Why Aren’t TV Bars a Thing? (A Business Proposal)

Listen up, bar owners and aspiring entrepreneurs of America. I’ve got your next big idea.

The TV bar. Read More

PorchDrinking Playlist | Noisy Summer

Back in May, I was hit by two new songs that were so fun and noisy, I fell in immediate love. Tegan & Sara’s Boyfriend (and really the whole album that it comes off of) is pure, unabashed pop perfection that had me bouncing up and down. It’s like a Patrick Nagel painting coming to life (for people who don’t know who that is, it’s like if Adult Swim’s Moonbeam City hadn’t been a disappointment.) On the flip side of that was Tyler Glen’s Trash, a middle-finger salute to the Mormon Church. While the song is dark and full of angst and reverb, it’s layering of sound hit me in the exact same way as Boyfriend — a bunch of noisy pieces that add up to a fun whole in a way that normal band instruments just can’t capture. After eating up all my phone’s data playing them on Youtube while I drove, I decided to capture this wall-of-noise sound I wanted for my noisy summer.

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Beerstagram | June 16th – 23rd

From the looks of this week’s Beerstagram, MANY beers were enjoyed outside! As to be expected with the first week of summer kicking off, we couldn’t be more excited. It is most definitely porch drinking season now, hooray! It also seems like a lot of IPAs were popular this week. Read More

5 Reasons You Need to Buy Capitol Hill Block Party Tickets

If you’re at all familiar with Seattle, you know that Capitol Hill is one neighborhood within its borders that captures the true flavor, eccentricity, complexity and energy of the dynamic and evolving Emerald City. Capitol Hill – or just ‘the hill’ – is the beating heart of Seattle’s experimental dining, vibrant nightlife, and overall pride. Needless to say, if one was to have a music festival somewhere within the city’s borders – and in the middle of Seattle’s summertime bliss – the hill is the obvious choice. Queue Capitol Hill Block Party – a three day music festival that, like the neighborhood that houses it, effortlessly captures its city’s exuberance.

If you can’t tell already, we have unharnessed excitement for this year’s fest, our calendars already marked for July 22 – 24.  And it’s not too late for you to join us in the celebration. Single day and three day tickets are available now. If you’re not already convinced, we’re giving you five reasons to pull our your credit card now to pull the trigger. We’ll see you there – beer in hand.

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PorchDrinking Playlist | Summer Sun

It’s officially summer and the sun’s out, temps are rising, and we’re looking forward to endless patio beers, creekside camping spots, and long mountain drives. In this week’s PorchDrinking playlist, we’ve got 15 songs for the summer sun — for yard games in the park, hammocking in the shade, and those long drives to the mountains or lake for the best weekend adventures.

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What We’re Listening To | June 2016

Music is pretty important to us at PorchDrinking. So we figured we’d fill you in on what we’re listening to and the latest releases, albums and singles we’re obsessed with. Take a look below and let us know, what are YOU currently obsessed with? Read More

MORE Movies Based on Apps

We should have known after “Christian Mingle” and the other movies I pitched to Hollywood that the tide of movies based on apps was just beginning. This summer, “The Angry Birds Movie” has crushed the box office – presumably, mostly among children – paving the way for even MORE films based on apps.

I want a cut of that 9 figure payday from hastily making half-thought-out app-based movies that capture the current pop culture without really fleshing out a script. Here are a few more pitches for movies based on apps. Read More

Beerstagram | June 9th – 16th

This week’s installment of Beerstagram seems to have gone to the dogs, who always make great drinking buddies, right? We also have some non-dog shots for all of you cat people out there! If you would like a chance to be featured be sure to tag @porchdrinkingco in your photos each week!

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PorchDrinking Playlist | 1987

It’s always interesting to group a bunch of similar items together and see how they compare — like getting your friends together for a delicious IPA bottle share, or sitting around discussing who the greatest quarterback of all time is. Time to revisit one of our first ever PorchDrinking playlists. We put together a playlist full of artists who were all born in 1986 and it was interesting to hear the common themes in the music. Let’s go back in time again… to 1987! Read More

Beerstagram | June 2nd – 9th

We are now in our 2nd week of our re-installment of Beerstagram! If you would like a chance to be featured be sure to tag @porchdrinkingco in your photos! We are on the hunt for some great beer-inspired shots each week! Cheers to another great week of pretty photos and tasty beer! Read More

Beerstagram 5/26 – 6/2

We hope your Memorial Day weekend was well spent! From the looks of Instagram it seems like a lot of beer was consumed, as you would assume with the kick off … Read More

Ultimate 6er | Blizzard Entertainment

Blizzard Entertainment Inc. is one of the finest video game studios on American soil, mounted in the halls of pop culture for creating some of the most significant video game franchises in the world. From their humble beginning creating Super Nintendo titles such as Blackthorne, The Lost Vikings and Rock & Roll Racing, Blizzard is a name loved by gamers for their legacy of rich stories and diverse content. When this crew makes a new game, the video game landscape changes.

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“Hamilton” Beer & “Hamilton” Trivia with Gun Hill Brewing’s Dave Lopez

Every sentient being on the planet says it: If you’re in New York, you just HAVE to go see “Hamilton,” the musical currently taking Broadway by storm. (And it’s ridiculously difficult to see if you don’t purchase tickets way in advance.) It’s life-changing, they claim. It manages to make Americans talk enthusiastically about two things that have NEVER been so universally beloved: history and musical theater.

I did see “Hamilton” last month in New York, and all the hype is true. It’s fantastic. Lin-Manuel Miranda (the star/writer/composer) and the cast are extraordinary performers, and the way the show is staged tells a story worth hearing in a bold way unlike anything I’d seen before. I’m one of those people now. “Hamilton” is like veganism – you’ll know a friend of yours has seen it because they insist on telling you all about it. After seeing the show, I immediately followed some of the cast on Twitter, including Miranda’s alternate Javier Muñoz, who played Alexander Hamilton on the night on which I saw the show. And I was intrigued to see Muñoz talk about his involvement in a group creating a craft brew based on the show.

That’s right. There’s “Hamilton” beer.

Gun Hill Brewing in The Bronx has created “Rise Up Rye,” a limited rye beer (4.8% ABV) inspired by “Hamilton.” And just like I immediately went on the hunt for “Hamilton” tickets when I first heard the soundtrack, the revelation that a “Hamilton” beer existed sent me on a quest. And while “Rise Up Rye” isn’t available to me in LA (yet), I wanted to know more. This is where Dave Lopez enters.

Lopez is a co-managing partner at Gun Hill Brewing Co, which has had a Colonial-America look and feel about it since it opened in February 2014. Everything from the website layout to the labeling on their bottles looks like what you would’ve seen in the 1700s. And when you consider that the biggest thing in pop culture right now is the story of young, scrappy, and hungry New York revolutionaries with a vision, it’s easy to see how Rise Up Rye was a natural fit for Gun Hill.

Lopez generously agreed to talk to me about how Rise Up Rye came to be. And then… I put him to the test with a pop (culture) quiz to find out just how well he knows “Hamilton.”

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Porchdrinking Playlist | Criminal Minds

Like many students around the country at various levels of education, I’m working for free and/or “experience”. After spending the last semester being completely confused about how criminal law works and what type of intent is needed for what aspect a crime (trust me, it’s harder than you think,) I decided to lean in and work at the Prosecutor’s office for the summer. It took three days of looking into criminal minds before I began to consider moving into a cave and never speaking to anyone again… because everyone in the world is terrible.

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The 2016 Election Cycle (Lazily) Represented by Simpsons GIFs

As the 2016 Presidential Election draws closer, both political parties are looking to pivot from their unconventional primary seasons and secure a win in November. Both the Democrats and the GOP find themselves with candidates who… they’re listening to the concerns of an enthusiastic electorate and… sigh…

I’m gonna level with you. The whole thing is kind of a drag, right? It’s only May, and it feels like this whole thing has already been going on for years. And I could talk about the realignment of conventional wisdom, as candidates with such high unfavorability make forecasting difficult. I could make some quips about the Clintons moving back to the White House or the Trumps painting it gold. But, like… aren’t we all sick of it?

The whole election cycle is exhausting, man. Just scroll through these GIFs from “The Simpsons.” They don’t cleverly explain the 2016 Presidential election. They aren’t prescient or well-researched. But they’re better than more election coverage, and you people like “The Simpsons,” right? Read More

Chicago Craft Beer Week | Navy Pier Beer Cruise: Brewers of the Western Suburbs

Chicago and its suburbs have been turning out quality beers left and right, North and South, East and West. Now it’s your opportunity to experience what the best of the Western suburbs have to offer with this one of a kind beer cruise. Read More

Event Preview: Delilah’s Sour Fest

Pucker up and give us some sugar sours. Delilah’s is hosting their annual Lambic and Sour event on Saturday, May 21st from 12pm-5pm during Chicago Craft Beer Week. For beginners and enthusiasts, this event will be one not to miss.

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6 St. Louis Beers Perfect for Team Captain America (Part 1)

Let’s get it out of the way.  I’ve never been a “geek” about anything, ever.  But after now attending two Comic-Con’s with my self-proclaimed “geek” of a son, who I … Read More

PorchDrinking Playlist | What You Should Be Listening To Vol. 4

This week we’re gonna keep it simple. Check out our playlist below for the 10 songs (and artists and albums) you need to be listening to. Take a listen, and let us know your favorites!
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15 Existential Questions Asked at Red Rocks Shows

It’s official: Red Rocks season has officially begun! And the schedule this year is stacked. We’re excited for a few shows in particular: Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats, Ryan Adams, The Lumineers, Odesza, Brand New & Modest Mouse, The Avett Brothers, Jackson Browne, LCD Soundsystem, Sufjan Stevens, Tame Impala, The Head and the Heart and so, so many more. For a full list of who’s playing, visit Red Rocks Online. Read More