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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Russian River Brewing Company | Consecration

ABV 10%

Russian River Brewing Company is not only regarded as one of the best breweries in California, but also in the country. The other day I had the great pleasure of visiting their brew pub and the first thing I noticed was the phenomenal selection of beers to choose from. They have everything from sessions to pilsners to stouts to porters and their famous IPA’s and wilds/sours. The demand for all the Russian River Brewing Company beers is high due to their philosophy that it is easier to make better beer than it is to make more beer! I have not had a beer aged in wine-barrels I have enjoyed as much as Consecration. Read More

Station 26 Brewing | Single Hop Citra IPA

ABV: 6.8%

I can still vividly remember the unseasonably warm December day when Station 26 first opened its doors two and a half years ago in Park Hill. As … Read More

Three Taverns Brewery | Inceptus Wild Ale

ABV: 6%

Inceptus, a wild ale from Three Taverns Brewery in Decatur, Georgia, is on the short list of good things to come out of a rather ugly situation in Atlanta last winter.

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Founders Brewing Co. | Rübæus

ABV: 5.7% IBU: 15

Founders Brewing Co is one of those breweries that have a national following, and for good reason. They make incredible beer. When visiting Michigan for a … Read More

Oskar Blues Brewery | Oskar Blues IPA

ABV: 6.43%

The craft beer landscape has evolved drastically since we first started PorchDrinking a little over three years ago. Styles like Goses, Kentucky Commons and Berliner Weisses certainly existed, … Read More

Oskar Blues Brewery | Bourbon Barrel Aged Ten Fidy

ABV: 10 fidy-ish

Brewery jobs are tough. I’ve been working at Oskar Blues for almost six months now and it is by far the most intense physical job I’ve ever … Read More

Metropolitan Brewing Co | Afterburner Oktoberfest

ABV: 6.1% | IBU: 30

I’ve been a lager lover ever since my college study abroad semester in Germany. Those minimalist, four-ingredient beers served as my first introduction to good beer and opened the door to the rabbit hole of beer that I’ve been falling down ever since (Vielen Dank, Rothaus!).

After coming back to the U.S. though, it was difficult to find any American lagers on par with what Germany was churning out. And imports just never held up after the international travel. Plus, with the American craft ale boom starting to really ramp up, it was easy to get taken with the tide. So my lager love was cellared until I could return to Germany again.

Except there’s been a steadily growing American craft lager movement, and I’m definitely late to the party (thanks for distracting me, sour beers!). So it’s time to bust out my cellared lager passion and shout my lager praises Zicke Zacke style, for Metropolitan Brewing’s Afterburner Oktoberfest. Read More

Alltech Brewing | Kentucky Pumpkin Barrel Ale

This post originally appeared on December 5, 2013

Kentucky Ale

ABV 10%

Can we all just enter into a covenant together? Don’t worry I’m not just making an obscure quote reference from the movie Yes Man, though kudos if you picked that up. I really do want us to come together on this one and curtail the growing trend of releasing pumpkin beers so damn early in the year. Read More

Columbus Brewing Company | Creeper

ABV: 10.5% | IBUs: 100

Throughout the year, Columbus Brewing Company drops delicious bombs on unsuspecting palates. Some are malt bombs, like Sohio Stout, while some are hop bombs, like Thunderlips, Dalton and Bodhi. While the legend of Bodhi is growing after winning a bronze medal at GABF and an exquisite writeup on this very site, Bodhi has a gold medal winning big brother in Columbus Brewing Company’s Creeper.

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Getting a Woody | Elevation Beer Co. Fanboy Double IPA

This post originally appeared Dec 9, 2013

Background

Beer: Elevation Beer Co. Fanboy Double IPA
Style: Double IPA Aged in Fresh Oak Barrels
ABV: 8.5%
IBU: 70

Double IPA and wood aged may not be something you hear on a regular basis. You may even cringe a bit. You may say don’t age the hops, drink them fresh. Elevation Beer Company has gone and done just the opposite of that. They have created a wonderful Double IPA and put that liquid into fresh oak barrels while still retaining the wonderful fresh, bright hop characteristics. Elevation’s Fanboy Double IPA is a big bold IPA that has the great woody notes from the barrel. This Fanboy is Getting a Woody. Read More

Wicked Weed | Horti-Glory Farmhouse Ale

ABV: 6.0% | IBU: n/a

During a recent two-day beercation to Asheville, North Carolina, I had the pleasure of visiting the illustrious Wicked Weed Brewery. I tried a variety of brews that were delicious, of course, but most of them will be saved for another day. Lunch at the WW restaurant granted me the privilege of discovering the first of their Terra Locale Series: the Horti-Glory Farmhouse Ale. Read More

Upslope Brewing Company | Ozo Coffee Brown Ale

ABV: 6.7% | IBU: 45

Upslope Brewing Company in Boulder has collaborated with beverage-makers hailing from as far as Northern Italy. Their Ozo Coffee Brown Ale, however, hits a little closer to home. Upon opening their second brewing location in East Boulder, Upslope wasted no time in collaborating with one of its new neighbors: Ozo Coffee Company. Ozo, another Boulder-based business, operates a café and roasting lab directly adjacent to Upslope’s Flatiron Park location. What resulted in this union is a liquid love child consisting of a two-time GABF medal winner and a massive amount of coffee beans. I was lucky enough to sit down with Upslope’s head brewer Sam Scruby to taste and discuss the origin of this roasty libation. Read More

Uinta Brewing Company | Red IPL

6.2% ABV | 57 IBU

This time last year we found ourselves in the middle of summer and a social media frenzy. The buzz was everywhere with the ‘brrr’ of buckets being gleefully poured over anxious participants. Being nominated to take the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge ourselves, we experienced the excitement firsthand. It’s great to have fun while spreading awareness about a serious condition (and not to mention raising some serious cash to benefit research to find a cure). Read More

Cellarmaker Brewing Co. | Imperial Coffee & Cigarettes Porter

ABV: 10.3% | IBU: 45

When I found myself alone in San Francisco for a night after a conference, I did what any good PDer would do and took myself to the nearest beer bar. I ended up at the Mikkeller Bar, which had rave reviews for its unique draft list and boasts “the Perfect Pour” thanks to its gas blending system. After scanning the 40-plus draft options, I chose the Cellarmaker Imperial Coffee & Cigarettes Porter from the San Francisco-based Cellarmaker Brewing Co. Nothing else seemed as appropriate in a dark San Francisco bar on a Wednesday night.

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Sixpoint Brewery | 4BEANS

ABV: 10% IBU: 40

The fourth bean. What is it? Does it even exist? Some say that only in the right light you’ll be able to find it, but … Read More

Dry Dock Brewing Co. | Big John Ale

ABV: 5.1%
IBU: 18

When I was a kid I wanted to be a fireman. I was going to have a Dalmatian, extinguish fires, rescue cats from trees, and most importantly drive the big red fire engine. As I grew older my thoughts changed to other careers, but in the back of my mind I still had the picture of my childhood dream. Although becoming a firefighter now is far from reality, I still support the brave men and women who put their lives on the line every day. Read More

Crooked Stave | Surette

Originally Published August 23, 2013

Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project: Surette Provision Saison

ABV: 6.2%

Crooked Stave is making amazing beers. The research that owner and brewmaster Chad Yakobson … Read More

4 Noses Brewery Company | Hiker’s Helles

I have to admit, I am not really one for Lagers but for some reason a Helles always seems to appeal to me, especially 4 Noses Brewing Company’s … Read More

CitruSinensis | Lagunitas Brewing Company

ABV: 7.9%

One of my favorite spring beers was Waldo’s Special from the Lagunitas Brewing Company One Hitter Series. Lagunitas has another homerun with their citrus pale ale, a perfect summer beer called CitruSinensis. CitruSinensis was created using “Fresh Sanguinello Blood Oranges inside a Wheatier version of Dogtown Pale(ish) Ale.” Jeremy Marshall, head brewer, stated “we add blood orange juice to the secondary that is just juice so no extract or flavoring. We also let the juice ferment.” This beer was first introduced June 2015 and remains available on tap and 12oz 6 packs. Being part of the One Hitter Series, this is a limited beer that will not last long.

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