Button Brew House & Old Ellsworth Brewing Company | Dark Elevation

For those of you that have been around the craft beer scene for a while, think back several years ago and it’s easy to see that many styles have come and gone. Even some of the styles that have stood the test of time have evolved over the years. One style, in particular, comes to mind: Black IPAs. This style was highly popular for a few years, then quietly phased out of many breweries’ lineups. However, Black IPAs have started to make a comeback in popularity.

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Steel Bender Brewyard | Cinderella Story

Los Ranchos de Albuquerque in New Mexico is a small village that maintains the charm of rural living despite being surrounded by the city of Albuquerque. Steel Bender Brewyard is the first licensed (and only) brewery in the village and it has positioned itself as a community gathering place for a variety of occasions including ordinary after-work happy hours and celebratory milestones from baby showers to retirement. Using seasonal fruits from local orchards for their barrel program and creating “from scratch” pub fare in their full kitchen, there are many reasons why Steel Bender Brewyard should be added to your next beer journey in New Mexico.

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What We’re Drinking | January 25, 2019

I was fortunate to spend my entire weekend with the lovely ladies from Pink Boots Society at the Biannual Conference here in Austin, Texas. We laughed, we learned, we even hung out with some goats, and most importantly, we were inspired. Then came Monday and the inevitable return to the dreaded work week. No matter what you are dealing with this week, (frozen temperatures perhaps?), here’s a little drinking inspiration from your PorchDrinking team in this edition of What We’re Drinking.

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Texas Still Doesn’t Allow Beer To-Go, But Breweries Are Fighting Back

Texas is officially the only remaining state that doesn’t allow beer-to-go sales from craft breweries. In 2018, the Texas Craft Brewers Guild formed a political action committee aimed at putting Texas craft brewers on equal footing with other alcohol beverage … Read More

Event Preview | Pink Boots Society Biannual Conference

The second annual Pink Boots Society biannual conference kicks off this weekend in Austin, Texas with an evening welcome reception. The event is a two-day conference happening January 18th-19th. It features a dual track format covering the business and technical aspects of the brewing industry.

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PorchDrinking’s Best in Beer 2018 | The Southwest Region

The southwest region may be one of the most overlooked in terms of craft beer notoriety. One reason is that much of the beer produced in this region doesn’t get wide distribution. However, 2018 brought a lot of notoriety with … Read More

Rowley Farmhouse Ales | Chantal

Santa Fe, New Mexico, was the first capital city in North America. In this historical place with centuries of traditions, there’s a small-scale independent brewery that offers playful twists to classic beer styles. Chantal, their robust French saison, shows this brewery’s passion for brewing.

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Sidetrack Brewing Co. | Dark Engine Stout

As the first frost approached in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Sidetrack Brewing tapped their cask-conditioned Oatmeal Stout called Dark Engine Stout. This unassuming neighborhood pub in downtown is the only brewery in Albuquerque that serves cask ales from beer engines.

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Hold Out Brewing | Amarillo Thumb Puncher Pale Ale

Fall weekends in Austin, Texas can trick you into forgetting all about humid summer nights or surprise flash floods. Weather like that can convince someone that patio weather will never end, that you get an extra hour of sleep every night or that that the next beer might be the best beer — Hold Out Brewing is working to make at lease one of those dreams a reality.

An upcoming brewpub in central Austin, Hold Out is spearheaded by brewers Mark Stowe and Brent Sapstead. Brent is the former head brewer and production manager of Real Ale Brewing Company in Blanco, Texas. On Saturday, November 3, Hold Out Brewing threw a preview event hosted by their soon-to-be neighbors, Better Half Coffee and Cocktail Bar. Guests could sample four beers from Hold Out Brewing or purchase two different collaboration beers from Hold Out Brewing and Austin Beerworks.

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Modern Times Beer & Pueblo Vida Brewing Company | Arcosanti Fresh Hop IPA

Everyone has a favorite brewery, or a few of them. If the stars ever align and those breweries get together and brew a collaboration beer, then that’s about as good as it gets for a beer lover. In this case, … Read More

North By Northwest Brewery | Zombie Dragon IPA

Davis Tucker is one of the OGs of the Austin craft beer scene, originally brewing the Pecan Street Lager through a contract brewing arrangement with Shiner back in the late 1980s. He went on to open the original Copper Tank Brewery, but left that partnership shortly after, “I knew pretty quickly that I wanted to go out on my own,” he said. In September of 1999 he established North by Northwest Restaurant and Brewery (NXNW) and it remains the longest standing brewpubs in the city.

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Event Preview | Arizona Craft Brewer’s Guild’s Real Wild & Woody Beer Festival

When the temperature is well over 100 degrees, there are two places most people want to be: the pool or in air conditioning. The Arizona Craft Brewer’s Guild wasn’t able to host a beer festival pool party, so they did the next best thing and will be hosting Arizona’s premier craft beer festival, Real Wild & Woody, on July 28, 2018 in the air conditioning at the Phoenix Convention Center. In addition to a varied selection of brews, they’re bringing the great outdoors inside with an outdoorsy, camping theme throughout and a bunch of interactive games for attendees to play. Read More

Wren House Brewing Co. | Wally’s World Triple IPA

There are a lot of amazing IPAs out there these days, but something you don’t hear about as often is an amazing triple IPA. Triple IPA is not an official style recognized by the Brewer’s Association, but generally speaking, it is a high ABV IPA (typically double digits). Some IPAs that are 10% ABV or higher can be very boozy and wouldn’t be something you’d consider “easy drinking.” However, Wren House Brewing Company in Phoenix has cracked the code.

These guys have brewed a hazy triple IPA that is very easy drinking (almost too easy) not just once — but four times. Those four tantalizing IPAs are what you’ll find in their Wally’s World IPA series: Good Boy Wally, Bad Boy Wally, Sad Boy Wally and Where’s Wally. The beers were named after one of the founder’s dogs, Wally. Each brew ranges from 10%-11.2% ABV and drinks like the ABV is half that amount. Grab a mixed four pack, sit back and enjoy the series — just maybe not all in one sitting. Read More

Ultimate 6er | Southern Arizona Sampler

I feel fortunate as a beer nerd to live in Southern Arizona, Tucson specifically. The beer scene here has started to gain some national attention, but still largely flies under the radar. Tucson is a legitimate beer destination with 20+ breweries, drive out a little bit further and there are additional breweries in Tombstone, Bisbee, and Sonoita. The desert is definitely not dry here, so sit back and crack open a few delicious local brews. Read More

PorchDrinking’s Weekly Atlanta Beer Beat | March 21, 2018

The Atlanta Beer Beat sheds light on news of brewery openings, special tappings, firkins and one-off batches, bottle releases, dinners, pairings and more!

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Ultimate 6er | SXSW Craft Beer

SXSW is coming to a close; however, the music fest is in full swing. Unfortunately the fest is sponsored by Budweiser, but don’t let that discourage you – almost every official (and unofficial) venue is a popular Austin bar, club or music venue. Here are the six staple craft beers that you are bound to find around SXSW.

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Green Feet Brewing Company | Holly Jolly

Now that the holidays have come and gone, I’m sure many of us can look back and reminisce about some amazing food and beers we had. One of the beers that was the highlight of my holiday beer drinking, was Holly Jolly (AKA Christmas in a glass) from Green Feet Brewing Company. Green Feet has been open since the spring of 2016, so 2017 was Green Feet’s second time around brewing Holly Jolly. They somehow managed to up the ante from the 2016 batch, which was the best pecan beer I had tried.
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Event Recap | Wrecking Bar Strong Beer Festival

This past weekend one of Atlanta’s most notable brewpubs and historic buildings, the Wrecking Bar Brewpub, hosted their annual Strong Beer Festival. Well over 400 beloved beer enthusiasts defied the law of gravity and partook in big beers over 8%. Upwards of 60 beers were served at the festival with the lowest coming in at 8% and the highest ringing in right at 13.9%. The selection and variation of beer offered at this festival was not only above gravity, but above par – each one delivering a strength with purpose and craft. Read More

Tombstone Brewing Co. | Little Baby Wyatt

Welcome to the Wild West. No town represents that way of life better than the town too tough to die—Tombstone, Arizona. Many people know this town as one big tourist attraction, where you feel like you’ve gone back in time into the heart of the Old West. Nevertheless, though it is a rustic and historic town, the city is also home to one of the state’s top breweries—Tombstone Brewing Company. Tombstone has only been open a little over a year, but they have won over the taste buds of craft beer drinkers around the state, and with beers such as Little Baby Wyatt, the brewery is also appealing to the locals who usually prefer macro-brews.
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2017 GABF Pour List Preview

As the 2017 Great American Beer Festival approaches, I bet you’re wondering what kind of delights you can expect to sample on the festival. A hazy IPA from that Vermont brewery that doesn’t distribute in your state? A rare whale stout aged in the most fantastic of barrels? A wild, enamel-stripping sour ale full of hand-picked snozberries? PorchDrinking has you covered!

GABF Routes: Big Beers | Funk, Sours & Wilds | Hoppy Beers

(More: 38 Can’t-Miss Colorado Events During GABF)

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