Fermentedly Challenged

Colorado Beer News 052512

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Butler) — Fri, 25 May 2012 15:52:00 +0000

Today is Geek/Nerd Pride Day. Originally set up to celebrate the release of the first Star Wars film in 1977, this day has evolved into a celebration of that inner geek in all of us. it's also Towel Day in celebration of the works of Douglas Adams. Go out and do something nerdy today. And why not - it's Friday and the start of a long holiday weekend here in the USA. Here's what's happening around the Colorado beerosphere today Friday, May 25th, 2012.

Colorado Beer News is continually updated during the day (10am to 3pm) with new stories as they break, so stop back here often for all the latest. If you'd like to subscribe to this daily by email, sign-up here.

Elevation Beer Company (Poncha Springs) - Last weekend during their grand opening, Elevation Beer Company had over 1000 people attend! It was a huge success. For those of you who can't journey all the way to Poncha Springs, fear not! Their beer is bottled and is available at over 12 location around Denver. Try some at the following locations: Applejacks Wine and Liquor, Mile High Wine and Spirits, Highlands Wine and Liquor, Joy Wine and Spirit's, Mr. B's Wine and Spirit's, Lukas Liquor's, Biggie's Wine and Spirits (Conifer), Grapes and Grains, Amato's Ale House, Hop's and Pie, Rackhouse Pub, and Fresh Craft.

TRVE Brewing (Denver) - Upcoming brewery TRVE Brewing is getting closer to opening. Just yesterday they moved their very first batch of beer into the fermenter. This beer is named Wanderlust, a Belgian-American Pale. Stay tuned for news on opening day. They are located at 227 Broadway #101 in Denver, CO.

Lone Tree Brewing (Lone Tree) - Today and tomorrow from 5pm to 9pm at Nicolo's Pizza in Highlands Ranch - head brewery Jason will be on hand with samples of beer from Lone Tree Brewing and will be happy to talk about his beers with you. Stop in, try one and say hello!

The Springs Beer Fest (Colorado Springs) - This year's Springs Beer Fest will be held on Saturday, August 11th from 12 noon to 5pm in Antler's Park in the Springs. Over 25 breweries are expected to attend and pour. Tickets are $20 and are available online at Blacktie-Colorado. Mark your calendars now! Food and fun for the whole family.

Twisted Pine Brewing (Boulder) - Twisted Pine is turning 17 and they are throwing an anniversary party on Saturday, July 14th from 2pm to 7pm at the brewery parking lot. Try over 25 unique brews including the tapping of Twisted Pine's 17th anniversary brew. Live music from Danny Shafer, Longest Day of the Year and Hot Soup. The cost for all this fun is $25. See Twisted Pine for more details.

New Belgium (Fort Collins) - The event dates have been set for this year's Tour de Fat. Over 15 cities across the country will be participating. Here in Colorado, the Tour de Fat will be in Fort Collins on Saturday, September 1st and in Denver the next Saturday, September 8th. Mark your calendars and participate in one the of largest bicycle parades around!

Gravity Brewing (Louisville) - This new brewery, expected to open this summer, is one step closer to becoming reality. Their fermenters were just shipped this week from Oregon and should arrive in Colorado early next week. Stay tuned for more news on their upcoming opening. They will be located at: 1150 Pine Street, Unit B in Louisville, CO.

American Craft Beer Radio (102.3FM Denver) - Tomorrow (Saturday) on the show, Jonathan Shikes from Denver Westword, will be co-hosting with Gary V. Sitting in studio with them to talk about all of the up coming festivals this year will be Dustin from Avery Brewing Company, Boone from Bristol Brewing Company, Andy from Ska Brewing, and Elizabeth from Firestone Walker Brewing Co. It all starts at noon tomorrow on 102.3 ESPN.

Grimm Brothers Brewhouse (Loveland) - Just one more day until Maifest at Grimm Brothers. They have a pile of door prizes to give out. Stop in anytime between 12 noon and 10pm. There will be plenty of food available from Bedrock BBQ, The Daily Dawg, and Cramer's Handmade Bread Company. Live music on hand from Steve Mancell. Games & activities for the kids too! Bean Bag Toss, Make Your Own May Basket and a Traditional May Pole Dance. Plus, it's the official release of their new beer - Little Farmer - a Maibock. Don't miss the fun this Saturday!

San Luis Valley Brewing (Alamosa) - Lots of news from the brewery this week. SLVB will be pouring beers at the Blues, Brews & BBQ Fest in Beaver Creek on Saturday May 26th from 1pm to 5pm. At the brewery that night, live music from Dr. Roberts (Beatles Tribute Band) at 8:30pm. They will also have a beer trailer outside pouring beers at SummerFest on The Rio June 1st thru June 3rd in Cole Park in Alamosa. At the brewery, now on tap is their new chocolaty & hoppy S & A Black IPA. Coming soon: Wildfire Red, and Setting Sail Kiwi Ale. They've added 4 new taps to their back bar with the focus being on BIG, BOLD, and BARREL AGED brews. Now pouring on 16 taps! Stop in. Located at: 631 Main Street in Alamosa, CO.

Rackhouse Pub (Denver) - Heading to Avery SourFest on June 2nd from Denver? Ride the bus from Rackhouse Pub. They've teamed up with Star Bar set up a bus on June 2nd that’s going to bring people from the Rackhouse up to Avery’s SourFest. The bus is $20 and they have about 30 spots left. Tickets for the bus are available on BrownPaperTickets.com.

Big Beaver Brewing (Loveland) - You already knew about Big Beaver's brews, but did you know about their BBQ Sauces? You can get hot-off-the-grill Brats at Big Beaver and add one of 4 different home-made BBQ sauces on top. They've got: Big Woody Double IPA Original BBQ Sauce, Tug the Pug Porter Sweet sauce, Wonder Wiener Wheat Mustard Infused Sauce and the Burning Beaver Ale Spicy Sauce. They also host BBQ/Beer events twice a month where they serve up pulled pork, brisket, and chicken sandwiches with sides of coleslaw, beans and cornbread.

Odell Brewing (Fort Collins) - Just a reminder, parking for tomorrow's Small Batch Festival from 3pm to 7pm is very limited. You are encouraged to ride your bike, or for $5 you can take the Hops and Shops Shuttle there. Finding alternative transportation will help avoid issues at the festival. Please leave your dogs at home.

The Fort Collins Brewery (Fort Collins) - A reminder - now through the end of May 31st at FCB - They will donate $1 to the Poudre Fire Authority for every taster try sold. Come in and grab a taster try and help out a good cause. FCB also has a new Sour Kraut (Berliner Weisse) on tap over at Cranknstein in FoCo. Try it straight or sweeten it up with some tasty syrups.

Echo Brewing Company (Frederick) - Tonight from 5-8 pm come by and get some wood fired pizza from Ablaze Food Truck! They will also be tapping their new Tri-Town Brown. Pizza and beer - what could be better?

Looking for some music to go along with your beer? Check the Brewery Music Listings and see who's playing at your favorite brewery or beer bar in Colorado. Updated daily.

Looking for a beer festival? Check out the listings on the 2012 Colorado Beer Festivals & Events Calendar.

There's even more Colorado beer happenings and discussions on the Fermentedly Challenged Facebook page. Thanks for helping us grow to over 850 "Likes" so far in 2012!

This article came from FermentedlyChallenged.com - a Colorado beer blog.
Don't miss another article. Subscribe to Fermentedly Challenged by RSS today. If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing, re-tweeting, Stumbling or +1'ing this to let others know about it. Cheers!

Colorado Beer News 052412

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Butler) — Thu, 24 May 2012 17:04:00 +0000

Today is Morse Code Day. Who would have thought back in 1844 when the first Morse code message was sent that today we'd all be texting, messaging, emailing and GPS'ing. While some people still practice Morse Code, let's be glad that we don't still have to rely on it for long distance communications. Here's what's happening around the Colorado beerosphere today Thursday, May 24th, 2012.

Colorado Beer News is continually updated during the day (10am to 3pm) with new stories as they break, so stop back here often for all the latest. If you'd like to subscribe to this daily by email, sign-up here.

Arvada Beer Company (Arvada) - It's going to be a busy weekend at Arvada Beer. Today the much anticipated release of their Double IPA. They've upped the malt and hops to make this an even bigger Double IPA. It goes on tap at 12 today. Then at 4pm the Brewers Limited Reserve, based on Saison de Davis, this is a very refreshing beer. 10 gallons until it's gone. On Friday, May 25th, they'll release Grandview Pilsner. They will be serving it for the next month instead of the Goldline IPA. Saturday, they have the Colorado Craft Beer Show broadcasting live at 12 noon. Come on down and join the fun!

Bristol Brewing (Colorado Springs) - Happy Hour just got hoppier on Thursdays in May. Join Bristol Brewing tonight and on May 31st from 4pm to 9pm for $3 pints of their Compass IPA. Located at 1647 South Tejon Street in the Springs.

Colorado Brewers' Festival (Fort Collins) - The festival is looking for more volunteers to help support the annual Colorado Brewers' Festival on June 23rd and 24th. Do you want to volunteer? As a volunteer, you will receive a special edition t-shirt and a free admission into the festival at another shift. To volunteer, check out the handy volunteer registration form.

Pateros Creek Brewing (Fort Collins) - It's Thursday and it's time for another famous Outlaw tap! Today's Outlaw is by Nick who's been wood aging some SnowMelt (India Wheat Ale). The brew has a creamy mouthfeel with enough hop bitterness to balance it out. Come get a taste of "Back in Black Oak". It taps at noon and we'll see how long it lasts. Later today, listen to live indie folk music from Leland Sundries at 6pm.

Ouray Brewery (Ouray) - Announcing the Grand Opening of the OBC's new Tap Room and Riverside Beer Garden. It happens tomorrow, May 25th at 4pm. They'll be featuring gourmet wraps, chips and of course their beer! Hours will be 4pm to 8ish Friday through Sunday until June 13th. After that day they will expand to Wednesday through Sunday. Look for a party by the river!

Grimm Brothers Brewhouse (Loveland) - A reminder that on Saturday, May 26th from 12pm to 10pm it's MAIFEST at Grimm Brothers. There will be food from Bedrock BBQ, The Daily Dawg, and Cramer's Handmade Bread Company. Music from Steve Mancell. Games & Activities for Kids! Bean Bag Toss, Make Your Own May Basket, and more. Traditional May pole dance. And the release of Grimm's Maibock, Little Farmer! They hope to see a lot of you there!

J Wells Brewery (Boulder) - Thanks to a tip from a reader, there is another new brewery headed to Boulder this year. The new brewery, headed by brewer James Wells, is expected to be located at 2516 49th Street in Boulder, CO. Supposedly, this brewery will be open sometime in June. They are currently gathering the required city permits. Stay tuned for more info on this brewery. They do have a blog: jwellsbrewery.com/blog and a Facebook page as well.

Fort Collins Beer Pairing (Fort Collins) - Attention CSU Alumni - here's a new beer event for you taking place on Friday, June 1st from 6:00pm to 9:00pm at the Hilton Fort Collins - 425 W. Prospect. Join Colorado State University Alumni and friends for a new event - the Fort Collins Beer Pairing. From pilsners to porters, you will enjoy beer from local breweries paired with gourmet small plates. Also, there will be a speaker, Dr. Nicole Garneau who will talk about the history and science of brewing. Live music will also be on hand from the band Constitution. 7 different Colorado breweries will be on hand pouring beers each with a couple different beer selections. Please contact the CSU Alumni Asscociation at (970) 491-6533 or csualumni@ar.colostate.edu with questions or concerns.

Dillon Dam Brewery (Dillon) - It's Acoustic Night at the Dam tonight! Bring your instrument or voice for a great night of acoustic talent with Kendrick! And it's Ladies Night! Ladies drink free half pints from 9-11pm!

Tommyknocker Brewery (Idaho Springs) invites you to the Idaho Springs Summer Kick Off on Saturday, June 2nd. Free BBQ in the park. A parade starts at 11am. BBQ & Entertainment from 12pm to 3pm. All proceeds go to the Clear Creek County Victims Advocates. And of course, plenty of Tommyknocker beer and soda available.

Crabtree Brewing Company (Greeley) - Crabtree Brewing is offering $3 pints for all teachers today!! Especially for those of you in District 6... what better way to end the school year! Crabtree gives thanks for all the amazing work that teachers have done with our children this past year. See you after school today!

Oskar Blues (Longmont) - For those of you who've recently been to the Tasty Weasel, you'll know that construction is underway to expand their tap room. Walls were busted out this week and expansion has begun. Excuse their mess while construction is underway!

AC Golden Brewing (Golden) - Here's some news passed along by BeerPulse.com today. AC Golden Brewing Company’s Peche and Apricot sour beers will arrive tomorrow (Friday, May 25) in limited quantities at Mile High Wine and Spirits in Lakewood, Colo. The beers are part of AC Golden’s Hidden Barrel Collection. They were bottled throughout last year and have been cellared since then to allow bottle conditioning to occur. Peaches and apricots from Palisade, Colo., were used in crafting the beers. Peche won silver in the American-style Brett Ale category at the Brewers Association World Beer Cup earlier this month. Eight cases of Peche and 14 cases of Apricot will be available.

Festival Season Begins! (Statewide) - This weekend officially marks the beginning of the outdoor festival season and KDVR Fox31 has put together a video highlighting several of the big festivals happening in Colorado this year. Several of these include beer festivals. Check out the video below, or if you can't see the video, head to the KDVR web site for more.

Trinity Brewing (Colorado Springs) - Happy Hour Today from 2-6 PM! $2 off all House Brews (including Slap Your Mammy!!!) and a buck off snacks. AND::: Don't miss their beer release tomorrow at 5:00pm! Saison du Tomme!

Looking for some music to go along with your beer? Check the Brewery Music Listings and see who's playing at your favorite brewery or beer bar in Colorado. Updated daily.

Looking for a beer festival? Check out the listings on the 2012 Colorado Beer Festivals & Events Calendar.

There's even more Colorado beer happenings and discussions on the Fermentedly Challenged Facebook page. Thanks for helping us grow to over 850 "Likes" so far in 2012!

This article came from FermentedlyChallenged.com - a Colorado beer blog.
Don't miss another article. Subscribe to Fermentedly Challenged by RSS today. If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing, re-tweeting, Stumbling or +1'ing this to let others know about it. Cheers!

Colorado Beer News 05231

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Butler) — Wed, 23 May 2012 17:15:00 +0000

Today is Lucky Penny Day. There's an old saying - "See a penny pick it up, all day long you have good luck". Find your lucky penny today and see if you happen into some good luck. Sure, a penny won't buy you anything these days, but it may help put a smile on your face if but for a moment. Here's what's happening around the Colorado beerosphere today Wednesday, May 23rd, 2012.

Colorado Beer News is continually updated during the day (10am to 3pm) with new stories as they break, so stop back here often for all the latest. If you'd like to subscribe to this daily by email, sign-up here.

Choice City Butcher & Deli (Fort Collins) - TONIGHT! A tapping party for Choice City Badonka Dunkle! $1 sliders & $1 off all beers! Design Contest ends at 6pm tonight. Draw the Tap handle for us! The winner will receive a free pint and 4 sliders every Wednesday until the beer is gone!

Wynkoop Brewing Company (Denver) - Children’s Hospital Blood Drive: The Wynkoop is looking for 70 big-hearted folks to donate blood at Wynkoop Brewing Co. on Wednesday & Thursday, May 30th & 31st, 9am-1pm. In exchange for your help, they’ll give you a complimentary pint at their place. Can they tap your vein? Contact Christine@wynkoop.com to get on the required signup list. And thanks for the bloody help. Don't worry, the volunteers taking blood don't sparkle and won't take more than is needed.

Del Norte Brewing (Denver) - Their beer Orale is off to a fast start this year, winning their first medal at their first competition. Del Norte got a Bronze in the Lager category at last weekends Grand Valley Beer Festival. Congrats to Del Norte!

Pateros Creek Brewing (Fort Collins) - The small brewery is looking to expand, but to do so they need your help. Pateros Creek is hoping to fund their expansion with help from the community. Take a look at the following video and check out the plans they hope to work on with the help of their loyal fans. Visit their page on CommunityFunded. If you can't view the video below, please check it out on YouTube. Also, get ready for their 1st Anniversary celebration coming up on Saturday, June 9th starting at 4:00pm. Music, food, games, new beers and more!

Odell Brewing (Fort Collins) - The Small Batch Festival is coming up this Saturday, May 26th from 3pm to 7pm at Odell Brewing Company. In order to help keep things rolling smoothly for this festival, Odell Brewing invites fest goers to review their Small Batch Festival FAQ on their website. It has some tips, recommendations, directions, info on parking and what to bring and not to bring to the festival.

New Belgium (Fort Collins) - Heard on the web. Beerpulse.com is reporting a new label approval for a new brew coming out of New Belgium called "New Belgium Planet Bluegrass Summer Bliss Lager". Sounds like a beer made specifically for a music event. As word comes out on this beer we'll be sure to pass it along.

Pikes Peak Brewing (Monument) - Word came down from FocusOnTheBeer.com yesterday that Pikes Peak Brewing is planning to release some beer in bottles. In a quote from the brewery: "On June 5th at 6:00pm we will release the Summit House Barrel Stout in 750mL bottles! They are each signed and numbered. Only 150; first come/first serve. This will also mark the first Tuesday we are open." - With such a limited release, the bottles are sure to sell out quick.

Breckenridge Brewery (Denver) - What's coming down the line next from Breckenridge Brewery? According to Todd Usry, look for them to re-release their 72 Imperial Chocolate Cream Stout. Also, look for another collaboration effort with Stranahan's Whiskey to put out a whiskey barrel-aged version of their Vanilla Porter. Stay tuned for word on availability of these brews.

City Star Brewing (Berthoud) - There will be Trivia in the taproom at 7:30pm this evening! The winning individual or team will receive $20 in free beer. Their IPA, Red Necktar and Cowboy's Golden beers are on tap today. Feel free to bring in your own snacks, dinner, etc.

Tommyknocker Brewery (Idaho Springs) - Recently, three Tommyknocker beers won medals at the Australian Beer Awards. Their Tommyknocker Butthead Doppelbock took silver and their Tommyknocker Hop Strike Black Rye IPA and Tommyknocker Maple Nut Brown Ale took bronze medals. Also, during the Grand Valley Beer Festival last weekend, their Tommyknocker Saison took a silver medal in the competition. Grats on all these accomplishments!

Grimm Brothers Brewhouse (Loveland) - The first of their firkins is being released today. Stop in around 4pm to try some dry-hopped Snow Drop. It's the first of many experimental firkins to come.

Looking for some music to go along with your beer? Check the Brewery Music Listings and see who's playing at your favorite brewery or beer bar in Colorado. Updated daily.

Looking for a beer festival? Check out the listings on the 2012 Colorado Beer Festivals & Events Calendar.

There's even more Colorado beer happenings and discussions on the Fermentedly Challenged Facebook page. Thanks for helping us grow to over 850 "Likes" so far in 2012!

This article came from FermentedlyChallenged.com - a Colorado beer blog.
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Oskar Blues - Sun King Brewery Chaka Belgian Style Ale review

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Butler) — Wed, 23 May 2012 02:00:00 +0000

Two regionally different breweries, one collaboration effort, two different cans, same named beer. Oskar Blues of Colorado and Sun King Brewery of Indiana recently got together to collaborate on a Belgian-style ale and the product of that effort was named: Chaka - Belgian-style Ale. Due to a stroke of luck, I managed to get a hold of sample cans of the same beer from each of the two breweries to do a side-by-side comparison of the same beer.

Would the same recipe and similar cans result in a beer that tasted just the same yet being from opposite sides of the country? I wanted to find out. I opened up a 16oz can of both Oskar Blues Chaka and Sun King Chaka. Both beers were stored under identical conditions. Both cans arrived boxed with cold packs and freshness was all but guaranteed. Both beers had the very same ABV rating, 8% ABV. Both were in resealable 16oz cans, each brewery had never used this type of can before now.

Would distance, travel and different sources of water make for a different drinking experience with the same beer? Let's find out.

Appearance: I opened each can and did a side-by-side pour (see video below). Each brew appeared to be the same color, a dark rusty orangish-red. In each beer I got roughly the same amount of head, just slightly above 1-finger tall. One slight difference I noticed was that the Oskar Blues head managed to stay a bit more creamier looking and stayed built up a while longer than the Sun King version of Chaka. Both beers had decent clarity. No sediment, fairly see-through and had a decent amount of carbonation. Not much lacing stuck to each glass when swirled as it slid off fairly quickly. I may be imagining it, but the head on the Sun King beer looked just slightly darker than the Oskar Blues head, but perhaps that was due to the Sun King's head being slightly thinner.

Aroma: Here is where I noticed another difference in the beers. The Oskar Blues beer had a bigger banana and fruit-like nose than the Sun King beer. It seemed that the Oskar Blues beer had a bit more sweet malt aroma than the Sun King. The Sun King seemed had a bit more spice to the nose. Could this be the result of a slightly different yeast strain or perhaps a minor deviation in the hops used? The Sun King brew seemed more "earthy", while the Oskar Blues beer was a bit more fruity. Both were pleasant smelling and inviting.

Taste: I took turned sipping the Oskar Blues for a while, then clearing my palate, and then sipping the Sun King brew for a time. I went back and forth and yes, I could tell some differences between the two. As in the aroma, the Oskar Blues Chaka had a slightly more fruity taste to it and also felt a bit more creamier in my mouth. The Sun King Chaka seemed a bit more toned down, less fruity, not quite as creamy. Yet both reminded me of the same recipe for sure. The Oskar Blues had a bit more "tang" in it, for the lack of a better word. No, the Oskar Blues Chaka wasn't soured, but it did seem to have a bit more flavor and zest. Both beers were nice semi-slow sipping beers. The 8% ABV was definitely noticeable (as they usually are). Both gave me a nice warming effect almost immediately.

Overall: If I had done this as a blind taste test, I probably would have preferred the Oskar Blues over the Sun King by a slight margin. Granted, it's the same recipe, but the water source, how the yeast worked in the brew and perhaps some slight differences in hop additions made for similar but different experiences. Granted, not too many people will have the opportunity to compare these two same-named beers side-by-side, so I consider myself lucky.

Both beers were fine examples of a Belgian-style ale. Both pack a lot of flavor and kick. I was pleased with both samples.

Disclosure: Each brewery sent me 1 or more samples of this beer for me to try and evaluate. I was not paid to endorse this beer, nor to write a favorable review. Yes, it was free beer to me, but I try not to let that influence my review.

Video showing the pour of both Oskar Blues and Sun King Brewery's Chaka Belgian-style Ale:

If you can't view the video via RSS or email please visit the blog or view it on the Fermentedly Challenged YouTube channel.

Related articles:
- Oskar Blues re-invents their 16oz can with Chaka.
- Oskar Blues Deviant Dale's IPA review.
- Sun King Batch 555 Isis Double IPA review.

This article came from FermentedlyChallenged.com - a Colorado beer blog.
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Colorado Beer News 052212

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Butler) — Tue, 22 May 2012 17:09:00 +0000

Today is Buy A Musical Instrument Day. Stop by a music store and purchase that instrument you've always wanted to try. Dedicate yourself some practice hours and get a start on a new source of fun. Invite some friends over to play something with you and share a beer. Here's what's happening around the Colorado beerosphere today Tuesday, May 22nd, 2012.

Colorado Beer News is continually updated during the day (10am to 3pm) with new stories as they break, so stop back here often for all the latest. If you'd like to subscribe to this daily by email, sign-up here.

Crabtree Brewing (Greeley) - On Wednesday, May 23rd at 7pm at Crabtree Brewing, there will be a free showing and discussion of the movie "Carbon Nation". The EPA is releasing the first federal limits on the amount of carbon pollution power plants can spew into our air. Carbon pollution is a lead contributor to climate disruption and poses serious threats to Americans' health and our economy. To learn more about the opportunities in accounting for carbon pollution, come see a free showing of "Carbon Nation" at Crabtree Brewery this Wednesday! As a special bonus for Sierra Club supporters, the first 30 of-age attendees to arrive who are on their RSVP list will get their first drink on them! After the film, there will be a short presentation and discussion about what the film means for us locally, and what we can do to get involved. RSVP on their Facebook event page.

The Pub Dialogues (Denver) - It's time for another Pub Dialogues get together! The next discussion will be held at Vine Street Pub & Brewery on Tuesday, May 29th from 5:45pm to 8:00pm. The topic of discussion will be "A Weary Superpower: America's Role in a New World". As the only superpower, what should America do? What roles should America undertake? To leave alone? What are the primary concerns for America in the first half of the 21st century? Join in and discuss these questions and more. OvalOptions will provide facilitators to guide small groups in discovering the world of artisan beverages, the complexities therein, and the challenges they face. Grab a pint and join in! Questions - contact Jason Gladfelter at (720) 295-7119.

Grimm Brothers Brewhouse (Loveland) - Lots of things happening at Grimm Brothers this week. Tonight is Damsels' Night - ladies get $1 off all pints. Wednesday is Fabled Firkin day - try some Snow Drop dry hopped with Mt. Rainier and Ahtanam hops and try some Bedrock BBQ. Thursday it's Bike In / Buck Off - if you ride your bike to the taproom you'll get $1 off pints. Listen to live music and try some eats from the Chalkboard Gourmet. Friday the Giggling Greek will be on premise and the Bike In/Buck Off special continues. Then on Saturday, it's MAIFEST from noon to 10pm and the release of Little Farmer (Maibock). Get details on Maifest in today's press release.

Vine Street Pub & Brewery (Denver) - It's T-Shirt Tuesday over at the Vine Street Pub and Brewery (and also over at Pearl Street in Boulder)! Buy a Mountain Sun shirt and get a free pint, wear your shirt and get happy hour prices all day long! Over 21 beers on tap to choose from.

Cranknstein (Fort Collins) - Attention Hewlett Gulch fire firefighters! Cranknstein still has FREE beer for the wildland firefighters! Pass the word, they want to thank them for all of the hard work they put in this last week fighting the Hewlett Gulch fire!

Renegade Brewing Company (Denver) - On Sunday, June 10th from 11am to 1pm - Time for another vinyassa of Renegade's Bend and Brew! Join their faithful yoga instructor, Kristen for an hour of twists, binds, folds, and stretches. After yoga, enjoy 3 tasters of your choice and a full pour of your favorite Renegade brew. Space is limited and this is not to be missed. Sign up now! They are now doing an online sign-up, you can sign up and pay for the event.

Copper Kettle Brewing (Denver) - Their Pints for Purpose continues. Today $1 from every pint sold will go towards benefiting the American Red Cross. Come in, have a brew and help support a great organization!

Echo Brewing Company (Frederick) - One of Colorado's newest breweries now has a fresh batch of Kirby Kolsch on tap. Stop in for a pint and bring your growlers for a fill this week.

Palisade Brewing Company (Palisade) - Join in on Saturday, May 26th at 3pm for their Summer BBQ. Live Music from, Lowlands and Russ Chapman. Palisade Brewing will be firing up the grill around 3pm and serving some yummy BBQ all evening long. Don't miss this afternoon/night of great music, great food and great beer. Get here early and grab a seat on the NEW Patio!! Don't forget your dancing shoes!

Angry Orchard (Cincinnati, OH) - Ever tried a hard cider? Did you know that the folks who bring you Samuel Adams has a cider company? Fermentedly Challenged recently tried some bottles of Angry Orchard hard ciders. They come in three styles: Crisp Apple, Traditional Dry and Apple Ginger. The Apple Ginger was particularly good. Check out the reviews on these fairly new nation-wide hard ciders and perhaps try one as a change of pace.

MillerCoors (Golden) - The big boys up in Golden are experimenting with some new beers in their "Coors Master Brewers" series. A new beer coming out soon is called "Third Shift" - an amber lager. This brew won an award at the 2012 World Beer Cup. It's already on shelves in California, Texas and Nevada and I imagine will hit Colorado soon enough (after all they make it here). Look for it in 16oz cans. More and more, the macro brewers are creating more "craft-like" brews in efforts to make up for sliding sales of their yellow fizzy beers.

Backcountry Brewery (Frisco) - Recently, the mountain-area brewery has been experiencing a growth spurt and has sign a lease for additional space to increase the capacity of their brewery. They hit their current capacity of 2400 barrels earlier this year and with the new space they'll be able to grow to 6000 barrels a year and begin bottling their products. It will also allow them to expand their Front Range presence. This move is being called an "interim step" as they have more long term plans to build a larger scale brewery within the next two years. See the full story in the Summit Daily newspaper article.

New Belgium (Fort Collins) - Whispers of a new possible collaboration are going around Fort Collins this week as one of the brewmasters from Westmalle, Jan Adriaensens (trappist brewery), was spotted at Tap and Handle in Fort Collins this week. Beerpulse.com and Trinity Brewing was reporting that he had been spotted talking with representatives from New Belgium (Peter Bouckeart) and Allagash Brewing (Bo) in the New Belgium brewhouse and around town this week. If there is a collaboration coming out of this meet-up we'll be sure to pass on the news as it unfolds.

New Brewery Rumors (Manitou Springs) - FocusOnTheBeer.com is reporting that Manitou Springs may soon be getting it's own brewery according to a Colorado Springs Independent article. The article states: "It appears that Kevin LeGrande of LeGrande Accents Boutique — also owner of the Promenade Building at 725 Manitou Ave. — has notions to open a brewery at that site in partnership with another Colorado brewing outfit, yet to be named. As the agenda documents outline, the brewery would only allow on-site consumption (and guest food to be brought in by clientele). It would not bottle or can, and would keep limited nighttime hours, closing by 10 p.m."

Funkwerks (Fort Collins) - On their blog today, Funkwerks announced that they are converting one of their staple beers, White, into a seasonal beer instead of a year round beer. They have been constantly tweaking the recipe trying to get it just right. The new seasonal White sports a new light blue label and has some subtle changes including the use of lemon peel instead of grapefruit peel as well as using a slightly different yeast and adjusting the the malt base and boosting the ABV from 5.5% to 6.5%. Enjoy it while it's there. You'll miss it when it's out of season. But fear not, it'll come back each year.

Looking for some music to go along with your beer? Check the Brewery Music Listings and see who's playing at your favorite brewery or beer bar in Colorado. Updated daily.

Looking for a beer festival? Check out the listings on the 2012 Colorado Beer Festivals & Events Calendar.

There's even more Colorado beer happenings and discussions on the Fermentedly Challenged Facebook page. Thanks for helping us grow to over 850 "Likes" so far in 2012!

This article came from FermentedlyChallenged.com - a Colorado beer blog.
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Angry Orchard Hard Ciders review

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Butler) — Tue, 22 May 2012 14:34:00 +0000

Clever marketing sometimes gets you noticed and for this new start-up hard cider maker, their label graphics got my attention. Recently, I was contacted by the Angry Orchard Cider Company of Cincinnati, Ohio and was offered a chance to sample their products. Normally, I don't do hard cider reviews on this beer blog, but I am a fan of hard ciders and was willing to give these a try.

Angry Orchard Cider Company, it turns out, is an offshoot of the Boston Beer Company, makers of the Samuel Adams line of craft beers. During the last year, Angry Orchard test marketed three styles of hard cider in selected states. Colorado just happened to be one of them. Now their line of hard ciders are going national and soon you'll be seeing Angry Orchard hard ciders where ever Samuel Adams beers are sold.

Angry Orchard sent me out a 6-pack sampler with 2 bottles each of the three hard ciders they make. These are: Angry Orchard Hard Cider - Crisp Apple, Angry Orchard Hard Cider - Traditional Dry, and Angry Orchard Hard Cider - Apple Ginger.

The ciders come packaged in brown twist-off beer-like 12oz bottles with a bright red cap and what I call some very clever graphics with human-like apple trees. The hard cider is marked as "Naturally Gluten Free" and all of them weigh in between 5% and 5.5% ABV. Each bottle is between 190 and 200 calories.

During the course of the last week or so, I sampled each of these products. While I won't do a long individual review of each beverage, I will point out some of the tasting highlights of each one.

Angry Orchard Hard Cider - Crisp Apple

This hard cider was probably had the freshest tasting apple flavor of the three. This hard cider was made from apples grown in France and Italy. The hard cider is only slightly dry, and yes, crisp is a good name for this drink. It went down very easy and tasted good both cold and as it warmed. Before I knew it, I had finished a bottle of this very quickly and was looking for more. This cider also had what I'd call a more fermented, almost yeast like side aroma that was very pleasant. This bottle had a blue label.

Angry Orchard Hard Cider - Traditional Dry

This hard cider had a green label and had a more classic dry hard cider taste. It was slightly less sweet than the Crisp Apple version yet was very smooth and drank very easy. If you like your hard ciders dry, this is the version for you. This hard cider was slightly darker in color than the previous cider.

Angry Orchard Hard Cider - Apple Ginger

I was a bit hesitant on this one before I tasted it as ginger is not my favorite spice. Granted, I do like Ginger Ales (the soft drink that is), but I've had ginger beers and haven't always enjoyed it. To my surprise, the Apple Ginger hard cider was refreshingly different. It definitely reminded me of Ginger Ale, only with a kick and a dry, tart finish. The brew was darker than the other two ciders, more of a burnt orange color and appropriately with an orange label. It has a nice spicy aroma that luckily wasn't overpowering. I was pleasantly surprised by this taste and actually ended up thinking this was one of my favorites of the bunch.

Overall Impression

I've had hard ciders from other big cider makers before and these hard ciders from Angry Orchard compare well with them. All three flavors were unique in their own way and were very enjoyable. Hard ciders can be a nice change of pace to beer. Just be careful though, they tend to go down a lot quicker than beer and the alcohol can sneak up on you if you drink them too quickly. Yes, they will go down quick and easy and they won't disappoint. I might even be tempted to homebrew some hard cider at this point.

I'm wondering if this is the start of an off-shoot that other breweries will follow. I've seen some of the big 3 macro beer makers start to dabble in hard ciders and now the Boston Beer Company. Do you think hard ciders should be part of a beer breweries repertoire?

Look for these hard ciders in stores where ever Samuel Adams beers are sold. If not now, they will be soon. For more information on Angry Orchard Hard Ciders visit them on the web at: www.AngryOrchard.com.

Related articles:
- Colorado Cider Company Glider Cider Dry review.
- 2008 All Colorado Beer Festival highlights (cider review).
- Samuel Adams Imperial White review.

This article came from FermentedlyChallenged.com - a Colorado beer blog.
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Grimm Celebrates Spring with Maifest

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Butler) — Tue, 22 May 2012 12:59:00 +0000

Loveland, Colorado – Grimm Brothers Brewhouse is hosting a family-friendly Maifest event for the entire community on Saturday, May 26 from noon-8 PM.

“This is an event for the whole family. We have lots of giveaways, food, and games for the kids,” said Russell Fruits, Grimm’s Beer Evangelist.

Of course, any good German festival includes beer too.

“Maifest, or May Fest, is a traditional German festival that celebrates the reawakening of spring after winter’s cold darkness,” said Don Chapman, President and Head Brewer, “And what better way to celebrate than a enjoying our new beer, Little Farmer.”

Little Farmer is a rich malty maibock, dominated by malty tones of pilsner and Munich malts. It is balanced by a warming alcohol finish and enough hoppy bitterness to create a clean crisp finish.

Grimm intends to have a May pole, games for kids, food from Bedrock BBQ, pretzels and beer muffins from Cramer’s Handmade Bread Company, and lots of door prizes and giveaways. In addition, Grimm plans to donate a portion of the profits to Relay for Life.

“It’s simply a great day of events for our community. We love being a part of Loveland, and we want to celebrate with our community,” said Fruits.

Event details:

Saturday, May 26, 2012
Noon-10 p.m.
Grimm Brothers Brewery
623 N Denver Ave
Loveland, CO 80537

###

ABOUT GRIMM BROTHERS BREWERY
Grimm Brothers Brewhouse is a craft brewery in Loveland, Colorado. We feature German inspired beers and other unique flavors. Grimm Brothers opened in July of 2010 and has rapidly become known in the Colorado beer scene as producing terrific German inspired beers. Come visit us on www.grimmbrosbrewhouse.com.

Related articles:
- Grimm Brothers plans releases, firkins and more.
- Grimm Brothers The Fearless Youth review.
- Grimm Brothers Brewhouse Little Red Cap review.

This article came from FermentedlyChallenged.com - a Colorado beer blog.
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Colorado Beer News 052112

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Butler) — Mon, 21 May 2012 17:54:00 +0000

Today is I Need a Patch for That Day. Seems like there is a patch for just about every ailment these days. How about a patch for Mondays? Wouldn't that be great! Here's what's happening around the Colorado beerosphere today Monday, May 21st, 2012.

Colorado Beer News is continually updated during the day (11am to 3pm) with new stories as they break, so stop back here often for all the latest. If you'd like to subscribe to this daily by email, sign-up here.

Oskar Blues (Longmont) - During the weekend at the Grand Valley Beer Festival in Grand Junction, Oskar Blues took home 5 medals in the beer competition. 2 Gold (G'Knight and Gubna) and 3 Bronze (Dale's Pale Ale, Old Chub, and Deviant Dales). Grats to O.B. for their great showing!

Bootstrap Brewing Company (Niwot) - The brewhouse is coming along. This weekend they added two new stainless fermenters and are expecting a third to arrive on Wednesday this week. First brew day can't be too far off now!

Hunters Moon Meadery (Severance) - Ever wanted to see how a meadery works? Hunters Moon Meadery is hosting an open house on Sunday, June 3rd at 1:00pm to 5:00pm. The meadery is located at 404 Immigrant Trail in Severance, CO. Take a tour and chat with meadmaker and beekeeper Greg and Taste Mistress Kim about bees, honey & mead. Please RSVP via their Facebook Event invite.

City Star Brewing (Berthoud) - Berthoud's new brewery is planning to host Trivia this Wednesday, May 23rd at 7:30pm with your host Ian Phillips. The winning individual or team will receive $20 in free beer! Then stop by on Thursday evening at 6:00pm for some live music by Russ Hopkins.

Copper Kettle Brewing Company (Denver) - Speaking of Trivia, Copper Kettle will also be hosting trivia tonight (May 21st) at both 6:30pm and 7:30pm. Win FREE BEER for your team. Hints include: Supremes, Electricity, Pre-80's music, Kids and drinking do mix.

Great Storm Brewing (Colorado Springs) - To honor Memorial Day, for a limited time only (ie when the barrel runs out), GSB will offer up their refreshing Sunshower Strawberry Blonde Ale starting May 25th. This all-American beer uses US-grown pale and light crystal malts, Pacific northwest hops, and 12 pounds of California-grown ripe red strawberries. With its light body and strawberry freshness, this pale beer is perfect for the warming weather, but still carries some seriousness at 5.8% ABV. They'd like to thank their military customers with a dollar off pints 25 - 26 May, just show your military ID!

Grand Openings - Grats to both Elevation Beer Company (Poncha Springs) and to CAUTION: Brewing Company for their openings during the weekend. Elevation Beer Company welcomed a big crowd including Governor Hickenlooper, Senator Gail Schwartz and State Rep Tom Massey to their grand opening. And CAUTION: Brewing Company opened the doors on their brand new tasting room in Denver. Grats to all their hard work in getting these new places open. Cheers!

Odell Brewing (Fort Collins) - According to an interview done by Brewbound.com, Odell Brewing is planning to do a brewhouse equipment expansion for their core products and is expected to be completed by the fall of 2013. The brewery is expected to make between 65,000 and 67,000 barrels in 2012 and this upcoming expansion will allow them to exceed their current capacity of 80,000 barrels. Odell Brewing greatly expanded their operations just over a year ago and is now set to grow again. View the entire interview at Brewbound.com.

Crooked Stave (Denver) - Their 2nd Cellar Reserve release is being pushed back to the weekend of June 16th and 17th. Originally, Persica was to be released during Memorial Weekend, but members requested to move the date back since many of them were not going to be available to pick up their bottle. Crooked Stave will be at Falling Rock Tap House on June 16th and at Backcountry Pizza & Tap House on June 17th where members can pick up their allotted bottles.

Grimm Brothers Brewhouse (Loveland) - Tonight is Game Night at Grimm Brothers from 6pm to 8pm. There will be FREE root beer and lemonade for the kids and they'll provide the game boards. Stop in and try a pint and have some fun. Don't forget - this Saturday will mark the release of "Little Farmer" - a Maibock brew to be held during their Maifest celebration.

Big Choice Brewing (Broomfield) - Starting this coming weekend, Big Choice will be extending their weekend hours all summer long. Saturdays: 2pm to 10pm and Sundays: 2pm to 9pm. They will be open on Memorial Day from Noon to 10pm with Orange Crunch serving up their Empanadas at noon.

Burning Can Beer Fest (Lyons) - Burning Can is just 3 weeks away. Tickets are available now for the Saturday, June 9th event from 12pm to 4pm in Lyons, CO. Oskar Blues is teaming up with Lyons Outdoor Games & the Colorado Brewers Guild to bring you entertainment for both you and your taste buds. Lyons Outdoor Games is a world-class celebration of mountain sports. The event was created 11 years ago as a fundraising vehicle for the Lyons Department of Parks, Recreation & Cultural Events. In addition to a full compliment of kayaking, biking, fly fishing, chainsaw carving and dog events, the 2012 Games will feature numerous clinics & exhibitions put on by some of the world’s most elite professional athletes in addition to the newly added CANNED beer garden, Burning Can!

Crazy Mountain Brewing (Edwards) - This Thursday, May 24th: Beer Pairing Dinner with Balata Restaurant in Singletree, CO. $42 (plus tax & tip) gets you 6 beer styles and 5 sumptuous dishes prepared by renowned Chef Steven Topple. Dishes include: Halibut, Braised Short Rib, Wild Boar Brats and more. Reservations required: 970-477-5353. Balata is located at: 1265 Berry Creek Road in Singletree, CO.

Lowry Beer Garden (Denver) - It's opening week! Denver's new beer garden will open on Wednesday, May 23rd at 11:00am. Celebrating Colorado’s craft beer culture, the Lowry Beer Garden will be nestled in its very own park with more than 4,500 square feet of outdoor garden area, vast open-air seating, and an inviting covered pavilion. The communal Oktoberfest-style picnic tables that collectively can accommodate up to 350 guests, will foster an environment of community and conviviality. The Garden will offer a thoughtful draft and bottled beer selection with a focus on Colorado and handcrafted brews. The Lowry Beer Garden also serves up your favorite casual fare with locally-made gourmet brats & sausages, freshly-baked pretzels, house-ground burgers, hand-cut fries and chef-created salads. So come in, relax, hang out with your neighbors in everyone’s new favorite gathering spot and enjoy a cold beer in the Colorado open air! Located at: 7577 E. Academy Boulevard in Denver, CO. If you show up TONIGHT from 5pm to 8pm, you can get a sneak peek.

Summit of Bluegrass & Brews (Dillon) - The beer fest season is starting up. You ready? On June 23rd in Marina Park in Dillon, CO from 1pm to 5pm - the Summit of Bluegrass & Brews will feature over 25 Colorado breweries and offer up free bluegrass music at the Lake Dillon Amphitheatre. Bands include: Marty Jones & The Great Unknowns, Missed The Boat, and David Grisman Bluegrass Experience. The official after-party will be held at Pub Ryan's Brewery. Cost is $30 for the unlimited beer tasting. More info & tickets here.

Small Batch Festival (Ft. Collins) - This Saturday, May 26th marks the return of the annual Small Batch Festival at Odell Brewing Company in Fort Collins. The festival runs from 3:00pm to 7:00pm and admission is free. There will be live music going on the entire time. Beer tokens are $4 each and there will be over 20 different beers on tap including some rare experimental batches brewed up by Odell Brewing. Please try to either walk there or take your bike if possible as parking space is extremely limited. No parking will be allowed on Lincoln Street (you will be towed). Festival will happen rain or shine. Food will be available from Choice City Butcher, Cozzolas Pizza and Moe's Barbeque. Located at 800 E. Lincoln Ave in FoCo.

Looking for some music to go along with your beer? Check the Brewery Music Listings and see who's playing at your favorite brewery or beer bar in Colorado. Updated daily.

Looking for a beer festival? Check out the listings on the 2012 Colorado Beer Festivals & Events Calendar.

There's even more Colorado beer happenings and discussions on the Fermentedly Challenged Facebook page. Thanks for helping us grow to over 850 "Likes" so far in 2012!

This article came from FermentedlyChallenged.com - a Colorado beer blog.
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Rackhouse Pub sponsors Volunteer For Beer

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Butler) — Fri, 18 May 2012 19:37:00 +0000

Just noticed this today. It's been known for a week but they are apparently still looking for volunteers who can help clean up some sidewalks in exchange for beer and a tour.

RACKHOUSE PUB AND OSKAR BLUES BREWERY PARTNER FOR COMMUNITY SERVICE EVENT

For the second straight year, two Colorado businesses take to the streets to clean-up areas neglected by the city rewarding volunteers with free beer.

DENVER, May 10, 2012 – Today, the Rackhouse Pub and Oskar Blues Brewery announced a community service effort to revamp a stretch of sidewalk largely ignored by the city of Denver. The event is slated to take place on Sunday May 20th. Volunteers will be rewarded with free bus ride up to Oskar Blues Brewery for a tour and beer tasting. Sign-up for the event begins today and runs through May 19th.

Being a partner in the community was always a goal of Chris Rippe’s when he opened the Rackhouse, one of Denver’s best gastro pubs. In that spirit, The Rackhouse Pub is adopting a heavily trafficked sidewalk stretch which runs parallel to the intersection of Santa Fe and Alameda. While Rippe is serious about the event, they also wanted to make it enjoyable and appealing for potential volunteers, so participants will be rewarded with a seat on a charter bus and all the beer they can drink.

“I am an avid light rail traveler and the City of Denver has not cleaned up this stretch of sidewalk in our neighborhood in the 30 months we’ve been open,” said Rippe. “The solution was obvious, and with the guys up at Oskar Blues it is a fun way to reward the volunteers who will help enhance our community.”

The cleaning effort begins and 9am sharp on May 20th, with the beer bus leaving at noon for Oskar Blues Brewery, and returning at 5pm. For those 21 and up, seating is limited on the beer bus, and sign-up must be done in person at the Rackhouse Pub, located at 208 South Kalamath St. Those who are not able to join the beer bus are also welcome to join the clean-up effort at the site.

———————–

About Rackhouse Pub
Nestled in the bosom of Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey Distillery, the Rackhouse Pub tries to be as hardcore Colorado as our neighbors. Here you’ll find a hand-picked selection of Colorado beers, micro-distilled spirits, soda, meats, cheeses and local produce (when available). Our menu brings pub food to a completely different level with creative spins on old classics, as well as new creations that accentuate our unique bar selections. The Rackhouse Pub’s ”steampunk“ décor is created from used Stranahan’s barrels and the cedar beams from the original Stranahan’s rackhouse. Come hungry! For more information, visit us online at www.rackhousepub.com.

———————–

About Oskar Blues Brewery
Founded by Dale Katechis in 1997 as a brewpub and grill, Oskar Blues Brewery launched their craft-brewed beer canning operations in 2002 in Lyons, Colo. They were the first American craft brewery to can their beer. Today more than 173 craft breweries are canning their beers. The original crew used a hand-canning line on a tabletop machine that sealed one can at a time. Oskar Blues Brewery in Longmont packaged 41,000 barrels in 2010 and grew to 59,000 in 2011. Visit www.oskarblues.com/ for more information.

This article came from FermentedlyChallenged.com - a Colorado beer blog.
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Colorado Beer News 051812

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Butler) — Fri, 18 May 2012 17:00:00 +0000

Today is Bike to Work Day. Leave that old gas guzzler in the garage today and pull out the old bike. Put your work in your backpack, don your helmet and ride to work! Many cities are offering incentives today to pedal to work today. Join in! Here's what's happening around the Colorado beerosphere today Friday, May 18th, 2012.

Colorado Beer News is continually updated during the day (10am to 3pm) with new stories as they break, so stop back here often for all the latest. If you'd like to subscribe to this daily by email, sign-up here.

The Mayor of Old Town (Fort Collins) - Craft Beer Week may be winding down, but the Mayor has a special tapping in store for you today. At 5:00pm tonight, they'll be tapping Firestone Walker's Parabola - a barrel aged Russian Imperial Stout. Parabola has been a major component of past anniversary blends and is one of FW's most aggressive offerings. This beer features bold bourbon and tobacco aromas and a rich dark chocolate, charred oak flavor. Parabola is best enjoyed in moderation and is a perfect beer to pair with those chocolate dessert favs. Come get a glass!

Star Bar (Denver) - Tonight starting at 4:30pm, it's a night of Wood & Barrel Aged Beers at Star Bar. They'll be pouring samples of special beers from New Belgium, Great Divide, Oskar Blues, Odell Brewing, Fort Collins Brewing, Crooked Stave, Boulevard Brewing, Firestone Walker and Dogfish Head. Hard to beat this line-up - over 13 special brews. Located at 2137 Larimer in Denver, CO.

Denver Beer Company (Denver) - It's a Neighborhood Hop Swap! Denver Beer Co. will host the 2nd annual neighborhood “Hop Swap.” On May 31 at 5pm, Denver Beer Co. will hand out traditional American Cascade hop plants for Denverites to grow in their own backyards. The certified organic hop starters from Fort Collins’ Summit Plant Labs are well suited to grow in Colorado’s Front Range climate. Once the hops mature in the fall, Hop Swap participants will bring their hop harvest back to the brewery where they will be used in a true “local” brew. Hop Swap farmers will have the opportunity to help Denver Beer Co. brewers craft a traditional American Pale Ale made with their own hops. There will be 350 hop plants handed out 1st come 1st served.

Elevation Beer Company (Poncha Springs) - Colorado's newest brewery, Elevation Beer Company, will officially opens it's doors this Saturday, May 19th in Poncha Springs, CO. Elevation Beer Company is the inspiration of Xandy and Sheila Bustamante, Carline Walsh and brewer Christian Koch who will specialize in three categories of beers including Blue Square series taproom beers, Black Diamond series big beers and Double Black Diamond series barrel-aged / specialty beers. Expect to see around 8 Blue Square beers on tap for the opening as well as one Black Diamond beer. The grand opening starts at 11:00am on Saturday. Colorado Governor Hickenlooper will be on hand as well. Located at: 115 Pahlone Parkway, in Poncha Springs, CO.

Mountain Sun (Boulder) - The final release for American Craft Beer Week goes on tap today at all three pubs. What better way to celebrate American craft beer than with a Pre-Prohibition style pilsner! Prime Time Pilsner is traditionally brewed with a modest portion of flaked maize, and a sturdy dose of European noble hops. This beer is crisp, dry, and perfect for the patio! Stop by any of their 3 locations and try a pint.

Colorado Brewers' Festival (Fort Collins) - NEW This year, the festival will be offering a VIP Tasting Package! The cost: $40 - which includes early access to the festival, one day at the festival in the VIP area with Choice City Butcher & Deli food & exclusive beers, and 10 tasting tickets! - More info here. Festival happens on June 23rd & 24th, 2012 in Civic Center Park (Laporte Ave and Mason Street).

Avery Brewing (Boulder) - Last night the Boulder Planning Board gave approval for Avery Brewing to go ahead with their plans for a new brewery, restaurant and tap room at 4910 Nautilus Court. Construction on the new facility could begin as early as August of this year. The new location is on a 5.2 acre site and will allow Avery to continue growing. Their existing facility was at capacity. Stay tuned for more details on this site as it develops!

AC Golden Brewing (Golden) - AC Golden Brewing Company beers won two awards at the 3rd Annual Denver International Beer Competition, held recently in Broomfield, CO. Herman Joseph's Private Reserve was awarded silver in the Pilsner Beers category and the brewer's Saison received Honorable Mention in the Belgian-style Beers category. The competition is produced by Wine Country Network Inc., and includes more than 70 categories for food friendly beers. Winners were selected by a panel of certified beer judges who tasted beers in the blind competition.

Breckenridge Brewery (Denver) - The 2nd batch of Stranahan's Well Built ESB releases Saturday, May 19th at 11:00am at the tasting room at the brewery located at 471 Kalamath Street in Denver, CO. The first 15 people to purchase a bottle of Well Built ESB will receive two commemorative Small Batch glasses to enjoy the beer with.

CAUTION: Brewing Company (Denver) - Don't forget! Today at 4pm marks the grand opening of CAUTION's new taproom in Denver. The taproom will be open every Friday, Saturday and Sunday to the public. Along with the taproom opening, CAUTION will be releasing their new beer: Hippity Hops Chrysanthemum IPA. Stop in later today at 12445 E. 39th Avenue in Denver, CO. (Image courtesy CAUTION: Brewing Company)

Strange Brewing Company (Denver) - It's their 2nd anniversary this Saturday, May 19th. Start your day off with Kegs & Eggs at 9am. Their man Chris will be cooking breakfast and the taps will be open. Stay for a live broadcast of the Colorado Craft Beer Show with Turk and the Gubna (760AM Denver) starting at noon. Later that night, there will be live music from the Acoustic Mining Company starting at 7pm. Get access to food all day long.

Coopersmith's Pub & Brewing (Fort Collins) - That wacky Flash Mob is back for another American Craft Beer Week appearance. This time, the flash mob will be doing it's thing at Coopersmith's Pub & Brewing from 3:00pm to 3:15pm today. (Free pint card with purchase of a pint). See 15 minutes of fun, beer and brewery friendship. Be there! Then at 4:00pm, the mob makes its way over to The Fort Collins Brewery for another 15 minute romp. If you buy a pint of Collusion, you'll get a half pint of Collusion or any or their FULL time beers FREE!

Looking for some music to go along with your beer? Check the Brewery Music Listings and see who's playing at your favorite brewery or beer bar in Colorado. Updated daily.

Looking for a beer festival? Check out the listings on the 2012 Colorado Beer Festivals & Events Calendar.

There's even more Colorado beer happenings and discussions on the Fermentedly Challenged Facebook page. Thanks for helping us grow to over 850 "Likes" so far in 2012!

This article came from FermentedlyChallenged.com - a Colorado beer blog.
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Colorado Beer News 051712

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Butler) — Thu, 17 May 2012 17:01:00 +0000

Today is Pack Rat Day. For those who collect, save, hoard, hide, store and can't seem to throw anything away - this day is for you. It might be a good idea to take some of those empties out to the recycler though. Here's what's happening around the Colorado beerosphere today Thursday, May 17th, 2012.

Colorado Beer News is continually updated during the day (11am to 3pm) with new stories as they break, so stop back here often for all the latest. If you'd like to subscribe to this daily by email, sign-up here.

Avery Brewing (Boulder) is seeking final approval from the Boulder Planning Board tonight to move ahead with their plans for a brand new $27 million facility at 4910 Nautilus Court in Boulder. They've worked out the issues with the neighboring school and have agreed to move truck and employee traffic to another entrance. The new facility would have a brewery, a restaurant, a tasting room, offices and a gift shop and would allow Avery to continue to grow production to nearly 350,000 if needed. For a full story, see the Boulder Daily Camera article.

Grimm Brothers Brewhouse (Loveland) - It's mid-May and it's time for the release of their seasonal Maibock brew - Little Farmer. Join Grimm Brothers on Saturday, May 26th at 12pm for MAIFEST and a release of their special brew Little Farmer. There will be food, fun and giveaways along with plenty of beer on tap. Little Farmer has been described as glowing burnt orange in color with an ivory head having a sweet, creamy, caramel malty bock aroma. The taste is malty, lightly nutty with some toffee notes. Also, now you can get some of The Griffin - Hefeweizen Ale in 22oz bottles! Stop in tonight and listen to some live music in the taproom from 5:30pm to 7:30pm.

Love Your Valley Festival (Ridgway) - Come out to Ridgway for some music, food and fun for everyone. There will be a microbrew sampling from over 13 regional brew this Saturday, May 19th in Ridgway Town Park from 1pm to 6pm. Bring your kids, your dogs, heck even your mother-in-law. Live music from Shed. All proceeds raised will be used to fund the free Ridgway Concert Series in July. Beer from Steamworks, Telluride, Silverton, Ouray, New Belgium, Ska Brewing, Carver Brewing, Dolores River Brew Pub, Palisade Brewing, Colorado Boy, Moab Brewery, Gunnison Brewery and Durango Brewing.

Grand Valley Beer Festival (Grand Junction) - Another beer fest happening on the Western Slope this weekend is a fundraiser for the Colorado Mesa University Maverick Club and happens on the campus in Grand Junction this Saturday, May 19th from 1pm to 5pm. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door for a souvenir tasting glass and unlimited tastings. There will be live music as well. Located in the University Center Ballroom - 1455 N. 12th Street in Grand Junction.

Choice City Butcher & Deli (Fort Collins) - Recently, Choice City brewed a Dunkle Rye with Odell Brewing Company and it's ready! BUT! They want their fans to make the label! So a Label Design Contest starts now til Wednesday May 23rd. The winner will be chosen next Wednesday at the tapping party! The prize is super awesome! Post your label on their Facebook page or drop it off at Choice City! The beer's name is Choice City BaDonka Dunkle!

Beer Bingo (Loveland, Greeley, Ft. Collins) - Have you played Beer Bingo yet? There are nine breweries in Northern Colorado that are participating. Get a game card at Grimm Brothers, Big Beaver, City Star, Odell, New Belgium, Pateros Creek, Crabtree, Funkwerks, or Fort Collins Brewery and as you sample beers on your card try to score a bingo. You'll need to visit at least 6 breweries to score a bingo. Get a bingo and score a prize. All part of the fun for American Craft Beer Week.

Strange Brewing Company (Denver) - According to a new article from Westword today, Strange Brewing will open up their new outdoor patio this weekend. This opening comes two years after their grand opening in 2010. The patio with 4 large wooden tables will be open just on weekends, Friday through Sunday. Plans are also in the works to expand the brewery to some additional space next door. Stop in tonight and try their Cherry Saison on firkin. Live music tonight at 6pm.

Equinox Brewing (Fort Collins) - Today's Thursday firkin is Universal Porter, a brew conditioned with coffee from The Bean Cycle. Tapping begins at noon.

Wit's End Brewing (Denver) - The tap take over and beer dinner is tonight at The Kitchen Cafe's Kitchen [Next Door] featuring Wit's End Brewing beers! A special menu has been prepared to pair with three of their beers--Jean Claude Van Blond, Kitchen Sink Porter, and Green Man. Cost is $24.95/person + tax & gratuity. Menu will be available from 4-Close. A big thanks to The Kitchen Community for their support.

American Craft Beer Radio (102.3FM Denver) - Attention craft beer lovers, tune in this Saturday when American Craft Beer Radio broadcasts live at the Taste of Tipsy's beer festival. The show this week will go live from 11am - 12pm instead of 12-1. Gary V and company will be kicking off the festival as it starts at 11am as well. So pass the word join in live at 11am on 102.3 FM ESPN Denver.

The Mayor of Old Town (Fort Collins) - The Mayor continues American Craft Beer Week celebrations with a special tapping of Avery's Samael's Ale. Samael’s Ale is a super-caramelly, oak aged English-style strong ale. Perhaps the least hoppy beer Avery Brewing has brewed, to accentuate the malt. The oak is very apparent in this rich and high gravity ale, adding additional depth and complexity with a woody and cask-like nose and a pronounced vanilla flavor on the palate. This potent ale is the second installment, along with The Beast, of our “Demons of Ale Series”. Stop in at 6pm tonight for the tapping and try one.

Oskar Blues (Longmont) - Grats to Oskar Blues for taking a Silver Award in the "Beer Category" in Beverage World Magazine's 3rd Annual BevStar Awards this week for their Deviant Dale's India Pale Ale. As Oskar Blues says - Fuh-CAN-rad!

Ska Brewing (Durango) - Not to be outdone, Ska Brewing ALSO won a Bronze medal at the Ameri-CAN Canned Craft Beer Fest in Scottsdale, AZ last night for their SKA Special ESB in the English Pale Ale category. Congrats on this award!

Twisted Pine Brewing (Boulder) - In addition to launching their new Roots Revival Carrot IPA tomorrow, stop in to Twisted Pine today for koozie give-away day! Stop by the Ale House today and grab a pint and they'll give you a free koozie. While supplies last.

Fort Collins Brewery Tour (Fox 31 News) - Today, Fox 31 News out of Denver released a great video about touring the breweries up in Fort Collins, from FCB, to Funkwerks, to Odells, to New Belgium. Check out the video below, or if you can't view that here, check out the article on their website.

Odell Brewing (Fort Collins) - Join Odell Brewing, Saturday, June 2 at 2pm for the Great Ball Hunt: part treasure hunt, part pub crawl. Mark your calendar, grab some friends and wear your fast shoes. They’ll be hiding a whole bunch of UnBottled balls in some of their favorite pubs in Ft. Collins and Denver. That ball is your invitation to play with us all summer long. Look for hints every day on Facebook, or check out the Odell blog for all the hints in one place. Help Odell Brewing kick off an UnBottled summer.

River North Brewery (Denver) - Don't forget! Today they're releasing their first ever barrel aged beer -- a whiskey barrel aged version of their J. Marie Saison! River North has one 5 gallon keg of it ready in the taproom starting at 3pm today and when it's gone, it's gone. Don't miss it!

FLASH MOB ALERT (Fort Collins) - The string of Flash Mobs brewery appearances continue today in FoCo. Today, the mob is hitting up New Belgium's Liquid Center from 3:00pm to 3:15pm. Come get a free sample of their Collusion 2012 brew! Get there while it lasts. THEN, at 4:00pm the Flash Mob heads over to Equinox Brewing for 15 minutes of craziness. Get a Free logo pint glass there with each pint while it lasts.

Dad & Dude's Breweria (Aurora) - Have you tried a brew at Dad & Dude's lately? Now on tap is their Hoparazzi Black IPA (replacing Oli's Brown). Coming up soon, get a taste of: Peaches+Cream Ale, R.I.P MCA I.P.A., and Butterscotch Porter!

Pagosa Brewing Company (Pagosa Springs) - Made just for ACBW - come try these special brews on tap: Old Kommie (Russian Imperial), Double Black (Imperial Black IPA), Peachy Peach (a State Champion brew), and Wolf Creek Wheat (an American Wheat). Limited quantities.

Looking for some music to go along with your beer? Check the Brewery Music Listings and see who's playing at your favorite brewery or beer bar in Colorado. Updated daily.

Looking for a beer festival? Check out the listings on the 2012 Colorado Beer Festivals & Events Calendar.

There's even more Colorado beer happenings and discussions on the Fermentedly Challenged Facebook page. Thanks for helping us grow to over 850 "Likes" so far in 2012!

This article came from FermentedlyChallenged.com - a Colorado beer blog.
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Twisted Pine Taps the Root

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Butler) — Thu, 17 May 2012 16:43:00 +0000

Roots Revival Carrot IPA debuts as Farm to Foam series premiere

Boulder, Colorado – May 17th 2012 – Twisted Pine Brewing Company’s Farm to Foam® series launches on Friday, May 18th with the introduction of Roots Revival, a carrot IPA created to applaud the Boulder Farmers’ Market’s 25th anniversary.

According to the brewery, the series is “a tribute to the sustainable spirit of Colorado.” With that goal in mind, Twisted Pine will source all ingredients for each beer in-state. The series will include 2-4 releases per year, and brewers aim to utilize not only locally grown grain and hops, but “fruits, roots, seeds and vegetables that spring from Colorado soil” as well.

Farm to Foam’s first offering, Roots Revival, is an American-style India Pale Ale brewed with barley and wheat grown in Alamosa, Cascade hops from the Uncompahgre Valley, Crystal hops from Niwot and organic carrots harvested less than 15 miles from the brewery. The aroma starts with salient citrus hop notes, testament to the dry-hopping process, and follows up with a whiff of malted sweetness and a subtle whisper of carrot. Fresh, resinous hops proceed from fragrance to flavor and serve to punctuate the earthy character of grain and carrots. The beer finishes dry and crisp on the palate with the slightest hint of lingering bitterness. At 6.9% ABV and 51 IBU, Roots makes a charming companion for summer sipping sessions.

The Roots Revival release party will be an all-day event on Friday, May 18th at Twisted Pine’s ale house, where the beer will be available on draft and in 750ml bottles as soon as the doors open at 11 a.m. Representatives from the Boulder Farmers’ Market will be on hand to discuss the importance and impact of local food sources. In addition, bottles will be available at select locations throughout Colorado. For more details visit www.twistedpinebrewing.com, you wascally wabbits!

Based in Boulder, Colorado Twisted Pine Brewing Company has been handcrafting beer since 1995. They are the brewers of such favorites as “Hoppy Boy IPA,” “Raspberry Wheat Ale” and “Billy’s Chilies.” The Ale House is a very popular local hangout and boasts 17 taps, 5 rotating. Twisted Pine is active with local charitable organizations and a strong believer in sustainable business practices. You can find more information at www.twistedpinebrewing.com.

Related articles:
- Twisted Pine's La Petite Saison returns.
- Twisted Pine Raspberry Wheat Ale review.
- Twisted Pine Big Shot Espresso Stout review.

This article came from FermentedlyChallenged.com - a Colorado beer blog.
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Colorado Beer News 051612

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Butler) — Wed, 16 May 2012 16:55:00 +0000

Today is Wear Purple For Peace Day. It would be difficult to fight anyone if we were all wearing purple today. And for those of us in Colorado, we already know what purple stands for - Go Rockies! Here's what's happening around the Colorado beerosphere today Wednesday, May 16th, 2012.

Colorado Beer News is continually updated during the day (10am to 3pm) with new stories as they break, so stop back here often for all the latest. If you'd like to subscribe to this daily by email, sign-up here.

Upslope Brewing (Boulder) - Today in honor of American Craft Beer Week, Upslope welcomes the many tastes from Cured in Boulder. Will from Cured will be at the brewery offering various cheeses and suggesting different cheese and beer pairings starting at 5pm. Then stop back tomorrow, May 17th as they're releasing their Belgian Strong Dark Ale that's been aged in Cabernet and Zinfandel barrels for several months.

CAUTION: Brewing Company (Denver) - Don't forget! This Friday, May 18th marks the opening of the CAUTION: Brewery's new taproom in Denver. They'll open up at 4:00pm and will stay open until vary late. If you've never had the chance to try their beers now you have a great place to do so! They will be releasing their first IPA for the occasion: Hippity Hops Chrysanthemum IPA weighing in at 7.5% ABV and with 75 IBUs. The tasting room is located at: 12445 E. 39th Avenue, Unit 313 (Building C) in Denver, CO. Also, consider signing up for their VIP Growler System. $40 gets you a sleek 32oz bottle, a first fill, $6 fills till the end of 2013, invites to exclusive tappings and events, and 1 brew day with CAUTION:'s crew.

The Mayor of Old Town (Fort Collins) - Today at the Mayor, another American Craft Beer Week event - Cigars and Jazz on the Patio - the event starts at 6:00pm. Brought to you by the Mayor of Old Town and Edwards Pipe and Cigar, join them outdoors on the Mayor’s patio to enjoy smokes and listen to some cool jazz. They welcome the Tom Barbour Trio back this week! Music and merriment start at 6:00pm! Also inside tonight at 5pm, join in for a tapping of the 1st batch of Breckenridge's Well Built ESB. This Extra Special Bitter has been aged in Stranahan's Whiskey barrels.

Del Norte Brewing (Denver) - Things are going well at Del Norte this year. They have been expanding at a record rate. With new distributors, current locations, and upcoming future expansion, they are having trouble keeping beer in the brewery. They are excited about the future of Del Norte Brewing Co. To celebrate their success Del Norte is hosting a summer music series. See flyer shown here.

Copper Kettle Brewing (Denver) - It's Day ONE of Craft Beer Week at CKBC. Rotating happy hour today and YOU pick the beer on special! $1 off the beer chosen for that hour. Stop by at: 1338 S. Valentia Street #100 in Denver, CO. They open at 3pm.

New Belgium (Fort Collins) - Reminder! Those wanting to get a sneak preview of this year's Clips of Faith should meet at New Belgium, leave for Road 34 at 7:00, Clips of Faith starts at 8:30. This is the only showing in Fort Collins this summer! Hope to see you there. Road 34 is located at: 1213 West Elizabeth Street in FoCo.

Hunters Moon Meadery (Severance) is planning to take delivery of two 160 gallon stainless steel, variable capacity tanks tomorrow. This will give them over 1200 gallons of capacity for making their delicious meads. If you've never tasted mead before you should really try some.

Twisted Pine Brewing (Boulder) has a special treat in store for American Craft Beer Week -- their brewers have cracked open the cellar and dug up a keg of 2011 Hoppy Man! They will tap this 11% ABV Imperial IPA at 5:00pm sharp tonight! Make Twisted Pine your stop for happy hour.

Trinity Brewing (Colorado Springs) - Have a new dog in your family? Bring the little rascal down to Trinity Brewing for their "Pups on the Patio" night, tonight. Relax in the sunshine with a beer and your furry friend while they serve up a special treat for your pup.

New Belgium (Fort Collins) - Get ready for another new seasonal this year. According to a new beer label approval released this week, New Belgium will soon put out Red Hoptober and replace the old Hoptober. Red Hoptober is described as "A pleasing Ale for the harvest season, Red Hoptober is pitched with Centennial, Cascade and Eldorado Red hops. It's the perfect sipper for these last, fevered days of summer and the cooling, coming autumn nights. Bold and delicious, Red Hoptober has just enough bitter to delight." - Look for bottles of this to hit shelves in late summer.

AC Golden Brewing (Golden) - Colorado craft beer fans have spoken and the winner is Colorado Native lager! The beer was one of four Colorado craft brews in Frontier Airlines' 'Choose Your Brew' poll. Beer fans and consumers voted to determine which of the four beers they'd like to see on-board all Frontier aircraft for June and July. Colorado Native earned 44% of the votes. AC Golden Brewing Company's award-winning amber lager, Colorado Native is brewed with 100% Colorado ingredients. The beer won silver at this month's Brewers Association World Beer Cup and also was awarded silver in the 2011 Great American Beer Festival. Both wins were in the American-style Amber Lager category. The other three beers in the poll were Dale's Pale Ale (Oskar Blues), Upslope Pale Ale, and Crabtree Oatmeal Stout. (What did you think of this choice?)

Funkwerks (Fort Collins) - Attention dark beer lovers! Funkwerks' Belgian Stout, a beer infused with cocoa nibs and star anise, is now tapped and available in full or half glasses at the brewery. Come get some!

River North Brewery (Denver) - It’s time for their third bottle release! Quandary, a Belgian-style Quadrupel, will be released for the first time at 3pm today at the River North taproom. Described as: "A dark Belgian-style ale you can't quite put your finger on. Neither wholly traditional nor modern. Familiar, but unidentifiably unique. An ale to slowly ponder, seldom decipher, yet always enjoy." - The release starts at 3pm today, May 16th. Located at: 2401 Blake Street #1 in Denver, CO. The Quandary stats come in at 9.6% abv and 23 IBUs. The aroma is of intense dark fruit and black currants. The flavor is a balanced malty sweetness with a warm finish. Quandary will improve with age, so be sure to add a few to your beer cellar.

Wynkoop Brewery (Denver) - Two Denver fixtures have teamed up to serve up two new unique beers that can only be bought at their respective businesses. Wynkoop Brewery and Elitch Gardens have come up with two beers, Elitch Gardens Orchard Wheat and Elitch Gardens Fir Roasted Amber. You can only get these at the Wynkoop or at the Beer Garden inside Elitch Gardens. The beers went on sale Tuesday at the Wynkoop and on Saturday at Elitch Gardens.

Crazy Mountain Brewing (Edwards) - There's going to be a big block party tonight at Kaos Pizza in Denver hosted by Crazy Mountain Brewing starting at 5:30pm. Cost is $30 for entry and will get you Unlimited Pizza and Beer (that is until you misbehave or they run out). Located at: 1439 S. Pearl Street in Denver, CO.

Freshcraft (Denver) - Tonight at 5:30pm, Freshcraft will be hosting an Oskar Blues Beer Dinner. The cost is $35 with limited seating. Please call Freshcraft at (303) 758-9608 to reserve your spot. 3-courses and 3-beers.

Looking for some music to go along with your beer? Check the Brewery Music Listings and see who's playing at your favorite brewery or beer bar in Colorado. Updated daily.

Looking for a beer festival? Check out the listings on the 2012 Colorado Beer Festivals & Events Calendar.

There's even more Colorado beer happenings and discussions on the Fermentedly Challenged Facebook page. Thanks for helping us grow to over 850 "Likes" so far in 2012!

This article came from FermentedlyChallenged.com - a Colorado beer blog.
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Colorado Beer News 051512

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Butler) — Tue, 15 May 2012 19:42:00 +0000

Today is Peace Officer's Memorial Day. It's a day to remember those who have fallen who served to protect us all. Raise a glass to our to our men in blue, past and present. Do them another honor today and don't drink and drive. Here's what's happening around the Colorado beerosphere today Tuesday, May 15th, 2012.

Colorado Beer News is continually updated during the day (10am to 3pm) with new stories as they break, so stop back here often for all the latest. If you'd like to subscribe to this daily by email, sign-up here.

Yak and Yeti (Arvada) - All week long for American Craft Beer Week, the Yak & Yeti will have three IPA's on tap including: Himalayan IPA, West-Coast Glutton (a Double Red IPA), and their White IPA. Stop in on Wednesday, May 16th at 4pm for the release of their new Oatmeal Cookie Stout.

The Mayor of Old Town (Fort Collins) - Stop in at the Mayor's this week for American Craft Beer Week activities. Today at 6:00pm they're bringing the two great clubs together for beers and cheers (Gary Brewseys and Beer Bettys)! A mixer to be held on the patio. Check out the Beer Betty’s Facebook Page the Gary Brewsey’s Facebook Page for more details.

Lone Tree Brewing (Lone Tree) - Don't forget - there will be a beer release tonight at 5pm. Come try a pint of their English Mild Ale, malty caramel English goodness in a glass.

Boulder Beer Company (Boulder) - This Saturday, May 19th, its a complete tap-takeover of their most innovative small-batch and barrel-aged brewer's choice beers - all to celebrate American Craft Beer Week. Only 40 pints of 11 different beers will be available. Once they're gone they're gone! Try such brews as: Business Time, Pinot Grigio Saison, Sauvignon Blanc Saison, Cognac Obovoid, Apricot Cranberry Mojo, Unfiltered Kinda Blue, Dead Ringer Saison, Pineapple Citra Delight, Orange Chocolate Porter, Cardamom Never Summer Ale, and Belgian Saison. Don't miss this Innovation Celebration Tap Takeover! VIP tickets get early entry at 11am plus 3 samples.

8th Annual Brew Ha-Ha (Canon City) - Saturday, May 19th, 2012. Time: 3pm to 6pm. It’s a micro brew festival and comedy extravaganza! Sample some beer and then stay for the comedy and the band that runs til 9:30pm! You’ll enjoy the sun and shade at Veteran’s Park (3rd St. & Highway 50), benefiting the Fremont Center for the Arts (FCA). Commemorative glass with “tasting” ticket purchase! Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 at the gate.

Oskar Blues (Longmont) - Hey Boulder - look for a new Oskar Blues restaurant to be coming to you in the very near future. The Longmont Times Call posted an article stating that Oskar Blues intends to lease the historic train depot that will be part of the Depot Square at Boulder Junction development near 31st and Pearl Streets. The restaurant would feature brews and music like their other establishments. Stay tuned for more on this developing story.

Great Divide Brewing (Denver) - In honor of American Craft Beer Week try a taste of a very special barrel-aged beer they concocted with the help of The West End Tavern in Boulder. It's a Makers Mark Barrel Aged Yeti and there are only 2 kegs in the world! One pours at West End and one pours in their Tap Room in Denver. Plus, there's a pint night with their man Rob at West End tomorrow.

Elk Mountain Brewing (Parker) - Today at the brewery, stop in for a tapping of their Blonde Ale at 3pm. Then tomorrow, they'll be opening up a firkin of Chili Blonde ale at 4pm. Come try one!

Twisted Pine Brewing (Boulder) is hosting live music and beer trivia tonight from 6:30pm to 8:30pm. It's free to play and you can also win some great prizes while you're at it! Not to mention the selection of great beers on tap. Also - coming soon - Hoppy Boy IPA in 16oz tallboy cans!

Big Choice Brewing (Broomfield) - Tonight they kick off their "Beer for a Year". Stop by and purchase a member card for $100. Each member will receive a growler with 1 refill per month for a whole year (total of 12), plus an awesome Big Choice Brewing super pint glass (21.5 oz) to go along! It also makes a great Father's Day Gift (hint hint). Happy Hour starts at 4pm today and lasts til 6pm.

Home Made Liquids & Solids (Longmont) - Firestone Walker will be doing a tap takeover this week. Celebrate Craft Beer Week at Oskar Blues Homemade Liquids and Solids in Longmont, CO. In addition to all the great Oskar Blues offerings on draft, 2012 World Beer Cup Mid Size Brewery of the Year Firestone Walker will be in the house with 9 of their award winning beers. Here is the lineup that will be tapped this Wednesday, May 16th at 5 pm - FW 2011 Anniversary, Parabola, Wookie Jack, Double Jack IMperial IPA, Union Jack IPA, Double Barrel Ale, Pale 31, Solace, and Private Reserve Robust Porter. Several of these are rare, limited editions so first come, first served.

Revolution Brewing (Paonia) - All fans of RevBrew, particularly those of the Imperially Pale proclivity - they report to have tamed the Junga. Actually, they have let it go wild. King of the Junga, approximately 8% ABV, featuring four more pounds of hops and representing their strongest, hoppiest IPA since opening. The cry of the hop heads has been heard. They believe you will rejoice. By Friday.

Looking for some music to go along with your beer? Check the Brewery Music Listings and see who's playing at your favorite brewery or beer bar in Colorado. Updated daily.

Looking for a beer festival? Check out the listings on the 2012 Colorado Beer Festivals & Events Calendar.

There's even more Colorado beer happenings and discussions on the Fermentedly Challenged Facebook page. Thanks for helping us grow to over 800 "Likes" so far in 2012!

This article came from FermentedlyChallenged.com - a Colorado beer blog.
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Dry Dock makes plans to expand

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Butler) — Tue, 15 May 2012 17:27:00 +0000

Aurora, CO - May 14, 2012 - Dry Dock Brewing Company, winner of the 2009 Small Brewing Company of the Year award at the Great American Beer Festival, has found a location for its production facility. Owners Michelle and Kevin DeLange are under contract to purchase a 30,000 sq ft building in Aurora, Colorado. This second location will house a 4-vessel, 40 barrel brewhouse that will eventually be capable of producing more than 60,000 barrels of beer per year (one barrel is 31 U.S. gallons). Located just south of I-70 on Tower Road, the new facility should be producing beer by the end of the year, aiming to brew 12,000 barrels in the first year. Dry Dock plans to start by focusing its distribution in Colorado, and begin to consider out of state markets in 2014.

Currently, Dry Dock distributes in 22oz glass “bomber” bottles which it has been doing since January 2011. It also plans to package in aluminum cans in the new production facility. The canning line will be designed and fabricated by Wild Goose (Boulder, CO), a local can line manufacturer. “We will continue to produce the Double IPA, Bligh’s Barleywine and other seasonals in bombers while putting our Apricot Blonde, Hefeweizen, Amber and a hoppy beer in cans,” says Michelle DeLange. Dry Dock Brewing Co. also intends to offer champagne style bottles with cork/cage finish for barrel-aged and sour beers that are produced in later years.

The current Dry Dock Brewery location will remain unchanged, continuing its dual roles of a working brewery and flagship tasting room. However, the East Hampden Avenue facility will be largely exempt from the ever-growing production demands. With the exception of some limited draught only releases, all distribution will come from the new production facility so the present brewery can be used more for experimental, barrel-aged, and sour beers. “We will be able to play even more on our current system. Although it is small, it has all the capabilities of step mashing and decoction that our new, larger brewery will have so it will be a perfect pilot system,” DeLange said.

Dry Dock has yet to decide who will distribute its brand in Colorado, but has been actively interviewing distributors and is close to making a decision. Kevin DeLange said, “There are a few in Colorado that have been inquiring, as they’ve seen us grow, and at least 10 out-of-state distributors have reached out to us as well. We’re going to spend 2013 getting our feet under ourselves here in Colorado.” Since opening in 2005, Dry Dock has never been able to keep up with demand. “We talked to a lot of brewery owners at the Craft Brewers Conference and they all advised us to take it slow. Although this facility has huge potential, we don’t want to over extend ourselves too quickly.”

About Dry Dock Brewing Company:

Dry Dock was founded in 2005 by Michelle and Kevin DeLange next to The Brew Hut, their homebrew and winemaking shop. In April 2006, Dry Dock won a gold at the World Beer Cup for its HMS Victory ESB in the Special or Best Bitter Category. Since then, Dry Dock has won 3 additional World Beer Cup awards and 11 Great American Beer Festival medals including Small Brewing Company of the Year in 2009. Located in Aurora, Colorado, Dry Dock currently sells 70% of its 3,000 bbl/yr beer production in its tasting room. It also self-distributes in the Denver metro area.

###

For more information, please contact Kevin DeLange, kevin@drydockbrewing.com.

Related articles:
- Dry Dock Double India Pale Ale review.
- Dry Dock Hefeweizen review.
- A photo tour of Dry Dock Brewing Company.

This article came from FermentedlyChallenged.com - a Colorado beer blog.
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Colorado Beer News 051412

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Butler) — Mon, 14 May 2012 17:10:00 +0000

Today begins American Craft Beer Week across the entire country (May 14-20, 2012). You'll find several planned activities at your local breweries, beer bars and selected restaurants. It's a celebration of one of America's best made products - craft beer! Here's what's happening around the Colorado beerosphere today Monday, May 14th, 2012.

Colorado Beer News is continually updated during the day (10am to 3pm) with new stories as they break, so stop back here often for all the latest. If you'd like to subscribe to this daily by email, sign-up here.

New Belgium (Fort Collins) - The Asheville (NC) Citizen-Times reports that New Belgium has selected an architect firm Perkins & Will of Charlotte, NC to create their plans for the new building in Asheville, North Carolina. The new building will be up to 140,000 square feet in size and be capable of producing up to 400,000 barrels of beer each year initially. When needed, New Belgium could scale up production to over 700,000 barrels.

Dry Dock Brewing (Aurora) - Dry Dock announced plans this last weekend to open a larger facility in Aurora, Colorado. A bigger building would allow them to greatly increase capacity which is currently peaked at their existing facility. The new facility would host a canning line. Dry Dock would keep their old facility and use that for brewing more specialty and barrel-aged beers. See the full write-up in the Westword article.

Grimm Brothers Brewhouse (Loveland) - JOB POSTING ALERT! There was a post on their Facebook page on Saturday which read: "Grimm Brothers Brewhouse is currently looking to hire an experienced brewer. Position will include brewing, filtering, cellaring, packaging, lab work, and quality control. Ideal candidate will have previous experience. Please submit resume to jobs@grimmbrosbrewhouse.com, or bring an application into the taproom during open business hours". - So if you fit the bill or know of someone else who may be qualified - let them know!

City Star (Berthoud) - business must be better than expected, City Star had to temporarily shutdown their tap room over the weekend in fear of running out of beer. But fear not! They will be back open today at 2:00pm with more fresh beer on tap.

Elevation Beer Company (Poncha Springs) - Colorado Governor Hickenlooper will be in attendance at the grand opening of Elevation Beer Company this Saturday, May 19th. The Governor is also expected to sign a bill into law at the brewery. The festivities begin at 11:00am. Read more about it in the full article.

Home Made Liquids & Solids (Longmont) - Sour fans! Mark your calendars - Time to get Funk'n Wild again Saturday July 21st from 3-6pm at Oskar Blues Homemade Liquids and Solids in Longmont. World Cup Bronze medal winner Chad Yakobson of Crooked Stave will be the featured speaker. Don't miss this chance to hear Chad talk about all things Brett n funky and taste his hard to find amazing beers! They will be pouring beer from Crooked Stave, Jolly Pumpkin, New Belgium, Russian River and more.

Crystal Springs Brewing (Boulder) - They have their Black Saddle Port Barrel Aged Stout conditioning that should be ready for release in November 2012 after 2 long years. Two more beers about to be released: Solano, a roasted chili beer as well as South Ridge Amber. Plus, it's almost time to do their first canning run of Summertime Ale. That should be done around the end of May. Finally, they've been experimenting with Brettanomyces and are close to releasing a brett beer in another 2 to 3 weeks. It's a lighter colored beer with hints of citrus and a slight tang. The brett adds some wonderful characteristics to the beer as well. Look for it in June.

River North Brewery (Denver) - Here are some activities they've planned for American Craft Beer Week. Wednesday May 16 - Quandary (Belgian Quad) Bottle Release Party. Thursday May 17 - Barrel Program Debut - releasing one 1/6 barrel keg of Whiskey-barrel-aged J. Marie Saison 3pm. Friday May 18 - 3 month Anniversary Party with $1 off all beers and 25% off all merchandise. Sunday, May 20 - Oak-Aged Dry-Hopped Imperial Wit release. Stop in for one or more days this week. They'll also be at Taste of Tipsy's beer fest on Saturday.

Atom Brewing Company (Erie) - They've got 6 test batches of beer going right now and are brewing up a 7th in the next week or so. Getting close to hosting a tasting party. Stay tuned for details on how you might get a taste of these.

Strange Brewing (Denver) is celebrating their 2nd anniversary this week! Stop by, check out their new Beirgarten and be on hand for the release of their anniversary beer - Munich Dunkel.

Great American Beer Festival (Oct. 11-13, 2012 Denver) - The Great American Beer Festival (GABF) Members-Only ticket pre-sale begins on Tuesday, July 31 at 10:00 AM MDT (Noon EDT, 11:00 AM CDT, 9:00 AM PDT). The general public ticket sale opens on Thursday, August 2, also at 10:00 AM MDT (Noon EDT, 11:00 AM CDT, 9:00 AM PDT). All tickets will be available via Ticketmaster.com. This event tends to sell out rather quickly now - get your tickets well in advance!

Bull & Bush (Denver) - You've probably heard the buzz by now about the Bull & Bush Brewery cleaning up at the 2012 World Beer Cup last weekend. Brew Master Gabe walked away with some serious heavy metal: Gold for MAN BEER and Turnip the Beets and Bronze for Tower E.S.B. and Release the Hounds. To honor this 4-peat outstanding achievement, they'll be having a celebration at the Bull & Bush on Monday, June 4th. At 4:04pm we will tap a free keg of MAN BEER (They'll pour till the keg runs dry) and for $4.44 you can sample of all 4 award winning beers. Don't miss your chance to congratulate the brew team and taste the beers that took San Diego by storm!

Loveland Ale Works (Loveland) - After a 280 day ordeal with the feds, Loveland Ale Works has finally obtains their TTB approval. Plans may now move ahead for an opening this summer! The brewery will be located at 118 West 4th Street in Loveland, Colorado in the heart of downtown.

Ska Brewing (Durango) celebrates American Craft Beer Week. Monday from 5:30pm - 6:30pm it's Happy Hour Yoga - free class and a pint of beer. Tuesday - Declaration of Beer Independence at 5pm with a Barleywine release and the mayor. Stay for Beer Trivia Night 6pm - 8pm. Wednesday - Durango Devo Short Track Series - short track races at the brewery 5:30pm - 7:30pm. Thursday - Ska BQ - weekly BBQ with live music 5:30pm - 7:30pm. Friday - Ska's GABF Pro-Am Homebrew Competition. Winner announced at 7pm. Live music.

Grimm Brothers Brewhouse (Loveland) - Stop by the brewery this week and pick up your Brewery Bingo card and start playing. Get stamped at any of the 9 Fort Collins, Loveland and Greeley breweries whenever you buy a beer and complete a bingo to win some fun brewery stuff. The first legit bingo blackout card to come in will win a special Grimm Brothers prize package. Valued at over $55.

Yak & Yeti (Arvada) - This Wednesday, May 16th at 4pm, Yak & Yeti will release their Oatmeal Cookie Stout at the Brewpub. In addition to real vanilla, real cinnamon sticks (not those posers) there are copious amounts of oatmeal in this beer. Clocking in at 7.2% and 22 IBUs, this is one black beauty.

Grand Lake Brewing Company (Grand Lake) wants everyone to know that Trail Ridge Road is now officially OPEN for the season two weeks early! Drive over the top and glide down to the tasting room.

Boulder Beer Company (Boulder) - Join in today for Flashback Nationwide Nitro as we kick of our celebration of American Craft Beer week. All over the U.S. we'll be tapping a nitro keg of Flashback at 4:20 pm Mountain Time (6:20 Eastern). Look for a place in your city here: http://www.boulderbeer.com/NationwideNitro.htm.

Pug Ryan's Brewery (Dillon) - Their Tiki bar is opening this Friday. Are you ready? They are! Sip some outside and take in the view.

Looking for some music to go along with your beer? Check the Brewery Music Listings and see who's playing at your favorite brewery or beer bar in Colorado. Updated daily.

Looking for a beer festival? Check out the listings on the 2012 Colorado Beer Festivals & Events Calendar.

There's even more Colorado beer happenings and discussions on the Fermentedly Challenged Facebook page. Thanks for helping us grow to over 800 "Likes" so far in 2012!

This article came from FermentedlyChallenged.com - a Colorado beer blog.
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Governor Hickenlooper to sign bill at Elevation Beer Co Grand Opening

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Butler) — Sat, 12 May 2012 18:54:00 +0000

May 10th, 2012 Poncha Springs, Colorado - Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper is scheduled to appear at Elevation Beer Company for their tasting room and brewery grand opening May 19th, 2012 on the final day of American Craft Beer Week.

“We are so happy to welcome Governor Hickenlooper and honored to have a him sign a bill at our Grand Opening,’ says General Manager Carlin Walsh, ‘After all the Governor is a fellow brewer himself.’

Elevation is a new Colorado microbrewery co-founded by four friends; Carlin, Christian, Sheila and Xandy, on a cool Colorado summer night over a few craft beers and a back yard BBQ. The brewery plans on joining an elite group of approximately 20 microbreweries across the nation specializing in seasonal barrel-aged and specialty beers.

The Colorado microbrewing industry has been growing rapidly and accounts for over $446 Million dollars in total economic impact on Colorado’s economy according to the Colorado Brewers Guild. Elevation Beer Co. is one of 141 breweries and brewpubs now open in Colorado with over 70 new breweries planning to open in Colorado over the next 12-18 months according to the Brewers Association.

“We plan on making rare artisan beers produced right here in the heart of Colorado,’ says Head Brewer and Co-founder Christian Koch, “using as many Colorado ingredients as possible, and hopefully bringing dozens of jobs to Poncha Springs and Chaffee County over the next few years.”

Governor Hickenlooper will be giving a short speech during the event as well as signing the BLANK BILL into effect starting at 12:00pm.

The brewery’s doors will open at 11:00am and the event will also feature live music from several local bands, as well as local food vendors, and 8 different Elevation beers on tap.

For more information, or to receive press passes for the event please contact:

Sheila Bustamante
Marketing Manager
719-539-5258
sheila@elevationbeerco.com

(Picture by Dave Butler - taken at Wynkoop Brewing in 2009)

About Elevation

Elevation Beer Co. is an artisan microbrewery located in Poncha Springs, Colorado, just minutes from Salida, Monarch Ski Area, Arkansas River Headwaters, and over seven 14,000-foot peaks. Elevation specializes in brewing large adventurous beers for the craft beer fanatic, While trying to elevate the perception of what beer can be.

Related articles:
- Elevation Beer Company to open May 19th 2012.
- Elevation Beer Company to bring Barrel Aged Craft beer to Colorado.
- City Star begins to shine in Berthoud.

This article came from FermentedlyChallenged.com - a Colorado beer blog.
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Colorado Beer News 051112

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Butler) — Fri, 11 May 2012 19:01:00 +0000

Today is Eat What You Want Day. Most of us have to watch what we eat to stay health, but every once in a while, like today, it's a time to celebrate and eat whatever fits your fancy today. Just remember, everything in moderation. You can also pair what you eat with a nice craft beer. Here's what's happening around the Colorado beerosphere today Friday, May 11th, 2012.

Colorado Beer News is continually updated during the day (10am to 3pm) with new stories as they break, so stop back here often for all the latest. If you'd like to subscribe to this daily by email, sign-up here.

Colorado Chocolate Festival (Denver) - Chocolate lovers rejoice! There will be a two-day festival of all things chocolate today and tomorrow at the Denver merchandise mart. Beer lovers take note - along with all the yummy chocolate, there will be a special chocolate and beer pairings event at the festival. Admission is $5, kids under 12 get in free. Tickets for sampling are $10 for dozen or $20 for 25. More info at (303) 347-8252.

Great American Beer Festival (Denver) - This year's tickets start going on sale July 31st at 10:00am MDT for the Members-Only Saturday afternoon event. The general public sale starts on Thursday, August 2nd at 10:00am MDT. All tickets will be available via Ticketmaster (watch those extra fees & charges). This year's GABF takes place October 11-13, 2012 at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver. Tickets will sell out quick so be ready!

Big Beaver Brewing (Loveland) - Don't forget, tomorrow, May 12th at 2pm at the brewery will be the "Running of the Wieners" Wiener Dog Race where as they say "Every Wiener is a Winner". If you have a wiener dog (Dachshund) and wish to enter it in the race please see details and register online at bigbeaverbrew.com.

Oskar Blues (Longmont) - Head to the Tasty Weasel tonight for Firkin Friday. They'll tap a firkin of Ginger Mama's Little Yella Pils at 5pm. Bring your friends and try one and play some games there while your at it.

Hops & Pie (Denver) - Bottles of the 2012 Firestone Walker Parabola barrel-aged imperial stout are now in house! This is a superior quality Imperial Stout that you won't want to miss.

Left Hand Brewing (Longmont) - They now have Cask beer back on tap! Rumor has it that it has something to do with an extremely large primate. Could it be a 400 pound monkey? Stop in at the tasting room and see for yourself.

Trinity Brewing (Colorado Springs) - tonight marks the return of Slap Yer Mammy! The tapping party begins at 5pm sharp! It's one big Double IPA you won't want to miss. Now it's back on a full time basis!

Tommyknocker Brewery (Idaho Springs) - It's time for a Summer Kick Off party! On June 2nd, 2012 in the park there will be free BBQ. Parade starts at 11am. BBQ & Entertainment runs from 12pm to 3pm. All proceeds go to the Clear Creek County Victims Advocates.

Colorado State University and University of Colorado - grats to all the grads this week! Watch out breweries - you're gonna be busy this weekend! Cheers to all on your graduations.

Great Divide Brewing (Denver) - Starting next week, you'll be able to begin purchasing tickets for Great Divide's 18th Anniversary Party. The party will be held on Saturday, June 16th. Start getting your tickets on May 14th.

Grimm Brothers Brewhouse (Loveland) - Don has been busy at the brew house. Join Grimm Brothers as they release their first firkin using their beer engine. They will release a Snow Drop dry hopped with Citra. Once its tapped they pour until its gone, one night only. Mark your calendars for Wednesday, May 23rd starting at 4pm. It's the first of many firkin good wonders to come.

Avery Brewing (Boulder) - This Monday at 6pm its "Nerds on Yeast" - the May meeting of the Homebrew & Bottle Collectors Support Group. For their May gathering Rob, their Chief Nerd/Lab Manager will be sharing his knowledge on yeast! He'll be available to answer questions, offer advice and try their beers! So bring some beer, some food and some friends for a night of total nerding out homebrew style!

Left Hand Brewing (Longmont) - On Wednesday, May 16th from 7pm to 9pm, it's a night of chocolate and beer at Boulder's "Piece, Love & Chocolate". Beer and chocolate… two of the most beloved culinary indulgences for centuries. With a focus on the beloved and small batch production of each, this is a fun and metaphysical exploration of the physiology of tasting beer and chocolate together. Left Hand will be featuring, among other pairings, Fade To Black w/Flourless Raspberry Chocolate Cake, Juju Ginger w/Milk Chocolate Truffle, Milk Stout w/Milk Stout Layer Cake and Hog Heaven w/Hazelnut Tart. his interactive class is sure to impart a deeper knowledge and appreciation of how fine chocolate and craft beer are created and how they truly belong togther… all you need is love! Sign up online or give them a call (303) 449-4804 to register. Piece, Love & Chocolate is located at 805 Pearl Street in Boulder, CO.

Crooked Stave (Denver) - It's time for another Cellar Reserve Membership release by Crooked Stave. This month's release is Persica, their Sour Golden Ale Aged in Oak with Peaches. It's 100% Brett fermented then aged 9 months in oak barrels with 110 pounds of Colorado peaches in each barrel. Only 2 barrels were made! On Saturday May 26th Chad Yakobson will be holding their Denver release again at Falling Rock Tap House (located at 1919 Blake St. Denver, CO. 80202). They'll be out front distributing Cellar Reserve allocations from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The second release will be Sunday May 27th this time being held at Backcountry Pizza and Tap House (located at 2319 Arapahoe Ave. Boulder, CO. 80302) They'll be out back from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. where the parking and entrance is with their tent and having a good time!

Looking for some music to go along with your beer? Check the Brewery Music Listings and see who's playing at your favorite brewery or beer bar in Colorado. Updated daily.

Looking for a beer festival? Check out the listings on the 2012 Colorado Beer Festivals & Events Calendar.

There's even more Colorado beer happenings and discussions on the Fermentedly Challenged Facebook page. Thanks for helping us grow to over 800 "Likes" so far in 2012!

This article came from FermentedlyChallenged.com - a Colorado beer blog.
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Odell Brewing Founders and Beers Honored in San Diego

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Butler) — Fri, 11 May 2012 13:53:00 +0000

Fort Collins, CO. – On May 3, 2012 Odell Brewing Company’s three founders were honored in San Diego at the annual Craft Brewers Conference. Doug, Wynne, and Corkie Odell received the Brewers Association Recognition Award for their support of the industry as a whole, their long time commitment to local philanthropy and support of the homebrewing community, and their inclusive company culture. It was the first time in ten years that the award was presented to multiple recipients.

“We have loved growing our brewery over the last 23 years,” said Corkie Odell, “and it is a thrill to be given this award by our brewery peers.”

Just three days later, Odell Brewing was honored with two awards at the 2012 World Beer Cup®. Double Pilsner won the Bronze Award for Other Strong Beer, and Odell Brewing IPA received the Silver Award for American-Style Strong Pale Ale.

“The World Beer Cup...where else can such diverse brewing professionals sit down to a beer dinner that has been paired with delicious gourmet food while celebrating our similarities and differences,” said Bill Beymer, Head Brewer for Odell Brewing. “It's great that our beers have been recognized as outstanding with such fierce competition from the world over.”

Founded in 1989, Odell Brewing was started by Doug Odell, his wife Wynne, and his sister Corkie. Twenty-three years later, the culture of family and collaboration still thrives fostering a brewery full of beer-centric people. It is this passion for beer that inspires Odell Brewing to create quality, hand-crafted, innovative brews. As a regional craft brewery, Odell Brewing is committed to serving the communities in which it distributes by sourcing local raw materials, and through its charitable giving program known as Odell Outreach. Odell Brewing was recently named a “Top Company of 2010” by ColoradoBiz Magazine and is an award winning brewery, nationally and internationally: 2012 World Beer Cup® - Silver for IPA. 2011 Great American Beer Festival® - gold medal for Friek. 2010 North American Beer Awards – gold medal for Woodcut No. 3. 2009 BrewNZ Awards – gold for 5 Barrel Pale Ale. 2008 World Beer Cup® – gold for IPA. 2007 Great American Beer Festival® – gold medal for IPA.

# # #

Related articles:
- Odell Thornbridge Pond Hopper set for June release.
- Odell Brewing announces 2012 Small Batch Festival.
- There's some Shenanigans going on at Odell Brewing.

This article came from FermentedlyChallenged.com - a Colorado beer blog.
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Beer Week Sauce specially tapped by Left Hand

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Butler) — Thu, 10 May 2012 19:22:00 +0000

Left Hand’s Coffee Porter in Limited Release at U.S. Beer Weeks

Craft beer fans can seek out the coveted Beer Week Sauce during ACBW & more!

(LONGMONT, CO) – Week Sauce. A beer brewed for the champions of Beer Weeks across the U.S.! Not to be confused with Weak Sauce, this stealthy coffee porter brewed with Allegro beans, is not for the weak palate! Made especially for all the beer weeks across the nation, Beer Week Sauce is the perfect combination of coffee and beer that will simultaneously give you the pickup and kick in the pants you need for those long nights in Philadelphia, Seattle, Boston, Chicago, and more…

Beer Week Sauce is a cold brewed porter with Ethiopia Yirgacheffe coffee beans added during aging. The beer pours jet black with aromas of intense cold extracted coffee including blueberries, cinnamon, and tar. Flavor is of coffee, brown sugar, Malt-o-Meal, cinnamon and roasted malt. More bright acidic fruity notes from coffee and hops come through and linger in the finish. Strong and flavorful, Beer Week Sauce is a dream come true for beer lovers and coffee fanatics everywhere.

Originating with the Left Hand sales crew, the idea for Beer Week Sauce came from the long nights at beer weeks across the U.S., where craft beer fans always had the same request, “Give me something special.” And the Colorado based brewery did exactly that. Head Brewer Ro Guenzel created a robust coffee porter with a drinking experience of a strong iced coffee. Experimenting with different coffee companies, Left Hand teamed up with local Allegro Coffee for the 2012 edition of Beer Week Sauce. The use of the Ethiopia Yirgacheffe coffee beans imparts the strong acidic and roasted malt flavors that coffee beer lovers crave.

With summer in our sights and American Craft Beer Week just around the corner, the craft beer community is gearing up for beer weeks coast-to-coast. “We’re excited to have an offering like Beer Week Sauce that is synonymous with the beer weeks nationwide, but is still a limited special offering,” says VP of Operations Chris Lennert. “Fans are fortunate to stumble upon this slice of Left Hand and usually have to seek out these Beer Week events to find it.” Beer Week Sauce isn't bottled and it's a rarity on draft, so thirsty fans can get a glass of the strong stuff by keeping tabs Left Hand’s events via their website and Facebook page. And don’t forget to check out your local beer week to find the Left Hand crew and get a little sip of beer & coffee nirvana!

More about Beer Week Sauce:

Style: Porter with ground Ethiopia Yirgacheffe coffee added to aging
ABV: 6.0% Plato: 15.2° Color: Black
Malts: 2-Row, Munich, Dark Chocolate, Crystal, and Carafa
Hops: Centennial and Falconers Flight
Other: Ethiopia Yirgacheffe from Allegro Coffee in Thornton, CO

Beer pours jet black with aromas of intense cold extracted coffee including blueberries, cinnamon, and tar. Flavor is of coffee, brown sugar, Malt-o-Meal, cinnamon and roasted malt. More bright acidic fruity notes from coffee and hops come through and linger in the finish.

For more information contact:

Emily Armstrong
Left Hand Brewing Company
303.775. 0258, emily@lefthandbrewing.com

###

About Left Hand Brewing Company

Celebrating eighteen years of brewing a well-balanced portfolio of craft beers, Left Hand Brewing Company is located at 1265 Boston Avenue in Longmont, Colorado. The brewery has received 17 medals at the Great American Beer Festival and 8 medals at the World Beer Cup, and its beers are now available in 26 states. “Sometimes you’re not in the mood for what everyone else is having.”

Related articles:
- Get jumping for Left Hand's Smokejumper.
- An inside look at Left Hand Brewing's Tasting Room.
- Left Hand 2009 Oak Aged Imperial Stout review.

This article came from FermentedlyChallenged.com - a Colorado beer blog.
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Colorado Beer News 051012

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Butler) — Thu, 10 May 2012 17:10:00 +0000

Today is International Monty Python Status Day. A day to celebrate everything Monty Python. Update your social media status today with a quote from your favorite MP movie, show, musical or event. "She turned me into a newt! A newt? I got better." Here's what's happening around the Colorado beerosphere today Thursday, May 10th, 2012.

Colorado Beer News is continually updated during the day (10am to 3pm) with new stories as they break, so stop back here often for all the latest. If you'd like to subscribe to this daily by email, sign-up here.

Trinity Brewing (Colorado Springs) - Today, Trinity is brewing 2 new Farmhouse summer Saisons! First, Farmhouse Du Tomme, made with Amaranth, Grains of Paradise, rose hips, and lemon grass. Second, GOPrisais, brewed with Grains of paradise then aged on fresh apricots and Chardonnay grapes. Look for these brews within the next couple of weeks.

Pateros Creek Brewing (Fort Collins) - Chad Laszlo's beer is the 12th entry to the Outlaw Contest as PCBC begins the final stretch. Chad has decided to go with some complexity and make a rhubarb, roasted sirrano pepper, pineapple, Kölsch he calls “S to the T to the double S.” He stated that it was hard to get the different flavors to come out just right but after much trial and error, he finally got a combination that worked well. There seems to be a sense of pride coming from this one as the hurdles were achieved and what was left was a great tasting beer with some subtle flavors that play nicely together. A sweet, tart, spicy, smoky beer. Stop in to try this one of a kind creation. Tapping at noon, Thursday 5/10 and available until it is gone.

Strange Brewing Company (Denver) - Work on their new Biergarten continues. Gravel will be delivered tomorrow. And most exciting, today they received pictures of the wonderful long tables that will furnish the Biergarten. These tables are being built of beetle-kill pine harvested right here in Colorado. Get ready for some outdoor fun.

Gravity Brewing (Louisville) - Their new mash tun is currently being fabricated by Practical Fusion in Portland, OR. This new piece of equipment along with a new brew kettle should be delivered to Louisville, CO by the end of this week. Stay tuned here for more news on their progress towards opening sometime this summer.

Grimm Brothers Brewhouse (Loveland) - Today Grimm welcomes the Stubby Shillelaghs and their high energy, acoustic Celtic folk music to their taproom. The music starts at 5:30pm tonight. Come hungry too - the Chalkboard Gourmet will be serving up their delicious grub outside.

Rock Bottom Brewery (Colorado Springs) - Today at 6:00pm, Rock Bottom will be tapping their Goat Toppler Helles Bock. For the first 30 minutes, they will give you a free beer of this new creation. Get there before 6:30pm to get a free brew.

Elevation Beer Company (Poncha Springs) - Come out tonight and meet the Elevation brewing team and enjoy some delicious food and beer appetizer pairings by the great chefs at Currents in Salida. Also try their Brewers Playground Series Porter for the first time on tap! Event runs from 4:00pm to 11:00pm, music from local musician Chris Nasca at 8:00pm! Currents is located at: 122 North F Street in Salida.

Big Choice Brewing (Broomfield) - Friday is Military Spouse Appreciation Day. For any Military and their spouse, show up with your military ID and you'll get one FREE pint from Big Choice. That's a great way to start the weekend!

Tommyknocker Brewery (Idaho Springs) - Friday night at 7pm at their brewery will be Tommyknocker's 2012 Beer Dinner. Contact Tommyknocker for tickets as seats will go quickly for this beer and food event.

Breckenridge Beer Festival (Breckenridge) - The festival crew thanks everyone who showed up for the April brew festival. Did you know that another one is just a couple months away? Make plans to attend the Breckenridge July Beer Festival on Saturday, July 14th. Tickets are at: www.breckenridgebeerfestival.com.

Judge Baldwin's (Colorado Springs) - Sad news: The last keg of their own beer at Judge Baldwin's will soon be gone. Focus on the Beer confirmed that the hotel-based brewery is no longer brewing its own beer. If you want a last taste, they still have some Yardwork Pale Ale on tap but that will soon be gone. The brewery sited that expenses were getting too high to maintain brewing. They were only producing extract beers which are inherently more expensive than all-grain beers. As of now, their taps will be filled with Colorado craft beers, just not their own any longer.

Rocky Mountain Homebrew Supply (Fort Collins) - Sad news, the three year old homebrew business is closing it's doors after this weekend. There's still a lot of stuff they want to get rid of. All grains and extracts are now 50% off and all other items are 30% off. They are running low on base malts, but there are still plenty of specialty grains. Get there quick, doors close after the close on May 12th. Located at 4631 South Mason Street in Fort Collins.

Crazy Mountain (Edwards) - Come to The Rackhouse Pub on Friday, May 11th from 4pm to 6pm as they get together for a Crazy Mountain Brewing Pint Night. There will be 4 Crazy Mountain brews on tap including: Bourbon Barrel Horseshoes & Hand Grenades, Hookiebobb IPA, Lava Lake Wit, and Cara de Luna Black Ale. The first 50 people in attendance receive a pint glass from Crazy Mountain. Come meet and talk with the Crazy Mountain brewing staff. Rackhouse Pub is located at: 208 S. Kalamath Street in Denver, CO.

Outside Magazine just named their Top 10 Canned Beers of 2012 and several Colorado beers were on the list including: New Belgium's Shift Pale Lager, Oskar Blues Old Chub Scotch Ale, Ska Brewing's True Blonde Ale, and Wynkoop B3K Black Lager. Grats to those breweries for making the list and doing Colorado proud! See article here.

Freshcraft (Denver) - Mark your calendars for American Craft Beer Week at Freshcraft. May 14th - Boulevard Brewing day, May 15th - Victory Brewing night, May 16th ACBW Beer & Food Pairing Dinner w/Oskar Blues, May 17th - Kill the Keg with Left Hand Brewing, May 18th - Odell Tap Takeover, May 19th - Avery Pedal Poker Run. Ask your server for details. Located at 1530 Blake Street Suite A in Denver, CO.

Hop Acres (Fort Collins) - There will be a hop planting party at Hop Acres farm in Fort Collins on Saturday, June 2nd from 1pm to 4pm. Come help plant hops! They've started a 3 acre hop yard and would love some help planting it! Come get your hands dirty while enjoying some beer, food and music. Bring a small hand spade if you have one as we will be putting 2,000 plantlets in the ground (1000 Chinook, 500 Cascade and 500 Nugget). There are 28 acres for the kids to run so bring the family and some lawn chairs. Please RSVP so they have your info, everyone that plants is welcome to come pick what they want for their own brewing this fall and is welcome out to the farm anytime. We look forward to a fun afternoon with family, friends and fellow beer lovers. The farm is located at 8173 Shamrock Ranch Road, just west of Douglas Reservoir, north of Fort Collins. Join the hop crew for a fun-filled day of hop planting with great company, music, food, and delicious beer! For more info, email: hopacres [at] gmail.com or call (970) 215-1276.

Looking for some music to go along with your beer? Check the Brewery Music Listings and see who's playing at your favorite brewery or beer bar in Colorado. Updated daily.

Looking for a beer festival? Check out the listings on the 2012 Colorado Beer Festivals & Events Calendar.

There's even more Colorado beer happenings and discussions on the Fermentedly Challenged Facebook page. Thanks for helping us grow to over 800 "Likes" so far in 2012!

This article came from FermentedlyChallenged.com - a Colorado beer blog.
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Colorado Beer News 050912

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Butler) — Wed, 09 May 2012 17:29:00 +0000

Today is National Night Shift Workers Day. We salute today those who burn the midnight oil to keep businesses going when the rest of us are sleeping. Here's what's happening around the Colorado beerosphere today Wednesday, May 9th, 2012.

Colorado Beer News is continually updated during the day (10am to 3pm) with new stories as they break, so stop back here often for all the latest. If you'd like to subscribe to this daily by email, sign-up here.

Grimm Brothers Brewhouse (Loveland) reminds you that next week is American Craft Beer Week and the start of Brewery Bingo at Northern Colorado breweries in Loveland, Fort Collins and Greeley. Stop by tonight and enjoy Bed Rock BBQ and a few beers.

Phantom Canyon Brewing (Colorado Springs) - Looking for a free beer? Check out the tweet that Phantom Canyon put out yesterday (below).

Silverton Brewery (Silverton) - Dont forget to "LIKE" Silverton Brewery on Facebook. Print out the page showing your "like" and get $1 off your next brew in their taproom.

Colorado Brewers Guild - Colorado Beer Week starts this weekend. Use promo code "Guild20" for 20% discount on a ticket for the opening ceremony or IPA night on the 14th. Cheers to Colorado beers!! http://www.cobeerweek.com/may-12

Dry Dock Brewing (Aurora) is lining up a huge list of firkin releases for next week's American Craft Beer Week. Check out what will be on firkin next week at Dry Dock. Monday: Cranberry Wit, Tuesday: Green Chile Double IPA, Wednesday: Raspberry Porter, Thursday: Double Dry Hopped Double IPA, Friday: Peanut Butter Cup Porter, Saturday: Mango Pale Ale, Sunday: Blake's Juniper Berry Wit. The firkin will be tapped each day at 3pm.

Nostalgic Brewing Company (Longmont), a brewery under development in Colorado, is beginning to make some deals that will eventually help them package some of their beer. They hope to sign a contract with both Crabtree Brewing (Greeley) and Mobile Canning LLC (Longmont) to begin brewing and distributing their beer in cans to start. They anticipate functioning in collaboration with Crabtree's established distribution capabilities, to release their beer in Greeley initially. More details coming out sometime next week. For more info visit them on the web at: nostalgicbrewingcompany.com.

Strange Brewing (Denver) - Here's one you may not have tried - how about a glass of "mam Jo's Rhubarb Pie Ale. Brewed with graham crackers as the "crust" in the brew. It's part of their One-Barrel Wednesday brew. Now that's Strange indeed!

Lowry Beer Garden (Denver) - Be among the first to see Denver's first and only Beer Garden on Tuesday, May 22nd from 4pm to 8pm. Tickets available for 4pm 5pm 6pm or 7pm entry. Colorado and handcrafted beer, prizes and giveaways, and a live musical performance by the Freddy Rodriguez band. Tickets are $21.50 for adults (this includes a $1.50 ticketing fee), and include 2 beers, an entree and side item. Children's tickets (ages 12 and under) are $5 and include a food item, soda and ice cream. This event is expected to sell out! More info at blacktie-colorado.com.

Lone Tree Brewing (Lone Tree) - LTBC is celebrating American and Colorado Craft Beer Week (May 11-20) by introducing two new seasonal selections, including their Homebrew Contest Winner, and bringing back a few of your favorites! There will be six tappings throughout the week of returning or new beers. Live music on Friday May 11th 6pm and Saturday May 19th 7pm. Be sure to arrive at the returning tappings early! They've only set aside one or two kegs of each, and once they're gone, they're gone! Sorry no growlers of the returning selections.

C.B. & Potts (Fort Collins) - Collaboration Beer Kick Off Party & Toast - Join the celebration at CB & Potts Restaurant and Brewery at 1415 W. Elizabeth, to unite with the Brew Masters of Fort Collins’ 9 breweries for a Party and Toast celebrating the tapping of the first keg of this year’s collaborative effort. The event will run from 5:00pm to 7:30pm, Monday the 14th of May with the Collaborative Brew being tapped promptly at 5:00 pm and the toast to follow at a not so prompt 6:30. The beer was crafted in tribute and support of American Craft Beer Week, which runs from the 14th of May through the 20th. 2012

Odell Brewing (Fort Collins) - Owner/brewer Doug Odell and Chris Black, owner of Falling Rock Tap House (Denver) are getting together today and brewing up something special intended for the upcoming Falling Rock Tap House's 15th Anniversary. Stay tuned for news on this collaboration.

Funkwerks (Fort Collins) - Today in their tap room you can sample some of their specialty keg. It's a blend of two favorite specialty kegs from the past. Try some "Green Tea Szechuan Saison" now on tap.

Mountain Sun (Boulder) - The company that operates the 3 Mountain Sun family of pubs is about to get another restaurant added, but this time it will be directly beneath their existing Southern Sun Pub & Brewery at 627 S. Broadway. They'll have a large selection of Mountain Sun beers and other guest brews across 31 taps. The name of the new restaurant has yet to be chosen and the new menu has yet to be finalize. Read all about it in the Boulder Daily Camera article.

Looking for some music to go along with your beer? Check the Brewery Music Listings and see who's playing at your favorite brewery or beer bar in Colorado. Updated daily.

Looking for a beer festival? Check out the listings on the 2012 Colorado Beer Festivals & Events Calendar.

There's even more Colorado beer happenings and discussions on the Fermentedly Challenged Facebook page. Thanks for helping us grow to over 800 "Likes" so far in 2012!

This article came from FermentedlyChallenged.com - a Colorado beer blog.
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Colorado Beer News 050812

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Butler) — Tue, 08 May 2012 17:31:00 +0000

Today is No Socks Day. A day to give your feet a break and let them air out. Wear your sandals or go barefoot! Save on laundry and feel freer. Here's what's happening around the Colorado beerosphere today Tuesday, May 8th, 2012.

Colorado Beer News is continually updated during the day (10am to 3pm) with new stories as they break, so stop back here often for all the latest. If you'd like to subscribe to this daily by email, sign-up here.

Breckenridge Brewery (Denver) - Having reached production capacity, Breckenridge Brewery is looking to expand, but due to restrictions imposed by Colorado law, a brewpub may only produce up to 60,000 barrels of beer a year. There was some legislation introduced in the Colorado legislature that would have allowed brewpubs like Breckenridge to expand, but there has been some opposition and now law makers will not try to push new laws through. Due to this, Breckenridge feels forced to look towards building a 2nd brewery somewhere on the East Coast and instead take new jobs with them that would otherwise have landed here in Colorado. For a full story, look at the recent Denver Business Journal article from Ed Sealover.

Lucky Pie (Louisville) - There will be a tapping of Avery Sacrilicious today at 4pm at Lucky Pie. This is a big 10% ABV Belgian dark strong ale and the keg will drain fairly quickly. Get there early if you want some.

Crabtree Brewing (Greeley) - As a follow-up to yesterday's article that mentioned that their tasting room was moving to a new location, last night Jeff Crabtree revealed the location for this new operation will be around the 2900 block of West 29th Street in Greeley. Plans are moving ahead to install a new fire suppression system in an existing building. The tasting room will be moved to this building by the end of July 2012. Once the tasting room is moved, the brewhouse at their original location will expand temporarily until such time that the entire brewery will be relocated to this new location. Yup! Crabtree plans to eventually move the entire brewery! The new location will be close to several restaurants, hotels and the Greeley Mall. Look for more news on this move as more details are released.

Pumphouse Brewery (Longmont) - Calling all the dudes out there, it's guys day at Pumphouse Brewery! Get $2.50 PH pints all day long til close. It looks like you might even be able to have some patio action today. For everyone who isn't a dude, their beer of the day is the Pulaski Pilsner for $3.25, also our soup of the day is a roasted red pepper bisque.

Lowry Beer Garden (Denver) - Factoid: The Lowry Beer Garden plans to server 6 different varieties of brats at the beer garden as well as serving up other great food and beer! All of their products are sourced from Colorado. Stay tuned for opening day. THey are located at 7577 E. Academy Boulevard in Denver. Hours: Monday - Sunday 11am - 12 midnight. They will be open for lunch and dinner.

CAUTION: Brewing Company (Denver) - Everyone's invited to their taproom opening on May 18th! They're throwing their doors open at 4pm on Friday, May 18th and will stay open until really late. If you haven't had the chance to try CAUTION: Brewing beers before, they'd love to serve you a pint or two, and if you've enjoyed their beers before, they welcome you back into the fray! More details about their opening will be posted on their web site + Facebook and Twitter by the end of this week. If you can't make it on Friday, no worries, they'll have regular hours on Saturday and Sunday from noon-6pm from now on in addition to normal Friday hours from 5-9pm. CAUTION: Brewery & Taproom is located at: 12445 E. 39th. Avenue, Unit 313 (building C), Denver, CO 80239. To coincide with their opening, they're also releasing our first IPA: Hippity Hops Chrysanthemum IPA. 7.5% ABV, 75 IBU. And yes, it tastes as amazing as it sounds.

Trinity Brewing (Colorado Springs) - On Sunday, June 10th from 8pm to 11pm it time once again for their annual IPA Beer Dinner! Six courses and six beers!! This event WILL sell out, so please stop into the pub or call 719-634-0029 to reserve your seat! Tickets are $65 + gratuity. Check the Facebook event for full menu details.

Freshcraft (Denver) - On May 18th come celebrate American Craft Beer Week with some of your favorite beers from Odell Brewing as well as some new ones! Freshcraft will be tapping 15 different beers from Odell - including some rare beers never previously seen outside of their tap room. It's going to be a great time - not to be missed! Starts at 11am and lasts til close. Located at: 1530 Blake Street in Denver.

Euclid Hall (Denver) - Euclid Hall Bar & Kitchen is excited to be participating in American Craft Beer Week, May 14 through 20. Euclid Hall will be tapping a new and interesting beer every day at 3 p.m. through the week. Mon. 5-14: Dog Fish Head 120 min. IPA. Tues. 5-15: Lost Abbey Angel Share. Wed. 5-16: DFH/Stone/Victory Saison du Buff. Thurs. 5-17: Russian River 2010 Supplication. Fri. 5-18: Lost Abbey Deliverance. Sat. 5-19: Crooked Stave Chardonnay barrel aged Good Glory. Sun. 5-20: Surprise Tapping. They are located at 1317 14th Street in Denver.

Copper Kettle Brewing (Denver) - this is Week two of "Pints for Purpose". $1 of each pint sold will automatically go towards Children's Hospital Colorado today. Stop by and help out for a good cause!

Hops & Pie (Denver) has plans for American Craft Beer Week (May 14th - 20th). Tuesday get $1 off all Colorado Craft Beers on tap. Wednesday it's $2 Craft Can night. Thursday all Colorado Craft beers $1 off on tap. Friday its a firkin tapping of Firestone Walker's Union Jack. Saturday a special event with Avery Brewing. Sunday is Denver's Littlest Big Beer Fest with Stone Brewing.

Looking for some music to go along with your beer? Check the Brewery Music Listings and see who's playing at your favorite brewery or beer bar in Colorado. Updated daily.

Looking for a beer festival? Check out the listings on the 2012 Colorado Beer Festivals & Events Calendar.

There's even more Colorado beer happenings and discussions on the Fermentedly Challenged Facebook page. Thanks for helping us grow to over 800 "Likes" so far in 2012!

This article came from FermentedlyChallenged.com - a Colorado beer blog.
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AC Golden celebrates medals at 2012 World Beer Cup

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Butler) — Tue, 08 May 2012 16:58:00 +0000

AC Golden Brewing Company’s Colorado Native Wins Silver at 2012 Brewers Association World Beer Cup®

Golden, CO -- Colorado Native lager was awarded the silver in the American-style Amber Lager category at the 2012 Brewers Association World Beer Cup® held last week in San Diego, Calif. The category included 40 entries.

This year’s Brewers Association World Beer Cup® included 3,921 entries from 799 breweries in 54 countries. According to the Association, the 2012 competition had the ‘strongest field of entrants on record.’ The Brewers Association, headquartered in Boulder, Colo., is a not-for-profit trade association dedicated to small and independent brewers, their craft beers and the community of brewing enthusiasts.

Colorado Native is brewed by AC Golden Brewing Company in Golden, Colo., and is made with 100 percent Colorado ingredients, including water from the Rocky Mountains, barley from the San Luis Valley and hops from the Western Slope and the Front Range.

This is the second consecutive win for Colorado Native at a Brewers Association competition. The beer also won silver at the 2011 Great American Beer Festival in the Amber Lager category.

AC Golden also won silver in the American-style Brett Ale category at the World Beer Cup for its Peche. The category included 28 entries.

AC Golden Brewing Company has a 30-barrel brew house and specializes in hand-crafted brews, including: Colorado Native Lager; Herman Joseph's Private Reserve, a German-style lager; and Barmen, a German-style pilsner.

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Related articles:
- AC Golden branches out with India Pale Lager.
- AC Golden Winterfest review.
- Colorado wins big at 2012 World Beer Cup.

This article came from FermentedlyChallenged.com - a Colorado beer blog.
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City Star begins to shine in Berthoud

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Butler) — Mon, 07 May 2012 20:59:00 +0000

It's the season for brewery openings and one of the first to open in May 2012 was City Star Brewing in Berthoud, Colorado. The brewery was one of two breweries that opened over the weekend of May 4th through May 6th. Fermentedly Challenged got a chance to go visit this new small brewery at 321 Mountain Avenue in Berthoud on Saturday, May 5th and got a chance to talk with the owners and sample their brews.

City Star Brewing is run by John Way and Whitney Taylor. The entire building complex is owned by Whitney's parents: Dan and Rudi Taylor. Together, they renovated the old building. The previous occupant was a furniture store. Historically, this old building was once a barn named City Star. An old picture of the barn hangs inside the brewery.

For their grand opening, City Star Brewing had 6 beers on tap. The list includes such beers as (lightest to darkest):
- Cowboy's Double Golden - strong Blonde Ale - (6.5% ABV - 26 IBU)
- 6 Shooter IPA - an American dry-hopped IPA (5.5% ABV - 47 IBU)
- Red Necktar - a hoppy American Red Ale (6.5% ABV - 43 IBU)
- Bandit Brown - easy drinking Brown ale (5.2% ABV - 17 IBU
- Raspberry Bandit - raspberry infused Bandit Brown (5.5% ABV - 17 IBU)
- The Night Watchman - a smooth stout (6.0% ABV - 28 IBU)

I ordered a sampler and tried each one of them. Fermentedly Challenged recommends the Red Necktar as #1 followed by a close 2nd between the Bandit Brown (nice and roasty) and the Cowboy Double Golden (slightly fruity). The Red Necktar, surprisingly, was the hoppiest beer there, more so than the IPA, and had an excellent hop and malt balance. Hop lovers will also enjoy their IPA. For those who love raspberries, the Raspberry Brown is a sweet delight. The stout was decent and geared towards those who love dark ales.

I got a chance to speak with both Whitney and John who showed me around the place. The brewery itself only occupies a bit less than half the entire building. There is an open hallway leading out of the tasting room into a hallway where other shops will be located. One of the other rooms had a photo booth set up where patrons could get their picture taken during the grand opening. The brewery was posting pictures from that on their Facebook page.

The brewhouse is located in the back behind the tasting room and the cooler. John stated that they were using a 3.5 barrel brewing system and a couple of 7.0 barrel fermenters. They currently brew once a week and plan to step up production very soon to twice a week depending on demand.

The tap system had 10 tap heads where they eventually plan to keep 5 standard beers and 5 rotating seasonal or experimental beers. The tasting room area had room for several dozen people with a few outdoor tables on the sidewalk. If the crowds get big like they did for opening weekend, there are more seats in the adjacent shops area in the same building.

City Star had the Giggling Greek food truck parked outside for the opening weekend. There are also several food shops located on the same block as the brewery and guests are welcome to bring in their food into the brewery.

City Star is very easy to get to. Take exit 250 off I-25 and head west a few miles. Stay on that road (Mountain Avenue) until you get between 3rd and 4th Street, just past the round-a-bout on the main drag and you'll spot it immediately.

City Star is open daily, Monday through Sunday from 2pm to 9pm. As business picks up they anticipate adjusting their hours. You can park on the street or in a near-by parking lot free of charge.

City Star Brewing
321 Mountain Avenue
Berthoud, CO 80513
Phone: (970) 532-7827
Web: www.citystarbrewing.com

Photos:

Video tour of City Star Brewing:

If you can't view the video here, please visit YouTube.

Related articles:
- Elevation Beer Company to open May 19th 2012.
- Bootstrap Brewing prepares for June 2012 opening.
- Echo Brewing Company celebrates a Grand Opening. (2012)

This article came from FermentedlyChallenged.com - a Colorado beer blog.
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