What We’re Drinking | July 9, 2021

Half the country’s flooding, the other half’s either melting into the ocean or on fire. Not a day goes by when I don’t hear about some jackass delaying a flight or getting kicked off a plane. Condos are collapsing on one coast, record heat waves are draining the other. If I didn’t live through the summer of 2020, I might put this summer high in the running for shittiest summer ever.

But since we have the perspective to be able to say “hey at least it’s not 2020,” let’s go ahead and crack open a beer, take a deep breath and see what the PorchDrinking team’s getting into in this week’s What We’re Drinking. 

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Ultimate 6er | Bon Appetit Chefs Paired with Beers

There is one universal truth in this world: the Bon Appetit YouTube channel is perfect. From Claire Saffitz attempting to recreate your favorite snack foods to Brad Leone’s chaotic fermentation process, the chefs at Bon Appetit have become minor celebrities. What better way to honor the hours spent in quarantine binging their videos than to pair each chef with a beer? So, next time you press play on Chris Morocco recreating Guy Fieri’s trash can nachos, make sure you have the perfect beer in hand.

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Marz Community Brewing Co. | Duchess De Bridgeport

duch·ess
/ˈdəCHəs/
Noun
a woman holding a rank equivalent to a duke in her own right.

If you’ve ever spent time in the Bridgeport neighborhood of Chicago, you’ve probably ventured into Maria’s Packaged Goods and Community Bar. Taken over by Maria Marszewski in 1987, the combination liquor store/bar has become a staple for the area and thus, the neighborhood dubbed her the Duchess of Bridgeport. Keeping it in the family, her son Ed Marszewski started Marz Community Brewing Company in 2013. Today, Marz pays homage to Maria with their take on a Flanders Red Ale, named for her likeliness, with Duchess De Bridgeport.

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Unique COVID-19 Brewery Baskets and Community Partnerships in Chicago Suburbs

The idea of “craft community” has always enjoyed duality in that it both touches on brewery-to-brewery camaraderie and the connection between breweries and its neighborhoods and cities. Breweries such as Chicago-area’s Skeleton Key, Wolfden and Sew’d Hop—to name a few, along with a host of brewing and service industry peers, are now creatively working together and with nearby businesses as they pivot to a new “normal” during the lockdown. And, that effort is exemplified by the unique to-go COVID-19 Brewery Baskets available to customers.

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What We’re Drinking | April 24, 2020

As we see May on the horizon, the majority of us are still isolating and sheltering in place, waiting for some good news and a timeline of when life as we knew it can start again. We hope everyone is staying safe, practicing social distancing when out picking up essentials and yes, supporting local businesses! Our team is busy bringing ya’ll great articles and of course drinking great local craft beer while doing so. Check out what we’re drinking.

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Dry January | A Month in Review

On January 1st, I nursed the worst hangover I hope to have all year. Your typical headache/nausea/gilt hangover combination only made possible by mixing all the different types of drinks as if the new year actually started with a clean slate when the clock struck midnight. I had already planned to do dry January for the second year in a row, but this helped to reaffirm my decision, fast. 

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PorchDrinking’s Best in Beer 2018 | Chicago Metro Region

What a year for Chicago (and it’s neighboring suburbs). Amid winning a bevy of medals from high-profile events like GABF and FOBAB, the Windy City also took home the title for most breweries (167) within the metro region – an impressive feat indeed. With so many breweries making so many amazing beers, it’s safe to say Chicago beer drinkers were more than spoiled this year as they indulged in some of the best barrel-aged stouts and hazy IPAs in the U.S.

PorchDrinking’s Chicago crew diligently drank through many amazing beers this year. Some wowed us, others impressed with their creativity and several just made us warm and fuzzy.

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What We’re Drinking | April 20, 2018

Hope everyone is ready for some smoking good beers…get it?! Cause it’s 4/20? Yeah, I don’t care either. What I do care about is some of the tasty brews that are starting to peek out before spring weather greets us all – Saisons, IPA, and fruited beers! In case you aren’t in a place that is hitting 60+ degrees Fahrenheit, crack that heater, put on a pair of shorts, crack a cold one and see What We’re Drinking.

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What We’re Drinking | February 16, 2018

Valentine’s Day has come and gone, but our undying love for craft beer shall live on forever. There is nothing more beautiful than malt, hops and yeast working together to birth a delicious brew. I’m getting a little teary eyed just thinking about it. Our team of hopeless romantics has sought out some truly tasty beers this week! This is What We’re Drinking!
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Ultimate 6er | Smoked Beers

Smoky flavors in food and drink have a long history. When the only method of cooking was using an open fire, you could pretty much expect smoke to impart a scent or flavor into whatever you were putting over it. Beer was no different. In fact, up to the 1700s, pretty much every beer was a smoke beer since the only method to dry the malt would be over an open flame. It wasn’t until after kilning methods were developed that pulled the smoke away from the malt that beer started tasting the way we know today. And smoke beers began their fast decline quickly thereafter. Read More

Chicago Craft Beer Week Event Recap | Beer Under Glass

Thursday night kicked off the beginning of Chicago Craft Beer Week—Chicago’s 10 day “week” dedicated to craft beer. Many events across the city welcomed the start of the annual celebration, but the premier event and most sought after ticket was for the Beer Under Glass, held every year at the Garfield Park Conservatory by the Illinois Craft Brewer’s Guild.

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