Revolution Brewing | Deep Wood Series: Ryeway to Heaven

ABV: 14.5% | IBU: 20

Revolution Brewing explains its Deep Wood Series Ryeway to Heaven as perhaps a “doorway to an existential awakening, or maybe it’s just a damned fine beer.” One could argue it’s a little bit of both. This rye ale aged in rye barrels serves as the quintessential example of how the art and science of barrel-aged brewing can result in elevated deliciousness – and it’s a perfect treat for Thanksgiving and holiday festivities.

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Denver Beer Beat | Where to Buy Craft Beer on Black Friday

Denverites… what do you know about some Black Friday releases? Don’t chase that BCBS around town, (or do, we don’t want to tell you what to do) instead, look for these equally impressive/rare craft beer releases and Black Friday hang sessions. We’ve got your complete guide on Where to Buy Craft Beer on Black Friday in the city of Denver so that you can shop local while still sipping on the absolute best. You can also find a full calendar of listings over in our event calendar page. Happy Hunting!

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Great Lakes Brewing Company | Barrel Aged Christmas Ale

It is Christmas ale season: a festive time of year many people anticipate with a frothy fervor! However, it may be that you would rather hide away from the hubbub of ginger and cinnamon and all things Christmas. I enjoy a little bit of holiday cheer in my beer from time to time, and the weather has finally become chilly enough around these parts to warrant a few Christmas ales in my tummy. This year, Great Lakes Brewing Company is not simply rolling out their most popular beverage for all the good little boys and girls. They are also bottling their barrel-aged Christmas ale right after Thanksgiving for everyone to sip around the mistletoe. I received a nice 22-ounce bottle to try in advance of the bottle release later this week, and I am here to give you the details about the beer and what will take place very soon.

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BREAKING | DC Brau Announces Brewery Expansion

The 7-year-old beloved Washington, D.C. brewery, DC Brau, announced this week that they are setting up infrastructure to increase their production capabilities — by 360 percent over the next 8 to 10 years, according to a release on Friday.

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Event Recap | The Brewer’s Table at New Belgium Beer Dinner

Roughly 50 lucky diners got a double sneak peek November 9 at The Brewer’s Table dinner at New Belgium. Attendees enjoyed an unforgettable six course meal, featuring preview dishes from The … Read More

Bale Breaker Brewing Company | Field 41 Pale Ale

ABV: 4.5% | IBU: 38

Recently, at a north Seattle neighborhood taproom, I overheard a patron declare her aversion to “hoppy beers.” Puzzled, I wondered if it was the hop aroma, … Read More

Ultimate 6er | Best Beers to Hibernate with in St. Louis

Walking down the sidewalk last week with my son, we literally saw a squirrel with an acorn in his mouth. “He’s stocking up for the winter,” said the 12 year old. “How cool would it be to hibernate?” Wow. Hibernate. I could deal with that. Take off for a few months, do nothing but sleep, eat and drink beer. But the key to a successful hibernation is that you can’t go out. Actually I think that is the definition of hibernation.

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PorchDrinking’s Weekly Denver Beer Beat | November 17, 2016

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

Go to the Calendar now

Anniversaries – Shout out to Oskar Blues as they are celebrating their 14th CANiversary and The Denver Bicycle Cafe as they are celebrating their 5 year birthday.

Beer Dinners/Brunch – None this week; Take a chance to visit a new restaurant or brewpub and pair it with a new beer.

Beer Education – Nothing this week. Check back next week, nerd.

Bottle/Can Releases – Whiskey Barrel Aged Hazelnut Coffee Porter, Amigos con Beneficios, Snowed In, and Dui Cochi.

Festivals – Day of Darks and Ski Wax Party.

Firkins/Casks/Special Tappings – Three Floyds Dreadnaught and More Dodge Less Ram & Honeyman 14.

Grand Openings – None this week; guess you’ll have to drink at one of the other hundred breweries along the front range. Stayed tuned for next week as Green Mountain Brewing Company will be opening in Lakewood.

Pairings – Chef n Brew, Thanksgiving Pie and Beer Pairing, and Beer and Pie Tasting.

Tap Takeovers – Crooked Stave “Clean” Beer Takeover. Read More

Rhinegeist | Hugh Hefeweizen

Let’s talk about a beer that any bunny can appreciate — Hugh Hefeweizen, from Rhinegeist. Hugh likes the finer things in life: Silk lederhosen, pretty junge Fraus, and sitting by the pool in a palatial Bavarian castle — where else would you find a noble hop? One sip of Hugh Hefeweizen and beer drinkers will immediately realize what Hugh is all about — pleasure.
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Event Recap | 2016 Festival of Wood & Barrel-Aged Beers (FoBAB)

Now that my liver has had a few days to rest I’m able to look back on the 2016 Festival of Wood and Barrel-Aged Beers. Once again the beer selection at FoBAB was incredible. In fact 2016 seemed to highlight more “whales” than last year. There were definitely some beers worth highlighting that didn’t take home medals this year. Read More

Event Preview | 2016 Chef & Brew

Colorado brewmasters and chefs team up this Thursday to push the boundaries of beer and food pairings at the 5th annual Chef & Brew festival and competition. More than 20 pairs … Read More

Prairie Artisan Ales | BOMB! Imperial Stout

There comes a point in every hobby where you have to take things to the next level. This usually involves investing more time, energy and, most of all, money. I’m someone whose always resisted that for any hobby. With craft beer, it’s been a specific price point. When I started drinking I set a price I was willing to pay for a single bottle of beer from a store. Surely, I thought, I’ll never actually cross that line. Nothing can be that good. Well Porchdrinkers, Prairie Artisan Ales finally blew me to the next level of craft-dom with BOMB!, its imperial stout.

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PorchDrinking Playlist | Brown Truck Brewery

Have you heard the one where ‘two PorchDrinkers walk into a bar’? Probably, since you visit our site frequently enough. Although, this one is a little bit different. It all started Wednesday night during GABF week in Denver. Shortly after dropping our luggage at the hotel, we headed straight for Falling Rock Tap House. It’s always a hot spot during beer’s biggest week, and we needed to be lucky if we were going to find a place to sit to grab a bite.

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Cidery Showcase | Right Bee Cider (Chicago)

Leave it to a Siebel Institute graduate to ferment a plan to impress a girl. Charlie Davis attempted to win Katie Morgan’s heart with hard cider. It worked. She not only fell in love with him, she married him. Katie also fell in love with the cider. In fact, the two of them thought so highly of that magical moment that they turned it into a business — Chicago’s first cidery. Today, you’ll find Charlie right-beside-her — Right Bee Cider, churning out well crafted cider to a growing fan base. He wooed her, and now they are wooing Chicago. You might say, it is cider at first site.

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Fossil Cove Brewing Co. | La Brea Brown

Just like the weather, my palate is confused. Normally at this time of year I would like to be confidently making headway through my stash of last year’s stouts. When I wake up in the morning, I’d love for the house to be cold. I’d love for the last residue at the bottom of the dirty beer glasses on the counter to resemble motor oil. However, Mother Nature seems to be confused. Here in Arkansas we’ve barely had our first freeze and afternoon temps are still climbing in to the 70’s. I can’t make up my mind when paroozing the aisles of my liquor store or the taps at my favorite watering holes. The crisp and easy drinking/sessionable beers of the summer are long since in my rear view but I can’t bring myself to pull out the good stuff and dive headlong into stout season. The solution for a seasonally confused Arkansas beer drinker when you need something local to quench your thirst? Look no further than Fossil Cove Brewing Co.’s La Brea Brown Ale.

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Denver Preview of 2016 Bourbon County Variants

Early November is a confusing time of year. The weather is unpredictable leaving you perpetually under/overdressed. Thanks to daylight savings, it’s probably dark when you leave the office. Then there are elections to worry about. When somebody offers a clear win like drinking 13%+ ABV beers on a Thursday night, you just say yes.

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Inside the Tank | Foolproof Brewing

Earlier this year, I had the pleasure of sharing a delicious five-course meal paired with Foolproof Brewing beer selections while sitting across from head brewer Steve Sharp. I fell in love with their craft creations, which are distributed to the Northeast, but unfortunately not in my city! Still — I believe in this brewery and am spreading the word through an insightful interview with Foolproof’s founder Nick Garrison. Cheers!

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Devils Backbone Brewing Company | Ginger Brau

ABV: 4.8% | IBU: 16

You know when you eat too much turkey at Thanksgiving and you regret it? Or you pour yourself a spicy pumpkin porter and realized it’s exhausting? This doesn’t happen with this beer. ?

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The Festival of Barrel Aged Beers | FoBAB 2016 Awards

The world’s largest barrel-aged beer competition, held at the Festival of Barrel Aged Beer (FoBAB) in Chicago, is underway. However, the FoBAB 2016 awards are now official, and our Chicago/Midwest editor, Mike Zoeller was there. Here are the results — congrats to all the winners!
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Brewery Showcase | Hidden River Brewing Company

There are many factors that can fuel the creativity of a brewer. One wellspring of creativity is an eagerness to learn. If a brewer begins to believe that they have learned all that they need to know, complacency may settle in, killing any sense of exploration or self-improvement. At Hidden River Brewing Company, the brewing philosophy is based on the idea that there is always room for improvement, and there are always new things to learn.

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