Upland Bad Elmer's Porter (Bloomington, Indiana)
$10.99/6pk cans
Brewed with English bittering hops and dark malts, Bad Elmer's is your textbook traditional porter. Its medium body and robust, bittersweet notes of coffee, chocolate, and licorice are the platonic ideal of what a porter should be. There's no added lactose, no mass-produced snack cakes in the mash, and no bourbon barrel aging here- just a solid, old-school, true-to-style porter. While it can be lots of fun to see how brewers are pushing limits and bending rules, it can be equally enthralling to get back to basics and drink the kinds of beers that inspired your favorite brewers. Upland has been making Bad Elmer's since the 90s, so it's rather possible that this very beer ignited a passion for quality beer in any number of brewers throughout the Midwest. Give it a try- who knows? You might come away with a new appreciation for traditional styles, and it could be the start of something big- you might come away feeling inspired to brew your own!
Jolly Pumpkin Oro (Dexter, Michigan)
$14.99/4pk cans
Jolly Pumpkin has made its name producing Belgian-style
farmhouse ales with a trademark funk brought to the party by a strain of house
yeast that by flavor alone screams "Jolly Pumpkin!" to beer lovers all over.
Oro is no different. Aged in wood and twice-fermented, Oro is a classic Belgian
farmhouse ale with a clear golden color, and a funky, lightly-spicy flavor.
This is a beer that is deeply complex while still being deeply refreshing.
Prices valid 1/25/21 to 1/31/21