Halloween Beer Treat | New Realm Brewing Company Imperial Oaxaca Choca Mexican Chocolate Stout

Halloween highlights the calendar for now, and with that in focus we at PorchDrinking want to highlight some of the candy-sweet Sour Ales and adjunct-loaded Stouts that will be the perfect treat for parents during spooky season.

Georgia and Virginia-based New Realm Brewing Company brewed the perfect beer for the season in their cauldrons with Imperial Oaxaca Choca Mexican Chocolate Stout. Read More

Beers With(out) Beards Festival 2020

Sometimes it can be extremely difficult to look at the silver lining of 2020, particularly for those working in the craft beer industry. Being able to experience the Beers With(out) Beards festival helped me see at least one silver lining: Craft beer festivals have never been more accessible than right at this moment. Living in the Midwest, I would not have been able to make it to the Beers With(out) Beards festival in-person, so being able to join this festival of incredible women and non-binary people working in craft beer was a dream.

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Deth’s Tar, Maple Deth Shine in Revolution’s Second Deep Wood Release

As the temperatures dip and the days get shorter, barrel-aged season in Chicago continues to ramp up. This weekend, Revolution Brewing will host the second of four releases in their Deep Wood series. A trio of beers highlights this release with two familiar names and a new one to the series.

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Halloween Beer Treat | 450 North Brewing Cotton Candy Watermelon Piña Colada Slushy XL

Cotton candy is one of those sweet treats that’s fitting for so many occasions: carnivals, backyard BBQs, birthday parties and, of course, the packaged version of this treat that you receive while trick-or-treating. 450 North Brewing Co. in Columbus, IN created this “adult” version of a favorite treat with an extra fruity profile of watermelon piña colada. It’s certainly a Halloween beer treat that is fun, light and refreshing to enjoy.

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Chicagoland’s The Open Bottle Expanding to Lockport, Illinois

The Open Bottle craft beer shop and taproom in Tinley Park, Illinois, has not only endured the challenges presented by the COVID-19 outbreak but proved successful enough to advance its pre-pandemic plans for opening a second location. This November, work will begin on its second location (a retail-ready store) in Lockport, Illinois, located near the intersection of I-355 and 159th Street.

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Halloween Beer Treat | LUKI Brewery Grammy’s Pumpkin Pie

During a drastic weather change like the ones we experience in Colorado from time to time, it’s easy to go right from crispy summer brews to heavy winter Stouts without the intermediary Oktoberfests and pumpkin beers. But LUKI Brewery in Arvada, Colorado, is giving its fairly new fan base reason to seek out squash and gourd-centric beers this fall: Grammy’s Pumpkin Pie.

Instead of being labeled a “pumpkin Ale” or an Imperial Stout with pumpkin like so many others, Grammy’s Pumpkin Pie is a spiced Brown Ale. LUKI’s current craft lineup contains no sub-5% ABV beers nor any 10%+ ABV booze bombs; the beers are born from owner and brewer Jeff Smith’s love of old-school styles and desire to create well-balanced, accessible (and still entertaining) brews.

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Colorado Breweries Who Won Big at the 2020 GABF Competition

Colorado has long held a reputation for strong showings at the Great American Beer Festival, and while this year was no different, Colorado breweries had a slightly down year earning … Read More

2020 GABF Awards Results | Who Won Big at This Year’s Competition

Much like the rest of 2020, this year’s Great American Beer Festival (GABF) has been anything but the norm. Without a week filled with rare beer releases, mini-festivals drawing hype … Read More

What We’re Drinking | October 16, 2020

The names of the days of the week have similar origins in Spanish and English — they’re named after Roman/Greek/Norse gods, for the most part. But Saturday is different. Saturday in English is named after Saturn (Roman god of agriculture), whereas Saturday, in Spanish, (Sábado), gets its origins from “sabbath” (or “shavat”) meaning “to rest.” We usually think of Sunday as the day of rest. But if you’ve ever wondered why we consider Sunday the first day of  the calendar week, now you know: Rest happens on the seventh day of the week, which is technically Saturday. Etymology is fascinating. So party it up tonight and rest tomorrow.

We’re also in the month of October — from the latin “octo” for eight. The eighth month. Except really it’s the 10th month, and nobody bothered to change it when we transitioned to the 12-month calendar circa 700 B.C. I feel that; I don’t change my clocks for daylight savings time. They’ll be right again in six months, so why bother. None of this has much to do with beer, but our brains could all use a break from politics. Anyway, it’s Friday, you’re done with the work week, and it’s time to crack open a few beers. Here’s What We’re Drinking this week.

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Halloween Beer Treat | Interboro Spirits and Ales Parks and Wreck

Who gets overly excited when the bulk candy starts showing up in stores pre-Halloween? Having a Scrooge McDuck-sized supply of two-piece Starburst snack packs to brighten up your day every 10 minutes for a few months is just swell. It seems these days that the number of trick-or-treat candy options at your supermarket mirrors the plentiful supply of candy-inspired sours at your local bottle shop. There’s been a rise in kettle Sours, fruited Pilsner malts, and juice box beers that would make Ecto Cooler’s Slimer aghast with their color and ingredient list. One recent entry into the fruity fray is Interboro Spirits and Ales Parks and Wreck. Read More

Breweries with the Most GABF Medals and More Competition Trends

Tomorrow night marks the 34th iteration of the competition portion of the Great American Beer Festival. And while this GABF week looks and feels unlike any other, tomorrow night’s awards … Read More

BREAKING | Great Lakes Brewing Co. Launches New Canning Line, Warehouse Facility

Three years ago, Great Lakes Brewing Company  (GLBC) made the leap and began canning various beers, including seasonal favorite Rally Drum Red Ale and an earlier offering, Turntable Pils. Starting in 2020, the brewery moved their flagship beer, Dortmunder Gold Lager, to cans, as well as their Great Lakes IPA. Another year-round superstar, Hazecraft IPA, soon found its way into the lineup as well. And just this week, GLBC shared more exciting news: a new canning line and warehouse facility recently opened in Strongsville, Ohio, a Cleveland suburb. GLBC now has the ability to can its beer closer to home, and offer a larger variety of brands starting in 2021.

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What We’re Cooking | Pilsner-Simmered Kielbasa

Beer and sausage are a happy pair any time of the year, but it seems that fall is when they really shine as a duo. Oktoberfest is an obvious occasion to head to the meat market and peruse the links hanging behind the counter. This recipe from our very own Ana Pelfka swaps a traditional German bratwurst or knockwurst for Polish smoked kielbasa, simmered in Revolution Brewing’s Rev Pils and served with caramelized onions and apples.

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Halloween Beer Treat | Resident Culture & The Eighth State ‘Instant Destiny’

Resident Culture Brewing Company and The Eighth State Brewing Company teamed up to create Instant Destiny. This Imperial Stout is packed with roasted peanuts, toasted cocoa nibs, vanilla, cassia bark, toasted coconut, and jaggery (a cane sugar traditionally consumed in Asia).

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Ultimate 6er | Autumn Brews and Views in Wisconsin

There are only a few short weeks left until the beauty of the fall has faded away and the realization that a Midwest winter is on the horizon. While many states in the Midwest still struggle with high cases of COVID-19 outbreaks, that doesn’t mean there aren’t opportunities to safely enjoy Wisconsin’s autumn brews and views before brisk fall weather and and its beauty gives way to winter’s chill.

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Allagash Brewing Company | North Sky Stout

A chill flows through the air as crisp autumn season approaches. With that chill comes the desire for warm flannels, fire pits, and dark beers. Allagash Brewing Company’s newest addition to their year-round lineup, North Sky stout, is precisely the beer for your stargazing, s’ more making fall night.
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Colorado Breweries Launch Campaigns to Promote Voter Turnout

For years, PorchDrinking has documented the innumerable variety of ways that craft breweries have utilized their platform within local communities to support and promote noteworthy causes. Now during one of … Read More

Jameson Caskmates Continues to Partner With U.S. Breweries

The conversation that begat Jameson Caskmates transpired at a pub in Ireland’s County Cork in 2014, eventually evolving and growing into a program that included numerous U.S. Craft Breweries and ultimately a partnership with the Great American Beer Festival (2018 & 2019). Although GABF is virtual this year due to the relentless pandemic, Jameson remains focused as ever on its Caskmates and craft-beer partnerships.

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Hopewell Brewing Co. | Cold Brew Lemonade

Sometimes you see a beer; read the description and have no idea what to expect but you know you want to try that beer. That was the case with Hopewell Brewing Company’s Cold Brew Lemonade beer that recently hit the market.

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Beer & Book Showcase | The Columbian Exchange: Biological and Cultural Consequences of 1492

Before 1492, the Irish had never seen a potato; the Italians had never seen a tomato, and neither cows nor horses had ever stepped foot in North America. For that matter, Blue Grass remained in Europe, not in what is today’s Kentucky. Europeans also brought dandelions. Pathogens came, too, which spelled disaster for the indigenous population (Native Americans); disease killed 80-95% of Native Americans within 150 years after 1492. Those are only a few of the numerous lessons provided in Alfred Crosby’s 1972 seminal work: The Columbian Exchange: Biological and Cultural Consequences of 1492. As we observe Columbus Day, it’s time to crack open a good beer and revisit the groundbreaking book that changed how we thought about 1492.
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