Phase Three Brewing | Arabesque & Minutiae Reserve 2024

A few weeks ago, those who follow Phase Three Brewing were given a heads up to mark their calendars for a huge release to start out the month of March. Reserve Weekend 2024 celebrated a very special release of two of Phase Three’s most highly sought after beers: Arabesque and Minutiae. PorchDrinking is here to give you all some early insight into these exciting new reserve beers, including an exclusive review of each of these high-gravity beasts.

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Eight & Sand Beer Co. | Gabagool Italian Pilsner

“Gabagool? Over here!”

Eight & Sand Beer Co. has risen to become the face of brewing in Woodbury, New Jersey, since its founding in 2016. Named after a common railroad phrase meaning “quick and safe travels,” where Notch 8 was the quickest setting on certain trains and sand was used to prevent track slippages, Eight & Sand has embraced its New Jersey heritage.

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Amalgam Brewing | Present Time (Pilsner)

Making world-class lagers is no easy feat. The knowledge required to do so is not gained overnight, and no amount of luck can produce a clean and drinkable bottom-fermented beer without the requisite skill. A successful lager brewer must put in their time and learn from their mistakes on the way to creating something great. And it certainly doesn’t hurt to have a renowned mentor along the way.

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Collaborating for a Cause | Lua Brewing

The outpouring of support for Alex Kidd and his family has been incredible over the last eight months. In particular, when backtracking to those first 30 days after he announced his Stage IV cancer diagnosis, it’s mind-blowing just how quickly so many breweries and individuals banded together to raise funds. Lua Brewing was no exception. Just four days after the unexpected announcement on Don’t Drink Beer’s social accounts, Lua organized a vintage sale offering full sets of their sought-after Destroyer Barleywine, with 100% earned going straight to the Kidd family. Read More

Craft Culture X | Thai One On Lemongrass-Basil Blonde Ale

The beer scene in Texas is in a state of flux, with multiple closures, including many fan favorites, leaving drinkers reeling and owners uncertain as to what the future holds. Against this precarious background, the opening of Houston’s Craft Culture X is a beam of positivity for the industry for multiple reasons.

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Firestone Walker Brewing | Dividing Time (Munichwine)

Beer styles reflect the times in which they originate. Once upon a decade or so ago in craft beer, the idea of a pint glass filled with opaque orange juice-looking liquid whose taste most closely resembles a tropical smoothie would be preposterous. Alas, over the past 10+ years Hazy IPAs have come to dominate the craft beer landscape. Some styles are but a blip on the map – Brut IPAs sought a dry easy drinking alternative to the Hazy but had no staying power. This more easily palatable yet still juicy desire has led to the recent proliferation of Cold IPAs and modern West Coast IPAs utilizing lager yeast and modern hop varietals to reach that desired end. Despite this constant evolution, some beer styles seem timeless despite only recently being developed. Such a style is Munichwine developed by Brad Clark of Private Press Brewing. Having tweaked and perfected the style to his liking, Clark worked with Firestone Walker Brewing to brew a collaboration Munichwine at their facility and then age it in bourbon barrels, resulting in Dividing Time – an exclusive release for members of Firestone Walker’s beer club, the Brewmaster’s Collective.

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Collaborating for a Cause | Fox Farm Copestone

Happy New Year! When we began this series last year, we had no idea what to expect. No one was quite prepared for the sheer magnitude of support Alex Kidd and his family would receive after his cancer diagnosis, but it’s been incredible to watch unfold. This series powers ahead into the new year, beginning with Fox Farm Brewery in Salem, Connecticut.

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New Image Brewing | Madera 2023 Horizontal Tasting

Every beer is a journey. From the ingredients used to the processes by which they’re combined and fermented to a finished product ready for enjoyment, beer tells a story of evolving time and ingredients. New Image Brewing has fully embraced the journey and evolution of beer with first their Estufa series and now various Madera releases.

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Collaborating for a Cause | Westum Hjemmebryggeri

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.

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Collaborating for a Cause | Life Jacket

As 2023 nears its conclusion, many families and businesses feel the strain and chaos of the holiday season and the deadlines associated with the final months of the year. Fortunately, the support for Alex Kidd and his family has not even considered pumping the brakes, and we are happy to welcome Revolution Brewing to this week’s installation of Collaborating for a Cause.

(Read: Collaborating for a Cause Series)

Adjusting the spotlight to a beer that Alex himself helped co-create with the Revolution team, this well-known Chicago brewery organized an incredible gesture spanning the month of November involving their Life Jacket Barleywine.

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Rupee Beer | ‘British-Indian IPA’ Combines History & Drinkability

When brothers Van and Sumit Sharma launched Rupee Beer in 2021, their goal was to make the perfect beer to pair with the Indian cuisine they had grown up with, along with other spicy, diverse world foods.

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Casks & Camaraderie | Cask Craft Spirits and Beer Lounge

Breweries are always looking for new and unique ways to share their beers. Recently, one way that many have looked to showcase their barrel room in particular has been through barrel picks.

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Meanwhile Brewing | Winter Beer Menu

As stout season hits its stride, Meanwhile Brewing in Austin, Texas, has taken a broader approach to seasonal offerings and launched a full gamut of winter beers for differing palates and the vagaries of Texas winter weather.

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Collaborating for a Cause | DDBIL

This week, Collaborating for a Cause sets its sights on Florida, where Hialeah-based brewery King Fox joined forces with Shōjō Beer Co. and Odd Breed Wild Ales to release DDBIL, a special beer to support Alex Kidd. This is unbelievably the tenth installment in this series, with more to come. We can only hope that by highlighting the immense generosity from the Industry through these dedicated releases that we’ve not only inspired others to contribute help, but also motivated people to get checked regularly and learn the importance of monitoring their bodies.

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Collaborating for a Cause | Timber Ales’ Stay Strong Alex

This series has been a humbling experience. Not only have we had the opportunity to cover more participating breweries than we ever thought, but we have also seen endless generosity both in support of these installments and, more importantly, in support of Alex Kidd as he continues to fight for his life. Timber Ales is the next feature in Collaborating for a Cause, and we had the privilege of talking with Owner and Brewer Jason Stein about his iteration of Stay Strong Alex and the impact that Don’t Drink Beer has had on his own journey.
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Speciation Artisan Ales | Underbru Saison

In an ever-changing industry with constantly varying trends, breweries often struggle to figure out how they can stand out. Michigan is a particularly competitive state when it comes to craft beer, and Underbru is a perfect example of some of the unique and exciting products that have been coming out of the Midwest. More specifically it’s a testament to Speciation Artisan Ales as a whole, a brewery rooted in the idea of displaying nature’s creativity and diversity.

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Collaborating for a Cause | Altar of the Orc Lord: DDB Edition

Those who have followed Alex Kidd since the beginning know him to be a long-time supporter of Modern Times. His reviews of their products have contributed to the growth of their barrel program and special projects, and the news of his cancer diagnosis back in May really hit the team in a personal place. Less than a month after Alex shared the news on social media, Modern Times had already organized a release in an effort to help cover his hospital expenses. We had the opportunity to work briefly with the Special Projects team at Modern Times to gain more insight on the beer itself and Alex’s impact on their development.

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Collaborating for a Cause | ALEX KIDD IS LIFE!

While Mikerphone Brewing out of Chicago is the latest brewery in this series, they were one of the first to take action in support of Alex Kidd and his family following the news of his cancer diagnosis. Just like what we saw most recently with Bob D’Angelo and Esker Hart Artisan Ales, Mikerphone Brewing was founded from a passion for homebrewing. Now, eight years since their first commercial beer, Mikerphone has become a Chicago beer staple and Owners Mike and Lisa Pallen have been fortunate enough to travel the world making and sharing beer. Upon hearing Alex’s devastating news, they knew they wanted to do what they could for him and his family during this unprecedented time. We were able to talk briefly with Mike and discuss a little more about the special single barrel English-style Barleywine released for the man behind the Barleywine is Life movement.

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Pulpit Rock Brewing | EIGHT Imperial Stout

Some may find it hard to believe that eight years have already come and gone for Pulpit Rock Brewing. Having recently showcased their high-gravity program in the Barrel Room Spotlight, it’s no secret that they’ve really honed in on mastering all things big and malty. Pulpit’s 8th Anniversary was celebrated on August 19th and featured live music, food vendors, and eight brand new craft beverages to honor the special occasion. For this showcase, we take a look at their headliner EIGHT, Pulpit Rock’s first Barrel-Aged release of 2023 and one that not only pushed the boundaries of their program, but also looked to support a local Iowa organization. Read More

Weathered Souls | 2023 Whale Rider Set

Weathered Souls Brewing has been around since 2016, and since then has made waves throughout the industry. Most notably in 2020, co-owner and Head Brewer Marcus Baskerville started the Black is Beautiful initiative, a movement with the mission to bring awareness to the injustices that many people of color face daily. This open-ended collaboration has inspired the support of hundreds of breweries across the country, and this year even saw the launch of Volume 2.0 of the Black is Beautiful initiative in honor of the opening of the National Black Brewers Association (NB2A) back in May. Marcus and Weathered Souls also had another exciting ‘first’ in 2023 with their highly sought-after Whale Rider Imperial Stout. July 29th marked the date of the inaugural Whale Rider Day.

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