Pliny the Younger is back February 3-16

Featured Image Photo Credit: Russian River Brewing Co. Facebook Page

Pliny the Younger is making its 14th annual debut at Russian River Brewing Co. in Santa Rosa, CA.

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Great Notion Brewing | Juice Jr.

Photo Courtesy of Great Notion Brewing

One of the best perks about living in Seattle is being a hop, skip and a jump from Portland, Oregon – a city overflowing with places to fill your pint glasses. And during my last trip south, there was one spot in particular at the tippy top of my list: Great Notion Brewing.

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Real Ale Brewing Co. | Axis IPA

ABV: 7% | IBU: 70

This year Real Ale Brewing Co. celebrated 20 years of brewing and is the Austin area’s oldest brewery. Recently they released Axis IPA, a brand new mainstay that highlights its ability to continually innovate and produce a wide array of styles. I caught up with head brewer, Schmitty, to find out more about the new release.

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Pipeworks Brewing Co. | Blueberry Cichlid

ABV: 9.5%

There are few beers that I actively go out and look for the day that distribution begins. One of those rare exceptions is anytime Pipeworks Brewing Co. releases a new beer from their Fish Series. If you’re not familiar with this series, it consists of big imperial IPAs with the addition of fruit and, typically, honey. They’re sweet, they’re fruity and the most recent release does not deviate.

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Deschutes Brewery | Armory XPA and Sagefight Imperial IPA

Armory XPA ABV: 5.9% | IBU: 55
Sagefight Imperial IPA ABV: 8.0% | IBU: 75

I spent the first few of my formative beer drinking years living in Portland, Oregon, where IPAs are king. Like a child who doesn’t like broccoli, I was naive about hoppy, aromatic beers and stuck to sweeter beers as much as I could. But alas, a beer drinker can repent of their beer drinking sins, and however naive I once was, I have seen the light.

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Brewery Showcase | 3 Sheeps Brewing

When you hear Wisconsin and craft beer, one typically thinks of New Glarus Brewing. Very quickly though the state is seeing other breweries experience success and is becoming a hotbed for craft beer. One of those breweries that is starting to experience more growth is 3 Sheeps Brewing Co. in Sheboygan.

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Inside the Tank | Foolproof Brewing

Earlier this year, I had the pleasure of sharing a delicious five-course meal paired with Foolproof Brewing beer selections while sitting across from head brewer Steve Sharp. I fell in love with their craft creations, which are distributed to the Northeast, but unfortunately not in my city! Still — I believe in this brewery and am spreading the word through an insightful interview with Foolproof’s founder Nick Garrison. Cheers!

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The Unknown Brewing Co. | Vehopciraptor Triple IPA

Only weeks ago, The Unknown Brewing Co. released Vehopciraptor, a triple IPA straight out of the Cretaceous Period. This is the third time the Charlotte, North Carolina based brewery has released Vehopciraptor into the wild, but the first time it has done so as a 90 IBU triple IPA. One of The Unknown Brewing Co.’s most popular beers, with good reason, it is so incredibly well-balanced, yet bold, that some of us wondered if its really even a triple IPA.

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SweetWater Brewing Company | Squeeze Box IPA

Grapefruit Season!

As we prepare for turkey day, serious football, and the dreaded holiday shopping season winter warmer and Christmas beers are starting to appear on shelves. Not everyone is ready to slap on the sweaters and hunker down for the bitter cold. Some of us are looking for something different something counter to the spice and malt offerings of the season. Read More

Sierra Nevada Brewing Company | Torpedo Extra IPA

ABV: 7.2%  |  IBU: 65

I have written my last couple reviews on some hard to get IPAs (the kind that you have to wait in line for and are gone within a matter of hours), so I figured it makes sense to write about a more readily available brew.

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Event Recap | Mainline Ale House & Odell Brewing Co. Fall Beer Dinner

Two beer-centric establishments of Fort Collins, Mainline Ale House and Odell Brewing Company, joined forces last Friday night in bringing roughly forty attendees an unforgettable four course beer dinner. At the start of dinner, Mainline’s Executive Chef Justin Burdick really emphasized sourcing local ingredients (shout out to the Fort Collins Farmers Market) and fall-forward flavors. The Mainline kitchen did not disappoint in delivering four thoughtful, tasty pairings to accompany always-solid Odell beers. Moreover, after Chef Justin discussed each dish, Odell beer representative Alex Cousins presented the story, style, and flavors of the beers during each respective course. Overall, Mainline’s motto, “A passion for beer and food you can taste,” could not have been more evident over the course of this event!

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Roughtail Brewing Co. | Hoptometrist Double IPA

If you know many people from the great state of Texas, you know they can be pretty prideful about their homeland. It’s almost as if state pride runs in the water for those who are born and raised in the Lone Star State. There was a time, before I had moved away, where I wasn’t sure anything good could come from one of the other 49, especially our step-cousins to the north, Oklahoma. However, over the years, I’ve come to realize that Oklahoma was not all I once despised. Heck, many wonderful things have come from there – Garth Brooks for instance! My wife! Prairie beer, the electric guitar, Chuck Norris, and now? Roughtail Brewing Co. Read More

Ultimate 6er | Chicago Deep Dish Pizza

Chicago is well known for many things. Second City, The Great Chicago Fire, Italian beef sandwiches…

But perhaps the most famous item to come out of Chicago is deep dish pizza.  We came up with our Ultimate 6er of local Chicago beers that pair well with some of our favorite local Chicago pizza places.

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Cellarmaker Brewing Company | Double Dobis

Photo courtesy of Cellarmaker Brewing. 

ABV: 8.2% | IBU: 86

Cellarmaker Brewing Company burst on the San Francisco beer scene in 2013 and has been brewing some of the best beers on the West Coast ever since (especially their pales and IPAs). Cellarmaker tends to rotate through beers quickly, and rarely brings back the same beer twice, especially in short order.  But, there are exceptions to every rule.

In June, Cellarmaker bottled their Double Dobis beer. Cellarmaker recently started bottling one beer a month, and they are always out of this world. Double Dobis was no exception. Read More

Uinta Brewing Company | Hop Nosh IPA

ABV: 7.0% | IBU: 82.4

While exploring craft beer early on, we stumbled upon the higher point brews of Utah’s local breweries. We found Uinta Brewing’s Hop Nosh IPA. In the beginning, it was tough to handle bitter, hoppy beers but did our best trying them in limited amounts. Doesn’t almost every craft beer enthusiast go through the transition of ‘hop hater’ to ‘hop head’? There is no vaccine – once you’ve caught the bug, you have it. The beginning pursuit for the most floral, hoppy, bitter beers in an effort to satisfy your tongue’s need for liquid adventure. Read More

Old Bust Head Brewing Co. | English Style Pale Ale

ABV: 5.6% | IBU: 21

Old Bust Head Brewing Co. has appeared on taps throughout bars in my new hometown and because it’s made in Warrenton, which isn’t far from me, I knew I had to give it a shot. At my glorious Harris Teeter, I bought a 6-pack of their English-style pale ale, interested in both the beer but also the beer category itself — I’ve circled around English pale ales, but never dove into the style. Read More

Monkish Brewing Company | Really Real Double IPA

ABV: 8.3% | IBU: 75

Beer trading has seemingly taken off in the last year or so with the increased focus on limited release brews. Treehouse Brewing and Tired Hands are brewing hugely sought after beers from the East Coast, however a contender has arisen from California, making waves with their own New England style, hazy IPAs. That brewery is Monkish Brewing Company and that beer is Really Real Double IPA. Read More

Ultimate 6er | Seattle Growler Fills

Draft beer almost always tastes better than bottled or canned beer.* It’s fresher and hasn’t been exposed to heat, light, or oxygen—elements that can have a major negative impact on the beer’s taste and aroma. Despite the superiority of draft, we don’t always feel like going out for a pint. As a self-proclaimed introvert, I’m a prime example of a beer enthusiast who sometimes just wants to chill at home and watch a movie. Or read. Or drink a few beers while I cook dinner. This is when growlers come in handy. Typically 64 fluid ounces (the equivalent to 4 pints) or 32 fluid ounces (2 pints) breweries and taprooms will happily fill growler jugs with fresh, tasty, draft beer and allow patrons to grab quality beer to go. Read More

Stone Brewing Co. | Stone IPA Virginia Brewery Prototype

During a trip to Richmond, VA, earlier this spring, I was lucky to receive a behind-the-scenes tour of Stone Brewing Co.’s new East Coast operation. Located in the Fulton neighborhood east of downtown Richmond, the 220,000-square-foot facility was very much in the building stages during my visit, with both hard hat and vest required for walking through the construction site. None the less, it was exciting to see an operation of this size being built from the ground up. Read More

Event Recap | Milwaukee Firkin Beer Fest

Pouring rain and beer, the annual Milwaukee Firkin Beer Fest was delayed for 45 minutes. But not even the storms could hinder the event or dampen the spirits of festival goers, as attendees waited out the weather so they wouldn’t lose their spot. There was the slightest chance of lightning canceling the entire event, but mother nature took it easy. The rain settled and the gates opened. Still drizzling, Yajaira and I shared an umbrella as we sped across the numerous booths.

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