What We’re Drinking | September 25, 2020

Fall is officially here and our lives are about to be taken over by pumpkin spice lattes, if they haven’t  already. Another way many beer lovers look at fall is that it kicks off Stout season with the cooler temps settling in. Seasonal food and drink can be a lot of fun and our crew here at PorchDrinking has been highlighting a seasonal beer lately — Oktoberfest beers. Check out some of our articles lately and give some seasonal offerings a try! Here’s What We’re Drinking. Read More

Brothers Craft Brewing | Blonde Betty Imperial Blonde Ale

Autumn is the season of pies. Whether it’s pumpkin, sweet potato or pecan, we all know the colder months bring forth a nostalgic desire for those traditionally warming, sweet sensations. So when the wave of pumpkin-spiced everything (including beer) takes over, how do you stand out? Brothers Craft Brewery cuts to the core of this dilemma by releasing a specially brewed apple ale, Blonde Betty.

There is no beer scene in the Shenandoah Valley without the influence of Brothers Craft Brewery, formerly known as Three Brothers. These guys have been providing wonderful beers in the Appalachian Mountains since the Virginia beer boom in 2012 by catering to both sides of the craft beer spectrum. They recently won Best in Show at the Virginia Craft Beer Cup for their flagship Lil Hellion; their barrel-aged beers like Resolute and Drunken Mornings are loved by rare beer collectors.

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Beer Showcase | Lakefront’s Pumpkin Imperial Ale Slays the Competition

Fall in Wisconsin is an exciting time of year. Hearty, Midwestern men and women come back from the lake, stock up on cheese curds and bratwursts and prepare for Packer season. The crisp, cool air signifies a clear changing of the seasons and thus the beer aisle at your local Woodman’s begins to change with it. The aisles formerly populated by the Midwest’s finest kolsch and summer wheat beers seemingly overnight are now enticing thirsty patrons with Oktoberfests, maibocks and pumpkin beers. Oh God, so many pumpkin beers. Everyone makes them now. My recommendation, coming from years of industrial grade levels of drinking, is to avoid the constant disappointment of so many of the macro breweries “take” on pumpkin beers and go straight to the one pumpkin beer that lays waste to its vast and meager competition.

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Reuben’s Brews | Imperial Oatmeal Stout

ABV: 8.4%

IBU: 39

I first met the team at Reuben’s Brews in early 2013 at their brewery in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle. At that time, they had already finished brewing their 50th batch of beer and they had been open for about six months. This is an impressive and important feature of Reuben’s Brews, as well as a very good reason to find their beer next time you’re in the Seattle area. Brewmaster Adam Robbings prioritizes giving his customers as many options as possible on the brewery’s twelve taps and brews in smaller batches in order to keep the recipes true to form. The emphasis on taste and the drinker’s experience has resulted in a plethora of awards and recognition for the family-owned brewery, including 15 medals at the World Beer Championships since opening in August 2012. Read More