AboutJustin Pennel, Author at PorchDrinking.com
Justin Pennel
Bottle Club Exploration | Odd Breed Wild Ales
January 20, 2022 | Justin Pennel
With countless brewery running bottle clubs and memberships all around the country, we hope to spend some time this year scratching the surface and examining what some of these breweries offer. Bottle clubs aren’t anything new, but the exclusivity and things being offered has drastically changed in the last several years. On the surface, a bottle club sounds pretty straightforward, but if you have ever been a part of one then you know they can vary greatly in terms of what is offered, pricing and overall quality.
What We’re Drinking | December 3, 2021
December 3, 2021 | Justin Pennel
Welcome to the first Friday of December! Now that we’re smack dab in the middle of the holiday season, it’s time to enjoy some extra special beers. Many of us will be getting together with family and we all know that is much easier when you have a BBA imperial stout. Cheers to everyone celebrating Hanukah right now–may your glass be full and your stouts be barrel aged. This is what we’re drinking.
What We’re Drinking | November 5, 2021
November 5, 2021 | Justin Pennel
Welcome to the first Friday of November. Seriously, where has this year gone? Hopefully everyone had a fun and safe Halloween and an uneventful and safe election day. Thanks to the chaotic nature of politics in recent history, anytime I hear election I want to grab a beer. So without further ado, this is what we’re drinking.
What We’re Drinking | October 11, 2021
October 11, 2021 | Justin Pennel
Well, here we go. Fall Mode is now fully engaged. With that it brings stout season, PSLs, flannels and Halloween. Those of you that have been hoarding stouts in your fridge or cellar for the last six months, now is the time to bust them out! Our staff jumped on board with stout season, but is still holding on to some of the lighter beers from the summer. This is what we’re drinking.
KettleHouse Brewing Co. | MPS Pool Ale
July 6, 2021 | Justin Pennel
KettleHouse Brewing Co. is teaming up with legendary Seattle-based rock band, Pearl Jam, to launch MPS Pool Ale, a limited-edition Pale Ale brewed with Lemondrop Hops (5% ABV). The collaboration is a tribute to the 2018 Pearl Jam concert in Missoula, MT at Washington-Grizzly Stadium, which streamed for the first time in June 2021. A portion of the proceeds from MPS Pool Ale sales will be donated to Montana Pool Service (MPS), a non-profit founded by Pearl Jam’s Jeff Ament, who was born and raised in Montana. MPS organizes and funds world-class skateparks in rural and isolated communities for young people.
Oni | New Hokkaido
July 1, 2021 | Justin Pennel
New Hokkaido might be a new brewery name for many, so allow me to make the introduction. New Hokkaido is a phantom brewery based out of Mountains Walking in Bozeman, Montana. The brewery integrates Japanese culture into their label designs, beer names and how they brew. They also incorporate rice into all of their beers.
What We’re Drinking | June 4, 2021
June 4, 2021 | Justin Pennel
Last weekend marked the unofficial start to patio beer(s) season. We posed the question on our Instagram account this week, asking if people still drink stouts and strong barrel aged beers during the warmer months. It seems like opinions on the matter vary greatly, and our staff is no exception. Let us know if you still consider summer to be stout season or if you tend to reach for lighter, more refreshing options. This is what we’re drinking to kick off patio season.
5 Questions with Ryan Beal, Bozeman Brewing
April 26, 2021 | Justin Pennel 2
There’s no question that barrel aging and blending beers are a true form of art. I have admired this art form for years and after moving to Bozeman, Montana, I quickly learned that Bozeman Brewing excels at it. They have a wide variety of beers in their sour program, dubbed the Bozeman Underground. They affectionately gave it that name because their barrel aging facility is actually underneath the brewery — hence the name Bozeman Underground. The beers within their sour program range from Goses, Lambic-inspired Ales, Tripels and Flanders style to name a handful. I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Ryan Beal, brewer and cellarman at Bozeman Brewing, to discuss their sours, the barrel aging process and blending. Ryan is responsible for overseeing the sour program and everything that goes along with it. The knowledge and passion Ryan possesses for his craft, clearly shine through in his sour and funky ales.
What We’re Drinking | April 9, 2021
April 9, 2021 | Justin Pennel
Spring is in the air. Shots are going in arms. Beer is going in bellies. Join us to see what we’re drinking this week.
What We’re Drinking | March 12, 2021
March 12, 2021 | Justin Pennel
Around much of the country it’s looking like spring is right around the corner, or depending on where you are spring is already in full force. With spring comes patio beers, summit brews, and anything that involves being outside and enjoying a good beer. Not all of our staff has fully embraced the outdoors quite yet, but regardless of our activities, one thing we all have in common this week is enjoying great craft beer. This is what we’re drinking.
Ultimate 6er | Craft Beer of Bozeman, Montana
March 3, 2021 | Justin Pennel
Bozeman is a growing and thriving city, nestled in the mountains in Southwest Montana. Bozeman residents love the outdoors, and they also love their beer. Montana has one of the highest brewery per capita numbers in the nation. Bozeman currently has eight breweries one can visit, with more in the works. The city also supports some production-only breweries and a kombucha producer. If you ever find yourself in Bozeman, here are some excellent beers to try (and breweries worth visiting).
What We’re Drinking | February 12, 2021
February 12, 2021 | Justin Pennel
We’re just two days out from Valentine’s Day 2021. Everyone treats this “holiday” differently regardless of their relationship status, and who knows what kind of wrench COVID is going to through into that equation. One thing I think we can all get behind is treating yourself or a loved one to a growler fill or some cans from your local brewery. This is What We’re Drinking.
What We’re Drinking | January 15, 2021
January 15, 2021 | Justin Pennel
Pandemics and politics, sounds like it could be the title of a horror film. Unfortunately, the two topics have consumed nearly everyone’s lives over the past ten months. Enough about that, let’s talk about beer. Even if you’re partaking in dry January, don’t forget that your local craft breweries need your support more than ever. Many breweries were able to limp through 2020, but if you want to see your favorites breweries stick around for years to come then make sure you start 2021 off by supporting them however possible. Some of our staff has taken that mission to heart and is trying to save this industry that we all love. This is what we’re drinking.
What We’re Drinking | December 18, 2020
December 18, 2020 | Justin Pennel
Two things set in as a harsh reality this week. First off, we’re right in the heavy of the holiday season. Secondly, 2020 is over in two weeks and we’re still dealing with COVID. Thankfully the vaccine has started to get distributed. Hopefully in the near future we can all get together at a beer festival or a brewery and share some beers and make some memories. A heartfelt cheers and happy holidays to all of our readers. This is What We’re Drinking.
5 Questions with Bunkhouse Brewery Owner Andy Stohlmann
November 26, 2020 | Justin Pennel
There are currently well over 7,000 breweries in the U.S., each of them have a unique story to tell. Bunkhouse Brewery in Bozeman, Montana is a unique nano-brewery located steps away from the campus of Montana State University and the Brick Breeden Fieldhouse. Bunkhouse is what many would consider a neighborhood brewery. They only distribute to a couple accounts and heavily rely on taproom foot traffic and sales. These types of breweries have been hit hard during the COVID pandemic and have had to get creative and adjust on the fly. Fortunately, Bunkhouse is producing as much beer as ever and is still focusing on the community aspect of the brewery.
What We’re Drinking | October 30, 2020
October 30, 2020 | Justin Pennel
Tomorrow is Halloween, and like most of the holidays this year, it’s going to look a little different. The people who normally dread trick or treaters coming to their house will rejoice. They finally have a great excuse not to answer their door. Hopefully everyone else can find a safe, socially distanced, fun option for their Halloween this year. While you’re on our site, be sure to check out some of our Halloween-inspired articles. This is What We’re Drinking. Read More
What We’re Drinking | September 25, 2020
September 25, 2020 | Justin Pennel
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
What We’re Drinking | September 4, 2020
September 4, 2020 | Justin Pennel
Is the concept of time still a thing? How on earth is it already September? September means we’re in the fourth quarter of 2020. Let’s hope humanity can hit the buzzer beater and roll into 2021 with the win. Until then, here’s What We’re Drinking. Read More
5 Questions With Crooked Yard Hops Founder Jake TeSelle
September 1, 2020 | Justin Pennel 1
While Oktoberfest style beers and Pumpkin Ales get all the attention as summer turns to fall, true beer fans know what September brings: fresh hop season. Fresh hops or wet hops, depending on who you talk to, are only available for an extremely limited time frame and are usually brewed within a day of being picked. Their distinct flavor and unmistakable aroma are as exciting for brewers as they are for beer fans. But the story doesn’t start with the harvest—it starts years earlier under the care of hops farmers.
With fresh hop season quickly approaching, we chatted with Jake TeSelle, founder of Crooked Yard Hops, to discuss every beer lover’s favorite ingredient: hops.
What We’re Drinking | August 7, 2020
August 7, 2020 | Justin Pennel
Here were are entering the fourth quarter of the year and things haven’t settled down yet or returned to normal. Who would’ve thought that would be the case five months ago? Anyway, off-premise alcohol sales continue to soar and that seems to be the one consistency over the last several months. This week our nation came together to celebrate one of the most time honored traditions, National IPA Day (August 6). This is What We’re Drinking to celebrate the holiday and some other non-IPA varieties. Read More
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