Collaborating for a Cause | Bear: Stay Strong Alex

The Stay Strong Alex initiative continues this week with a special iteration of Esker Hart Artisan Ale’s Bear series. With his first full-production location slated to open in early 2024, Bob D’Angelo started his brewing journey nine years ago. Early support from Alex served as a huge kick start to what has now become Esker Hart, and in the wake of his unanticipated cancer diagnosis, Bob knew that he wanted to honor and dedicate this second Blend of Bear to him in support of the long road ahead. We had a chance to talk with Bob and learn more about his history with Alex as well as the beer itself and the special raffle that was set up to help raise money for the Kidd family.
Read More

Mortalis Brewing | Peach Brandy Leto

Mortalis Brewing out of Avon, NY, has been making a lot of noise recently in the world of craft beer. Whether it be their smoothie-style Sours or their big and brooding barrel-aged offerings, this talented group have proven exactly why they belong in the conversation of being one of the best young breweries in the country. For this Mother’s Day, there may not be a better beer to open to honor mothers everywhere than the Peach Brandy Barrel-Aged Leto Imperial Stout.

Read More

River North Brewery | Nightmare Fuel

As the name and label suggest, Nightmare Fuel from Denver’s River North Brewery is traditionally tied to Halloween. However, its dark, bold flavors and high alcohol translate nicely into winter warmer season as well. This barrel-aged Coffee Imperial Stout is the perfect comfort beer for curling up next to the fire on a snowy day. Read More

The Return of Great Lakes Blackout Stout

On the evening of August 14, 2003, an electrical blackout caused by a simple software bug plunged over 50 million people in the eastern United States and Ontario into darkness. While some places had power back within a couple hours, many were left without electricity for two days. Much of the media attention focused on covering the disaster in New York City, but other regional cities were similarly affected, including Cleveland in the northeast corner of Ohio. Cleveland’s Great Lakes Brewing Company immortalized the event by releasing a dark-as-night Imperial Stout they called Blackout Stout later that year. After a three year hiatus, Blackout Stout is now back for 2022.

Read More

Court Shoes Only Returns for Year Two

Court Shoes Only, a collective beer release, returns for its second year with a smash. This Charlotte-wide beer initiative launched in 2021 to raise funds for ACEing Autism. This year they are brewing a new style of beer and have expanded into more cities throughout North Carolina.

Read More

Ursula Brewery | Xocolatl Mexican Hot Chocolate Stout

It can be hard to stand out amidst the endless number of breweries in Colorado. Ursula Brewery in Aurora may not be on your beer radar, but it should be. They have been working since 2016 to perfect their brews. They boast a dog-friendly taproom and give back to the community through events like clothing drives. In the taproom, you will find a variety of beers, but one that deserves extra attention is the Xocolatl Mexican Hot Chocolate Imperial Stout.
Read More

Copper Kettle Brewing | Snowed In Mocha Imperial Stout

Just in time for the coldest, darkest part of winter, Copper Kettle Brewing’s 2021 Snowed In Mocha Imperial Oatmeal Stout has arrived. This great fireside beer makes you want to abandon all responsibilities, kick back and watch the snow fly. Read More

Peak View Brewing | Tiramisu Stout

Peak View Brewing in Greenwood Village, Colorado, was founded just two years ago, but the ideas of this brewery have a longer history. The founders, Sean Peters and Justen Coulfal, not only share a history of military service, but also a love of craft beer. Their shared dream of opening a brewery has been realized with a large variety of beers on tap to offer to their customers. They have also collaborated with other local businesses to expand their offerings. After creating one award winning beer with Branch & Barrel Distillery, Peak View Brewing was excited to collaborate again. “Their vision for complex and innovative whiskey matches our vision creating experimental and unique flavored brews,” explains Peters.
Read More

Ethereal Brewing | Baba Yaga Imperial Stout

Lexington, KY’s Ethereal Brewing is known for brewing a wide range of outstanding Belgian farmhouse and American craft beers with a focus on quality and a penchant for creativity. Their annual Baba Yaga Imperial Stout, a shining example of this approach, is aged exclusively in Four Roses barrels for 8-12 months.

Read More

Weathered Souls | Double Barrel First In Line Imperial Stout

All craft beer heads remember the glory days of in-person bottle releases and time spent waiting in line with like-minded and equally dedicated beer fans. Coolers opened to reveal rare finds that would be shared amongst the crowd to make the wait more enjoyable for the craft beer elite. While times have certainly changed, those memories remain. San Antonio, TX-based Weathered Souls Brewing Company’s latest members-only beer release is reminiscent of those glorious whales that would breach within the crowd dedicated enough to be First In Line.

Read More

New Image Brewing | Five for Freezing Imperial Stout

As part of their five-year anniversary series, New Image Brewing tackles the complicated science of fractional freezing with their new Imperial Stout, Five for Freezing. Typically, frozen beer is a travesty. There’s nothing quite as disheartening as cracking open the beer you crave, only to find that it’s morphed into a slushie mess or worse, discovering that a bottle left to chill in the freezer exploded like a Peep in the microwave. However, freezing beer before it’s packaged, is actually an old-world technique that yields some highly desirable results.

Read More

What We’re Cooking | Imperial Stout Infused Salt

One of the greatest benefits to our “What We’re Cooking” series is that PorchDrinking has the chance to do our own special kind of recipe development. Any chef will show you how alcohol can be present in just about any kind of dish for breakfast, lunch, dinner or dessert but beer is mysteriously underrepresented. However, just like home brewing, it means there’s a world of undiscovered projects just waiting to be uncovered. And Scott Johnson may have found a new beer-tasting seasoning to hit the shelves with Imperial Stout Salt! Read More

Crooked Stave | Scoville Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout

In a saturated Denver craft beer market, Crooked Stave has managed to remain a standout brand for a decade. They’ve recently chosen to move out of the River North Art District and return to their brewing roots in the up-and-coming Sunnyside neighborhood with a recently refreshed taproom. They also recently added a satellite location about an hour outside of Denver up the road in Fort Collins.

Read More

Strong BA Series | Four Saints Impending Grace

Without question, 2020 has been one of the wildest years in human memory. With world-shaping events happening (it seems) almost every day, and the constant, grating drip of catastrophe from the news, one is always on the lookout for reprieve, for some sort of grace.

Read More

Strong BA Series | River North Brewery – Barrel Conspiracy: Mr. Sandman

With an in-state distribution footprint that stretches to every corner of Colorado, Denver’s River North Brewery is a longtime local favorite. Despite its reach, its longevity and its reputation among hardcore craft enthusiasts, River North has still managed to remain somewhat of an underrated contender in the world of barrel-aged beers.

Read More

Ultimate 6er | I’m Being Told It’s December, So Here’s Some Christmas Shit

Hard to believe it’s already the holiday season. Whatever fucked up wormhole we got sucked into at the beginning of 2020 has wiped the concept of night and day from the malfunctioning hard drive that is our collective minds. But who doesn’t love the holidays?

Read More

Indulgent Beer Series | Aslin Padrino Imperial Stout

On the cusp of Thanksgiving 2020 after an incredibly stressful year; we all deserve a moment to indulge. Though as you can only fill your stomach so much or tolerate a certain amount of beer; what do you choose? Well, there’s no better option to treat your senses than to enjoy a beer that comes with its own recipe card!

Read More

Indulgent Beer Series | Hubbard’s Cave Coffee & Cakes

Who says you can’t have your coffee and cakes… and drink them, too? The folks over at Hubbard’s Cave are here to prove that you can, in fact, do just that. This Chicago-based brewery has dished up something straight out of boozy brunch dreams and let’s just say: We’re here for it.

Read More

Halloween Beer Treat | Resident Culture & The Eighth State ‘Instant Destiny’

Resident Culture Brewing Company and The Eighth State Brewing Company teamed up to create Instant Destiny. This Imperial Stout is packed with roasted peanuts, toasted cocoa nibs, vanilla, cassia bark, toasted coconut, and jaggery (a cane sugar traditionally consumed in Asia).

Read More

The Bruery | Black Tuesday Imperial Stout

With what seems like a never-ending supply of new exciting beers coming out these days, it’s not uncommon to see a beer that was a whale just six or seven years ago now sitting on the shelf collecting dust. So when you come across a beer that has been able to generate the same high level of enthusiasm from ever-fickle craft beer fans AND sells out immediately year after year, you know you have discovered something truly exceptional. The Bruery’s Black Tuesday Imperial Stout is such a beer.

First released over a decade ago, in 2009, Black Tuesday continues to enjoy a near cult-like following in many craft beer circles. It is currently ranked 17th on Beer Advocate’s list of best American Imperial Stouts and 62nd for all around best beer.

Read More