Trends and Takeaways from FoBAB 2021

Like all of the events that returned in 2021 after being canceled in 2020, the Festival of Wood and Barrel-Aged Beers returned to Chicago with more buzz and excitement than in previous years.

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Orono Brewing | Fruit Pie (Key Lime)

Youth is a fleeting moment in the story of a lifetime. Yet the memories created in those formative years often carry the most weight. The smallest moments become landmarks in a life story and shape the realities of the future. Recognizing this can be momentous for some and commonplace for others. Brewery tag team Asa Marsh-Sachs and Abe Furth of Orono Brewing bring both of their childhood experiences into the imaginative and creative beers they craft. Their newest series of releases are a variety of Fruit Pie Pastry Berliner Weisse Ales perfect for a hot, sunny summer day.
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Maxline Brewing | Raspberry Basil Saison

While springtime in Colorado can be tumultuous with unpredictable weather, a picturesque sunny and clear day in the Centennial state means one thing: patio season. Located in a city that runs deep with craft beer heritage and culture, Fort Collins-based Maxline Brewing has one of the best patios in town due to its heavy rotation of live music and food trucks during the warmer months.

A popular seasonal that comes back year-after-year, just in time for patio weather, is Maxline’s Raspberry Basil Saison. While we can’t enjoy this delicious beer on their patio currently, we can certainly grab a crowler or six-pack to imbibe at home—with shades, of course.

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Ultimate 6er | Fruit Beer Salad

It’s a weird observation, but summer is one of the best smelling seasons. Burgers on the grill, the saltwater from the ocean, flowers in bloom and the sweet, decadent fruit tray being passed around at the summer picnic. The fruit salad is one of the most underrated, but highly appreciated item at every summer party. There’s nothing better than taking a bite into a slice of watermelon on a 90-degree, humid day. And in the summer months, fruit is the second-most refreshing summer snack (after beer, of course). So, why not have some fruit beer salad?

While fruit beers are present all year round by a lot of breweries, you can’t get enough of their endless refreshment during the sweltering months. They give you an opportunity to deviate from your traditional style to enjoy a fruity, thirst-quenching beverage. Bearing that in mind, this Ultimate 6er focuses on fruit forward beers that are perfect for all summer activities.

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WestFax Brewing Company | Blootylicious

Red, white and Blooty!

What better way to celebrate summer than a refreshing, effervescent and fruity beer for a hot afternoon?

WestFax Brewing just celebrated the canning of their most tenured beer—Blootylicious Blueberry Wheat. Extremely fruity and infused with real blueberries, this beer has been on tap longer than any other beer on their menu having been a favorite of regulars for over three years. Read More

21st Amendment Brewery | Watermelon Funk

It almost feels strange to discuss a beer that’s been around for more than a year, but who says beer writers must concentrate solely on new releases? So, as summertime reaches its apex, it seems fitting to discuss 21st Amendment Brewery (21A) Watermelon Funk.

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Haymarket Brewing | Pink Sock Monkey Raspberry Wheat

Haymarket Brewing in Chicago (and now also in Michigan) owes its name to one of the most notable moments in labor history: The Haymarket Affair. But, this is no time for a history lesson, this is a time to get to know a brewery renowned for creating beer intended for drinking, not sipping; for enjoying after a hard day’s work, not kept in cellars. And Pink Sock Monkey Raspberry Wheat Ale is one of those beers.

Haymarket commits itself to workers — no matter the color of the collar — and Pink Sock Monkey Raspberry Wheat reminds us all that artisans and craftspeople enjoy a long legacy of cherished American professions, from blacksmith to brewer. Haymarket deftly weaves its way through the craft beer world by creating beers that simultaneously exude refinement and also approachability. Yes, those are often overused buzz words, but in this case they are perfect descriptors.

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2017 GABF Route Guide | Fruit Beers Route

For the past month and a half our staff has been reaching out to every brewery attending the Great American Beer Festival to try to preview what they’ll be bringing to the fest. As part of that research, we’ve sifted through that list of beers to bring you a series of themed routes to help you plan for your GABF based on various styles and flavors.
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Ultimate 6er | Chicago Summer Ale Varieties

The dog days of summer are upon us. With every drop of sweat comes a need for refreshment, and what better way to achieve that relief than with a beer? The citrus-laden and coconut-flavored brews are just begging to be enjoyed under the summer sun. Here are six summer ale selections to help carry you through July and onto the season’s dog days.

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Anchor Brewing | Blood Orange Blonde Ale

Image Source: Anchor Brewing

Anchor Brewing is a brewery for which most ardent craft beer fans pay reverence, for if not for Fritz Maytag betting a good portion of his inheritance and defying all logic in the late 1960s, well, who knows? Maytag had a vision, and that vision has manifested itself in a terrific brewery that was integral in awakening a nation from its brewing doldrums. In 2017, the brewery isn’t sitting around resting on its laurels, demonstrated by the new Anchor Brewing Blood Orange Blonde Ale. How can something be both blonde and blood orange? Leave it to Anchor Brewing to solve this colorful conundrum.

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21st Amendment Brewery | Brew Free! Or Die Blood Orange IPA

Photo courtesy of 21st Amendment Brewery

The new, ultra-refreshing spin on the original Brew Free! or Die IPA has arrived this March like a full-flavored lion pouncing on its beer-drinking prey. The brewery that made watermelon beer famous has gone the citrusy IPA route with its new year-round offering — real blood oranges and plenty of hops.

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Red Hare Brewing Company | Berry Belgian Waffle

Berry Belgian Waffle is a truly unique beer that pushes forward the possibilities of beer and brewing style. We can all appreciate breweries that focus on hitting style profiles to the letter. These breweries strive to make classic examples of beer – those efforts often resulting in successful campaigns at the Great American Beer Festival. Berry Belgian Waffle may not be the next GABF medal winning beer out of the booming Georgia brewing scene; What it is, instead, is a fun example of a small brewery, Red Hare Brewing Company, having fun and pushing what is acceptable and expected from American beer.

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2016 GABF Route Preview | Fruit Beers Route

For the past month and a half our staff has been reaching out to every brewery attending the Great American Beer Festival to try to preview what they’ll be bringing to the fest. As part of that research, we’ve sifted through that list of beers to bring you a series of themed routes to help you plan for your GABF based on various styles and flavors.

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What We’re Drinking | July 2nd, 2016

4th of July has arrived, my friends. We’ve got a long few days of PorchDrinking and sparkler-waving ahead of us, so stock up on your favorite summer brews and get ready to celebrate. Here are a few of our favorites. Break out the koozies and red solo cups… this weekend, we drink to Amurica! *clink*

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Ultimate 6er | Fruit Beers II: Taste the Rainbow

While gay acceptance has been steamrolling through America in the last three decades, gay bars haven’t been as quick to welcome the plethora of new options in craft beers, sticking mostly to your tried and true macro brews with an occasional hometown hero in the mix. I personally blame vodka lobbyists and a vast lite beer Illuminati conspiracy for the dearth of options.

With that in mind I thought the time was perfect to create a Rainbow Collection of fruit beers to keep you cool in the heat and keep the party going wherever you are, be it parade route, dance floor, sports bar, hanging out at home or in line to buy a genuine silver buckle at Charlie’s Denver. Real Talk: who’s buying a belt buckle at 1 a.m.? Inquiring minds want to know.

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Rivertowne Brewing | Hala Kahiki Pineapple Beer

Rivertowne Brewing Hala Kahiki Pineapple Beer – 4.8%ABV

Picture this…It is a b-e-a-u-tiful sunny day, let’s say 80 degrees or so, and you are floating down a river on the device … Read More

Jackie O’s | Paw Paw Wheat

Jackie O’s Paw Paw Wheat has been a summer staple here in Athens for some time now. Kelly Sauber, a major influence in brewing in Southeast Ohio, first brewed Paw Paw Wheat in 2003, but only recently did it become available statewide. Read More

Homebrewing: Brewing with Fruit

For many brewers like myself, brewing is a creative outlet. Water is the blank canvas on which we play with malt, yeast and hops. While many of the worlds best beers are made with those four ingredients, there are many avenues for furthering creativity. In this week’s post, titled Homebrewing: Brewing with Fruit, I will discuss the ways of imparting fruit flavors to your homebrew. Read More

Ommegang – Three Philosophers

Three Philosophers – Brewery Ommegang, Cooperstown, NY

ABV: 9.8%

Dear fruit beer,

Look, we’ve had a good run. When I was 21, you were my first. Now that I’m older, I … Read More

Great Divide Brewing – Wild Raspberry Ale

Wild Raspberry Ale – Great Divide Brewing Co., Denver, CO

ABV: 5.8%

IBU: 18

There is some misconception that all so-called fruity beers are both one-note and seasonal in nature. The … Read More