PorchDrinking’s Weekly Denver Beer Beat | October 31, 2018

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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Cruz Blanca Brewery Launches Sour Program in Chicago’s West Loop

Chicago’s West Loop neighborhood is home to some of the city’s most iconic restaurants. From Girl and the Goat to Au Cheval, followed by an endlessly growing list, it’s a Chicago hot spot for eating but also drinking. While there are a lot of places to get great cocktails in the West Loop, the craft beer scene is also becoming more prominent in the area and starting to make a name for itself. Read More

2018 Colorado Craft Brewers Summit Kicks Off Sunday

With over 370 breweries currently in operation throughout Colorado, brewers, brewery owners, sales and marketing teams are discovering the importance of continuing education and investing in growth strategies to thrive in such a high-density beer market. Recognizing the need for professional development in Colorado’s craft beer scene, the Colorado Brewers Guild is once again offering independent Colorado craft brewers/members and soon-to-open brewery members the opportunity to learn from some of the best in the industry.

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Epic Brewing | Quadruple Barrel Big Bad Baptist Barrel-Aged Stout

Epic Brewing has been a mainstay in Salt Lake City, UT since its genesis and as they continued to grow, added a Denver location in 2013. Their burgeoning beer roster is host to innovative beer that steers the entire industry in a new direction, as well as iconic anchors that satisfy the staunchest of purists. However, Big Bad Baptist, their iconic barrel-aged stout, has become the centerpiece that preaches to the ethos of both categories.

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4th Tap Brewing Cooperative Brews Spooky Concept for Haunted House Entertainment Pioneer

Halloween is upon us and haunted house fans in Texas know the House of Torment in Austin, Texas is as good as it gets. Nationally recognized, this pioneer in haunted entertainment features three re-imagined immersive experiences and a new bar, Torment Tavern. Read More

Avery Brewing | Rumpkin Rum Barrel-Aged Pumpkin Ale

Ahh, fall. A time of cooling temperatures, cozy knit sweaters and pumpkin spice as far as the nose can smell. It can be easy to hit gourd overload before the leaves even begin to change, and craft beer is no exception: I counted 14 pumpkin-themed six-packs at the liquor store this week, and that’s not even including bombers.

So, in an effort to help you wade through the most trendy of all beer trends this autumn, let me cut to the chase: just drink Avery Brewing’s Rumpkin. Read More

Liberati Blends Innovative Beer-Wine Hybrid with Elevated Italian Cuisine

When you enter Denver’s newest brewery, Liberati Osteria & Oenobeers, it’s hard not to imagine Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons Concerto No. 4 in F minor, Op. 8, RV 297, “L’inverno” … Read More

2018 Grand Rapids International Wine, Beer, & Food Festival Preview

The 11th annual Grand Rapids International Wine, Beer, and Food Festival is quickly approaching, and there is no better way to spend a cold fall night than with these tasty comforts. With over 1,500 different beers, wines, ciders, and spirits from the around the world, there is something for everyone to enjoy- not to mention the delicious local food samplings! The festival takes place over the course of three days (Thursday, November 15-Saturday, November 17), and live music from local musicians will be provided throughout.
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Brooklyn Brewery Arrives in Colorado & They Want to Give you Free Beer

This is a sponsored post from Brooklyn Brewery

Brooklyn Brewery is finally bringing their iconic lineup of beers to Colorado. And to kick off their launch, they’ve partnered with PorchDrinking … Read More

Founders Brewing’s 2018 CBS Showcases Greater Depth and Balance

Ah, CBS. Founder’s highly-praised Imperial Coffee Chocolate Stout returns for a second consecutive year starting November 2nd across their distribution footprint. This year’s version is different than the 2017 variant for several reasons.

First and most obviously, the iconic “mountie” is missing from the bottle and branding. Why? Everyone has ideas and Twitter has seen its fair share of wild speculation. My guess is they just wanted to refresh the brand and focus on this year’s beer. Which, by the way, is very very good. After a six-year hiatus, the CBS that returned in 2017 was good, but its maple syrup sweetness dominated the palate. That said, this year’s version is great, dare I say exceptional, because it brings this insanely complex beer back to equilibrium. It’s much more balanced than year’s past, which lets several flavors shine. 

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Brewery Showcase | St. Elmo Brewing Company

I’m not sure what age I was when I started favoring breweries to bars. I distinctly remember frequenting the only brewery in my tiny college town more and more, while braving the sticky floors of the dive bars less and less. Not to say there isn’t a time and a place for a great dive bar; however, if you’re reading this it’s more likely that you’d rather drink something exciting, fresh and flavorful than pay for a bottom-shelf vodka soda. What hasn’t changed as I have gotten older is the desire to socialize over a drink.

Enter the neighborhood craft brewery. A far cry from the empty warehouses of my college days. Neighborhood breweries have become gathering places for the entire family, both two and four-legged, to come together to listen to music, play games and explore new styles of beer. However, occasionally these neighborhood breweries transcend beyond just a community hangout by producing extremely high-quality beers.

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Lord Hobo Getting Ready to Open Renovated Tap Room

Since closing for remodeling in May of this year, Lord Hobo Brewing has been serving its beer out of their 92 Hampshire St. bar location. That’s all about to change as the newly renovated taproom is set to open the first week of November.

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Off Color is Bringing the 250ml Bottle to Chicago

Off Color Brewing is well-known in the Chicago market for pushing the limits of beer, but now they’re pushing the limits of packaging as well. Not content with traditional bottles, bombers and draft options, John Laffler and the rest of the Off Color crew are rolling out new 4-packs of 250ml (about 8oz) bottles to appease the thirsty masses. Read More

Brewery Showcase | Brickstone Brewery

Brickstone Brewery has won medals at FoBAB, the World Cup, and GABF. One can find Brickstone at every Jewel, several Buffalo Wild Wings, throughout Guaranteed Rate Field (White Sox games), at beer fests — and even gas stations these days. It’s tough to find a Chicago-area bar without some tap handles adorned by Brickstone artwork. Yet, most Chicago-area beer fans have never been to Brickstone. Born of a family-restaurant in the 1990s, the Bourbonnais business added a brewery in 2006 and has since evolved into a dually-located, full-fledged, 9k to 10k barrel-per-year brewery (with a capacity for 18k) and, as it always has been, family restaurant. Located 45 miles south of downtown Chicago, Brickstone has simultaneously discovered a way to cater to its local clientele while also existing among the biggest names in Chicago beer.
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PorchDrinking’s Weekly Denver Beer Beat | October 23, 2018

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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Elevation Beer Co. Celebrates Dia de los Muertos, 2018 Señorita Release

Fall can be a beautiful time of year. But it can also be an unpredictable time of transition. Maybe you live in a perilously bipolar climate, where one day you’re reaching for the sunscreen, and the next day you’re in the middle of an Armageddonian blizzard. Maybe your fantasy football team isn’t living up to its potential, so you go to your local watering hole to drown your misery in a new seasonal brew, only to find seven different pumpkin ales on tap.

I’ve got nothing personally against pumpkin beer, although some people feel differently. And to be fair, in the fall there are plenty of other beer releases (wet-hopped beers, Oktoberfest, stouts, etc.). But in the midst of the cold weather-fueled Halloween frenzy, we overlook one of the most interesting events of the season: Día de Muertos (or commonly in America, Día de los Muertos). Elevation Beer Co. in Poncha Springs, Colorado has been celebrating the event for a few years, which roughly coincides with the annual release of their imperial porter, Señorita.

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31 Colorado Brewery Openings for October, November & December

Ski resorts are starting to open, which must mean it is October in Colorado. While you get your shred on for the rest of the ski season, 31 Colorado brewery openings across the state are due to open during October, November and December. Read More

Ale-O-Ween | Getting Spooky with Ohio Breweries

The Ohio Craft Brewers Association’s second annual Ale-O-Ween beer festival descended upon Dayton this past Saturday evening, October 20. To set the mood, Mother Nature made sure it was a dark and stormy night, and while that caused more than a few problems for the breweries set up outside as the evening wore on and the weather worsened, the event was still a resounding success. Read More

2018 Shelton Brothers: The Festival Joins Nation’s Elite Level Beer Events

The legends, they’re true. The stories are all real. After hearing murmurs surrounding the cult fanfare that emerged from last year’s Shelton Brother’s The Festival, which in 2017 took place in Atlanta, GA, I knew I had to experience this mythical event for myself. Luckily I didn’t have to travel far, as it was announced in June that The Festival would be taking place in our own backyard in Denver, CO.

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Little Miami Brewing | Bike Path

Location, location, location: Regardless of the type, location is always a critical piece to the success of a new business. This truth is evident when visiting Little Miami Brewing in Old Milford, Ohio, as their location is about as good as it gets. To celebrate one of the many perks of their location, the crew at Little Miami created Bike Path, a Bohemian pilsner that has become a fan favorite.

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