Breaking With Tradition | Pairing Beer With Cheese

Nibbling cheese while sipping wine is a time-honored tradition, but an increasing number of breweries are challenging the old-fashioned wisdom and introducing pairing beer with cheese. Embracing beer and cheese may seem like a stretch but many experts contend that beer is actually a better partner for cheese.

I recently had the pleasure of attending Halfpenny Brewing Company’s monthly beer and cheese pairing in Centennial, Colo. and found that beer does indeed play nicely with cheese. According to Halfpenny co-owner/brewer Chris Reigrut, “Beer and cheese just make an excellent pairing.”

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Fort George Brewery | Matryoshka

It’s not every day that you get to taste a truly marvelous beer – a beer that defies expectations across flavor, aroma, body; that leaves you “oohing and ahhing” at every sip. Personally, when this happens to me, I feel the need to share it, to sing its praises. I send texts, take notes and, as demonstrated with this post, divulge all the details here on PorchDrinking. The Matryoshka, from Fort George Brewery, is such a brew – and is perhaps one of the best beers that I’ve been able to get my hands on this year.

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22 Northmen Brewing Company | A Fresh Take on Minnesota’s Viking Heritage

When I stepped into 22 Northmen Brewing Company, I felt like I was in that scene of Beauty and the Beast when Gaston is singing his song.

We don’t always liken a brewery to our favorite Disney movie, but when we do it’s our highest form of flattery! Read More

Denver Beer Beat | Colorado Beer Events for Week of July 24, 2019

The Denver Beer Beat is a weekly roundup of brewery openings, special tappings, firkins and one-off batches, bottle releases, dinners, pairings, and more happening in the Front Range and beyond. … Read More

4 Noses Brewing Company | Fruit on the Bottom

With a name like Fruit on the Bottom, it would be easy to mistake this kettle sour from 4 Noses Brewing Co. for a yogurt parfait. Alas, dear readers: I can confirm that it is indeed beer.

While my go-to beverage in a heat wave is usually a salty gose, every once in awhile it’s time to switch things up. I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve had from this Broomfield-based brewery so it seemed like a worthwhile gamble.

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Presidential Hopeful John Hickenlooper Calls on Beer Fans for Support

He was the first Governor to install a draft system in the Governor’s Mansion, and now John Hickenlooper is tapping in craft beer’s fan base in hopes of jump-starting his … Read More

Event Preview | Talking Metal Monkey Brewing Artisan Market with John Streetz

The second annual Metal Monkey Brewing Artisan Market hosted by Metal Monkey Brewing celebrates “craft” in its many forms. The event allows patrons to shop for unique gifts created by more than 30 local artists while sipping on craft beer, enjoying meals from local food trucks and listening to live, local music. Moreover, a percentage of all event proceeds will be donated to The St. Baldrick’s Foundation.

One artist, John E. Streetz, of Bead Streetz, is a well-known figure among Chicago’s brewing scene, both because of frequent visitations to Chicago-area breweries and because he regularly displays his artwork there. John is heavily involved in the Artisan Market event. He spoke with us about his work, the connection between artists and craft beer and the event at Metal Monkey.
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2 Days 2 Nights | Honolulu, Hawaii

Over the years, the craft beer scene on the island of Oahu, specifically in the Honolulu area, has grown tremendously. More and more local breweries are popping up to cater to the growing interest in independent beer. With many visitors and college students coming from areas that have a booming craft beer scene, it’s only natural that the trend continues to grow on the island.

Although you’ll probably be spending more than two days and two nights if you’re making the trip to the Aloha State, here’s a round up of some breweries to visit if you want to dedicate a couple days just to visiting the local breweries.

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Ravinia Brewing Company | Flight of the Rooster

Have you ever had a beer that changed your mind about that entire style of beer? I’ll admit, I’m a fan of a huge variety of beer styles and I’m usually try something new. That said, Saisons have never done it for me. I’d go as far as to say I despise them but that feels a tad dramatic.

This opinion quickly changed at the recent Square Roots Festival in the Lincoln Square neighborhood of Chicago. Like most summer street festivals, this one had no shortage of food and drink options. To really show off, Square Roots Festival had a “Brew Lounge” for attendees to try more “exotic” options, which happened to be mostly local to the Ravenswood neighborhood (how exotic). It was there that I tried Flight of the Rooster by Ravina Brewing Company.

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Chicago Quick Sips | July 22 Chicago Beer News & Events

Quick Sips is our way of highlighting beer events, tap takeovers and other notable beer news around the city of Chicago. If you’d like to submit something to be included in the next Quick Sips, please email us at [email protected].

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Revolution’s Midlife Crisis Barleywine Brings the Heat

Hot or cold, Revolution Brewing sure knows how to throw a release party. Hundreds of barrel-aged fanatics, myself included, made their seasonal pilgrimage to Revolution’s Kedzie taproom for the latest Deep Wood release. This series has quickly grown to national acclaim thanks to its bold portfolio of Barleywines, Barrel-Aged Stouts and adventurously-boozy experiments like last year’s Code Switch, a Barrel-Aged Imperial Ale made with blackberries.

Many people associate Deep Wood beers with huge parkas, plunging temperatures and bitter Chicago winters given its annual winter release cadence. Boozy beers that push ABV limits typically go well with sub-zero winter nights. But Revolution’s Midlife Crisis Barleywine release had none of the expected barrel-aged beer release trimmings. Coats were swapped for tanktops, boots for flip flops, and freezing temps for 100 degrees and brutal humidity. 

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Troegs Independent Brewing | Apricot Farmette

Hershey, Pennsylvania, is more than just The Sweetest Place on Earth! Beyond the chocolate bars, the town is also home to the 27^th largest craft brewery in the U.S. based on beer sales volume. This brewery, Troegs Independent Brewing, has been around since the late nineties. Throughout the years, they have created a variety of beers including lip-puckering wild ales like Apricot Farmette. Read More

Hooplagers Combines Pool Party, Elite Lagers, Ultimate Fest Experience

I’m not going to lie, most beer festivals today often leave me a bit uninspired. Unless you’re pulling a big time lineup of breweries and beers, have tied in a … Read More

Charleville Brewing Company | Amelie

I’ve declared that my Summer of Beer 2019 will include a return to some styles that have sort of fallen off my beer list, namely Hefeweizens and Witbier.  Witbiers are Belgian-style ales that are usually unfiltered which gives them a pale and cloudy hue on the pour. They are usually spiced with a fruit such as coriander or orange peel, and are both crisp and wheaty on the tongue.

I find them to be refreshing with an orange slice, but some people don’t care for the extra fruit.

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A Classic, Now Unfiltered: The Inspiration for Lagunitas’ Little Sumpin’ Hazy

Their IPA might be their most well-known and widely-distributed, but my favorite Lagunitas Brewing Company offering is a beer that blurs the lines of the drinking experience. A Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’ is a classic that can be enjoyed rain or shine, sun or snow. Its hearty ABV, unique wheat body, and complex flavor profile have made it a fan favorite for years. It’s also an employee favorite, says Lagunitas Brewmaster Jeremy Marshall. While the original has its perks, Lagunitas employees and brewers have had access to a version of A Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’ that has never graced retail shelves before now: an unfiltered-version designed to taste like you’re drinking it straight from the tank. That was the inspiration for their newest offering and Sumpin’ Sumpin’ sibling, Little Sumpin’ Hazy. 

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Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co. | Camp Light

People heavily involved with craft beer have been saying for quite some time that lagers were going to make a comeback and see gains in popularity. If you were one of those people, you were spot on and I applaud you. Lagers have been killing it in 2019 and it shows no signs of slowing down. Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co. isn’t new to the lager game, but they’ve been ramping up their lagering efforts lately. One of their more recent releases was a light lager called Camp Light. Read More

Ultimate 6er | Beat the Heat with Chicago Summer Beer

Refer to it as mid-summer; the dog days; the height of summertime. Call it whatever you want, but the fact is that it’s hot outside in the Windy City. And so to beat the heat; we need a few refreshing beers. Whether you drink it watching a ball game while grilling or just basking in some air conditioning, it’s satisfying to have a beer that fits the season. Here are six Chicago summer beers sure to help keep the mind off the endless beads of sweat forming all over your skin.

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Denver Beer Beat | Colorado Beer Events for Week of July 17, 2019

The Denver Beer Beat is a weekly roundup of brewery openings, special tappings, firkins and one-off batches, bottle releases, dinners, pairings, and more happening in the Front Range and beyond. … Read More

Industrial Arts Brewing Company | 2019 Summer Landscape

With the 2019 release of Summer Landscape, Industrial Arts Brewing Company moves into the second year of its Landscape Series. These seasonal beers are meant to highlight New York State ingredients, and are entirely produced with materials grown within the state. This latest version is another success for the brewery. Read More

Bell’s Oberon Ale Label Gets New Look to Close Out Summer

One of the country’s most iconic beer brands, Bell’s Oberon is getting a slightly updated look to close out the summer. This morning, Bell’s Brewery announced that it will introduce a short run special edition label to run through the end of August.

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