8 Reasons ‘Charlotte’s Got A Lot’ for Craft Beer Lovers

North Carolina, land of mountains, fresh air and the beer-friendly laws that allow small breweries to thrive, and at the same time, attract larger West Coast breweries to set up new homes.

But if you’re only making trips to Asheville, you’re missing out. Charlotte’s slogan “Charlotte’s Got a Lot,” is no joke, particularly if you’re a craft beer explorer. Fresh off 40 hours in Charlotte, here are 8 reasons you’ll dig the #cltbeer scene.

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Pass the Beer, It’s Time to Paint

Simply forgetting his paints one night led Chicago-painter Kyle Bice to discover a whole new medium of art.

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Living the Dream | Making a Beer Store a Reality

Beer lovers daydream of quitting their day jobs, changing their careers and getting started in the brewing world. Become a brewer or a bar owner or a distributor — anything where you taste, sip and enjoy beer all day long.

Beth Helle and Julie Drews are doing it.

Yes, be jealous. Well, sort of (no surprise, it’s a lot of work).

Beth chatted with PorchDrinking.com about the new beer, wine and homebrew store she and Julie are opening in Alrington, Va. After hours of consideration, months of saving and piles of research, The Brew Shop will open this fall with a heavy focus on all things locally sourced. Read More

The Brewtography Project | Oskar Blues Brewery

This week’s installment of The Brewtography features Dustin Hall’s original photos from a recent shoot at Oskar Blues Brewery. Dustin’s Brewtography Project aims to capture the essence of the craft beer industry by … Read More

Have Beer Festivals Jumped the Shark?

I used to relish summers. As a child, we lived for those three fleeting months of freedom from homework, exams and responsibility. Summer was the stuff of legend, building towering forts in the woods, cannonballs, s’mores, catching fireflies, shagging fly balls and bolting recklessly into streets at the flat echoes of an ice cream truck jingle. Sure, things have changed a bit as an adult, but I haven’t entirely allowed myself to lose summer’s sense wonderment, instead trading t-ball for 14er hikes, neighborhood flashlight tag for booze-y sessions of jazz in the park and weekends getting burnt crisp at the pool for weekends getting burnt crisp a beer festivals.

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Kickstarter Provides New Way to Bike with Beer

You’re about to head out to a BYOB restaurant or maybe your friends place for the evening and you’re bringing beer or wine. You decide to bike and you need an easy way to tote your alcohol. Chicago-native Craig Koszewski has come up with a solution to solve your problem and is looking for backers for his Kickstarter campaign for his product called the Roo.

Support Roo NOW!

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The Brewtography Project | Sanitas Brewing Co.

This is the second edition of a new PorchDrinking weekly series featuring some of Dustin Hall’s original photos from his tremendous endeavor, The Brewtography Project. Dustin’s project aims to capture the … Read More

The Brewtography Project | Renegade Brewing Company

Welcome to the latest and greatest PorchDrinking series! Weekly, we will be featuring some of Dustin Hall’s original photos from his tremendous endeavor, The Brewtography Project. Dustin’s project aims to capture … Read More

10 Creative Ways Craft Beer Is Improving Its Environmental Friendliness

Happy Earth Day! Founded in 1970 by Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson, the movement has spread internationally. Earth Day was first used as a message to advocate protecting the environment as 20 million people participated in rallies that resulted in the formation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Today, Earth Day conducts international initiatives like in 2012 when one million trees were planted across the planet. In addition advocation for the plant mostly focuses on climate change. Everyone is encouraged today to do something nice for the Earth and make a difference. Read More

Craft Beer Welcomes You to South Carolina

Admittedly, the Palmetto State has not always been the first place to come to mind when someone asked me where to find superb craft breweries. Prior to living here, I might have listed off California, Colorado, Oregon and New England. This is partly because the east coast, especially the southeast, has been slow to embrace the industry’s explosive expansion. I’ve lived in South Carolina since 2007, a time when there were merely 5 breweries in the state. Today, there are 21 breweries and 12 brewpubs. The state has really brought home the idea of being fashionably late. Approximately 57% of the current breweries were established in or after 2013. That is a huge explosion that has resulted in amazing beer and a sprawling community of craft brewers and enthusiasts.

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Proposed Laws Could Change Craft Beer In Florida, Georgia, Kentucky and Texas

If you’re reading PorchDrinking.com, then you’re likely well aware the craft beer industry is killing it in the U.S. The Brewers Association says the industry hit $19.6 Billion in retail and took hold of 11 percent of the volume share in 2014 — the first double digit share ever.

While the success stories are widely reported and cheered, including West Virginia’s legislature passing a law earlier this month to allow state breweries to offer samples, lawmakers in several states are right now debating proposals that could significantly impact how beer-loving residents and visitors legally consume and buy craft beer. While there are smaller legal issues around the nation, the heated debates in Florida, Georgia, Kentucky and Texas are the ones we’re watching very closely right now. Here’s why.

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Right Proper Brewing | Diamonds, Fur Coat, Champagne

A beer inspired by an electronic synthpunk musical duo? The concept is not a complete surprise, as it comes from Right Proper Brewing Company‘s Nathan Zeender and the growing establishment‘s experimental brewing program. But the beer; Diamonds, Fur Coat, Champagne; is definitely a surprise to the palate, as it comes during the East Coast’s single-digit February temperatures. Why was Zeender inspired by Suicide? Why did Right Proper brew the crisp wheat beer?

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Must Try Valentines Day Beers in Colorado

In honor of this weekend’s Valentine’s Day celebrations, I wanted to take a look at a few Colorado must try Valentines Day beers for you to explore or perhaps gift … Read More

If Craft Beer Settled Super Bowl XLIX

As you’ve likely discovered by now, we’re not your average craft beer blog. And as such, we thought we’d take a bit of a different approach to this weekend’s Super Bowl by asking what Sunday’s outcome would be if craft beer settled Super Bowl XLIX. Read More

New Belgium Slow Ride Session IPA in Slo-Mo

Special contributions to this post written by Raelina Krikston and Brady Akers

We are extremely excited that New Belgium Slow Ride Session IPA is officially available on store shelves especially … Read More

Colorado’s Best Winter Seasonal Beers

Alright, you made it through your work party and all of the shopping craziness. Now you need some more libations to take you through the holiday. But what are you going to drink? Whether you are packing it in to hit the slopes or headed to the local brewpub to escape the family, we have a list of local options for you Denver cats.

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Must-Try Holiday Beers 2014

The holidays can be a hectic time of year with such high volumes of eating, shopping, and forced family time making it exceptionally easy to miss these special, and in many cases extremely limited holiday brews. As such, we’d like to recommend a few must-try holiday beers from around the country. Whether you like malt-bombs, spices, hops, or even fruit, we’ve got you covered. Just don’t play any more of that damned Christmas music. Read More

Event Preview | New Belgium Lost in the Woods

Tickets are officially on sale for 2015’s Lost in the Woods Party at New Belgium Brewing on Saturday, February 7th. This is a CANT MISS event featuring some of NBB’s … Read More

‘Twas The Night Before Christmas | Craft Beer Edition

‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house

many critters were stirring, including a mouse.

The stockings were stuffed with craft beer … Read More

What are Craft Breweries Doing for the Community?

Remember when you first opened your brewery… how long it took to get everything in order, setup the equipment, finally get that first sale.

Remember when you were first … Read More