18th Street Brewery | Devil’s Cup Pale Ale

Just a stone’s throw from the saturated market that is Chicago, and in the large shadow that is cast by craft beer darlings, Three Floyds, sits 18th Street Brewery. Since opening their doors in 2013, 18th Street has kept their nose to the grindstone, cranking out some mighty fine beers for close to a decade.

Despite being just a neighborhood brewery in Indiana, 18th Street is no stranger to national acclaim. They’ve been invited to coveted beer fests such as Wake Fest, collaborated with cool-kid breweries like Mikkeller, and were voted top brewpub in the nation by USA Today in 2019. 18th Street may not have the mainstream popularity of their aforementioned neighbor yet, but the beer they produce continues to earn them industry cred and respect of their peers that hype can’t buy.

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Brewer’s Kitchen | Courtesy of Copenhagen

Despite taprooms continuing to stay closed in light of COVID-19, there’s no shortage of local beer releases, especially as we approach the summer months. Although May hardly counts as a “summer month” here in Chicago, we’re staying optimistic for warmer days. Courtesy of Copenhagen is a recent pick-up that will bring you to that feeling of enjoying a sunny summer day.

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Migration Brewing | Patio Pale Ale

Summa, summa, summa time!

Portland, Oregon, is known for its beautiful summers: warm temperate climate, no real bugs or humidity, lush green landscapes, and the mountains, rivers, oceans … Read More

Maplewood Brewery | Charlatan Pale Ale

For my first piece for PorchDrinking, I decided to revisit a beer that kicked off my love of craft beers.

I still remember the first time I tried The Charlatan…back before it was canned. Before it received its new look. Hell, even before Maplewood came to be known as Maplewood.

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Schlafly Beer | Pale Ale

It saddens me a bit that back in 1992 when I tried my first craft beer — a Schlafly Beer Pale Ale; I did not have the foresight to realize I was tipping back something special. I didn’t know that it would not only mean something to me 27 years later but inspire me to write about it.

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Ultimate 6er | Seattle Growler Fills

Draft beer almost always tastes better than bottled or canned beer.* It’s fresher and hasn’t been exposed to heat, light, or oxygen—elements that can have a major negative impact on the beer’s taste and aroma. Despite the superiority of draft, we don’t always feel like going out for a pint. As a self-proclaimed introvert, I’m a prime example of a beer enthusiast who sometimes just wants to chill at home and watch a movie. Or read. Or drink a few beers while I cook dinner. This is when growlers come in handy. Typically 64 fluid ounces (the equivalent to 4 pints) or 32 fluid ounces (2 pints) breweries and taprooms will happily fill growler jugs with fresh, tasty, draft beer and allow patrons to grab quality beer to go. Read More

Creature Comforts Brewing Co. | Automatic

5.2% ABV

Creature Comforts Brewing Co.’s Automatic Pale Ale comes straight out of Athens, Georgia which was just voted the number one city in the SEC for craft beer. And for very good reasons. Creature Comforts Brewing Co. is killing it with their current lineup, sending beer geeks all around Georgia in search of their popular brews. Automatic Pale Ale is their newest canned beer, released this summer, and it is causing excitement across the Southeast.

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Bronx Brewery B-Sides | Say Hey Saison

ABV: 7.2% | IBU: 30

BREWING: May – June

When you’re searching for the perfect saison, but finding that too much earthiness lingers on your palate, look no further this month than the Bronx Brewery B-Sides Say Hey Saison.

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Brewery Showcase | The Bronx Brewery (Bronx, NY)

A common adage in this industry is to “do one thing you’re good at and do it right”. While most breweries I’ve come across start off living this truth, not all end up sticking to the original plan. Last month, I hopped on the 4 train after work to accept an invitation for a private tasting up at The Bronx Brewery. What I discovered was a pioneering pair of brewers who practice what they preach: the pale ale.

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Bronx Brewery B-Sides | On the Black Pale Ale

ABV: 5.7% | IBU: 46

BREWING: November – December

If you are a baseball fan on any level, this beer’s clever naming convention has probably already clicked with the compartment of your brain designated for phrases, puns and parlance. According to The Bronx Brewery of New York, On The Black is not only a term for a pitcher during a prime performance, but also a brewer at their best. After my encounter with said beer in the field, I find it hard to argue otherwise.

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BridgePort Brewing | Conviction Pale Ale

ABV: 5.2%
IBU: 40

Looking for the perfect beer to bring to a Labor Day cookout (or any other Labor Day activity)? I’d like to introduce you to the Conviction Pale Ale from BridgePort Brewing. Read on for a one-minute review in which I quickly make my case for the perfect Labor Day beer.

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Great South Bay Brewery | Blood Orange Pale Ale

Average reading time: 1 minute

ABV: 5%

IBU: 40

Once upon a time, there was a girl named Carly.  She went for a stroll along the water front in Brooklyn.  Pretty soon, she came upon an unassuming bar.  She peeked inside, and when the bartender beckoned, she walked right in. Atop a stool at the counter, there were many taps of craft beer and Carly was thirsty.

Packing some punch from the Great South Bay of Long Island, New York is the Blood Orange Pale Ale. I call it the Goldilocks of Pale Ales — not too tangy, not too tart, this one is just right. The combination of American hops, malted barley and bitter blood oranges stir up a frenzy of flavors in your mouth that radiate across your tongue. While emitting a florally fresh scent that is expected from Cascade hops, they also play a part in adding a citrus-like quality to the body. The ale’s color is light, matching the mood one acquires upon drinking. Read More

Spiteful Brewing | Alley Time! Pale Ale

Spiteful Brewing | Alley Time! Pale Ale

6% ABV

Spiteful is among my favorites of the breweries I’ve discovered since moving to Chicago a little over four months ago. The Alley Time is a smash beer (single malt/single hop) made with Pilsen malt and Simcoe hops. These two ingredients come together to create a crisp, refreshing pale ale with just the right amount of bite for these warm summer days, fleeting though they may be. Read More

Captain Lawrence Brewing Company | Freshchester Pale Ale

ABV: 5.5%

IBU: 35

As a brew that comes from the South East tip of New York State, Freshchester Pale Ale is a reinvention of one of Scott Vacarro’s earliest encounters with beer making, … Read More

Beer and Food | American Pale Ale

Welcome back to the delicious world of beer and food. We’ve spent the first half of the month focusing on lighter options for morning/daytime activities, while the heat of the day is … Read More

Peak Organic Brewing | Summer Session

ABV: 5%

IBU: 61

Memorial Day is generally seen as the harbinger of summer. As that final Monday in May comes and goes; as barbecues galore – with their sundry … Read More

Three Floyds Brewery | Alpha King Pale Ale

ABV 6.6%

IBU 68

One day, every Spring a vast percentage of my social networking feeds suddenly revolve around one topic: Dark Lord Day. Some will actually score tickets. Many will not. Either way, this “golden” ticket release day serves as a reminder to a couple very important things for me. 1. Spring is here. (DLD is always held the last Saturday of April.) 2. Beer Festival season is officially beginning. Just three short weeks after DLD, Chicago Craft Beer Week will begin… and it starts. 3. There will inevitably be a trip planned in the near future where Chicago pals will bicycle along the Lakefront path to the Three Floyds Brewery and enjoy the day. And lastly, 4. I remember why I love Three Floyds and that is, while they serve as a great beer year round, the majority of their portfolio is made up of great summer delights. Read More

Southern Tier – Live

5.5% ABV

Of all the things that go hand in hand with drinking beer, watching live music tops my list. And it is no secret that a beer (or more … Read More

Odell Brewing Company- 5 Barrel Pale Ale

When I first moved to Colorado and discovered the wide world of craft beer, I fell into a dreamatorium universe of hops.  So it doesn’t come to any surprise that I wasn’t initially taken to Odell Brewing Company’s 5 Barrel Pale Ale, because simply put, I didn’t find it hoppy enough.   To be fair it is a Pale Ale, not an IPA and I was also comparing it to the likes of Odell’s IPA, New Belgium’s Ranger, and Ska’s Modus Hopperandi.  Apples to Oranges.

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