General Topics
Everything else discussed on the porch.
Ultimate 6er | ‘Lover’ Comes to Great American Beer Festival
October 3, 2019 | Danielle Engel
The Great American Beer Fest is an awe-inspiring menagerie of beer. Good beer, weird beers, surprising styles, and not nearly enough time to give them all a thoughtful pause. It can be overwhelming to know where to start, so we over at PorchDrinking have several different routes that we have planned out to make it easier for those who love specific styles. There isn’t really a wrong way to do GABF (except not drinking water, please drink water) so here is a way to dive in that is more musically inclined.
Fulton Beer | Specter
September 27, 2019 | Max Sundermeyer
“It’s there and then it’s not.”
Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States, according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). An alarming public health crisis, the death-by-suicide rate for Americans has grown 30 percent in the last two decades. In 2017 alone, more than 47,000 Americans died by suicide. The tragedy of the suicide epidemic in the last 20 years seems to have touched all of our lives at some point. Three years ago, it touched the family of Minneapolis’ Fulton Beer.
Craft Beer Industry Contributed Nearly $80 Billion to US Economy in 2018
September 25, 2019 | Max Sundermeyer
The craft beer industry made its mark on the U.S. economy according to the 2018 Economic Impact Report released earlier today by the Brewers Association.
Summit Brewing Company | Slugfest Juicy IPA
September 25, 2019 | Max Sundermeyer
Bombasota. The Land of 10,000 rakes. These represent a couple of examples to describe what’s taking place on the baseball field this season in Minnesota.
The nicknames are warranted. The Minnesota Twins are mashing the baseball this season, hitting home runs at a historic pace. At the beginning of the month, the Twins set a new MLB record hitting their 269th home run of the season. Yes, they broke the record with a full month of games to go.
And they’re not slowing down. The Twins keep slugging with currently 289 home runs as I’m typing. But that’s not all. While building on their record-setting season, the Twins broke another MLB milestone. They became the first team in league history with five players to hit at least 30 long balls in a season.
It’s safe to say it’s been a slugfest in Minnesota this summer.
Perrin Brewing Co. Releases New IPA Inspired by Now-Canceled “Storm Area 51”
September 17, 2019 | Taylor Laabs
Brewing new beers to celebrate a local event or festival is not unusual in the craft brewing community. Michigan-based Perrin Brewing Company took that idea and flipped it on its head with their latest IPA: Storming The Gates Area 51 Experimental New England style IPA. Brewed in celebration of their 7th anniversary party, the new NE-style IPA is brewed to celebrate (or mourn) the now-canceled Storm Area 51 event that was supposed to take place on September 20, 2019. While that viral event is now no-more due to a myriad of practical and human safety issues, the IPA remains and has had many Michigan beer fans storming the gates of the brewpub this past week.
Indeed Brewing Company’s New Taproom Now Open In Milwaukee
September 6, 2019 | Max Sundermeyer
Indeed Brewing Company, home to Northeast Minneapolis’ original taproom, has officially completed its expansion farther east with the opening of its Milwaukee brewery and taproom.
On August 23, the brewery announced via social media the official soft opening for the new location on 530 S. 2nd St. in Milwaukee’s Walker’s Point neighborhood would take place on September 6. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held at 3 p.m. to celebrate the opening.
Roundtable Discussion | What Do You Think About Hard Seltzer?
August 29, 2019 | Keith Adams
Hard seltzer has been around for a few years but it has seen huge growth in the last year. The combo of relatively low carbs and alcohol, assortment of inoffensive flavors and lack of gluten appeals to a broad audience. In a similar format to our last roundtable discussion about the best beers of summer 2019, I checked in with a few craft beer enthusiasts to get their take on hard seltzer.
Roundtable Discussion | Best Beers of Summer 2019
July 29, 2019 | Keith Adams
Everyone has their own idea of the perfect summer beer. Breweries are happy to oblige with crisp, refreshing beers to help deal with the high temperatures. I reached out to some craft beer enthusiasts to find out what’s been their absolute standout beer of the summer thus far.
Denver Beer Queers Raising Awareness of LGBTQ Representation in Craft Beer
June 21, 2019 | Katie de la Rosa
Sure, you might have noticed them, anyway. Their table is usually adorned in a rainbow flag, and they often wear shirts with rainbow-colored hop leafs.
But now? Now, the Denver Beer Queers have an official sign. Now you won’t be able to miss that they’re here, queer and drink lots of beer.
Ultimate 6er | Grand Slam Beers for Baseball Season
June 12, 2019 | Dave Drury 1
Baseball and beer are a match made in heaven. Sure, you can have one without the other but it’s a hell of a lot more fun when you combine the two.
With the boys of summer starting to get into the full swing and more and more craft breweries partnering up with MLB teams, we rounded up some of the best baseball-themed beers from across the country. Read More
The Ultimate 6er | Best Beer and Band Collaborations
June 5, 2019 | Karl Kalinkewicz 1
“A kid once said to me “Do you get hangovers?” I said, “To get hangovers you have to stop drinking.” – Lemmy Kilmister, Motorhead (RIP).
Rock and roll and booze have one of those symbiotic relationships where no matter what happens, they can’t seem to quit each other. The deaths of Bonham, Hendrix, Scott, et al. should have scared rock away from boozing. Or maybe Keith Moon driving a car into a hotel pool. But no, rock and roll continues to drink on. The booze is a necessary component, the liquid courage needed to conjure up the whitest of dance moves at a Killers concert, or the quick substitute for years of vocal coaching as you stand up to sing “Don’t Stop Believin'” at your local karaoke joint.
Ultimate 6er | Netflix Original Movies
April 17, 2019 | Scott Johnson
Since it’s inception, Netflix has always been a media trailblazer from shipping DVDs to offering original content on its streaming service. The California company’s success has caused most major media companies to follow in it’s footsteps by offering incredible shows to those without a traditional cable package. Netflix released a few movies early on to critical acclaim but never to the success of their various TV shows that we’ve covered twice.
2018 was the year Netflix really stepped up their game delivering original films and I’m not just talking about Roma. This Ultimate 6er covers six incredibly diverse and underrated gems that you might not be aware of.
Winter is Coming | Game of Thrones Season 8 Drinking Game
April 14, 2019 | Hannah Carlson
Here in Seattle, it seems that there is only one thing on everyone’s minds: summer. With what will seem like the flick of a switch, the Pacific Northwest will become a utopia of sunshine, 80 degree days and eight o’clock sunsets.
An Interview with The Athletic’s Baseball Analyst & Craft Beer Guru Eno Sarris
April 3, 2019 | Brian Haitz
Few things can stir up nostalgia like the smell of fresh cut grass, hearing the crack of the bat, a vendor in the distance yelling “Beer here, beer here! Peanuts!” As we kickoff one of the most anticipated times of the year in the U.S. (MLB season), it can cause excitement, sentimentality and expectation. We at PorchDrinking, had the fortunate opportunity to speak with baseball analyst for The Athletic and former beer writer, Eno Sarris, about the evolution of baseball’s growing relationship with the craft beer industry. Eno was generous enough to talk through his own love of craft beer and “the game,” lending an extremely fascinating insider’s perspective.
Brewery Brackets | Which College Has the Best Craft Beer Scene?
March 26, 2019 | PorchDrinking.com Staff 3
In honor of the NCAA tournament, the PorchDrinking crew decided to commemorate the greatest month of the year with a little madness on our own. We took each team competing in this year’s bracket and wondered who’d win the Big Dance if we were to compared beer scenes from each school’s city.
Ultimate 6er | Best Beers for Cheering on the Big Ten Conference During March Madness
March 20, 2019 | Aimee Jackson
For those of us who live in the Midwest, it has been a long, bitter winter. However, for Big Ten basketball fans, a competitive regular season has pulled us through to the first signs of spring.
For most people, the Christmas season is their favorite time of year. However, for me, March Madness could be the underdog that upsets this crowd favorite in a battle for the most wonderful time of the year. I love that every game matters, as I have a team to root for in each match-up. I enjoy the high of celebration as teams claim victory, and I feel the heartache for each team as their season comes to an end. The upsets, the Cinderella Team, and the bracket busters elicit excitement in me, and of course, I have my favorite team that I hope is ultimately cutting down the nets at the end of it all. For those of you who will be rooting on a Big Ten team with me this March Madness, this Ultimate 6er will provide you with craft brews that show your loyalty to your team and your conference as you celebrate. Let the madness begin! Cheers (and Go Big Ten!).
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Historic Agreement Reached on Beer-to-Go Sales in Texas
March 12, 2019 | Pam Catoe
After years of dispute, Texas brewers and distributors have reached a historic agreement on Beer-to-Go sales from craft breweries. Texas remains the only state where production breweries are not permitted to sell beer-to-go from their taprooms.
Omnipollo | Quadruple Dry-Hopped Fatamorgana
March 8, 2019 | Eric Griffin
Omnipollo is a based out of Sweden, and references itself not as a brewery, but as a creative camp. The name originates from the words omnipotence and the Spanish word for chicken, pollo. The definition of omnipotence is the quality of having unlimited, or great power. When combined with the awkward and uncoordinated “pollo,” you get the creative and chaotic (yet powerful) product that is Omnipollo.
Omnipollo was founded by brewer Henok Fentie and artist Karl Grandin in 2011 with the hope of changing the known perception of beer and what it could be. Anybody who is familiar with Omnipollo knows how crazy some of their beers are, both the recipe and the artwork. In addition, the beers that Omnipollo releases are always collaborative efforts with breweries all over the world. This keeps a constantly curious and tuned-in approach to everything they do.
PorchDrinking Writers Discuss Their Favorite Snacks (with Beer)
March 1, 2019 | Mathew Powers
Did you know February was national snack month? But, let’s be honest and admit that every month is snack month for beer drinkers. So, we will not be boxed in by some arbitrary month. Now that it is March, we will rebel and celebrate it now, and we will celebrate it forever. I think it was Aristotle who said, “All people by nature desire snacks.” (Source: various fancy-looking memes on Google Images, which I’m sure are accurate.)
Who among us hasn’t gotten the munchies when sipping a beer? So, I asked a few PorchDrinking writers about their favorite snack to pair with beer and decided to post the results of that (highly scientific) conversation. How would one go with your friends? What’s your favorite snack? Let us know.
We Use the Marie Kondo Method for Craft Beer
February 28, 2019 | Chea Franz 1
With her hit Netflix show “Tidying Up With Marie Kondo” and her book The Life-
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