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

Reuben’s Brews | American Brown

ABV: 5.9%
IBU: 36

Reuben’s Brews was one of the first breweries I covered when I began writing about craft beer and has always been one of my favorite taprooms to visit, so I have happily monitored their rapid growth into a well-recognized force within the Seattle craft beer scene and beyond. Reuben’s opened in August 2012 but, thanks to a delicious and award-winning rotating beer list, they reached brewing capacity within six months. This lead the team at Reuben’s to begin looking for a location in which to expand their operations two years ago, and they opened the doors to their new, spacious brewery and taproom on May 9 of this year. I stopped by the brewery to pay homage to my roots as a craft beer writer – and to sample one of their rotating brews, the American Brown. Read More

Uinta Brewing Co. | Tinder Rauchbier

One of the great things about warmer weather is spending time with family and friends. Whether it’s an impromptu poker game, gathering for a BBQ or heading to the hills to sleep under the stars, there doesn’t have to be another boring weekend indoors. We truly are lucky to live in Utah, a place where we ‘usually’ have four seasons, each possessing benefits. As the affectionate weather trend continues, we can’t help but turn on the deck lights, powder off the outdoor speakers from the inside out and lounge on the porch with interesting brews. 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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The Great Alaska Brewery Tour | Sleeping Lady Brewing Co.

Sleeping Lady Brewing Company is nestled in the heart of downtown Anchorage. In the winter, it’s a gathering place for locals and hosts a number of comedy shows and other events in its large first-floor theater. In summertime, it doubles as a tourist trap where locals and out-of-towners mingle on the spacious sun-soaked patio upstairs. Read More

Event Preview | Burning Can ExtravCANza 2015

When: Saturday May 30, 2015

Where: Bohn Park, 219 2nd Avenue Lyons, CO 80540

Purchase Tickets here.

Join Oskar Blues on Saturday, May 30th as they host their 4th annual Burning Can ExtravCANza! … Read More

Ultimate 6er | Brewnuts

This week’s Ultimate 6er is a little different. Over the weekend my friend Christine was in Cleveland for a wedding, and she sent me the above photo of the most amazing looking doughnuts I’ve ever seen. The best part? They’re made with beer! Read More

PorchDrinking’s Weekly Denver Beer Beat

This post is here to remind you to check out the events calendar where you can see all of the events on a Clean Calendar; where you can search by a few different filters; and where on those big weeks, you can even export the calendar to Google Calendar or iCal! How cool is that?! I am updating the events only a couple days ahead of time so keep an eye on the website and follow along with my twitter feed for more up-to-date news!

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New Glarus | Hopster

This picture will no doubt look a little off to some. A New Glarus beer in front of the Chicago skyline just seems misplaced, like a John Deer tractor driving down Michigan Ave. But there is a huge amount of respect for New Glarus here, and people will travel out of their way to grab a bottle (thanks for your convenient location and large New Glarus selection, Mars Cheese Castle!). And while there is some animosity between the two states (Packers vs. Bears; Wisconsin State Troopers vs. Wisconsin Dells-Bound Illinoisans; ‘Sconnies vs. FIPs), we are undoubtedly linked by common loves: beer and sausage. Read More

GABF Tickets Go on Sale July 28, 2015

The Brewers Association announced this morning that tickets for the 2015 Great American Beer Festival will go on sale July 28, 2015 and that this year’s event will be … Read More

Festival Recap | 2015 Inaugural Fort Love Brewers Jamboree

Well, if you weren’t there, you missed it. There were no lines for beer, there were celebrity and aspiring brewers pouring their own wares, and there were many-a-food-tent setup with tasty nosh for pairing. Rhymes With Paste’s Inaugural Fort Love Brewers Jamboree boasted lots of brewer cameos. I had the father of sour beer in America, Peter Boukeart of New Belgium lore, pour me a NBB Love. Then we joked around while we tasted his life’s study, his hard work. He poured his livelihood into a glass for me to imbibe and then talked about how it was made. The goal of the this festival was to bring attention to the craft brewing industry as a whole. This festival did that and so much more.

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La Socarrada Cervesa Artesanal De Xàtiva

In light of unexpected run-ins with old friends I found myself in an unplanned beer drinking session midday on a gloomy weathered Monday. Beer has the ability to turn those daunting beginning of the week blues into a boogie session that makes one wonder, why can’t I always start my week like this? Read More

Weekly Growler Fill | National Beer News Roundup

It is time to report the news you have all been waiting for: Florida finally passed a law to end the 64oz growler ban. In other state news, West Virginia also passed legislation supporting craft beer. On top of that, an ancient aging technique is coming back in style. Keep reading to get the details on all of these stories and more in this edition of the Weekly Growler Fill.

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Chicago Craft Beer Week Event Recap | Beer Under Glass

Thursday night kicked off the beginning of Chicago Craft Beer Week—Chicago’s 10 day “week” dedicated to craft beer. Many events across the city welcomed the start of the annual celebration, but the premier event and most sought after ticket was for the Beer Under Glass, held every year at the Garfield Park Conservatory by the Illinois Craft Brewer’s Guild.

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Boulevard Brewing Co. | Hibiscus Gose

ABV: 4.2%
IBU: 11

I have a secret. I can’t stop buying Boulevard’s Hibiscus Gose. My hands keep grabbing the cardboard box the sixer comes in. I’ve bought three so far. I can’t control it. Hey, Boulevard, why don’t I just direct deposit part of my paycheck to you?

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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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Strange Craft Beer Company | Zora Rosemary Pale Ale

In honor of Strange Craft’s upcoming 5th Anniversary, we take a look back at their Zora Rosemary Pale Ale.

6.5% ABV, 55 IBUs

On an eighty-degree summer night, the back patio of Strange Craft Brewery in south downtown Denver is about as close to actual “porch drinking” as it gets. Copious amounts of good vibes, camaraderie and beer are present, and while the facade of the Strange entrance has a strip-mall feel, the patio’s warm industrial vibe feels almost Brooklyn-esque. Denver RTD trains even rush along the back fence every 10 minutes or so as if the Brooklyn J train de-railed and headed west of its own accord.
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First Draft to Open in RiNo

Forget the phrase BYOB. It’s all about PYOB – pour your own booze. This is the mantra of First Draft, a new taproom and kitchen opening in the River … Read More

Uinta Brewing | Tinder

One of the great things about warmer weather is spending time with family and friends. Whether it’s an impromptu poker game, gathering for a BBQ or heading to the hills … Read More