Features
Election 2020: Reminding Myself “The West Wing” Isn’t on the Ballot
October 28, 2020 | Drew Troller
Quick aside, so my editors don’t have to put a note in: I speak only for myself in this post. PorchDrinking staff and contributors do not have any official political stance that I’m aware of, and I have no animosity for people on this site or in our country who respectfully disagree about matters of policy. Also, sorry to die-hard “West Wing” fans if I do the show a disservice. All that said… go vote.
A millennial is about to write 1,000 words arguing that a television show from 21 years ago isn’t real life. It’s the kind of groundbreaking content that’s going to save this country. You’re welcome, America! Read More
Ultimate 6er | Horror Films by the Decade
October 28, 2020 | Abby Schmeling
What’s your favorite scary movie? Forget the pumpkin beers and expiring Oktoberfests, we have just the right beer to pair with some of the best horror films of the last six decades in this week’s Ultimate 6er. So, grab some popcorn, because it’s time to get spooky!
CAUTION: Spoilers ahead.
Louisville Beer Week Returns with “Resilience” and Launches Louisville Ale Trail
October 26, 2020 | Kindsey Bernhard
It is no secret that this year has not been easy for the craft beer industry. Kentucky breweries were shut down mid-March and were ordered to stay close until late May. They’ve pivoted to package sales and curbside orders. They’ve dealt with changing capacity restrictions and curfews. They’ve removed and added chairs and tables both inside and outside. They’ve changed their hours more times than any business should. Despite all that, they’ve remained steadfast and committed to safely serving their customers. That’s why the founders of Louisville Beer Week knew it was pivotal to go ahead with their plans to celebrate and support the local Louisville beer scene.
Firestone Walker Launches Crafted for Adventure Series on Outdoors & Sustainability
October 26, 2020 | Tristan Chan
Craft beer has long gone hand in hand with the outdoor adventure world because oftentimes, the prospect of enjoying a cold craft beer at the end of any great adventure can be just as rewarding as the workout itself.
Fifth Annual Kentucky Proud Beer Series More Important Now Than Ever Before
October 23, 2020 | Kindsey Bernhard
The COVID-19 pandemic has made it very difficult for both Kentucky craft breweries and Kentucky agriculture. The two industries will be able to celebrate each other on Wednesday, October 28 for the Fifth Annual Kentucky Proud Beer Series. And the beer they will be celebrating with? Well, it’s a beer brewed with a Kentucky-made product, a Kentucky Proud ingredient.
Just like Kentucky craft breweries, Kentucky farmers were left scrambling on how to deal with the shutdown and the lack of need for their products. Both industries were resilient in their efforts to work through the challenges.
Wolf’s Ridge Brewing Wins Big at GABF
October 21, 2020 | David Nilsen
Wolf’s Ridge Brewing head brewer Chris Davison found out his brewery had won two medals at the Great American Beer Festival in the most 2020 way possible: over Zoom while getting his daughter ready for bed. The Columbus, Ohio, brewery’s team had a company Zoom call going while the awards were announced virtually from Denver. Chris had bedtime duties, and parenting supersedes brewing.
Halloween Beer Treat | New Realm Brewing Company Imperial Oaxaca Choca Mexican Chocolate Stout
October 21, 2020 | Brandon Cohran
Halloween highlights the calendar for now, and with that in focus we at PorchDrinking want to highlight some of the candy-sweet Sour Ales and adjunct-loaded Stouts that will be the perfect treat for parents during spooky season.
Georgia and Virginia-based New Realm Brewing Company brewed the perfect beer for the season in their cauldrons with Imperial Oaxaca Choca Mexican Chocolate Stout. Read More
Beers With(out) Beards Festival 2020
October 20, 2020 | Emma Wargolet
Sometimes it can be extremely difficult to look at the silver lining of 2020, particularly for those working in the craft beer industry. Being able to experience the Beers With(out) Beards festival helped me see at least one silver lining: Craft beer festivals have never been more accessible than right at this moment. Living in the Midwest, I would not have been able to make it to the Beers With(out) Beards festival in-person, so being able to join this festival of incredible women and non-binary people working in craft beer was a dream.
Halloween Beer Treat | 450 North Brewing Cotton Candy Watermelon Piña Colada Slushy XL
October 20, 2020 | Karen Mills
Cotton candy is one of those sweet treats that’s fitting for so many occasions: carnivals, backyard BBQs, birthday parties and, of course, the packaged version of this treat that you receive while trick-or-treating. 450 North Brewing Co. in Columbus, IN created this “adult” version of a favorite treat with an extra fruity profile of watermelon piña colada. It’s certainly a Halloween beer treat that is fun, light and refreshing to enjoy.
Ultimate 6er | Autumn Brews and Views in Wisconsin
October 14, 2020 | Paul Lewis 1
There are only a few short weeks left until the beauty of the fall has faded away and the realization that a Midwest winter is on the horizon. While many states in the Midwest still struggle with high cases of COVID-19 outbreaks, that doesn’t mean there aren’t opportunities to safely enjoy Wisconsin’s autumn brews and views before brisk fall weather and and its beauty gives way to winter’s chill.
Beers to Get You Through Amazon Prime Day
October 12, 2020 | Taylor Laabs
Few things are normal this year. The pandemic has even brought the time-honored, shopper-splurging tradition of Black Friday into doubt. One ritual that has remained consistent, and increased in many ways, is online shopping. So, luckily, Amazon Prime Day remains mostly unchanged this year.
Happening October 13-14, Prime Day offers shoppers a bunch of random deals, some truly odd offerings and a select few good values. Still, it’s fun to browse around and see if you can catch a purchase high getting 20% off a voice-enabled tech item you’ll use sparingly. Similarly, browsing your local bottle shop can often be more about the experience than the outcome. So, we pulled together a list of the five typical items you might encounter on Prime Day, alongside their beer comparison.
Kentucky Craft Beer Recruiting Poll Workers
October 5, 2020 | Kindsey Bernhard
States across the country are struggling to recruit poll workers to work Election Day November 3 due to the pandemic. Poll workers tend to be in the age group that is at a higher risk to contract COVID-19. To help recruit younger workers, the Kentucky Secretary of State partnered with the Kentucky Guild of Brewers to use craft beer to gain the attention of younger generations.
Wasatch Brewery | Landbier Swiss-Style Lager
September 30, 2020 | Tim Haran
In modern-day American craft beer terms, a brewery founded in the mid-1980s is an industry pioneer. For Nils Imboden, head brewer at Wasatch Brewery, a trip to Europe puts that in perspective.
“The last time I was back there, ‘Oh, you work at a brewery?‘ he said. “Yeah. ‘How long you been around? 1986. ‘That’s cute, kid.“
Beers For Gaming | Second Self Game Night IPA
September 29, 2020 | Brandon Cohran
Video games and board games were a huge part of my life as a kid. Some of my earliest memories are from picking Bulbasaur in any color varietal of Pokémon on Gameboy Color. Games like Sorry! and TROUBLE led to a lot of frustrating losses to my older siblings. These experiences inevitably shaped my competitive nature as an adult. The countless worlds, boss battles and memories forged throughout my adventures continue to influence my gaming whims to this day. A beer in my hand is the only difference.
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903 Brewing’s Voted Beer Series | A Bipartisan Call-To-Action
September 29, 2020 | Ruvani de Silva
With National Voter Registration Day just behind us and a mere seven weeks until the 2020 Presidential Election, there couldn’t be a more appropriate time for a brewery to highlight the need for all U.S. citizens to get out and vote. 903 Brewing, based in Sherman, Texas, is in the process of brewing its second bipartisan call-to-action I Voted beer. The blueberry-raspberry-cherry Berliner-Style Weisse follows the raspberry-blueberry sweet Cream Ale that kick-started the project during the May Primaries.
The I Voted beers sport equally red-white-blue packaging and are designed to encourage voters of all persuasions to make themselves heard on Election Day. With the original batch of I Voted having sold out swiftly, 903 is releasing an expanded run of its new Berliner-Style Weisse. The latest release will hit supermarket shelves in mid-October in time for early voting, and should be available for Election Night consumption.
2020 Presidential Debate Drinking Game
September 29, 2020 | Tristan Chan 6
As if the year 2020 weren’t already crazy enough, America is now gearing up for one of the most volatile and highly contested presidential election cycles in modern history. Tonight marks the first of three Presidential Debates between Donald Trump and Joe Biden. And while the initial showdown is sure to touch on a multitude of critical topics from the Supreme Court, to the handling of the pandemic, race and violence to the integrity of our elections, it’s also sure to feature some of the caricature-esque qualities that each candidate has come to be known for.
WeldWerks Brewing Releasing Prost Malone to Celebrate Nuggets Season
September 28, 2020 | Tristan Chan
On March 11, 2020, when the NBA season was postponed due to the COVID pandemic, Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone was asked about his plans for the NBA hiatus during … Read More
Oktoberfest Beer Showcase | Great Lakes Oktoberfest
September 23, 2020 | David Nilsen
Oktoberfest started as a wedding celebration in Bavaria in 1810. Two centuries later in 2009, Great Lakes Brewing Company brewmaster Mark Hunger tied the knot and poured his brewery’s Oktoberfest lager at his own autumn wedding reception.
“Picking the beer for the wedding was a no-brainer. From what I can remember, it was a hit,” he says with a laugh. “We went through a keg.”
The Midwest Guide To Märzens
September 22, 2020 | Alex Sertic
Even though this summer hasn’t been like any other before due to the pandemic, it is still sad to see this season go. However, as the days change from sunshine to the darkening of leaves, there are some things to get excited about! No, we are not talking about pumpkin spice lattes (even though they are a popular guilty pleasure)–we’re talking about Märzen beers. The dark brown color and rich, malty flavor brings about a notion of nostalgia that no other style of beer can induce. There is just something special about sitting outside on a chilly day next to a campfire with a Märzen in hand. This may sound crazy, but fellow Midwesterners prefer that coziness of fall to a lazy day on the beach–it speaks to the Midwestern soul.
Luckily, breweries across the Midwest have begun releasing a slew of their own incredible takes on this German classic. Some of these beers are widely distributed and some of them are more locally found. If you see any of these magnificent elixirs at your local bottle shop, pick them up before they are gone. So get your folding chair, grab a brat, get the campfire going and enjoy a delicious Märzen.
Cincinnati’s German Brewing Heritage
September 21, 2020 | Jereme Zimmerman
It’s Oktoberfest time! For beer lovers in and around Cincinnati, Ohio, this season is pretty much made for them — the Queen City throws the second largest Oktoberfest celebration outside of Munich, and the world’s largest chicken dance.
Sadly, COVID-19 will put a major damper on how Oktoberfest social events are handled this year. However, one of the great things about the season is the glut of Oktoberfest, Märzenbier and Festbier releases. (Check out this primer on what exactly it is we’re drinking when we have an Oktoberfest beer.) While it’s great enjoying these styles at a Cincinnati Oktoberfest celebration with an oompah band playing in the background, they’re also plenty enjoyable to relax with on a patio or porch as the summer heat wanes into crisp autumn evenings.
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