Crafting History | Brussels Edition

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.

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Bruz Beers | Hellraiser Golden Strong

Bruz Beers in Midtown, just northwest of Denver proper, is pumping out some delicious, true-to-style beers. With several medal wins in brew festivals including one at GABF this year, they are aiming to brew high-quality beers across all Belgian beer styles. Quads, Saisons, bottle-conditioned Sours, and everything in between keep brewers Charlie Gottenkieny and Dave Olson (formerly of Ursula Brewing), and Brewery Operations Manager Ryan Evans very busy!

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What’s in a Name? | Méthode Traditionnelle

What’s in a name? Well, quite a bit actually. A name not only identifies an object but it can represent a lineage, a history or even a tradition. Louis Vitton, Ferrari and Lambic – all of these wonderful things stand alone. With nothing more than the name, a lot is said about the product. Read More

Event Recap | Goose Island Clybourn’s Belgian Fest

Quality over quantity can be a beautiful thing for a beer festival. It seems that every festival nowadays boasts that they’ll the most breweries and the most beers. But at this past weekend’s Belgian Fest at Goose Island Clybourn, it wasn’t the number of breweries that people were talking about; it was the quality of the beer being poured.

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Guinness Brewery | Antwerpen Stout

ABV: 8%  |  IBU: 52

In the U.S., for the longest time, when you heard Guinness you thought of only the iconic stout that is a staple at every bar. But over the past few years the brewery has been dedicated to branching out and highlighting other beers to become known for more than the stout with the unique tap handle. Guinness‘ latest release, Antwerpen Stout, is just one of several beers that are hitting shelves in the U.S. to help diversify the Guinness name.

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Weekly Growler Fill | National Beer News Roundup

Yuengling pays up for Clean Water Act Violations, Krebs Brewing acquires Prairie Artisan Ales, and MillerCoors wins a fight over the definition of craft beer. The best news is craft beer news, so get to reading! You can check out the details of all these stories and more in this edition of the Weekly Growler Fill.

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Beerology | The History of Saisons

Welcome to Beerology! Once a month, we will take a look into the origins of all things booze. In this edition of Beerology, we are going to dive into the world of Saison.

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Ultimate 6er | Must-try Beers from Belgium and Beyond

About three weeks ago we touched back down on U.S. soil after a whirlwind trip through Germany and Belgium. Against our better judgement, we managed 7 bottles of Belgian beer (both large and small) through 6 airports. It was a heavy experience, toeing the weight limit line on several occasions, and it was a moment of relief to unpack each intact, fizzy bottle in our kitchen. The trip was a fantastic one that we’re so grateful for. As a craft beer lover, most trips conveniently seem to involve a brewery or two, but the trip to Belgium was the king of all brew-centric journeys.

To those who want to take the trip – it may be closer within reach than you think. A flight to Europe is undoubtedly a financial setback, but traveling, eating and drinking your way around Belgium is fairly cheap, and the country is so small you can digest it all in a week or less, no problem. You will find yourself overwhelmed by amazing beer options at a price that is unfathomable for such rare gems.

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Brewery Ommegang | Abbey Ale Dubbel Ale

ABV: 8.2%

My mother always says “Presentation is Everything”. Oftentimes, when enjoying an Ommegang beer, I assume she stole her personal little motto from these Cooperstown brewers. From factors as important as taste and quality to such seemingly inconsequential items as font choices, every inch of the Ommegang experience, from their early days to current day, is a masterclass in craft brewing.

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Roundtable Discussion | Relocating for the Beer

As extreme beer enthusiasts, our PorchDrinking team knows their beer and they also know where to find it and be completely content for the rest of their lives. In this week’s Roundtable Discussion, I asked the team where they would relocate if their only criteria was excellent beer. Many are already living in their beer heaven. Others knew exactly where they’d rather be if beer’s the sole decider.

If you find yourself getting the itch to try on a new hometown, you may want to take note of their answers.

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Petrus Aged Pale Ale – Bavik Brewery

If there’s one thing I love about Belgium, it’s their ability to brew incredibly good beer. And of my favorites, Belgian or not, are sours. When you’re mouth uncontrollably puckers is about the point where I like my sour ales to be, and Petrus Aged Pale Ale from Belgium’s Bavik Brewery does a damn fine job of making your mouth implode (in a wonderfully pleasant way).

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