2SP Brewing Co. | Holiday Reserve Coffee Stout

Collaborations are a regular occurrence in the world of craft beer. It’s one of the aspects that makes the industry unique — that togetherness and proof that competition isn’t a focal point. With their Holiday Reserve Coffee Stout, 2SP Brewing Co., which is located just outside of Philadelphia, took the idea of collaboration and looked outside the box.

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Decipher Brewing | BBA Karabash Russian Imperial Stout

Decipher Brewing joined an elite tier of breweries that make barrel-aged beers recently, following the release of Bourbon Barrel Aged Karabash, from their new “Babington Project.” This release comes in 14.2%… but we’ll get to that later.  

The Babington Plot was a plot in 1856 to assassinate Queen Elizabeth I, using coded messages hidden in beer barrel bungs. (We’ll let you do some sleuthing to see how that plot turned out.) Decipher Brewing picked this name based off their own work in the military with ciphers and what better way to link the two than with a BBA stout?

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Industrial Arts Brewing Co. | State of the Art Series: Helles Lager

In sharp contrast to Wrench, Industrial Arts’ incredibly popular NEIPA, their Helles from the State of the Art series is exceedingly bright. Its execution is consistent with the entire ethos of the brewery, perfectly captured by its name. Read More

Wellbeing Brewing Company | Hellraiser NA Dark Amber

Dry January looked much different this year. Now, more than ever, local breweries need consumers’ support to survive. We continue to live through the pandemic and continuous major historical events. As a result, many have decided this isn’t the year to cut out drinking for a month (or at all).

However, for those who participated in alcohol abstinence, you didn’t have to sacrifice flavor. Recently, there has been a surge of non-alcoholic (NA) options in the market. Additionally, there are breweries solely dedicated to it. Meet Wellbeing Brewing Company, a Missouri-based craft brewery focused on non-alcoholic beers. They offer a range of NA styles, all consisting of 0% alcohol but thankfully–plenty of flavor. Read More

Charlotte Breweries Unite | Court Shoes Only

Queen City Brewer’s Festival is a Charlotte beer-lover’s dream every February, but the global pandemic has forced them to get creative this year. For the 10th Anniversary of the fest this year, they’re celebrating in the format of a collective beer release: Court Shoes Only.

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Pontoon Brewing | Volume Integral

The latest and greatest New England IPA to hit my palate is Volume Integral, a hazy double IPA brewed with oats and wheat which creates a very plush mouthfeel. The oats and wheat play well with the hops used in this beer which are El Dorado, Azacca, Mosaic and Belma. All of these combined create a lot of fruit and melon flavors that are balanced very well. The hop star of the show has to be the Belma hops which tend to create an almost strawberry-like profile.

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Right Proper Brewing & Heurich House Museum Revive a Classic Lager

With over 8,000 breweries operating coast-to-coast and everywhere in between, there has never been a better time than today to be a beer drinker in the United States. The energy and creativity of the craft beer movement is undeniable. Breweries are producing elaborate takes on venerable beer styles and creating new styles as well. Whether you like Milkshake IPAs or an Italian Pilsner, there is a beer for you in your local brewery. Craft beer is an undeniably popular beverage. However, beer was even more popular in the US before the catastrophe of Prohibition nearly wiped out the alcohol industry from 1920 to 1933.

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Booneshine Brewing Co. | Space Pegasus NE Style IPA

Located in the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains of northwestern North Carolina, Booneshine Brewing Co. calls the town of Boone its home. And, like many of the residents of Boone, they are explorers and adventurers, and their beers reflects that—both in name and ingredients.

Their Space Pegasus—a New England-style IPA—is also aptly named after exploring, as it will take you on an “intergalactic adventure”.

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Oconee Brewing Co. | Bacon & Kegs Bacon-Infused Red Ale

Since the holiday chaos and rush has slowed down, it’s a good time for some reflection. We wrapped up some of our favorite beers and the biggest beer stories across our regions to end 2020. One story that caused a greasy splash was the collaboration between Waffle House and Georgia’s own Oconee Brewing Company for an official beer.

Now, a few weeks later, we’re wiping down the table and diving into the bacon-infused Red Ale that is Bacon & Kegs.

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Ology Brewing Co. | Reactive Galvanization IPA

Ology Brewing Co. produced yet another phenomenal IPA with its Reactive Galvanization, an American IPA that reminds us just why IPA remains the king of craft beer.

The Tallahassee, FL brewery has its roots steeped in scientific research, and in fact, the very word “ology” means a subject of study–think “biology,” “archeology” or “beer-ology.” Head brewer Nick Walker is from a family of scientists and researchers. His grandfather studied taste and his father researched olfaction, the study of smell, which certainly came in use during the many, many beer tastings Nick has done over the years. Walker himself has a bachelor’s degree in biology. Put that all together and Ology Brewing emerges from this wealth of knowledge. Ology actually made PorchDrinking’s 2018 list of Rising Talent and they’ve only improved since then.

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Marz Community Brewing | The Love Brew (Gose)

Marz Community Brewing Co. takes their name to heart. The Love Brew is a collaboration with a local Chicago mutual aid organization, The Love Fridge. With each 4-pack sold, $1 will go towards The Love Fridge community.

The Love Fridge is an organization that has placed community fridges throughout the city, inspired by similar movements in New York City, Portland and all over the world. They aim to offer a solution to food waste and food insecurity through community involvement. As millions of people lose their jobs because of the ongoing pandemic and with months ahead before any progress is made, our community efforts mean the most now.

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Lost Friend Brewing Co. | The Bitter One West Coast IPA

Like many towns across the country, Colorado Springs has a thriving and growing brewery scene. New breweries, varied in beer styles and themes, seem to pop up every couple of months. All these new establishments share a couple of things in common: A love of brewing and a desire to share their vision of craft beer with the community. One such brewery was also founded on their love of our furry friends.

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Zipline Brewing Co. | Milk Stout

As winter rolls into Nebraska, it’s time to slow down and enjoy some locally-crafted stouts. Zipline Brewing Co. has released their winter seasonal beer, Milk Stout. This is their second year brewing Milk Stout, and locals are glad to see it come back. Last year the beer was so popular, they ran out earlier than expected. This year you should be able to find it on store shelves (and at one of their four locations in Lincoln and Omaha) into mid-March.

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Wild Provisions Beer Project | 12°P Premium Pale Czech-Style Lager

Innovation in our modern craft beer world typically means more. More hops! More fruit! More marshmallow! More, more, more! That’s why it’s refreshing to see what brewers like Wild Provisions Beer Project out of Boulder, CO are doing to push the envelope on beer without jamming it full of fruit purée and Lucky Charms. What makes a beer like Wild Provisions 12°P Premium Pale Lager, or PPL, one of the best beers in the world is the fact that their beer is so… simple. No adjuncts, additives or flavoring agents. A real Reinheitsgebot poster child. 

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Thesis Beer Project | Rookie Card IPA

With the market oversaturated with Hazy IPAs and adjuncts, how do you find that one beer that sticks out amongst the rest? You compare a beer menu to a first-round draft pick. Some are unproven and many times there is so much unknown from them. Folks tend to sort a beer list by putting the ones you know you will like on top and putting the others on the bottom. So when there is a rookie on the list, where do you put the unproven beer you might overlook because it doesn’t have that hazy, juiciness or adjunct flavors we see so much of today?

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McClellan’s Brewing Co. | Wulver IPA

The IPA is easily one of the most lauded, debated, romanticized and scrutinized beer styles the world has ever known. Passionate beer brewers and drinkers alike have experienced the rise of the American IPA as a dominant force in the beer market starting with the American craft beer revolution and continuing as an influence in craft beer internationally. Many are familiar with the abridged IPA origin story: IPA evolved as a high alcohol, massively hopped beer, conditioned during the long sea voyage from England to India. While that tells part of the story, McClellan’s Brewing Company’s Wulver IPA also plays a part in that story, and it’s a delicious way for both IPA and non-IPA drinkers to connect with the history of the style.

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Pollyanna Brewing | Lite Thinking

In 2016, I wrote a piece about Pollyanna Brewing Summerly Raspberry Wheat that stated, “Pollyanna Brewing‘s rapid success is almost unfathomable until you try the beer — and then it makes perfect sense. Just shy of two years old, Pollyanna Brewing is already expanding its production.” Well, nearly five years after that story published, the brewery has opened two new locations and won a host of prestigious beer awards, including its Lite Thinking American Lager that won 2019 gold and 2020 bronze at the Great American Beer Fest (GABF).

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Suarez Family Brewery | Saunter English Mild

The paradox of a dark beer somehow also being light it hard for many to digest. Most commonly, people think of the world’s most famous stout, Guinness, as a heavy beer, despite it’s 4.2% alcohol and calorie count similar to Mass-Produced Swill Lite. A nice light Witbier is great when the summer sun is shining on you, but what about on those blustery winter days where snow and freezing rain make you want to build a blanket fort and watch 10hrs straight of Lord of the Rings? Suarez Family Brewery may have the solution for you in Saunter, an English Mild Ale that is the flavorful light winter warmer you need.

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Athletic Brewing Co. | Upside Dawn Golden Ale & Run Wild IPA

Have you set a New Year’s resolution? Are you participating in #DryJanuary? If so, Athletic Brewing Co. out of Stratford, CT, has you covered. As the first non-alcoholic beer taproom in the country, they have a great line up of options that are both low in calories and contain less than 0.5% ABV. Whether you are a “hop head” and love IPAs or if you are a more malt-focused beer drinker, they have you covered.
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Central State Brewing | Table Rustic Blonde Ale

January 2021 is here. Finally.

A time-honored tradition among many craft-beer drinkers every January is Dryanuary or, a month without alcohol. But this January, craft breweries need our help more than ever. And, let’s face it, we all need a beer more than ever. So what’s a good compromise between cutting out drinking altogether for a month and giving craft breweries our support? Let’s go with drinking more low-ABV beers. If you indulged in a lot of high-ABV beers over the holidays like we did, it’s time to cleanse the palate anyway.

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