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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Einstök Ölgerð | Arctic Pale Ale

If you’re in the United States, you may have noticed a new Icelandic beer appearing on bottle store shelves. Einstök Ölgerð (“unique brewery” in Icelandic) offers several beers that, while are based on standard styles, are truly unique. Einstök Arctic Pale Ale is a superb example of how a style many of us have tried numerous versions of can honor tradition while still standing out.

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Bia Hoi | The Budget Beer of Vietnam

Sure, it seems a little sketchy to buy beer from a guy tapping a keg on a Hanoi street corner, but it’s actually totally legit. Besides, at 5,000 Vietnamese dong (VND)—about 22 cents U.S.—what do you have to lose? Bia Hoi is a traditional low-alcohol beer that’s brewed fresh daily and brought to the street vendors via Vietnam’s ever-present motorbikes.

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Brewery Showcase | Wild Creatures

It’s a hard-knock life when you have beer-related engagements scheduled in two countries on two consecutive weekends. I recently found myself in Poland for the incredible One More Beer Festival before planning to meet up with friends in Munich for Oktoberfest six days later. Doing the wise thing and taking a full week of vacation, I started to scout out how I could spend the days between periods of copious beer consumption. Lo and behold, the world’s number one beer-drinking country per capita, the Czech Republic, happened to be smack dab in the middle of my two destinations. The gods smile upon me.

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Preview | Poland’s One More Beer Festival Features Heavy Hitters

One More Beer Festival. The rallying cry I often tell my aching liver is actually the name of one of the coolest international beer festivals out there. Starting September 20, beautiful Krakow, Poland, will host two days and three sessions of incredible brews, with more than 180 beers from over 30 to taste.

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Event Preview | Arrogant Sour Festival 2019

Emilia-Romagna, Italy, named by Lonely Planet in 2018 as the best place to visit in Europe, is known for many of the finer things in life. The birthplace and home of Ferrari and Lamborghini, a foodie paradise with city names you will recognize from your favorite cheeses and cured meats, and home of the world’s oldest university, there are a lot of reasons to book a holiday here. But there is a specific reason you may want to earmark the first weekend of June as your time to visit, and this is because of the fantastic Arrogant Sour Festival held in Reggio Emilia each year.

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2 Days, 2 Nights | Hong Kong Beer Scene

I’ve had a life-long obsession with skyscrapers. I don’t really know where it came from, maybe growing up just outside New York City played a roll, or maybe too many Tower of Babel lessons in church as a youngster had the opposite effect of what was intended. Now, I tend to judge cities on two major categories: Their skyline and their craft beer scene, two lovers who often quarrel rather than get along. Where the towers rise, the beer quality tends to fall – world class postcard skylines like Dubai and Shanghai have not inspired great beer to follow suit, and while both cities have recently been doing better in this regard, in New York and LA you have to get outside the high-rises to find the best stuff. However, the Hong Kong Beer Scene proved to be different.

Whether you have a long layover, or you’re able to take a few days to explore, here’s a few of my favorite places I went to while enjoying the shade of some of the most marvelous structures made by man.

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Eurotrip | DC Brau Goes to Sweden

DC Brau is the latest stateside brewery to capitalize on the exploding Swedish beer market. The Washington D.C.-based beloved brewery announced it will be distributing in Systembolaget stores throughout Sweden this fall.
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Ultimate 6er | Rio de Janeiro Beers

With the Olympics in full swing, I thought I’d take a few minutes to share some of the amazing beers I was lucky enough to try during our Christmas vacation to Rio de Janeiro. Brazil is one the most culturally diverse countries on the planet with huge influences from Africa, Europe and Asia. Brazil’s Portuguese ties are obvious, but as I was learning more about the country before our trip I was really surprised to find out that Germans are the fifth largest nationality to immigrate to Brazil*. The German population rooted themselves in the southern region of the country and have made their mark nationwide on Brazilian beer. Read More