2017 GABF Pour List Preview

As the 2017 Great American Beer Festival approaches, I bet you’re wondering what kind of delights you can expect to sample on the festival. A hazy IPA from that Vermont brewery that doesn’t distribute in your state? A rare whale stout aged in the most fantastic of barrels? A wild, enamel-stripping sour ale full of hand-picked snozberries? PorchDrinking has you covered!

GABF Routes: Big Beers | Funk, Sours & Wilds | Hoppy Beers

(More: 38 Can’t-Miss Colorado Events During GABF)

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Free Will Brewing Company | Micromanager

It’s that time of year again. The time where nights start to become longer and the leaves change to vibrant colors that make for ideal Instagram posts. But before you throw on your scarf, go apple picking, and stock up on your favorite pumpkin beers, remember that there are still warms days left as summer slowly fades out of the picture. And that means still time to enjoy those crushable, refreshing beers while soaking in the sunshine!

Free Will Brewing Company, located in Bucks County north of Philadelphia, has gained a loyal fan base thanks in part to the impressive lineup of sour and barrel aged brews they produce. But that doesn’t mean you should sleep on their more available year-round offerings, including Micromanager. Read More

Dogfish Head Brewery | Namaste White Belgian-Style Witbier

It’s no coincidence that all of my favorite breweries are independently owned. Not only is Dogfish Head Brewery just that, it’s also still family-controlled! They make quite a few of my favorite beers, and Namaste White is one of those. It will come as no surprise to anyone who’s met me, but Belgian style white ales are probably my most favorite varietal. Of course the fact that Dogfish Head brews “off-centered ales for off-centered people” also appeals to me, naturally.

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Tröegs Independent Brewing | Hop Knife Harvest Ale

Tröegs Independent Brewing holds a special place in my heart. I had enjoyed trying new beers since I studied abroad in Germany around the turn of the century, but a visit to the Tröegs production brewery in Hershey, Pennsylvania is at the epicenter of my ever-blossoming beer geekery.  In the five years since that visit, I’ve enjoyed watching their beer lineup change and evolve. With roots in Tröegs’ Scratch program and a new home in the Hop Cycle Seasonal lineup, Hop Knife Harvest Ale is a beer that I’ve been enjoying since its first wide release.
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Brew Gentlemen | Pure Powerplant

I worked the night shift for the last six years of my Medical Technology career, which included many negatives: living an opposite schedule from your family and friends, sleep is completely messed up and you constantly feel tired — and that’s just the start. However, my schedule also allowed me to visit craft breweries on release days and beat the crowds, which was the case with the release of Brew Gentlemen Pure Powerplant IPA.

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The Alchemist | Petit Mutant

While I was traveling throughout New England this summer, it made me realize one thing – I love it there. Somehow everything within those upper states – their seafood, their mountains and especially their beer – is picturesque and fantastic. Because of this, it should come as no surprise that when it comes to brewing beer, New England breweries don’t mess around.
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Craft Beer Guide to Oktoberfest Celebrations in Pennsylvania

Summer has come and gone at least anecdotally—but we’re not ready to cede fridge space to pumpkin beers just yet. Give us a mug of that malty, amber Märzen, and … Read More

Victory Brewing Co. | Blackboard No. 06 – Peach Belgian Blonde with Coriander

Experimental flavors, quality products, great taste: these are all elements that consumers don’t just seek out, but expect it in their craft beer.  With summer upon us, consumers want refreshing ingredients and lots of flavors!  One company who delivers upon these standards for the craft is Victory Brewing Company.
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PorchDrinking Playlist | Free Will Brewing Company

Located in Perkasie, Pennsylvania, Free Will Brewing Company has been brewing delicious, high-quality beer since 2012. With two locations in southeastern PA, Free Will has garnered lots of attention for their sour beer and barrel-aging programs. So, why don’t you go grab some headphones (I’ll wait), and get ready to listen your way through a tasty beer portfolio.
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Two Roads Brewing Brings Distribution to Colorado

Connecticut-based Two Roads Brewing Company announced today that they will begin year-round distribution throughout the state of Colorado beginning August 28th with the help of Crooked Stave Artisans.

Founded in 2012 by Brad Hittle, Phil Markowski, Clement Pellani, and Peter Doering, Two Roads Brewing now boasts a 100 barrel brewhouse in Stratford, CT, helmed by acclaimed Master Brewer Phil Markowski. Markowski who previously brewed at Southampton Publick House has garnered over 20 medals throughout the years at the Great American Beer Festival, and is widely recognized for his work in reviving the Saison movement in the US.
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Brewers of Pennsylvania To Host 2017 Mid-Atlantic Brewers’ Symposium in State College, PA

Pennsylvania’s state brewers guild, the Brewers of Pennsylvania (BOP), will be hosting the third annual Mid-Atlantic Brewers’ Symposium in State College, PA. This two-day event will include a welcome reception on the evening of Thursday, September 7, which will be followed by the Brewers’ Symposium itself on Friday, September 8. The Symposium also happens to take place one day before the infamous intrastate rivalry between Penn State and Pitt plays out on the gridiron.

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Stillwater Artisanal | Insetto

I was strolling through my local Whole Foods’ beer department when my eye was drawn to something beautiful. It was a repeating pattern. Appearing almost like dark purple single-celled organisms with brighter violet nuclei, this pattern seemed to self-replicate across the face of the can, creating white insect shapes in the negative space. Once I read the description of the contents, I knew that Stillwater Artisanal’s Insetto would be coming home with me that night. Yes. The whole thing was exactly as creepily seductive as it sounds.

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Starr Hill Brewery | Resinate Imperial Red IPA

If you have ever had Reviver from Starr Hill Brewery, then you already know that they know their way around a Red IPA. The latest addition to Starr Hill’s limited-run All Access Series is like Reviver dialed up to 11. This beer was brewed to be a sort of big brother to Reviver—a role model, if you will. I got my hands on a few bottles of Starr Hill’s Resinate, and I have to say that I enjoyed it.
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Tröegs Adds 8,000 Barrels of Fermentation Capacity

Tröegs Independent Brewing has been a staple of Pennsylvania’s craft beer scene for over 20 years, and last week they got even bigger. Eight new 1,000-barrel fermenters were installed at the Hershey, PA brewery. Once online, these will greatly increase the brewery’s production capacity. By moving the flagship and more popular seasonal beers into these larger fermentation vessels, smaller tanks will now be freed up for small batch offerings.
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DC Beer Week 2017: More Than Tap Takeovers

This city isn’t actually known for being suave or sexy or hip or even truly hipster. Washington, DC is rather a place of ambition, Type A personalities and power — and a city with a whole lot of soul (something the interns running about the Hill oftentimes don’t realize).

In the middle of a busy summer, DC Beer Week snuck up on me again. Looking at the event listenings, I realized how foolish ignoring this awesome week would be.

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National IPA DAY | Northeast Region Roundup

As a civilization of internet-savvy beery drinkers, we have no shortage of seemingly random, unofficial holidays to celebrate, but there is none more vital to our palates than National IPA Day.

Falling on the first Thursday of August, National IPA Day gives us all a chance to hoist a glass in remembrance of our favorite Single, Double, Imperial, Triple, Session and New England-style hop bombs. This day also affords us the opportunity to seek out new hop-forward variations to enjoy.
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Equilibrium Brewery | Fractal Citra/Galaxy IPA

Nestled in Hudson Valley, NY, lays a new brewery that has been cranking out some fantastic, flavorful and experimental beers. Founded by two MIT engineering graduates who shared a passion for homebrewing, Equilibrium Brewery began distributing their delicious beverages in the latter half of 2016. They follow the belief that beer can be better when scientific principles are followed that focus on balancing drinkability with the flavor. The beers they are brewing are inviting, just waiting for you to take the next sip. They’ve been able to channel their scientific backgrounds and love of craft beer and create something worth praising.
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PA State Representative Mehaffie Becomes Brewer For a Day

On July 17, the Brewers of Pennsylvania hosted Pennsylvania State Representative Tom Mehaffie for their latest Brewer For A Day event at Tröegs Independent Brewing in Hershey, PA. This was the eighth event in a series that is intended to give state legislators a hands-on, insider’s perspective on the brewing process, as well as further educating them on the economic impact of craft brewing in the Commonwealth.
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St. Boniface Craft Brewing Company | Hegemony

On a busy stretch of US-322 in the small town of Ephrata, Pennsylvania, you will find St. Boniface Craft Brewing Company. Named for one of the many patron saints of brewing, they have been creating high-quality, locally beloved beers since 2010. Now, you might think that it’s a little too hot to be drinking stouts (and normally I’d agree), but St. Boniface’s cool, dimly lit taproom creates an atmosphere that yearns for a good stout. Luckily, St. Boniface’s Hegemony quells this primal need beautifully.
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BREAKING | Brooklyn Brewery Partners with 21st Amendment and Funkwerks for Joint Sales and Distribution

This post has been updated to include quotes from 21st Amendment and Funkwerks

More breaking news this morning following the heels of Short’s minority share acquisition by Lagunitas announcement. Brooklyn Brewery has announced via it’s blog, a joint partnership agreement with San Leandro, CA’s 21st Amendment Brewery and Funkwerks out of Fort Collins, CO acquiring a minority investment in both companies. The three way partnership was crafted to create a shared platform for national sales and distribution which takes effect January 1, 2018.

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