Beer Topics
PorchDrinking’s own discuss beer.
Big Drop Brewing Co Launches in the United States
February 22, 2021 | Mike Zoller
Working in business development for his law firm, Rob Fink spent a lot of time in pubs and restaurants entertaining clients. In his early 30s, drinking for a good portion of the afternoon was fun, once he had kids he knew his habits had to change — but he liked beer.
Sour Series: Side Project Brewing | Pêche du Fermier Farmhouse Ale
February 22, 2021 | Loren White
Few styles can be as divisive among craft beer fans as fruited Sours. Some avoid them altogether, while others see them as the pinnacle of craft brewing. From time to time a beer comes along that can successfully bridge this divide. Side Project Brewing Pêche du Fermier is the poster child for this kind of mass appeal.
Produced by one of the greatest American brewers of sour beers, Side Project is as highly regarded as they come. Their ability to consistently produce delicious and complex beers is staggering and explains why trying to find their beers sometimes feels you’re on a quest for the holy grail. Read More
5 Questions with Country Boy Brewing Co-Founder & Brand Manager Daniel Harrison
February 20, 2021 | Kindsey Bernhard
Country Boy Brewing opened in Lexington in 2012 by four Kentuckians, Daniel “DH” Harrison, Jeff Beagle, Evan Coppage and Nathan Coppage. Their four core beers Cougar Bait Blonde Ale, Shotgun Wedding Vanilla Brown Ale, Cliff Jumper IPA and Halfway Home American Pale Ale quickly gained popularity among craft beer drinkers across the Bluegrass State.
In February of 2017, Country Boy Brewing opened a 22,500 sq ft. taproom and production facility in Georgetown, Ky, just 19 miles from its original location in Lexington. And in May of 2019, Country Boy added a $1.8 million expansion to the Georgetown facility, adding 19,000 sq. ft. This weekend, Country Boy Brewing celebrates nine years of brewing craft beer in Kentucky.
What We’re Drinking | February 19, 2021
February 19, 2021 | Seth Garland
We’re all just trying to stay positive here — it’s been a weird week of weather, political news and a bunch of other not-great stuff. But as bad as things are, remember there are still good people and good things happening: NASA landed its aptly named “Perseverance” rover on Mars, along with its airborne compadre “Ingenuity.” Watch the video of the NASA team bursting into cheers when the rover successfully landed on the Martian surface — it’s a much-needed shot of good vibes.
So if you, like most people, can’t afford to up and escape the freezing cold on a plane to Cancun at a moment’s notice, you can chill here with us as we show off the awesome craft brews the PorchDrinking team’s been enjoying in this week’s What We’re Drinking.
Boys Are From Märzen Podcast | Natalya Watson Beer With Nat
February 19, 2021 | Kindsey Bernhard
In Episode 26 of the “Boys Are From Märzen” podcast, Kindsey Bernhard is joined by Natalya Watson, founder of Virtual Beer School, an online course that helps people prepare for the Cicerone Certification Program’s Certified Beer Server and Certified Cicerone exam.
Takeaways From Craft Malt Con (Online) 2021
February 19, 2021 | Jereme Zimmerman
The fourth annual Craft Malt Conference was held February 10-12, 2021 as Craft Malt Con Online. Originally scheduled to be held in Portland, ME, it went fully virtual this year due to COVID-19. Although members of the tightly knit craft malt community missed the opportunity to gather in-person, this format opened up the opportunity for a wider audience to participate.
Sour Series: Humble Forager | Coastal Sunrise V1
February 19, 2021 | Jason Murphy
Pastry beers have had their day in the spotlight… but fruited breakfast pastry sours? Well, that’s a horse of another color. At Humble Forager Brewery in Madison, WI, the recipe looks simple yet contains so much more.
The Happy Couple Behind Miel Brewery & Taproom
February 18, 2021 | Katie de la Rosa
“You’ll notice he has this laugh.”
That’s one of the first sentences Janice Montoya said about her fiance and business partner, Alex Peyroux, on a stormy Tuesday in January in … Read More
Barrel-Aged Shake Chocolate Porter Builds On Classic Beer and Expands Boulder Beer Brand
February 18, 2021 | Scott Grossman
After a tumultuous end to 2019 and the pandemic-related uncertainty of 2020, Boulder Beer Company is forging ahead with a refresh of its brand lineup in 2021. To help kick off the rebrand, it’s created a barrel-aged version of Shake Chocolate Porter using Laws Whiskey barrels.
The new variety brings a robust and complex twist to an already-flavorful beer. Starting with the deep brown color and moving to the rich, multi-layered nose it’s clear—this beer needs to be slowly sipped and savored. Read More
Sour Series: Yazoo Brewing | Trio (Batch #2)
February 18, 2021 | Jesse Valenciana
Brandon Jones is no stranger to barrel-aging and storytelling, using both his words and beer as the medium. Jones is a brewer, beer blender and self-proclaimed “funk wrangler” at Yazoo Brewing, one of the godfathers of the Nashville’s craft beer scene. When Brandon isn’t wrangling funk, he’s sharing recipes on his blog, EmbracetheFunk.com, where he talks about spontaneous fermentation, wild yeast and bacteria—all of what give wild ales their unique and “sour” profiles. On Embrace the Funk, Brandon states his modest goal of making the world of sour beers a bit more approachable.
Ultimate 6er | Spruce Up Your Love Life
February 17, 2021 | Kindsey Bernhard
February is the month of love and Valentine’s Day just passed. Like most people, you might be having a hard time finding love right now because of COVID-19. That’s okay. PorchDrinking is here to help. This Ultimate 6er is going to help help you “Spruce Up Your Love Life” and guide you to some delicious spruce and pine beers.
From Bean to Beer | The New World of Chocolate Beers
February 17, 2021 | David Nilsen
Chocolate beer is nothing new. Brewers have been throwing cacao nibs into stouts for years now. But with a growing recognition among brewers of the flavor potential of fine cacao in various forms, the possibilities for how chocolate can be used in brewing are expanding rapidly. And that’s exciting.
I started a podcast in 2020 called Bean to Barstool, which uses craft beer and bean to bar chocolate as dual lenses for exploring the world of flavor. I wrote in the initial media announcement for the show that people should “think of it as a dream journal written in the complex alphabet of beer and the eloquent vocabulary of chocolate.”
The PorchDrinking Comprehensive 2021 Beer Release Calendar Roundup
February 17, 2021 | Mathew Powers
For the past seven years, PorchDrinking.com has compiled a collection of breweries’ beer release calendars. The PorchDrinking Comprehensive 2021 Beer Release Calendar Roundup offers readers insight into what some of their favorite breweries have planned for the year and provides an early glimpse of this year’s brewing trends.
We will continually update this page as soon as we receive information (many breweries are still in the final stages of finalizing their calendars). So, be sure to bookmark this page and check back often. If your brewery isn’t listed and you’d like to share your release calendar, please reach out to us via [email protected], and we’d love to add you to the list!
Sour Series: Urban South HTX & Imprint Beer Co. | Spilled Schmoojee Fruited Sour Collaboration
February 17, 2021 | Ruvani de Silva
Texan Fruited Sours tend to fly deeply, almost suspiciously under the radar. Not because we’re not proud of them – on the contrary. The truth is that they are so lip-smacking-tasty that we want to keep them all to ourselves. Choosing just one Fruited Sour from a truly dizzying array of outstanding options was a small challenge in itself, but when we heard about new kids on the block Urban South HTX’s ultra flavor-dynamic collaboration with Pennsylvania’s Imprint Beer Co., we heeded the call. Spilled Schmoojee was the result of their collaboration.
Advertising Opportunities with PorchDrinking.com
February 16, 2021 | Tristan Chan
Over the eight and a half years of operating PorchDrinking, our mission has always been focused squarely on promoting craft beer through positivity, telling great stories within the industry, and … Read More
The PorchCast Ep 75 | Julia Herz – HerzMuses Enterprises
February 16, 2021 | Tristan Chan
In episode 75 of the PorchCast, we welcome Julia Herz, former Craft Beer Program Director for the Brewers Association and Publisher of CraftBeer.com who recently launched HerzMuses Enterprises, LLC, a consulting firm for craft breweries around the country and globe.
We spoke with Julia about what lies next for her new enterprise and the types of brewery clients she is excited about most. We talked about her two-week road trip across the country and the moments of clarity she gleamed, and subsequently, Korey invited Julia to take peyote.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS
Kentucky Breweries Fighting for Right to Self Distribute Beer
February 16, 2021 | Kindsey Bernhard
The three tier-system was instituted after the fall of Prohibition as a means to prevent monopolies and corruption from engulfing the craft beer industry. However as the beer industry has flourished in the modern era, many states have recognized that the institution of distribution isn’t completely black and white. As it currently stands, 39 states across the U.S. have made it possible for breweries to sell their own beer directly to licensed retailers, bars and restaurants. This has allowed thousands of small independent breweries across the country the opportunity to grow more quickly with greater access to market. Kentucky is not currently one of those states.
However, Kentucky breweries have introduced legislation to change that. The Kentucky Guild of Brewers and its brewery members introduced Senate Bill 15 to the Senate to Committee on Committees on Feb. 3, 2021. The proposed legislation advocates for two things. First, it would allow brewers to self-distribute up to an annual total of 2,500 barrels per year. Second, it addresses the unfair contractual relationships between the distributors and craft breweries.
Sour Series: Anchorage Brewing Co. | Scream
February 16, 2021 | Caroline King and Lauren Raymond
February is a month where you can pour your heart out to the one you love; alternatively, it’s a perfect opportunity to pour a Fruited Sour Ale. Fruited Sours can be a little intense and definitively complex, but still completely satisfying (not unlike most relationships). For classic beer drinkers, the first sip of a Fruited Sour is more like trying a cocktail than sipping an IPA; Fruited Sours demand your attention in drinking. Their unique flavor profiles and ruby-red and golden hues make them perfect for special occasions- including Valentine’s Day. This month, look no further than Anchorage Brewing Company Fruited Sour, Scream, to celebrate the day of love.
What Happened To the Black IPA and Its Comeback
February 15, 2021 | Mike Zoller 1
In an industry dominated by the Hazy IPA and beers with ingredient lists you’re more likely to find in a grocery store candy or cereal aisle, one classic style saw a resurgence in 2020.
Sour Series: Good Word Brewing & Public House | Gran Gran Blackberry Cobbler Milkshake Sour
February 15, 2021 | Brandon Cohran
Memory is a powerful tool, and it shapes how we remember events, stories and people. It’s impressive how the brain forgets the day, yet can call back perfect details of a random afternoon with a loved one 20 years ago. The simplest images can cause these nostalgic moments that leave you thinking back on fond memories. Read More
recent comments