Kickin’ Off Colorado Beer Week
Here we go friends. Buckle up and hang on, because Colorado Craft Beer Week starts NOW! There’s such an insane amount of beer events lined up for this week, that I thought it’d be helpful to post an early update.
This isn’t the mother load of lists, but rather a listing of some of the events we’re really excited about and wanted to share with all of you. Thanks to the Colorado Brewers Guild, the master list can be found on the Colorado Craft Beer Week homepage. I’m just afraid my fingers would fall off if I tried to list every single event.
Ongoing All Week
Oskar Blues Homemade Liquids & Solids in Longmont will devote all 44 of their taps to Colorado brews this week. Each night, reps from your favorite local breweries will be on hand to answer questions, talk beer and giveaway some great swag.
Monday– Prost, Tivoli and Upslope
Tuesday– Left Hand and New Belgium
Wednesday– Breckenridge, Boulder, Telluride and Denver Beer Co
Thursday– Avery, Bootstrap, Epic, Equinox and Twisted Pine
Friday– City Star, Renegade and Strange
Saturday– Oskar Blues, Estes Park, Echo, Gravity and Grimm Bros.
Oskar Blues HMLS is located at: 1555 S Hover Rd, Longmont, CO 80503.
Right Coast Pizza in Wheat Ridge is featuring IPA’s all week, building up to the main event on Saturday with an IPA showdown between 12 different breweries. Game on! The tappings begin nightly at 6 PM.
Monday– Oskar Blues *All 3 IPA’s from OB
Tuesday– Equinox Brewing *Zenith IPA and Remi’s Saison IPA
Wednesday– Elevation Beer Co. *Cask IPA Night
Thursday– Ska Brewing Modus IPA, Decadent DIPA, and Insubstantial IPA
Friday– Avery Brewing *Double Dry Hopped Maharaja, Winters Day IPA
Saturday– 12 different breweries racing to see who can sell the most IPA. Come support your favorite brewery and help them win by drinking beer.
Right Coast Pizza is located at: 7100 W 38th St, Wheat Ridge, CO 80033.
Monday, March 18th, 2013
Falling Rock Tap House is THE place to be on Monday, when you’ll be able to view the glorious sight of 80 different Colorado breweries pouring under one roof. Yeah people, this is BIG! $45 gets you in. The fun starts at 7 PM (not 6 PM, like you may have heard elsewhere) and runs until 11 PM. You can buy tickets right here. You need to go. It’s your civic duty. Make it happen. Tell the King I sent you.
But don’t tell the King I’m showing you this list. It’s Über secret and we’re the only blog on the street brave enough to have hijacked his keg list. Check out the list of breweries and a few of the beers that’ll be on hand.
Backcountry Brewery
Big Choice Brewing
Bonfire Brewing
Bootstrap
Boulder Brewing Champagne Mojo
Bristol English Old Ale
Bull and Bush
Caution Brewing
City Star Brewing
Colorado Cider Company
Crabtree
Copper Kettle
Crazy Mountain
Crooked Stave Assorted Goodness including L’Brett D’or
Dry Dock
Elevation Oil Man
Equinox
Ft. Collins
Funkwerks Deceit
Great Divide
Grimm Brothers
Hall Brewing Company
Hogs Head on CASK!
Left Hand Brewing on CASK!
Lone Tree Brewing
New Belgium
Odell Brewing Wooden Sidecar Oakaged Myrcenary
Oskar Blues
Pagosa Brewing
Prost
Redstone Meadery
Renegade
River North
Ska
Strange Cherry Kriek
Telluride Brewing
Tivoli
Tommyknocker
West Flanders
Wynkoop Ellegance, the Women’s Collaborative Brew
Say what?!?! You’re telling me there’s still a keg of Avery’s Uncle Jacob’s Stout still out there? That amazing beer alone is worth the price of admission. Again, get your tickets HERE and ring in CO Craft Beer Week like one bad little monkey.
The admission price will get you your fill of any of the beers being poured. No limit or tickets, but please be responsible and don’t ruin it for everyone else. Cookies from The Cookie Brewer will be on hand to satisfy your sweet tooth. Falling Rock Tap House is located at: 1919 Blake St, Denver, CO 80202.
Wednesday, March 20th, 2013
In Denver, River North Brewery will tap 10 gallons of their Avarice Imperial Stout, which has spent the past 6 months aging in Maker’s Mark Bourbon barrels.
This made its’ debut over the weekend at the Littlest Big Beer Fest at Hops & Pie. Grab a glass on Wednesday afternoon before it’s gone for good. River North Brewery is located at: 2401 Blake St #1, Denver, CO 80205.
Boulder’s West Flanders Brewing will host the New Brew Crew Tasting on Wednesday, featuring 5 of the newest breweries up that way.
$20 will get you 3 hours of tasting and a tulip glass. Proceeds go to charity. As for the beer, look for 10 beers pouring from West Flanders, Fate, Echo, Gravity and Bootstrap. 7 – 10 PM. West Flanders Brewing is located at: 1125 Pearl St, Boulder, CO 80302.
Out in Durango, Ska will launch the third beer in their Seasonal Stout series. This time it’s Vernal Minthe Stout, brewed with peppermint, spearmint, cocoa and vanilla beans.
The Durango release party will feature $3 pints, tours of the brewhouse and a chance to meet the brewer from 5 – 7 PM. Keep your eyes out for 12 oz. cans to hit the Denver area soon. Ska Brewing is located at: 225 Girard St, Durango, CO 81303.
Get out and celebrate our great state of Beer! Keep in mind, this just covers the first few days for the week. If you’re unable to attend the events mentioned above, but still want to participate, check the Colorado Craft Beer Week homepage or just check with your local brewery to see what they’ve got planned. Stop by our Facebook page where we’ll list more events throughout the week. Coming up on Thursday, we’ll set you up for the weekend with the Weekend Beer Buzz.
Cheers!
Weekend Beer Buzz 03/14/2013
Colorado Craft Beer Week is nearly upon us. You know what the Dr says.
I like Beer. You like Beer. Drink often, drink well. Who’s got what on tap, when and where? I’m on it.
Thursday, March 14th, 2013
Black Shirt Brewing’s been teasing some big news on their Facebook page this week. They’re busy for sure and I can’t wait to share the news with you guys. Hopefully next week. In the meantime, here’s this week’s setlist.
Black Shirt Brewing is located at: 3719 Walnut St, Denver, CO 80205. 303-993-2799.
Former Future Brewing Company is releasing tickets today for their first ever tasting event, which is scheduled for Saturday, April 13th.
The link to score FREE tickets will go up on their Facebook Page at 2 PM. There’s only 50 tickets available, split between two timed sessions. Don’t delay.
Boulder’s Upslope Brewing will re-release their Belgian Style Pale Ale at the brewery on Thursday.
You want fresh? You got it. From 5 – 7 PM, you’ll be able to walk right up to the canning line and grab a freshly filled can before the lid is sealed on top. How cool is that?!?! 6-packs will also be available to-go. Beer hunters watch for this one to hit your local retailers over the next few weeks. Upslope Brewing is located at: 1501 Lee Hill Rd #20, Boulder, CO 80304.
World of Beer opened in Denver yesterday.
500+ beers from around the world, plus 50 taps. It’s good to have options. And a cab. We stopped by and were blown away by the selection. Top notch beers and a very knowledgable staff. Good times for sure. They don’t offer food, but you can bring your own or order from nearby restaurants. We’re working on a feature story which will hopefully be up soon. Until then, stop by and see what they’re all about. World of Beer is located at: 660 S Colorado Blvd, Denver, CO 80246.
Friday, March 15th, 2013
Aurora’s Dry Dock Brewing will tap a firkin of Flyin’ High Rye on Friday. This is a dry-hopped Rye Ale.
Tapping at 3 PM. Dry Dock Brewing is located at: 15120 E Hampden Ave, Aurora, CO 80014. 303-400-5606.
Rockyard Brewing’s very own Jellyman is getting in the spirit of the upcoming Funk’n Wild event (details below), by releasing “…Deviate From The Norm”. This is a 5% ABV “light ale fermented with Brettanomyces yeast”.
Nerds, you catch that Rush reference? Old School Rush. Eat it up. “Everybody needs a mood lifter.” Tapping at 4 PM. Rockyard Brewing is located at: 880 W Castleton Rd, Castle Rock, CO 80109. 303-814-9273.
Up at Yak & Yeti in Arvada, they tapped a Chocolate Frosting Stout, which was brewed with vanilla, almond and lactose. This is the newest release in the “Haunted Series”. Here’s the rest of the lineup.
Yak & Yeti is located at: 7803 Ralston Rd, Arvada, CO 80002. 303-431-9000.
Saturday, March 16th, 2013
There’s fun(k) to be had at Oskar Blues Homemade Liquids & Solids on Saturday. Funk’n Wild is back for another round of frightfully funky, sickeningly sour and wickedly wild ales.
This time around, AC Golden’s Troy Casey will be the guest of honor. Troy just got back from Belgium and will surely have some great stories and experiences to share. He’s a brilliant brewer and has been hatching secret brews in the bowels of MillerCoors for the past few years. We recognized his Apricot in our Best of 2012 article. Stop by and stir the ongoing “Crafty vs. Craft” debate, while enjoying some funk’n wild brews in the process. The fun begins at 1 PM. Oskar Blues HMLS is located at: 1555 S Hover Rd, Longmont, CO 80503.
The boys from the Colorado Craft Beer Show will be posted up at Hops & Pie for this month’s Littlest Big Beer Festival. This time, the LBBF is featuring all Barrel-Aged beers. Quick story, Hops & Pie got ahold of 5 first run, Makers Mark barrels, then hand-picked 5 different local breweries to each receive one barrel. This all went down last September. Each brewery then filled their barrel with a secret brew and stashed it away. Flash forward to this weekend and now these new brews are ready for you. The Odell Mountain Standard & Lugene Blend just sounds stupid good. All 5 beers will be tapped at noon.
While you’re there, enjoy the Colorado Craft Beer Show from noon – 2 PM on AM760. If you can’t make it, be sure to tune in and see what you’re missing while getting your weekly dose of craft beer news. Hops & Pie is located at: 3920 Tennyson St, Denver, CO 80212.
Sunday, March 17th, 2013
Tickets! Get your tickets!
Dark Lord Day is coming, you fervent little freaks. Sunday’s the day to get tickets to the release party, which is scheduled for April 27th at Three Floyds Brewing in Munster, IN. Better skip those St. Patrick’s Day frat parties or you’ll be left behind with nothing to show for it other than a bad hangover and a reminder of why green beer is still lame. Click HERE and cross your fingers on Sunday or the Dark Lord will eat your soul! He’s hungry, so don’t test him.
Monday, March 18th, 2013
Most Monday’s suck. It’s a fact. So says Garfield and Angry Cat. Then again, Angry Cat doesn’t like anything, so screw that little ball of hate.
Well buckle up, because this Monday’s going to be good. In fact, it’ll be great. “Why”, you ask? Thanks for asking. Because Colorado Craft Beer Week begins on Monday and Falling Rock Tap House is the place to be for the big kickoff.
I repeat, Falling Rock Tap House is THE place to be on Monday. So quit your whining and head over to view the glorious sight of 80 different Colorado breweries pouring under one roof. Yeah people, this is BIG! (That’s what she said!) $45 gets you in. The fun starts at 7 PM (not 6 PM, like you may have heard elsewhere) and runs until 11 PM. You can buy tickets right here. You need to go. It’s your civic duty. Make it happen. Tell the King I sent you.
But don’t tell the King I’m showing you this list. It’s Über secret and we’re the only blog on the street brave enough to have hijacked his keg list. Check out the list of breweries and a few of the beers that’ll be on hand.
Backcountry Brewery
Big Choice Brewing
Bonfire Brewing
Bootstrap
Boulder Brewing Champagne Mojo
Bristol English Old Ale
Bull and Bush
Caution Brewing
City Star Brewing
Colorado Cider Company
Crabtree
Copper Kettle
Crazy Mountain
Crooked Stave Assorted Goodness including L’Brett D’or
Dry Dock
Elevation Oil Man
Equinox
Ft. Collins
Funkwerks Deceit
Great Divide
Grimm Brothers
Hall Brewing Company
Hogs Head on CASK!
Left Hand Brewing on CASK!
Lone Tree Brewing
New Belgium
Odell Brewing Wooden Sidecar Oakaged Myrcenary
Oskar Blues
Pagosa Brewing
Prost
Redstone Meadery
Renegade
River North
Ska
Strange Cherry Kriek
Telluride Brewing
Tivoli
Tommyknocker
West Flanders
Wynkoop Ellegance, the Women’s Collaborative Brew
Say what?!?! You’re telling me there’s still a keg of Avery’s Uncle Jacob’s Stout still out there? That amazing beer alone is worth the price of admission. Again, get your tickets HERE and ring in CO Craft Beer Week like one bad little monkey.
The admission price will get you your fill of any of the beers being poured. No limit or tickets, but please be responsible and don’t ruin it for everyone else. Cookies from The Cookie Brewer will be on hand to satisfy your sweet tooth. Falling Rock Tap House is located at: 1919 Blake St, Denver, CO 80202.
Into the Future…
As for the rest of the week, I’m not going to list every single event going on during CO Craft Beer Week. If I did, I wouldn’t have time to get out and enjoy the fun myself. But, keep your browser pointed HERE for a list of what to drink and do next week. There are plenty of chances to get out and toast our amazing breweries and craft beer scene. Check with your local breweries to see what they’ve got planned. We’ll have more events listed on our Facebook Page and in the next Weekend Beer Buzz. Stay tuned.
And last, but not least, Parry’s Pizza in Highlands Ranch will be releasing a small amount of delicious bombers from Tampa’s Cigar City Brewing on Thursday, March 28th at 6 PM.
I don’t need to tell you how big this is. Parry’s is the only place in the state where you’ll be able to find Cigar City (aside from some random beer nerds cellar) and these beauties surely won’t last long. We’ll see if we can finagle some more details before the event gets here. Parry’s Pizza is located at: 9567 S University Blvd, Highlands Ranch, CO 80126.
That’s it for now. 70 degrees this weekend. Go, see, do, drink, repeat.
Cheers!
Weekend Beer Buzz 03/09/2013
So this week’s news didn’t really go according to plan. I was with the fam on vacation in the land of pirates and princesses, but already had much of the weekend news written. Our hotel however had a rough and expensive internet connection and it just didn’t get published… Boo. Luckily, Disneyland was insanely fun and a special trip that none of us will ever forget.
We ended our trip early and came back in order to beat Snowmageddon, only to find the grocery store shelves picked clean of fruit, bread and meat. What the???
So with not much else to do, I figured I’d give you what news I’ve got, minus Thursday & Friday. Call ahead before you go out today, as I’d imagine some places will be closed or will be closing early with all of the snow we’re supposed to get. And if you’re staying in, check out the Colorado Craft Beer Show on AM760 at noon for your dose of beer for your ears.
Saturday, March 9th, 2013
The Colorado Craft Beer Show will be back in the studio this week with Our Mutual Friend Malt & Brew, Wynkoop’s Beer Drinker of the Year Warren Monteiro and from the upcoming World of Beer Cherry Creek, Ricardo Cabrera.
Grab a beer and tune into AM 760 from noon – 2 PM for the fun.
Black Shirt Brewing has some great brews on this week’s setlist.
Black Shirt Brewing is located at: 3719 Walnut St, Denver, CO 80205. 303-993-2799.
Crooked Stave also tapped some new brews for you.
Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project is located at: 1441 W 46th Ave, Unit 19, Denver, CO 80211. 720-508-3292.
Over at Yak & Yeti, Adam released a Vanilla Porter on Wednesday. He’ll also release the newest beer in his Haunted Series today at 4 PM. This time, it’s a Carrot Cake Desert Ale, brewed with 12lbs of carrots per barrel, plus lactose, vanilla and spices.
Yak & Yeti is located at: 7803 Ralston Rd, Arvada, CO 80002. 303-431-9000.
Other News
Beer Traders should take note that Tampa’s Cigar City Brewing will release Hunahpu, an Imperial Stout brewed with cacao nibs, cinnamon, chiles and vanilla beans, during the 4th Annual Hunahpu Day at the brewery on Saturday. The first 4,000 attendees will be able to purchase up to 3 – 750 mL bottles of this highly sought after brew. The beer, which sells for $20 / bottle, will only be sold at the brewery. A special list of draft beers will be available, along with live music and food trucks. Our reporters in the field are saying it’s a beautiful day down there in Tampa. Raise a glass to out east coast beer hunters.
Lots of tank movement around town this week. TRVE Brewing received three new 7 BBL fermenters. Copper Kettle Brewing and Lone Tree Brewing assisted in the move and set up. TRVE’s three 4 BBL fermenters, known as Orion, Nergal and Inferno, were purchased by Former Future Brewing. Former Future doesn’t have a home just yet, so the fermenters are being housed at Our Mutual Friend Malt & Brew for the time being. Me thinks some fun collaboration brews could be in the works.
In addition, Kokopelli Beer Company, which just secured a location in Westminster, had an army of 23 tanks roll in this week.
This was just a great week for growth and an excellent showing of camaraderie amongst the local breweries.
Thats all for this round. Sorry if it’s a bit abbreviated, we were just having too much fun at Disneyland. Stay warm, stay safe and call ahead if you’re heading out in this mess.
Cheers!
Colorado Craft Beer Week Invades Falling Rock Tap House
We spoke with our friends at the Falling Rock Tap House during Strong Ale Fest last weekend and it sounds like they’re going to be hosting some phenomenal events for Colorado Craft Beer Week. Here’s a few teases from what looks to be an action-packed week over there on Blake St. Better start planning your vacation days now.
Howdy! Just wanted to start the list of events we will be hosting for Colorado Craft Beer Week March 18 -24 2013. These events are just the beginning, so keep checking back for updates!
Monday, March 18th – Kickoff Event
We are still working on the lineup for this event but the tap wall will be taken over (for the first time ever) by Colorado Breweries. This is a ticketed event as each of the kegs is a 5 gallon pin from our Colorado brewers, but Chris has this link for you to follow to get your tickets which go on sale SATURDAY MARCH 2 at 10am:
http://cobeerweekopeningceremony.eventbrite.com
As more details, including the lineup, get ironed out we will update the website and send out Tweets. Right now we know for sure that some old friends and new breweries are going to join us, several having their beers poured here for the very first time.
Thursday, March 21st – Dogfish Head
We’re digging into the stash of DFH beers and a few recent arrivals to put together this list. Chris and his assistant are excited to get some beers out of the cellar on this one, it makes room for more!
- Burton Baton
- My Antonia
- Urkontinent
- Black & Blue
- Red & White
- Namaste
- Hellhound
Friday, March 22nd – Night of the Sours!!
Instead of devoting a night to one of these fine breweries we thought we would put together an amazing night of intense sour beers. Some are overly sour, some simply delightful and a few a bit tangy. Totally worth it for any Sour-head.
- New Belgium Clutch
- New Belgium La Folie
- New Belgium Ooh La La
- Russian River Consecration
- Russian River Sanctification
- Russian River Supplication
Much More To Be Determined…
Falling Rock Tap House is located at: 1919 Blake St, Denver, CO.
Weekend Beer Buzz: Strong Ale Fest & Birthday Edition 02/28/2013
Cold, snowy week here my friends. The “Redneck Ruler” has been working overtime, trying to keep up with the foot of snow we got this week.
Our team of “experts” flew in for a few days to revamp the website. Those slackers got a good start, but we’re not ready to relaunch just yet. It’s coming…
Thursday, February 28th, 2013
Some of the last kegs of this year’s Pliny the Younger release are getting tapped tonight.
Freshcraft will begin handing out tickets at 5:30 PM, with the tapping scheduled for 6 PM. 6 oz. pours will sell for $7. Freshcraft is located at: 1530 Blake St, Denver, CO 80202. 303-758-9608.
Over at The Cheeky Monk, they’ll tap their last keg at 6:30 PM. $10 / glass. The Cheeky Monk is located at: 534 E Colfax Ave, Denver, CO 80203. 303-861-0347.
The Inaugural SUDS for SIDS Brew Fest is at Mile High Station in downtown Denver, CO.
The event will raise money for Angel Eyes, which helps families cope with the sudden, unexpected death of an infant or toddler. As the father of two, this is a very scary topic and one that isn’t recognized enough. Parent or not, it’s a great cause. The $40 ticket will allow you the opportunity to try a variety of beers, sample food from local restaurants and meet dancers from the Broncos and Nuggets. Beer geeks can look for brews from more than a dozen breweries including Elevation, River North, Strange and Oskar Blues. Mile High Station is located at: 2027 W Lower Colfax Ave, Denver, CO 80204.
Last night, Renegade and Wit’s End tapped their collaboration beer, called Judge Whoppner. It’s an Imperial Brown Ale brewed with malted milk. The initial 10 gallon batch is on tap at Renegade right now. A second batch is set to be brewed soon over at Wit’s End for their tasting room. Shikes has all the details in his recent Westword article. In the meantime, head over to Renegade and give it a try. Renegade Brewing is located at: 925 W 9th Ave, Denver, CO 80204. 720-401-4089.
Aurora’s Cedar Creek Pub is a bit of a hidden gem out in. Today, they’ll tap a keg of The Bruery’s Sour in the Rye. It’s brewed with around 40% rye malt, then transferred to oak barrels where the sour yeast and bacteria work their magic. This is a tasty, complex, moderately funky, seasonal brew from California’s The Bruery.
I still need to make a trip to visit Cedar Creek Pub, but their beer tappings have just gotten better and better over the past few months and the food menu looks great too. Stop by and give them a try. Cedar Creek Pub is located at: 2100 N Ursula St, Aurora, CO 80045. 303-537-4124.
Up in Arvada, Yak & Yeti’s Head Brewer Adam Draeger, tapped a Toasted Coconut Porter yesterday and the (Yakety Yak) Don’t Talk Bock is getting rave reviews. Here’s this week’s lineup.
Draeger also said he brewed a large batch of a Belgian Dubbel that will be ready sometime towards the end of March. The beer will be called “Brahmin Dubbel Knowledge” and features 25 pounds of homemade Belgian Candi Sugar. Yak & Yeti is located at: 7803 Ralston Rd, Arvada, CO 80002. 303-431-9000.
Crooked Stave has your sour fix. They just tapped Sentience aged in a Leopold Bros Small Batch Whiskey Barrel. This won’t last, so get to the barrel room today. It’ll also be pouring at Strong Ale Fest, so you’ve got a couple of chances to try this amazing beer.
Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project is located at: 1441 W 46th Ave, Unit 19, Denver, CO 80211. 720-508-3292.
Friday, March 1st, 2013
Dry Dock’s Firkin Friday release will be a Citrus Saison.
Tapping at 3 PM. Dry Dock Brewing is located at: 15120 E Hampden Ave, Aurora, CO 80014. 303-400-5606.
Down at Rockyard Brewing, Jellyman’s got a 15% ABV Eis’d Bier de Garde, called King Baudoin.
This Deviation is described as a “malt forward and chewy ale” that will “warm you like a thick down coat”. Perfect for the cold, snowy days we’ve experienced lately. This behemoth will tap at 4 PM. Rockyard Brewing is located at: 880 W Castleton Rd, Castle Rock, CO 80109. 303-814-9273.
As for us, we’ll be at the 11th Annual Strong Ale Festival at Avery Brewing in Boulder. You know how much we love the Avery Fests and this one is no exception. This is THE place to be this weekend if you crave those big ass, roided up, 8+% ABV, monster brews. I’ll be scoping out Russian River’s Pliny the Younger, Avery’s Tweak (coffee infused Mephistopheles) and whatever the hell Surly brings this year. Maybe a little of your new barrel-aged Brett beer, Pentagram? Yeah, that works. And bring back Darkness you foolio’s!
Strong Ale Fest sold out quick, so if you don’t already have tickets, well, you’re probably out of luck. However, if you do have tickets, look for us Friday night. The event continues on Saturday and features a live broadcast with the guys from the Colorado Craft Beer Show and American Craft Beer Radio. More details below. And if you just want to re-live last year’s fest and gaze over the menu, click HERE. Avery Brewing is located at: 5763 Arapahoe Ave, Boulder, CO 80303.
UPDATE: The 2013 Strong Ale Fest beer list is up for your drooling pleasure. Start planning your weekend right HERE.
Saturday, March 2nd, 2013
Strong Ale Fest at Avery continues on Saturday from noon to 5 PM. The Colorado Craft Beer Show and American Craft Beer Radio will kick things off out front beginning at noon. Check them out on AM 760 and 102.3 FM respectively. Be responsible people. Book a hotel, call a cab, eat a big meal, drink a whole mess of water, have fun.
If you don’t have tickets for Strong Ale Fest, then get your butt over to Copper Kettle Brewing Company, for the release of their Barrel Aged Old Ale.
Tapping at noon. Copper Kettle is located at: 1338 S Valentia St #100, Denver, CO 80247. 720-443-CKBC
Don’t forget your German lesson with Bill Eye from Prost Brewing.
Prost needs your help. They’re looking to name their 4 fermenters. They’ve got three 70 barrel tanks and one 80 barrel. Send your entry to kevin@prostbrewing.com. The winner will win a growler a month for one year! Prost Brewing is located at: 2540 19th St, Denver, CO 80211. 303-729-1175.
Sunday, March 3rd, 2013
Hops & Pie will tap their Pliny the Younger keg on Sunday.
They’ll hand out 50 tickets when the doors open at 2 PM. A ticket guarantees you a 10 oz. pour, so don’t be late. The keg gets tapped at 4 PM and all tickets must be redeemed by 8 or you risk losing your share. Pliny the Elder will also be on tap. Hops & Pie is located at: 3920 Tennyson St, Denver, CO 80212. 303-477-7000.
Monday, March 4th, 2013
Your last chance for Pliny the Younger is coming up on Monday down at Trinity Brewing in Colorado Springs.
Tickets will be available at 6 PM and the tapping will happen at 7 PM. Don’t be one of those whiners who didn’t get their Younger this year. Get out and get some. Trinity Brewing is located at: 1466 Garden of the Gods Rd, Colorado Springs, CO 80907. 719-634-0029.
Other Exciting Brew News
Some of Colorado’s lady brewers brewed a collaboration beer at Wynkoop earlier this week. They joined forces to brew a Belgian Pale Ale that’ll debut during Colorado Craft Beer Week in March. Click on this link for a short video that aired on Fox31 a few days ago. There’s also details on a contest they’re having to name the brew. Winner gets FREE BEER!
Boulder’s Fate Brewing has been staying busy. Business is good at the new brewpub and the brewhouse is almost completely installed. Sales & Marketing Director Hannah Lloyd says they should be “brewing test batches by this weekend…fingers crossed”.
Until then, be sure to stop by and check out some of their tasty collaboration brews. Fate Brewing is located at: 1600 38th St, Boulder, CO 80301.
Our Mutual Friend Malt & Brew gave us a little tease this week.
A new 3 BBL brew system is on the way and it looks like bottles are in the future as well. Congrats to Brandon and the rest of the gang on this very exciting news! Stop by and check them out if you haven’t already. They just expanded their hours again to better serve the local beer freaks. Our Mutual Friend is located at: 2810 Larimer St, Denver, CO 80205. 720-722-2810.
Beer Hunters, take note that Firestone Walker’s §ucaba, a barrel-aged Barleywine and Stone’s Old Guardian Barleywine are making the rounds right now. Stone also released an Oak-Smoked version of Old Guardian as part of their “Odd Beers for Odd Years” line of beers. I can’t speak for the new Oak-Smoked, but the others are great both fresh and aged. Get ’em while you can.
Utah’s Epic Brewing is opening a brewery, barrel room and tasting room right here in Denver. They’re just getting started over there, but plenty of exciting things are coming.
As always, we’ll keep you posted with updates. An April opening is expected.
Happy Birthday to us!
Brewtally Insane (that’s us) turns 1 this week! Just wanted to say Thank You to all of our readers, brewers and amazing people who have supported us since we fired up this little site last year. We really, really, really appreciate it. I started this just as a way to keep some friends in the loop with all the local beer happenings and it’s taken off from there. So Thank You! Look for us at SUDS for SIDS at Mile High Station tomorrow and Strong Ale Fest at Avery Brewing on Friday. Say “hi”, have fun, be safe.
You guys rock! Craft beer rules!
Cheers!
Weekend Beer Buzz 02/21/2013
Yeah, it’s cold out. Yeah, it’s snowing. What of it? It is winter after all. Don’t let the weather get you down. We’ve got plenty of big ol’ brews to warm you up this weekend. Coffee? Check. Bacon? Check. Coffee Bacon Beer? Check. Triple IPA? Check.
Let’s do this.
Thursday, February 21st, 2013
Sour freaks, listen up! Oregon’s Cascade Brewing will release 2012 bottles of The Vine at 5:30 PM MST on Thursday. Click HERE to place an order through their website.
The Vine is a delicious blend of oak aged blond ales that were aged on pressed grapes. Bottles will sell for $20 / 750 mL. Vlad the Imp Aler, Blueberry, Apricot and other bottles are also currently for sale. Get on over there and grab some before they’re gone.
Crooked Stave bottled their Provision Saison earlier this month. Stop by the tasting room for a beer or two (or three) and take some bottles home.
Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project is located at: 1441 W 46th Ave, Unit 19, Denver, CO 80211. 720-508-3292.
Yak & Yeti Head Brewer Adam Draegr will replace Red Hots Wheat with Very Berry Stout tomorrow. Here’s the rest of the current lineup.
Yak & Yeti is located at: 7803 Ralston Rd, Arvada, CO 80002. 303-431-9000.
Friday, February 22nd, 2013
Down at Rockyard Brewing in Castle Rock, Jellyman’s mixing things up a bit for this week’s Deviation. He’s announcing “Jellyman’s Mystery Deviation Contest”, which will begin this week and going forward, will run on the last Friday of each month. Beer fans will have the opportunity to evaluate and critique his Deviation based on aroma, appearance and taste via entry sheets at each table. The brewers will gather the entries and announce a winner on the Monday following the release. Jim will pick the winner for most accurate and Jellyman will pick the winner for most creative. Winners will receive Rockyard gift cards.
This week’s release is called “Dogleg”. Stop by and put your palate to the test. Tapping at 4 PM. Rockyard Brewing is located at: 880 W Castleton Rd, Castle Rock, CO 80109. 303-814-9273.
Dry Dock’s whipped up a Simcoe and Amarillo Dry-Hopped Black IPA for Firkin Friday.
Tapping at 3 PM. Dry Dock Brewing is located at: 15120 E Hampden Ave, Aurora, CO 80014. 303-400-5606.
Congrats to PJ and the rest of the peeps over at Denver Off The Wagon on their 2nd Anniversary.
To celebrate, they’ve brewed a beer with the Denver Beer Co. Swing by on Friday at 4:30 PM to try their Dubbel Entendre, a Belgian Dubbel brewed with Belgian malts, plenty of Belgian candi sugar and fermented with an Abbey yeast. Denver Beer Co is located at: 1695 Platte St, Denver, CO 80202.
Saturday, February 23rd, 2013
So much to talk about on Saturday. Where to begin???
Start your day with coffee, beer and bacon. After all, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Denver Beer Co. is back with the 2nd Annual Beer, Bacon & Coffee Fest. For $30, you get a breakfast burrito from Chile Billy, coffee from Coda Coffee, all you can eat bacon from Denver Bacon Co. and a coffee mug to drink up all the coffee brews you can handle.
Here’s the list:
Swineheitsgebot: Rauchbier aged on Denver Bacon Co. bacon
Red Eye: Rauchbier aged on black & red chipotle chiles
Kenya Karitina: Coda oatmeal coffee stout
Rwanda Abakundakawa: Coda coffee stout
Cascara IPA: Hoppy American IPA aged on dried coffee bean fruit
Firkin: Denver Breakfast Stout – chocolate espresso stout
Firkin: Belgian Breakfast Ale – Belgian pale ale with apricots, blueberries, & spices
Red Beer: spicy bloody amber ale
The fest runs from 9 AM – noon, but be sure to call the brewery in advance to reserve a spot. 303-433-2739. Denver Beer Co. is located at: 1695 Platte St, Denver, CO 80202.
Over at Falling Rock Tap House, they’ve got two kegs of Pliny the Younger ready to go for this weekend. The Saturday tapping will be at 12:30 PM. The Sunday tapping will be at 1 PM. Doors open at 11 AM and tickets will be handed out as people arrive. More details and the entire Falling Rock update can be found HERE.
Falling Rock Tap House is located at: 1919 Blake St, Denver, CO 80202. 303-293-8338.
The Wynkoop will host the 17th Annual Beerdrinker of the Year National Finals on Saturday at 2 PM.
The three beer geek finalists will be judged by a panel of past Beerdrinker of the Year winners and guest judges Kyle Clark, beer lover from Channel 9 News, and Ginger Johnson, founder of Women Enjoying Beer. The 2013 Beerdrinker of the Year will receive $250 worth of free beer at their home bar or brewery, free beer for life at Wynkoop and unparalleled bragging rights. This fun and unique event is free and open for all to come and enjoy. Wynkoop Brewing is located at: 1634 18th St, Denver, CO 80202. 303-297-2700.
It’s “Littlest Big Beer Fest” time again at Hops & Pie. This month, the featured brewery is Firestone Walker.
Sucaba and XVI! Are you kidding me? Don’t miss this. Tappings begin at noon. Hops & Pie is located at: 3920 Tennyson St, Denver, CO 80212. 303-477-7000.
Beer freaks down South need to get over to Bristol Brewing in Colorado Springs for the 9th Annual Firkin Rendezvous. This annual fundraiser for the Colorado Brewers Guild will showcase firkins from 25 Colorado breweries including Great Divide, Odell, Dry Dock, Prost, Elevation and Three Barrel.
Doors open at 1 PM for VIP and 2 PM for general admission. Tickets are $50 and $35 respectively, which covers food, beer and tasting glass. Bristol Brewing is located at: 1647 S Tejon St, Colorado Springs, CO 80905. 719-633-2555.
Our friends on the airwaves will be “working” hard to bring you the latest and greatest in Colorado brew news. This week, the Colorado Craft Beer Show is on location at Arvada Beer Co. They’ll be chatting with guests from Firestone Walker and Uinta Brewing.
Check ’em out on AM 760 from noon – 2 PM. Better yet, get over to Arvada Beer and listen to the show live. Arvada Beer is located at: 5600 Olde Wadsworth Blvd, Arvada, CO 80002. 303-467-2337.
Sunday, February 24th, 2013
Falling Rock Tap House will tap their final keg of Pliny the Younger on Sunday at 1 PM. Details are above and HERE.
Up in Boulder, Backcountry Pizza and Tap House will tap their keg of Pliny the Younger at 11 AM. Pours will be sold for $9 / 10 oz.
Backcountry Pizza and Tap House is located at: 2319 Arapahoe Ave, Boulder, CO 80302. 303-449-4285.
Monday, February 25th, 2013
Our last Pliny the Younger tapping for the weekend comes from the good people over at Cheeky Monk in Denver.
They’ll be tapping one of their two kegs of this heavenly nectar at 6:30 PM. $10 / glass. If you’re not early, then you’re late. The Cheeky Monk is located at: 534 E Colfax Ave, Denver, CO 80203. 303-861-0347.
Other Brew News
Just a few bits of brew news to close out this week’s beer buzz. Jim Koch over at Samuel Adams announced they’ll begin canning this summer.
Once upon a time, all the way back in 2004, Koch said “Beer shall be offered in bottles, not cans”. My how times have changed. No worries. I love cans and don’t mind seeing Sam Adams get in on the action.
A little closer to home, Odell has announced Tree Shaker Imperial Peach IPA.
Pinch me, because I must be dreaming. Brewed with 2,000 lbs of pureed Colorado peaches, this is sure to be magical, wish granting unicorns in a bottle. No word on a release date yet, but you know we’ll keep you posted on when you can expect 750 mL bottles to hit the shelves.
Colorado’s lady brewers are collaborating on a special brew to be released during Colorado Craft Beer Week in March. Over at the Westword, Jonathan Shikes has all the details in his article about the Belgian Pale Ale they’ll be brewing up next week at the Wynkoop.
Lastly, Bill Eye’s here with his weekly terminology lesson.
Prost Brewing is located at: Prost Brewing is located at: 2540 19th St, Denver, CO 80211. 303-729-1175.
We’ll be working on a little makeover and doing some maintenance on the site this weekend. I want to apologize in advance for any outages we might experience. Our team of skilled experts are working hard to make improvements and fine tune a few things just for you. (It’s also a great excuse to gather some friends and open some nice brews.)
Otherwise, that’s it for this round. Have fun this weekend you little Younger freaks.
Cheers!
Falling Rock Tap House Update and Pliny the Younger Details!
Read below for the latest update from Chris Black at Falling Rock Tap House. This time he gears you up for this weekend’s release of Pliny the Younger and talks about St. Patrick’s Day, Colorado Craft Beer Week and Opening Day at Coors Field.
Howdy Folks,
It’s the time of the year for Russian River Pliny the Younger ! We have 2 more releases scheduled: Next Saturday February 23rd at 12:30 pm, & next Sunday February 24th at 1pm. Doors will open at our usual time of 11am. We will be issuing Tickets that allow you to purchase a glass of Pliny the Younger as people arrive. There will be 2 colors of tickets, if you get the first color, relax, sit down, start a tab, get something to eat & a warm-up beer or two, you’re getting a Younger, the second color, well, Maybe. When it comes time to tap Younger, we’ll sell it to all of the folks with the first color, if you are seated & have a tab with a server, you can stay seated because the server will bring it to you. When we finish serving all the folks with the first color we will do a last call for that color ticket then line up the second color tickets in order & start serving those folks. In order to get a Pliny the Younger you need to be here before we do last call for that color of tickets (usually around 25-30 minutes after we start pouring it) or you lose your chance & giving it to the next persons in line. I know it might sound a bit complex, but it’s really simple & has made our Pliny the Younger release days a lot easier, civilized & less stressful for everyone involved.
Other dates to remember:
March 16th St. Patrick’s Parade. Once again Blake Street Turns Green with The Parade running right in front of the Falling Rock. We will be opening at 9am on Parade Day.
March 17th St. Patrick’s Day. Opening at normal Hour (11am) No Cover.
March 18th Kickoff event for Colorado Craft Beer Week. 7-11pm. We will be closed to the public for a Ticketed Event to kick off the Inaugural Colorado Craft Beer Week. We will be attempting to switch out all of our taps plus a few extra ones to Colorado Breweries for a truly Once-in-a-Lifetime Event. Tickets will go on sale in a few days & will be preceded by another email letting you know when they go on sale. There will only be 250 tickets to this event so watch out for the email & Twitter announcements (Twitter @FallingRockTap )
April 5th Colorado Rockies Home Opener. We will open at 10am for the game vs the San Diego Padres.
Falling Rock Tap House is located at: 1919 Blake St, Denver, CO 80202. 303-293-8338.
Cheers!
Weekend Beer Buzz: Valentine’s Day Edition 02/14/2013
We had a killer time last week on the left coast. San Diego is a great, great beer town. No, it’s not Denver, let’s not get carried away, but it’s solid and growing just as quickly as our local scene. This was our second visit in 18 months and it’s crazy to see the growth. We shared some sights and tastes from Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens and Port Brewing / The Lost Abbey and we’ve got more to come including the Inaugural San Diego Winter Brew Fest, Green Flash, AleSmith and more. Stay tuned!
And hey, it’s lent.
Maybe give up something a little more reasonable like eating or shaving (which I happily haven’t done since November). Do what you gotta do, but don’t give up craft beer.
In other news, the CO brewers won their fight against grocery and convenience stores selling full-strength beer. Well done boys and girls. I sincerely hope this is the last time you all have to fight that fight. Unfortunately, it seems some overpaid assbanana brings it up again year after year. Until then, Congrats on winning this battle.
And lastly, before we start our weekend run down, Cheers to Swagger, the Old English Sheepdog and CO-native that made us all proud at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. The big guy placed second overall out of 2,500+ pups. Nicely done! Now maybe your owner will finally get that furry mop out of your eyes.
And now, it’s time to get serious. Focus. It’s time for your Weekend Beer Buzz.
Thursday, February 14th, 2013
The Day of Love is very near and if you love beer, then have no fear, just plant your eyes on this page right here. Many of the beery events and Valentine’s beer dinners sold out long ago, but here are a few that don’t require tickets and should have plenty of beer flowing for you and your special someone on Thursday night.
Dry Dock has a delicious pair of tappings lined up for Thursday. Stop by and revisit Rudolph’s Revenge, which you might remember as Head Brewer Doug Hyndman’s Raspberry Pomegranate Porter from the 2012 Ho Ho Ho Slapdown. Dry Dock also plans to release a firkin of Strawberry Hefeweizen, which I think at one point used to be called Heidi Klum? Am I wrong here? Either way, firkin at noon, Rudolph at 4 PM. Don’t be surprised if a few more treats pop up as well.
Dry Dock Brewing is located at: 15120 E Hampden Ave, Aurora, CO 80014. 303-400-5606.
Black Shirt Brewing is hosting a beer and desert pairing on Thursday. End your special night with a Chai Red Porter and a specially prepared desert.
This will run from 5 – 9 PM and is rumored to be your only chance to try this great brew. The BSB tasting room will now be open on Wednesday’s, with expanded hours throughout the week. Black Shirt Brewing is located at: 3719 Walnut St, Denver, CO 80205. 303-993-2799.
Scott and the Wit’s End Gang will have their 2nd Annual Valentine’s Day Beer and Chocolate Pairing from 4 PM – ? (until the chocolate’s gone!).
Cruise over to the Wit’s End Website and see what they’ve got planned for this year’s event. The Kitchen Sink Porter is paired with a chocolate-bacon bar. Need I say more? Sappy, cheese-filled music provided free of charge. Wit’s End Brewing is located at: 2505 W 2nd Ave, Unit 13, Denver, CO 80223. 303-459-4379.
Up at Yak & Yeti in Arvada, Head Brewer Adam Draeger released (Yakety Yak) Don’t Talk Bock and Cherry Porter this week. For Valentine’s Day, he’s bringing back Red Hot Wheat, which is brewed with Red Hots Candies. Draeger describes the 4.9% ABV bright red brew as a “Dentyne gum flavored dessert wine to share with the sweetheart of your life”.
Yak & Yeti is located at: 7803 Ralston Rd, Arvada, CO 80002. 303-431-9000.
Speaking of Yeti’s, there’s been reports of a sighting over at Great Divide. They’ll be tapping a Jim Beam Barrel-Aged Version of Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti at 2 PM. Wow, that sounds amazing.
Great Divide Brewing is located at: 2201 Arapahoe St, Denver, CO 80205. 303-296-9460.
Up in Longmont at Oskar Blues Homemade Liquids & Solids, they’ll have hand carved prime rib and some special Ommegang goodies on draft.
Homemade Liquids and Solids is located at: 1555 S Hover Rd, Longmont, CO 80501. 303-485-9400.
Lone Tree Brewing will tap The Princess Vidrevitz Russian Imperial Stout and Chocolate Cherry Stout at noon today. Sounds delish.
Lone Tree Brewing is located at: 8222 Park Meadows Dr, Lone Tree, CO 80124. 303-792-5822.
Here’s the latest from Crooked Stave.
Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project is located at: 1441 W 46th Ave, Unit 19, Denver, CO 80211. 720-508-3292.
Friday, February 15th, 2013
Just in case you don’t have enough spice in your life on Valentine’s Day, Dry Dock’s tapping a Green Chili Double IPA on Firkin Friday.
Tapping at 3 PM. I don’t typically reach for chili brews, but this one’s good. Damn good. Trust me. Dry Dock Brewing is located at: 15120 E Hampden Ave, Aurora, CO 80014. 303-400-5606.
Down at Rockyard Brewing, Jellyman’s busting out “The Preacher” for this week’s Deviation. The Preacher is a Simcoe and Vanguard Pale Ale.
Tapping at 4 PM. Rockyard Brewing is located at: 880 W Castleton Rd, Castle Rock, CO 80109. 303-814-9273.
Saturday, February 16th, 2013
Congrats to River North Brewery, who’ll be celebrating their 1-year Anniversary on Saturday. Stop by and share a beer from their great lineup of Belgian-influenced ales. You’ll also have the opportunity to try their newest and biggest beer yet, a 12.5% ABV Imperial Stout that was brewed to commemorate the special occasion. 120 cases produced, so perhaps this’ll see a bit of local distribution. Keep your eyes peeled fellow beer hunters and gatherers.
River North will also be offering tours of their barrel room. The party starts at 1 PM and you won’t want to miss out. River North Brewery is located at: 2401 Blake St, Denver, CO 80205. 303-296-2617,
The Tasty Weasel is also gearing up for an Anniversary Party. The Oskar Blues Tap Room in Longmont will be celebrating 4 years with a super secret beer release, food trucks and of course skee ball. They’ll be joined by the Colorado Craft Beer Show, who’ll be kicking it off at noon on AM 760. Better yet, stop by and watch the show live.
The Tasty Weasel is located at: 1800 Pike Rd, Unit B, Longmont, CO 80501. 303-776-1914.
The 3rd Annual Winter Beer Fest is right around the corner. On Saturday, the Woodland Park Cultural Center will be turned into a beer garden as Prost Brewing, Arvada Beer Company, Trinity Brewing and others set up shop for the afternoon.
Tickets are only $15, but hurry, as they’ll jump to $30 if you wait to buy them at the door. Ticket price includes taster glass and unlimited tastings. This event runs from 2 – 6 PM. More details and ticket info can be found HERE. The Woodland Park Cultural Center is located at: 210 E Midland Ave, Woodland Park, CO 80863.
Pliny the Younger Update
The Younger kegs are slowly invading Denver.
So far, we’ve got two tapping times confirmed.
Backcountry Pizza and Tap House will tap their keg on Sunday, February 24th at noon. Tickets are $9 / 11 oz. and will be sold at 11 AM. Backcountry Pizza and Tap House is located at: 2319 Arapahoe Ave, Boulder, CO 80302. 303-449-4285.
The Cheeky Monk Belgian Beer Cafe in Denver will have TWO tappings! The first will hit tap lines on Monday, February 25th, the second will get tapped on Thursday, February 28th. Both will start pouring at 6:30 PM. $10 / glass, first come, first serve. The Cheeky Monk is located at: 534 E Colfax Ave, Denver, CO 80203. 303-861-0347.
Until next time, here’s your German lesson for the week.
Pretty sure they didn’t teach you that in High School. Prost Brewing is located at: 2540 19th St, Denver, CO 80211. 303-729-1175.
It’s been fun. Let’s do it again next weekend.
Cheers!
Weekend Beer Buzz 02/07/2013
Another glorious week here in old Colorado. The little varmint didn’t see his shadow, so maybe that explains the 50 degree weather all week.
Animals turn Humans into clowns. Babies seem to have that ability as well.
In other news, we visited The Source last week to check out the future digs for a variety of local artisans, but specifically Crooked Stave.
An update can be found HERE. We’ve extremely excited about this new venture and we’ll be keeping you updated along the way.
Breckenridge Brewery announced their plans to open an environmentally friendly new brewery, farmhouse, hop farm and more over in Littleton along the Platte River. They plan to break ground in 2013 and open in 2014.
Another very exciting turn of events in our world of CO breweries. Check out their page for the official announcement.
Lastly, congrats to De Steeg and Fate Brewing, who both had successful openings last week. We can’t wait to stop by for a visit and a chance to try your brews.
Grab a beer and let’s toast to Animals, Babies, Crooked Stave, Breckenridge, De Steeg and Fate on an awesome week. Now, sit back, grab your calendar and start planning your weekend. It starts… wait for it… get ready… NOW!
Thursday, February 7th, 2013
Renegade Brewing launches their next wave of cans today! Cans of Elevation Triple IPA and 5:00 Afternoon Ale have been showing up at better beer stores around town all week. To celebrate the release, Renegade’s hosting a party on Thursday from 6 – 10 PM.
Stop by for a pint and grab some cans to-go. Renegade Brewing is located at: 925 W 9th Ave, Denver, CO 80204. 720-401-4089.
Yak & Yeti Head Brewer Adam Draeger has plenty of great options to pick from this week, including a newly tapped Vanilla Porter, brewed with real Madagascar vanilla beans.
Tune in next week, when Adam taps a Bock, Cherry Porter and Red Hots Wheat, his special Valentine’s Day brew made with Red Hots candies. Yak & Yeti is located at: 7803 Ralston Rd, Arvada, CO 80002. 303-431-9000.
Friday, February 8th, 2013
Dry Dock Brewing in Aurora has your firkin fix this week. Stop by and try this week’s Firkin Friday release, which is a Lavender Dark Saison.
Tapping at 3 PM. Dry Dock Brewing is located at: 15120 E Hampden Ave, Aurora, CO 80014. 303-400-5606.
Down South at Rockyard Brewing in Castle Rock, Jellyman’s got a 4.5% ABV Ginger Ale made with “fresh ginger, French oak and a tin of ginger Altoids”. This one’s called “NOT MARIANNE”. See if you can figure out the connection between the name and the beer.
Tapping at 4 PM. Rockyard Brewing is located at: 880 W Castleton Rd, Castle Rock, CO 80109. 303-814-9273.
Parry’s Pizza is hosting “Firkin Right Friday” and tapping some Barrel-Aged West Coast IPA from California’s Green Flash Brewing on Friday at 4 PM. Love this beer. To see a Green Flash firkin in CO is a rare treat. Get some.
Parry’s Pizza is located at: 9567 S University Blvd, Highlands Ranch, CO 80126. 303-683-0600.
Still not enough firkins fir ya? Then get the firk over to High Hops Brewery and Hop Farm in Windsor for their Inaugural Firkin Fest. Look for 14 taps to be pouring, plus special one-day only firkins, food and live music. The beer starts flowing at noon.
High Hops Brewery is located at: 6461 Hwy 392, Windsor, CO 80550. 970-674-2841.
Our Mutual Friend Malt & Brew will tap their new Weizenbock on Friday at 7 PM.
7% ABV, 31 IBU’s. Stop by and check out one of Denver’s newest breweries. Our Mutual Friend is located at: 2810 Larimer St, Denver, CO 80205. 720-722-2810.
Saturday, February 9th, 2013
Somewhat quiet Saturday around town this week, so we’re heading to California for the Inaugural San Diego Brew Fest and a visit to some of our favorite West Coast breweries like Lost Abbey and Stone. Keep an eye on the Facebook Page for updates. We’ll have a full report next week.
In the meantime, get your brew news fix with our friends Turk and the Gubna on the Colorado Craft Beer Show.
This week, they’ll be joined in the studio with Brian Hutchinson, who formerly brewed at Mountain Sun and is now brewing at Cannonball Creek Brewing Company, which just opened in Golden last month. They’ll also have David Zuckerman and Dan Weitz from Boulder Beer in the studio. Tune into the Colorado Craft Beer Show on AM 760 from noon – 2 PM on Saturday.
Odell will release Amuste at the brewery on Saturday. This is an “Imperial Porter aged in oak wine barrels accented with juice from Tempranillo grapes grown on the Western Slope of Colorado”.
Pick up a bottle to-go and stick around for a glass at the brewery. Sales will begin at 11 AM, with live music at 4 PM. This should hit local shelves very soon, so keep an eye out. Odell Brewing is located at: 800 E Lincoln Ave, Fort Collins, CO 80524. 970-490-9070.
Copper Kettle Brewing Company is bringing back their Smoked Porter this weekend.
Tapping at noon, food truck at 4 PM and live music at 6 PM. Copper Kettle Brewing Company is located at: 1338 S Valentia St, Denver, CO 80247. 720-443-CKBC.
Don’t forget this week’s German lesson with Bill Eye from Prost Brewing.
Hey, if you’re going to learn a foreign language, you better at least know how to speak Beer. Thanks Bill! Prost Brewing is located at: 2540 19th St, Denver, CO 80211. 303-729-1175.
Pliny the Younger Update
The Pliny’s been raging this week out at Russian River Brewing in Santa Rosa, CA.
No word yet on when we’ll see kegs around town, but we should have some information at some point next week. Stay tuned!
Dark Lord Day 2013
Speaking of hyped, big beers. Dark Lord Day 2013 is coming. Last week, Three Floyds Brewing unveiled a new logo for their über popular Russian Imperial Stout. I guess they ran out of different colors of wax, so it was time to change the label in order for us beer nerds to differentiate between the vintages.
Looks pretty sharp. And angry! There are rumors that Three Floyds will move this year’s event to a location away from the brewery, in order to better accommodate the crowds. We’ll keep you posted with updates as we get ’em.
That’s it for this weekend.
Cheers!
Weekend Beer Buzz 01/31/2013
Another great week here in Colorado. Last weekend, we had the opportunity to check out the Denver Winter Brew Fest. We put together a recap and shared a ton of pictures from our visit to this fun festival.
We also launched the first in a series of collaborative beer reviews that we’re working on with Dave Butler over at Fermentedly Challenged. Together, we put together an in-depth look at Lugene Milk Chocolate Stout. So far, the feedback has been very positive. I know we both enjoyed working on the review, so be on the lookout for more “coblogorative” style reviews in the future.
And now, here we are again, getting ready for a weekend full of great craft beer. 2013 looks to be the year of the new brewery. I’d say we’re on pace for an average of 1 new brewery to open every week in Colorado this year. I’m not complaining, but it’s going to be a very busy year in the world of craft beer. This coming weekend, we’ll see three new breweries open in just four days. If we keep this up, we’ll have to host two GABF’s. One for Colorado and one for the rest of the U.S.
Right NOW!
Oskar Blues Homemade Liquids & Solids is tapping a few special kegs from Goose Island on Thursday night.
Matilda, Sofie, Pere Jacques and Mild Winter will all be available. Wait, I think I’m forgetting one… Hmmm, what could it be? Oh yeah, Bourbon County Brand Stout! Now we’re talking. Get over to Liquids & Solids for this special tapping, which runs from 4 – 6 PM. Oskar Blues HMLS is located at: 1555 S Hover Rd, Longmont, CO 80501. 303-485-9400.
Our Mutual Friend’s Imperial Belgian IPA will probably kick soon.
Head over today and don’t miss out! Our Mutual Friend is located at: 2810 Larimer St, Denver, CO 80205. 720-722-2810.
Crooked Stave has some tasty treats on tap as well.
Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project is located at: 1441 W 46th Ave, Unit 19, Denver, CO 80211. 720-508-3292.
Over at Yak & Yeti, Head Brewer Adam Draeger tapped his Orange-Chocolate Porter last night. Only 1 keg was available and it’s long gone. But fear not, he’s got plenty of other great brews to share. Earlier this week, he tapped the newest release in his Haunted Series. This time it’s “Yak’s R.I.S.”, a big ol’ 10% ABV, 100+ IBU Russian Imperial Stout. Here’s the rest of the lineup for this week.
Yak & Yeti is located at: 7803 Ralston Rd, Arvada, CO 80002. 303-431-9000.
This is the final weekend to reserve your seat for Falling Rock’s Annual Barleywine Dinner on Tuesday, February 5th.
The multi-course menu is still being planned and there are vegetarian options available, if you notify them ahead of time. In the past, there have been up to a dozen barleywines paired at this dinner. Tickets are $55. Call or stop by Falling Rock to reserve your seat for this great event. Falling Rock Tap House is located at: 1919 Blake St, Denver, CO 80202. 303-293-8338.
Friday, February 1st, 2013
We’ve got a new brewery opening on Friday! De Steeg is set to open their doors on Friday at 4 PM. Owner Craig Rothgery is ready to pour his first beers from the newest brewery to open in the Highlands neighborhood of Denver.
This weekend, he’ll be pouring a 5.1% ABV English Mild on Nitro, a 5.5% ABV Pomegranate Acai Wheat and an 11% ABV Imperial Pumpkin. Come out and explore the area as the opening has been coordinated with the Tennyson Street First Friday Artwalk, which spotlights local artisans and restaurants. De Steeg Brewing is located at: 4342 Tennyson St, Denver, CO 80212. 303-484-9698.
In Aurora, Dry Dock Brewing’s got a Mosaic Dry-hopped IPA ready to roll for Firkin Friday.
Tapping at 3 PM. Dry Dock Brewing is located at: 15120 E Hampden Ave, Aurora, CO 80014. 303-400-5606.
Jellyman’s tapping “The French Press” for his Deviation this week down at Rockyard Brewing in Castle Rock.
This is a 6% ABV Coffee Stout brewed with the second runnings of Wilson, their very tasty Russian Imperial Stout (which is getting bottled today). Tapping at 4 PM. Rockyard Brewing is located at: 880 W Castleton Rd, Castle Rock, CO 80109. 303-814-9273.
Breckenridge Brewery is back again this month with their Firkin First Fridays.
This month’s release is their Avalanche Amber Ale with Kaffir lime leaves and dry-hopped with Summit Hops. Get out and enjoy the nice weather and this great sounding brew. Tapping at 4 PM. Breckenridge Brewery is located at: 471 Kalamath St, Denver, CO 80204. 303-573-0431.
Can’t get enough freakin’ firkins? Then head over to Hops & Pie for their Firkin 1st Friday release. This time it’s with Crooked Stave and their Surette Saison.
Look for plenty of funk and spices in this 6.5% ABV Saison that was aged in a Downslope whiskey barrel. Tapping at 6 PM. Hops & Pie is located at: 3920 Tennyson St, Denver, CO 80212. 303-477-7000.
Friday is also the kickoff for the “Run the Gauntlet” challenge over at Star Bar. 30 Avery beers in 28 days. Can you handle it? Probably not, but you should try anyways, because if you can, you’ll be rewarded with transportation from Star Bar to Avery Brewing for a private tour. Have you seen the beer list? Here’s a peek at some of the ridiculously tasty offerings they’re planning to tap:
– The Maharaja Imperial IPA
– The Czar Imperial Stout
– The Kaiser Imperial Oktoberfest
– Hog Heaven Barleywine
– The Reverend Belgian-Style Quad
– Salvation Belgian Golden
– New World Porter
– Lebenweizen
– Lilikoi Kepolo
– 3Point5 Pale Ale
– Bolder Weisse
– Tweak
…and more!
Star Bar is located at: 2137 Larimer St, Denver, CO 80205. 720-328-2420.
Over at Falling Rock, it’s the start of “Dain Bramage Month”, with a month-long celebration of Barleywines!
Owner Chris Black acquired 6 new barleywines last week and plans to tap several vintage kegs Tuesday night for those lucky guests attending the Barleywine Dinner (see above). These will be available for everyone else beginning on Wednesday. No word on what will be tapped just yet. They’re still deciding what to pull out of the cellar. Falling Rock Tap House is located at: 1919 Blake St, Denver, CO 80202. 303-293-8338.
Don’t forget February is the beginning of Stout Month over at the Mountain Sun brewpubs. Stout Month is always a great time to stop by and enjoy some rich, roast brews.
Look for special beers to be released every Tuesday and Friday, beginning on 2/5 at all three locations. In addition to their own beers like Addicition Coffee Imperial Stout, Girl Scout Stout and Chocolate Dip, they’ve got plenty of great guest beers lined up as well. Keep your eyes open for Odell’s Lugene Chocolate Milk Stout, Renegade’s Black Gold Peanut Butter Stout, Wildwood’s S’mores Stout and dozens more. Mountain Sun is located at: 1535 Pearl St, Boulder, CO 80302. Souther Sun is located at: 627 S Broadway, Boulder, CO 80305. Vine Street Pub is located at: 1700 Vine St, Denver, CO 80206.
Saturday, February 2nd, 2013
We mentioned Verboten a few weeks ago when they had a soft opening at their location up in Loveland. But get ready, because their Grand Opening is coming up on Saturday afternoon.
They’ll be debuting their new brewery with live music, food trucks, beer cupcakes, giveaways and of course BEER! Verboten will be pouring Orange Blossom Honey Wheat, Lemongrass Wit, IPA, Caramel Porter, Espresso Stout, Kentucky Common Dark Cream Ale and Sour Rum Barrel-Aged Porter. The party starts at 1 PM. Be sure to check out this preview of Verboten from our friend Dave Butler over at Fermentedly Challenged. Verboten Brewing is located at: 1550 Taurus Ct, Loveland, CO 80537. 970-988-6333.
Dry Dock Brewing launched their cans to local retailers last week and that’s cause for celebration. Stop by the brewery for the official “Take it in the Can” launch party on Saturday from 11 AM – 5 PM. Snag a can of Apricot Blonde, Hop Abomination, Hefeweizen or Amber for only $3.
Dry Dock Brewing is located at: 15120 E Hampden Ave, Aurora, CO 80014. 303-400-5606.
Don’t forget to check out the Colorado Craft Beer Show on AM760 from noon – 2 PM.
Don’t quote me, but I believe the boys are back in the studio this week. They always put on a great show, so be sure to tune in and see what’s on tap for this week.
Over on the FM side, Gary V and Dustin (from Avery Brewing) will be in the studio for American Craft Beer Radio.
This show is live on 102.3 FM ESPN Radio from 1 -2 PM.
Sunday, February 3rd, 2013
Go watch the Super Bowl already. Or at least watch the commercials and heckle whatever joke of an artist the NFL has chosen for the half-time show. Do your thing and drink a craft beer or two. Go Ravens.
Monday, February 4th, 2013
Fate Brewing in Boulder, will open their doors on Monday. They might not have their brewhouse up and running just yet, but that hasn’t stopped Head Brewer Jeff Griffith from getting out and brewing some beer. He’s already collaborated with multiple brewers in Boulder, including Wild Woods, Twisted Pine and Southern Sun.
Fate plans to have their collaborations pouring on Monday, along with twenty other Colorado craft beers. Over the past few weeks, I’ve tried the Imperial IPA, Cocoa Punk’n Porter and Eisbock and I love what I’ve had so far. Bring an appetite, as a full food menu will also be available. Fate Brewing is located at: 1600 38th St, Suite 100, Boulder, CO 80301.
Beer Hunters, Gatherers, Trappers and Traders
Pliny the Younger Season starts this weekend at Russian River in Santa Rosa, CA.
Here in Colorado, we’re still patiently waiting to see what beer bars will be allocated a keg of this beautiful beer. Try to remain calm and know that we’ll get you the details as soon as we can. In the meantime, enjoy this fun little documentary we came across last week.
Sour fans might want to consider securing a bottle or two of Cascade’s 2011 Vlad the Imp Aler, when they go on sale through the Cascade website this Saturday.
A little pricey at $30 / bottle, but this is a phenomenal beer. Mrs. Insane and I visited the brewery a while back for their Anniversary Party and this is one of my favorites from Cascade. The beer is a blend of Quads, Triples and Blonds and has been aged in select bourbon and wine barrels. Get some before they’re gone.
Firestone Walker will release their latest batch of §ucaba this week.
Beer hunters should keep an eye out for this barrel-aged American Barleywine to hit the CO market in the next few weeks. Drink fresh or age for later. (Or both.)
Lastly, for all the beer traders out there, Foothills Brewing out in North Carolina, will be releasing the 2013 batch of Sexual Chocolate on Saturday at the brewery in North Carolina.
1800 bottles of this delicious Russian Imperial Stout will be up for grabs during Saturday’s release. It’s well worth the trouble if you’re lucky enough to track down a bottle.
Almost forgot about your German lesson for this week.
Thanks Bill! Prost Brewing is located at: 2540 19th St, Denver, CO 80211. 303-729-1175.
Man, I’m spent. Hope that tides you over for a few days. Have fun, drink well and enjoy the big game.
Cheers!
Weekend Beer Buzz 01/24/2013
The weekend’s nearly here. Big weekend of beer, combined with a beautiful forecast.
The Kool-Aid Man always knows the right words to say. Chicks dig the big guy too.
Oh, before we get started, Mile High Wine & Spirits deserves a HUGE shout out for bringing De Dolle Stille Nacht back to Colorado. Yep, the bestest ever xmas beer made a return appearance in our great state last week.
I don’t know how Andre does it, but he does. Keep on, keeping on my friend. The Reserva lasted about 11.3 seconds, so don’t waste your time calling to get a bottle. I don’t know if he’s got any Stille Nacht left. He shouldn’t. If I had made it over, he wouldn’t. But either way, I applaud Andre and his beer department for continuing to track down the very best offerings from around the globe. If you haven’t checked them out yet, make it a priority. They care about bringing the very best beers to Colorado. Mile High Wine & Spirits is located at: 435 S Vance St, Lakewood, CO 80226. 303-936-0272.
Right Now
Crooked Stave has a killer menu every week and they’re at it again with this great lineup.
Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project is located at: 1441 W 46th Ave, Unit 19, Denver, CO 80211. 720-508-3292.
Get over to Yak & Yeti sometime soon for a chance to try some of Head Brewer Adam Draeger’s awesome creations. Right now, he’s got everything from a Chipotle Porter to a Oaked IPA, the latest release in his Haunted Series.
Yak & Yeti is located at: 7803 Ralston Rd, Arvada, CO 80002. 303-431-9000.
Friday, January 25th, 2013
Dry Dock Brewing Company will tap a Maple Smoked Porter at 3 PM for this week’s Firkin Friday release.
Dry Dock Brewing is located at: 15120 E Hampden Ave, Aurora, CO 80014. 303-400-5606.
Jellyman’s got “The Honey Bird” lined up for this week’s Deviation.
This is a 6% ABV filtered American Wheat Braggot. Look for a mead and malt nose, nicely balanced flavor and big time drinkability. Tapping at 4 PM. When it’s gone, it’s gone, so leave work a little early and get on over for this one. Rockyard Brewing is located at: 880 W Castleton Rd, Castle Rock, CO 80109. 303-814-9273.
As for us, we’ll be attending the Winter Brew Fest at Mile High Station on Friday.
It sold out earlier this week, but I hope to see some familiar faces in attendance. More than 40 breweries will be pouring including Elevation, Firestone Walker, Oskar Blues and Stone. Doors open at 6 PM for VIP and 7 PM for GA. Mile High Station is located at: 2027 W Lower Colfax Ave, Denver, CO 80204.
Saturday, January 26th, 2013
Saturday is stupid. It’s too big for its’ own good. Saturday is so bad, it should be in detention.
Over at Falling Rock Tap House, the King’s cleaning out his cellar.
Owner Chris Black has been digging deep to share some of his cellared treasures with Denver beer geeks and he was kind enough to give us an exclusive sneak peek into what’ll be available. You want this? Are you ready? Me too, but first, a few points I was asked to keep in mind:
– Quantities are LIMITED! Falling Rock will have a tally board to keep track of what’s available, but when it’s gone, it’s gone. No cry babies, so get there early if you see something you MUST have.
– Beer must be consumed on-site. Sorry, but that’s standard CO law. No growlers, no takeaways, no flasks and no crazy camelbacks to sneak out your beloved beer. Bring a friend, a wife, a girlfriend, your friend’s girlfriend, your friend’s boyfriend, an enemy, an enemy’s friend or whoever to imbibe with… Open, share, enjoy, repeat.
– Prices weren’t given to me, but I was told beers “will be at a much lower price than they would be offered at the bar any other time”.
The list below is only about 1/2 of the 60+ different beers that will be available on Saturday. You’ll have to come by on Saturday to see the full list, but here’s what we know so far:
| Beer | Year | Size | |
| A Le Coq Imperial Extra Double Stout | 2003 | 11.2oz | |
| A Le Coq Imperial Extra Double Stout | 2009 | 9.3oz | |
| Alaskan Smoked Porter | 2003 | 16 oz. | |
| Alaskan Smoked Porter | 2006 | 22oz | |
| Alaskan Smoked Porter | 2008 | 22oz | |
| Alaskan Smoked Porter | 2009 | 22oz | |
| Avery Beast | 2004 | 22oz (Batch #2!) | |
| Avery Beast | 2009 | 12oz | |
| Avery Brabant | 2009 | 12oz | |
| Avery Czar | 2003 | 22oz | |
| Avery Czar | 2004 | 22oz | |
| Avery Mephistopheles | 2006 | 12oz | |
| Avery Mephistopheles | 2008 | 12oz | |
| Avery Samael | 2005 | 12oz | |
| Avery Samael | 2008 | 12oz | |
| Avery Samael | 2009 | 12oz | |
| Bridgeport Old Knucklehead | 1997 | 12oz | |
| Carnegie Porter | 1997 | 8.8oz | |
| Full Sail Black Gold Imperial Stout | 2008 | 750ml | |
| Full Sail Old Boardhead | 2003 | 22oz | |
| Gale’s Prize Old Ale | 1999 | 9.3oz | |
| Gale’s Prize Old Ale | 2005 | 9.3oz | |
| Great Divide Barrel Aged Old Ruffian | 2008 | 22oz | |
| Great Divide Barrel Aged Old Ruffian | 2009 | 22oz | |
| Lost Abbey Bourbon Barrel Aged Angels Share | 2009 | 375ml | |
| Lost Abbey Judgment Day | 2011 | 750ml | |
| North Coast Old Stock | 2003 | 12oz | |
| Odell Old Curmudgeon | 2003 | 12oz | |
| Rogue Double Dead Guy Ale | 2008 | 750ml | |
| Rogue Old Crustacean | 2006 | 750ml | |
| Sierra Nevada Bigfoot | 1999 | 12oz |
There’s a sexy little rumor floating around that there might be a special appearance from some early 2000’s J.W. Lees Harvest Ales as well, but you didn’t hear that from me…
Thanks to Chris and Beth over at Falling Rock for getting us this list. Beer Geeks, do your part on Saturday and help the King make some space in his cellar. The sale starts at noon and runs until 6 PM. Falling Rock Tap House is located at: 1919 Blake St, Denver, CO 80202. 303-293-8338.
Over at Parry’s Pizza, we’ve got a Dry Dock Tap Takeover lined up for Saturday. But, not just at the Parry’s in Highlands Ranch. No sir, this’ll be going down at their Castle Rock location as well. Now you’ve got no excuse to miss it.
They’ll be pouring everything from Apricot Blonde to Hop Abomination. (Side note – you ever mix the Apricot with the Hop Abomination? The Dry Dock staff calls it a Hopricot. I call it splendidly delish! Try it.) Brewery reps will be on hand at both locations to answer your questions and give away some great Dry Dock merchandise. The takeover runs from 11 AM – 10 PM. Parry’s Pizza is located at: 9567 S University Blvd, Highlands Ranch, CO 80126 and 5650 Allen Way, Castle Rock 80106.
Hops & Pie is gearing up for another round of Denver’s Littlest Big Beer Fest. This time they’ve teamed up with Green Flash Brewing from San Diego, CA to bring some seriously big-ass brews to you.
The party starts at noon. Take a cab. Hops & Pie is located at: 3920 S Tennyson St, Denver, CO 80212. 303-477-7000.
Saturday will also be the premiere of Our Mutual Film, a film about Our Mutual Friend Malt & Brew.
Come out for a pint and enjoy the movie at the brewery. The movie begins at 7:30 PM and the filmmakers will be on hand to answer your questions. Our Mutual Friend is located at: 2810 Larimer St, Denver, CO 80205. 720-722-2810.
While you’re drinking all this great beer around town, tune into AM 760 from noon – 2 PM for the Colorado Craft Beer Show.
This week, they’ll be broadcasting live from Arvada Beer and chatting with Jeff Griffith from Fate Brewing in Boulder, which is set to open at the end of the month. Stop by Arvada Beer for the live broadcast. Arvada Beer is located at: 5600 Olde Wadsworth Blvd, Arvada, CO 80002. 303-467-2337.
Sunday, January 27th, 2013
The local breweries are rallying around Strange Brewing this weekend in the ongoing, Strange vs. Strange battle.
The Rackhouse Pub will play host to more than two dozen breweries in an event designed to raise funds for Strange Brewing’s legal defense. This event is sold out. No tickets will be sold at the door. Click HERE for a full list of breweries that’ll be participating on Sunday. The Rackhouse Pub is located at: 208 S Kalamath St, Denver, CO 80223. 720-570-7824.
Up in Boulder, Backcountry Pizza and Tap House will celebrate their 2nd anniversary with an “Epic Avery Tap Takeover”. More than 30 kegs from Epic Brewing and more than 30 kegs from Avery Brewing will be flowing at Backcountry for this killer event. No tickets, no bull, just show up and enjoy some great beers (and food).
On the Epic side, Brewmaster Kevin Crompton will be in attendance and will be pouring beers like Elder Brett, Big Bad Baptist and for the first time ever, Brainless IPA. I haven’t seen the Avery lineup yet, but come on, you can practically walk to the brewery from Backcountry. I’m sure they’ll have plenty of awesome things on tap to share. Backcountry will have a buffet for $15 from 11 AM – 4 PM, plus giveaways throughout the day. Backcountry Pizza and Tap House is located at: 2319 Arapahoe Ave, Boulder, CO 80302. 303-449-4285.
Schoolhouse Rock! with Bill Eye and Prost Brewing
And now for your German lesson of the week with Prost Head Brewer, Bill Eye.
Prost Brewing is located at: 2540 19th St, Denver, CO 80211. 303-729-1175.
That’s it for this round my beer-lovin’ friends. Hope to see you all around town this weekend!
Cheers!
Weekend Beer Buzz 01/17/2013
What a week. I’m still recovering from last weekend’s Big Beer Fest in Vail. It was unbelievably great. Insanely Great. Insanely Great x 2! Yet the world continues to turn and time keeps ticking away… Right into this weekend! What looked like it was going to be a slow weekend, has transformed into one filled with plenty to drink and do.
Right NOW!
Delicious sours abound over at Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project.
Go. NOW! Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project is located at: 1441 W 46th Ave, Unit 19, Denver, CO 80211. 720-508-3292.
Friday, January 18th, 2013
Down in Castle Rock at Rockyard Brewing, Jellyman’s releasing “Tibanna Tan” for this week’s Deviation. Described as having a “carbonite copper” color and being a “creamy malt forward ale with balanced hop flavor”. Tapping at 4 PM.
Another subtle Star Wars reference from Kjell this week. I dig. Bonus points from the nerds out there who know Tibanna and picked up on the carbonite reference.
No clue what’s going on right now? You can go about your business. Move along. Move along. Rockyard Brewing is located at: 880 W Castleton Rd, Castle Rock, CO 80109. 303-814-9273.
Over in Aurora, Dry Dock’s got another batch of their Kona Coffee Stout ready to roll out for Firkin Friday.
Love, love, love this brew. 3 PM for this one. Dry Dock Brewing is located at: 15120 E Hampden Ave, Aurora, CO 80014. 303-400-5606.
Out at the Denver Beer Co., they’ve got a beer dinner planned for Friday. They’ll be hosting in their brand spankin’ new Barrel Room.
Five small batch brews, paired with four dinner courses for $60. There’s still a handful of tickets left. Call Denver Beer Co. to get your name on the list. Denver Beer Co. is located at: 1695 Platte St, Denver, CO 80202. 303-433-2739.
Saturday, January 19th, 2013
If you’re headed to the mountains this weekend, swing by Backcountry Brewery in Frisco for their Expansion Party. The fun starts at 1 PM with $2 pints in the bar, tours of the new expansion and a chance to check out the new 12oz. bottles.
We were up that way last weekend and the new fermenters look great. We’re excited to see more bottles hitting the Denver-area soon. Backcountry Brewery is located at: 730 Main Street, Frisco, CO 80443. 970-668-2337.
Just a short-haul down I-70 and you’ll find Crazy Mountain in Edwards. They just happen to be turning 3 this weekend.
They’ll be pouring $2 select pints and will have live bluegrass music in the tap room. The party starts at 6 PM. Crazy Mountain Brewing is located at: 439 Edwards Access Rd, B-102, Edwards, CO 81632. 970-926-3009.
It doesn’t seem a weekend goes by without a new brewery opening up around here. Over in Golden, Cannonball Creek will crack their doors for a soft opening at 3 PM.
This is led by two former brewers from Mountain Sun in Boulder, so look for plenty of big hop bombs and Belgian-influenced brews. Can’t wait to give them a try. Cannonball Creek Brewing is located at: 393 N Washington Ave, Golden, CO 80403. 720-427-8453.
Not enough for you? Hall Brewing, a new brewery currently in the works in Parker, is having a tasting at Cornerstar Wine and Liquor in Aurora, from 2 PM – 6 PM on Saturday. They’ll have their IPA, Stout and Red Ale to sample and bombers to-go. This will be your first chance to try this new brewery, so don’t miss out.
Cornerstar Wine and Liquor is located at: 15404 E Briarwood Circle, Aurora, CO 80016. 303-360-9463.
Our friends on the radio will be back in the studio this weekend. The Colorado Craft Beer Show will be on AM 760 at noon and will feature Bootstrap Brewing from Niwot, CO. In the meantime, check out last week’s podcast from Vail’s Big Beers, where the guys had a chance to talk with everyone from Tomme Arthur of Lost Abbey to Chad Yakobson of Crooked Stave to Matt Brynildson of Firestone Walker and many more. It was an awesome show.
Random Brew News
Lastly, I’ve got some real quick news clips to share before we wrap up this Weekend’s Beer Buzz.
Dry Dock fired up their new canning line earlier this week and pumped out a batch of Apricot Blonde.
Look for cans from this batch to hit local store shelves before the end of the month and a release party next weekend (details to come!).
Crooked Stave and Anchorage Brewing collaborated this week on a 100% Brett beer.
This was brewed at the Anchorage Brewery (yeah, all the way up in Alaska!) and will ferment in foeders until the beer says “Hey guys, I’m Ready!”. No word on distribution plans yet. Cross your fingers for some Colorado Love.
And to wrap up the week, how ’bout a round of applause for New Belgium Brewing on becoming 100% employee owned. That’s such awesome news for this fun-loving Colorado brewery. Cheers to that!
And if that wasn’t enough, New Belgium also announced “Lost in the Woods”, a party to kick off this year’s La Folie release.
This will be a unique chance for sour beer lovers to gather in the Foeder Forest for an evening with New Belgium’s sour experts Peter Bouckaert, Eric Salazar and Lauren Salazar. There will be live music, food pairings and plenty of beer. Tickets are on sale HERE for $25 and includes a bomber of beer to take home. New Belgium is located at: 500 Linden St., Fort Collins, CO 80524.
That’s it for this week peeps. It’s a great week to be a craft beer freak. Especially a freak living in Colorado.
Cheers!
Weekend Beer Buzz: Vail Big Beers, Belgians & Barleywines Edition 01/10/2013
It’s been a good week here in Colorado. I was able to attend a fun little bottle share last weekend with some local craft beer lovers. It was a great group of people and the tasting featured everything from Cigar City Apple Brandy Barrel Aged Hunahpu to Cantillon Lou Pepe Framboise to Hill Farmstead Anna. A few of us collaborated on a Czar vertical from ’05 to ’12. I like to call it the Czar Voltron.
It’s tough to beat a good bottle share and it was great to see the dedication and generosity of the local beer geek community.
Last Friday, Epic Brewing of Utah, announced their plans to open a brewery, barrel room and tasting room in Denver this Spring. All the details can be found in the Press Release.
Also last week, I had the opportunity to review Elevation Beer Co’s Downpour Imperial Red Ale and try Odell’s Lugene Milk Chocolate Stout (review coming soon!).
But enough about last week, there’s a new weekend right around the corner and we are READY! The 13th Annual Big Beers, Belgians & Barleywines festival hits Vail over the next few days. After a long hiatus, we’re excited to be heading back up the mountain for this amazing festival. Anybody else headed up that way? Wait. Let’s back up, I’m getting ahead of myself. Deep breath. Alrighty, here we go!
Thursday, January 10th, 2013
Colorado gets a new brewery today! Over in Boulder, J Wells Brewery will pour their first beers at 1 PM.
Stop by and check out the new place and try one of the three beers on tap: Jamie’s Pale Ale, Chocolate Milk Stout and Hop Haze IPA. J Wells Brewery is located at: 2516 49th St., Boulder, CO 80301.
Friday, January 11th, 2013
Get your firkin fill over at Dry Dock Brewing with Firkin Friday.
This week’s tapping is Turncoat Amber. Dry Dock Brewing is located at: 15120 E Hampden Ave, Aurora, CO 80014. 303-400-5606.
Down at Rockyard Brewing, Jellyman’s releasing Darth Cherry for this week’s Deviation.
Darth Cherry is a Dark Cherry Stout. Stop by for the 4 PM tapping. Rockyard Brewing is located at: 880 W Castleton Rd, Castle Rock, CO 80109. 303-814-9273.
Verboten Brewing will open their doors for the first time on Friday.
This new brewery up in Loveland will be open from 3 – 9 PM on Friday and 1 – 9 PM on Saturday. For opening day, they’ll be pouring: Belgian Wit w/ Lemongrass, IPA and Caramel Porter on both nitro and CO2. Verboten Brewing is located at: 1550 Taurus Ct, Loveland, CO 80537. 970-988-6333.
Saturday, January 12th, 2013
Vail is THE place to be this weekend with the Big Beers, Belgians & Barleywines (BBB) festival going on Thursday, Friday & Saturday at the Cascade Lodge. Although the festival kicks off on Thursday with the Brewmasters’ Dinner (with Avery and Dogfish Head), continues Friday with a homebrew competition, Cicerone exam and another Brewmaster’s Dinner (with Dry Dock Brewing), the real fun is the seminars and commercial tasting on Saturday. Although no official list of beers has been released, there should be more than 200 beers pouring from some of the best breweries in the world.
The Commercial Tasting runs from 2:30 – 6 PM, with seminars beginning as early as 10 AM. Unfortunately, the tasting sold out earlier this week, but tickets to a few of the seminars are still available. A complete schedule of events can be found HERE.
Both the Colorado Craft Beer Show and American Craft Beer Radio will be broadcasting live from BBB on Saturday. Be sure to stop by and show your support for these great shows. They’re doing a great job of spreading the word of craft beer. If you’re not heading up to Vail, pour yourself a beer and tune in to see what you’re missing. Colorado Craft Beer Show will air on AM760 after the CU game, around 2:30 PM and run until 5 PM. American Craft Beer Radio will air on 102.3 FM at 2 PM.
Broncos fans should know that the BBB directors are trying to figure out a way to broadcast the game inside during the tasting. No promises, but they’re working on it.
Into The Future
Looking towards next weekend, Denver Beer Co. is hosting an Inaugural Beer Dinner in their new Barrel Room on Friday, January 18th. This will be your very first chance to see the newly completed barrel room and expansion.
The $60 ticket includes dinner and a chance to try some of Denver Beer Co’s first barrel aged brews. Denver Beer Co. is located at: 1695 Platte St, Denver, CO 80202. 303-433-2739.
Also coming up on Sunday, January 27th, is a benefit at The Rackhouse Pub to raise money for Strange Brewing’s legal defense fund. The whole Strange vs. Strange has gotten a little out of control and the Colorado Craft Beer community is rallying behind our Strange Brewing to help them through this tough time. So far, two dozen local breweries have generously donated beer for this event, which runs from 3 – 6 PM on 1/27. Tickets are only available online for $25 and can be purchased HERE. The Rackhouse Pub is located at: 208 S Kalamath St, Denver, CO 80223. 720-570-7824.
That’s it for this weekend guys! If you’re driving from the Denver-area up to Vail, be safe. Snow is on the way.
See you soon!
Cheers!
Weekend Beer Buzz 01/03/2013
It’s 2013 and we’ve only got 52 weekend’s to enjoy this year. Don’t let one pass you by. Plenty to do, plenty to see and most importantly, plenty to drink. You ready? Need a little motivation? Click HERE for a reminder of what 2012 brought us. NOW are you ready? Thought so.
Friday, January 4th, 2012
Crooked Stave’s ready for the weekend. Stop by the tasting room for some funky goodness.
Grab something on tap or a bottle to-go (thee’s still a few bottles of L’Brett D’Or for sale). Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project is located at: 1441 W 46th Ave, Unit 19, Denver, CO 80211. 720-508-3292.
My friend Firky D. Firkin, made his way down to Rockyard to brew with Jellyman and help bring you this week’s Deviation.
This week is “A Firkin Brown Ale”, which is described as “A Firkin balanced malty brown, with assertive bitterness and clean finish”. Tapping at 4 PM. Rockyard Brewing is located at: 880 W Castleton Rd, Castle Rock, CO 80109. 303-814-9273.
Over at Dry Dock in Aurora, they’ll be tapping a Centennial Dry-Hopped Pale Ale. Tapping at 3 PM.
Last week, Dry Dock brewed for the first time at the new production facility. Kevin, Doug and the rest of the gang made a monster batch of Apricot on their new 40 BBL brew system. Look for cans coming very soon! Click HERE to watch the live feed and see what they’re up to in the new digs. Dry Dock Brewing is located at: 15120 E Hampden Ave, Aurora, CO 80014. 303-400-5606.
Saturday, January 5th, 2012
Copper Kettle Brewing Company will release their Annual Mystery Beer on Saturday.
This is a tradition where Copper Kettle taps a “mystery beer” on the first Saturday of the new year. Last year’s mystery beer was a Belgian Quad. Stop by and check out this year’s mystery beer beginning at noon. Copper Kettle Brewing Company is located at: 1338 S Valentia St #100, Denver, CO 80247. 720-443-CKBC.
Hops & Pie is hosting a “Vertically Epic Tasting of Stone Vertical Epic Ale” on Saturday afternoon.
They’ll be tapping kegs from the Vertical Epic series back to 08.08.08, including a special keg of 10.10.10 that was aged in French Oak barrels. The fun starts at noon. Don’t miss out on this rare chance to try multiples VE beers at the same time. Hops & Pie is located at: 3920 Tennyson St., Denver, CO 80212. 303-477-7000.
Also on Saturday, don’t forget to check in with Turk & Gubna on the Colorado Craft Beer Show.
They’ve got your weekly dose of Colorado craft beer news. Tune into AM760 on Saturday at noon to listen live.
Sunday, January 6th, 2012
Odell Brewing will release Lugene Chocolate Milk Stout on Sunday. What’s a new beer without a new beer release party? Odell has you covered with live music, food trucks and plenty of Lugene on tap and in 4-packs.
The beer starts pouring at 11 AM, with live music at 4 PM. Lugene Chocolate Milk Stout is named after local Fort Collins dairy farmer Lugene Sas. Click HERE to see a day in the life of Lugene and his family of lovely bovine sweeties. Odell Brewing Co. is located at: 800 E Lincoln Ave, Fort Collins, CO 80524.
Into The Future
January’s not exactly a big month for beer festivals, but this is Colorado and there’s ALWAYS something on the horizon. It’s not too late to book a trip to Vail for Big Beers, Belgians and Barleywines, which is coming up next weekend.
Ticket info, hotel deals and a full schedule of events can be found HERE. We haven’t been since ’07 and are excited to be going back.
And later this month is the Winter Brew Fest in Denver at Mile High Station.
This is on Friday, January 25th and you can click HERE for all the details.
Facebook Contest
Lastly, I noticed last night that the Facebook Page is approaching 300 Likes. Thank You all for your continued support! As a Thank You, I’m giving away something special to lucky #300. Not sure what yet, but we’ll hook you up with something any craft beer lover will enjoy. So check us out on Facebook and “Like” us if you haven’t already. Thanks again guys! We really appreciate you.
Happy New Year Friends!
Cheers!
Weekend Beer Buzz: Doomsday Edition 12/20/2012
Great week here in Colorado. Busy, but it’s that time of year. We hit the Denver Only Beer Festivus last weekend. Awesome, awesome event. Big shout out to Denver Off The Wagon and Imbibe Denver for putting on such a kick ass event. Get the full scoop and a ton of pics from the Mrs. and I right HERE.
So with the end of the world upon us, I highly suggest you put down the PBR and reach for something a little more sophisticated this weekend. I’m just saying… Whether or not you think Doomsday is actually going to rear its’ ugly head on 12.21, you’ll have plenty of great drinking options to choose from on what could be your last night on this big blue planet.
No time to lose. There’s beer to be drank and zombies to be killed. (In that order).
Friday, December 21st, 2012
Dry Dock Brewing is at it again and Firkin Master Walt has brewed up a batch of Peppermint Porter for this week’s Firkin Friday.
Just in time for xmas. Head over and grab a pint at 3 PM & 7 PM. Dry Dock Brewing is located at: 15120 E Hampden Ave, Aurora, CO 80014. 303-400-5606.
Down at Rockyard Brewing, Jellyman’s releasing “CranBlaaager” for this week’s Deviation.
He describes it as a “Nicely balanced mead/Munich Helles with a clean finish and cranberry notes floating in and our of perception. If the end is near then this is just the ticket.” Tapping at 4 PM. Rockyard Brewing is located at: 880 W Castleton Rd, Castle Rock, CO 80109. 303-814-9273.
Our friends over at Our Mutual Friend Malt & Brew are hosting a Winter Celebration & Food Drive from 4 PM – 12 AM.
Donate two non-perishable food items on Friday and they’ll give you a free OMF stemmed glass with the purchase of a beer. Click HERE for more details and a list of items they’re looking for. This is awesome glassware that’ll be a great addition to your collection. Or maybe you get one and gift it to the writer of one of your favorite blogs since he can’t make it. Wait, what? How’d that get in there?!? Seriously though, this is a great deal and they’ve only got 100 glasses to go around, so don’t miss out. Limit 1 glass per person. Our Mutual Friend is located at: 2810 Larimer St, Denver, CO 80205. 720-722-2810.
Just down the road at Black Shirt Brewing Co., they’ll have plenty of tasty Red Ales pouring for you on Friday night.
They’ll open at 4 PM so you can “drink red before you’re dead”. BSB was my pick for best beers at the recent Denver Beer Festivus and I can’t wait to check them out to try more. Black Shirt Brewing Co. is located at: 3719 Walnut St, Denver, CO 80205. 303-993-2799.
Over in Highlands Ranch, Parry’s Pizza is gearing up for their End of the World Party on Friday.
They’ll be pouring Doomsday-inspired brews along with firkins from Oskar Blues and Odell. Stop by for a very cool “Last Supper” influenced menu and songs about the end of the world. I’m interested to see how far they went with their playlist. I came up with a list of tunes that hint at the end of the world and there are quite a few out there. I mean R.E.M.’s cute and all, but there are some really good ones that aren’t so obvious, ranging from Nine Inch Nails to Medeski, Martin & Wood. The fun starts at 6 PM at Parry’s Pizza Highlands Ranch – 9567 S University Blvd, Highlands Ranch, CO 80126 and in Castle Rock – 5650 Allen Way, Castle Rock, CO 80108.
For our friends down south, get your butts over to Trinity for the Little Death Ride Release & Death Costume Party.
This is a collaboration beer made with John Schneider of Black Fox Brewing. Little Death Ride is a “Super Saison” brewed with a slew of Mayan ingredients, with everything from red Aji chiles to pumpkin to wild white cinnamon and more and finally aged in clay pots. Put your zombie costume on and grab some Little Death Ride. They’ve got 1 and ONLY 1 keg that’ll be getting tapped at 5 PM. They’ll also have 750 mL bottles available. If we survive, there’s a toast planned at midnight. Trinity Brewing is located at: 1466 Garden of the Gods Road, Colorado Springs, CO 80907. 719-634-0029.
Saturday, December 22nd, 2012
Uhm, what? We’re closed Dummy! The world’s gone to crap and the Zombie Apocalypse has arrived! Every man / woman / zombie for themselves. Did you make it? Then get your ass over to Right Coast Pizza for their Apocalypse Survival Bonfire Bash.
They’ll have 18 beers pouring from Great Divide & Ska along with Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey and plenty of food. The party runs from 6 PM – 11:30 PM. Right Coast Pizza is located at: 7100 W 38th St, Wheat Ridge, CO 80033. 303-431-6077.
Copper Kettle Brewing Company will be pouring their Bourbon Breakfast Stout on Cask on Saturday.
There’s no comments needed. This is a great beer that speaks for itself, so I repeat: Bourbon Breakfast Stout on Cask on Saturday. Done deal. Head to Copper Kettle Brewing Company at: 1338 S Valentia St #100, Denver, CO 80247. 720-443-CKBC.
Post Apocalyptic Brew News
New Belgium’s got a new Lips of Faith in the works.
Cascara Quad is a Belgian-style Quad brewed with date sugar and blended with the fruit that surrounds coffee beans (called cascara). No release date yet.
That’s it for this round guys. Have a good weekend, stay safe and I hope this isn’t my last blog… Signing off for now.
Cheers!
Weekend Beer Buzz 12/13/2012
Howdy Beer Freaks! How was 12.12.12? I spent the night in a haunted hotel drinking spooky beers. Anybody have any tasting stories or notes to share about the Stone Vertical Epic series? Falling Rock Tap House held a 03.03.03 through 12.12.12 tasting. I’m holding my tasting later this month or early next month. I’m really curious to see how these have held up. Drop us a note on our Facebook page to share your experience.
Quick update this weekend.
Friday, December 14th, 2012
Dry Dock Brewing in Aurora has a Cocoa-Weizen planned for this week’s Firkin Friday release.
First batch hits at 3 PM, followed by another batch at 7 PM. Dry Dock Brewing is located at: 15120 E Hampden Ave, Aurora, CO 80014. 303-400-5606.
Down in Castle Rock, Jellyman’s releasing a Deviation called “Parli-Funki-Fication”.
Copper in color, spicy and fruity in the nose, with a malt forward, tangy farmyard funkiness. They’ll be givin’ up the funk at 4 PM. Rockyard Brewing is located at: 880 W Castleton Rd, Castle Rock, CO 80109. 303-814-9273.
Saturday, December 15th, 2012
Denver Off The Wagon and Imbibe have joined forces to bring us the Denver Only Beer Festivus on Saturday.
19 Denver Breweries, local vendors, food trucks and live music. This should be a blast. Unfortunately, it sold out quickly. It was announced during GABF in mid-October and tickets were gone by early November. We’ll be there and hope to see you there too. The Festivus is being held at the recently renovated McNichol’s Building in Civic Center Park at 144 W Colfax Ave, Denver, CO. The fun runs from 2 PM – 6 PM, with an after party featuring Great Divide at 6:30 PM. More details on the Festivus and After Party can be found HERE.
Sunday, December 16th, 2012
Copper Kettle Brewing Company in Denver is hosting “Pints and Painting” on Sunday from 2 PM – 5 PM.
My wife “dragged” me to some sort of “Canvas and Cocktails” deal a few weeks ago and I gotta admit, it was a a lot of fun. The beer sucked, I actually drank wine. Gasp! Copper Kettle on the other hand, has awesome beer. So I can only imagine how much fun this is going to be.
Let your creative side shine as you’re walked through step-by-step instructions on how to create your own masterpiece of the chosen painting for the night. I’m telling you guys, the ladies love it and it’s actually a lot of fun. Not to mention, it’s at a brewery! What more could you ask for?
Reservations are $35, which includes all materials, instruction and your first beer. Click HERE for more details. Copper Kettle Brewing Company is located at: 1338 S Valentia St, #100, Denver, CO 80247. 720-443-CKBC.
That’s it for this round. Have fun this weekend.
Oh, and if you’re out beer huntin’ this weekend, Westvleteren probably came and went by the time you read this. Buy yourself some St. Bernardus Abt 12 and close your eyes. You’ll never know the difference.
But, AC Golden’s Ctayt, barrel-aged Russian Imperial Stout is hitting shelves right now. This GABF medal-winner is limited to 1344 bottles.
Check the latest round of New Beers and Beer News for more new brews to watch for.
Good luck beer hunters. And Be Nice to each other! No chinese finger traps, feces throwin’ monkeys, tazers or anything like that. It’s only beer people! Great beer, but it’s still only beer.
Cheers!
Weekend Beer Buzz 12/06/2012
Hope you guys had a good week. Last weekend’s Zwanze Day was pretty insane and will surely be one for the ages. Thanks again to Chad and the Crooked Stave staff for hosting such an amazing event. I’m off work for the next week and starting it off right with a little Beer and Broncos shindig tonight. Go Beer! Don’t worry, I’ve still got your Weekend Beer Buzz ready.
Friday, December 7th, 2012
Down at Rockyard Brewing in Castle Rock, Jellyman’s ready to get your weekend started right. For this week’s Deviaton, he’s releasing “Eric The Red” Braggot (a blend of mead and beer).
Tapping and specially paired appetizer will be on at 4 PM. Rockyard Brewing is located at: 880 W Castleton Rd, Castle Rock, CO 80109. 303-814-9273.
Over at Dry Dock Brewing in Aurora, Hop Heads are rejoicing with last week’s release of Hop Abomination. This is the 9th version of the beer and it’s another winner. I tried the new recipe last weekend and I enjoyed the low(er) ABV on this batch. It’s 5.8% this time, with 100 IBU’s. As if that wasn’t enough, for the upcoming Firkin Friday, it’s been double dry-hopped!.
Tappings at 3 PM and 7 PM. Dry Dock Brewing is located at: 15120 E Hampden Ave, Aurora, CO 80014. 303-400-5606.
It’s First Friday time over at Breckenridge Brewery in Denver. For this month’s Firkin First Friday, they’ve brewed a Christmas Cookie Ale.
Get out and give this one a try before the cold weather moves in this weekend. Tapping at 4 PM. Breckenridge Brewery is located at: 471 Kalamath St, Denver, CO 80204. 800-328-6723.
Saturday, December 8th, 2012
Lone Tree Brewing is celebrating their 1-year Anniversary this weekend.
In addition to special tappings like a Peppermint Mocha Porter and Chili Pepper Red, Gary V from American Craft Beer Radio will be broadcasting live on 102.3 FM on Saturday at noon and there will be a Customer Appreciation Brunch at noon on Sunday. Check the above flyer for all the tapping details, food trucks and music schedule.
Lone Tree’s also got an expansion in the works and new fermenters have been springing up around the brewery.
Two 20 BBL fermenters were delivered this week and two more are scheduled for delivery in 6 weeks. They even have plans to begin bottling soon! Lone Tree Brewing is located at: 8222 Park Meadows Dr, Lone Tree, CO 80124. 303-792-5822.
The guys from the Colorado Craft Beer Show are back in the studio after taking last week off. Tune it to AM760 at noon for updates from the Beer Drinker’s Guide to Colorado, learn about the Großen Bart Brewery and get the lowdown on Renegade Brewing’s upcoming canned releases and to hear about their plans to open a restaurant and beer bar near DU!
Down in Colorado Springs, Eric Steen and his team at Focus on the Beer, are celebrating two year’s with a party at Trinity Brewing.
They’ve rounded up some special beers to share: Crooked Stave – L’Brett d’Or, Wynkoop – Barrel Aged Barleywine, Backcountry – SaiZin and a whole bunch more. The party runs from 5 – 11 PM. Trinity Brewing is located at: 1466 Garden of the Gods Rd, Colorado Springs, CO 80907.
Lastly, there’s snow in the forecast for Colorado on Saturday. Stranahan’s Whiskey is releasing their latest Snowflake on Saturday. If you’re not familiar with their Snowflakes, this is basically their one-off / experimental series of fine spirits. This latest release is called Mount Shavano Malbec.
Sales of this beauty begin at 9AM, but I’m sure the line will being EARLY on Saturday morning. $99 / bottle, 3-bottle limit. And just in case you’re wondering, YES, this will sell out on Saturday. They always do. I know Stranahan’s is Whiskey and this is a beer blog, but so, so many great beers kiss their used barrels. Not to mention, The Rackhouse is the adjoining pub / restaurant and is a tremendous supporter of Colorado Craft Beer. It’s definitely worth mentioning in this lil’ ol’ beer blog. Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey is located at: 200 S Kalamath St, Denver, CO 80223.
Sunday, December 9th, 2012
Bacon & Beer Festival hits Denver on Sunday. Sadly, this is sold out… But, I’m sure if you had your eyes (or stomach) on this one, you snatched up your tickets well in advance.
I slacked and missed out…. BooHoo for me. Have fun out there if you’re going. I’d love to see some pics or hear some feedback on this one. I really hope this turns out to be an annual event for our great state.
As for me, I’ll be hitting up Dry Dock for their Bligh’s Barleywine release on Sunday morning. Did you know that Bligh’s is currently the highest rated beer coming out of the Mountain States on Beeradvocate.com? Didn’t know that did you? Me neither. Not until about 5 minutes ago anyway. I knew it was up there, but didn’t realize it was #1! It’s currently #91 in the U.S. if you were wondering. Rankings aside, it’s a phenomenal beer. This is a great beer to drink now AND later, so grab a couple for the cellar.
Sunday’s release will be at Dry Dock Brewing in Aurora on Sunday at 11 AM. 1 bottle per person, $20 each, 120 bottles. The remaining 160 cases will be distributed to local stores on 12/11. Dry Dock Brewing is located at: 15120 E Hampden Ave, Aurora, CO 80014. 303-400-5606.
Colorado Beer Lovers Celebrate Zwanze Day At Crooked Stave
Wow, what a weekend of beer. Even if you only had half as much fun as I did, you’re still in great shape. My only complaint is that the weekend still isn’t long enough for my liking. I’m still campaigning to cut the work week down and get a 3-day weekend every week, but that hasn’t happened yet…
On Saturday, we were lucky enough to attend Zwanze Day over at Crooked Stave. After a weekend of good beer, I typically like to let the pictures do the talking, but I have some thank you notes and quick observations to share with you.
First of all, a HUGE Thank You to Chad Yakobson and his team over at Crooked Stave. They had their hands full with the hundreds of sour beer freaks that started showing up on their doorstep as early as 3 AM on Saturday morning. The Crooked Stave gang did an outstanding job of handling the large turnout and keeping everyone happy on a very busy day. Thank you guys! You rock!
Second, big shout out to the Colorado Craft Beer Community. The pre-Zwanze bottle share was nothing short of awesome and the generosity was unreal. Huge thanks to everyone that brought beer and food to share. I was camped out next to the table that was full of beer bottles, hoplava (hoppy baklava), doughnuts and 5 pounds of freshly grilled bacon. If that’s not reason enough to get up at 4 AM, I don’t know what is. You guys rock and I’m proud to be part of this enthusiastic, friendly and generous group of beer lovers.
Finally, Thank You to Jean Van Roy and Brasserie Cantillon for sending some of your amazing beer to Colorado and sharing it with us. As if the highly anticipated Zwanze wasn’t enough, you spoiled us with Fou’ Foune on draft and bottles of Lou Pepe Framboise, St. Lamvinus, Classic Gueuze and Iris. Not to mention, my wife finally got that Cantillon shirt she’s been trying to track down for too many years to count. Thank You Cantillon, I hope Colorado made you proud. Cheers!
Chad handing out the magic tickets
Hmm, Does two dates mean I have the option to buy two pours?
The international toast at 1PM MST
Hope you enjoyed this round of pictures. If you have comments, pictures or anything you’d like to share from your Zwanze Day experience, please send me an e-mail or leave a comment on our Facebook Page. I’m sorry we missed Parade of Darks at Wynkoop and the Grand Opening of Black Bottle Brewery up in Fort Collins, but I’ll never forget Zwanze Day.
Good to the last drop!
Cheers!
Weekend Beer Buzz 11/29/2012
We’ve got a big weekend folks and I’m dropping bombs! Say what? Hey, there’s not one, but two new breweries opening in Colorado this week! This looks like it’ll be the biggest weekend we’ve had since the GABF circus rolled through town almost two months ago. Strap on your beer goggles and get ready to go. Oh and if you really want to enjoy this week’s post, grab your favorite beer and take a swig every time you see the word “BOOM!”. Hurry up, you just missed one.
Ready? Alright, let’s do this.
Earlier This Week
Firestone Walker XVI dropped not once, but twice. BOOM!
The Bad News: It disappeared from store shelves almost as soon as it landed. The Good News: It’s on tap at Parry’s Pizza right now (11/29/2012 11AM). Head over and try this unique anniversary blend of 8 different barrel-aged beers! BOOM!
Deschutes The Abyss hit Colorado. BOOM!
This inky impy stout is proving to be a challenge to track down as well. There’s not as much to go around as originally anticipated. I’m not sure if we’ll be getting a second shipment or if the beer geek boom is stretching the supply thinner than previous years. Whatever the case may be, if you want some, don’t wait around. It’s hitting shelves this week and a few stores have already sold out.
Dry Dock bottled their 2012 batch of Bligh’s Barleywine on Tuesday. BOOM! This luscious Barleywine has spent the better part of 2012 aging in Stranahan Whiskey Barrels.
I had the opportunity to try a sample a few weeks ago during our interview with Dry Dock Co-Owner & Founder Kevin DeLange and it’s shaped up very nicely. You’re going to love it. And if you don’t, you’ll sell your bottles to me and like it. Dry Dock’s releasing 10 cases at the brewery on Sunday, 12/9 ($20 each / 1-bottle limit), with more cases going to local liquor stores on 12/11.
Brewery Rickoli Ltd. opened in Wheat Ridge on Wednesday. BOOM!
Brewmaster Rick Abitbol has been brewing along the Front Range for more than a decade. Rickoli opened with Black Pliny Double IPA, Social Lubricant Scotch Ale, Aldo’s Red, Totally IPA and a Rye Stout. Stay tuned for a single-hopped Pale Ale series exploring one hop variety at a time, plus a Hoppy Barleywine, a Bourbon Peach Strong Ale, a Dark Chocolate Milk Stout and more! Brewery Rickoli Ltd is located at: 4335 Wadsworth Blvd, Wheat Ridge, CO 80033. Mon – Thu: 3 PM – 11 PM & Fri – Sun: 2 PM – 12 AM. 303-344-8988.
Cantillon bottles have been dropping on local retailers too (thankfully no one was injured)! BOOM!
My most favoritest of the Belgians. I heart you Cantillon. Sadly, I’m not too hopeful that I’ll find any. With everyone on the hunt, I figure winning this week’s $400+ Million Powerball jackpot might be easier than finding a little Cantillon on a store shelf around town. But, hey, at least it’s returned to CO. More Cantillon news below…
Friday, November 30, 2012
For this week’s Deviation down at Rockyard Brewing, the Jellyman will be pouring JPA – Jelly Pale Ale.
According to Jellyman, this is a 7% ABV that pours a “dark straw with lacy white head”, has aromas of “fruit berry jelly with hints of toffee” and has “a balanced maltiness and citrus hops, punctuated by jam”. Get your Jelly On at 4 PM! BOOM! Rockyard Brewing is located at: 880 W Castleton Rd, Castle Rock, CO 80109. 303-814-9273.
Dry Dock Brewing is following up last week’s Ho Ho Ho Slapdown with a very festivus Firkin Friday. Here’s Firkin Friday Surgeon General Walt Chleva modeling an amazing beer and pairing it with this Christmas sweater that’s… Well it’s… hmm, oh yeah nothing nice to say, don’t say anything at all. Thanks Mom.
This week’s firkin will feature a Roasted Marshmallow version of Bethla-Yam. Bethla-Yam is a Sweet Potato Stout, winner of the 2012 Ho Ho Ho Slapdown and creation from Dry Dock Brewer Brett Williams. The win has secured Brett bragging rights around the brewery for the next 12 months as he beat out fellow brewers Doug Hyndman and John Schneider for the title.
As for Bethla-Yam, it’s a sweet, moderately spiced stout. BTW – Dry Dock is still pouring all of the Ho Ho Ho Slapdown entries, so if you’re interested in trying them or grabbing a growler to-go, head over now and get your fix. As for Firkin Friday, tappings will be at 3 PM & 7 PM. Dry Dock Brewing is located at: 15120 E Hampden Ave, Aurora, CO 80014. 303-400-5606.
Saturday, December 1, 2012
Wynkoop’s Annual Parade of Darks is lined up for Saturday.
34 breweries bringing 82 brews, all leaning towards the darker side of the force. BOOM! Here’s the complete list from Wynkoop’s very own Beer Evangelist, Mr. Marty Jones:
Arvada Beer Co – Jolly Holiday Ale, Foreign to Me Stout
Avery Brewing – The Czar, Old Jubilation, Out of Bounds Stout
AC Golden – Blueberry Sour, Plum Sour,
Bootstrap Brewing– Worthog Stout, Boomer Brown
Boulevard Brewing – Bully! Porter, Dark Truth Stout
Breckenridge Brewery – Oatmeal Stout, Vanilla Porter, Extra ESB, Christmas Ale
Bull & Bush – Big Ben Brown Ale, Stonehenge Stout, Punk Up The Yams, The Legend Of The Liquid Brain, Captain Funk, Captain Midnight
Caution Brewing – Toaster Bat Black Smoked Porter, Dunkel(er)weiss.
Copper Kettle – Mexican Chocolate Stout, Pumpkin Porter
Denver Beer Co– Graham Cracker Porter, Chill Out Chocolate Chili Stout
Elevation Brewing – Apis, Lil Mo Porter
Drydock Brewing – Wee Heavy Strong Scotch Ale, Raspberry Porter
Firestone Walker – Velvet Merlin Oatmeal Stout, Walker’s Reserve Porter, DBA
Fort Collins Brewery – Double Chocolate Stout
Great Divide – Yeti Imperial Stout, Espresso Oak Aged Yeti, Claymore Scotch Ale, Hibernation
Green Flash – Double Stout
Grimm Brothers Brewhouse – Master Thief German Porter, Fearless Youth Dunkel Lager, Wee Heavy Barrel-Aged Scottish Strong Ale
Jolly Pumpkin – Bam Noir
Left Hand – Fade to Black, Milk Stout Nitro
Lone Tree Brewing – Acres O Green Irish Red, Toots’s Full-Bodied Oatmeal Stout, Chili Beer Collaboration #2, Old # 99 Rauchbier
Lost Abbey – Lost & Found
Maui Brewing – Coconut Porter
Mountain Sun Brewery & Pub — Megatron Imperial Stout, Oatimus Prime Imperial Stout
Odell Brewing – Mountain Standard, Isolation Ale
Ommegang – Three Philosophers
Port Brewing – Old Viscosity
Prost Brewing – Doppelbock, Dunkel
Pug Ryan’s– Brain-teaser Barlywine, Barell-Aged Leap Year Trifecta
Sierra Nevada –Narwhal Imperial Stout,Wine Barrel Aged Dubbel
Ska – Steel Toe Stout, Nefarious, On The Sly Again
Strange Brewing – Pumpkin Porter, Cherry Bomb Stout, Gingerbread Man, Vanilla Rum Porter
Twisted Pine – Espresso Stout, Honey Brown
Upslope Brewing– Christmas Ale, Brown Ale
Wynkoop Brewing – Gingerbread Stout, 2012 Barleywine, Cowtown Milk Stout, B3K Black Lager, Rocky Mountain Oyster Stout, Colorojo
As you can tell, this is going to be full of awesome beers for your tasting pleasure. Tickets are $35 in advance and available HERE or $42 at the door (if they’re not already sold out come Saturday). The Wynkoop is located at: 1634 18th St, Denver, CO 80202. 303-297-2700.
Just up the road from the Wynkoop, Crooked Stave will be hosting Cantillon’s Zwanze Day on Saturday. BOOM!
This is a world-wide event with a coordinated toast at 1 PM MST. This is the first time a Colorado location has been picked to participate so don’t miss out. To quote some snotty teenager somewhere in America, “it’s kind of a big deal”. BOOM! For more specifics, check out our article about Zwanze Day from earlier in the week by clicking HERE. Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project is located at: 1441 W 46th Ave, Unit 19, Denver, CO 80211. 720-508-3292.
Black Bottle Brewing up in Fort Collins, CO will open their doors to beer freaks for the first time this Saturday. BOOM!
This new brewery, run by Sean Nook, will be pouring their own beers, along with some great craft beer on their 40 guest taps. They’ll also have a full bar and fermented grape juice for those non-beer drinking types you so unwisely choose to associate yourself with… I’m freakin’ psyched about these guys. They’ve gotten great reviews and took second place in the People’s Choice Awards at the 2012 Gnarly Barley Brew Festival. In the near future, they’ll be working out a barrel-aging program, souring beers and brewin’ up some nice styles of craft beer that they’ll want to drink. And by the looks of things, I’m pretty sure you’ll want to drink them too.
Their videos are tough to beat. I mean, have you seen this yet?
Because Craft Beer Rocks! BOOM! I can’t wait to visit Black Bottle Brewing and give them a try. Black Bottle Brewing will be open 7 days a week from 11 AM – 2 AM and is located at: 1605 S College Ave, Fort Collins, CO 80525. 970-493-2337.
Over in Boulder, Asher Brewing turns 3 this weekend.
They’ve got a little shindig planned complete with beer, food, beer, music, beer, dogs, games, beer and beer. Beer, it’s what’s for dinner. Bet you thought I was going to say “BOOM!”. I did clown. Now drink! Two for flinching. The party runs from noon – midnight. Asher Brewing is located at: 4699 Nautilus Ct, Suite 104, Boulder CO, 80301. 303-530-1381.
But wait, there’s more. While you’re up in the People’s Republic of Boulder, swing over to Twisted Pine and grab a bottle or 3 of the last installment in their Artisan Ale Series. For December, they’re releasing Noel Tripel.
This beer is a 9% ABV Belgian-style Tripel. 750mL bottles will be sold in the tap room beginning at noon. Twisted Pine Brewing is located at: 3201 Walnut St, Suite A, Boulder, CO 80301. 303-786-9270.
Monday, December 3, 2012
Into next week, New Belgium has planned “The Creator’s Dinner”, where all the beers being poured will be introduced by their creator / brewer. This is happening over at The Kitchen in Denver on Monday at 6:30. Check out this lineup:
- Kick- Presented by Kim Jordan (NBB Co-founder and CEO) and Dick Cantwell (head brewer and owner of Elysian Brewing Co)
- La Folie- Presented by Peter Bouckaert (Brew Master at New Belgium)
- Le Terroir- Presented by Lauren Salazar (Wood Beer Blender and Sensory Specialist at New Belgium)
- Eric’s Ale- Presented by Eric Salazar (Wood Beer Brewer and Blender at New Belgium)
- Chocolate Coffee Stout- Presented by Grady Hull (Assistant Brew Master at New Belgium)
- Transatlantique Kriek- Presented by Peter Bouckaert (Brew Master at New Belgium)
BOOM! There will be incredible food paired with each beer. This is a really great opportunity to meet and talk with some of the creative minds behind New Belgium’s fantastic beers. Reservations are $85 and can be made by calling 303-623-3127. The Kitchen Denver is located at: 1530 16th St, Denver, CO 80202.
That’s it. Did you make it all the way to the end? I hope so. I’m all BOOM’d! out. Yes, that one counts too, so take your final sip and go grab a nap. You’re going to need it before the weekend gets here.
Have fun out there.
Cheers!
Zwanze Day 2012 Comes To Colorado!
Zwanze Day is coming to Colorado. Shhh!!! There’s not much to go around, so don’t tell anyone, OK? Don’t even read this post. You already know too much!
Just relax and take a deep breath will ya? Zwanze Day is almost here, but there’s no reason to freak out. Read on to get the latest on this Saturday’s world-wide toast with Cantillon.
Cantillon, the legendary Lambic brewery in Brussels, Belgium, began making Zwanze in 2008 and decide to bottle it for an annual release at the brewery. Zwanze is a spontaneously fermented Lambic and the bottles that were released at the brewery from 2008-2010 were highly sought after by craft beer lovers around the World. All was well until 2010, when several bottles appeared on eBay for more than ten times the original price.
So in 2011, the brewery decided to keg the entire batch and send it to some of the finest breweries and beer bars around the world for everyone to enjoy. This year marks the first time a Colorado location has been chosen to receive Zwanze. Cantillon’s fourth generation brewer and blender, Jean Van Roy, chose the Crooked Stave Barrel Cellar in Denver to participate in this years’ Zwanze Day, which has turned into a world-wide tapping and toasting party.
On Saturday, December 1st at 1 PM MST, wild beer fans from all over the Rocky Mountain area will descend upon Chad Yakobson’s Crooked Stave Barrel Cellar for a chance to try this unique beer and raise a glass with beer lovers around the world. Crooked Stave is one of only 35 beer destinations across the globe, 15 of which are in the U.S., to receive the coveted brew.
Chad and the Crooked Stave Team are preparing for a big crowd on Saturday. They’ll be opening up the Barrel Cellar to accommodate the gathering of loyal beer hunters. Chad says this will be a first-come, first-serve event and they’ll be using a ticketing system to keep things as fair and orderly as possible for attendees. The doors will open at noon and ticket holders will be allowed to purchase 2 pours of beer (1 Zwanze and 1 yet unnamed Cantillon) plus a Zwanze day glass for what is expected to be a $20 (CASH ONLY) price tag.
There will only be 150 pours of Zwanze on Saturday and jokes have already started buzzing around about how early beer nerds will begin lining up for the festivities. Those ARE jokes right guys? I hope. I mean, we just survived the Black Friday shenanigans and that was just over TV’s… This is about BEER, which is obviously way more important than any TV could ever hope to be. Do we at least have time to run home for a shower and a hot meal before heading back out to line up for Zwanze Day? A low-key, in-line bottle share has been discussed as well, but it remains unclear if the powers that be (i.e. local laws and surrounding businesses) will allow a bottle share to take place or not. If not, I’m pretty sure Crooked Stave will have some beauties on tap to share.
Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project is located at: 1441 W 46th Ave, Unit 19, Denver, CO 80211. 720-508-3292.
Here’s a few more details about this year’s Zwanze Day straight from Cantillon’s Jean Van Roy:
When in early April we brewed a top-fermentation beer which was to become Zwanze 2012, we hoped that it would be ready 3 or 4 months later so that we could organise another Zwanze Day sometime in September.
However, since we are working in the very specific environment of traditional Lambic brewery where natural yeast flora reign supreme, even a top-fermented beer can take control of its own destiny. As such, on the occasion of a final tasting session at the end of June it became crystal-clear that the Zwanze 2012 would not be ready in time and that it would, we hope, become Zwanze 2013.
Seeing that we had received numerous requests to organise a Zwanze Day this year we decided to recreate the very first Zwanze produced in 2008. As a reminder, that year’s vintage had been brought about by soaking rhubarb in Lambic. The ultimate result of that experiment was a very delicate and complex product in which the beer’ acidic taste struck a very nice balance with the plant’s tartness and then lingered long on the palate.
For this new production batch we decided to work with organically-grown rhubarb, and you can really taste this in the beer, which is more structured and full-bodied than the 2008 vintage. We opted to recreate the rhubarb Lambic because very few consumers had been able to taste this beer 4 years ago, when only 300 litres had been produced. On top of this, unlike fruit crops, rhubarb production was not adversely affected by the very poor weather which hit Europe this spring. And finally, the last, perhaps most important reason of all for bringing back Zwanze 2008: my wife tells me it’s one of her favourites.
Of course, because of the delays encountered with the first Zwanze we will not be able to hold this year’s Zwanze Day in September. Instead, Zwanze Day 2012 will take place on Saturday, 1 December at the 30 or so locations around the world listed below.
I wish you all an excellent Zwanze Day!
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- America – USA :
- Armsby Abbey – Worcester, Massachusetts
- Avenue Pub – New Orleans, Louisiana
- ChurchKey – Washington, D.C.
- Crooked Stave Barrel Cellar – Denver, Colorado
- Holy Grale – Louisville, Kentucky
- Hop and Vine – Portland, Oregon
- Lord Hobo – Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Monk’s Café – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Novare Res Bier Café – Portland, Maine
- REAL a gastropub – Honolulu, Hawai’i
- Redlight Redlight – Orlando, Florida
- Spuyten Duyvil – Brooklyn, New York
- The Foundry – Kansas City, Missouri
- The Trappist – Oakland, California
- Toronado – San Diego, California
- West Lakeview Liquors – Chicago, Illinois
- America – Canada :
- Canada – Montréal : Dieu du Ciel
- Europe :
- Belgium – Brussels : Moeder Lambic Fontainas
- Belgium – Brussels : Moeder Lambic Saint-Gilles
- Belgium – Arlon : Mi-Orge Mi-Houblon
- France – Paris : La Fine Mousse
- France – Lille : La Capsule
- Great Britain – London : The Earl of Essex
- Italy Rome : Ma Che Siete Venuti A Fà
- Italy Bergamo : The Dome
- Italy Nicorvo : Sherwood Pub
- Italy – Quinto Vicentino : The Drunken Duck
- Italy – Quartu Sant’Elena : Ristopub Margherita
- Norway – Grimstad : Nøgne Ø
- Finland Helsinki : Pikkulitu
- Denmark Copenhagen : Olbutikken
- Netherlands – Amsterdam : De Bierkoning
- Sweden Stockholm : Akkurat
- Spain – Sant Joan de Mediona : Masia Agullons
- Asia :
- Japan – Tokyo: Embassy of Belgium
- America – USA :
In all seriousness, everyone just remain calm and good luck this weekend beer hunters! It’s only beer. Right? This post will self destruct in 3… 2… (Cheers!) 1…
Weekend Beer Buzz: Thanksgiving Edition 11/22/2012
Happy Turkey Day Friends! With the holiday and all, I had seriously considered skipping the Weekend Beer Buzz this week, but there’s just way too much beer fun to be had. You asked for it, you got it. Let’s roll.
Friday, November 23, 2012
The blackest of all Friday’s is here. Skip the shopping and get your breakfast in a glass down at Rockyard in Castle Rock.
Jellyman’s brewed “MBM 5.0”. Are you ready for this? It’s a Whopper and Krave Chocolate Cereal Stout! Say What?!?! Dude, delicious! As if that wasn’t enough, he’ll have it pouring ALL DAY starting at 8 AM. Drop the shoppers in your family off at the outlets and head over to the Rockyard for your fill. Rockyard Brewing is located at: 880 W Castleton Rd, Castle Rock, CO 80109. 303-814-9273.
Over at Dry Dock Brewing in Aurora, they’ll be tapping a firkin of Galaxy Dry-Hopped Pale Ale at 3 PM and another at 7 PM. Dry Dock Brewing is located at: 15120 E Hampden Ave, Aurora, CO 80014. 303-400-5606.
Yak & Yeti Brewpub will be tapping their Sherpa Porter on Friday.
This popular seasonal weighs in at 5.2% ABV and 34 IBU’s. The beer goes on at 11 AM, with a party beginning at 4 PM. This beer will serve as a launching pad for head brewer Adam Draeger to kick off his Porter Wednesday series, which begins in December. Here’s the lineup he has planned for the winter months:
- Dec 5th – Toasted Coconut Porter
- Dec 12th – Vanilla Porter
- Dec 19th – Peppermint Porter
- Dec 26th – Cherry Porter
- Jan 2nd – Orange Chocolate Porter
- Jan 9th – 100% Kona Coffee Porter
- Jan 16th – Repeat of Favorite
- Jan 23rd – Repeat of Favorite
Keep your browser pointed right here for the latest details in his series of winter releases. Sounds yummy. Yak & Yeti is located at: 7803 Ralston Rd, Arvada, CO 80002. 303-431-9000.
Saturday, November 24, 2012
The Dry Dock brewers will be going head-to-head on Saturday for the annual Ho Ho Ho Slapdown.
This year, head brewer Doug Hyndman brewed a Raspberry Pomegranate Porter, Brett Williams is pouring a Sweet Potato Porter and John Schneider crafted a Gingerbread Amber. Come on down, try all 3 and vote for your favorite. I love this event as the brewer’s really work the crowd and campaign to get your vote. The pours begin at noon and the voting ends at 3 PM, but beers will be pouring all day.
This has also been dubbed “Ugly Sweater Day” at the Dock, so get those tacky Xmas sweaters ready. I’ve already seen a few pics of what they employees will be wearing and they’re BAD! This should be awesome! Dry Dock Brewing is located at: 15120 E Hampden Ave, Aurora, CO 80014. 303-400-5606.
Big beer time over at Copper Kettle Brewing Company. On Saturday, they’ll be tapping this year’s batch of Bourbon Breakfast Stout.
This is an oatmeal stout brewed with coffee and chocolate and aged in bourbon barrels. Oh Daddy! This sounds awesome! Tapping at noon. CKBC is located at: 1338 S Valentia St #100, Denver, CO 80247. 720-443-CKBC.
Black Shirt Brewing will be open again this Saturday.
Stop by and try their new Fall Harvest Saison, brewed with locally grown squash. They only brewed 10 gallons, so don’t miss out. Black Shirt will be open from 4 PM – 8 PM. They’re located at: 3719 Walnut St, Denver, CO 80205. 303-993-2799.
Don’t forget about the boys from the Colorado Craft Beer Show, who’ll be broadcasting live from the Arvada Beer Co on Saturday.
Tebo from Breckenridge Brewery will be co-hosting this week. Tune in to AM 760 at noon to get the latest news on the Colorado Craft Beer Scene.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Looking into next week, Avery Brewing will be releasing this year’s batch of Mephistopheles on Wednesday.
Tickets for their 3-year vertical tasting in the tap room are sold out, but be on the lookout for bottles of this 15 – 17% ABV monster of a stout to hit store shelves very soon. It’s an amazing beer that ages very well. Avery Brewing is located at: 5763 Arapahoe Blvd, Boulder, CO 80303.
Future Brew News
Looking ahead, Forkly, Eat Boston and Denver Off The Wagon have teamed up to bring us the Denver Bacon & Beer Festival.
Tickets are on sale now for the December 9th tasting. Look for 25 local chefs to bring their bacon creations and 20 local breweries pouring their beers for this one. Some of the breweries include Crooked Stave, Prost, Strange, Wits End and Trinity. Check the official website for more details and ticket information. The Denver Bacon & Beer Festival will be at: Mile High Station, 2027 West Lower Colfax Ave, Denver, CO 80204.
That’s it peeps. Hope everyone had a great Turkey Day! Stop by our Facebook page and share what you’re drinking this weekend.
Cheers!
Weekend Beer Buzz 11/15/2012
I declare Shenanigans! In September, the good people at Strange Brewing Company here in Denver, were threatened with a potential lawsuit from Strange Brew Homebrew in Marlboro, MA over the use of the term “Strange Brew”. You can get all the details in this great article from our friend Jonathan Shikes over at the Denver Westword.
I wasn’t going to chime in on this debate, but I can’t help it, so I’ll try to keep it short. To me, this just comes off as sad and lame. Seems like Strange Brew is trying to get a little publicity from the success of Denver’s Strange Brewing Co. Show your support to the Strange gang by clicking “Like” on Keep Strange Brewing Strange on Facebook. This page was started by fans of our local brewery and has been keeping people up to date with the latest in this drama filled battle.
This whole situation makes me sad. I’m not necessarily surprised, just let down that Strange Brew Homebrew isn’t willing to work with Strange Brewing here in Denver to figure this out. You’re talking about a term that’s been around for ages and is referenced in music, movies and more… Hey, if Avery and Russian River can settle their differences and collaborate together to brew “Collaboration Not Litigation”, I’m pretty sure these two can come up with a better solution rather than wasting time and money on lawyers… Stay tuned to watch this one unfold.
Time for something positive. I found out on Monday that we were nominated for a Westword Web Award in the Best Booze Blog category! I’m really excited to have made the list of 4-finalists. Denver Off The Wagon, Fermentedly Challenged and Colorado Wino are also in the running. Man, am I in good company or what? All of these sites are run by good people and without a doubt, deserve to win. I’m just happy to be mentioned. We’ve come a long way since I started this journey 9-months ago and I can’t Thank You guys enough for your continued support. So Cheers to you!
Alright friends, we’ve got a big weekend to talk about. Roll Tide!
Thursday, November 15th, 2012.
Beer Craving is gearing up for their first beer festival. They’ve created Chef N Brew, which will pair 12 locally brewed beers with 12 dishes from local chefs in an event / challenge to come up with the perfect pairing.
Want a teaser of what to expect? How about Prost Brewing’s Dunkel paired with pasta, handmade meatballs, cheese tortellini, cinnamon custard and savory pie crust from Panzano’s. Or how about Elevation’s Apis IV Quad, paired with smoked lamb neck shepherd’s pie, with goat cheese whipped potatoes in a honey whole wheat crust.
In addition to the tasting, pairing and competition, there will be a silent auction and raffle. Head over to The Oriental Theatre for this fun and one-of-a-kind event. Tickets are $49 at the door and the event runs from 6 – 9:30 PM. More details can be found HERE. The Oriental Theatre is located at: 4335 W 44th Ave, Denver, CO 80212. LATE UPDATE – This is now SOLD OUT!
Over at Crooked Stave, Chad’s got another lineup of amazing sour brews pouring in the Barrel Room.
Man, I need to get over and try Cellar Blend #1. Sounds awesome! Crooked Stave is located at: 1441 W 46th Ave, Unit 19, Denver, CO 80211. 720-508-3292.
As for us, we’ll be hitting the Westword Web Awards on Thursday. This looks to be a pretty sweet event that recognizes writers, photographers, twitterererers, bloggers and just about anybody else covering the great city of Denver via the internets. The complete list of finalists can be found HERE. Winners will be announced in more than 40 different categories.
Odell Brewing will be pouring #OhMyGourd, a small-batch pumpkin beer, which was brewed specifically for the event. The tap handle logo was designed by Jeff Herndon, who had his winning creation chosen by Odell in a recent contest. Awesome design in my opinion.
Despite being an invitation only event, there will be some extra tickets available via the Denver Westword’s Facebook page on Thursday morning. Get on it if you’re interested and come cheers us on in the “Best Booze Blog” Category. The Web Awards run from 7 PM – 11 PM at Denver’s RedLine, located at: 2350 Arapahoe Ave, Denver, CO 80205. Wish us luck!
Avery releases the 2012 batch of Czar today at 5 PM. This big, bold Russian Imperial Stout is a tasty release from their “Dictator Series” and is one of those beers that drinks well both now and later. Don’t be afraid to grab a few for the cellar.
Stop by the Tasting Room and bring some non-perishable food items with you. You’ll get a 10 oz. pour of Czar for every 3 items you donate. You’ll also have a shot at winning a 5 gallon keg or 2-cases of Czar. Good Beer for a Good Cause. Win / Win. The Avery Tasting Room is located at: 5763 Arapahoe Ave, Boulder, CO 80303.
Our Mutual Friend Malt & Brew is open with regular hours!
Hours will be: Thu 4 PM – 10 PM, Fri 4 PM – 12 AM, Sat 2 PM – 12 AM and Sun 2 PM – 10 PM. Our Mutual Friend is located at: 2810 Larimer St, Denver, CO 80205. 720-722-2810. Stop by and welcome them to Denver!
Friday, November 16th, 2012.
Down in Castle Rock, the Jellyman’s got another of his Deviations ready to roll at Rockyard. This week, look for “Verbal Warning”, a 6.0% ABV version of their Redhawk Scottish Ale lagered with semi-sweet chocolate.
Tapping at 4 PM. Rockyard Brewing is located at: 880 W Castleton Rd, Castle Rock, CO 80109. 303-814-9273.
Over at Dry Dock, Firkin Master Walt, has brewed a Chestnut Brown Ale.
Tapping’s at 3 PM & 7 PM. Don’t be late. Dry Dock Brewing is located at: 15120 E Hampden Ave, Aurora, CO 80014. 303-400-5606.
Parry’s Pizza in Highlands Ranch is hosting another Pint Night. They’ll have Odell in the house for this round.
Stop by and try the yummy Haven and Hale Peach Ale and get a pint glass to take home. Ryan Odell will be in the house handing out Odell swag from 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM.
So you’re in the Parry’s Pizza Ale Yeah club right? I hope so. It’s the only way to find out about special tappings and events at Parry’s before they happen! Oh, and it’s FREE! There’s a special tapping coming up next Wednesday that Sour-heads won’t want to miss, so get over there and sign up today! Parry’s Pizza is located at: 9567 S University Blvd, Highlands Ranch, CO 80126. 303-683-0600.
Saturday, November 17th, 2012.
Turk and The Gubna are headin’ North on Saturday. They’ll be broadcasting live from the Foeder Forest at New Belgium Brewing in Fort Collins.
Man, we had a tour of that area earlier this summer and I’m still having funky, sour dreams because of it. Such a cool place. New Belgium better lock up the La Folie. Turk can’t resist that beer. Tune in and listen live on AM 760 from noon – 2 PM or grab the podcast on their website. LOVE their show!
10 Years of Dale’s Cans?!?! Nicely done Oskar Blues! Crazy to think the can movement has grown from OB into more than 200 breweries canning beers in the U.S. today. Head over to the original OB, the OG of cans if you will, for their CANiversary. On Saturday, stop by their Lyon’s location and raise a pint can to the OB gang.
There’s a concert by The White Buffalo, sorry, it’s sold out… But, the rest of the party is FREE and runs from 6 PM – midnight. There’s even a special CANlaboration beer debuting at the party. OB teamed up with Ska to brew “oSKAr the G’Rauch”, an 8.5% ABV, smoked IPA that will debut in 19.2 oz cans this weekend.
Come on out for some great food, beer, silent disco and more! Oskar Blues is located at: 303 Main St, Lyons, CO 80540.
Sunday, November 18th, 2012.
And on the 7th Day, He rested (and had beer for breakfast at Copper Kettle Brewing Company). Bourbon Breakfast Stout is back!
On Sunday, Copper Kettle is hosting a breakfast and beer pairing, which will give you the only chance to try last year’s batch of Bourbon Breakfast Stout, alongside this year’s batch. The $25 ticket includes 3-courses and 4-beers. Stop by the brewery or send them an e-mail (info@copperkettledenver.com) to reserve your spot at either the 9:30 AM or 11 AM meals. Copper Kettle Brewing Company is located at: 1338 S Valentia St #100, Denver, CO 80247. 720-443-CKBC. Oh, and if you can’t attend Sunday’s breakfast, you’ll still have a chance to try this year’s batch. The tapping is scheduled for next weekend. Keep your browser pointed right here for all the details.
The Littlest Big Beer Fest is back at Denver’s Hops & Pie. Killer freakin’ lineup this time with the FiftyFifty crew out of Truckee, CA.
Some sick brews will be flowing. Man (or WoMan) up and order a glass of the Eclipse, aged for 300 days in 12 Yr. Elijah Craig Bourbon Barrels. Are you freakin’ kidding me? Their stouts are not for the faint of heart, not easy to find and certainly not to be missed. Want. To. Drink. The. Eclipse. I. Do. said Master Yoda in odd, punctuated speak. LBBF starts at 2 PM. Hops & Pie is located at: 3920 Tennyson St, Denver, CO 80212. 303-477-7000.
That’s it for now friends. Once again, Thank You for getting us nominated for a Denver Westword’s Web Awards tonight! Have a great weekend.
Cheers!
Weekend Beer Buzz 11/09/2012
It’s been an interesting week. We got back an hour of sleep, although my kids still haven’t figured out how to sleep past 5:30 AM… We survived another election. I don’t get political on here. Truthfully, I don’t really talk politics at all on here or otherwise. It’s not my thing. But, I’m enjoying the fact that the phone calls during dinner, knocks at the door and back stabbing commercials have ceased for the time being.
I spent an afternoon over at Dry Dock Brewing in Aurora, sipping on a 6-year old Framboise and talking all things beer with owner Kevin DeLange. Check out Part 1 and Part 2 for a full report on one of Colorado’s top breweries and be sure to stop by Dry Dock this weekend and help them celebrate their 7th Anniversary on Saturday. Details below.
The weekend’s here. Let’s rock it!
Friday, November 9th, 2012.
You wanted the hops? You got the hops! Kick off your weekend with a visit to Dry Dock Brewing in Aurora. The Firkin Master’s summoning all of Colorado’s Hop Freaks for his Citra Dry-Hopped Osirus Bitter.
Tappings at 3 PM and 7 PM. Dry Dock Brewing is located at: 15120 E Hampden Ave, Aurora, CO 80014. 303-400-5606.
Saturday, November 10th, 2012.
It’s all about Dry Dock this week. I can’t help it. They’ve got an Anniversary this weekend, they’re gearing up to open their Production Facility, they’ve got cans on the way and I’m sipping on their Barrel-Aged Shotgun Russian Imperial Stout as I type this. If you missed our 2-part interview with Owner / Founder / Brewer Kevin DeLange, click HERE and HERE to get the full scoop on Dry Dock’s Past, Present & Future. Dry Dock, here’s to 7 awesome years! Help them celebrate on Saturday at their Anniversary Party.
The party starts at noon and runs until… I guess until they kick you out, which they’re not very good at. So just plan on sticking around all day and getting a cab home. Just glancing at this list of beers getting tapped, I’m pretty sure you can’t go wrong. 2010 Wee Heavy, Sour Apricot and the incredibly tasty Ambassador Sour Ale. That’s good times right there. Check out Dry Dock’s 7th Anniversary Party and wish them luck with their new Production Facility and 40 BBL Brewhouse. Dry Dock Brewing is located at: 15120 E Hampden Ave, Aurora, CO 80014. 303-400-5606.
The folks behind The Funk’n Wild Sour Beer Club are back at it again. This time they’ve wrangled Avery’s Barrel Herder Andy Parker to join the group and talk about and taste all things sour.
Once again, they’ve secured some great beers to share including Crooked Stave’s L’Brett d’Or, Avery’s Dihos Dactylion, New Belgium’s La Folie, Russian River’s Consecration and Bear Republic’s Tartare and that’s just the beginning! Although I haven’t been able to make it to a meeting yet, I’m loving this group of Sour Beer Enthusiasts. Fingers crossed I can swing up to Longmont to check it out this time around.
The boys from the Colorado Craft Beer Show will be in the house broadcasting live from this funky event from noon – 2 PM. Check them out on AM 760. Somebody buy Turk a La Folie. That boy can’t get enough of that beer. He’s got good taste.
Stop by Oskar Blues Homemade Liquids and Solids from 1 PM – 4 PM and see what Funk’n Wild’s all about. OB’s HMLS is located at: 1555 S Hover Rd, Longmont, CO 80503. 303-485-9400.
Branden and the gang at Black Shirt Brewing are opening their doors once again this Saturday from 3 -8 PM.
Despite their limited hours, Black Shirt Brewing continues to receive positive reviews as they showcase the versatility and complexity of the Red Ale. If you have the time, I’d recommend getting over there for a visit. It’s at the top of my list. Black Shirt Brewing is located at: 3719 Walnut St, Denver, CO 80205. 303-993-2799.
Lastly, Copper Kettle Brewing Co. will host “A Night of Casks” on Saturday beginning at noon and running until 10 PM.
The Hoppa Fresh Hop hits the hand pumps at noon, with the Imperial Pumpkin Porter going on at 5 PM. There’s just something about a smooth, flavorful, real cask ale. Check out this unique twist to CKBC’s brews. CKBC is located at: 1338 S Valentia St #100, Denver, CO 80247. 720-443-CKBC.
Thursday, November 15th, 2012.
Looking into next week, the Chef N Brew Festival is coming up on Thursday night.
This will pair 12 local breweries with 12 local chefs for an interesting night of tastings and competition. Come by and see what kind of creative dishes Denver’s top chefs have created to go with beers from Denver’s top breweries like Prost, Crooked Stave and Strange. This is being held at The Oriental Theatre in Denver. Tickets are $39 in advance, $49 at the door and can be purchased HERE.
There you have it good people. Get out and try something new this weekend. Or something old, that’s fine too. No matter what it is, have fun and respect your beer.
Cheers!
Brewtally Insane! 
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