International
Crafting History | Brussels Edition
August 19, 2024 | Eric Griffin
Back in July, I had the incredible opportunity to visit Brussels, Belgium. A city and country rich with beer history, this trip is a bucket list destination for many connoisseurs. Belgium’s diversity of styles, centuries-old brewing techniques, and preservation of tradition have all impacted its place as one of the most culturally significant countries in the world when it comes to heritage. This installment of Crafting History features contributions from legends of the industry Werner Van Obberghen – Owner and Managing Director of 3 Fonteinen, Moeder Lambic owner Jean Hummler, and former Chairman of De Heikantse Bierliefhebbers Fons Minne, as well as reviews of a few Belgian relics – some of which have been cellared for over two decades.
Guinness Goes Big with First-Ever St. Patrick’s Day Celebration at Chicago Open Gate Brewery
March 13, 2024 | Taylor Laabs
“Bartender – Guinness please?” It’s an actionable phrase that Guinness brewery ambassador Ryan Wagner says will be uttered more than 13 million times on St. Patrick’s Day weekend this year around the globe. And while the spectacle and celebration concentrated at Guinness’ St. James Gate brewery in Dublin, Ireland is the stuff of legends, local Chicago beer drinkers should get ready for a similar celebration fit for a city that treats St. Patrick’s Day with particular fervor.
Collaborating for a Cause | Westum Hjemmebryggeri
December 28, 2023 | Eric Griffin 1
Back in May, immediately after hearing the news of Alex Kidd’s cancer diagnosis, PorchDrinking helped to organize a razzle with the Barleywine is Life Facebook group to raise money for his recovery through donations to his GoFundMe. On the 19th we published an article outlining how breweries could get involved with rare bottle contributions for the razzle, and then on June 6th officially announced the packages up for grabs. For every $10 forwarded to his recovery fund (with emailed proof), donors would receive one entry. Submissions closed at Midnight EST on June 18, with winners selected live on the morning of Tuesday, June 20 by Stephen Loh and Michael Gabriel of Malt Couture on Instagram.
One brewery donation in particular came all the way from Norway, contributing two special iterations of home-brewed, high-gravity ales that were randomly added to three winning boxes from the PorchDrinking razzle. We had the privilege to talk with Espen Westum extensively about his passion project, Westum Hjemmebryggeri, as well as the inspirations provided by Alex Kidd and what’s led him to this point in his brewing journey. Additionally, we were able to review and share the very exclusive charity releases Westum sent stateside to support the Kidds.
Kölsch vs. Altbier | A Tradition of Competition
November 20, 2023 | Scott Grossman
It’s no secret that Germans are proud of their beer traditions, with residents of each region proclaiming that their brew is the best. This competitiveness is most clearly embodied in the industrial cities of Cologne (Köln) and Düsseldorf. Kölners proudly promote their Kölsch while Düsseldorfers claim that Altbier is the way to go. Read More
Boys Are From Märzen Podcast | Japas Cervejaria & Beerternational
February 2, 2023 | Kindsey Bernhard
In Episode 73 of the “Boys Are From Märzen” podcast, Kindsey Bernhard is joined by Fernanda Ueno, Maíra Kimura and Yumi Shimada, founders of Japas Cervejaria and Pooah Alon, founder of Beerternational. Read More
Exploring Mexican Craft Beer
December 13, 2022 | Scott Grossman
Mexican beer has come a long way from the thin-bodied, flavorless yellow beverage chugged poolside on spring break. These days there’s a burgeoning Mexican craft beer scene featuring the robust and flavorful styles that craft beer lovers are familiar with. Read More
Beer Is Art | Obakeng Malope’s Campaign to Lift South Africa’s Youth Out of Poverty Through Craft Beer
October 14, 2022 | Ruvani de Silva
Obakeng Malope has a mission. The South African brewer and filmmaker has started a project blending beer culture and social change with enormous scope on both a national and international level, and her hard work and tenacity has already led to significant press and multi-national collaboration.
Malope is the creator of Beer Is Art, an initiative to offer access to the craft beer industry to South Africa’s unemployed young people. In the second quarter of 2022, 4.8 million 15-34 year old South Africans were unemployed, 46.5% of the population in that age group. Malope believes that the growing South African craft beer industry has the potential to help lift some of these young people out of poverty. “The youth are sitting at home unemployed here in South Africa. The campaign teaches about beer, that beer is not something that you drink and get drunk off. We teach beer and food pairing, brewing, beer podcasting and licensing. We show them that they can turn beer into a career,” she says.
Einstök Ölgerð | Arctic Pale Ale
September 22, 2022 | Jereme Zimmerman
If you’re in the United States, you may have noticed a new Icelandic beer appearing on bottle store shelves. Einstök Ölgerð (“unique brewery” in Icelandic) offers several beers that, while are based on standard styles, are truly unique. Einstök Arctic Pale Ale is a superb example of how a style many of us have tried numerous versions of can honor tradition while still standing out.
Bean to Barstool Podcast | Omnom Chocolate’s Relationship to Iceland Beer
August 24, 2022 | David Nilsen
Kjartan Gíslason is the co-founder of Omnom Chocolate in Reykjavik, Iceland. Omnom is known not only for their delicious and creative bean to bar chocolate, but for the colorful packaging and marketing that presents the spirit of Omnom to consumers. In today’s episode, David Nilsen talks with Kjartan about that spirit behind Omnom, as well as their collaborations with Reykjavik craft breweries such as Borg Brugghus and KEX Brewing on both chocolates and beers, and the use of flavors distinct to Icelandic culture in their bars.
Cantillon | Kriek 100% Lambic Bio
November 30, 2021 | Karl Kalinkewicz
Cantillon has been the standard-bearer for the Gueuze and Lambic styles since 1900–before the Theodore Roosevelt administration. In fact, search their brewery on Google Maps and you’ll find it labeled as “Musée Bruxellois de la Gueuze” and to this day each bottle is a seminal exhibit for sour lovers. A bottle of Cantillon is a DeLorean trip back in time and it’s the commitment to preserving the old ways that ensures the quality today. One of the oldest experiments with Lambics was the addition of cherries to the mix and Cantillon’s Kriek 100% Lambic Bio continues to impress into this next millennium.
29 Rising International Breweries To Get You In The Olympic Spirit
August 2, 2021 | Karl Kalinkewicz
Trappist Ales, room-temperature pints, and generic lagers. Maybe you once heard your most enthusiastic beer friend explaining the origins behind the “India” in India Pale Ale and the “Russian” in Russian Imperial Stout after their 5th flight of the day. While 20 years ago this may have been the extent of international beer knowledge for the common consumer, today the gospel of craft is spreading to all corners of the world.
With the glory of the Olympics underway, we’ve decided to highlight some of the up-and-coming stars in the international craft game. You won’t see Mikkellers or Cantillons featured front and center on this list, but rather a set of breweries who are either growing in stature or proudly representing their countries as craft pioneers. Check out our 29 rising international breweries that will get you humming those John Williams Olympics theme songs. Special thanks to Miguel Rivas, @thebeertrekker, for his contributions to this article!
Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen | Intens Rood
July 9, 2021 | Karl Kalinkewicz
A decade ago, in the early days of the ISO:FT message boards, 3 Fonteinen beers were the kids wearing pink on Wednesdays and making “fetch” happen. High bounties were paid for a Hommage, Framboos, or a rare Zenne y Frontera, with airline luggage fees serving as the general mode of transportation for this precious cargo.
Thanks to a huge increase in production and distribution, 3F beers are no longer the Charizard foil cards they once were. While this provides that constant IV drip of Oude Guezes, it also means that we get a few other Lambic oddities, such as the Intens Rood. Read More
Beer Travels | Greece is the Word
July 2, 2021 | Karl Kalinkewicz
After a year+ of adding significant wear and tear to our couches and trying to save countless botched home improvement efforts, it’s time to explore the world outside our homes again. With vaccination rates rising, a number of countries are opening their doors to tourists once again. Of these locales, Greece may be one of the most enticing, where exploring ruins and picturesque Mediterranean isles makes for a much more interesting trip than exploring your local Target for the 8,495th time. And while Greece isn’t necessarily a world-renowned destination for beer, there’s enough exciting things happening in Dionysus’s domain to make sure any beer lover will have their fill. Read More
Former BrewDog Employees Issue Letter Calling for Change
June 11, 2021 | PorchDrinking.com Staff
Harassment, sexism, and discrimination are not new to the beer industry, or any industry. Reports have swirled amongst employees and peers for years with little to no action, but 2021 was the year the dam finally broke.
This year, the beer industry has seen a massive influx of accusations and reports of discrimination, harassment, and even assault as a result of Brienna Allan’s recent Instagram movement. These stories shared on social media pages like Twitter, Instagram, and Reddit, have sent shock waves through the beer industry. And while many of these cases have lead to massive overhauls in personnel, resignations, and overall policy, several more stories of abhorrent behavior continue to emerge including at some of the world’s largest and fastest-growing breweries.
Urban South & Verdant Brewing (UK) | Hop The Pond IPA
May 18, 2021 | Ruvani de Silva
In just five years, New Orleans’ Urban South Brewing has made a huge impact in the beer world and is currently one of the fastest-growing breweries in the U.S. With more than 200 beers released to date, multiple awards under their belt and newly expanded distribution across Alabama, Tennessee and Mississippi, Urban South are riding high and celebrating their fifth anniversary in style with a 15-beer collaboration project that includes some of the biggest names in U.S. craft beer. Drekker, American Solera, Aslin and Pontoon are all involved in this highly ambitious project that includes beer styles ranging from mixed-fermentation Table Beer to Fruited Pastry Sour to TIPA.
Bia Hoi | The Budget Beer of Vietnam
March 24, 2021 | Scott Grossman
Sure, it seems a little sketchy to buy beer from a guy tapping a keg on a Hanoi street corner, but it’s actually totally legit. Besides, at 5,000 Vietnamese dong (VND)—about 22 cents U.S.—what do you have to lose? Bia Hoi is a traditional low-alcohol beer that’s brewed fresh daily and brought to the street vendors via Vietnam’s ever-present motorbikes.
Boys Are From Märzen Podcast | Jessi Flynn Kweza Craft Brewery
February 23, 2021 | Kindsey Bernhard
In Episode 27 of the “Boys Are From Märzen” podcast, Jessi Flynn of Kweza Craft Brewery in Kigali, Rwanda joins Kindsey Bernhard.
Flynn is the managing director of Kweza Craft Brewery, the first craft brewery in Rwanda; it is also owned and led by women.
Big Drop Brewing Co Launches in the United States
February 22, 2021 | Mike Zoller
Working in business development for his law firm, Rob Fink spent a lot of time in pubs and restaurants entertaining clients. In his early 30s, drinking for a good portion of the afternoon was fun, once he had kids he knew his habits had to change — but he liked beer.
Boys Are From Märzen Podcast | Natalya Watson Beer With Nat
February 19, 2021 | Kindsey Bernhard
In Episode 26 of the “Boys Are From Märzen” podcast, Kindsey Bernhard is joined by Natalya Watson, founder of Virtual Beer School, an online course that helps people prepare for the Cicerone Certification Program’s Certified Beer Server and Certified Cicerone exam.
Boys Are From Märzen Podcast | Tamar Banner To Øl
February 2, 2021 | Kindsey Bernhard
In Episode 23 of the “Boys Are From Märzen” podcast, Kindsey Bernhard is joined by Tamar Banner of To Øl in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Banner recently celebrated her 20th anniversary as a professional brewer. Banner spent time at Harpoon Brewery in Boston, New Belgium in Fort Collins and BrewDog in Columbus. In November, Banner took her talents to Denmark to become the head brewer at To Øl in Copenhagen.
recent comments