2 Days, 2 Nights | Chaffee County, Colorado Winter Edition

At first, this seemed so easy. Just write about the best things to do, see, experience, eat and drink in Chaffee County. But here’s the problem: It’s only for 2 days and 2 nights. Being in and around Salida and Buena Vista brings on that kid-in-the-candy store feeling. Except in terms of outdoorsy adventures. I want it all! So, I’ll steer you to a few of my favorite things, then it’s up to you to see where it all leads.

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PorchDrinking’s Weekly Denver Beer Beat | November 1, 2017

The Denver Beer Beat sheds light on news of brewery openings, special tappings, firkins and one-off batches, bottle releases, dinners, pairings, etc.
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Upslope Brewing Announces 50+ Beers for 9th Anniversary Party Pour List

During recent history it’s become abundantly clear that Upslope Brewing enjoys throwing a big ol birthday bash. As we’ve detailed in years past, the Boulder-based brewery has gained a rabid following for a solid core lineup of traditional styles, but each year, Upslope goes all-out during its anniversary to venture beyond the norm, mixing in experimental styles, unique and inventive firkins as well as a host of vintages they’ve accrued over the years.

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On Tap Credit Union, Not Your Typical Banking Provider

Over the past year PorchDrinking has partnered with On Tap Credit Union as official sponsors of the website. Like some of you, when I was first approached by the folks at On Tap, I was a bit confused as to what banking had to do with beer, and seeing as how we only work with sponsors that are relevant to our industry, it was a legitimate concern. However we quickly realized just how much of an overlap and impact their credit union can have on breweries.

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Big Beers Belgians & Barleywines Announces Massive Brewery List

By now PorchDrinking’s infatuation with the Big Beers Belgians and Barleywines Festival should come as no surprise to our most avid of readers. Over the years we have extolled to great length some of the innumerable characteristics that distinguish Big Beers as one of the industry’s best kept secrets.

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Station 26’s Black Friday Invitational to Showcase Colorado’s Best BA Stouts

What began as a local’s response to one of big beer’s crown jewels, has quickly grown to become a yearly Denver Black Friday tradition. Station 26 Brewing first introduced their Dark Star Bourbon Barrel-Aged Stout in November 2014 with a taproom-only release that included a handful of variant spinoffs ranging from Mexican Chocolate to Blueberry, Maple, Cherry Vanilla, Espresso, Salted Caramel and Manhattan just to name a few. This year’s release of Dark Star will take on a much greater endeavor featuring not just Station 26’s beer, but several of Colorado’s most proficient stout producers gathering for Black Friday Invitational.

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PorchDrinking’s Weekly Denver Beer Beat | October 25, 2017

The Denver Beer Beat sheds light on news of brewery openings, special tappings, firkins and one-off batches, bottle releases, dinners, pairings, etc.
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Event Recap | 2017 What the Funk!? Invitational

From unicorn tears to blue cheese sours, the 2017 What the Funk!? Invitational brought another year of sensationally wild and funk barrel-aged beers–this year at the gorgeous Studios at Overland Crossing in Denver.

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New Belgium Brewing & Colorado State University Team Up to Help Family in Need

On Thursday, October 26 from 4:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. friends, family, and Fort Collins community members will come together to raise money for a CSU Ram family in need. Hosted by New Belgium Brewing and Colorado State University at the New Belgium Porch at CSU’s football stadium, this Thursday’s “Happy Hour on the Porch” will be donated to CSU Associate Athletic Director Doug Max and his family who suffered a devastating loss recently when a fire heavily damaged their home and took the life of their daughter Rachel.  Read More

Wit’s End Brewing Closing Current Location to Join Strange Craft Beer

It’s been a tumultuous week for the Denver craft beer scene beginning with news that Asheville’s Thirsty Monk has acquired the space currently inhabited by Deep Draft Brewing and that Deep Draft would in turn close. Earlier today the Westword also reported that De Steeg Brewing has been acquired by new ownership, who plans to retool the four year old brewery and add another brand in Blind Faith Brewing focusing on Belgian-styles. However today’s announcement that Wit’s End Brewing will be closing it’s current location and move operations to share brewing and taproom space with Strange Craft Beer at 1330 Zuni Street, signals a more significant shift in the landscape of Denver’s craft beer scene.

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WeldWerks Brewing Announces Plans to Host WeldWerks Invitational Festival

To say that WeldWerks Brewing has had a big year simply would not do enough justice to the meteoric rise experienced by the two and a half year old Greeley, CO-based brewery. Days prior to their statement gold medal victory at the 2017 Great American Beer Festival, in the Wood and Barrel-Aged Strong Stout category for Medianoche, that same bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout saw a release along side Medianoche Reserve, a specialty variation of Medianoche aged on toasted coconuts, that sold out of 500 tickets within seconds. This year’s medal is actually the second GABF win for WeldWerks, which earned a silver medal for their Hefeweizen in the American Style Wheat Beer with Yeast category in 2015 as well.

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Beer Showcase | Strange Craft Beer Co. & Epic Brewing Strangely Epic

Once again, for the fourth year in a row, we get to try Strangely Epic, a blend of two celebrated beers from Strange Craft Beer Company and Epic Brewing. The beer was first created in 2013 for Denver’s Collaboration Fest. Crafted at both breweries and named Strangely Epic and Epically Strange (for where each beer was brewed and blended), the collaboration brews release is eagerly awaited each year.

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PorchDrinking’s Weekly Denver Beer Beat | October 18, 2017

The Denver Beer Beat sheds light on news of brewery openings, special tappings, firkins and one-off batches, bottle releases, dinners, pairings, etc.
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Event Recap | Beers Made By Walking 2017

For the last six years, Beers Made By Walking has offered beer drinkers in a select few cities an opportunity to explore a collection of one-off beers inspired by local nature and urban walks. This program began back in 2011 and over time has worked with 150 different breweries across six states.

This year, Beers Made By Walking hosted its annual Denver event at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, who was also the beneficiary of the proceeds from the event. Essentially, attendees got to feel like they were Ben Stiller in his Night at the Museum movies but with the added bonus of 33 breweries also hanging out for the evening.
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Oskar Blues Brewery | Fugli

A few months I was searching the shelves for beers I had never tried. One in particular caught my attention, Fugli from Oskar Blues Brewery. Oskar Blues, like many breweries, frequently uses clever names that grab people’s attention. Immediately I questioned the reasoning of “Fugli” for something that was supposed to taste so delicious. I assume we all know what two words are added together that form something that by definition means “very unattractive.” Falling into the category of things I think are “fugli” are the ugly duckling from the book I read when I was a kid, the bright green house with brown trim at the end of my block, and the 2017 New York Giants offense. Read More

Colorado Brewery Openings for October, November & December 2017

Autumn in Colorado might be the best showcase of why the Centennial State is so great. Oh, let me count the ways:

• We still have the warm days to sport our flops like how one is supposed to.
• We have the cold to days to sport our flops like how one is not advertised to do so.
• The mountains getting their first pow-pow!
• GABF
• The Broncos are looking good. The Rockies made the playoffs for the first time since 2009. The Nuggets are prepping for a possible return to the playoffs. And the Avs are… aiming to improve, as we all are.
• There’s G-A-B-F!!!
• Oktoberfest beers, a whole day (more like all-month) to dress-up, pumpkin beers, Christmas ales, and holidays (aka great times to share your favorite brews with friends and family).
• GABF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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The PorchCast | Ep 42 Sam Calagione at Avanti Food & Beverage

Episode 42 of The PorchCast was certainly a special one. Not only did we have the chance to remote broadcast live for the first time from our friends at Avanti Food & Beverage, but we did so while interviewing Sam Calagione, founder of Dogfish Head Brewery, and one of craft beer’s most recognizable and outspoken advocates.

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Event Recap | Epic Brewing 50 Firkin Fiasco in Denver

There are few things more inviting than a dimly-lit hall bounded by floor-to-ceiling barrels donned with party lights, all leading the way to a destination where 50 firkins await. Held concurrently with GABF, the Epic Brewing 50 Firkin Fiasco provided beer fans with a bevy of experimental beers along with a plenty of food and live music.
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Hear from Ryan Wibby, the Brewer Who Proposed On-Stage at GABF

There are iconic moments at GABF, such as last year when Charlie Papazian proceeded to fist-bump himself after being recognized by Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper for the 35th Anniversary of the Great American Beer Festival. Papazian would also go on to fist bump the baby of Ryan Skeels of Baere Brewing when they won a bronze medal in the Saison category.

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PorchDrinking’s Weekly Denver Beer Beat | October 11, 2017

The Denver Beer Beat sheds light on news of brewery openings, special tappings, firkins one-off batches, bottle releases, dinners, pairings, etc.
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