Breakside Barrel Aged Stouts

If you operated a regional brewery and suddenly found yourself with extra tank capacity, what would you do? Would you pump out more of the beer you’ve been making seeking to increase your market presence? Would you offer contract brewing to smaller or gypsy brewers? Or would you completely revamp your barrel aging philosophy, taking a fresh perspective on how you create barrel aged Stouts? When presented with this exact scenario in 2020, Breakside Brewery out of Portland, Oregon chose this last option and created a blended Stout program.

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5 Questions with The Ale Apothecary’s Paul Arney

Paul Arney, co-owner and head brewer of The Ale Apothecary in Bend, OR has a bit of a reputation. Words like “legendary” are often thrown around to describe his brewery and the unique, place-based wild beer he brews. Arney has a bit of a nutty–yet deeply intellectual–personality. It’s not uncommon to hear him lovingly referred to as bats#&@ crazy. We sat down with Arney for five questions about Ale Apothecary and to see how he’s holding up during the pandemic. We were relieved to hear that he hasn’t let up one bit on his unrelenting “art over industry” philosophy.

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Fort George Brewery | Matryoshka

It’s not every day that you get to taste a truly marvelous beer – a beer that defies expectations across flavor, aroma, body; that leaves you “oohing and ahhing” at every sip. Personally, when this happens to me, I feel the need to share it, to sing its praises. I send texts, take notes and, as demonstrated with this post, divulge all the details here on PorchDrinking. The Matryoshka, from Fort George Brewery, is such a brew – and is perhaps one of the best beers that I’ve been able to get my hands on this year.

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PorchDrinking’s Best in Beer 2018 | Pacific Region

2018 has been quite a year for California! Our Pacific team has been all over this lovely state to cover beer festivals, brewery openings, special releases and much more. We … Read More

Island Hoppin’ Brewery | K-Pod Kolsch

It’s hard to overstate the natural beauty of Washington state. The state is home to mountain ranges, temperate rain forests, desert plains, active volcanoes and other natural wonders that are so varied and abundant, you could easily spend every weekend of the year in a new terrain. Even from my home base of metropolitan Seattle, the closest mountains are less than 30 minutes outside the city and you can book a whale watching tour that leaves from downtown.
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Fort George Brewing | Cavatica Stout

I’ve been drinking a lot of imperial stouts. Unlike most, I believe every season is stout season. Luckily for me it’s February and I don’t get flak for drinking a 12% Russian imperial stout. The proliferation of adjuncts to the market has been interesting. Brewers adding coffee, vanilla, cocoa, peppers, mint, you name it. While fun for the palate, I still prefer an adjunct-free stout. Let that malt shine, those chocolate and coffee notes should develop alone. One favorite is Cavatica Stout from Fort George Brewing.
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National IPA DAY | Pacific Northwest Roundup

I would like to offer an apology to National Hot Dog Day. And National Donut Day. National Taco Day, too. Because there’s just no convincing me that there’s any food or beverage day that can beat IPA Day – especially when you’re celebrating this glorious, hoppy, bitter holiday in the Pacific Northwest. Read More

Seattle Cider Company | Golden Tonic Third Anniversary Cider

The craft cider revolution has claimed a permanent spot in the hearts and appetites of Seattleites, and no one is more responsible for cider’s huge boom in popularity than Seattle Cider Company. Hailing as Seattle’s first cidery since prohibition, Seattle Cider’s flagship Dry and Semi-Sweet ciders can be found in virtually every beer bar, cocktail bar and grocery store in the area. Their diverse array of ciders manages to showcase bold, refreshing flavors without tasting sugary or overly sweet.

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5 Reasons You Need to Buy Capitol Hill Block Party Tickets

If you’re at all familiar with Seattle, you know that Capitol Hill is one neighborhood within its borders that captures the true flavor, eccentricity, complexity and energy of the dynamic and evolving Emerald City. Capitol Hill – or just ‘the hill’ – is the beating heart of Seattle’s experimental dining, vibrant nightlife, and overall pride. Needless to say, if one was to have a music festival somewhere within the city’s borders – and in the middle of Seattle’s summertime bliss – the hill is the obvious choice. Queue Capitol Hill Block Party – a three day music festival that, like the neighborhood that houses it, effortlessly captures its city’s exuberance.

If you can’t tell already, we have unharnessed excitement for this year’s fest, our calendars already marked for July 22 – 24.  And it’s not too late for you to join us in the celebration. Single day and three day tickets are available now. If you’re not already convinced, we’re giving you five reasons to pull our your credit card now to pull the trigger. We’ll see you there – beer in hand.

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Event Recap | Pike Brewing Company’s Women in Beer

For me, a perfect evening includes a few, key things. Good company is, of course, a top priority. This is followed by great food – preferably cheese, though I am … Read More

TODAY | Fremont Brewing Company Summer Ale Release Party

We don’t try and hide it. We are really, really big fans of Fremont Brewing Company. The people are great, and the beer is better. Or is the beer great, … Read More

The Pike Brewing Company | Monk’s Uncle Tripel Ale

If you live in Seattle — or have ever stepped foot within Seattle — you have realized that Pike Place Market is an institution.

Every day, hundreds of local … Read More

Brewery Showcase | Geaux Brewing (Bellevue, WA)

The history of Geaux Brewing starts, innocently enough, with a pizza party and a Whole Foods run.

The year was 2011, and Jeremy Hubbell was planning his weekly Friday pizza party in a business park in Bellevue, Washington. Every Friday, Hubbell would order a few pizzas and pair them with a selection of solid beers purchased from the local Whole Foods down the road for his coworkers. Read More

Brewery Showcase | Peddler Brewing Company (Seattle, WA)

Haley Keller, co-founder of Peddler Brewing Company, wasn’t always a biker. Come to think of it, she didn’t always like beer, either.

“I would say that both of those were … Read More

Event Preview | Pelican Pub & Brewery’s Brewer’s Dinner

If you are anywhere near Pacific City, Oregon this Saturday, we are begging you to clear your calendar. You won’t regret it.

If you haven’t already heard, the decorated … Read More

Inside the Tank | Pelican Pub & Brewery’s Darron Welch

On January 30, a few lucky PorchDrinkers will be headed to Pacific City, Oregon for a Brewers Dinner put on by Pelican Pub & Brewery. The event features a … Read More

Scuttlebutt Brewing Company | KEXP Transistor IPA

ABV: 5.6% | IBU: 68

If you don’t live in Seattle, the letters KEXP might not mean much to you. If you do live in Seattle, you know that these are not just four, jumbled letters. KEXP is 90.3 FM – the radio station bringing the Emerald City innovative and experimental culture, groundbreaking music and now, great… beer? Read More

Brewery Showcase | Fremont Brewing (Seattle, WA)

The first time I spoke with Matt Lincecum and Sara Nelson, co-founders of Fremont Brewing, was on the eve of their expansion into Oregon.  After five years, the Seattle … Read More

Event Recap | Winter Beer Festival

The 2015 Winter Beer Festival took over the Emerald City this last weekend with three sessions over Friday and Saturday, giving guests the opportunity to taste-test from over 50 Washington breweries as they showcased their greatest winter beers.

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Populuxe Brewing | Autumn Ale

ABV: 6.0%

There’s no denying it anymore. Fall is coming to an end. The final days of the season are bringing in unforgiving winds, cooling temperatures and, thankfully, a few final, fall beers. So before fall retires for the year, let’s cheers to finding a brew that perfectly captures the beauty, complexity and richness of autumn in a single sip. Read More