Transient Artisan Ales | Buckley Reserves No. 1 and No. 2

On a rainy May 19, more than 1,000 people showed up to the sleepy, lake town of Bridgman, Mich., all because a dog tricked his owner to get out of … Read More

Saint Errant Brewing | Cauallier

It’s November in Chicago and stout season has arrived and it’s not just because Festival of Barrel-Aged Beers (FOBAB) brought a deluge of fabulous new barrel-aged beers. Rather, the 3-5 inches of snow and single-digit temperatures are really putting the city in the mood for a beer as dark as the sky at 4:45 p.m. (sigh)

Luckily, Saint Errant Brewing has an indulgent option for Chicagoans: Cauallier, an imperial stout brewed with cacao nibs and roasted peanuts. This brew starts with a dense black pour, visually preparing you for its richness. With a burnt but chocolatey aroma, the first sniff does its job of pulling you in with sweet, warm vanilla notes while still letting you know this imperial means business.

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Best of Hands Barrelhouse & Matchless Brewing | Family Influence Hazy IPA

I’ve written before about Seattle’s best bottle shop, The Beer Junction, and how lucky I am to live in the same neighborhood so I can access their brilliantly curated selection and knowledgeable staff as frequently as I want. But earlier this year, The Beer Junction gave me and fellow West Seattle residents a new reason to appreciate their craft beer expertise in the form of Best of Hands Barrelhouse.

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Proper Brewing Co. | Monolith Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout

With Monolith, Salt Lake City’s Proper Brewing Co. begins its much-anticipated barrel program.

Monolith is a barrel-aged version of Proper Brewing’s Grand Sláinte Imperial Stout. It’s a limited-edition brew you’ll want to get your hands on.
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Preview of GABF Gold Begyle BBA Imperial Pajamas | Nov 15 Release

The GABF Gold Medal awarded to Begyle Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Pajamas validated what many already knew: in a town abound in exceptional bourbon-barrel-aged beer, Begyle’s has risen to become one of the best. The 2019 release on Friday, November 15, will be the first for the Community Supported Brewery (CSB) since winning the medal. They graciously hosted PorchDrinking a couple of days early, offering to provide us with a few tastes and plenty of discussion about its barreling program.

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BareBottle Brewing | Secret City IPA

BareBottle Brewing Company has quickly risen to one of the trendiest breweries in Northern California. Opened by three friends that started as homebrewers, BareBottle pushes the limit with super popular hop combos and beer styles. One very unique aspect of BareBottle is that they give a nod to their homebrew experience by providing a 5-gallon recipe for all of their packaged beers directly on the bottle or can. That way you can take a shot at brewing any of the beers that you enjoy from them. Truly an ingenious idea!

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Firestone Walker Brewing | Coconut Merlin and Molé Merkin Milk Stout

The seasonal transition from summer to fall not only means a shift to shorter days and cooler weather but can also be seen by many of our beloved milk stouts hitting the shelves. This fall, Firestone Walker released two milk stouts created from the base of their seasonal Velvet Merlin Oatmeal Stout that yielded two very different and phenomenal beers.

Velvet Merlin Oatmeal Stout was originally created in 2004 under the name Velvet Merkin. The name was rebranded as Velvet Merlin years later when the beer was packaged for distribution. Velvet Merkin resurfaced in 2013 as the barrel-aged version of Velvet Merlin. In 2015, Velvet Merkin was tweaked again with the incorporation of milk stout.

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Jester King + Other Half | Urban Mutation

Collaboration beer often presents a mixed bag: Excitement races through your beard when you hear that two of your favorite breweries have Voltron-ed, but then the results follow a predictable pattern. Either you get a middling compromise between the two parties, resulting in a solid and forgettable “eh,” or one brewery’s profile dominates the other and the beer is like a Paul Simon album after Garfunkel left town in which the expected quality makes you forget that there’s supposed another element in this equation.

A friend recently Santa Claused me a suitcase full of Jester King and I’ve been doing my best to explore these recent offerings at a responsible pace. Jester King beers always have that incredible lightness and drinkability. A 750ml is never quite enough and a 375ml is just plain disrespectful. Moderne Dansk, included in this bounty, was one of the best beers I’ve had in quite some time. Schopenhauer himself would have impressed at the dour mood that enveloped me, realizing life would be a long struggle with little possibility of another drop. But one that caught my eye in this 20 bottle porch bomb was the collaboration beer with Other Half: Urban Mutation.

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Independence Brewing Company | Stash IPA

Many of you know the secret joy that comes from having something special, almost sinful, tucked away in a hiding place so cleverly disguised that nobody will ever discover. Whether it’s a cache of nostalgic trinkets, a hoard of candy or even a small collection of something not so innocent, at some point we’ve all had a stash that we kept all to ourselves. Luckily for Texas, Independence Brewing Company is more than happy to share their Stash with the rest of us.

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The Veil Brewing Co. | Never Never Backdown Backdown

As the winter months are drawing near and the cooler weather is becoming more of a constant, it’s easy to reach for these lighter, more “summer-y” beers to enjoy on the days that are just slightly warmer. The Veil Brewing Co.‘s Never Never Backdown Backdown is one of those drinks that will bring back the warm memories of summer with just one sip.

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HenHouse Brewing Co. | Best Life Extraordinary Everyday Beer Blond Ale

We all want to live our Best Life and HenHouse Brewing Company brewed a Blond Ale that embodies that exact state of being. The Chicken Gang is at it again brewing up some straight magical elixir to brighten your day and help you to accomplish all your goals. *Disclaimer: might not accomplish all your goals but doesn’t everything seem better if you do it with a beer in your hand?!

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New Holland Brewing | Dragon’s Milk Reserve Oatmeal Cookie

It’s that time of year again! The fall release of New Holland Brewing’s Dragon’s Milk Reserve is here! This time around the beer is a comforting treat with a warm, wholesome and tasty appeal: Oatmeal Cookie.

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Living The Dream Brewing Company | 7-Speed IPA

I still remember the day I learned how to ride a bike. There I stood, gazing down at the pavement in front of me as my dad counted down to my impending take-off: three… two… one. With one final push I was off, swaying from side to side like a rickety old boat but refusing to give in to either side. As I flew down my street with the wind in my ponytails and the summer sun shining on my beloved pink Huffy, I thought to myself, “It can’t get any better than this!” And while I may never feel that same rush of triumphantly rolling away from my cheering parents, I get pretty close any time I try a beer from Living The Dream Brewing Company. Read More

Market Garden Brewery | Prosperity Wheat

Market Garden Brewery in the historic Ohio City neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio, has made a name for itself on the success of an unlikely flagship beer for a modern craft brewery. Prosperity Wheat is a Bavarian-style Hefeweizen, and it won the gold medal for the style at the Great American Beer Festival last month.

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Fantôme Brewery | Hiver

It was a dark, blustery evening and the city was rushing to make it home before the arrival of an autumn snowstorm. The first snow of the season loomed over Denver as clouds darkened and the wind whipped the coats of commuters as we experienced the second-largest two-day temperature drop on record. Winter arrived early in Denver–including at my local liquor store, where I picked out a Fantôme Hiver, enticed by the mischievous ghost on the label, to warm me up on that brisk night. Read More

Resident & Moksa Brewing | Baby Sips Pastry Stout

Baby Sips, a “pastry stout,” is a new Imperial Stout from Resident Brewing, in collaboration with Moksa Brewing and Mostra Coffee. This is a very limited release of only about 350 bottles. There will also be a release party on Friday, November 1st where the collaboration will be on tap for patrons to try out!

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Dogfish Head | Suddenly Comfy

Some beers are just meant for certain seasons—or temperatures. While Oktoberfests and pumpkin beers are synonymous with fall weather and football, many other seasonal offerings can get lost in the fray. Dogfish Head’s Punkin Ale is a staple of the Delaware brewery’s seasonal lineup, yet it’s a newer, apple pie-inspired cream ale release that might start driving bigger headlines soon. First released last November, Dogfish Head’s Suddenly Comfy Cream Ale is back again with an earlier fall release and a bevy of unique fall flavors that makes it immensely memorable. 

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GABF Small Brewpub Brewer of the Year 2019 | Rowley Farmhouse Ale

Rowley Farmhouse Ales in Santa Fe, New Mexico, won the Small Brewpub Brewer of the Year at 2019 Great American Beer Festival by winning the Bronze medal for their Côte d’Or in the Mixed-Culture Brett Beer category (94 entries), the Silver medal for their Agent Orange in the Wood and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer (82 entries), and the Gold medal for their Meier in the German-Style Sour Ale category (63 entries). Rowley Farmhouse Ales brewmaster and co-owner John Rowley talked about their medal-winning beers and his perspective on beer and food pairings.

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Chapman Crafted Beer | Hazy Like Sunday Morning

Chapman Crafted Beer is located in Old Towne in Orange, California. It’s a family-owned brewery that’s, in their own words, “community focused.” This includes brewing beers honoring the local university’s homecoming and the city’s festival. Read More

Oskar Blues | One-y IPA

I love IPAs. I also can’t stomach several in one drinking session anymore. The intensity of the flavors and hop-bill typically restricts me to a small pour or one sole can at a time. It’s a common occurrence for many beer drinkers today. Craft brewers continue to push the limits on flavor in IPAs, ramping up the ABV and ingredient list while lowering the drinkability in the process. Every IPA has a place, but I’ve increasingly found that Session IPAs continue to gain more space in my beer fridge than their hoppier counterparts. One new addition that I’m dedicating shelf space to is Oskar Blues’ One-y hazy session IPA. 

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