Ultimate 6er | Making A Murderer

Making A Murderer mania – it’s sweeping the nation. Despite being released almost two months ago, the American public is still clamoring for anything and everything regarding the case. My Facebook feed is filled with articles reviewing the facts, and two new specials, Dateline on NBC and Steven Avery: Innocent or Guilty on Investigation Discovery, aired this past weekend. So to add to the fervor, I bring you a Making A Murderer Ultimate 6er, filled with beers from The Badger State representing some of the biggest players in the series. Read More

Don’t Drink and Drive | A Cautionary Tale

Don’t drink and drive. We hear it all the time. And yet, most of us have done it, at least once. I am one of those people. And I … Read More

Goose Island Beer Co. | Sofie

ABV: 6.5% | IBU: 20

Every time I log in to Facebook it seems I’m greeted with an ad from Goose Island stating that Sofie “is the only bubbly you need this season,” and I couldn’t agree more. Read More

Roundtable Discussion | Session Beers

Session beers seem to be the next big trend in craft beer, so we asked the PorchDrinking staff to offer up their favorites!

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Samuel Adams | Octoberfest

ABV: 5.3% | IBU: 16

Whether they were merely gateway beers or still remain part of regular rotation, Samuel Adams‘ seasonal beers have become staples. Offerings like Summer Ale and Winter Lager have ushered in the changing of the seasons for some time but none more iconic than their Octoberfest.
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Roundtable Discussion | Favorite Taproom Features

While the quality of a brewery’s beer is of the utmost importance, the atmosphere in which that beer is enjoyed also factors into the overall drinking experience. This week, Tristan asked the PorchDrinking staff for the extra touch that really makes a brewery’s tap room stand out.

Find out what we had to say, and feel free to leave your comments below!

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Ultimate 6er | The Six Beers That Made My Summer

While the official end of summer is still over a month away, my summer is coming to a close. In 12 short days, I’ll be going back to school, and what little freedom I had will be gone. So, here are the six beers that made my summer. Read More

Event Preview | Ohio Brew Week

Every summer, Ohio Brew Week takes over my tiny hometown of Athens, Ohio. Unfortunately, I tend to be on vacation for most of it. However, this year, I’m skipping the beach and staying here. The 10th Anniversary of Ohio Brew Week takes place July 10-18, and is bound to be the best one yet!

The brainchild of Dan Gates, former director of Ohio Brew Week, and the late Jon Sparhawk, a local business owner, this week-long “celebration of craft brewing” started as an idea “to attract visitors to Athens in the summertime when Ohio University is not in full session as a way to help restaurants and hotels survive those slower months.” Since then, it has expanded, and now includes more than 76 events, over 276 craft beers and awesome keynote speakers, like Steve Hindy, Chairman and Co-Founder of The Brooklyn Brewery and former Athens paperboy. Read More

Wolaver’s | Wildflower Wheat

4.25% ABV
15 IBU

In the mood for a hot cup of tea, but craving an ice cold beer? Look no further than Wolaver’s Wildflower Wheat! Brewed with pure organic wildflower honey and organic chamomile flowers, this unfiltered wheat ale is as soothing as it is refreshing. Read More

Ultimate 6er | Brewnuts

This week’s Ultimate 6er is a little different. Over the weekend my friend Christine was in Cleveland for a wedding, and she sent me the above photo of the most amazing looking doughnuts I’ve ever seen. The best part? They’re made with beer! Read More

Rhinegeist | A Side

ABV: 6.4%

Rhinegeist A Side combines two of my great loves: alcohol and music. I’ve seen probably close to 100 bands in concert and tasted countless more beers. Conceived by Jim Blase of Shake It Records in Cincinnati’s Northside neighborhood and frequent Shake It patron/Rhinegeist distributor Pete Fernandez, this limited release IPA was brewed special for this year’s Record Store Day. Read More

Roundtable Discussion | May the 4th Be With You

This week’s Roundtable topic comes straight from the founder himself! In honor of May the 4th Be With You, aka Star Wars Day, we asked our staff for their favorite Star Wars characters, moments and memories. I’m not a huge sci-fi fan, but who doesn’t love those little Ewoks? And I’m thoroughly excited to see what space oddities our themed potluck brings to my office on Monday!

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Roundtable Discussion | Favorite Thing to Make Using Beer

My friend Sam won’t leave me alone about making him the beer milkshake I wrote about in one of my first posts for PorchDrinking.com, and that got me thinking, “I wonder what the rest of the staff likes to make using beer.” So I asked. The result? Some of the most delicious sounding recipes you could ever fathom.

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Jackie O’s | Razz Wheat

Jackie O’s Razz Wheat is certainly not a new beer, but it was just released in cans for the first time a couple weeks ago. Although it’s on tap year-round here in Athens, OH, Razz Wheat reminds me of summertime and sitting on Jackie O’s back patio. And during this brutal winter, I couldn’t be wishing for anything more!

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Roundtable Discussion | Favorite & Least Favorite Super Bowl Commercials

After an epic Super Bowl Sunday, we asked our staff for their favorite and least favorite commercials. Bet you can’t guess which one we wish we hadn’t seen…

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Roundtable Discussion | Snow

Earlier this week I was sitting at work despite a Level 2 snow emergency. Had I still been in grade school, I would have had the day off, and I would have been outside sledding, building a snowman, etc. Alas, I am an adult, and I had to dig my car out from under half a foot of snow to make the drive into the office at a measly 25mph. As you can probably tell, unlike when I was a kid, I now despise this time of year, so I thought I’d see how the rest of the staff feels about the white stuff now that we’re all grown up.
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Roundtable Discussion | Christmas Music

This week PorchDrinking tackles a widely debated issue: How early is too early to start listening to Christmas music? I started listening to Christmas music November 13. Was that too soon? According to our staff, yes, yes it was. I also wanted to know everyone’s favorite songs of the season (secretly so I could add them to my already ginormous Christmas playlist :)). Personally, I’m really digging Karen O’s rendition of “Marshmallow World” for Target, and I don’t think you can ever go wrong with Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You.” And Frank Sinatra’s Christmas album…classic. Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comment section below!

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Roundtable Discussion | Expensive Beers

Last week, Mike Zoller posted this article on our staff page and posed the question, “Would you pay $120 for a 22oz beer?” For this week’s Roundtable Discussion, we decided to take it a step further. We asked our fellow PDers for the most expensive bottle of beer they’ve ever purchased, how much it actually cost them, and how much is too much to pay for a single bottle. Scroll down to find out what they said and please feel free to leave your comments below!

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Great Lakes Brewing Co. | Dortmunder Gold

5.8% ABV

Great Lakes Dortmunder Gold is a staple in our fridge; my mom loves it. If that tells you anything, it’s that this beer is extremely sessionable. That’s probably why it’s been named World Champion at the World Beer Championships and Gold Medal Winner at the Great American Beer Festival several times over.

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Roundtable Discussion | Homecoming

This past weekend was Homecoming Weekend at my alma mater, Ohio University. We may not be big on football, but we are big on fun! Friday night everyone’s just getting into town, so naturally everyone meets at the bars. And I’m talking EVERYONE. There were lines 20-30 people deep just to get in! Even the university’s drumline makes an appearance! Saturday morning the bars open around 7 for kegs & eggs, the parade is at 10 (my favorite part of which is the alumni band pictured above), and then it’s time to tailgate. Or go to the bars. The football game is usually mid-afternoon, and if anyone goes, they pretty much stay until halftime, and then…yep, you guessed it, they go to the bars. Homecoming in Athens is unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. People fly in from all over the country, some from all over the world, just to be back here for this one weekend, so I was curious to find out what Homecoming is like at other schools. I think the number of responses I got speaks for itself, but let’s go ahead and see what our staff had to say in this week’s Roundtable Discussion.

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