to cleanse the palate anyway.

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BrewDog | Hazy AF Nearly Alcohol Free IPA

Across the globe, the market for non-alcoholic/low alcohol beer exceeded $9.5 billion in 2019, with an estimated compound annual growth rate of approximately 7-8% over the course of the next six years (Global Market Insights). By 2027, global sales in this segment are projected to surpass a valuation of $28 billion (Fact.MR). That’s some serious change in more than one sense of the word.

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Rake Beer Project Dragged Over Coals for Reppin’ Michigan’s Gov. Whitmer

Rake Beer Project, in Muskegon, Michigan, is less than two years old, and whether you love them or hate being told to stay home to help curb a relentless global pandemic, they’ve probably slowed your newsfeed scroll at least twice in 2020. And, like it or not (trigger warning): they’re about to do it a third time.

At the onset of Covid-19 flipping Earth into The Upside Down, Michigan’s Governor Gretchen Whitmer was unfazed after being slapped with a belittling nickname, “That Woman From Michigan,” by (three guesses) “That President From New York.” Twitter deflected the shade and clapped back on her behalf: Photoshop helped place a pair of Cartier sunglasses (known as “Buffs” in Detroit) on Whitmer, and The Michigangster was soon rebranded “Big Gretch.” In a public display of support for the governor’s Stay at Home Order, Rake joined the party, threw a non-red hat in the ring, and made a beer in her honor.

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Untitled Art | Tropical Smoothie Seltzer

Step into a local bottle shop and pick up a can of fresh fruit smoothie is what the label of Untitled Art Tropical Seltzer Smoothie should say. Instead, the brewery’s bright and cheery can is offset by a white stripe with vivid orange letters screaming SELTZER for all to see. The Waunakee, WI-based brewery collaborated with Stockholm, Sweden-based Omnipollo to create what can only be seen as a marvel of modern brewing.

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2020 Michigan Best in Beer Year-End Honors

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. What a year we’ve had in Michigan, eh? Nothing went the way anyone expected and for many, it went worse than they ever imagined. If you’re still standing, congratulations. However, one thing that definitely stayed as expected: Despite shutdowns and sickness and protests and kidnapping threats and endless elections, Michigan brewers once again made some of the best beer in the country in 2020. Which, of course, makes my job that much more difficult. I’m certainly not new to beer, but I am brand new to picking the Michigan Best in Beer Year-End Honors which, at 300+ breweries, is a daunting task, to say the least.

That being said, I still get the good news–and there certainly was plenty of it. So, I’ve compiled what I can of the best in Michigan. Here’s to an absolutely horrible, but completely wonderful, 2020.

Cheers!
~Jess, Michigan Editor at PorchDrinking.com

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The History Behind Riot | Revolution Brewing

Good beer tells a story. A brewer could be inspired by a personal experience or possibly by their surroundings. For Riot, it is the latter. The city of Chicago has a dense and complex history. Chicago is known for major historical events such as The Great Chicago Fire, The Columbian Exposition (shout out to the amazing book Devil in the White City), and the Haymarket Affair. But, the story behind this Revolution Brewing beer is hidden in the depths of history.

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More Inside Hershey’s Trademark Dispute with Side Lot Brewery

As reported by CBS Chicago’s (WBBM) Marie Saavedra, Side Lot Brewery in Wauconda, IL (Chicago’s Northwest Suburbs) must pay The Hershey Company $8,500 by January 4th because of its Sugar Series beer release this past Halloween comprised of Hershey’s candies and the associated labeling that mimicked Hershey products. We spoke to the parties involved about the trademark dispute.

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3 Floyds Permanently Closes Munster, IN Brewpub

3 Floyds Brewing first announced an indefinite closing of their Munster, IN facility back in May, and it now seem as if that closure has become permanent. In a letter … Read More

Breweries to Create Missouri Brewers Guild’s First Collaboration Brew

Twenty-two members of the Missouri Brewers Guild teamed up this fall to brew the Guild’s first-ever collaboration brew, aptly named “Missouri Loves Company”. The breweries met via video conference to discuss logistics, ingredients, and unite during a time when social distancing rules tend to keep people apart.

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Barn Town Brewing | Barrel-Aged Yer Killin’ Me S’mores!

The 2020 version of West Des Moines, IA-based Barn Town Brewing’s Yer Killin’ Me S’mores! offers a nostalgic and supportive approach to Stout Season.

This Milk Stout debuted last year as a nod to “The Sandlot.” Founder Pete Faber and his team knew they wanted to create a s’mores stout and they eventually decided to reference an iconic scene from their childhood. Like all beers at Barn Town, the concept, branding and execution balance eccentricity and thoughtfulness in a purposeful way.
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Brewery Showcase | Waypost Brewing Company

One of the most wonderful things about Michigan, given its vicinity to the Great Lakes, is the multitude of mini climates that make the state ideal for growing grapes, hops, wheat and, of course, cherries. However, despite a great deal of hullaballoo over Michigan cherries, it is far from the only fruit grown in the Mitten State. Mirabelle plums, apples, pears and quince are also grown throughout Michigan’s western fruit belt, as well as the luscious and lovely blueberry. It stands to reason, then, that breweries throughout the fruit belt region embrace the blueberry and other fruits as a way to make authentically-Michigan, fruit-based beers from locally grown fruit. Few are more locally grown than Waypost Brewing Company, a farm brewery that prides itself on its ties to the land.

“We define Waypost as a farmhouse brewery, and our beers are created to reflect the place and the people who make it what it is. Whether that’s the water, the fruit or the feeling on the farm the day the beer was brewed, we want our product to be a reflection of this truly unique place,” said Waypost’s co-owner and brewer, Hannah Lee.

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Strong BA Series | Warped Wing Whiskey Rebellion

Warped Wing Brewing Company’s taproom on an uneven brick side street in downtown Dayton, Ohio, is pretty quiet for early December. The hulking, 80-year-old concrete building that once housed the Buckeye Iron & Brassworks foundry is normally humming with beer drinkers, and on the early December Saturday when the brewery’s beloved Whiskey Rebellion bourbon barrel-aged Imperial Stout is released, the cavernous facility is always packed with celebratory fans. A line begins early that morning waiting for bottle allotments and extends through the cracked cement of the parking lot, past the building, and around the corner of the block.

This year’s release, of course, is different, though the enthusiasm for it is as vibrant as ever.

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FINNEGANS Brew Co. | Rescue + Recharge American Lager

For many, the holidays are about giving back. It’s a time to support those less fortunate or to further a charitable cause. The holidays are also about connecting with your family and sharing your favorite beer. So, what if you could do both? What if you could drink an amazing craft beer and give back? Rescue + Recharge American Lager, a limited release for the holiday season, is this perfect kind of synergy — a partnership between FINNEGANS Brew Co. and Firefighters for Healing to create a great beer and support a wonderful cause.
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Previewing Revolution Brewing’s 4th Deep Wood Release

A drier, barrel-focused release is the theme in Revolution Brewing’s 4th Deep Wood release of 2020 with three different beer styles hitting cans this weekend.

With the last two releases featuring adjuncts like cherries, maple, and honey, the release of Mineshaft Gap, Ryeway to Heaven, and Double Barrel V.S.O.D. go quite a different direction in the December Deep Wood installment.

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Strong BA Series | Off Color Brewing Barrel-Aged Dino S’mores

Barrel, chocolate, marshmallow all packaged up in Off Color Brewing’s notable 250ml bottles — it’s Barrel-Aged Dino S’mores season, and this year’s version is not to miss.

The popular Russian Imperial Stout comes in a non-barrel-aged version and typically a couple of variants as well as the barrel-aged version. This year’s BA beer spent 13 months sitting in Wild Turkey 101 bourbon barrels and the beer took to the barrel like a fish to water.

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What We’re Drinking | December 4, 2020

December is here, so let’s light the trees and count down the days until 2020 are over. This week started with a wintry mix, which is rare in Georgia, but brought a week’s worth of surprises. An elf seemingly wandered from the North Pole to my house as decoration. From the string lights on most surfaces, to the garland-wrapped bar car, I think I’m only missing the sleigh and reindeer. Maybe those are coming in the next few weeks? Until we get there, here is What We’re Drinking.

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Speciation Artisan Ales | Magic Trait BBA Sour w/ Blackberry & Blackcurrant

As an organism’s genetic sequence twists and changes, sometimes happy accidents occur, forever altering the course of a species. Fish switched fins for feet, lizards grew wings and took to the sky and here we are with livers, fine-tuned for processing the world’s delicious beer. Read More

Braxton Brewing’s Annual Dark Charge Release Goes Virtual

Like every event in 2020, Braxton Brewing Company’s Sixth Annual Dark Charge Day is going to look different this year: The annual release of their Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout, Dark Charge, will be held online.

The good: Instead of waking up early on a Saturday with your BA Stout loving friends and waiting in line in the cold, you will be able to purchase Dark Charge variants from the comfort of your couch. The bad: There will be no big celebration at the Covington, KY taproom.

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Energy City Brewing | Bistro Grande Pumpkin Cheesecake

With innovation and experimentation at the forefront, Energy City Brewing in Batavia, Ill. has something new brewing every week. Without an operating taproom and in the middle of a still-surging pandemic, they have still found a way to keep the sophisticated beer drinkers’ attention and stay relevant in times of uncertainty. While their mainstay offerings continue to be popular around the Chicagoland area, their one-off offerings, available only for curbside pick-up at the brewery, are the main attraction, drawing people all the way from Chicago to make the long drive two counties over for a chance to get their hands on this week’s concoction.

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Indulgent Beer Series | Humble Forager Brewery – Voyager’s Getaway

It’s arguable there’s no better way to indulge yourself than by taking a getaway. To unplug, decompress and reset is truly a gift. However, our getaways look very different this year, if they’re happening at all. Luckily, Humble Forager Brewery, whose mission is to offer thoughtful, specialty beers wherever adventure takes you, is providing ways to indulge during this difficult time, including a new Pastry Porter

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