Southwest
Yakima Chief Hops Announces the Pink Boots Blend for 2020
November 12, 2019 | Pam Catoe
Starting in 2017, Yakima Chief Hops (YCH) and members of the Pink Boots Society (PBS) meet up at the Great American Beer Festival for a unique event, aptly named the Annual Hop Rub. YCH brings the best of their hop harvest, carefully laid out on tables for attendees to smell, touch and taste, with the goal of selecting the annual Pink Boots Society hop blend. Read More
Jester King + Other Half | Urban Mutation
November 12, 2019 | Karl Kalinkewicz
Collaboration beer often presents a mixed bag: Excitement races through your beard when you hear that two of your favorite breweries have Voltron-ed, but then the results follow a predictable pattern. Either you get a middling compromise between the two parties, resulting in a solid and forgettable “eh,” or one brewery’s profile dominates the other and the beer is like a Paul Simon album after Garfunkel left town in which the expected quality makes you forget that there’s supposed another element in this equation.
A friend recently Santa Claused me a suitcase full of Jester King and I’ve been doing my best to explore these recent offerings at a responsible pace. Jester King beers always have that incredible lightness and drinkability. A 750ml is never quite enough and a 375ml is just plain disrespectful. Moderne Dansk, included in this bounty, was one of the best beers I’ve had in quite some time. Schopenhauer himself would have impressed at the dour mood that enveloped me, realizing life would be a long struggle with little possibility of another drop. But one that caught my eye in this 20 bottle porch bomb was the collaboration beer with Other Half: Urban Mutation.
SDBW Event | Ladies Arm Wrestling at Kairoa Brewing
November 11, 2019 | Jadon Flores
Entering Kairoa Brewing a bit early, there is a full stage and decorations for the special Pink Boot Society fundraising event. Brewer still on deck from a long BrewDay the … Read More
Independence Brewing Company | Stash IPA
November 11, 2019 | Dustin Wenger
Many of you know the secret joy that comes from having something special, almost sinful, tucked away in a hiding place so cleverly disguised that nobody will ever discover. Whether it’s a cache of nostalgic trinkets, a hoard of candy or even a small collection of something not so innocent, at some point we’ve all had a stash that we kept all to ourselves. Luckily for Texas, Independence Brewing Company is more than happy to share their Stash with the rest of us.
GABF Small Brewpub Brewer of the Year 2019 | Rowley Farmhouse Ale
October 29, 2019 | Asa Stone
Rowley Farmhouse Ales in Santa Fe, New Mexico, won the Small Brewpub Brewer of the Year at 2019 Great American Beer Festival by winning the Bronze medal for their Côte d’Or in the Mixed-Culture Brett Beer category (94 entries), the Silver medal for their Agent Orange in the Wood and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer (82 entries), and the Gold medal for their Meier in the German-Style Sour Ale category (63 entries). Rowley Farmhouse Ales brewmaster and co-owner John Rowley talked about their medal-winning beers and his perspective on beer and food pairings.
9 Best New Mexico Breweries to Import After Trump’s Wall in Colorado
October 25, 2019 | Tristan Chan 1
Two days ago, President Trump announced that he would be building a wall in Colorado to presumably keep out the New Mexicans for whatever offense they may have committed against him. One could surmise that their green chile was too spicy and flavorful for his bland palate, or perhaps saw tweets from their visitor’s bureau of Meow Wolf and thought we were being attacked from another dimension by another planet’s space force.
Regardless, Trump’s alleged wall in Colorado will surely have dire repercussions for the rest of the country including the fact that we’ll no longer have easy access to a number of the state’s prolific breweries. Here’s a list of the nine best breweries out of New Mexico, which we’ll have to import once Trump’s Colorado wall is built.
Roughhouse Brewing | Ona
October 17, 2019 | Katie Kalk 1
Outside of Austin lies what many locals call the prettiest little part of Texas: Hill Country. Small rolling hills break up the endless blue sky and Texas scrub provides shade to white-tailed deer, armadillos, and the hordes of tubers leisurely floating down the San Marcos River. Many Austin based companies will provide tubes and transportation for easy access to San Marcos’ best-known attraction. Visitors shouldn’t stick to the water; getting out and exploring Hill Country charms is best done on dry land. Some of the best boozy attractions in the state are scattered around Hill Country from the elite Jester King Brewery to the only sotol distillery in the United States, Desert Door. With over twenty-five breweries in Hill Country, visitors will find plenty of delicious reasons to keep exploring the surrounding scrubland.
Ultimate 6er | Partners in Craft
September 26, 2019 | Pam Catoe
The opening night event for the Texas Craft Brewers Festival on September 28, Partners in Craft, is in its third year and has quickly become a favorite among festival-goers. This unique event focuses on the spirit of collaboration among Texas breweries and their community in an intimate setting featuring an equally unique line up of beers, food, live music, specialty vendors curated by the Austin Flea, and a glimpse into beer history courtesy of the popular Beer Museum pop-up. Tickets for this event are almost sold out, so get yours today. Read More
Saint Arnold Brewing Company | Art Car IPA
September 26, 2019 | Dustin Wenger
The phenomenon of the art car has intrigued me for some time. Have you ever seen these things? Cars covered from bumper to bumper with colorful paint jobs and anything from mosaic tile to plastic figurines. Sure, some look like a hoarder hoarked on a hooptie, but there are certainly some examples that truly are mobile art. The layers of detail and creativity are impressive, and it’s that creative spirit that inspired Saint Arnold’s Art Car IPA.
2019 Texas Craft Brewers Festival Beer List Announced
September 24, 2019 | Pam Catoe
The Texas Craft Brewers Festival, featuring more than 75 craft breweries, returns September 28, 2019, to Fiesta Gardens in Austin, TX. The event, which is organized by the Texas Craft Brewers Guild and co-presented by Craft Pride, is the state’s largest beer event focused exclusively on Texas-brewed craft beer.
Mystic Rye | Toltec Brewing Co.
September 23, 2019 | Asa Stone
An Albuquerque, New Mexico, native, Kaylynn Krosche still recalls the scent of hops hitting the boiling kettle as her father homebrewed. Her passion for beer and brewing developed early. And it has evolved into her life-long pursuit. Krosche is now the founding brewmaster of Toltec Brewing Co. in Albuquerque. Her presence is well recognized through her active involvement in the community and through medals and awards.
What We’re Drinking | September 19, 2019
September 20, 2019 | Pam Catoe
Fall is officially upon us, but it’s still hot as heck here in the South. Luckily, I was able to spend the last week in the Netherlands and enjoy fall-like weather. How are you celebrating the start of the fall season? Here are some delicious beers to help you enjoy the changing of seasons in this week’s What We’re Drinking.
Texas Craft Brewers Celebrate Beer-To-Go Day
August 31, 2019 | Pam Catoe
On Sunday, September 1, Texans will finally have the opportunity to take beer home from their favorite craft brewery, which makes Texas the final state to allow take-home sales from a manufacturing brewery.
A brief history: Texas brewers have been fighting for reforms for more than a decade that would allow them the same benefits a winery, brewpub, or distillery enjoys — allowing visitors the ability to take home their product. Finally, during the 86th Legislative session, the law passed with a tremendous effort from the Texas Craft Brewers Guild, brewers and thousands of supporters.
What We’re Drinking | August 23, 2019
August 23, 2019 | Pam Catoe
So school has started and it’s supposed to be sorta the beginning of fall. I don’t know where you are right now, but where I’m sitting we are about to hit a record consecutive days with 100-degree heat. It’s really, really hot. So what goes well with the insanely ridiculous heat? Air conditioning and a great craft beer. I’m probably the pickiest about my beer choices this time of year than any other, so take a look at what the PorchDrinking team is enjoying to help you beat the heat (unless you live somewhere with pleasant weather–in which case these are still great choices–and can I come visit?).
What We’re Drinking | July 26, 2019
July 26, 2019 | Pam Catoe
Summer is in full swing and that means lots of pool time, outdoor hikes, lake excursions and hopefully some great travel destinations. No matter what you have planned for your midsummer activities, your PorchDrinking team has you covered. Here’s this week’s What We’re Drinking!
Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co. | Camp Light
July 18, 2019 | Justin Pennel
People heavily involved with craft beer have been saying for quite some time that lagers were going to make a comeback and see gains in popularity. If you were one of those people, you were spot on and I applaud you. Lagers have been killing it in 2019 and it shows no signs of slowing down. Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co. isn’t new to the lager game, but they’ve been ramping up their lagering efforts lately. One of their more recent releases was a light lager called Camp Light. Read More
Circle Brewing Company | Fanny Pack Kolsch Partners with Equality Texas
June 25, 2019 | Pam Catoe
Pride month kicks off in June across the country, celebrating the LGBTQ community through events, marches and educational awareness. As celebrations kick off in Austin, oppressive summer temperatures also begin to emerge along with seasonal releases designed to beat the heat.
This year, Circle Brewing Company debuted its summer seasonal, Fanny Pack Kolsch, with a special release Pride can in partnership with their friends at Equality Texas to celebrate their anniversary as the largest statewide organization solely dedicated to full equality for LGBTQ Texans. Read More
Martin House Brewing Company | Bubble Haze
June 24, 2019 | Katie Kalk
In a crowded craft beer market, breweries are working harder than ever to catch the eye of the consumer walking down their local beer aisle. Breweries are investing in slick graphic design, updated branding and wild flavors. If the outside of the can isn’t enough to make the beer stand out then perhaps what’s inside might intrigue the consumer into a purchase.
Southerleigh Fine Food & Brewery | Texas Born and Bred Pale Ale
June 20, 2019 | Dustin Wenger
Even if you’re not from Texas, you know the state has a rich and storied history. That’s why it’s surprising to realize that throughout all the lore and legacy of the Lone Star state, there has never been a commercially produced beer using only Texas ingredients. At least, not until now. Southerleigh Fine Food & Brewery head brewer, Les Locke, seized the opportunity and set out to create the very first all-Texas beer, aptly named Texas Born and Bred.
Beer-To-Go Sales in Texas Are One Step Closer to Reality
May 24, 2019 | Pam Catoe
In a historic win for craft brewers and consumers throughout the state of Texas, the highly anticipated Beer-To-Go measure cleared the Texas senate unanimously as part of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) sunset bill.
To recap: Texas remains the only state that prohibits beer-to-go sales from production breweries. So if you visit a winery, distillery or brewpub, you are free to take your beverage of choice home with you. But if you stop by Real Ale Brewing Company, Austin Beerworks, or a little over 100 other production breweries in the state, you are simply out of luck.
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