First Beer After Baby | A Nine-Month Dilemma

It was a warm spring day and as I listened to some Lake Street Dive it seemed like as good a time as any to take a pregnancy test. My husband and I had just started trying to have a baby, so I was keeping my expectations low. I stood there dreaming about my latest curbside pickup from Temescal Brewing, popping one open in my quarantine safe backyard and soaking in some sun. Three minutes later, there it was. A big beautiful positive. A positive pregnancy test brings with it a hurtling roller coaster of emotions, even when expecting and hoping for it like I was. The first wave was part holy shit part happy tears, and the second came with a twinge of sadness that I wouldn’t be crushing a can of craft for at least nine months.

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Saugatuck Brewing Co. | Oak Wizard Oak Aged Imperial Brown Ale

Winter time used to be a bit problematic for this outside-day-drinking, IPA-loving, oak-aged-avoiding lady. I could never “find” something I liked. For a long time, I thought it was the beer’s fault. The truth is, I wasn’t so much searching for beers as I was avoiding styles that had failed me in the past. I hadn’t realized that times had changed and that brewers were getting savvy to the ins and outs of wood aging and making some stellar concoctions. Once I made that realization, I decided to give wood-aged brews another chance. Happily, I found plenty of good ones out there, including Saugatuck Brewing Company’s Oak Wizard, an oak aged imperial brown ale.

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Big Boss | Oak-Aged “Strange Cargo” Trio

We at PorchDrinking are no strangers to Big Boss. They’re one of Raleigh’s best and brightest breweries. But we are strangers to their new oak-aged “Strange Cargo” trio. At least we were, until now. Read More

Brouwerij Rodenbach | Vintage Oak Aged Ale 2012

Average Reading Time: 2 Minutes

Flemish Style ale
Brouwerij Rodenbach
Steenhuffel, Belguim
ABV: 7%

In short, Brouwerij Rodenbach‘s Vintage Oak Aged ale could, easily, be described as a champagne among beers! The long way round takes about 200 years, which is about how long Brouwerij (Brewery) Rodenbach has been brewing. How exciting is that? Read More