Ultimate 6er | College Football Tailgate Edition

Like a barometer falling before a storm, there are certain signs that fall is coming. Some may note “back to school” ads in the paper, or spotting the first Oktoberfest beer in the supermarket. My sure sign is the release of the AP Preseason football poll. While the sales at Target and fall beer releases may be exhibiting the same seasonal creep as Christmas decorations at Macy’s, the release of the AP Preseason poll is my alarm bell to start getting ready for football (and just as important, tailgate) season. No tailgate is complete without a beer (or six). Here’s the six you should bring to your next tailgate.

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The Ultimate Community 6er | 6 Saisons And A Movie

Newton’s law of motion was eerily similar to my law of emotion when it came to the cancellation and revival of my favorite show on TV, Community. My initial grief was only matched with my elation when the show was picked up by Yahoo! a few weeks later.

For those uninitiated people that don’t know Community, it is a hilarious show that follows the adventures of a group of community college students in Colorado. In honor of the best mainstream sitcom for nerds that will obviously last for the prophesied 6 seasons and a movie, I decided to find the saison that best represents each member of America’s favorite study group (RIP Pierce). Read More

Ultimate 6er | The Cincinnati Session

Summer is the perfect time for relaxing, exploring, and utilizing every minute of the beautiful long days and nights. People turn into early risers to take advantage of every part of the day to try new things and see new places. One of the best accompaniments to these long adventurous days is great beer. If you live in a great city it is often easy to find something new and always fun to show visiting friends how awesome your city is, and the best way to it is by showcasing a local beer every step of the way. This Ultimate 6er is dedicated to the great session ales Cincinnati has to offer.

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Ultimate 6er | It’s All About The South

I’m currently on vacation with my family in Oak Island, North Carolina, a seaside town of about 7,000 located just north of the North Carolina/South Carolina border. In the spirit of things, I decided that for this week’s Ultimate 6er, I’d concentrate on beers brewed south of the Mason-Dixon line. My choices were limited to what I could find in the mix-and-match section at the local Food Lion, but I think what I came up with is pretty stellar. Read More

Ultimate Sixer | Six Beers I’m Afraid to Drink

In the course of discovering new beers, you inevitably uncover some concoctions that seem… strange. Maybe they showcase an unusual flavor, or an odd ingredient; maybe they just make you go, “huh.” Sometimes they’re downright scary. These are the brews that push the envelope a little further than you wanted. Their recklessness inspires respect… and maybe a little fear.

I decided to construct an Ultimate Sixer to showcase a few of the beers that have caused me a moment of questioning pause. What would happen if I ever decided to drink all of these at once? Would I die? It’s exciting, isn’t it!

Let’s check it out! Six Beers I’m Afraid to Drink:

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Red, White & Brew | An Independence Day Ultimate 6er

The American celebration of Independence Day is upon us. It is a weekend of fireworks and flag shorts. Koozie factories across the nation are working overtime this week. Hot dog farms are at capacity. What better time, I wonder, to drink a good beer? There isn’t! And I know you PorchDrinkers hate to come unprepared, so I’ve brainstormed my best suggestions for the perfect Independence Day six pack. Drink up!

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Ultimate 6er | Summer Road Trip

Summer and road trips are as American as apple pie and ice cream, or cheddar cheese if you’re into that sort of thing. I love road trips and though I don’t have epic adventures planned for summer 2014, I wrapped one up with my brother last year that covered 6,000 miles in a two-week span of elation, madness and general fun. Read More

The Ultimate 6er | Bonnaroo Edition

So you’re on your way to Bonnaroo, and you’ve been tasked with the ever-important beer run. Do you just go with the cheapest options available that will likely make you hate life itself by the end of the weekend, or do you get creative? Obviously, PorchDrinking prefers the creative option.

Included below are 6 canned beers that you can purchase in Tennessee. If you’re traveling by car from another state, the options become more plentiful, but we’ll keep it restricted to Bonnaroo’s home state.

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Ultimate 6er | Leaving the Upper Peninsula

Wedged between the three Greatest of the Great Lakes: Superior, Michigan, and Huron and Wisconsin and Canada lies a strange and mystic land called the Upper Peninsula. Many people don’t know that the Upper Peninsula, the U.P, even exists. It’s a beautiful place full of waterfalls, dense forests, and miles and miles of rugged shoreline, but it’s not for everyone. Harsh winters and a definite remoteness make Yoopers  a special breed of people.  Yoopers are tough, prideful, and stubborn, sometimes to the point of idiocy. Having moved from the U.P. a few weeks ago, I’m getting settled into my new Utah home, but I miss the Yoop every day. Read More

Ultimate 6er | Chicago Craft Beer Week

Every year in Chicago, there is a week so huge, exuding so much enthusiasm and love for craft beer and talent (guys, I’m seriously misty eyed over here) that all … Read More

Ultimate 6er | Silicon Valley

HBO’s Silicon Valley has been another success for creator Mike Judge. Judge has had a successful career on both the big and small screens as creator of hits such as Beavis and Butthead, King of the Hill, and Office Space. Silicon Valley is no exception. Judge’s new creation is funny, smart, but most of all, genuine. While the storyline is slightly contrived and hyperbolic, the humor and characters aren’t. Silicon Valley captures the realities and challenges of a start-up – all the hard work, ruthless competition, and ample shenanigans. Read More

Ultimate 6er | The Walking Dead

Many of you may be thinking, “Doesn’t this guy know that the 4th season of The Walking Dead ended a month ago!?” As with many shows, I am hardly the patient type who waits week to week for a new episode just to sit through the incessant commercials, so coming into this show just last month was the perfect way for me to get all set for season 5! It has definitely been enjoyable, and I could hardly contain myself while watching with some of these delicious IPAs in hand, getting me ready for hop season. Anyway, enough rambling and on to the pairings! Read More

Ultimate 6er | Welcome to Chicago!

I finally did it! After about six years of daydreaming and talking my friends’ ears off about it, I finally packed up my entire life (which is basically just my records, my cats and my beer collection) and hauled off to Chicago. Being a lifelong Florida resident, I feel as though I now live on an entirely different planet. I am using public transportation for the first time ever, attempting to navigate a completely new music scene and trying all kinds of beers I’ve never even heard of. It’s pretty awesome! Here are six of the amazing brews I’ve come across so far. Read More

Ultimate 6er: French IPAs

Hoppy beers are a relatively new arrival in France. A few avant-garde brewers like Daniel Thiriez started experimenting early on, but most breweries continued to make less-than-exciting traditional beer based on the relatively meaningless blonde–ambrée–brune color palette. Happily, a number of new-generation breweries are not afraid to hop things up a bit and put out their own French IPAs.

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The Ultimate 6er: Tour de France

France has taken its sweet time getting around to craft beer, but the French are finally starting to realize what they’ve been missing out on. Thanks to some passionate brewers in all six corners of the Hexagon, local craft beer is now readily available alongside imported favorites. This Ultimate 6er is a mélange of new and established breweries from around France. It’s not a “best of,” just a peek at the variety of what’s happening out there and some breweries to keep an eye on. Read More

Fresh From the Bine (Hop Vine) – Ultimate 6er

When it comes to drinking beer, it is a general consensus that fresh beer is the way to go. I do not feel that this is always true, but for a lot of beer styles, one could argue that it is. Stouts, porters and barrel aged beers in my opinion are the acceptation to this. Think about wine—most red wine ages great, whereas white wine does not age as well. With time, beer and wine both undergo changes. The flavors develop and the aromas alter—sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse. Over the past few years, I have learned to love the hop and all that it has to offer. In my opinion, hoppy beers are better fresh. So, I decided to find some of the freshest hop forward beers and indulge into hop heaven.

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Ultimate 6er – The Kentucky Wildcats

Everyone who loves craft beer has a soft spot for their favorite college watering hole. While I attended the University of Kentucky (Go Big Blue), I found Pazzo’s. With a location only a few minutes from the student center, pint nights that provide free drinking glasses with the purchase of a pitcher, and around 150 beers I enjoyed many delicious beverages while I watched my beloved Kentucky Wildcats.  Here are a few notable mentions.

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Ultimate 6er | Erin Go Bragh

I have always been partial to St. Patrick’s Day. Perhaps it is the mandated wearing of green (my favorite color) or maybe it is because my name is plastered across bars and parades across the country (Erin Go Bragh! Ireland Forever!). Or maybe it is just the requisite day-drinking involved. As a beer lover St. Patrick’s Day is just in general a great day, regardless of your opinion on corned beef and cabbage. So for your drinking pleasure, I present to you an Ultimate 6er sure to bring great craic.

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Ultimate 6er | The Big Move

Moving sucks. It usually takes place starting at an ungodly hour of the morning, it involves hard physical labor, scratches and bruises, and at least one or two arguments. It also takes FOREVER. Being the loving and caring people we are, we usually invite our friends to share in this very special misery, bribing them with grand promises of delicious pizza and delectable beers. I’m going to be moving at the end of the month, so here are the beers I would bribe you with, if you were to help me. *HINT* *HINT* Read More

Ultimate 6er | In Honor of Our Presidents

President’s Day is a National Holiday because it is important to remember from whence we came. (Even though we went to school as a makeup snow day, but I am not bitter, no no, I am not bitter.) The link between leader and his lager goes back to the founding of this country, as Presidents needed their beer to deal with the pressures of office. Washington and Jefferson were home brewers (at least according to the tours of their estates). Madison encouraged citizens in all states to produce their own brew and even floated the idea of a National Brewery. More recently, President Obama made headlines brewing brewing a batch of White House Honey Ale. This Ultimate 6er is for our Heads of State. Read More