This Is Not a Food Blog

Most "community" pages on the internet read like a press release written by a committee. This one will not.

Pints, Forks & Friends started as a craft beer review blog because the founder, Mike Fraser, wanted a reason to drink interesting beer and talk to the people who made it. That is essentially still what it is. It just got bigger, louder, and a little more useful.

The name says it plainly. Pints: craft beer, the culture around it, the brewers behind it. Forks: food, recipes, the chefs and pitmasters and wing obsessives who take the craft seriously. Friends: the part nobody talks about enough, which is that the best meals and the best beers are almost always better when you share them with someone.

PFF is built around that third word more than the first two.

What Actually Happens Here

There are three ways PFF shows up in your life, and none of them require you to be an expert in anything.

The Content. Long-form stories, gear guides, beer and food pairings, recipes that actually work on a Tuesday, and columns like Field Notes and I Can Do Another 12 that take a hard look at where craft culture is going and what it tastes like along the way. The writing here aims for the Bourdain standard: honest, direct, earned, and written for adults who can handle an opinion.

The Events. Local meetups at breweries and restaurants across Northeast Ohio, organized around the idea that the best networking happens when nobody calls it networking. PFF events give attendees behind-the-scenes access to the businesses they already love, partner with host venues to donate a portion of proceeds to a charity of their choice, and operate under one simple rule: show up, have a pint, meet someone worth knowing.

The Community. The Pub Ring Newsletter keeps members connected between events. The PFF Amazon Shop surfaces gear, tools, and products that have been tested and vouched for, not just aggregated. The Green Eggs and Beer companion site at greeneggsandbeer.fyi runs local pub news for when you are at the bar and want something worth reading.

The I Can Do Another 12: The Global Chicken Wing Show

The flagship show on PFF is exactly what it sounds like: a global chicken wing competition delivered in podcast and video form, featuring interviews with bar owners, pit bosses, and culinary outliers who have devoted unreasonable energy to getting wings right. It is part road show, part food journalism, and part love letter to the neighborhood spots that do not make any "best of" list but probably should.

You can watch and listen at pintsforksfriends.com/icandoanother12-chicken-wing-review.

Why Northeast Ohio (And Everywhere Else Worth Eating)

Because it is home, and because it is genuinely underrated. The craft beer scene here punches above its weight. The food culture, from Polish Boys to pierogi to championship-level BBQ, does not get the national coverage it deserves. PFF exists in part to fix that, one post and one event at a time.

But the territory does not stop at the state line. PFF travels, and the whole point of traveling is to find the places that did not make the list, the roadside taco stand that has been run by the same family for forty years, the brewery in a converted grain elevator in a town you have never heard of, the wing joint with no sign out front and a line around the block on Friday nights. Those are the places worth writing about, and finding them is most of the fun.

If you are not from Northeast Ohio, you are still welcome. The community has members and readers from well outside the region. But the roots are here, and that matters.

About Mike Fraser

Mike Fraser launched PFF out of a straightforward conviction: the best parts of craft beer and food culture are the people, and most media does a poor job of getting out of the way long enough to let them talk.

He publishes PFF, hosts I Can Do Another 12, and writes the StoryPath Protocol newsletter on the craft of editorial storytelling at storypath.io. He is also a co-founder of LeadMachine, an AI-first CRM built for small businesses that want better tools without the enterprise price tag.

You can reach him through the contact page or find him on X at @PFFMaestro.

Partner With PFF

PFF works with breweries, restaurants, food brands, and culinary product companies that want an audience that actually cooks, drinks, grills, and shows up. Sponsorships, event partnerships, content collaborations, and Amazon affiliate placements are all available.

Details are at the Advertising and Sponsorship page.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Pints, Forks & Friends?
Pints, Forks & Friends is a craft beer and food community platform based in Northeast Ohio. It combines editorial content, live community events at local breweries and restaurants, a podcast about chicken wings, and a newsletter connecting members between gatherings.

Who runs Pints, Forks & Friends?
PFF is founded and operated by Mike Fraser, a writer, podcaster, and co-founder of LeadMachine AI. He launched the site as a craft beer review blog and has expanded it into a full community platform over the years.

How do I join the PFF community?
The fastest way in is the Pub Ring Newsletter, which is free and keeps you connected to events, new content, and community news. Sign up at pintsforksfriends.com/meetup-members.

What is the I Can Do Another 12 show?
I Can Do Another 12 is a podcast and video series hosted by Mike Fraser on a mission to find the world's best chicken wings. Each episode features conversations with bar owners, chefs, and food obsessives across the country and beyond.

Where are PFF events held?
Events rotate across breweries, restaurants, and food and beverage venues in Northeast Ohio. Sign up for the Pub Ring Newsletter to get event announcements first.

Does PFF have an Amazon store?
Yes. The PFF Amazon Shop features gear, tools, and products that have been personally used and vetted, not just listed for commission. You can browse it at amazon.com/shop/pintsforksfriends.

What is Green Eggs and Beer?
Green Eggs and Beer is a companion site from PFF that functions as a local pub news front page, good for catching up on what is happening in the craft beer world while you are already sitting at the bar.