From Beer to H2O | Breweries Lending a Can After Hurricane Michael

On Wednesday, October 10, Hurricane Michael slammed into the coast of Florida into a tiny town called Mexico Beach. On Monday, Oct. 8, the storm had been a Category 1 as it made its way to the Panhandle; by the time it hit, it was a Category 4. Though news reports, complete with eye-witness testimony and photos and videos released after the fact, try to illustrate the devastation that this storm wreaked, it’s hard to fathom. Even when you hear it from friends and family, it’s hard to take in.

My family was lucky. The trailer that my grandparents bought in 1985 is still standing, with only a few windows blown out. The house my parents’ built and have been living in full-time since 2008—my home for half the year—sports shattered windows like empty eye sockets, a hole in the roof and an exterior that looks as if it’s been skinned due to the siding being torn off, but it’s standing as well. We were lucky. But it’s going to take time to rebuild. In the meantime, many areas are still without power and running water.

In these times of disaster, when most of the luxuries that we take for granted are gone (electricity, internet, flushing toilets and potable water), all help is appreciated. But the necessities: a place to sleep, food and water to drink, are even more important. It’s times like these that breweries and beer companies step up.

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What We’re Drinking | October 12, 2018

Festival season is in full swing, and the PorchDrinking staff has been busy putting together a collection of the week’s finest brews. Festival season in fall can mean unpredictable weather, and in some parts of the country the unpredictable weather is serious; we don’t take that lightly. We hope everyone is staying as safe as possible with friends and family.

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Watch the Braves in the Playoffs with Terrapin Brewing CJ10

With the baseball playoffs at-hand, one can now toast both the Atlanta Braves’ division crown and newly inducted Hall of Fame Braves player Chipper Jones with CJ10, a beer conceived by the prolific switch hitter and the folks at Terrapin Beer Company.

CJ10, an easy-drinking Kölsch-style ale, emerged from Terrapin’s unique ATL Brew Lab found at SunTrust Park in Atlanta during the summer. And, what better way to honor a switch hitter than with a beer that’s made with ale yeast, but is fermented like a lager?

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Event Preview | Scallywag! Craft Beer Meets Punk Rock

Craft Beer meets Punk Rock – that’s the focus of the Scallywag! festival headed to Austin, Texas on Sunday, September 23 at the Austin 360 Amphitheater. The punk rock extravaganza features over 100 craft beers pouring from some of the best national … Read More

Texas Craft Brewers Festival 2018 Beer List Announced

The Texas Craft Brewers Festival, featuring more than 75 craft breweries, returns September 29, 2018 to Fiesta Gardens in Austin, TX. The event, which is organized by the Texas Craft Brewers Guild and co-presented by Craft Pride and Paychex, is the state’s largest beer event focused exclusively on Texas-brewed craft beer.

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The OGs of Craft Beer | Saint Arnold Brewing Company – Amber Ale

In a world of hoppy beers, where even a beloved kolsch-style must now be dry hopped, it is nice to go back to one of the standard styles that helped set the stage for the craft beer movement – the Amber Ale. Today this style doesn’t receive all the notoriety of a West Coast IPA or the new hazy IPA styles; however, it was one of the original popular craft beer styles appearing in the 1990s that continues to be a staple among fans.

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More than a Name | How Service Brewing Lives its Mission

The goal of any brewery should be to produce great beer and positively impact their community. Many breweries have this similar mission, but few are as mission-driven as Savannah-based Service Brewing Co. Read More

Deep Ellum Brewing Sold to Oskar Blues’ Canarchy Collective

DALLAS, TX – Deep Ellum Brewing Company has confirmed that the brewery is joining Oskar Blues Brewing Company under the Fireman Capital-backed Canarchy Craft Brewery Collective.

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La Folie Returns to Cork & Cage for 20th Anniversary of New Belgium’s Wood-Aged Sour Program

How does one properly pay homage to the predecessor that launched an entire movement? By returning to the basics. La Folie, New Belgium Brewing’s Sour Brown blend, was the country’s first commercially produced sour developed by Peter Bouckaert in 1999, and still features the oldest continuous souring culture in America. It has since gone on to earn multiple awards at the Great American Beer Festival and more importantly, inspired thousands of American brewers and beer drinkers to embrace barrel-aged mixed culture sour beers.

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4th Tap Brewing Cooperative | Kung Fu Robot IPA

4th Tap Brewing Co-operative is one of the most interesting breweries in Texas because they are the only worker-owned cooperative brewery in the state. Founded in 2015, the brewery has taken an inspired, unique approach to their beers and just released their personal take on a new IPA, a Citra and Mosaic hop blend with a touch of flaked oats for a smooth mouthfeel. I caught up with co-founders Erin and John Stecker to find out more about Kung Fu Robot IPA.

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Flix Brewhouse | America’s Cinema Brewery is Expanding

Flix Brewhouse opened in Round Rock, Texas in 2011 with the unique concept of combining a state-of-the-art movie theater with a microbrewery. Today they operate four locations around the country with plans to more than double that over the next year. I caught up with Greg Johnson, Director of Sales and Marketing for Flix, to learn more about this ambitious expansion. Read More

SXSW | Best Unofficial Craft Beer Events

SXSW 2018 officially kicked off yesterday and the influx of people and events has begun.  Here are a few ways to avoid the crowds and track down some of the best craft beer in the city. All of these events … Read More

Pink Boots Collaboration Brew Day Celebrates International Women’s Day

Each year women from all over the world participate in Pink Boots Society’s annual Pink Boots Collaboration Brew Day in celebration of International Women’s Day. I sat down with President Laura Ulrich to learn more about this year’s event.

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Independence Brewing Company | Cowboys from Helles

Austin-based Independence Brewing Company just announced the release of their newest seasonal — a Munich-style Lager inspired by Pantera’s “Cowboys from Hell.” According to head brewer Brannon Radicke, “We listened to a lot of Pantera while making that beer, so it’s kind of infused with that attitude.”
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Abita Brewing Company | Horchata Turbodog

The world of limited releases is vast, and usually you have a good reason to go after them. Maybe you’re so into the brewery that you post up 12 hours before opening in order to snag it on opening day. Maybe you’re attempting to try every rice beer made in the tri-state area and if you can’t get your hands on this you’ll never be complete. Sometimes, like my trial of Abita‘s Horchata Turbodog, there’s just a beer that looks like your pup at the Mexican grocery store you go to to stock up for a snowstorm. No matter what path you take to find Horchata Turbodog, there’s a cozy dark ale waiting for your taste buds to nestle into it.
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Adelbert’s Brewery | Travelin’ Man Intercontinental IPA

Established in 2011, Adelbert’s Brewery quickly became an Austin staple known for their variety of quality bottle conditioned Belgian Ales. But don’t let the old-world style packaging fool you, innovation has always been at the heart of this brewery. With unique beers ranging from the Whimsical series to fruited sours, Adelbert’s is all about taking risks that result in award winning beers.

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Texas Craft Brewers Guild Forms CraftPAC

Beer Laws in Texas are Broken. That is the headline of the newly formed Political Action Committee aimed at protecting the rights of Texas breweries and championing for constructive, common sense legislative reforms. CraftPAC was established by the Texas Craft Brewers Guild earlier this week to raise funds that will be used to support various political initiatives designed to improve job growth and the economic impact of the Texas brewing industry.

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Saint Arnold Brewing Co. | Christmas Ale

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.

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Event Preview | BrewMasters Craft Beer Festival

The 8th annual BrewMasters Craft Beer Festival returns to Galveston Island November 24-26, held at Moody Gardens Hotel, Spa and Convention Center. Originally planned for Labor Day weekend, the event was forced to reschedule due to the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.

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Event Preview | San Antonio Beer Festival

In it’s 12th year, the 2017 San Antonio Beer Festival is gearing up to bring more than 450 premium and craft beers from 150+ breweries around the world to Texas beer lovers. Happening Oct. 21 from 1:30-6:30 p.m., the festival will take place at Dignowity and Lockwood Parks; a portion of the proceeds will benefit the San Antonio Food Bank.

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