Dry January? Here’s How You Can Still Support Your Favorite Breweries

January is often a popular month for craft beer drinkers to take some time off from the “hobby.” It’s important to be able to do so and to drink in amounts where you’re comfortable. We recently offered 30 Reasons Why You Should Skip Dry January in 2021, but if you are taking the time completely off, you can still help your local breweries. Read More

Behind the Beer Scene | Sleeping Giant Explains Contract Brewing

Although it’s one of Colorado’s top five independent craft brewers by volume, Sleeping Giant Brewing Company neither serves nor sells beer onsite. While this may seem counter-intuitive, Sleeping Giant is a dedicated contract brewer, meaning it only produces beer for other breweries–it has no beer brand of its own. Matthew Osterman, founder and owner, recently discussed this important and little-understood part of the craft brewing industry.

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Hop & Sting Brewery | Aluminum Cowboy

January often gets a bad rap — it’s easy to feel gloomy after the holiday fun is over. As 2021 begins, let’s remind ourselves that the days are getting longer, last year’s goals are a distant memory, and we now have the opportunity to make new ones. Thus far 2021 looks a bit too much like 2020: aspirations of travel, trying new things, and meeting new people might have to wait until mid-year. Instead of goals, perhaps it’s time to start working on some COVID-safe resolutions, like eating more vegetables, finishing home improvement projects, and drinking tasty local beers at home. Enter Aluminum Cowboy, a light lager from Hop & Sting Brewery.

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Suarez Family Brewery | Saunter English Mild

The paradox of a dark beer somehow also being light it hard for many to digest. Most commonly, people think of the world’s most famous stout, Guinness, as a heavy beer, despite it’s 4.2% alcohol and calorie count similar to Mass-Produced Swill Lite. A nice light Witbier is great when the summer sun is shining on you, but what about on those blustery winter days where snow and freezing rain make you want to build a blanket fort and watch 10hrs straight of Lord of the Rings? Suarez Family Brewery may have the solution for you in Saunter, an English Mild Ale that is the flavorful light winter warmer you need.

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A California Craft Beer Veteran Retires

If asked about the most influential people in California’s craft beer history, names like Fritz Maytag, Ken Grossman and Vinnie Cilurzo might top the list for many of the beer enthusiasts. However, away from the public eye, Tom McCormick has had an immense impact on the success of craft beer. Read More

Craft Brewers Conference Announces Moves to Denver in September

In an attempt to salvage the ability to move forward with an in-person conference, the Brewers Association has announced this morning that they will be moving this year’s Craft Brewers Conference. This year’s conference was originally scheduled to take place in San Diego, March 29 through April 1, 2021, and will now move to September 9-12, 2021 in Denver, CO.

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PorchDrinking Dream Bottle Share | Miguel Rivas (The Beer Trekker)

Since our launch in 2012, PorchDrinking has celebrated its anniversary each year by throwing a big bottle share for all of our industry friends, supporters, and staff because to us, bottle shares are the truest form of beer lovers coming together as a community. However, 2020 was an unorthodox year, and as much as we would have loved to mark our 8th anniversary with another share, we figured that passing bottles in an enclosed space during a pandemic probably wasn’t the best idea.

So to kick off the new year, we reached to a few of our industry friends to ask them what they’d bring to a “Dream Bottle Share”. For continuity’s sake, we asked each of our guest contributors to share four of their favorite beers from 2020 as well as four of their favorite beers all-time that they would bring to a hypothetical dream bottle share.

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Athletic Brewing Co. | Upside Dawn Golden Ale & Run Wild IPA

Have you set a New Year’s resolution? Are you participating in #DryJanuary? If so, Athletic Brewing Co. out of Stratford, CT, has you covered. As the first non-alcoholic beer taproom in the country, they have a great line up of options that are both low in calories and contain less than 0.5% ABV. Whether you are a “hop head” and love IPAs or if you are a more malt-focused beer drinker, they have you covered.
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The PorchCast Ep 73 | End of Year Recap & Boys Are From Märzen Podcast

In episode 73 of the PorchCast, we got the entire PorchCast gang back together to take a look back at some of the biggest craft beer news from 2020 as well as some of our favorite breweries, beers, and trends from the last year.

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Central State Brewing | Table Rustic Blonde Ale

January 2021 is here. Finally.

A time-honored tradition among many craft-beer drinkers every January is Dryanuary or, a month without alcohol. But this January, craft breweries need our help more than ever. And, let’s face it, we all need a beer more than ever. So what’s a good compromise between cutting out drinking altogether for a month and giving craft breweries our support? Let’s go with drinking more low-ABV beers. If you indulged in a lot of high-ABV beers over the holidays like we did, it’s time to cleanse the palate anyway.

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Big Beers Belgians & Barleywines | A Look Back on Your Favorite Memories

To the uninitiated, Big Beers, Belgians & Barleywines might have appeared indistinguishable from the sea of thousands of beer festivals that proliferated the country prior to the pandemic. But those … Read More

What We’re Drinking | January 8, 2021

We’re back and well-rested, yet somehow exhausted, from all of the holiday hustle and bustle and time commitments. While 2020 is officially behind us — good riddance — 2021 isn’t exactly off to the best start it could be. In spite of weather and events on the national stage, the beer industry is still staying afloat despite pandemic shutdowns. That does not mean everyone, and that does not mean thriving. Dry January is popular for many “influencers” and eager resolution starters, but do what you can to continue supporting local. Buy shirts, hats and other merch or gift cards to use at a later date. Grab a beer or browse some online shops while checking out What We’re Drinking. 

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BrewDog | Hazy AF Nearly Alcohol Free IPA

Across the globe, the market for non-alcoholic/low alcohol beer exceeded $9.5 billion in 2019, with an estimated compound annual growth rate of approximately 7-8% over the course of the next six years (Global Market Insights). By 2027, global sales in this segment are projected to surpass a valuation of $28 billion (Fact.MR). That’s some serious change in more than one sense of the word.

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Rake Beer Project Dragged Over Coals for Reppin’ Michigan’s Gov. Whitmer

Rake Beer Project, in Muskegon, Michigan, is less than two years old, and whether you love them or hate being told to stay home to help curb a relentless global pandemic, they’ve probably slowed your newsfeed scroll at least twice in 2020. And, like it or not (trigger warning): they’re about to do it a third time.

At the onset of Covid-19 flipping Earth into The Upside Down, Michigan’s Governor Gretchen Whitmer was unfazed after being slapped with a belittling nickname, “That Woman From Michigan,” by (three guesses) “That President From New York.” Twitter deflected the shade and clapped back on her behalf: Photoshop helped place a pair of Cartier sunglasses (known as “Buffs” in Detroit) on Whitmer, and The Michigangster was soon rebranded “Big Gretch.” In a public display of support for the governor’s Stay at Home Order, Rake joined the party, threw a non-red hat in the ring, and made a beer in her honor.

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Braxton Brewing Co. | Hop Fit Low-Cal IPA

If we learned anything in 2020, it to learn to put ourselves first. We cannot help others unless we’ve helped ourselves. Whether it’s your mental health or physical health (or both), the need to practice self-care cannot be underestimated.

As we transition into 2021 and people set forth on new year resolutions, many are focused on bettering their physical health. For beer drinkers, this is always a weird transition right after the holidays. With Braxton Brewing Co.‘s Hop Fit Low-Cal IPA, you don’t have to compromise taste to maintain your 2021 goals — you can continue drinking flavorful, full-bodied IPAs like you did during the season of indulgence.

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Hairless Dog Brewing Co. | NA IPA

Ah, January–that month when the misdeeds of the previous weeks (or more) of debauchery catch up, and New Year’s resolutions are front and center. For some, this means getting back into an exercise routine or “eating better”. For others, Dry January is the key to starting the year off right.

I completed my first Dry January last year. To be honest, it was easier for me to simply stop drinking altogether than try and find a non-alcoholic (NA) beer that was worth drinking. However, this year’s experiment might look a bit different because of Hairless Dog Brewing Co.

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5 Questions with Telluride Brewing on Their New Brewpub & Taqueria

Nestled in a picturesque box canyon and scored seasonally by lush green cliffs or powder-capped mountain tops, Telluride, CO is a magical resort town that remains one of the most scenic destinations in the state. 

Despite the world-class skiing, a multitude of festivals that used to fill its lodging capacity every summer and Bridal Veil Falls, a dramatic 365-foot waterfall that is fully visible from downtown, the town still exudes a relative quaintness due to its remote location–unlike other resort towns like Breckenridge, Aspen and Vail.

Similarly, Telluride Brewing Co., which was founded in 2011, is highly adored and respected by those familiar with the industry while still flying relatively under the radar. Long revered for its signature Facedown Brown and more recently gaining steam for their continued work in hop-forward beers, Telluride Brewing is now on the cusp of its next evolutionary phase. 

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Allagash Brewing Co. | Little Grove Sparkling Session Ale

Welcome to a new year: You made it. Although the past year turned out far, far different from anything anyone could have imagined, some things remain the same. One consistency, in particular, is the anticipation of a fresh start the new year brings. Whether celebrating with loved ones or hunkered down at home, every New Year’s Eve bubbles over with eagerness, hope, reflection and new goals.

In 2020, many learned the importance of self-care in a way that the onslaught of viral blogs and articles could never have accomplished. Self-care takes shape in many different forms and looks and feels different for everyone. With a year filled with unprecedented events and challenges, carrying that self-care energy forward is undeniably a part of this year’s beginning. One avenue some may take to accomplish this goal is to be more cognizant of the food and beverages consumed. If the idea of thoroughly drying out your cabinets does not “spark joy,” Allagash Brewing Company’s Little Grove sparkling session ales offer a lighter step in that direction.
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Nate’s Top 10 Albums of 2020 and the Beers To Pair With Them

Turns out, PorchDrinking.com staff sometimes have hobbies outside of beer. Weird, huh? For me, that’s listening to newly released albums and painstakingly ranking those albums to assemble the Top 10 albums of 2020. Okay, I guess I drank beer from the great state of Colorado while doing this, so it’s not a completely separate interest. I’m hoping you’ll enjoy my top 10 albums of 2020 and the beers to pair with them.

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Seedstock Brewery | Polish Gratzer

With a tradition of making classical beers, it’s no surprise that Seedstock Brewery in Denver won its first GABF medal in the Historical Beer category for a Polish Gratzer. Like many central-European beers, the brew has a light body and mild taste but also incorporates the smokiness traditional to the type.

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