Off Color Brewing | Chicago Craft Gin Week is a Real Thing

Every once in a while, a truly insane beer comes around and delights the masses. Chicago Craft Gin Week Is A Real Thing (CCGWIART) from Off Color Brewing is one of these beers—if the masses love a sour, that is. Off Color brews up some of the best beers in the Windy City, from their experimental Miller High Life collaboration, Eek!, to the delicious dessert that is Dino S’mores Russian Imperial Stout. With CCGWIART, the brewery has yet another unconventional (yet delectable) feather in its cap. Read More

Netflix & Pils| Your Guide on What to Watch and Drink During COVID-19

The COVID-19 crisis has state officials and health agencies alike urging the nation to practice social distancing to reduce the spread of the virus. Currently statewide shutdowns of bars and restaurants have been mandated in highly populated states including Colorado, Illinois, New York, Ohio—and the list is growing as we speak. San Francisco is in full lock down mode and stocks are plummeting. If ever was there a time to stay in and be a recluse, it’s now.

Chances are, your Netflix account is about to get a lot of traction—but don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Whether you’re self-quarantining or just plain bored, use this handy guide to help you determine what to watch—and drink—when you’re chilling at home looking for a Netflix binge.

Read More

COVID-19 Closures | Ways to Support Your Local Colorado Breweries During the 30* Day Closures

As new developments arise and things are changing as it seems almost by the hour during the COVID-19 pandemic, it may be tough to keep up with which breweries are still open; in what format they are open in, if they have certain limitations (depending on the state that you’re in), and so on. The underlying factor remains the same: everyone is affected in one way or another by the growing pandemic, but we all love the craft beer community and want to find ways to continue to support one another.

Read More

Big Lake Brewing | Sparti Parti

This was supposed to be a post about how the perfect March Beer was found; A bright St. Patrick’s green colored can that would help the run MSU was sure to go on in the NCAA tourney.  But then the world decided to melt down. While unfortunately you can’t obnoxiously scream “GO GREEN” “GO WHITE” with your friends, it’s still possible to enjoy Big Lake Brewing‘s Sparti Parti IPA while barricaded in your own home.

Read More

5 Questions with Rodenbach Brewmaster Rudi Ghequire

The art of brewing beer varies by region, brewer and brewing style. Many brewers find their niche in one style or art-form, craft their beer to perfection and become famous for it. That’s the case for esteemed Rodenbach Brewery in Roeselare, Belgium, which brews oak foeder-aged sour Ales that have led the way for the category for almost two centuries. Their most popular offering is the simply named Rodenbach Classic, a standard-bearer Flanders red Ale that effuses the precision and expertise of Rodenbach’s master blenders and brewers. 

Perhaps Rodenbach’s most well-known brewer is Rudi Ghequire. A Rodenbach brewmaster since 1982, Ghequire has walked the hallways in their massive foeder-filled brewhouse more times than he can count. Foeders are special to Rodenbach and they are special to Ghequire. Yet, many beer drinkers, myself included, are not fully aware of the magic of foeder-aged beers, the flavors that blending foeder-aged beers creates and the expertise needed to delicately create these offerings. To find out more about foeders and what makes Rodenbach’s foeder program special, I asked Ghequire five questions. 

Read More

COVID-19 | Finding Inspiration in Irish Women on St. Paddy’s Day

The craft beer industry ordinarily revels in St. Paddy’s Day celebrations—everyone is Irish on March 17. And on this St. Paddy’s Day, it behooves us all to remember the Irish’s resolve and endurance. Indeed, Irish and Irish Americans have routinely dealt with periods of enormous difficulty due to famine, disease, imperialism and racism. And we can especially look to Irish women for inspiration as they have shined brightly during the most challenging times, both on the Emerald Isle and in America. So, as we find the beer world, and the entire human race, at a crossroads, we can find inspiration in those Irish women. As Mother Jones once proclaimed: “Pray for the dead and fight like hell for the living.”

Since the COVID-19 pandemic has us indoors this St. Paddy’s day, here are four inspiring Irish women to celebrate the holiday. And, at the end, this Irish-American in Chicago will provide a little commentary and also mention a special beer that, while untraditional, captures the essence of Irish women’s tenacity and compassion — we can all use that right about now.
Read More

Supporting Local Breweries in the Midst of COVID-19 Mandated Closures

What a time it is right now. The Brewers Association announced last Thursday they’ll be cancelling CBC 2020 and that was followed shortly by the Colorado Brewers Guild announcing the suspension of this year’s Collaboration Fest. The craft beer community has been diligent about updating procedures and staying on top of these changes that need to be implemented. Although it’s unclear the full impact of how COVID-19 will be affecting breweries, they’ve responded by continuing to announce temporary closures, event cancellations, or sharing their processes to help protect their employees and patrons. With the recent announcements from California, Illinois, Ohio, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minneapolis, Pennsylvania, and now all of Colorado asking for bar closures, which includes breweries and taprooms, we want to share ways you can continue to support your local breweries with these changes, while still being mindful of public health safety.

Read More

Burning Brothers, Minnesota’s Only Gluten-Free Brewery, Celebrates Sixth Anniversary

What do you get when two fire-eaters trade in their torches for mash paddles? You have Burning Brothers Brewery, Minnesota’s only gluten-free brewery.

Dane Breimhorst, head of brewing operations and Thom Foss, head of business operations, formed the St. Paul, MN-based brewery, which is celebrating its sixth anniversary in April. The duo, who are life-long friends, was working at Minnesota’s Renaissance Festival but decided to embark on a passion project when Breimhorst was diagnosed with Celiac Disease.

“Now, instead of eating fire, they run a dedicated gluten-free facility where they mix their own blend of quirkiness to brew great-tasting gluten-free “Craft Beer for Everyone,” said Dom Liljenquist, sales and marketing manager.

Read More

HeadFlyer Brewing | Vanilla Bean Porter

HeadFlyer Brewing holds a special place in my heart. When it opened in April 2017 in my then neighborhood of Northeast (Nordeast) Minneapolis, the brewery instantly became one of my go-to watering holes for happy hours, celebrations and just the everyday beer. It’s one of my happy places.

Things are a lot different now than they were in 2017 in a whole host of ways. However, as they approach their third anniversary, the high quality, thoughtful and flavorful craft brew coming out of HeadFlyer remains steadfast.

So, as we face uncertainty and discomfort, I used this opportunity to turn to a beer that provides me solace — HeadFlyer’s Vanilla Bean Porter.

Read More

Ultimate 6er | Light Beers for Social Distancing

Growing up in Michigan, March was always a month of excitement and anticipation for me. After a long, cold winter, I always found myself eager to spend time outdoors on the first day of sunshine, and my spirits were lifted along with the slowly rising temperatures. In addition to the excitement that the spring season brings, the beginning of another one of my favorite “seasons” was filling me with anticipation this time of year: March Madness! However, as we all know, everything that we had planned on has abruptly been halted by COVID-19. School has been closed, spring break plans have been canceled and March Madness has taken on a new meaning. However, instead of complaining about how this has inconvenienced our lives, why not look at this opportunity as a chance to slow down?

I originally wrote this article with the intention of reaching for one of these light beers while cheering on my favorite basketball team. Instead, I’ll offer you six recommendations on light beers that you can enjoy while binge-watching Netflix, working on projects around the house or otherwise entertaining yourself during this unique time of social distancing.

Read More

List of Colorado Breweries That Have Closed Taprooms or Switched to To-Go Only

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to disrupt the global market, Colorado craft breweries, like many small businesses have had to make difficult decisions while awaiting more drastic measures set fort … Read More

What We’re Drinking | March 13, 2020

It’s Friday the 13th! You know what, we’re not going to mention that one thing that’s all over the news lately, and instead focus on something a little more positive. Positivity isn’t exactly my forte but here we are. Here are some things we can be happy about:

Read More

How Breweries, Beer Festivals, & the Craft Beer Community have Responded to COVID-19

As businesses across the country are taking extra precautions because of the COVID-19 virus, breweries are putting in new procedures and canceling events altogether in order to keep the public safe and prevent unnecessary risks.

Read More

Dogfish Head | Vibrant P’Ocean

Dogfish Head Brewery continues to be one of my favorite breweries in the country due to their unrelenting pursuit of brewing daring beers that challenge and excite the average beer lover. Sometimes, these beers fall flat and the flavor notes don’t mesh like they should, but most times, they create something new and inventive that makes me take notice. Their newest offering, Vibrant P’Ocean, which was done in collaboration with the nearly two centuries old Brouwerij Rodenbach, falls into the latter category. 

The new blended Sour Ale combines the mastery of both breweries in pursuit of a drinking experience that feels familiar and emblematic of two breweries separated by thousands of miles. Vibrant P’Ocean comes in at 4.7% ABV and is composed of a two-year, foeder-aged sour from Rodenbach mixed with a Dogfish Head kettle sour brewed with pilsner malt, malted wheat, elderberry, elderflower, sliced lemons and Belgian fleur-de-sel. I was lucky enough to get a few cans of this new beer from Dogfish Head recently – here are my thoughts. 

Read More

BREAKING | Brewers Association Cancels 2020 Craft Brewers Conference

As the fallout from COVID-19 continues to impact the world in a variety of different ways, high profile events ranging from the NCAA Tournament, NBA, MLB, NHL, and MLS seasons, … Read More

BREAKING | Colorado Brewers Guild Suspends 2020 Collaboration Fest

As the COVID-19 epidemic continues to take its toll on major events around the country, the Colorado Brewers Guild (CBG) has announced that Denver’s 2020 Collaboration Fest will be suspended … Read More

Birds Fly South Ale Project | Rustic Sunday

What’s better on a Sunday afternoon than kicking back with a craft beer? This rye farmhouse ale by Birds Fly South will make you wish that every day was a “Rustic Sunday.” Read on to discover what makes this beer so approachable, crisp, and tart, and why it calls for soaking in every moment on laid back, lazy afternoons. Read More

Ultimate 6er | College Collaborations Perfect for March Madness 2020

With Selection Sunday coming up on March 15, March Madness 2020 will soon be in full effect. As more and more colleges are teaming up with local breweries to create school specific brews, this March Madness Ultimate 6er features six beers from universities (and breweries) we’ll likely see playing in the coming weeks. Read More

PorchDrinking’s Weekly Denver Beer Beat | March 11, 2020

The Denver Beer Beat is a weekly roundup of brewery openings, special tappings, firkins and one-off batches, bottle releases, dinners, pairings, and more happening in the Front Range and beyond. Be sure to check in each Wednesday to discover anything and everything happening around Colorado’s beer scene. Now let’s get to this week’s can’t miss beer events.

Read More

American Pale Lagers | The Comeback Kid

Pale Lagers have a complicated history in the US. In the wake of prohibition they were the preferred style of the emerging “macro” brewers. Using cheaper grains and industrializing the brewing process, they were able create low-cost Lager beers that allowed them consolidate their share of the beer market and squeeze out  smaller brewers who couldn’t compete. Fast forward to 1978 and a once thriving and diverse US beer market had atrophied to only 44 breweries, most of which were producing the homogeneous, low quality, watered down beers that would come to be known as American Adjunct Lagers.

Read More