Austin Street Brewery | Obsolete Vernacular

This story begins as many brewery stories start, with a friendship and a passion for home brewing. Austin Street Brewery, co-owned by friends Jake Austin and Will Fisher, opened in 2014 on Industrial Way in outer Portland, Maine. Together they spent years on Austin Street in Westbrook, Maine, creating beers on their homebrew system that they wanted to drink. In 2013, as the craft beer boom commenced, they took a chance and opened their brewery with a one-barrel system. When speaking with Jake Austin, he made it clear that their focus is to create “highly drinkable beer, not to chase trends.” It would seem that mission is working well for them as they recently opened a second, larger location in Portland’s East Bayside neighborhood.
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Ska Brewing | Modus Hoperandi + Modus Mandarina IPA

With so much good beer coming out of Colorado, it’s easy to take for granted one of the early upstarts in the state’s brewing history. Ska Brewing has been around since 1995. The brewery has stood the test of time thanks to their commitment to rigorous brewing standards and bold flavors. A perfect example of this is their stalwart IPA, Modus Hoperandi, which is celebrating its 10 year anniversary this summer.

Modus Hoperandi was a trendsetter when it was released a decade ago and it still stands up against today’s wide swath of IPAs. The IPA was one of the first to come in cans and has won numerous awards thanks to a delicately-hopped combination of citrus and pine. Still, every brewery needs to innovate to stay competitive, which led to the release of its citrusy-variant, Modus Mandarina, in 2015. Both IPAs stand strong alone but work even better together. I got a chance to review both on a warm summer evening recently.

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Maine Beer Company | Another One

The craft beer explosion in unique to everyone depending on location. Once the contracts are signed, state distributors awash the bottle shop shelves with rows of new possibilities. These beers become exciting mysteries; sold as 1 to 2 bottles per customer to get everyone’s attention to the hot new kid on the block. Years will go by, some breweries will go away, but others stay thanks to their long lasting quality. Maine Beer Company fits all these descriptors when it arrived in my state years ago.

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Ravinia Brewing Company | Flight of the Rooster

Have you ever had a beer that changed your mind about that entire style of beer? I’ll admit, I’m a fan of a huge variety of beer styles and I’m usually try something new. That said, Saisons have never done it for me. I’d go as far as to say I despise them but that feels a tad dramatic.

This opinion quickly changed at the recent Square Roots Festival in the Lincoln Square neighborhood of Chicago. Like most summer street festivals, this one had no shortage of food and drink options. To really show off, Square Roots Festival had a “Brew Lounge” for attendees to try more “exotic” options, which happened to be mostly local to the Ravenswood neighborhood (how exotic). It was there that I tried Flight of the Rooster by Ravina Brewing Company.

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Crystal Lake Brewing & Signature Room | Top View Brew

Crystal Lake Brewing may be located on the outer edges of the Chicago Metropolitan region, but the brewery is as much a “Chicago beer” as any brewery located within the city limits. So much so, the Crystal Lake Beach Blonde Lager has become a staple at the Signature Room, a posh restaurant & lounge located 1,000 feet above Chicago on the 95th & 96th floor of the John Hancock Center.  And now, the brewery has created Top View Brew Golden Wheat Ale exclusively for the Signature Room and Signature Lounge. “Aside from occasionally being on draft at the Crystal Lake Tap Room, it’s only available 95 floors up in the Hancock building. Guests at the restaurant will be able to order this beer year-round while they enjoy the great menu and amazing views of Chicago,” explained Crystal Lake Sales Manager, Jesse Able.

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Solace Brewing | Partly Cloudy

When you walk into Solace Brewing, you feel a bit happier. The vibe at this sprawling facility in Sterling, Virginia is just cheerful. From the employees to the customers, the brewery seems to live by its motto: “Find Your Solace.”

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Westbound & Down Brewing Company | Acid Jazz Vol. 2

After the great success of their collaboration last year, Westbound & Down Brewing Company teamed up with Goed Zuur, Denver’s premier sour/wild-focused beer bar, once again to create a unique blend for the Five Points Jazz Fest. Today, the two collaborators are releasing Acid Jazz Vol. 2 with a special opening taking place at Westbound and Down’s The Cultural Center today, June 14, from 3-7 p.m.

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Levante Brewing Company | Cut the Cake

The beer scene in Philadelphia is alive and thriving. Almost every neighborhood has a brewery, along with its suburbs. Nestled in the suburbs, about an hour outside of Philadelphia, lays West Chester. Known for its historical sites, for being the home of the QVC Studio, and a variety of restaurants, shops and parks, this quaint Pennsylvania town is worth a visit.

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Edmund’s Oast Brewing | Order of Magnitude

As spring comes into full swing, summer is next in the order and quickly approaching. The scope of what beer people want is changing with the seasons. So many breweries are switching it up and releasing new and exciting styles and experiments. Edmund’s Oast Brewing (EOBC) is no different. Read More

Firestone Walker Brewing | Easy Jack IPA

Whether you’re critiquing someone’s beer selection at the local store or researching overall beer sales, you will quickly notice lighter beers lead the pack in sales. The top 10 beers in overall sales are littered with light beers. Beers that are lower in alcohol and calories are not new, but now craft beer is starting to taking notice and looking to capture some of that market share.

So, why can’t hoppy beers be light? Low-calorie beers have been traditionally Lagers and Pilsners. It’s great to see hop forward beers now starting to enter this space. After all, it’s not the hops that are adding calories to your beer. You don’t even want to know how many calories are in that pastry Stout.

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Collective Arts Brewing | Jam Up the Mash

Collective Arts is combining two things that many can all appreciate: beer and art. If you also appreciate sour and hoppy flavored beers, you’re in for a special treat. This brewery is keeping the art fresh on the cans, too, by allowing artists to submit their work to be featured on the cans. Unique events are always happening and you can catch ones like a launch party of Series 12 that is also a dance party. I see events like these and wish I didn’t live so far! Lucky for me, I do get access to some of their beer on the shelves here in Florida.

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Bent Paddle Brewing Company | Cold Press Black Coffee Ale

Everyone has different reasoning for what separates a good beer from a great one. For me, it comes down to the human connection. Aside from physical characteristics like color, crispness, body, and finish, beer can be elevated from good to great when what you’re consuming distinguishes itself by a higher sense of meaning. Bent Paddle Brewing Company’s Cold Press Black Coffee Ale does just that.

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(Farewell to) Horny Goat Brewing | Chocolate Peanut Butter Imperial Porter

Supposedly, we are entering the warmer months of the year. Colorado seems to have forgotten that, as we have been getting cold weather, overcast skies and some last minute snowstorms, which calls for a dark beer to help you batten down the hatches.

As I perused a local liquor store for something malty and roasted, I noticed a striking can design. Black, with a five-word beer title and a regal-looking insignia. Horny Goat Brewing Company’s Chocolate Peanut Butter Imperial Porter clocks in at a no-nonsense 8.5% ABV, a perfect level when trying to fight the latest installment in 2019’s Bomb Cyclones.

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Urban Roots Brewing & Smokehouse | Tomorrows Verse

Spring is upon us! The sun is peeking through, trees are sprouting leaves, flowers are blooming and drinking outside has once again become a pleasant possibility. There is something about seeing the first blossoms of warmth makes us crave a saison—more than usual, of course. 

Sacramento, CA-based Urban Roots Brewing & Smokehouse has made quite a name for themselves since they opened to the public in May 2018, becoming known not only for creating award-winning beers but also for their succulent Texas-inspired, California-influenced BBQ. Read More

New Terrain Brewing Co. | Rambler Amber

“For Those Who Wander.”

The slogan of New Terrain Brewing Company isn’t limited just to those who explore the great outdoors—though it certainly does include outdoor adventurers. Accordingly, visitors of the Golden, CO-based brewery are rewarded with a spectacular view of the Foothills; in addition to effortless access to a forested dog park. This facility, with its bucolic beer garden that offers scenic sights of Rocky Mountains to the west and Denver’s skyline to the east, was certainly built with those who wander outside in mind.

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Branch & Bone Artisan Ales | Black Razzath

Since opening in June 2018, Branch & Bone Artisan Ales in Dayton, Ohio, has created eye-opening beers in a wide range of styles, including bright and juicy IPAs, crisp and inquisitive session sours, and velvety smooth stouts and coffee beers. Head brewer Brett Smith loves them all, having carried many recipes over from his homebrewing days, but the beers that really have his heart pour from two wooden vessels in the back room of the brewery: oak wine foeders Smith picked up from American Solera in Oklahoma City. They once held Italian Vin Santo.

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Telluride Brewing Co. | AlpenGOSE

As a big fan of Telluride Brewing Co., I couldn’t resist the presence of a new can offering in my neighborhood liquor store. But wait—a Leipzig-style gose brewed in the winter?

Indeed. AlpenGOSE is such a fanciful elixir.

The 4.5-percent beer represents the brewery’s first seasonal sour. Telluride released it last year on draft only under the moniker “There Gose the Snow,” a nod to the anemic snowfall. This season, the creation took on the name AlpenGOSE in hopes of a winter full of powder.

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Wallenpaupack Brewing Co. | Femme Brutale Brut IPA

Strong as an ox.

Solid as a rock.

These phrases perfectly describe an up-and-coming brewery, Wallenpaupack Brewing Co. It’s situated in Hawley, PA, close to the third largest lake man-made lake in Pennsylvania; follow the coast and its 52 miles of shoreline will lead you to some fantastic beer. Lake Wallenpaupack is a major recreational destination in the Pocono Mountain region. However, it was lacking a place that brewed some solid brews. Siblings Becky and Christopher Ryman noticed the need for a brewery around the lake and decided to get to work on offering the area something unique.

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Treehouse Brewing | Baby Bright IPA

Treehouse Brewing is one of those breweries that you hear more about than you ever see in their beer in the wild. They are one of the most hyped breweries when it comes Hazy IPAs and are on the top of the list for many beer traders.

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The Rare Barrel & Side Project Brewing | Avec des Amis

With spring fast approaching I find myself looking for stone fruit, both the actual fruit and in beer! The Rare Barrel collaborated with Side Project Brewing to bring about a beacon that spring is finally here. I was able to speak with Alex Wallash, founder of The Rare Barrel, about this collaboration brew and he provided some insight to the making of Avec des Amis.

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