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Ultimate 6er | 2016 Presidential Contenders
April 22, 2015 | Katelyn Pelak
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We still have a long, expensive, and amusing campaign season ahead of us before the 2016 presidential election, so I thought it would be wise to make sure we’re all aware of which beers pair best with each candidate’s shenanigans. I think you’ll find that each of the beers in this list will have its own time and place to be enjoyed in the next 18 months as the as the pool of candidates grows, fights with itself, and ultimately shrinks to a few shrewd (or lucky) frontrunners. So read on for the only source of political news you’ll need today, the Ultimate 6er for 2016 Presidential Contenders. Read More
PorchDrinking’s Weekly Denver Beer Beat
April 22, 2015 | Cory Pelc
Hope you are ready to pterodactyl a bunch of beers this weekend. We have curated a mash tun of events for the Denver metro area and beyond! Get that bike tuned up, your Uber payment account updated and let’s get to swilling, y’all!
The weekly PorchDrinking Denver Beer Beat sheds light on news of openings, special tappings, firkins and one-off batches, bottle releases, dinners, pairings, anniversaries, tap takeovers etc. each and every week.
Are you native to the city and looking for events to tide you over for the week? Or are you new to the city and just looking for the best place to find tasty suds and get uncled? Visiting and looking for events to hit while you are in town? Check out this week’s Denver Beer Beat and return each week to find out where all things #craftbeer are happening in the Denver Metro Area.
Proposed Laws Could Change Craft Beer In Florida, Georgia, Kentucky and Texas
March 23, 2015 | Jess Baker 2
If you’re reading PorchDrinking.com, then you’re likely well aware the craft beer industry is killing it in the U.S. The Brewers Association says the industry hit $19.6 Billion in retail and took hold of 11 percent of the volume share in 2014 — the first double digit share ever.
While the success stories are widely reported and cheered, including West Virginia’s legislature passing a law earlier this month to allow state breweries to offer samples, lawmakers in several states are right now debating proposals that could significantly impact how beer-loving residents and visitors legally consume and buy craft beer. While there are smaller legal issues around the nation, the heated debates in Florida, Georgia, Kentucky and Texas are the ones we’re watching very closely right now. Here’s why.
PorchDrinking’s Weekly Denver Beer Beat
February 18, 2015 | Cory Pelc
The weekly PorchDrinking Denver Beer Beat sheds light on news of openings, special tappings, firkins and one-off batches, bottle releases, dinners, pairings, anniversaries, tap takeovers etc. each and every week.
Ultimate 6er | Six Craft Lagers to Trick David Chang
October 22, 2014 | Chris Day
Celebrity chef David Chang set the internet ablaze earlier last week when GQ published his paean to watery industrial pale lagers “My Name is David Chang, and I hate Fancy Beer.” While less incendiary than the title might suggest, the article provoked intense rebuttals from many in the craft beer community including fellow New Yorker Garrett Oliver. Even our own Tristan Chan weighed in on the subject in this week’s Happy Hour post. While I don’t share Chang’s love of crappy beer, I’m sympathetic to his anti-snobbery concerns and can understand wanting light, crisp brews that are refreshing and don’t overwhelm your tastebuds while eating food. I’m sure hordes of beer writers are at this very moment penning intelligent and passionate essays about the many reasons beer pairs better with food than almost any beverage out there–and they’re right–but I doubt Chang will read them. I suggest a more nefarious solution: let’s just trick him.
Read More
Festival Recap | Rocky Mountain Cigar Festival 2014
August 26, 2014 | Cory Pelc 8
The theme for the day: Smoke Em If You Got Em! Or better yet, Drink Em If You Got Em! And so it goes, that’s just what Christopher Day and I did! The phrase “Smoke ’em if You Got ’em” or “Smoke if You Got ’em” is slang for “do what you want, if you have the means”. The phrasing was popular in the military during World War II, meaning to take a break. Officers would say “Smoke ’em if you got ’em”, allowing the soldiers to take a break and smoke their cigarettes. Where we were going, we didn’t need an approval to break from anyone. Turn Down for What! We were about to step inside the Rocky Mountain Cigar Festival. Fine cigars from manufacturers such as Drew Estates, Nat Sherman and Rocky Patel, microbrews from Crazy Mountain and Boulder Beer, local spirits from Peach Street and Feisty, hot cars, live music, & all the finer things in life. We also learned a ridiculous amount about cigar and beer pairing and what works and what does not.
Festival Recap | Fermentation Festival 2014
August 13, 2014 | Chris Day
Fermentation is defined as “the chemical breakdown of a substance by bacteria, yeasts, or other microorganisms, typically involving effervescence and the giving off of heat.” Sure, that might sound a little bit unappealing, but without the process of fermentation, we wouldn’t have beer, wine, spirits, cheese, vinegar, pickles, chocolate, and so many other foods and drinks we love dearly. As a fan of nearly all fermented treasures – I’m still trying to cultivate a taste for Natto – I was very excited to attend the second annual Fermentation Festival held last weekend.
Roundtable Discussion | Remembering Robin Williams
August 12, 2014 | Kate Stark
Family, friends, and fans were crushed to learn of the untimely passing of actor, comedian, and all around great guy Robin Williams, Monday, August 11, 2014 from an apparent suicide following a long battle with severe depression. He was 63.
President Barack Obama issued the following statement from the White House Monday.
Robin Williams was an airman, a doctor, a genie, a nanny, a president, a professor, a bangarang Peter Pan, and everything in between. But he was one of a kind. He arrived in our lives as an alien — but he ended up touching every element of the human spirit. He made us laugh. He made us cry. He gave his immeasurable talent freely and generously to those who needed it most — from our troops stationed abroad to the marginalized on our own streets.
Many of our staff felt the loss of Robin Williams more deeply than perhaps expected; after all, we didn’t know him personally. However, those who did know him well have said that Robin Williams’ talent was matched only by his kindness. His body of work speaks for itself, as does the outcry of support, love, and grief all over social media. Robin Williams was kind on a grand scale; he was able to touch millions of lives through his movies and imbued audiences with a sense that somewhere out there, someone cares about you.
We wanted to pay tribute to this man who touched so many so deeply by remembering all Robin Williams’ moments that affected us in some way.
Heads up, there is some NSFW content below.
Event Preview | The Fermentation Festival
August 8, 2014 | Chris Day
Since you’re reading these words, I expect you have at least a passing fondness for beer, and perhaps other fermented beverages such as cider, wine, and kombucha. Great, now what about fermented foods? Sure, everybody loves cheese, but how about sauerkraut, kimchi, or tempeh? The process of fermentation has been yielding some of the most delicious things we eat and drink for thousands of years, so it’s a good thing Colorado has an annual event celebrating them. Yes, the Fermentation Fest returns to Denver this weekend!
Festival Recap | Sesh Fest 2014
August 7, 2014 | Chris Day
By this point in the summer, it seems like there are at least a couple beer festivals happening every weekend in or around Denver. Sure, they’re great and we all love them, but even the thirstiest craft beer drinker can feel a bit fatigued after one too many afternoons spent drinking Belgian Strong Ales, double IPAs, and Russian Imperial Stouts. Plus, they’re usually a bit pricey, so good luck convincing your friends who aren’t quite so beer-obsessed to come with you. Sometimes you just want something a little lighter and more refreshing. Thankfully, Imbibe and the Colorado Brewers Guild rewarded Denver with Sesh Fest 2014, an event dedicated to session beers and the perfect antidote to excessive, expensive beer festivals.
Festival Recap | Springs Beer Fest 2014
August 4, 2014 | Cory Pelc
A sold out beer fest is a good thing for craft beer, right?! Well, we aren’t 100% sure but we take a closer look with Springs Beer Fest 2014.
This past weekend, we were thrust into a myriad of emotions in relation to a sold out festival at the 8th Annual Springs Beer Fest at America the Beautiful Park in Colorado Springs. The festival ran from 12:00pm to 4:00pm (11am entry for VIP) with a cost of $25 for General (advance), $30 at Gate, $50 VIP. The promoters promised a fun-filled day of bottomless, fresh, craft beer samplings from over 45 notable Craft Brewers.
Festival Recap | Sierra Nevada Beercamp Across America – Rocky Mountain Edition
July 30, 2014 | Cory Pelc
Well, that was fun. Seriously. We don’t like to brag a bunch (we do, however, like to brag a little) but there were no lines for beer, there were celebrity brewers pouring their own wares, and there were many-a-food-truck setup with tasty nosh for purchase. Sierra Nevada’s Beercamp Across America – Rocky Mountain Edition boasted lots of brewer cameos. I saw Ken Grossman just milling around (much like we were) looking for his next liquid victim to quaff. The goal of the touring festival was to bring attention to the craft brewing industry as a whole. To do that, Sierra Nevada invited every brewery in the nation to attend one of the fests and they brewed twelve different collaboration beers with twelve other breweries, including Longmont’s Oskar Blues. The festival accomplished this and so much more. See just why this was our favorite festival of the year so far!
Festival Recap | United Tastes of Belgium 2014 – Wynkoop Brewing Co
July 21, 2014 | Cory Pelc
The United Tastes of Belgium festival featured over 30 breweries showcasing their authentic Belgian beer recipes along with some American takes on Belgian style beers. These offerings were inspired by experimentation of styles such as barrel-aged, sour, wild ales, triples, quads and many more.
The event included unlimited tastes of Belgian Chocolates and Cheeses. For $30 bucks, you really can’t beat the unlimited pours, nibbles and noshes of an event like this. You can be jealous; its okay, its not your fault. Read More
12 Ways Bonnaroo Changed You
June 20, 2014 | Kate Stark
Several of us PorchDrinkers were lucky enough to attend Bonnaroo June 12-15, 2014. Yes, Kanye, the press was there. *sigh*
Great Divide | 20th Anniversary Celebration Recap
June 18, 2014 | Cory Pelc 1
This past Saturday we celebrated Great Divide Brewing Company’s 20th Anniversary with 2,000 of our hop cone compatriots in Denver, CO!
A long, line of craft beer connoisseurs formed on Brighton Boulevard. Cars slowly passed by looking for open parking spaces; patrons cruised in on their two wheelers and entered into the queue for bicycle valet (free courtesy of our friends over at Denver B-Cycle). A line of kegs outlined the entryway with Great Divide staff members donned in their 20th anniversary red shirts and sporting the largest of smiles. They knew what we were in for as we were wrist banded. . .
Why You Should Not Miss Another Hangout Music Festival
May 22, 2014 | Lindsay Snyder
Last weekend, 40,000 of my closest friends and I gathered on an unassuming little beach in Gulf Shores, Alabama to soak in the rays and the musical talents of some of our generations’ favorite artists at Hangout Music Festival. If you weren’t there this year, do yourself a favor and put this one on your bucket list. Read More
Chicago Craft Beer Week
May 19, 2014 | Sarah Hargis
Chicago is a mind-blowingly large city, boasting a population of over 2.7 million people, it is divided into more than 200 neighborhoods. These neighborhoods showcase the various cultures and lifestyles of the city’s residents, and each one is unique. The fifth annual Chicago Craft Beer Week (CCBW), which started last Thursday and runs for ten days total, is centered on these small, intimate parts of the city that are so integral to its structure. With over 300 participating venues in the city and surrounding suburbs, this week is guaranteed to be amazing. Read More
Awesomesauce | Underrated TV Shows
May 8, 2014 | Laura Mego
We all have those TV shows that we know in our heart of hearts were brilliant: The Wonder Years, Freaks and Geeks, Firefly, The Wild West C.O.W.-Boys of Moo Mesa (you know the standard list that everyone agrees on.) For the most part, we collectively determine after they’re cancelled that these shows were the greatest thing since The Wire—the TV show equivalent of the no-one-says-anything-bad-about-you-at-your-funeral effect. Why, then, didn’t we actually WATCH them while they were on the air? Here are a few of my favorite underrated TV shows on the air right now that more attention- tune in before its too late! Read More
BrüFrou Beer + Culinary Pairing Event
April 13, 2014 | Cory Pelc
THE FIRST ANNUAL BRÜFROU WILL SHOWCASE THE BEST
OF COLORADO’S CRAFT BEER + CULINARY EXCELLENCE
Building upon the local celebrations, BrüFrou elevates craft beer to the next level by pairing
it with culinary excellence. On April 19th, we invite you to join Coloradoans-in-the-know.
Awesomesauce- I Made A Funny!
April 10, 2014 | Laura Mego
Does anyone else love this movie besides me? (Sidenote: apparently Michael Bay does, enough to ruin it with a reboot involving Megan Fox as April….ugh.)
TMNT aside, take a peek … Read More
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