Craft Beer News
PorchDrinking brings you the breaking in craft beer news.
Illinois Craft Beer Week Set to Kick Off May 18
March 20, 2018 | Mike Zoller
As the number of craft breweries expanded rapidly in not only the suburbs of Chicago but all across the state of Illinois, there was talk if Chicago Craft Beer Week was feeling a little restrictive.
Sculpin Standout | How Ballast Point Crafted an IPA That Stands the Test of Time
March 19, 2018 | Taylor Laabs
I remember sitting on the patio of Ballast Point’s Little Italy taproom in San Diego a few years ago sipping on a fresh Grapefruit Sculpin. At the time, I marveled at how impressive that beer tasted – the combination of mellow bitterness and fruity overtones came together in perfect harmony. It was one of the best beers I’ve ever tasted, and it’s still a beer I weigh other fruited IPAs against. Introduced in 2005, Ballast Point’s Sculpin IPA has become a pace setter in the American craft beer scene — especially for West Coast IPAs.
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Brewers Association Ranks America’s 50 Largest Breweries By Volume in 2017
March 14, 2018 | Tristan Chan
Every year the Brewers Association releases their list of the top 50 breweries by volume based on overall craft beer sales for the previous year.
Gluten-Reduced Beer is Having a Moment
March 6, 2018 | Taylor Laabs
Craft beer seems to go through phases. Right now, you can’t find a new brewery that isn’t making something exceedingly bitter, hazy or barrel-aged. In some ways, consumers’ preferences for different craft beer styles mirror their often-fleeting style, dietary and exercise obsessions. Every year there seems to be a new trend popping up that captures the minds of the economically important 25-34 age demographic. One dietary preference that has weathered the storm of fleeting fads has been the rise of gluten-free and gluten-reduced diets due to its digestive health benefits. Now, several prominent craft brewers are joining the fray by introducing gluten-reduced beers. Are these new options a simple novelty or a beer style that is set to explode? We asked two brewers leading the charge.
Two Brothers Adds Three New Beers to Their Lineup
March 5, 2018 | Mike Zoller
For over two decades, Two Brothers Brewing Company has been making solid beer and is a mainstay in the Chicago beer scene. Just recently, they added a new year-round beer to their rotation as well as two seasonal/limited releases.
Niwot’s Powder Keg Brewing Closing its Doors Later this Month
March 2, 2018 | PorchDrinking.com Staff
Plain and simple, we’ve long exited the rainbows and unicorns era of the beer industry. We’re not wanting to turn all doom and gloom, but one can’t ignore the significance of the workforce downsizing announcements made in recent years from the likes of Stone, Green Flash, even Anheuser-Busch and most recently New Belgium, who last week announced a 4% cut to their workforce.
Corporate Beer is Not Going to Like This
March 1, 2018 | Scott Davidson
Last week, the Brewers Association sent out a press release announcing that more than “3,000 craft brewing companies—representing more than 6,000 craft brewing locations in the U.S.—have signed on to use the independent craft brewer seal.”
Chicago Chefs Talk Pairing Food with Craft Beer
February 28, 2018 | Mike Zoller
Will you serve food? It’s a question every brewery that’s getting ready to open a taproom will be asked.
In Chicago, there are a lot of taprooms. Food is a necessity when drinking, and taprooms handle this issue in all different ways. While some have a full menu, others work with food trucks to stop by on a regular schedule and others are simply BYOF (bring your own food).
Mitten Beer Quest | Michigan Woman Visits All 323 Michigan Breweries in 2017
February 27, 2018 | Jessica Spengler
As beer enthusiasts, we’ve all thought about it. Some of us may have even looked into the logistics of trying it, but very few of us could ever truly find the time, the money or the energy to visit every brewery in our home state over the course of one year. But that’s exactly what Emily Bennett accomplished in 2017 when she embarked on the Mitten Beer Quest, visiting every brewery in her home state of Michigan. Read More
Marz Community Brewing Officially Opens a Taproom in Chicago
February 26, 2018 | Mike Zoller
Just minutes before Marz Community Brewing Company was set to open for the first time this past Saturday, a line stretched from the door and around the corner with craft beer fans ready to welcome the long-awaited taproom to the Chicago beer scene.
Revolution Brewing Created a New IPA to Celebrate International Women’s Day
February 26, 2018 | Taylor Laabs
Craft beer has a diversity problem. While there’s no easy fix to an issue that is prevalent throughout most industries in America, several craft brewers are making their presence felt by promoting diversity and inclusion from within their ranks. One of those breweries is Chicago’s Revolution Brewing, who employs 68 female employees throughout their expanding operation. To celebrate International Women’s Day, the women of Revolution came together to brew a special beer: Spirit of Revolt IPA.
PorchDrinking Playlist & Event Preview | WinterWonderGrass Festival
February 20, 2018 | Cecelia Kathleen
This upcoming weekend marks the sixth annual WinterWonderGrass Festival. It is also the bluegrass festival’s second year in the town of Steamboat Springs in Northern Colorado.
This three-day outdoor festival is sold-out and attendees can expect performances from Elephant Revival, Leftover Salmon, Greensky Bluegrass, Yonder Mountain String Band, Lil Smokies and many more bands and artists. There are 22 bands in total comprising this year’s Colorado lineup! Below is a run down of the event as well as a playlist for those heading up to Steamboat for some music and beer. Read More
Deschutes Brewery to Begin Canning
February 20, 2018 | Taylor Laabs
Founded in 1988, Oregon’s Deschutes Brewery has enjoyed over three decades of success by tapping into the craft beer furor of the Pacific Northwest through artfully-hopped beers. With years of experience behind them, Deschutes is acutely aware of the difference between a fleeting fad and a trend that is here to stay. And the rise of brewers moving to cans is no fad. To meet the growing demand among many craft beer drinkers for increased flexibility and accessibility from their beers, Deschutes is moving three of their flagships into 12oz cans this March.
Stem Ciders Celebrates One Year in Chicago, Looks Ahead to 2018
February 19, 2018 | Mike Zoller
At the 2017 Cider Summit in Chicago, Denver’s Stem Ciders was officially introduced into the Chicago market. One year later, they’ve carved out a nice foothold in the growing cider offerings throughout the city and have been able to stand out in a very crowded space.
Craft Beer Report Card | January 2018
February 19, 2018 | Taylor Laabs
Following a somewhat stagnant 2017, the first month of the new year presented signs of optimism for the overall craft beer market. IRI Worldwide reports that U.S. beer sales in off-premise retail (like grocery, liquor, mass-merchandise stores, etc.) increased 3% in January 2018. This increase was bolstered by strong segment growth from craft beer (4.4%), imports (7.3%) and domestic supreme premiums (12.3%) like Michelob Ultra and Blue Moon. Because this is largely a craft beer site, we thought we’d take a look at the notable craft highlights from the IRI report and give our thoughts on the notable data points. Who knows, this might become a recurring monthly column. Here’s the lowdown.
Stone Brewing Sues MillerCoors Over Misuse of Stone Name
February 12, 2018 | Tristan Chan 6
Never one to shy away from causing a commotion, Greg Koch, executive chairman and co-founder of Stone Brewing Company announced today that they have filed suit against MillerCoors over the improper use of the word Stone in recent rebranding and marketing efforts around the Keystone brand.
On Tap Credit Union™ Presents: 2018 Beer Release Calendar Roundup
February 7, 2018 | Tristan Chan
For the past four years, we’ve helped compile a roundup of beer release calendars featuring some of your favorite breweries from around the country. It was another massive year for American beer as we’ve now crested over 6000 active breweries in the U.S. and, believe it or not, 2018 is shaping up to be even bigger. To help get you get excited about the new brews coming out this year, we bring you the 2018 Beer Release Calendar roundup.
Please keep in mind that these are merely a framework for anticipated releases. All dates and beers are subject to change. Breweries often end up producing these as a framework for their yearly production schedule, but will often adapt accordingly throughout the year.
Midwest Drinking 2018 | Center Ice Brewery News
February 5, 2018 | Jordan Palmer
As we finish up another year of beer, it’s time to look ahead to what we’ll be pouring, sipping and loving in 2018. I’ve reached out to a few of the Midwest’s best brewers to see what we can expect from them in the next Year of Beer.
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As Craft Beer Goes Mainstream, Lagunitas Stays Weird
February 1, 2018 | Taylor Laabs
Tony Magee started his brewery dream back in 1993 in Lagunitas, California. The goal was to create bombastic beers that teemed with the plentiful hops found on the West Coast, and to have a lot of fun doing it. Originally an Illinois native, Tony has grown into somewhat of a national celebrity when it comes to craft beer due to his unique brewing practices that led to creations like Undercover Shut Down Ale, his outspoken personality, and the great beers his brewery(s) have produced since his early days.
Now, Lagunitas Brewing Company is an international power, its IPA is the current #1 best seller in packaged formats and they produced around one million barrels of beer last year. In many ways, Magee’s creation is the perfect example of craft beer’s explosive growth over the past two decades. But then again, Lagunitas is an outlier in the current craft beer environment. They’re not like your standard brewpub or trendy hazy IPA factory. If you’ve visited their massive 300,000 sq. foot Chicago brewery facility, decorated with secondhand furniture and mind-melting dog murals, you’d recognize that. As craft beer infiltrates every last avenue of American consumerism, Lagunitas has found a way to stay weird. I asked Karen Hamilton, Lagunitas’ Communications Director and Tony’s sister, how they’ve been able to stay true to their brand for 25 years.
36 Colorado Brewery Openings for January, February & March 2018
January 31, 2018 | Brian Phipps
The first three months of 2018, the Colorado brewery, cidery, and meadery scene has been and will be VERY busy. In fact, 36 Colorado craft brewery openings will occur bringing deliciousness to all of our taste buds across the state!
Of the 36, two are breweries changing locations, two are re-branding, and eight are adding a second location. Find out more about each of the breweries, who they are, anticipated opening lists, and what you can expect to experience when you visit.
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