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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22 Northmen Brewing Company | A Fresh Take on Minnesota’s Viking Heritage

When I stepped into 22 Northmen Brewing Company, I felt like I was in that scene of Beauty and the Beast when Gaston is singing his song.

We don’t always liken a brewery to our favorite Disney movie, but when we do it’s our highest form of flattery! Read More

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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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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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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Grateful Gnome Brewery | Prickle Me Pink

There are two facts to know about Bess Dougherty, the head brewer and barrel troll for Grateful Gnome Brewery and Sandwich Shoppe in Denver’s Berkeley neighborhood: She doesn’t spend any time trying to create unique names for her beers, and she’s passionate about the friendly community within the craft beer industry.

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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

Brewery Showcase | Southern Grist Brewing

Having a few great beers with some good friends after a long week of work is one of the greatest feelings in the world. So, it’s no surprise that Southern Grist Brewing Company was born from moments like that.

SGBC wants every person to experience that amazing feeling and that’s why they make beers for everyone – they want to make sure that every person that walks through their doors can find a style/beer they’ll enjoy while not feeling like a customer but, rather, a friend.

Jared Welch, the co-founder and head brewer, was nice enough to sit down with us and talk all about Southern Grist and craft beer. Read More

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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Roses’ Taproom | Lite Brite

Roses’ Taproom in the Temescal neighborhood of Oakland, California is ushering in a new wave of breweries by reimagining what a taproom can be. They’re bringing their own style to an ever-growing and expanding beer community in the East Bay.

Walking through the door, some may get a hipster, bougie vibe from the space. But, it’s clear that immense thought and care has gone into every detail. From the teal fish scale backsplash behind the multi-curved spindle tap handles to the luscious greenery and warm lighting, visitors are made to feel comfortable and welcome to share a beer or two with friends in this stylish space.

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What We’re Drinking | February 8th, 2019

Would you be willing to fall in love with a new beer? Maybe even reconnect with a beer you already tasted before? February is a short month, but enough time to show our craft beer community some love. This week was interesting since I tried new beers as well as a beer spa experience. I wanted to celebrate a birthday in a different way, and I definitely accomplished that. Cheers to trying new beer experiences, even if it means submerging yourself in a hot tub full of beer ingredients! PorchDrinkers have a cool lineup of diverse beers and we are all over the country sharing this week’s What We’re Drinking.

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Event Preview | Karl Strauss Brewing Company Turns 30

On February 2, 1989, Karl Strauss Brewing Company opened their first brewery on Columbia St. in downtown San Diego, CA. Thirty years later, they are still going strong with 10 brewpubs scattered from San Diego to Orange County and two locations in Los Angeles County.

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Beer Lover’s Guide to Evanston, IL’s Craft Beer Scene

Just a short train ride from Chicago, Evanston is home to Northwestern University. Downtown, you’ll find lots of shops and restaurants, as well as some great breweries.

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Hudson Valley Brewery | Bloom

Just north of the hustle and bustle of Manhattan, the Hudson Valley in New York has long inspired artists and writers, like Norman Rockwell, with its Victorian homes, charming villages and amazing cuisine. The valley is full of outdoor activities like boating, kayaking and the opportunity to summit some pretty intense mountains; a section of the Appalachian Trail even runs through the area. So, it should come as no surprise that the Hudson Valley is becoming a hot spot for breweries. In fact, there are more than 50 breweries and counting within the region.

Hudson Valley Brewery is located in Beacon, NY. Situated just off the main street in a 1960s factory building, Hudson Valley Brewery opened their doors in 2017 and have already made quite a name for themselves—Hop Culture Magazine named them Best New Brewery of 2017.

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What We’re Drinking | December 28, 2018

We are officially in the middle of the holiday week, and it’s probably time for a nice break from all the festivities. Here is what your favorite PorchDrinkers are enjoying this holiday season, it’s time for another installment of What We’re Drinking.

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Brewery Showcase | BiXi Beer

When brewmaster Eymard Freire first joined the BiXi Beer project he wasn’t married and had no kids. But by the time BiXi opened, Freire was married and his daughter was six months old. Plagued by multiple setbacks, BiXi finally opened in August 2018. The wait was worth it.

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Beach Haus Brewery | Winter Rental

The Jersey Shore is home to surf, sun and the beach, loved by many locals and tourists (aka bennies, shoobies, etc.) alike. Jokes aside, the population in the summer skyrockets but is back to normal levels by Labor Day. As the weather turns cold, the number of people dwindles and shore communities turn into ghost towns. Some who stay behind and are not “locals,” per se, stay in relatively affordable “winter rentals,” which is where Beach Haus Brewery’s seasonal release Winter Rental got its name. Read More

Fox Farm Brewery | The Cabin Smoked Helles Lager

In a market so saturated with DDH beers, super-fruited and adjunct overloads (which I should note, I love trying as much as the next beer enthusiast), I find it refreshing when a brewery isn’t steadfast to these trends and unafraid to put out more traditional styles of beer. Fox Farm Brewery in Salem, Connecticut is a brewery that’s doing just that. Their Smoked Helles Lager, The Cabin, is a great beer that deserves the spotlight for this reason.

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What We’re Drinking | November 9, 2018

Election day has come and gone, leaving either a wave of disappointment or excitement in its wake. People hit the polls in record numbers to exercise their right to vote, and crowds gathered across the country in various venues to await the results. No matter what side of the fence you are on, I think we can all agree it was an invigorating and exhausting week. Time to sit back, take stock of your voting efforts and grab a beer. If you need some good ideas on a which brew to choose, the PorchDrinking staff has you covered, here’s What We’re Drinking.

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4th Tap Brewing Cooperative Brews Spooky Concept for Haunted House Entertainment Pioneer

Halloween is upon us and haunted house fans in Texas know the House of Torment in Austin, Texas is as good as it gets. Nationally recognized, this pioneer in haunted entertainment features three re-imagined immersive experiences and a new bar, Torment Tavern. Read More