In our Drink of the Week segment, we’ll showcase one unique type of beer, wine, cocktail — you name it — to try at one of the countless breweries, bars and restaurants from around the basin.

A year-round staple at Sidellis, Petey’s Porter is one of those dark beers that can easily scare off people by color alone. I talk about my love for dark beers quite a bit, so my hope is always that I can get at least one timid person to take the plunge and come over to the dark side.

A lot of those same people might look at this beer and say that it looks like a stout – don’t try and trick me. But, the fact is that porters and stouts tend to blur the lines a bit and there are so many styles of porter around the globe, you can easily think you’re ordering a beer and find out you’ve just asked someone to help with your luggage.

Regardless, think of this brown-style porter as a brown ale that’s been working out at the gym – it’s bulked up a bit. Not quite as burly as someone like The Rock, but you can absolutely see the definition. There are some nutty notes on the nose that also come through on that first sip which start off a little heavy but finish extremely light.

A lot of familiar porter flavors are dancing around (chocolate, roasted barley, etc.), but this beer is unique and tasty. Square-jawed, it’s got some heft to it that might grow some hair on your legs, but at 5.5% ABV, it’s not so stacked that you’re pulling out of the Jenga finals – it all works within the context of the beer.

If you’re any type of porter lover (English, American, Baltic, whatever), then you’ll swipe right immediately. For the rest of you, give it a chance. You never know when true love will strike – especially when it comes to beer.

Sidellis Brewery and Restaurant is located at 3350 Sandy Way in South Lake Tahoe. For brews and food menu visit them online at sidellis.com or for more information give them a call at 530-600-3999.