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Event Preview | LowDown Barrel-Aged Beer Fest 2018 with Pour List
January 12, 2018 | Brady Akers
If you have attended the Barrel-Aged Beer Festival at LowDown Brewery in the past, you remember the laid back, line-free day of great rare beers. This year’s third annual event will be better than ever with more barrel aged beers, more breweries, and more time to drink them. LowDown will again host the event this weekend, January 13 and 14 with beers from 15 other breweries, including Black Project, River North, Funkwerks, Station 26, Lagunitas, Dry Dock, Odell, Ratio, Elevation, Left Hand, Platt Park, Banded Oak, Spangalang, Little Machine and Declaration.
Jekyll Brewing | Secret Apollo IPA
January 12, 2018 | Eric Jackson
If you’ve been keeping up with Alpharetta, GA based brewery, Jekyll Brewing, you would know that their experimentation with juicy IPAs have increased overall over the last several months. One of their first juicy IPAs that gained tremendous traction in Georgia was Southern Juice. Since then, they’ve released the McLovin IPA, a NE-style IPA; 4Hundy, Milkshake Boys, Bad Breakup and Spaced Out. One of my favorites from their recent IPA trials was the Flightless Fowl, which was damn good.
Brewery Showcase | LaGrow Beer Co. Organic Craft Beer
January 11, 2018 | Mathew Powers
Don’t think of LaGrow Beer Company as an organic brewery; think of it as a family-owned brewery dedicated to using the purest ingredients imaginable, from soil to suds.
At LaGrow, the ingredients used are pure, which results in a beer abound in flavor and exceptionally crisp, clean and fresh. Even if one doesn’t care about ingesting chemicals, the resultant flavor derived from chemical-free ingredients is sure to please any beer drinker, from beer geek to macro fan. Read More
WeldWerks Brewing | Peanut Butter Cup Achromatic & the Pastry Beer Debate
January 11, 2018 | Chea Franz
Lately, there has been quite a few articles about the rise of pastry stouts and why this is a problem, such as this recent article from the Chicago Tribune that argues we’re forgetting what beer tastes like. In case you did not know, a pastry stout is beerspeak for liquid dessert. Most often, pastry stouts include cacao nibs, vanilla, coconut and other adjuncts that help enhance the stout to emulate sweet treats.
The pastry stout debate, IMO, is moot. As craft beer continues to diversify, so do our taste buds. What is beer supposed to taste like nowadays? The answer is no longer “hoppy,” but subjective. It could be barrel-aged and malty, super hazy or fruity. The craft beer landscape is vast and ever-changing, with new hop varieties, ingredients, and techniques that pop up every day. Whether you’re a Reinheitsgebot beer purist, or you prefer your beer to taste like a chocolate bomb, the beauty of craft beer is that there is something for everyone. And pastry stouts, much like other styles of beer, if done well, are fantastic. WeldWerks Brewing‘s Peanut Butter Cup Achromatic Imperial Stout is one such example.
PorchDrinking’s Weekly Denver Beer Beat | January 10, 2018
January 10, 2018 | Jeremiah Cornelius
The Denver Beer Beat sheds light on news of brewery openings, special tappings, firkins and one-off batches, bottle releases, dinners, pairings, etc.
Read More
PorchDrinking’s Weekly Atlanta Beer Beat | January 10, 2018
January 10, 2018 | Josh Ritenour
The Atlanta Beer Beat sheds light on news of brewery openings, special tappings, firkins and one-off batches, bottle releases, dinners, pairings and more!
Almanac Beer Co. | Cherry Vanilla Dogpatch
January 10, 2018 | Anna Scott
My passion for beer has been full of trial and error, forced experiments and a lot of stubbornness. That picky five-year old appetite can still be found 22 years later. Try and give me a sliver of tomato? Don’t even think about it. And if those Sour Patch Kids aren’t the watermelon ones—no thank you. I mean honestly, the watermelon Sour Patch Kids are life. The fact I’m sitting here with a sour beer in hand deserves at least one high-five (or maybe an award)?
While my fridge is stocked up with all the winter goodies I could possibly want, I’m still on this huge sour beer kick that doesn’t seem to be going away! While visiting San Francisco over the summer before the big move, Almanac Beer Co. wasn’t actually even on my mind. And let me tell you… that was a mistake! While hunting for donuts in the Mission District, I got a glimpse of the Almanac taproom and had to stop in. Not only do they have an amazing and beautiful bar, but also their tap list of 15 beers is seriously on point and so is their food menu! Read More
Hardywood Park Craft Brewery | Gingerbread Stout
January 9, 2018 | Stacey Goers
My Secret Santa may still be a secret, but his great taste in Virginia beer is definitely not. I was gifted Hardywood’s Gingerbread Stout and shared it with my family during Christmas. Despite enjoying it in Florida’s 80-degree December heat, we found the Imperial Milk Stout delicious, sip-able and surprisingly light.
Surly Brewing Sees Longevity in the Chicago Market
January 8, 2018 | Taylor Laabs
While Surly Brewing resides in Minneapolis, Minnesota, its second home lies within the Windy City. In a move to meet growing demand in the Chicagoland area, Surly is shifting its distribution relationship from Windy City Distributing to Lakeshore Beverage, which also distributes the likes of Bell’s, Founders and AB-InBev’s High End group to the Chicago region. While the shift in local distributors might not seem like much on its face, it’s actually an intriguing signal of Surly’s larger Midwest strategy and emphasis on gaining market share in Chicago.
Crucible Brewing Company | Molten Peaches
January 8, 2018 | Jeremy Fuerst 1
Like any story worth sharing, it started with a night of drinking wine with his grandparents. The moment of clarity slapped Dick Mergens out of sleep at 3AM, and he saw it immediately through a boozy haze: “I should open a brewery.” The 23-year-old Lowe’s employee crawled out of his grandparents’ basement the following morning and shared his vision with his coworker Dylan. Soon enough, two other longtime friends were on board. It was only a matter of time before I walked into their brewery to taste Molten Peaches. Read More
21 Year-Round Chicago Craft Beers Worth Trying
January 5, 2018 | Mathew Powers
A lust for special release beers has increasingly dominated beer geek culture the last few years, and an abundance of Chicago beer drinkers share that trait. But, what about signature brews? While it’s fun to post pictures of whales on social media, flagships pay a brewery’s bills and their quality ultimately determine a brewery’s fortune.
It’s likely that nearly all of nearly 200 Chicago-area breweries have one or two (or more) beers worthy of making this list. And, you can be sure that we writers left a few of our favorites off this list, too. Nonetheless, we feel that these 21 beers are ones you should not miss in 2018.
Saint Arnold Brewing Co. | Christmas Ale
January 5, 2018 | Pam Catoe 1
The holidays are behind us and it’s time to put away the tree and restore the yard to it’s former non-whimsical state. While most folks are scouring stores for deeply discounted wares or decorations for next year, I’ll be driving around town looking for the last of the Saint Arnold’s Christmas Ale. Even though Christmas has officially past, this rich, malty old ale pairs perfectly with cold weather and hearty meals and is only available from October through December each year.
Colorado’s Best Beers & Breweries from 2017
January 4, 2018 | Tristan Chan
Colorado craft beer has come a long way. While the old guard of New Belgium, Odell, Wynkoop, Great Divide, Left Hand, Avery, and Ska initially thrust the state onto the national scene the early 90’s, it’s been Colorado’s current brewing renaissance that has propelled its meteoric rise to even greater heights of recognition and acclaim. Just in the past 5 years since PorchDrinking’s existence, we’ve seen alleyway breweries grow to become national powers, startups in rural towns grow to become coveted brands, and a countless number of homebrewers who have their desk jobs to become household names among beer circles.
Outside Events Guide to 2018 Big Beers Belgians & Barleywines
January 4, 2018 | Brady Akers
This weekend’s Big Beers festival is one of Colorado’s most awe-inspiring beer events, featuring more than 500 amazing and sought-after beers. If you’re not able to attend the big show in Breckenridge, there are plenty of mountain events related to the fest. From special releases to rare tappings, we’ve compiled a list of happenings for you to start 2018 with a bang.
Creature Comforts’ Get Comfortable Campaign Aims to Make an Impact on Athens
January 4, 2018 | Taylor Laabs
Craft beer is leaving its adolescence stage and venturing into adulthood. The maturing of craft brewers bodes well for the average consumer, but it also opens the market up to judgement by a higher societal standard. Craft beer can no longer skirt by as an emerging economic trend; it is now a prosperous and influential part of the U.S. economy, and it deserves to be treated as such. Outside of bottle releases and new taprooms, craft beer can make a verifiable impact on their local communities through outreach programs and charitable donations. Athens-based Creature Comforts is doing just that through their Get Comfortable campaign.
Saugatuck Brewing Co. | Oak Wizard Oak Aged Imperial Brown Ale
January 4, 2018 | Jessica Spengler
Winter time used to be a bit problematic for this outside-day-drinking, IPA-loving, oak-aged-avoiding lady. I could never “find” something I liked. For a long time, I thought it was the beer’s fault. The truth is, I wasn’t so much searching for beers as I was avoiding styles that had failed me in the past. I hadn’t realized that times had changed and that brewers were getting savvy to the ins and outs of wood aging and making some stellar concoctions. Once I made that realization, I decided to give wood-aged brews another chance. Happily, I found plenty of good ones out there, including Saugatuck Brewing Company’s Oak Wizard, an oak aged imperial brown ale.
PorchDrinking’s Weekly Denver Beer Beat | January 3, 2018
January 3, 2018 | Jeremiah Cornelius
The Denver Beer Beat sheds light on news of brewery openings, special tappings, firkins and one-off batches, bottle releases, dinners, pairings, etc.
Read More
PorchDrinking’s Weekly Atlanta Beer Beat | January 3, 2018
January 3, 2018 | Josh Ritenour 1
The Atlanta Beer Beat sheds light on news of brewery openings, special tappings, firkins and one-off batches, bottle releases, dinners, pairings and more!
The PorchCast | Ep 46 Saying Goodbye to Jesse & Recapping 2017
January 3, 2018 | Tristan Chan
In Episode 46 of the PorchCast we bid farewell to longtime co-host Jesse Brookstein who announced that he’ll be moving to Madison, WI. We’re incredibly bummed to hear that he’ll be leaving us, but can’t wait for him to start a Madison branch of The PorchCast fingers crossed.
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Crystal Lake Brewing | 2016 & 2017 Boathouse Reserve
January 3, 2018 | Mike Zoller
As the days get shorter and the temperatures continue to drop, I continue to look to barrel-aged beers to make the winters bearable. When 2016 and 2017 Boathouse Reserve from Crystal Lake Brewing Company showed up on my front door I was excited to open them up.
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