Elevation Beer Co. – Signal De Botrange

ABV: 7.5%

IBU: 26

Distribution: Colorado

I’m a sucker for anything barrel-aged and I’m an even bigger sucker for trying beers from young breweries. There is nothing more fun than discovering a brewery in their fledgling stages and tasting their beers as they grow and improve. Its like following the way an artist, musician or author develops their style throughout their career. With both boxes checked, picking up Signal De Botrange on the shelf of my local liquor store was as natural for me as breathing. Read More

Ultimate 6er for The Election Night Party

Election season is over on Tuesday so celebrate the end of political ads with an Ultimate 6er. According to some recent research, certain beers are correlated with political persuasion and also the likelihood of voting. Interestingly, people who drink “any microbrew,” lean to the left and are very likely to vote. So I suppose if you’re reading this blog, you’re statistically more likely to be a democrat who votes a lot.

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Avery Brewing Company | Ale to the Chief

ABV: 8.1%

If there is one issue our nation can come together on, it might just be the right to drink great beer. Avery Brewing Company has resurrected their Presidential Pale Ale from 2008 to commemorate this year’s heated race. This drink pours a regal golden color and tasters are hit with that initial hop bite. But that bitterness quickly mellows to a sweeter malty light finish.
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New Belgium Brewery- Cocoa Mole Ale

ABV: 9%

Mexican food is by far my favorite of the cuisine nationalities. You’ve got corn, beans, cheese, spices, chili peppers… oh god, the chili peppers. No meal is complete without some heat. Personally, I like my mouth to be in so much pain that I have to order more salsa just to try to cool it down. So to say that I’m a fan of chili beers is a bit of an understatement.

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Stone Brewing Collaboration- Mint Chocolate Imperial Stout

ABV:9.6%

IBU: 69

Distribution: Ariz., Calif., Colo., Fla., Ill., Mass., N.C., N.M., N. J., N.Y., Ohio, Ore., Pa., S.C., Texas, Va., Vt., and Wash.

I love girl scout cookie season more than a fat kid loves… well girl scout cookies.  Hmm I think I just had a harsh reality check right there.  Anyway what could possibly be better than my favorite GSC Thin Mints?  Yes thats right, liquified, beerified, Thin Mints.  Enter Stone Brewing’s Collaboration with home brewer, Ken Schmidt, and Iron Fist Brewing, Mint Chocolate Imperial Stout.

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Dogfish Head Brewing | Sah’tea

ABV: 9%

Black chai tea and beer: two of my favorite things. But beer flavored with black chai tea? I’ll admit, I was skeptical at first. I should have had more faith in Dogfish Head, one of my favorite breweries. I should have known if anyone could pull this off it would be them. I should have known that these two ingredients would never let me down, but I didn’t. And to my pleasant surprise, the mix of black chai tea and Dogfish Head ale blended together is like a match made in heaven. And again, I should have known that all dogs go to heaven, even dogfish. The subtle flavors of cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and black pepper work together to turn beer into black chai tea… only better.

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Ultimate 6er: A Pub Crawl from Dublin to Prague

One of my bucket list items was to go to Munich and visit the birthplace of Oktoberfest. This year, I decided to cross it off my bucket list and go for my belated dirty thirty. What started out as a trip to Munich, turned into a three week long pub crawl full of awesome beer and liquor.

After visiting six countries in Europe, I return to you with my take on some of the best beers I’ve had in Dublin, Ireland; Edinburgh, Scotland; Bruges, Belgium; Amsterdam, Netherlands; Munich, Germany; and Prague/Kutna Hora, Czech Republic. Here is my story of my trip throughout Europe, in beer form.

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Tristan and Stu Brewing- Rapture IPA

Remember back when people were all up in arms about the Rapture?  That was about the time Stu Thomas and I decided to try brewing our own beer.  That is all fine and well except that our first brew attempt was for a double IPA.  Appropriately so, we decided to name our soon-to-be inaugural beer Rapture IPA.  Our reasoning was that if it rocked, the results would be heavenly.  And more likely if it flopped, we’d just say it all went to hell.  The finished product sadly sided with the later of the two.  While the pour looked decent, the taste could at most euphemistically be described as factory sewage.  The brew was under carbonated, too sweet initially and was followed quickly thereafter with a sharp metallic finish.

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Christian Moerlein Brewing Co. – Barbarossa

IBU: 25

ABV: 5.0%

With the blustery winds of Hurricane Sandy blowing outside, I wanted a beer that would warm my innards. As I searched the Kroger beer aisle, it was as if Barbarossa and his bright red beard were calling my name. It was the last six-pack of the Moerlein beer on the shelf, so I grabbed it with gusto and headed home. Read More

Backcountry Brewery – Frisco, CO

I stumbled across Backcountry Brewery when I was at Great American Beer Festival (GABF) a few weeks back. Their range of annual and seasonal beers combined has won six gold, silver and bronze medals at GABF from 1998-2011. But, what really put Backcountry on the map? In 2011, they submitted six beers for competition at the Colorado State Fair and all six received medals. Pretty impressive, if you ask me.

The 1996-year-old brewery and restaurant is located in Summit County on Main Street. If you’re like me and on your way to a ski resort out west, you are easily passing this place without knowing it.

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Rolling Rock Extra Pale- Latrobe Brewing Co.

ABV: 4.6%

Rolling Rock holds a special place in my heart. I recently rediscovered the joy in a bottle of Rolling Rock that I felt when I first had it a long time ago. It feels slightly carbonated and lacks taste until you swallow and then you get a slightly wheaty, citrus after taste. No, it’s not remarkable or even that good– it’s the sentiment that makes this beer special.

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The Evolution of Beer Part II

The general consensus around the Porch is that for most of us, our first foray into drinking consisted of shitty watered down piss poor beers. In fact, I spent the first two decades of my life swearing up and down that I would never drink beer. This likely was a direct result of stealing sips from my father’s Milwaukee’s Best, or to the layman, BEAST, when I was just a little guy. Needless to say, most uninitiated drinkers have at one point or another served their time sloshing swill before arriving at the great awakening that is craft beer.

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Evolution of Beer Part I

The general consensus around the Porch is that for most of us, our first foray into drinking consisted of shitty watered down piss poor beers.  In fact, I spent the first two decades of my life swearing up and down that I would never drink beer.  This likely was a result of stealing sips from my father’s Milwaukee’s Best, or to the layman, BEAST, when I was just a little guy. Needless to say, most uninitiated drinkers have at one point or another served their time sloshing swill before arriving at the great awakening that is craft beer.

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Mt. Hood Brewing Company: Ice Axe IPA

ABV: 5.9%

Mt. Hood Brewing Company brings beautifully crafted beer from the Ice Axe Grill in the shadows of Mt. Hood. Their website states that Ice Axe IPA is their flagship beer. Why would you have anything else be your flagship beer when your home and neighboring states produces the largest quantity and best quality of hops in the US? Read More

Ultimate 6er: BYOB Party for Hop Lovers

Beer is good. Hops are awesome. When arriving at a BYOB party or event never be ‘that guy’ (or gal). We all know who they are. Don’t be the person that brings the ‘cheap’  beer, unless it comes in a 30 pack and that’s by design. Here are a few suggestions for what to include in your Ultimate 6er if it’s BYOB.
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Cigar City Brewing Company- Marshal Zhukov

ABV: 9%

Cigar City Brewing serves up several brews that have garnered a cult follow, partially because they’re only available in Florida, partially because they are one of the only solid breweries at the moment to come out of Florida and mostly because they make fantastic, cult following worthy beers. One of those pedestal level rarities is Marshal Zhukov.

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Dream Team Breweries

I think it’s safe to say that the United States is in the midst of a gold age in craft beer.  As of July 1, 2012 the Brewer’s Association counted 2075 craft breweries in operation, and I’m guessing since then at least a hundred more have opened.  During the diminutive tenure of my craft beer journey, I have managed to make a small dent in that two thousand some brewery sample.

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Cigar City Brewing Company- Jai Alai

One of the coolest thing about visiting breweries when you kinda have an inside connection (and I use that term very loosely, as starting a beer blog hardly qualifies as having any clout in the beer industry), one of the coolest perks is snagging a beer fresh off the line.  Trust me, it makes a huge difference.

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D.G. Yuengling and Son- Yuengling American Lager

Yuengling isn’t particularly amazing, but it is.  It’s not particularly flavorful, but it is.  It’s not particularly easy to drink, but really it is.  You see, Yuengling is the beer of the midwest.  Anytime anyone from the region spies a can they’re sent to a place of nostalgia and awe.  It’s kinda like seeing your childhood stuffed animal or blankey for the first time in many years, but in alcoholic liquid form.

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GABF Finds and Must Tries!

One of the best things about attending GABF is the ability to try a ton of rare, completely off the wall or just hard to get beers. As such we’ve got some solid takeaways. If you happen to cross paths with these beers, you should probably jump at the chance to give them a taste. Read More