Southwest
Jester King | Dark Matter
May 1, 2020 | Katie Kalk
As the days slowly blend together, it’s easy to forget about all of the events we’ve missed. Special occasions that have flowed by us without any pomp and circumstance. Its understandable to mourn these events, even in the midst of greater suffering. One of these events was South By Southwest, the two-week arts, culture and technology conference in Austin, Texas. Not only is SXSW a great party, but it is a crucial publicity moment for businesses big and small. One of the many new products that was set to debut during SXSW is the beer Dark Matter, a collaboration between Austin institution Jester King brewery and Chicago coffee shop Dark Matter.
5 Stones Brewery | Galaxy Shepherd
April 20, 2020 | Dustin Wenger
On a clear night in the Texas Hill Country, you can look up into the vast unknown and see more stars than you could count in a lifetime. If conditions are right, and you let your eyes adjust to the night skies, you can even see the colors of the Milky Way swirling through the sea of stars. That’s a spectacular sight to see, and 5 Stones Artisan Brewery Galaxy Shepherd Pale Ale is a stellar brew to pair with the occasion.
What We’re Drinking | April 10, 2020
April 10, 2020 | Pam Catoe
It’s time to turn off the news, grab your favorite beer and reflect on what you are most grateful for during this very weird time. I hope you are all staying safe and finding creative ways to move through your days. One fun way is to get a local beer-to-go and raise a glass once again as part of the #NationwideCheers going on every Friday promptly at 5 p.m. wherever you happen to be. Here are some great ideas for beers to cheers with from your PorchDrinking team in this week’s What We’re Drinking.
Pink Boots Austin Chapter Cranks Out Record Number of 2020 Collaborations
April 10, 2020 | Pam Catoe
It seems like so long ago we got together and brewed some beer for the annual Pink Boots Society Collaboration Brew Day. I wanted to publish this article weeks ago, but things were beginning to escalate around the country, and it just didn’t seem like good timing.
Last year, Austin hosted a record number of collaboration brew days, releasing seven collaboration beers in total. For 2020, a full twenty-one breweries signed up to do a collaboration beer, and some of those collaborations have been postponed for a few months. However, several Austin breweries are gearing up to release their collaboration beers, and a few have them available now.
We spoke with Maggie Pace, marketing director at Circle Brewing, Karen Killough, co-founder, Vista Brewing and Libby Brennen, events coordinator at St. Elmo Brewing, about their respective collaborations.
Join Us Every Friday for a #NationwideCheers
March 27, 2020 | Pam Catoe
Community Beer Company out of Dallas, Texas came up with a brilliant idea. To support your local craft brewery, buy your favorite local beer-to-go (observing all social distancing requirements), open one up on Friday afternoon at 5 p.m. and take a picture or video to post it on social media with the hashtag #NationwideCheers. By doing so, you will not only be supporting your local craft beer industry, you will also be joining a community of your fellow beer lovers with a virtual cheers.
BREAKING | Brewers Association Cancels 2020 Craft Brewers Conference
March 12, 2020 | Tristan Chan
As the fallout from COVID-19 continues to impact the world in a variety of different ways, high profile events ranging from the NCAA Tournament, NBA, MLB, NHL, and MLS seasons, to arena concerts and SXSW, have all begun canceling or … Read More
A Craft Beer Lovers Guide to SXSW
March 10, 2020 | Katie Kalk 1
So… you were going to attend the 10-day bacchanal of film, technology, music and gaming known to the world as South by Southwest (SXSW). My condolences: SXSW is the greatest weekend of the year in Austin and we are all still mourning its loss.
However, if you find yourself in a very expensive, nonrefundable hotel room with a purely ornamental platinum badge, I beg you to leave your room and pay for a beer. SXSW brought $355 million to the local economy and it goes without saying that local businesses will be feeling the hit. Many breweries around the convention center are still hosting live music and other events. Below is a list of great places to drown your sorrows over a pint. Don’t forget to tip!
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New Orleans-Based Urban South Brewery Expands to Houston
February 18, 2020 | Pam Catoe
Houston’s beer scene continues to grow with the addition of award-winning Urban South Brewery’s first expansion outside of New Orleans. A satellite brewery, Urban South – HTX will focus on creative experimental beers in Houston’s Sawyer Yards District, including the hazy IPAs they are well-known for.
Brazos Valley Brewing Company | Slippin’ Into Darkness Russian Imperial Stout with Coconut
February 18, 2020 | Dustin Wenger
There is a myriad of possibilities when it comes to making use of coconut. You can put a lime in one and drink ‘em both up, or even bang two empty halves together whilst galloping the length and breadth of the land in search of knights who will join you in your court at Camelot. However, if you’re a brewery, you can do what the clever folks at Brazos Valley Brewing Company in Brenham, TX did and add coconut to an already delicious Russian Imperial Stout. Not since the Samoa Girl Scout cookie has coconut made something as delicious as Slippin’ Into Darkness with coconut.
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What We’re Drinking | February 14, 2020
February 14, 2020 | Pam Catoe
Whether it’s Valentine’s Day or the long weekend that you are looking foward to most, there will be plenty of delicious independent craft beers out there to quench your thirst. Here’s your PorchDrinking crew’s top picks for What We’re Drinking this weekend.
Vista Brewing | Desert Skies
January 6, 2020 | Katie Kalk
When was the last time you drank something completely new? Was it the first time you braved a beer with “milkshake” on the can? The first time you confused an IPA for a glass of juice? A beer-infused with CBD and smelling like a college dorm room? Vista Brewing in Driftwood, Texas, has achieved the rare privilege of making a beer that has a unique spin on an established method. The first-ever beer aged in sotol barrels.
The 2019 Best of Southwest Craft Brewing
December 30, 2019 | Pam Catoe
Many of the beers produced in the Southwest region don’t make it too far out of the region for a variety of reasons; rarely do you see Texas craft beer anywhere but Texas. Regardless, some of the best craft beer scenes exist in this region, further evidenced by continual Great American Beer Festival wins. At the festival this year, New Mexico brought home seven medals, Arizona won eight and Texas brought home sixteen, including eight first time winners. The Southwest Regional team got together to decide on the best of the best — no easy task! So, here is The 2019 Best of Southwest Craft Brewing
What We’re Drinking | December 13, 2019
December 13, 2019 | Pam Catoe
The year is quickly coming to an end, which means it’s time for all the holiday celebrations. Naturally, you’ll need a list of great beers to take with you to all the festivities. Luckily your PorchDrinking team has you covered. Here is a list of the perfect holiday beers to help you celebrate the season.
Christmas Classics | Rahr & Sons Winter Warmer
December 11, 2019 | Pam Catoe
Winter is here and it’s time to enjoy the best seasonal style around (in my opinion), the Winter Warmer. For this year’s Christmas Classics, I reached out to my Texas beer community via the internet for advice on a great Texas seasonal and I got an overwhelming response to try Rahr & Sons Winter Warmer. Read More
TUPPS Brewery | Day of the Dead
November 22, 2019 | Pam Catoe
Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead celebrations are vibrant, unique events that inspired TUPPS Brewery out of McKinney, Texas to release a beer in honor of the holiday. Day of the Dead is a juicy, hazy Pale Ale dry-hopped with Galaxy, Citra and Mosaic, resulting in a citrus aroma and stone fruit flavors. At only 5.5% ABV, it’s compared to a crushable version of their wildly popular TUPPS DDH series. To capture the spirit of the holiday, all of the cans were designed by local artists. I caught up with Head Brewer Chris Lewis to talk more about the beer and what’s on the horizon for TUPPS.
The End of San Diego Beer Week 2019
November 18, 2019 | Jadon Flores
Sunday November 10th’s festivities at Arroyo Terrace of the Lodge at Torrey Pines were the close of this year’s San Diego Beer Week. There were a variety of events at breweries across San Diego to celebrate this year’s event, as well.
The beer scene has changed in San Diego, but the local guild tries to make sure to maintain a “we’re all in this together” community. I discussed some of the reasons why guilds are important to the local brewing scene with San Diego Guild President Matthew Zirpolo.
What We’re Drinking | November 15, 2019
November 15, 2019 | Pam Catoe
Most of us were hit with an Arctic blast this week, dropping temperatures in Texas by 30 degrees within an hour. Although a welcome change from the oppressive heat, things turned wintery quick! Here are a few ideas to keep you warm this week from your PorchDrinking staffers. Read More
Yakima Chief Hops Announces the 2020 Pink Boots Blend
November 12, 2019 | Pam Catoe
Starting in 2017, Yakima Chief Hops (YCH) and members of the Pink Boots Society (PBS) meet up at the Great American Beer Festival for a unique event, aptly named the Annual Hop Rub. YCH brings the best of their hop harvest, carefully laid out on tables for attendees to smell, touch and taste, with the goal of selecting the annual Pink Boots Society hop blend. Read More
Jester King + Other Half | Urban Mutation
November 12, 2019 | Karl Kalinkewicz
Collaboration beer often presents a mixed bag: Excitement races through your beard when you hear that two of your favorite breweries have Voltron-ed, but then the results follow a predictable pattern. Either you get a middling compromise between the two parties, resulting in a solid and forgettable “eh,” or one brewery’s profile dominates the other and the beer is like a Paul Simon album after Garfunkel left town in which the expected quality makes you forget that there’s supposed another element in this equation.
A friend recently Santa Claused me a suitcase full of Jester King and I’ve been doing my best to explore these recent offerings at a responsible pace. Jester King beers always have that incredible lightness and drinkability. A 750ml is never quite enough and a 375ml is just plain disrespectful. Moderne Dansk, included in this bounty, was one of the best beers I’ve had in quite some time. Schopenhauer himself would have impressed at the dour mood that enveloped me, realizing life would be a long struggle with little possibility of another drop. But one that caught my eye in this 20 bottle porch bomb was the collaboration beer with Other Half: Urban Mutation.
SDBW Event | Ladies Arm Wrestling at Kairoa Brewing
November 11, 2019 | Jadon Flores
Entering Kairoa Brewing a bit early, there is a full stage and decorations for the special Pink Boot Society fundraising event. Brewer still on deck from a long BrewDay the ladies start to line up for the main event, arm … Read More
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