Fermentedly Challenged

Colorado Beer News 012712

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Butler) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 17:06:00 +0000

Today is Thomas Crapper Day. Don't ask me why - it just is. One of the original folk who no doubt prayed to the porcelain god from time to time and made a few improvements to it as well. Here's what's happening around the Colorado beerosphere today Friday, January 27th, 2012.

If you have some Colorado brewery news items you'd like included in the daily Colorado Beer News post please contact me today. This daily Colorado Beer News page is constantly updated during the day (10am to 3pm) with new stories so stop back here often for all the latest. If you'd like to subscribe to this daily by email, sign-up here.

City Star Brewing (Berthoud) - As reported yesterday, there's a new brewery in the works coming to downtown Berthoud Colorado by the name of City Star Brewing. They are hard at work getting ready to open sometime in the Spring. In addition to 5 regular American ale taps, you can expect to see 5 rotating specialty taps including (but not limited to): a green chile ale, a raspberry brown, a chai stout and some big hoppy IPAs. Stay tuned to their Facebook page for a FAQ post about their brewery. They will be located at: 321 Mountain Avenue in Berthoud.

Copper Kettle Brewing (Denver) wanted the ability to store more beer on site without having to keg everything, so they've just ordered a new 10 barrel fermenter and 3 10-barrel serving tanks (all stainless). Cheers for more beer! It's always good to hear about businesses expanding.

Snowdown (Durango) - Once upon a time, in a land not so far away in a beautiful village called Durango, there were princesses and woodsmen, wolves and fairies, some pigs and even a few billy goats gruff. And in the winter they all came down with a serious case of cabin fever! Yikes! The cure? SNOWDOWN! The original cabin fever reliever! February 1-5, 2012. Plenty of beer related activities are available in town sponsored by the 4 local Durango breweries. Past events included a Waiter/Waitress Race (for beer), a Beer'd Growing Contest, Beer Pong Tournament, Polar Beer Plunge, a beer Burping contest, pole dancing contest, plus a big chili cook-off with lots of beer! There should be lots of these events going on next week. www.snowdown.org

New Planet Beer Company (Boulder) - The popularity of Colorado gluten-free beer is spreading. Now New Planet distributes it's beer to 29 states. They just opened up into Maryland, North Carolina, Ohio, Washington DC, South Dakota and Pennsylvania. It's not just for people with gluten intolerance. Try one!

Odell Brewing (Fort Collins) is kicking off the weekend this afternoon with a Beer & Cheese pairing at Bullfrog Wine & Spirits from 4:00pm to 6:30pm. Then swing by Cranknstein in downtown FoCo for a special Red Ale firkin with ginger tapping at 7pm! Don't let a little snow slow ya down.

Winter Beer Fest (Denver) - Tonight's the big night for the Winter Beer Fest at Mile High Station in Denver. Are you going? There's going to be a lot of Colorado breweries represented. If you didn't get a ticket you're probably out of luck as they have a 1-out/1-in policy for adding additional people at this point. They are SOLD OUT. Looking forward to hearing what people thought are the best brews at the festival. Have fun Denver and be safe!

More Upcoming Breweries - The discussion on Fermentedly Challenge's Facebook page yielded yet more upcoming breweries that were previously unknown to this author. Fort Collins will be getting yet another brewery soon in the form of Hoppy Dog Brewing. Brewmasters John Kure and Daniel McCue have a website and a Facebook page, but no information as of yet. Also, Berthoud will be getting not 1, but 2 new breweries. City Star (as reported yesterday) and 1 more. Look for word on Seasons Brewing Company coming soon.

Rockyard Brewing (Castle Rock) - Distribution of Rockyard brews are expanding out to more locations. You can now find their beer at Cheers Liquor Mart in Colorado Springs including their popular Bourbon Barrel Stout.

Crabtree Brewing (Greeley) - Their popular Twisted Creek Wheat is finally back on tap along with several other brews. Hungry? Padre Polo's Holy Smoke Barbecue will be on hand tonight outside the brewery and Ben Pu will be providing some live music. Stop on over to the east side of the tracks to Crabtree. Location: 625 3rd Street in Greeley.

Mountain Madness Brewing (Durango) - Thanks to a tip from a reader (Roger), who stated that an existing restaurant/pub in Durango, Mountain Madness Brewing Company, is planning to begin brewing their own beers by this fall. Mountain Madness would become Durango's fifth brewing operation in the small college/ski town. Ya think that town loves it's beer! Darn right! www.mountainmadnessbrewing.com or Facebook.

Falling Rock Tap House (Denver) - February is DAIN BRAMAGE Month at Falling Rock (aka Barleywine Month). Starting the 1st FRTH will begin tapping into some of the current crop (a couple to begin with, then more on Friday the 3rd). Then on Thursday Feb. 9th they will start tapping the vintage Kegs (13 this year!). Come on down, public transportation or designated drivers are heartily encouraged. Tickets are on sale behind the bar for the 15th Annual Barleywine Dinner. Chef Cheryl is working on the menu. The main dish is a Jerked Pork Tenderloin entree that totally rocks the barleywine. Tickets are $55 per person (tax & Gratuity included) until Sunday Feb. 5th, $65 After (if still available).

Check out what's happening on the 2012 Colorado Beer Festivals and Events Calendar.

Live Music at the Breweries - There are 16 listed bookings of live music tonight at your favorite Colorado breweries and beer bars around the state. Something for just about everyone. Check out the Colorado Brewery Music Listings page for details.

Like what you see here? There's even more Colorado beer happenings on the Fermentedly Challenged Facebook page. Thanks for helping us grow to well over 600+ "Likes" in January!

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Greeley police sting busts businesses for alcohol violations

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Butler) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:26:00 +0000

Nearly 1 out of 4 businesses in Greeley who sell alcohol were busted last Saturday for selling booze to minors. Almost 25%!! Are you kidding me? This shocking statistic was a big wake up call to the city of Greeley this weekend.

The Greeley Tribune reported today that during a routine sweep of businesses, they used under aged persons with their own IDs and were able to either get served alcohol or were able to buy alcohol from a store with little problem.

Greeley police checked 65 out of the 138 establishments in the town that serve or sell alcohol. The good news is that there were NO liquor stores that sold alcohol to minors, but the rest were from grocery stores, convenience stores and local restaurants.

The City of Greeley follows state law which allows businesses who were found in violation of liquor laws many chances to correct their mistakes. They may temporarily lose their right to serve alcohol for several days, but to date, not one liquor establishment in town has lost their license completely.

For one of the two current breweries in Greeley, Pitcher's Brewery and Sports Shack passed the test and did not serve alcohol to undercover minors. Greeley's other brewery, Crabtree Brewing Company was not involved in the operation.

Some of the violators included: Safeway, Olive Garden, a couple of 7-Elevens and several other restaurants.

Here's my thoughts on this: I'm really glad than none of our local liquor stores were found to be in violation. They seem to have their staffs well trained as they are one of the primary sources of liquor sources in the town.

However, it's the convenience stores and grocery stores that sell 3.2 beer that seem to have lax standards for selling alcohol to minors. And these are the places that are lobbying to the Colorado legislature to get the ability to sell full strength beer, wine and alcohol. That raises a red flag to me.

I've always been against the idea of adding full strength booze sales at grocery and convenience stores for this very reason. These stores simply don't take enough efforts to train their employees on how to prevent alcohol sales to minors.

I'd like to see only liquor stores sell full strength alcohol. They're entire livelihood is bases on alcohol sales. They can't afford to lose their license for 5 to 10 days at a time. Whereas, grocery stores and convenience stores have just a small percentage of their sales from alcohol and can afford to lose their licenses for a short period of time.

It's a shame that nearly a fourth of all businesses checked were in violation. After getting some required re-training of their employees, I hope this trend doesn't continue. Do you wonder how your town is doing on liquor violations? Hopefully, it's not as bad as they found it here in Greeley.

Related articles:
- Here we go again with Colorado beer laws.
- Liquor now sold 7 days a week in Colorado. (2008)
- Attitudes towards beer start early.
- How old is that beer you just bought?

This article came from FermentedlyChallenged.com - a Colorado beer blog.
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Oskar Blues Mama's Little Yella Pils review

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Butler) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 04:25:00 +0000

Are all pilsners the same? Definitely NO! Oskar Blues breaks the mold on pilsner and makes a bold Bohemian-style brew called Oskar Blues Mama's Little Yella Pils. This gently hopped (35 IBU) pilsner has been around in cans since early 2009 and dares you to think that this is a common lager.

This uncommon beer weighs in at a respectable 5.3% ABV and was a Silver Medal winner at the 2011 Great American Beer Festival. It's described as having a 100% pale malt base and has absolutely no corn or rice in it. It's about the lowest ABV beer that Oskar Blues makes.

I must admit, I haven't reviewed too many pilsners on this blog (4 previously) as I generally drink darker and higher ABV beers, but since this didn't come from a macro brewer I was eager to try this, especially in light of the fact that Oskar Blues sent it to me as a free sample - how could I say no? The only time I've had this beer before was with a 1 ounce sample at the 2009 GABF, and 1oz is simply not enough to judge a beer. (Note: this is NOT a paid review)

Appearance: Mama's Little Yella Pils pours a clear bright yellow color with a nice big white head. The large bubbles in the head stuck around for a while and then left a clingy lacing inside the glass. There was no haze and there was no sediment at all. When I swirled the glass, a nice 1-finger head rose again.

Aroma: This is where Mama's Little Yella Pils distinguishes itself from a normal pilsner. I got a rich aroma of lemon, grass and biscuity malts. It was clean smelling and inviting. The Bavarian hops had left a fresh scent in the glass.

Taste: This beer is medium bodied. I got a lot of bitter sweet malts up front on my tongue. It wasn't overly bitter and just enough to balance out the bready, lemony pilsner taste. This is one of those beers that was refreshing cold and didn't change much as it warmed up. I had no problem drinking down this beer as it was delicious and not too drying.

Overall: Oskar Blues was wise to put in a sessionable beer into their line up. Their other beers are all big and bold. While Mama's isn't a weak beer, it's one that can be enjoyed a couple of times over with no problem. I'd be happy to take this brew camping or on a trail. It wasn't too strong or too hoppy - rather a semi-sweet and smooth pilsner. This is a beer all types of beer drinkers could enjoy. Cheers!

Video showing the pour of :

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Related articles:
- Oskar Blues Gubna Imperial IPA review.
- Oskar Blues Old Chub Scotch Ale review.
- Oskar Blues Ten Fidy cellaring notes.
- Oskar Blues G'Knight review - (was Gordon).
- Oskar Blues Dales Pale Ale review.

This article came from FermentedlyChallenged.com - a Colorado beer blog.
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Colorado Beer News 012612

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Butler) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:15:00 +0000

Today is Spouse's Day. Spend a little more time with your spouse or better half today. Take them out for a beer and a meal to celebrate. Here's what's happening around the Colorado beerosphere today Thursday, January 26th, 2012.

If you have some Colorado brewery news items you'd like included in the daily Colorado Beer News post please contact me today. This daily Colorado Beer News page is constantly updated during the day (10am to 3pm) with new stories so stop back here often for all the latest. If you'd like to subscribe to this daily by email, sign-up here.

Pateros Creek Brewing (Fort Collins) - It's Outlaw Tap Thursday. Today's outlaw is a big 75 IBU Car 21. The added bitterness makes this brew a bit closer to its big brother, the ESB. Should they call it CarHop?

Ska Brewing Company (Durango) - Tomorrow, Friday January 27th, come to the big release party for Ska's latest creation: Ska Work Orange Cream Stout (an oak aged brew) and find out the details on the upcoming Durango Independent Film Festival coming up Feb. 29 - Mar. 4th. There will be live music tonight by Sean Costanza and plenty of great beer available. Starts at 5:00pm.

Crazy Mountain Brewing (Edwards) - If you're headed up to the mountains on Friday, stop by Crazy Mountain in Edwards for their 2nd Anniversary Party at 6:00pm to 9:30pm. They'll be pouring $2.00 beers and playing live bluegrass music from The Laughing Bones. Come help them celebrate their first 2 years of brewing beer. With their pending expansion, 2012 is going to be an even bigger year.

Vine Street Pub & Brewery (Denver) - February is Stout Month at all three Mountain Sun locations and on Saturday, January 28th starting at 3:00pm, you can get a preview of stout month early. Tickets are selling fast ($50 each) for this big preview bash. There will be over a dozen different stouts to try out. Then come February, get ready for an endless list of dark brews being offered up on tap all month long!

Crabtree Brewing (Greeley) - Just a reminder, this Saturday, January 28th at 5:00pm to 8:00pm will be Crabtree's 2nd Annual Crock Pot Cook-Off at the brewery in Greeley. Everyone is encouraged to bring their best crock-pot disk (still in the pot) and accompanying serving utensils for this event. The brewery will provide the plates, plastic-ware and napkins and a Judge. There will also be plenty of beer on hand to pair with your dishes. Come for the fun and the great food (and beer)!

Mario's Pizza & Pasta (Gunnison) - Oskar Blues and Mario's are hosting an Oskar Blues Beer Dinner in Gunnison on Sunday, January 29th fro 6:00pm to 9:00pm. Chef Lefebvre will be cooking up a mouth-watering 4 course meal using all Oskar Blues brews, then they will pair their tasty creations with some bold Oskar Blues beers. Stop by the restaurant at 213 West Tomichi Avenue. The cost is $35 per person or $120 for a table for 4. Get tickets early (970) 641-1374.

Copper Kettle Brewing (Denver) - Also this Sunday, there will be a special Breakfast Stout Brunch being hosted at Copper Kettle Brewing Company at two different times: one at 10am and the other at 12 noon. Yes, beer for breakfast. They'll be serving a great breakfast and featuring their new High Country Breakfast Stout - an imperial stout made with coffee, dark chocolate, and Kentucky Aged Bourbon. Cost is $30 per person while tickets last. Located at: 1338 S. Valentia Street in Denver.

Equinox Brewing (Fort Collins) is planning to tap two O'rion Red Ale firkins today at noon. The first is dry hopped with Tettnanger and the other is dry hopped with Horizon. Can you taste the difference? Come find out.

Oskar Blues (Longmont) - The next meeting of the Can Can Girls Women's Beer Club will be held at the Tasty Weasel tap room in Longmont on February 16th at 6pm. This ladies-only meeting will feature four samples of special winter brews including Ten Fidy, Vanilla Cafe au Chub and one non-Oskar Blues beer from another local brewery. Cost for tickets is $10. Located at: 1800 Pike Road, Unit B in Longmont.

Arvada Beer Company (Arvada) - Today at 4:00pm is their next tapping of the "Brewers Limited Release" - a mystery beer until it is tapped. What will it be tonight? Hint: it's not based on Poolhall Porter. A new mystery brew every Thursday.

Avery Brewing Company (Boulder) - There's been a change in plans for tomorrow's Avery tap room tapping. Instead of opening some Chai Brown Ale (postponed til later), they will instead be tapping their newest batch of Eremita III - their 3rd rendition of their Tap Room exclusive sour ale. This brew was blended from 12 Cabernet Sauvignon barrels. Eremita III is "a sour ale without the training wheels".

Bonfire Brewing (Eagle) - The TTB recently approved a new label for a beer that Bonfire Brewing will soon be bottling. Look for their Awry Rye Pale Ale heading to bomber bottles in the very near future. This will be a limited distribution. This beer is already available on tap at the brewery and at select restaurants.

New Brewery Rumors - I've been poking around the various beer sites and found some interesting tidbits on possible new breweries coming to Colorado. Jagged Mountain Brewery coming to Denver. Steamboiler Brewing coming to Windsor, City Star Brewing in Berthoud and Wiley Brewing Company coming to Greeley. Does anyone know anything about these breweries in the works? I've found a couple web sites and Facebook but no definitive info on targeted opening dates. Chime in if you know anything about them.

Strange Brewing Company (Denver) - Expansion plans are in order for Strange Brewing as they just ordered a new 10 barrel fermenter and 10 barrel serving tank from Premier Stainless. Look for more beer in their future!

Check out what's happening on the 2012 Colorado Beer Festivals and Events Calendar.

Like what you see here? There's even more Colorado beer happenings on the Fermentedly Challenged Facebook page. Thanks for helping us grow to well over 600+ "Likes" in January!

This article came from FermentedlyChallenged.com - a Colorado beer blog.
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Bull & Bush lets customers dry hop their beer tableside

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Butler) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 18:30:00 +0000

Dry hopping may not be anything new to craft beer, but when you let the customer do it right at their own table, then it become a whole new experience. Bull & Bush recently came out with an option that let's customers pick from a list of hops and then dry hop their glass of beer themselves. The following is a press release from Bull & Bush dated January 24, 2012 describing their new service offering.

DENVER, CO – The Bull & Bush Pub and Brewery, Colorado’s favorite watering hole, today announced Whole Hop Infusion, a process that brings the art and science of dry hopping tableside for the uninitiated to the geekiest of beer geeks. Currently available at the Bull & Bush in Denver, guests can now get a pour of beer, infused in real-time with their hop variety of choice. The Hop Inciter 3000, equivalent to a French press used for steeping coffee, allows drinkers to experiment with how beer’s most popular ingredient affects the characteristics of the beer.

Guests of the Bull & Bush can pick any house beer then choose from various hop varieties offered on the infusion menu. The ingredients are combined in the Hop Inciter 3000 and the customer decides how long to wait before pouring the beer and tasting the custom infusion.

“Brewer’s have been dry hopping beers for ages to achieve various desired affects, but the process is time consuming and can be very expensive. We thought Whole Hop Infusion would be a great way to allow beer fans to do some of their own experimenting,” says Erik Peterson, Minister of Progress at the Bull & Bush. “It has also turned out to be a great educational experience for people who want to learn more about the beer making process. They get to see, feel, smell and taste actual hop cones, possibly for the first time.”

Allowing the beers to hop steep for just a few minutes will add a significant shift to the original flavor of the beer. Hard core hop fans can wait longer and dial it up to a palate crushing punch, especially if they start with a beer that already has a high hop quotient, such as the Bull & Bush Man Beer, an award-winning English style IPA.

The Whole Hop Infusion experience is currently only available at the Bull & Bush, but the hop heads at the brewery plan to eventually roll it out to other locations carrying Bull & Bush beers. In February, Denver’s Table 6 will begin offering Whole Hop Infusions to customers. Bull & Bush is the exclusive beer on tap at the local favorite American bistro.

“We’ve had a long standing partnership with the beer artists from the Bull & Bush, as we have a similar passion for bringing unique experiences to our customers,” said Aaron Forman, Head Dishwasher and co-owner of Table 6. “Whole Hop Infusion is another innovative and interactive offering for our guests.”

Bull & Bush is currently offering five hop varieties including Cascade, Chinook, Crystal, Nugget and Northern Brewer, soon. The hops are grown locally in Colorado by the hop wranglers at Jack Rabbit Hill farm, a Demeter-certified biodynamic farm that is also home to the Jack Rabbit Hill Estate Winery and Peak Spirits farm distillery.

About the Bull & Bush Brewery:

The Bull & Bush Brewery is a small brewpub, located in the Cherry Creek Neighborhood of Denver that has, since 1971, been ‘The Granddaddy of Denver Watering Holes.’ On New Year’s Day 1997, the brewery started producing traditional hand crafted English-Style ales, as well as other global styles, to pair perfectly with the well-known pub food and friendly atmosphere. The Bull & Bush beers have won multiple accolades including Best Brewpub award in Westword’s Best of Denver and multiple awards at both the annual Great American Beer Festival (GABF) and the World Beer Cup — the world’s largest commercial beer competition.

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Related articles:
- Beer and Pretzels a perfect match at Renegade Brewing.
- Breckenridge expands their tank farm.
- Oskar Blues HGH Part Duh hits Old Chicago for I Love Beer tour.

This article came from FermentedlyChallenged.com - a Colorado beer blog.
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Colorado Beer News 012512

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Butler) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:54:00 +0000

Today is Opposite Day. Do something or try something opposite to what you normally do today! Instead of a drinking a light colored beer, try a dark beer instead. Be bold! Here's what's happening around the Colorado beerosphere today Wednesday, January 25, 2012.

If you have some Colorado brewery news items you'd like included in the daily Colorado Beer News post please contact me today. This daily Colorado Beer News page is constantly updated during the day (10am to 3pm) with new stories so stop back here often for all the latest. If you'd like to subscribe to this daily by email, sign-up here.

Funkwerks (Fort Collins) - Special beer release alert! Funkwerks in collaboration with Mile High Wine & Spirits is planning to release a new barrel-aged dark Saison ale called Solstice this weekend, January 28th at Mile High Wine & Spirits in Lakewood and at the brewery in Fort Collins. This is a limited release, only 675 bottles were made and will be sold in 750ml bottles. Funkwerks will also have a limited stock of kegs and have Solstice on tap at the brewery.

Bristol Brewing (Colo. Springs) - At long last after nearly 2 years, the Colorado Springs city council approved Bristol Brewing's massive Ivywild expansion project by a vote of 7-1 yesterday. This clears the way for Bristol to convert an old empty school into a new brewery, gardens, and bakery. For background information on this project, see the original story in the Colorado Springs Independent from July 2010.

RIP - Danny Williams (52) - One of Colorado's biggest craft beer enthusiasts, Danny Williams, lost his battle with cancer and died yesterday. Williams was the cellar master for 10 years at the Great American Beer Festival since 2001. He helped run the GABF for many years and was also known for owning a beer cellar in a converted gold mine. A memorial salute and a Silent Auction Fundraiser, instead of a funeral, will be held at the Backcountry Pizza and Taphouse in Boulder, CO on February 11th from 6pm-10pm for everyone to pay their respects with a drink in their hand. Donations to help his family can be made at any Colorado FirstBank location in care of the Danny Williams Foundation.

Craft Beer on the Radio - Sad news first. The Colorado Craft Beer Radio show with Gary Valliere and John Turk on AM760 is no more. The good news. Now there will be two radio shows! AM760 will still host a program in the same Saturday 12 noon to 1pm time slot. Now it will be called the Colorado Craft Beer Show and have hosts John Turk and Chris Katechis (The Gubna from Oskar Blues). The other show will be called American Craft Beer Radio will feature Gary V and guest co-hosts on 102.3FM ESPN Radio starting February 4th at a new time slot to be announced. Gary's show will focus on craft beer from all around the USA. Don't worry, they won't run the two shows at the same time. Stay tuned for more details - rumor has it that I (Dave Butler of Fermentedly Challenged) may even make an appearance on both programs!

Yak & Yeti (Arvada) - The Yak & Yeti makes more than just great craft beer, they also make great craft sodas too! Today they will be tapping a Honey Ginger Soda, a non-alcoholic caffeine-free drink, made with Colorado honey and fresh shredded ginger. Those who have tried Yak & Yeti's Ginger Beer will already know how good those ingredients go well together. Try one today!

Trinity Brewing (Colo. Springs) - Trinity will be "invaded" by five different Yeti's from Great Divide Brewing Company today at 5pm as guest taps. Here's your chance to try side-by-side several varieties of Yeti imperial stouts: Regular, Chocolate, Belgian, Oak-aged and Espresso. It's a stout lover's dream come true.

Beer Dinners - Don't want to cook tonight and are craving some craft beer? There are two beer dinners going on tonight. One in Denver at Freshcraft and another in Highlands Ranch at C.B. & Potts. Freshcraft will feature beers from 5 different breweries - seating starts at 6pm every 30 minutes til 8pm - cost is $45 per person. C.B. & Potts will feature their own beers with several food pairings starting at 6:30pm - cost is $49.95 per person.

Pagosa Brewing Company (Pagosa Springs) - Pagosa Brewing was named yesterday as the 2011 Green Business Award recipient for the most improved green business! They thank the Southwest Organization for Sustainability and the Pagosa Springs Chamber of Commerce for their honor.

West End Tavern (Boulder) - Mark your calendars for their February Satellite Tap Room. On February 2nd at 6:30pm stop in for a taste of the best beers of the New Belgium Brewing Company. There will be 20 different New Belgium beers on hand and you'll get a chance to ride away on an awesome New Belgium cruiser bike! Located at: 926 Pearl Street in Boulder. This is the first of their Satellite Tap Room events this year. More events like this to be held monthly.

Great Divide Brewing (Denver) - More cranes are being spotted next to Denver breweries these days and today it's Great Divide's turn for getting new brewing tanks installed. New hardware is being installed today at Great Divide in downtown Denver in the form of new 300 barrel tanks. We can all look forward to even more beers being produced in 2012.

The Mayor of Old Town (Fort Collins) - Craft beer and comedy! A great combination. Stop by The Mayor tonight and get some laughs from 3 comedians from 8:00pm to 9:30pm. This is a weekly event and new comedians will be rotated in all the time. Laugh and sip through several of 100 craft beers on tap.

River North Brewery (Denver) says The Time Has Come! They've selected their official Grand Opening date as the weekend of February 18th and 19th. River North plans to have at least 4 beers on tap (including a Black IPA) and possibly a 5th beer. They play to have the following hours initially - Thurs: 3-9pm, Fri: 3-10pm, Sat: 3-10pm, Sun: 3-9pm. Times will change with the season. They are located at: 24th and Blake in the LoDo area in Denver in the old Flying Dog building.

Looking for Beer events in Colorado this winter? Check out the 2012 Colorado Beer Festival and Events Calendar.

Like what you see here? There's even more Colorado beer happenings on the Fermentedly Challenged Facebook page. Thanks for helping us grow to well over 600+ "Likes" in January!

This article came from FermentedlyChallenged.com - a Colorado beer blog.
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Beer and Pretzels a perfect match at Renegade

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Butler) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 18:01:00 +0000

This Saturday, January 28th marks the 4th installment of the beer and pretzel pairing between Renegade Brewing Company and Denver Pretzel Company. The two companies regularly partner on Saturdays to serve up hot pretzels and beer to patrons, but throughout the month of January they have been doing traditional pretzel toppers that are served atop a beer. So far the pairings have been:

Week 1: A chocolate peanut butter pretzel paired with Black Gold Imperial Peanut Butter Cup Stout

Week 2: Renegrain pretzel, a pretzel made from the spent grain of a batch of Elevation, and Elevation based mustard paired with Elevation IPA3

Week 3: A chile relleno pretzel infused with Poblano peppers and Jack cheese paired with Una Mas, a Mexican amber with roasted Poblano peppers.

For the final week, back by popular demand, will be the chocolate peanut butter pretzel paired with Black Gold Imperial Peanut Butter Cup Stout. “The pretzel combos sold unbelievably quickly last time we did this pairing”, stated Brian O’Connell, Chief Beer Officer of Renegade, “So I recommend getting here early if you want to get one!”

Renegade is located at 925 w 9th Ave in Denver, just West off Sante Fe at 9th Ave in the Arts District. Doors open at 2pm this Saturday. 720-401-4089

(Image courtesy of Denver Pretzel Company)

Related articles:
- Renegade Brewing Company to begin canning.
- Renegade mixes up their daily specials in 2012.
- Renegade promotes beer, brunch and bad sweaters.

This article came from FermentedlyChallenged.com - a Colorado beer blog.
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The Fort Collins Brewery is Pressing for a Cure

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Butler) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:08:00 +0000

Every once in a while a story touches your heart. The Fort Collins Brewery is trying to help out a friend and is going to be hosting a fundraiser at their brewery and restaurant coming up on February 25th. Read the following letter below from Kimberlee Ruben from FCB for details on how you can attend this special event, have some great food, listen to live music, gaze at some local art work, drink some tasty beer and help out a child with Cystic Fibrosis. Click on the poster (at right) for details and read on below.

From Kimberlee Ruben - The Fort Collins Brewery

AN EVENT NOT TO BE MISSED!!

This is about a friend of mine who's daughter was diagnosed with a life threatening disease. We are putting on a fundraiser with The Fort Collins Brewery, local musicians, and local artists to help raise money for the advancement of research for this affliction. Let me tell you a little about it...

Berkeley was born in November 2008. At four weeks old she was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis (CF), a life threatening disease that would dominate the years to come. Since then she has been given a fighting chance through modern medicines and procedures. Currently, she undergoes month long colds, lung infections, ritualistic medications, and twice daily twenty minute sessions hooked up to what is called a High Frequency Chest Wall Oscillation (HFCWO), a better-tolerated alternative to Chest Physiotherapy (CPT), to deliver vigorous, yet comfortable airway clearance treatment for patients battling CF.

Cystic fibrosis is a recessive genetic disease that causes excessive mucus build up in the lungs and can lead to life-threatening lung infections, pancreatic difficulty, and digestive problems just to name a few. This disease is the most common and deadly inherited disease in the United States affecting over 30,000 children and young adults. The average age of survival is mid to late 30’s.

The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF.org) is the leader in the search for a cure for CF. They are a non-profit donor supported organization that was founded in 1955 and, hopefully with our help, they can flourish and create hope for not only the extension, but also the quality of the lives of those who are affected by this horrible disease.

The Event:

75 tickets will be pre-sold at the brewery for the dinner that begins at 6:00pm on Saturday, February 25th. It will be a four course beer paring dinner for $50 with $15 going to Berkley and the other $35 to the restaurant. After dinner or around 7:30pm the brewery will do private tours while the volunteers and staff clear the brewery from dinner for dancing and LIVE MUSIC. Everything will be held in the brewery, community room, and tasting room! $20 tickets pre-sold for 2 beers and entry and then $10 for just entry fee at door!

The music will be Rich With Friends @ 7:30pm, Honey Gitters @ 8pm, and Press at @ 10pm in brewery. If you would like I can send band bios for greater description.

During this time half of the brewery will be transformed into an art gallery. This will include the well known local artists Alex Runge, Frankie Burns, Tim Posey, Jeremy Green and more. We will also have the G Town Hoop Group, a choreographed hoola hooping troupe to perform during the live music as well as lighting specialists and projectors.

Facebook Event Page

Hope many of you can come out for this event and help out. Thanks!

Related articles:
- Fort Collins Brewery Double Chocolate Stout review.
- The Fort Collins Brewery becomes a Big Shot once again.
- A fresh look at The Fort Collins Brewery.
- Fort Collins Brewery Common Ground review.

This article came from FermentedlyChallenged.com - a Colorado beer blog.
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Colorado Beer News 012412

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Butler) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:45:00 +0000

Today is Canned Craft Beer Day (#cannedcraftbeerday). While most beer drinkers will claim that everyday is worthy of being a craft beer day, just be sure to reach for a can today instead of a bottle for your 1st brew. Weighs less and still tastes awesome! Here's what's happening around the Colorado beerosphere today Tuesday, January 24th, 2012.

If you have some Colorado brewery news items you'd like included in the daily Colorado Beer News post please contact me today. This daily Colorado Beer News page is constantly updated during the day (10am to 5pm) with new stories so stop back here often for all the latest. If you'd like to subscribe to this daily by email, sign-up here.

Twisted Pine Brewing (Boulder) - Speaking of cans, Twisted Pine is planning to bring it's Hoppy Boy (American IPA) to 16oz tallboy cans in April 2012. We can look forward to packing in some tall ones on trails and campsites this year.

Winter Brew Fest (Denver) - If you haven't gotten tickets yet for this week's Winter Brew Fest on Friday then you are officially out of luck to get in at the open. The last 100 tickets sold out yesterday. In order to get in, now you'll have to wait outside the event in a waiting line. $35 at the door (cash only). As 1 person leaves then 1 person can get in.

Great Divide Brewing (Denver) - Tonight at 6:30pm at The Avenue Grill there will be a Great Divide Beer Dinner. Cost is $35 plus tax & tip. 6 brews spread across 4 courses. Taste Nomad Pilsner, Wild Raspberry Ale, Claymore Scotch Ale, Hercules Double IPA, Old Ruffian Barley Wine, and Barrel-aged Yeti. Call Avenue Grill for reservations (303) 861-2820.

Star Bar (Denver) - In honor of Canned Craft Beer Day, they'll be celebrating with most of their "Nice Cans" on special for ONLY $3 all night. The Gubna himself is coming down from Oskar Blues - The first craft brewery to can their beers, to help Star Bar celebrate this big day. They'll also be tapping a very special keg - Oskar Blues G'Knight aged in a Leopold Brothers Apple Whiskey Barrel.

Carver Brewing Company (Durango) - In classic Snowdown behavior, Carver Brewing couldn't restrain themselves and have tapped their 2012 Snowdown Durango brew early: Fairy Tale Pale Ale - a delicious IPA approved by ogres, pixies and white rabbits everywhere.

Odell Brewing (Fort Collins) - This Thursday, January 26th from 7pm to 9pm at Stoney's Bar and Grill in Denver - Odell Brewing will be sponsoring a Cornhole Challenge. Enter to WIN a custom Odell snowboard from OZ Snowboards of Colorado. Stoney's is located at: 1111 Lincoln Street in Denver. Be there for some fun and Odell beer specials!

Great Divide Brewing (Denver) - More news! GDBC dropped a hint on their Facebook page today that they are anticipating the arrival and installation of new tanks at the brewery this week. More expansion is happening! Look for additional word on the size and scope of these new vessels later in the week. Get your hard hats on!

Parry's Pizzeria & Bar (Highlands Ranch) - New Beer Bar Alert! This weekend marks the opening of a new beer bar - Parry's Pizzeria & Bar - a NY-style pizzeria. This is their 3rd location. The new one is located at 9567 S. University Boulevard in Highlands Ranch. They will have a state of the art draft system with 50 different tap handles with beers from Colorado and around the nation. They are doing an opening party this Thursday night and then open to the public this weekend.

The Fort Collins Brewery (Ft. Collins) - There are a lot of events coming up at The Fort Collins Brewery and Gravity Ten Twenty restaurant. Tonight is a Beer Pairing Dinner - Winter Wonderland (see Beer Fest Calendar). Then for Valentine's Day (Feb. 14th) there will be a Prix Fixe dinner for two at Gravity Ten Twenty. On February 21st there will be another select Beer Pairing Dinner at Gravity Ten Twenty. On February 25th there will be a benefit dinner/concert Pressing for a Cure with several live bands starting at 6pm. Help find a Cure for Cystic Fibrosis.

Choice City Butcher & Deli (Fort Collins) - Attention Pliny the Elder fans! One of Russian River's most popular beers will be tapping this Wednesday, January 25th at Choice City Butcher & Deli in FoCo at 5pm. This type of keg never lasts long due to its popularity. Grab a pint while it lasts. Located at: 104 W. Olive - Fort Collins.

Aspen Brewing Company (Aspen) - Tonight kicks off their first ever Tappin’ Tuesday and they’ll be tapping into Coffee Porter! Now that they have the brewery up and running and their main beers back on tap, Aspen Brewing has started experimenting with some new flavors and styles of beer. Mark you calendars, every Tuesday night they will tap a keg of something new and different. Coming up in the next few weeks they’ll have a Belgian Blonde, Imperial Stout, Vanilla Porter, Oak Aged Red, Double Hopped IPA, and more.

Denver Beer Company (Denver) today welcomed the arrival of two additional 7 barrel fermenters to add to the brewery’s existing four fermenters. This delivery marks the first expansion for the local craft brewery which opened in August, 2011. With now six 7 barrel fermenters, Denver Beer Co. has the capacity to produce up to 1750 barrels of craft beer per year. Though the brewery still plans for the majority of its beer sales to occur on premises, expanded brewing capacity will allow Denver Beer Co. to distribute to a limited number of draft accounts at local bars and restaurants. The brewery recently purchased 100 kegs and plans to acquire a delivery van to handle distribution efforts. With brewery patrons on-track to consume over 1000 barrels in 2012, the increased brewing capacity will also allow Denver Beer Co. to support individual keg sales.

New Belgium (Fort Collins) - Brewbound.com stated today that New Belgium's decision on where to build a new East coast brewery will be pushed back to sometime between February and "late Spring". Asheville and Philadelphia are still on top of their list.

This page is constantly updated throughout the day from 10am to 3pm. Stop back later to catch up on all the rest of the day's Colorado Beer News!

Looking for Beer events in Colorado this winter? Check out the 2012 Colorado Beer Festival and Events Calendar.

Like what you see here? There's even more Colorado beer happenings on the Fermentedly Challenged Facebook page. Thanks for helping us grow to well over 600+ "Likes" in January!

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New Belgium releases first Lips of Faith brews for 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Butler) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:15:00 +0000

It didn't take long for New Belgium Brewing to put out their first Lips of Faith beers for 2012. Today they announce the release of not one, but two different beers - each with some unique tastes. The following is their Press Release regarding these new beers.

NEW BELGIUM BREWING KICKS OFF 2012 LIPS OF FAITH SERIES WITH BIERE DE MARS AND COCOA MOLE

Old Meets New in the Lips of Faith Line of Beers

Ft. Collins, CO, January 24, 2012 – New Belgium Brewing (www.newbelgium.com) today announced the first two beers in its 2012 Lips of Faith series: Biere de Mars and Cocoa Molé. Lips of Faith beers offer limited edition selections that showcase New Belgium’s more esoteric and palate-elevating creations.

New Belgium’s Biere de Mars evokes earthy tones of ripe mango and lemon verbena that reflect the hearty character of the southern Belgian and northern French countrysides. Brewed with barley, oats and wheat malts, Biere de Mars’ celestial orange hue inspired the planetary play on words. A wild yeast strain is added for bottle conditioning, which creates a refreshingly sour flash across the palate. Lemon peel coupled with the lemon verbena imparts a citrusy finish. Biere de Mars is available on draft and in 22-ounce bombers. Alcohol by volume is 6.2 percent.

Cocoa Molé combines chocolate, cinnamon and plentiful ancho, guajillo and chipotle chilies for a sweet and spicy burst of flavor. Brewed with pale, caramel-80, chocolate, dark chocolate malts and a healthy dash of chocolate rye, Cocoa Molé presents midnight dark with a subtle reddish hue, lifting a pillowy, burnished head. It starts on the tongue with a swirl of chocolate malt that dissolves into the warm embers of a peppery heat. Alcohol by volume is nine percent and it will be available on draft and in 22-ounce bombers.

“This first round of Lips of Faith offers spice, heat and a touch of sweet,” said New Belgium brewer Grady Hull. “It’s a bold one-two punch to start the 2012 Lips of Faith series off right.”

Beire de Mars and Cocoa Molé are available now through April in select markets while supplies last. Pricing varies by market.

To find New Belgium beers in your area, you can use the New Belgium Libation Location tool: http://www.newbelgium.com/beer.aspx. You can also follow New Belgium on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/newbelgium.

About New Belgium Brewing Company
New Belgium Brewing Company, makers of Fat Tire Amber Ale and a host of Belgian-inspired beers, began operations in a tiny Fort Collins basement in 1991. Today, the third largest craft brewer in the U.S., New Belgium produces nine year-round beers; Fat Tire Amber Ale, Sunshine Wheat, Ranger IPA, Belgo IPA, Blue Paddle Pilsner, 1554 Black Ale, Abbey, Mothership Wit and Trippel, as well as a host of seasonal releases. In addition to producing world-class beers, New Belgium takes pride in being a responsible corporate role model with progressive programs such as employee ownership, open book management and a commitment to environmental stewardship. For more information, visit www.newbelgium.com.

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Related articles:
- New Belgium's Glass That Gives program going strong.
- New Belgium Fresh Hop IPA review.
- New Belgium Prickly Passion Saison review.
- This Spring New Belgium asks Can you Dig It?

This article came from FermentedlyChallenged.com - a Colorado beer blog.
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Ska Brewing sums up 2011 as a success

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Butler) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 04:45:00 +0000

Customers may say great things, but it's the numbers that really tell how well a business does. Ska Brewing Company released a press release late today summarizing what they considered to be a pretty darn good year in 2011.

2011 Was An Incredible Year, According To Our Notes

DURANGO, COLO., (Jan. 23, 2012) — Ska Brewing has had an incredible year, full of important milestones and proud accomplishments—at least according to notes taken by the brewery’s management team throughout the year. “I’m glad we wrote this stuff down. It all seems so hazy now,” admitted Ska President and Co-Founder Dave Thibodeau. “I know we grew, but without our notes I’d be looking to beer bloggers to find out how much and when.”

For example, one treasure trove of documentation—titled “press releases”—indicated that at the beginning of 2011 Ska Brewing was named Durango’s ‘Business of the Year’ by the Durango Chamber of Commerce. That means for the past year Ska has been Defending Business of the Year. The title is notoriously impossible to defend, but Ska can claim many other highlights in 2011.

By the end of 2011, Ska had produced 21, 257 barrels (bbls) of beer. (A U.S. bbl is 31 gallons.) According to notes found on a recently unearthed thumb drive, Ska announced near the end of 2010 that the company had reached regional craft brewer status, (as defined by the Brewer’s Association), by producing more than 15,000 bbls of beer. Math experts say these numbers show an increase of 28% over the previous year, or approximately 28% more than the S&P 500 stock index returned in 2011.

“Growth in production has allowed us to meet demand in our markets,” says Ska co-founder Bill Graham. “That’s a fancy way of saying we’ve been keeping people around the country supplied with fresh beer—and they’ve been buying it up pretty fast.”

According to pictures discovered on Ska’s Facebook page, last spring saw the addition of four new 240-bbl tanks, including three fermenters and one brite tank. This expansion increased Ska’s brewing capacity by 70%, and opened the door for the increase in production.

The milestones haven’t all been operational, either. Last spring Ska ventured into filmmaking when it produced Brew Minions—a video parody of the Discovery Channel series Brew Masters—with appearances by Ska’s co-founders and employees, and by Dogfish Head Brewing Founder and Brew Masters star Sam Calagione. The not-so-short film poked fun at the Dogfish Head-focused television series, while silently acknowledging that every brewery wishes it had its own TV show.

Dave Thibodeau, Ska President and Co-Founder, says the film was a success, even though it didn’t fit any traditional mold: “It ended up being over 20 minutes, which was about three times as long as we planned. But people watched it anyway, and they loved it. It’s had 13,000 online views so far.”

Other Ska Brewing milestones in 2011:

* Ska cans Mexican Logger for the first time, releasing the seasonal lager in all of its markets.

* Ska celebrates American Craft Beer Week with the release of Big Shikes Orange Blossom Imperial Pilsner, a beer collaboratively brewed with Westword beer blogger and homebrewer Jonathan Shikes. (In 2010 Ska initiated the first beer blogger brewing collaboration when it invited two local beer bloggers to brew on its pilot system and write about the experience.)

* Seth Townsend’s Organic Dubbel wins Ska’s GABF Homebrew Competition and goes on to be entered in the GABF Pro-Am. The beer is also released by the brewery as Sethvleteren 8, #19 in Ska’s Local Series.

* Ska again participates in the Tour of BoulDurango it helped found, sending 4 riders to join 4 other breweries on a 470-mile tour of Colorado’s biggest passes and best brewpubs to raise money for local charities.

* Ska loses the L.A. International Beer Competition, but wins many others, including:

-- Steel Toe Stout: Gold Medal, Great American Beer Festival

-- Modus Hoperandi IPA: Silver Medals—Stockholm Beer and Whisky Festival AND Australian International Beer Awards; Bronze Medal—AmeriCan Festival; Winner, Best Canned IPA—CraftCans.com Poll

-- Pinstripe Red Ale: Gold Medal—North American Beer Awards; Bronze Medal—Colo. State Fair Nat’l Commercial Microbrew Comp.

-- Ska Special ESB: Bronze Medal—Australian International Beer Awards; Silver Medal—Colo. State Fair National Commercial Microbrew Comp., Silver Medal—AmeriCan Festival

-- Buster Nut Brown Ale: Silver Medal—Denver International Beer Fest

-- True Blonde Ale: Silver Medal—Colo. State Fair National Commercial Microbrew Comp.

-- True Blonde Dubbel: Bronze Medal—Colo. State Fair National Commercial Microbrew Comp.

-- Mexican Logger: Winner, Most Sessionable Craft Can—CraftCans.com Poll

-- Euphoria Pale Ale: Voted Durango’s Best Local Beer by Buzztown

-- Ska celebrates its 16th Anniversary with a blowout party featuring The Toasters from NYC along with two other bands, more than 20 guest breweries and over 1,000 people in attendance.

-- Ska attracts 11,150+ Facebook followers, 5,800+ Twitter followers, and 1 creepy stalker.

“13- or 14,000:1 is a pretty good fan to stalker ratio”, said Thibodeau. “But with all the new breweries starting up, we’re hoping that person will find another ‘favorite’ and lose interest in us.”

About Ska Brewing

Based in Durango, Colorado, Ska Brewing was founded in 1995 and now produces over a dozen award-winning beers including the Pinstripe Red Ale, True Blonde Ale and Steel Toe Stout. Four Ska beers are now widely available in cans: ESB Special Ale, True Blonde, Modus Hoperandi IPA and the winter seasonal Euphoria Pale Ale. For beery stuff and music visit www.skabrewing.com. Chat us up and get the latest news at facebook.com/skabrew and twitter.com/skabrewing.

# # #

Related articles:
- Snowboards for Craft Beer Drinkers.
- Ska Euphoria Pale Ale review.
- Bootleggers Society launch Durango Beer Week.
- Ska Modus Hoperandi review.

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A Black Fairy invades Steamworks

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Butler) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 19:35:00 +0000

Breweries put out some of the best promo pics for their beers and events. Every once in a while a brewery poster catches your eye that simply must be passed alone. Here's a story about one of Steamworks Brewing Company's upcoming firkins and a great promotional poster that went with it.

Black Fairy Firkin to be tapped Feb. 3rd

DURANGO, Colo. – With a nod to “Once Upon a Snowdown,” the theme for Durango’s 2012 Snowdown winter festival, Steamworks Brewing Co. will feature a “Black Fairy Firkin,” as Firkin Fridays continues at the brewpub on Friday, Feb. 3. The firkin will be tapped at 3 p.m.

The Black Fairy Firkin has as its base Steamworks’ popular Backside Stout, which features complex malt and oat flavor, with roasted and chocolate overtones. The stout has then been re-fermented with dark maple syrup and anise seeds.

The Black Fairy Firkin has as its base Steamworks’ popular Backside Stout, which features complex malt and oat flavor, with roasted and chocolate overtones. The stout has then been re-fermented with dark maple syrup and anise seeds.

“We’re always looking for new flavor combinations,” said Steamworks brewer Spencer Roper. “We chose a polarizing flavor – the anise, which is licorice – and calmed it down with a rich maple syrup. The sweet component of the syrup should also complement the roasted quality already present in our stout.”

“The ‘Black Fairy’ should be wicked-good,” added head brewer Ken Martin, noting that February’s Firkin Friday is in the midst of Snowdown, which runs Feb. 1-5. “Come by for a warm-up prior to Friday’s Snowdown Parade.”

A firkin is an old English unit of volume, typically a wooden cask equal to approximately one-quarter of a regular barrel, or nine gallons. Unlike most draft beers, firkin beer is served at about 55 degrees - cool but not cold, and is unpasteurized, unfiltered. Because it contains no preservatives, a firkin beer is designed to be consumed after tapping.

Steamworks initiated its Firkin Fridays to introduce additional and unusual specialty craft beers to its regular offerings.

The award-winning Steamworks Brewing Co., open 11 a.m. to closing seven days a week, is located at 801 E. Second. Ave., Durango (970.259.9200). For further information, visit www.steamworksbrewing.com.

# # #

Related articles:
- Steamworks employees get Ciceroned.
- Go Bananas at Steamworks' Firkin Friday.
- Bootleggers Society launch Durango Beer Week.

This article came from FermentedlyChallenged.com - a Colorado beer blog.
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Colorado Beer News 012312

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Butler) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:37:00 +0000

Today is Chinese New Year. Happy Year of the Dragon, and specifically, the Water Dragon. And since beer is made with a lot of water, you'll feel the power of the dragon this year with every sip. Here's what's happening around the Colorado beerosphere today Monday, January 23rd, 2012.

If you have some Colorado brewery news items you'd like included in the daily Colorado Beer News post please contact me today. This daily Colorado Beer News page is constantly updated during the day (10am to 5pm) with new stories so stop back here often for all the latest. If you'd like to subscribe to this daily by email, sign-up here.

The Fort Collins Brewery (Ft. Collins) - Come gather for a Winter Wonderland Guided Beer Dinner at Gravity Ten Twenty on Tuesday, January 24th at 6pm. Sample delicious food paired with beer from The Fort Collins Brewery. Cost is $35 per person. Reservations suggested: (970) 682-2260.

Other Beer Dinners this Week:
- A Night on the Town - Avenue Grill (Denver) - Great Divide - Jan. 24th 6:30pm
- Limelight Beer Dinner - Limelight Lounge (Aspen) - New Belgium - Jan. 24 6:30pm
- Highlands Ranch Brewer's Dinner - C.B.& Potts (Highlands Ranch) - Jan. 25 6:30pm
- Grapes vs Grains - Austins American Grill (Ft. Collins) - New Belgium - Jan. 26 6pm

Full details are located on the January Colorado Beer Festival & Events Listings.

Copper Kettle Brewing Company (Denver) - There are still tickets available for the Breakfast Stout Brunch on Sunday, January 29th at the brewery at 10am and 12 noon. Yes, that's right beer in the morning! This is a 3-course sit down breakfast featuring their new High Country Breakfast Stout - an imperial oatmeal stout make with Coffee, Dark Chocolate and Kentucky Aged Bourbon. Tickets are $30/person. Get your tickets soon. Click the image to see the event poster. Also - tonight is PUB TRIVIA at 6:30pm and 7:30pm. Win some beer!

TRVE Brewing Company (Denver) - Work on the new upcoming brewery is underway at 227 Broadway in Denver. TRVE (pronounced "true") is busy building a new brewery bar and will open later this year. You can follow their progress on their Facebook page. Featured image today is of a new 30 foot communal table. Check them out!

Royal Gorge Brewing Company (Canon City) - Have you tried a Royal Gorge Brewing Company beer yet? Stop in for a bite and a beer at their Canon City restaurant & brewery. Today they are brewing up a new batch of Blanche de Colorado, a Belgian-style Wit. Location: 413 Main Street in Canon City, Colorado.

Oskar Blues (Longmont) - Attention Crested Butte! Monday nights at Maxwells is Oskar Blues night. The first 12 people in the door get an Oskar Blues pint glass and $2 Dale's refills all night. Location: 226 Elk Avenue in Crested Butte, CO.

Horsefly Brewing Company (Montrose) - Tonight from 6pm to close at the brewery, Horsefly Brewing will host a benefit to help out a local family who lost their son and need help covering funeral expenses. Horsefly will donate $1 of every pint sold to this family. Horsefly will then match every dollar raised through the pint purchases. Location: 846 E. Main Street in Montrose, CO.

Ouray Brewery (Ouray) - The hard work is nearly complete as the Ouray Brewery is almost ready to open up their new Tap Room II at 1900 Main Street in Ouray, CO. This new facility is an expansion project and will also brew beer on premises and will open in the Spring. Their original location at 607 Main Street will remain open and serve as a brewery and restaurant. The new facility will also host a Riverside Beer Garden. Check out their Facebook page for photos and more. Click the image for a sneak peek.

Denver Beer Company (Denver) - There's a nice article about one of Denver Beer Company's current beers - their William Wallace Scotch Ale - that was written by Ed Sealover on his Beer Run Blog. It's a chewy smoked beer that they say you'll either love or you'll hate. It's like a BBQ-pit in a glass with a big mesquite smoked flavor. Check it out if you love the smoked brews.

Tommyknocker Brewery (Idaho Springs) - Still needing a new pair of skis this winter? You can win a pair of Tommyknocker logo Icelantic Skis by entering in their contest on their web site. Visit: www.tommyknocker.com/pintsandpowder and enter to win. The next drawing will be held on March 1, 2012. Look for other ski giveaway promotions at local Colorado liquor stores on their Facebook page. You can also register for another giveaway at any of the 5 Christy Sports locations in the Denver area if you can't wait for March 1st.

New Belgium (Fort Collins) - A new brew is due to hit store shelves this week - it's New Belgium's Cocoa Mole. This brew has chocolate, cinnamon and chilis blended together for a sweet and spicy Lips of Faith taste treat. This brew comes only in bomber size (22oz) or look for it on tap at a favorite bar new you in select locations.

Crooked Stave (Fort Collins) - There is a new collaboration brew released today that was a joint effort between Epic Brewing Company of Salt Lake City, Utah and Crooked Stave Brewing Company. It's their Elder Brett - a barrel-aged brew with some wild Brett yeast. The beer was brewed and bottled at Epic Brewing along with the help of Chad Yakobson from Crooked Stave. You can read all about this collaboration beer at The Full Pint web site. No word yet on when it will appear on local shelves here.

Eddyline Brewing (Buena Vista) - Eddyline may have just recently expanded in Buena Vista but already they are looking ahead to their next expansion. This next expansion will be home to can storage (so they'll be able to can more of their different beers), a canning line, and their next brewery (40bbl?). Mountain brewed beer is apparently very popular.

Trinity Brewing (Colorado Springs) - Want to work at Trinity? They have a job opening for a server/bartender. If you've got some rock star skillz at serving customers for at least 2 years then they want to hear from you. Email your resume to kristen[at]trinitybrewing.com.

Canned Craft Beer Day (January 24th) - Just a heads up. Tomorrow, Tuesday January 24th has been designated for the 1st ever Canned Craft Beer Day and is being touted by not only all Colorado breweries who can their beer but also by the CraftCans.com site that promotes news and reviews of canned craft beer. Everyone is encouraged to celebrate the day with a cold craft brew from a can. Follow the conversation on Twitter with the hashtag #cannedcraftbeerday.

CAUTION: Brewing Company (Denver) - Ever tried a Toaster Bat Black Smoked Robust Porter? You can if you drop by the Cedar Creek Pub. Their winter brew will be available exclusively at Cedar Creek Pub starting this Wednesday, January 25th starting at 4pm! Come by to meet the CAUTION brewers and score some swag! Location: 2100 North Ursula Street in Aurora, CO.

Phantom Canyon Brewing (Colorado Springs) - It's FREE POOL Mondays at Phantom Canyon. Purchase a beer and you can play free pool on their tables during their specials today.

Lucky Pie Pizza & Taphouse (Louisville) - Mark your calendars for Saturday, February 4th from 2pm to 5pm. Lucky Pie is hosting a special firkin event to benefit the Colorado Brewers Guild. There will be four breweries bringing special one-off firkins including: Bristol Brewing, Left hand Brewing, Avery Brewing and Black Fox Brewing. A $20 entry fee gets a glass of each of the firkin beers, some Lucky Pie munchies and a chance to meet with brewery reps from each of the breweries. Call (303) 666-5743 for more info. Location: 637 Front Street in Louisville, CO.

Bull & Bush (Denver) - Here's an innovative way to customize your hop experience at Bull & Bush. How about a custom table-side whole-hop infusion of any beer you drink? Now you can add an addition kick of hops to your favorite Bull & Bush beer right at your table. Read the full story from Westword about this catchy add-on.

Equinox Brewing (Fort Collins) - Tonight at 6:30pm over at The Mayor of Old Town (Ft. Collins) they will be tapping a special firkin of Equinox's Zenith IPA dry hopped with Amarillo hops. This big hoppy brew won't last the night - get some before it's kicked.

Winter Brew Fest (Denver) - If you haven't purchased your ticket to this week's Winter Brew Fest you're almost out of time. There's only 100 tickets left to one of Colorado's biggest winter beer festivals at Mile High Station in Denver. It all happens Friday, January 27th. Dozens of breweries will be pouring beers! $30 tickets in advance. www.denverbrewfest.com

Grand Lake Brewing (Grand Lake) - Things are staying busy in Grand Lake despite Trail Ridge Road being closed for the season. They have some Big doings at the Taphouse. They are hosting live music every weekend with no cover charge. They are planning Specials for Super Bowl Sunday, a beer pairing for February 11, 2012 and a Valentine's Wine Tasting on February 14, 2012. Look for updates on Facebook and on their website, grandlakebrewing.com

Denver Beer Company (Denver) - One of Denver's newest breweries is expanding already! After just a half a year, the Denver Beer Company recently acquired two new 7 barrel fermenters that will allow them to expand production and open up a limited number of draft accounts in the Denver area. Read the full story at Denver Off The Wagon.

This page is constantly updated throughout the day from 10am to 3pm. Stop back later to catch up on all the rest of the day's Colorado Beer News!

Looking for Beer events in Colorado this winter? Check out the 2012 Colorado Beer Festival and Events Calendar.

Like what you see here? There's even more Colorado beer happenings on the Fermentedly Challenged Facebook page. Thanks for helping us grow to well over 600+ "Likes" in January!

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City of Loveland honors local brewery

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Butler) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 20:20:00 +0000

Loveland, CO - January 21, 2012 - Grimm Brothers Brewhouse of Loveland wins Small Business of the Year from the Loveland Chamber of Commerce. In business only a year and a half the brewery was recognized for their commitment to the community and their business success at the annual dinner held last night.

The brewery is planning a special brew in cooperation with the Chamber and Loveland to celebrate Valentines Day in Loveland. The beer a cherry, chocolate porter will be available on tap only in the city of Loveland. A special limited release art poster will be available to celebrate the release of the beer in February.

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Grimm Brothers Brewhouse
623 Denver Ave.
Loveland, CO 80538
(970) 624-6045

Related articles:
- Additional coverage of Grimm's Small Business of the Year award.
- A taste of Grimm Brothers Brewhouse.
- Grimm's Griffin debuts at the Backbone.
- Grimm Brothers Brewhouse coming to Loveland. (2009)

This article came from FermentedlyChallenged.com - a Colorado beer blog.
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Colorado Beer News 012012

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Butler) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 17:33:00 +0000

Today is National Penguin Awareness Day. Put on your Happy Feet and celebrate our world's tuxedo dressed flightless birds. Cheers to Penguins! Here's what's happening around the Colorado beerosphere today Friday, January 20th, 2012.

If you have some Colorado brewery news items you'd like included in the daily Colorado Beer News post please contact me today. This daily Colorado Beer News page is constantly updated during the day (10am to 5pm) with new stories so stop back here often for all the latest. If you'd like to subscribe to this daily by email, sign-up here.

Ska Brewing (Durango) - Get ready for DIFF! The Durango Independent Film Festival. Ska World HQ will be celebrating the upcoming DIFF (Feb. 29 - Mar. 4) with a brand new beer release on January 27th at 5pm for their new Ska Work Orange Cream Stout. Join in the celebration, learn about the upcoming film fest, grab a new Ska Work Orange and commemorative hoodie and listen to live music. That's next Friday the 27th!

New Belgium (Fort Collins) - New tap-only beer alert! A special brew for lovers is being release today from New Belgium called Valentine's - an ale brewed with raspberry juice, orange peel and rose hips and weighs in at 7.5% ABV. It's a sensual brew designated to be savored through the Valentine's Day celebration.

Bull & Bush (Denver) - today they will be releasing a new crisp German pilsner on tap - say hello to another Gravity Friday tap called Mahr's Brau Pilsner. Get some soon.

Beer releases - Lots of beer releases today. Grimm Brothers Brewhouse in Loveland releases their 7 Ravens (a Schwarzbier) and Copper Kettle Brewing releases their Dortmunder Lager. It must be the season for new brews. And Crabtree Brewing is doing another canning line run with Mobile Canning of their Eclipse Black IPA today as well. Yak & Yeti taps their Sherpa Prima in Arvada. And get some of the Jellyman's Deviations (Black Ops IPA) at Rockyard Brewing in Castle Rock today. If that isn't enough - Euclid Hall (Denver) will be tapping a keg of The Lost Abbey's Angel's Share at 5pm.

Brewery Music (Colorado) - Looking for a place to hang out tonight and listen to live music? There are over 15 different listings for tonight at Colorado breweries and beer bars listed in the Colorado Brewery Music Listings. From country, to jazz, to acoustic, to fiddle playing - there's listings for everyone. Check out the week's ahead too - listings go into March.

Weekend Events:
- Brews, Bands & Georgia Boys BBQ - Left Hand Brewing - Longmont - 5:30pm Friday
- Grimm Brothers Beer Dinner - Backbone Gourmet Grub & Brewhouse - Loveland - 5:30pm Saturday
- Pliny the Elder Tapping - Trinity Brewing - Colorado Springs - 11am til gone Sunday
- Littlest Big Beer Fest w/Firestone Walker - Hops & Pie - Denver - 2:00pm Sunday

All these details and more in the January Colorado Beer Fest Calendar.

Arvada Beer Company (Arvada) - The Arvada Community Food Bank needs your help now more than ever. Bring in 2 non perishable food items and get a raffle ticket for a "Beer for a Year" drawing on 2/11. Bring in some food today.

Crazy Mountain Brewing (Edwards) is turning two years old and they're throwing an Anniversary Party on Friday, January 27th from 6:00pm to 9:30pm. Come get $2 beers and listen to live bluegrass music. Come help them celebrate!

Renegade Brewing (Denver) - There will be a beer and pretzel pairing at Renegade Brewing on Saturday, January 21st from 2pm to 5pm. Come and try their Una Mas paired with a Chile Relleno pretzel topper. Located at: 925 W. 9th Avenue in Denver.

Trinity Brewing Company (Colo. Springs) - Today at 5pm, Trinity will be hosting a TPS Report bottle release, an experimental Flanders sour brew.

This page is constantly updated throughout the day from 10am to 3pm. Stop back later to catch up on all the rest of the day's Colorado Beer News!

Looking for Beer events in Colorado this winter? Check out the 2012 Colorado Beer Festival and Events Calendar.

Like what you see here? There's even more Colorado beer happenings on the Fermentedly Challenged Facebook page. Thanks for helping us grow to well over 600+ "Likes" in January!

This article came from FermentedlyChallenged.com - a Colorado beer blog.
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Breckenridge expands their tank farm

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Butler) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 00:06:00 +0000

Since when do farms start expanding within Denver? When they are brewery tank farms of course. And this week, Breckenridge Brewery of Denver installed several new fermenters and brite tanks that will greatly boost the amount of beer they can make and store at one time.

As part of phase 1 of their 2012 expansion, Breckenridge Brewery installed two 300-barrel fermenters yesterday and one 200-barrel Brite tank today. (See photos below). And four more 300-barrel fermenters are coming in March 2012.

All three new tanks were made by Paul Mueller Company in Springfield, Missouri. Each of the 2 fermenters installed yesterday is about 40 feet tall, 10 feet in diameter, and weighs about 10,000 pounds.

The four scheduled to come at the end of March should be on-line and in production in early April. They've built a new room on the south side of the brewery at 471 Kalamath Street, Denver, to accommodate the six new fermenters.

Today they installed the 200-barrel Brite tank into their filtration/packaging area. They had to lift one of the existing 100-barrel Brite tanks from this area through a hole in roof in the middle of the building in order to properly place the new Brite tank, again through the roof. They're moving the 100-barrel tank into another space in the packaging area.

This expansion, like many others going on right now at craft breweries across the US, is representative of the marvelous growth of the craft beer market. Cheers to good beer!

For US craft beer statistics, go to Brewers Association, http://www.brewersassociation.org/pages/business-tools/craft-brewing-statistics/facts
For Colorado craft beer info, go to Colorado Brewers Guild, http://coloradobeer.org/.

Other Breckenridge Brewery news:

Their Avalanche Ale was voted 2011 Best Amber in a Can by the readers of craftcans.com! Pandora's Bock, their spring seasonal, is available now.

Small Batch Series is beginning to ship in 4-packs (formerly 6-packs). Available now in 4-packs is 471 IPA and 72 Imperial. 72 Imperial is their Small Batch "Occasional" beer that is a double chocolate stout made with milk and dark chocolate from Colorado's own Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory in Durango, CO.

Pictures from the tank installations from 01/18/12 and 01/19/12:

Click on the images above to enlarge. (Images courtesy Breckenridge Brewery)

Related articles:
- Breckenridge introduces 4-packs in its Small Batch Series.
- Breckenridge releases collaborative Holidale.
- Breckenridge Brewery goes for a Summer Cab Ride.

This article came from FermentedlyChallenged.com - a Colorado beer blog.
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Colorado Beer News 011912

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Butler) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 17:07:00 +0000

Today is Get To Know Your Customers Day. It's a quarterly celebration where businesses are encouraged to spend a little more time learning and understanding their customers better. After all, without them businesses would be nowhere. Here's what's happening around the Colorado beerosphere today Thursday, January 19th, 2012.

If you have some Colorado brewery news items you'd like included in the daily Colorado Beer News post please contact me today. This daily Colorado Beer News page is constantly updated during the day (10am to 5pm) with new stories so stop back here often for all the latest. If you'd like to subscribe to this daily by email, sign-up here.

Pateros Creek Brewing (Fort Collins) - Thursday means a new Outlaw tap at Pateros Creek. Today's Outlaw is their Old Town kicked up to a whopping 110 IBUs. It's a hop lovers dream. Check it out - it taps at noon and goes til it's gone.

Copper Kettle Brewing (Denver) - Tomorrow, Friday January 20th at 5:00pm to 9:00pm, Copper Kettle will be celebrating the release of their Dortmunder Lager. It's a full bodied and moderately hopped brew, a classic deep golden lager home to the Ruhr District of Germany. It's one of three lagers on tap. There will be traditional Polish food available as well starting at 5pm.

Crabtree Brewing (Greeley) - Crabtree Brewing got paid a visit from Colorado senator Mark Udall who got a personal tour of the brewery from owner Jeff Crabtree and talked about the difficulties on small businesses getting loans these days and how to better support brewing as a growing sector of Northern Colorado's economy. The senator walked away with a 4-pack of their new canned Eclipse Black IPA before heading to the Vestas facility in Brighton. NOCO5 (TV) did a video story about Udall's visit to Crabtree Brewing. Check out their full story.

The Beer Stick (Bottle Opener) - Do you like to collect bottle caps? Ever wish you could safely remove a cap without bending or creasing it? There may be just the thing for you collectors - it's The Beer Stick. It looks like a simple block of wood with a metal hook and a leather strap, but it reportedly works wonders on bottle caps. The guys over at The Brew Bros did a write up on this product invented by a Colorado couple in Denver. Check them out at: www.thebeerstick.com. They even had a booth at the 2011 GABF in Denver. They were recently written up by the University of Denver as a salute to one of their former graduates.

Mountain Sun (Boulder) - In addition to their regular huge line-up of hand-crafted brews, Mountain Sun is offering up a couple of special sour beers from Russian River Brewing Company today - Russian River Supplication and Russian River Consecration. Both are a sour beer lovers dream. Try an 8oz glass today while it lasts.

Trader Joe's (Grocery chain) - Rumor has it that Trader Joe's, a popular California grocery chain, may be headed to Colorado soon. This chain is popular not only for it's food, but also for the fact that they sell a wide variety of liquor. If Trader Joe's comes to Colorado, will this spur a new push for grocery and convenience stores to have the right to sell full strength liquor? Currently, the vast majority of Colorado craft breweries and liquor stores are against allowing chain stores to sell full strength liquor as they fear out of state corporations will start dictating what beer is stocked on shelves. What's your take on this? See the Boulder Daily Camera article on this news.

Odell Brewing (Fort Collins) - If you're in Fort Collins tomorrow (Friday), join Odell Brewing at the Ramskeller on the CSU campus for some fun & games (with prizes) from 3pm to 5pm. Then head over to B&B's Pickle Barrel East Coast Deli for a special Bourbon Barrel Stout tapping at 6pm. 14 other brews on tap and more in bottles. Location: 122 W. Laurel Street in FoCo.

Rockslide Brewery (Grand Junction) - It's another of their famous Dice Night specials. Come down and order drinks and they'll roll some special dice for you for a chance to win free drinks!

Aspen Brewing Company (Aspen) - Cans of their Independence Pass Ale and This Season’s Blonde are coming soon! After months of delays with their equipment manufacturer, the Brewery at the Aspen Airport Business Center is up and running (tours coming soon!) They are making Aspen’s favorite brews as fast as they can. They have five of their six main beers available in their Tasting Room (304 East Hopkins) with Ajax Pilsner coming out in less than two weeks. As soon as they are able to build up an inventory, they will begin canning their IPA and Blonde!

Avery Brewing (Boulder) - Swing by Avery Brewing Company this Thursday evening to enter the raffle for their Grand Prize Giveaway! The Grand Prize includes 2 lift tickets to Buttermilk Mountain, 1 night at the St. Regis Hotel, 2 tickets to the Winter X Games 2012 Kick Off Bash, and 2 cases of beer! They are hosting the last stop on the Road to Winter X Games Aspen 2012 tour starting at 7 pm. The beer will be flowing and door prizes will be given away!

Ska Brewing (Durango) - Tonight, Ska will be tapping their "Glutentag" beer at the Ska Brewing World Headquarters! Their 2nd gluten free beer available in limited release only at Ska! Live music tonight by the Assortment from 5-7pm!

River North (Denver) - according to Lee Williams at Hoptopia, River North has beer in their tanks and is planning for a soft opening sometime in the next 2 to 3 weeks. LoDo will soon have another brewery in February. Look for opening day announcements soon.

Grimm Brothers Brewhouse (Loveland) - (Press Release) Grimm Brothers is pleased to announce the long-anticipated, seasonal release of Seven Ravens, our Schwarzbier. This black lager has been a fan-favorite, with a clean, malty backing and smooth finish. Seven Ravens will be available in the taproom at Grimm Brothers Brewhouse (located at 623 N Denver Ave in Loveland), and it will also be showcased this weekend at the Backbone Gourmet Grub & Brewhouse Saturday with a mini 3 course beer dinner. Contact 970-622-8008 for tickets.

This page is constantly updated throughout the day from 10am to 3pm. Stop back later to catch up on all the rest of the day's Colorado Beer News!

Looking for Beer events in Colorado this month? Check out the January beer events calendar.

Like what you see here? There's even more Colorado beer happenings on the Fermentedly Challenged Facebook page. Thanks for helping us grow to well over 600+ "Likes" in January!

This article came from FermentedlyChallenged.com - a Colorado beer blog.
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Oskar Blues HGH Part Duh hits Old Chicago for I Love Beer Tour

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Butler) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 21:34:00 +0000

OSKAR BLUES BREWS FARM RAISED “HGH PART DUH” ALE FOR OLD CHICAGO RESTAURANTS

Limited Time Only: Old Chicago Restaurants “I Love Beer” Tour Features Exclusive Oskar Blues Beer

LONGMONT, Colo. - January 18, 2012 – Does down-home, hand-planted, home-grown and hand-picked happen anymore? It does with Oskar Blues Brewery’s Hops & Heifers Farm inspired “HGH part DUH” Ale.

Oskar Blues Brewery and Old Chicago restaurants will be offering a very limited and exclusive release of the farm raised strong ale born on the brewery’s Longmont, CO based farm. This beer will be released to the public on Wednesday, January 25th on the “I Love Beer” Mini Tour kick-off at all Colorado, Wyoming, Arizona, Oregon and Wisconsin Old Chicago locations while the limited brew lasts. For a complete list of Old Chicago locations, check out www.oldchicago.com.

Oskar Blues Brewery’s “HGH (Home Grown Hops) Part DUH” is a 7.5% A.B.V and 70 I.B.U. Strong Ale brewed with hops locally grown at Oskar Blues Hops & Heifers farm. The home gown, high-potency, home run hitter is Dry hopped with Amarillo, Double dry hopped with Centennial, Summit and the last of our first crop of whole Cascade Hops. This farm raised strong ale injects more HGH than the 1998 home run race.

The 50 acre Hops & Heifers Farm has been reborn by Dale Katechis and Geoff Hess in an area hosting views of the Boulder’s Flatirons and Haystack Mountain just down the road from Oskar Blues Brewery and their Home Made Liquids & Solids restaurant creating an opportunity for a true farm to table experience. The farm hosts 2 acres of hops plants planted in celebration in May, 2011 by the Oskar Blues employees. The initial Hops & Heifers work day saw 3,500 hop plants laid in on 2 acres of land across 181 hope poles. The hopyard menu includes Centennial, Columbus, Nugget, Chinook, Willamette, Mt.Hood, Cascade and Sterling. The farm also hosts 100% Oskar Blues raised Black Angus cattle, Berkshire Pigs and Goats that are part of the sustainable model. The Oskar Blues cattle are grass fed on our pasture grasses and alfalfa in addition to spent grain and water reclaimed from the OB brewery, while Berkshire Pigs are fed a mix of high protein grain, brewery spent grain and restaurant kitchen scraps.

This is not the first collaboration between Oskar Blues & Old Chicago. In 2011 Old Chicago was the exclusive launch of Deviant Dale’s IPA during the same “I Love Beer” tour. That beer went on to win a Silver Medal in the 2011 Great American Beer Festival American India Pale Category, the most competitive category in that competition’s history with 176 entries. Deviant Dale’s will be released in March as the brewery’s first 16 oz. tallboy can.

In addition, the companies share much in the way of history. Dale Katechis, the heart & soul owner of Oskar Blues gained experience within the Old Chicago group of restaurants & was the General Manager at the Longmont Old Chicago location which is now only a few blocks away from Oskar Blues Home Made Liquids & Solids. Dave Chichura, Oskar Blues head brewer, has four years of history with Rock Bottom Brewery, a sister concept to Old Chicago.

Set in the heart of Colorado craft beer country, Oskar Blues Brewery in Lyons began canning its beers in November of 2002 with a hand-canning line in the 60- year-old barn next door to their funky little brewpub. Celebrating the brewery’s 10th CANiversary it’s now a full- throttle canning operation that is quickly expanding its cult-like following across the nation.

ABOUT OSKAR BLUES
Three-dimensional brewing since 1999, Oskar Blues began the “Canned Beer Apocalypse” in 2002 when Dale’s Pale Ale became America’s 1st CANNED craft beer. For additional info, interviews, images or samples please contact Chad Melis at chad@oskarblues.com, # 720.273.8888 or visit www.oskarblues.com.
Oskar Blues on Facebook.
@oskarblues on Twitter

ABOUT OLD CHICAGO
Traditional, casual dining restaurant specializing in Chicago-style, made-from-scratch pizzas, pastas, calzones and burgers. The Old Chicago brand has more than three decades of proven success. With 96 restaurants operating in 22 states, Old Chicago is a model for the casual dining segment. The Old Chicago World Beer Tour allows its members to taste the best beers from across the globe with 110 craft beer styles, including 30 draft choices. Visit www.oldchicago.com to learn more and to find the restaurant nearest you.

Related articles:
- Farm animals help Oskar Blues grow 40%.
- Oskar Blues celebrates a 9th CANiversary.
- Oskar Blues Gubna Imperial IPA review.

This article came from FermentedlyChallenged.com - a Colorado beer blog.
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Twisted Pine making great strides in 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Butler) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 21:18:00 +0000

Upgrades in fermentation, cellaring and packaging promise big year to come

Boulder, Colorado – January 18th 2012 – There is a strong buzz surrounding Twisted Pine Brewing Company these days. In recent weeks, a number of developments have given the Twisted staff cause for enthusiasm – and rightly so! The acquisition of new equipment gives the production crew the necessary tools to make sure 2012 is a booming year for the Boulder brewery.

For starters, the brew team is in the process of installing new fermentation and conditioning tanks. The addition of these stainless steel vessels will allow for a nearly 40% increase in production over last year. Brewer Jeff Brumley expresses his excitement at the prospect of making more beer, asserting that Twisted Pine “has been operating at capacity for about a year now, and this expansion enables us to satisfy more of the growing demand.” The brewery will take advantage of this upgrade in capacity by adding at least one, and as many as three, more state(s) to their distribution network in 2012. However, manufacturing more beer requires more hands on deck, and in anticipation of the current growth spurt, three full-time positions were added to the production unit in the last quarter of 2011.

In addition to the new conditioning tanks, cellaring efforts will also receive a boost from the purchase of an advanced filter system. This improvement will contribute to faster filtration with better yields, both of which are encouraging gains for any brewer. But most exciting of all are the enhancements being made to the packaging lines.

As of now a new bottler is already in use, permitting Twisted Pine to package their Artisan Ale Series in 750ml glass bottles. This machine will soon see an increased workload with the planned introduction of the brewery’s Single Hop Series, the first release of which will be the Big DIPA, a Galena-hopped Double India Pale Ale slated to debut some time this spring.

The Twisted team is even more eager to test out their brand new canning line, which should be finished and in place by mid-April. The brewers will inaugurate the equipment by packaging the popular Hoppy Boy IPA in attractive 16oz cans known simply as Tall Hoppy Cans. Further information about the brewery can be found at twistedpinebrewing.com.

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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.

Twisted Pine Brewing Company
3201 Walnut St. Suite A
Boulder, CO 80301
info@twistedpinebrewing.com

Related articles:
- Twisted Pine Ghost Face Killah review.
- Twisted Pine to re-release world's spiciest beer.
- Beer and art work together at Twisted Pine.

This article came from FermentedlyChallenged.com - a Colorado beer blog.
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Colorado Beer News 011812

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Butler) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 16:32:00 +0000

Today is Stop SOPA Day. SOPA stands for Stop Online Piracy Act. Help us keep the web open. Contact your representatives and ask for this act to be dropped, otherwise many of your favorite web sites could be shutdown at the governments discretion. Here's what's happening around the Colorado beerosphere today Wednesday, January 18th, 2012.

If you have some Colorado brewery news items you'd like included in the daily Colorado Beer News post please contact me today. This daily Colorado Beer News page is constantly updated during the day (10am to 5pm) with new stories so stop back here often for all the latest. If you'd like to subscribe to this daily by email, sign-up here.

Falling Rock Tap House (Denver) - February is Dain Bramage Month at FRTH (aka Barleywine Month). Starting February 1st they'll begin tapping Barleywines, and starting Thursday February 9th they'll begin tapping the Vintage Kegs. This Year's Vintage list is 13 Kegs (so far) including vintage kegs from Bristol, Uinta, Napa Smith, Firestone Walker, Sierra Nevada, Alaskan, Oskar Blues, Great Divide and others. Don't miss it. Location: 1919 Blake Street in Denver.

Euclid Hall (Denver) - Join Euclid Hall and Upslope Brewing Company for a special beer release and tapping TODAY, January 18th, at 5pm. They will be celebrating the limited release of Upslope Foreign Style Stout and brewery reps will be on hand to discuss this specialty small batch beer. Only 200 barrels of this special release were made and will only be available for a limited time. Location: 1317 14th Street in Denver. More info at: (303) 595-4255.

Grimm Brothers Brewhouse (Loveland) - Attention CSU Students (over 21), faculty, staff and alumni - you can now find Grimm Brothers beer on tap at the Ramskeller on campus. The legend grows...

Big Choice Brewing (Broomfield) - According to an article in Westword, Big Choice Brewing has decided on a brewery location at 7270 West 118th Place in Broomfield, Colorado along the US 36 corridor. They plan to open tentatively on Friday, April 13th, 2012 with up to 8 beers on tap at all times. Canning of certain beers could happen within six months after opening. Stay tuned for more info as opening day approaches.

Carver Brewing Company (Durango) - Today and every Wednesday: $9 Burger n' Pint Day in effect 11 am-close. 9 bucks for a local, premium 1/2 lb, Sunnyside burger topped with lettuce, tomato, onion and served with a choice of side. And cuz it's hump day we'll throw in a pint of your favorite Carver's brew for free! Location: 1022 Main Avenue in Durango.

Cheeky Monk Belgian Beer Cafe (Westminster) - Tonight is Keep the Glass Night at their Westminster location featuring a Duvel limited series art glass. $10 Duvel and glass while supplies last. Event starts at 6pm.

BeerAdvocate Magazine - Hey beer fans - think you can write a good column about beer? BeerAdvocate is now accepting pitches for new columns in their magazine. They've got open minds, so whether your idea is geeky, outside-the-box or just something you'd like to see more of in the magazine, they want to hear it. Here are the details:
- Experienced writers preferred; columns are due monthly, no exceptions, so serious inquiries only.
- If you're just pitching an idea but don't want to write the column yourself, that's great too! Just please make that clear.
- Please send pitches to editorial (@) beeradvocate.com, along with some clips of your best writing and a little info about yourself and your qualifications.
- The window for pitches will close when they find the right match, so the sooner you get your ideas in, the better!

Boulder Beer (Boulder) - Join Boulder Beer at the Old Chicago on Union in Lakewood, Colorado on Monday, February 6th at 7pm for a Brewmaster's Dinner. Boulder Beer's Brewmaster David Zuckerman will be there discussing beer with attendees. Limited seating - call Old Chicago to reserve your space (303) 988-5990.

New Belgium (Fort Collins) - Are you in need of a Mighty Glass to put your favorite crafted beer in? New Belgium just put their globe glasses on special for everyone. Their 2-pack glasses are now just $6.99 for a limited time. Use the pass code: IHeartGoodBeer when you shop online at their store - shop.newbelgium.com. A portion of the proceeds are donated to the Glass That Gives charity.

Pagosa Brewing Company (Pagosa Springs) - Pagosa Brewing just won a 2012 Good Food Award for their Coconut Porter. It recognizes the brewery's product that is responsibly produced and uses local ingredients, practices water conservation, avoids artificial additives & GMO foods, and supports the local community. Grats on this prestigious award! A single keg of their Coconut Porter goes on tap today to celebrate.

Arvada Beer Company (Arvada) - There will be a Wood aged Barleywine tapping today at 5pm. Plus another of their Brewers limited releases tomorrow at 4pm. And then on Friday a tapping at 5pm their Irish Red. . Stop by and try some new beers.

Breckenridge Brewery (Denver) - It's a big day at Breck today as the 1st of 6 new 300 barrel fermentation tanks are being installed outdoors at the 471 Kalamath Street location. There will also be a new 200 barrel brite tank installed inside the brewery. Check out their Facebook page for pictures of the new tanks being installed.

Palisade Brewing Company (Palisade) - Their brewer and veteran Danny Wilson, has created a limited edition American Pale Ale “Welcome Home Pale Ale”. 10% of the proceeds from Welcome Home Pale Ale go to one of their favorite nonprofit organizations: SOLDIER SONGS. Soldier Songs was started in Grand Junction in 2011. Since then it has grown four states wide providing our veterans with free music lessons. Come out on Friday, January 20th from 4:30-9:30pm and celebrate the release of Welcome Home Pale Ale. The Hillbilly Healers will be jamming with guest appearances all evening long. Come out to the brewery and help them raise money for Soldier Songs.

Who's #2? - A small bit of trivia just came out on BeerNews.org stating that Oskar Blues has snuck past Odell Brewing Company to become Colorado's #2 craft brewery in 2011. Oskar Blues production hit just over 59,000 barrels while Odell Brewing surpassed just over 58,000 barrels according to Craft Business Daily. New Belgium remains at #1.

This page is constantly updated throughout the day from 10am to 3pm. Stop back later to catch up on all the rest of the day's Colorado Beer News!

Looking for Beer events in Colorado this month? Check out the January beer events calendar.

Like what you see here? There's even more Colorado beer happenings on the Fermentedly Challenged Facebook page. Thanks for helping us grow to well over 550+ "Likes" in January!

This article came from FermentedlyChallenged.com - a Colorado beer blog.
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Vine Street previews Stout Month

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Butler) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 18:49:00 +0000

Getting ready for Stout Month but can't wait for February? No problem! The new Vine Street Pub & Brewery is going to host a preview party. The following are details posted today from Mountain Sun Pub & Brewery.

Only a couple weeks until Stout Month!

For those of you who can't wait, we're throwing the Stout Month Preview on Saturday, January 28th at 3pm in the BRAND NEW Vine Street Brewery. Tickets are on sale NOW at all three pubs and are only $50. Get your tickets soon because this event will sell out.

Stouts to Sample: Oatimus Prime Imperial Oatmeal Stout (BRAND NEW RECIPE), Old School Dry Irish, Trickster, Chocolate Dip, Addiction, Dropkick, Stoked Oak, Nihilist, Girl Scout, and Korova Cream.

Paired Munchies:
- Toast Crisp with sharp cheddar cheese, apricot compote, and drizzled with a stout reduction.

- Smoked Knockwurst & Pretzel skewers

- Poached pears, gorgonzola, crushed pistachios, and a honey drizzle served on toast.

- Candied Grapefruit rinds dipped in dark chocolate.

Vine Street Pub & Brewery
1700 Vine Street
Denver, CO 80206
(303) 388-2337

Related articles:
- Vine Street hosts Uptown Block Party.
- Vine Street Belgian Beer 101.
- Mountain Sun's Stout Month 2010.

This article came from FermentedlyChallenged.com - a Colorado beer blog.
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Colorado Beer News 011712

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Butler) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 16:47:00 +0000

Today is Hot Buttered Rum Day. It's just one of those days where you feel like breaking some of your New Year's resolutions and may as well celebrate with something worthy. Here's what's happening around the Colorado beerosphere today Tuesday, January 17th, 2012.

If you have some Colorado brewery news items you'd like included in the daily Colorado Beer News post please contact me today. This daily Colorado Beer News page is constantly updated during the day (10am to 5pm) with new stories so stop back here often for all the latest. If you'd like to subscribe to this daily by email, sign-up here.

Copper Kettle Brewing (Denver) - This Friday, Copper Kettle will be releasing their Dortmunder Lager. There will be traditional polish sausages and perogies available starting at 5:00pm.

Crabtree Brewing (Greeley) - It's time once again for a Crock Pot Cook-Off! Crabtree Brewing will be hosting another of these popular cook-offs on Saturday, January 28th from 5pm to 8pm at the brewery. Bring your best crock-pot dish (still in your crock pot) along with appropriate serving utensils for your dish. They will have a "Bucket Judge" for the event. The brewery will supply paper bowls and plates, plastic-ware and napkins. Plus there will be plenty of delicious Crabtree beer available.

53 Peaks Brewing CompanyDenver/Boulder area) - In most cases, a Colorado brewery only makes their own beer, but in this case, 53 Peaks Brewing Company will let you make your own beer with their equipment. Coming soon, bring your own recipe and brew it up in 5, 10 or 25 gallon batches at their facility. You can make the beer yourself of have them make it for you. They plan to have hours: Tuesday through Friday 12pm to 8pm, Saturdays 10am to 5pm and Sundays 10am to 3pm. Closed on Mondays. Check out their web site or Facebook page for details. They hope to have a final location chosen soon.

Great Divide Brewing (Denver) - There will be a beer dinner on Tuesday, January 24th from 6:30pm to 9:30pm at The Avenue Grill - 630 E. 17th Ave in Denver featuring 3 courses plus a dessert paired with your favorite Great Divide beers. Call (303) 861-2820 for details and reservations. View the menu on their Facebook event.

Tuesday Specials - Check out these specials happening each week.
- Upslope Brewing (Boulder) - Tues thru Thurs, available cheese and meat plates available in the taproom. Food from Cured (shop in Boulder).
- Pateros Creek (Fort Collins) - Half price growler refill day. $5 starting at noon.
- Crabtree Brewing (Greeley) - $3 pint day
- Freshcraft (Denver) - Geeks Who Drink trivia on Tuesdays at 8pm.
- Mountain Sun (Boulder) - T-shirt Tuesday - show up wearing one of their shirts and get happy hour beer prices all day long.
- Fort Collins Brewery (Fort Collins) - $1.00 off growler fills.
- Twisted Pine Brewing (Boulder) - Twisted Tuesdays - Happy Hour prices all day long. Standard beers just $3 a pint or $11 a pitcher.
- Renegade Brewing (Denver) - Ladies day - $1 off full pours for ladies all day.
- Colorado Mountain Brewery (Colo. Springs) - Brewer's Whimsy - a new beer every Tues @ 5pm
Double check with the brewery/bar first as weekly specials may vary on certain weeks.

Suds Brothers Brewery (Fruita) - According to the Beer Drinkers Guide to Colorado, there will be a new brewery opening in Fruita, Colorado called Suds Brothers Brewery. They will be located in the former space previously occupied by Boneyard Brewery and Fruita Brewing Company at 127 E. Aspen. They plan to open by February 5th this year. Suds Brothers also operates a brewery in Evanston, Wyoming. sudsbrothersbrewery.com

Falling Rock Tap House (Denver) is looking for photos that our customers have taken during any of the events they have held, the chaos known as GABF or just on a fun night out with friends. If you have captions please include them, especially dates and names of events or reasons for being here (a fun night out with friends and a good beer is a totally awesome reason for visiting Falling Rock). They will be creating new photo albums on the website and on Facebook. All pictures are subject to the owners deciding to not use them. If you have any pictures taken at the Falling Rock, and are willing to share them, please email them to beth@frth.com.

Yak & Yeti (Arvada) - Upcoming porters! They've had somebody requests for every one of the flavored porters to do repeat offerings. They probably won’t get to all of them before the porters are gone for the season. They did get overwhelming responses in person and on Facebook for three: Peppermint, Cherry and Coffee. So Wed the 18th expect the Peppermint Porter, Wednesday the 25th they’ll have the Cherry Porter back on, and on Wednesday February 1st you can have the Coffee Porter again.

Avery Brewing Company (Boulder), along with Stone Brewing Company are heading to the Winter X Games Aspen 2012! Come with them! They will be at Falling Rock Tap House in Denver on Wednesday, January 18th, raffling off some great Winter X Games Aspen 2012 prizes as well as some Avery gear. Get entered to win the Grand Prize to be given away at the Avery Brewing Company Tap Room on Thursday, January 19th. This includes 2 tickets to the Winter X Games Aspen 2012 Kick-off bash, 1 night stay for 2 at the St. Regis Hotel in Aspen, 2 cases of amazing beer for the room, 2 lift tickets to Buttermilk Mountain, and 2 X Games Event Passes for Thursday January 26th!

America's 100 Best Beer Bars 2012 - Congrats to both Falling Rock Tap House (Denver) and also to The Mayor of Old Town (Fort Collins) for being named as one of the top 100 beer bars in American by Draft Magazine. Check out the entire list of honored beer bars on the Draftmag.com web site.

Left Hand Brewing (Longmont) - The cranes are working at Left Hand Brewing. They're installing a huge new 500 barrel brite tank today just outside their facility. That means they'll be able to store a lot more of your favorite beer. More beer = happiness.

Dry Dock Brewing (Aurora) - Come celebrate the anniversary of Benjamin Franklin's birth today, January 17th by hoisting a specially brewed pint of Poor Richard's Ale at Dry Dock! Formulated to resemble a beer that Franklin himself might have enjoyed and brewed. Poor Richard's Ale is a pleasantly malty, corny, and slightly nutty ale brewed annually to commemorate the birth of Benjamin Franklin. Taps at 12 noon.

Vine Street Pub & Brewery (Denver) - Get ready for Stout Month! There will be a preview party for Stout Month on Saturday, January 28th at the Vine Street Brewery in Denver at 3pm. The brewers will guide you through some awesome Stouts including: Oatimus Prime Imperial Oatmeal Stout, Trickster, Chocolate Dip, Addiction, Dropkick, Stoked Oak, Nihilist, Girl Scout, Korova Cream, and Old School Dry Irish Stout. Appetizers will be included. Cost: $50 per ticket and are available at all 3 pubs (Mountain Sun, Southern Sun, Vine Street Pub).

Elk Mountain Brewing (Parker) - The next meeting of PMS (Pink Mug Society) is meeting tonight at 7pm at the Elk Mountain Brewing facility at 18921 Plaza Drive in Parker. Women come join the fun with the PMS Club tonight! Meet new or join old friends for a beer! See whats happening within the Club for 2012! Then return tomorrow, January 18th for Firkin Wednesday at 4pm when they'll open up a firkin of their Scottish Ale.

Funkwerks (Fort Collins) - Funkwerks is pleased to announce that 1/6 and 1/2 barrel kegs of Saison and Tropic King will now be available for purchase! Call or visit our taproom for more info.

The Mayor of Old Town (Fort Collins) - FREE BEER ALERT - Here's the official word from the owners: "Hi everybody, This is Kevin- Barb and I really appreciate all of your support over the past six months that we've been open. Both of us, along with Michelle, are elated to be included in the prestigious Draft Magazine Best Beer Bars of 2012 article. To celebrate both our 6 month anniversary and Draft Magazine, I am inviting you down to the Mayor this afternoon (Tuesday the 17th) from 4:00-6:00pm - I will buy you your first beer, to express our thanks to you.......anybody like free beer?"

This page is constantly updated throughout the day from 10am to 3pm. Stop back later to catch up on all the rest of the day's Colorado Beer News!

Looking for Beer events in Colorado this month? Check out the January beer events calendar.

Like what you see here? There's even more Colorado beer happenings on the Fermentedly Challenged Facebook page. Thanks for helping us grow to well over 550+ "Likes" in January!

This article came from FermentedlyChallenged.com - a Colorado beer blog.
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Renegade Brewing Company to begin canning

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Butler) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 23:34:00 +0000

Break out the cans! Another Colorado brewery is making plans to put one of their beers in a 16oz can. Check out the latest breaking news from Renegade Brewing Company of Denver, Colorado. No formal release date has been set yet. They still have to go through TTB approval. They’ll be distributing to bars/restaurants/liquors stores in Denver Metro for now.

Ryeteous Rye IPA Gets Canned

Denver, CO - January 16, 2012 - Renegade Brewing Company, a relative newcomer to the Denver craft beer scene having opened in June 2011, announced today that its flagship beer Ryeteous will be packaged in 16 oz cans this spring. Renegade owner and creator of Ryeteous, Brian O’Connell said “I couldn’t be more pleased with the response we have had to this beer from craft beer drinkers. Production of this beer has doubled since opening our doors in June”. Renegade will join the likes of Oskar Blues and New Belgium who both plan to offer beers in 16 oz cans this year. Renegade will also expand their brewery with the addition of a 15 barrel brite beer tank in order to handle their increased production.

Brian O’Connell
President and Chief Beer Officer
Renegade Brewing Company
925 W. 9th Ave.
Denver, CO
(303) 534-5407

Related articles:
- Renegade mixes up their daily specials.
- Renegade promotes beer, brunch and bad sweaters.
- New Belgium Brewery says Yes We Can more cans.

This article came from FermentedlyChallenged.com - a Colorado beer blog.
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Colorado Beer News 011612

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Butler) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 21:58:00 +0000

Today is Martin Luther King Day. But what you may not know, it's also Appreciate A Dragon Day and National Nothing Day. So while many of us enjoy a day off of work and give thanks for the memory of a great civil rights leader, take time to watch a good movie that features a dragon and simply do Nothing! Here's what's happening around the Colorado beerosphere today Monday, January 16th, 2012.

If you have some Colorado brewery news items you'd like included in the daily Colorado Beer News post please contact me today. This daily Colorado Beer News page is constantly updated during the day (10am to 5pm) with new stories so stop back here often for all the latest. If you'd like to subscribe to this daily by email, sign-up here.

It's a slow brews day, but there are still a few tidbits of news coming out today.

Twisted Pine Brewing (Boulder) - the "I Have a Dream" Foundation will receive $1 from every pint sold out of their ale house today and tonight. Come by Twisted Pine and hoist a pint for a good cause!

Ska Brewing (Durango) - today is Happy Hour Yoga day at Ska Brewing starting at 5:30pm. For $10 you'll get a full hour of yoga and then 1 pint of beer of your choice from their taps.

Funkwerks (Fort Collins) - Funkwerks gets a little bigger today. Two new fermenters were delivered today allowing them to significantly increase their brewing capacity. Stay tuned to their Facebook page for pictures of these big tanks.

Celebrity watch (Estes Park) - were you up at the Estes Park Winter Festival this weekend? If you were you might have seen good old boy Jack Nicholson posing with fans at the beer and wine tent. He was carrying a bloodied axe and shouting "Here's Johnny!". (For those of you who remember the movie - The Shining).

Ouray Brewery (Ouray) New Beer Alert! Today Ouray Brewery releases their Alpine Amber. It's now on tap at their tasting room. Known to be smooth and malty. Come get some Western slope!

Euclid Hall (Denver) - The Upslope Foreign-style Stout release party will be at Euclid Hall in Denver this Wednesday beginning at 5:00 PM. See you there! Also tonight at 5pm, stop in for some Dogfish Head Bitches Brew.

Carbondale Beer Works (Carbondale) - There will be an Olde Tyme Jam tonight at CBW! Bring your Banjo, Fiddle, washboard, spoons, saw, what have you and sit in! Pickin' starts about 7:00. For more music at brewery listings - check the Colorado Brewery Music page.

Cheeky Monk (Denver) - Don't forget to join them this Wednesday night at Westminster for Keep the Glass Night w/Duvel's limited series art glasses. $10 Duvel & Glass while supplies last!

Odell Brewing (Fort Collins) - Their latest brew - Footprint has hit the bottling line and will soon be on shelves. Stay tuned to taste this beer made with ingredients from all of the states they distribute to.

This page is constantly updated throughout the day from 10am to 3pm. Stop back later to catch up on all the rest of the day's Colorado Beer News!

Looking for Beer events in Colorado this month? Check out the January beer events calendar.

Like what you see here? There's even more Colorado beer happenings on the Fermentedly Challenged Facebook page. Thanks for helping us grow to well over 550+ "Likes" in January!

This article came from FermentedlyChallenged.com - a Colorado beer blog.
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Maui CoCoNut Porter review

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Butler) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 21:29:00 +0000

Take a trip to Hawaii in a can! That's what I decided to do on a nice long 3-day weekend in the midst of January in Colorado. A dark beer on a cold day was just the thing I was looking for when I spied a nice porter from the Aloha state. This beer review took me back to some familiar waters, so to speak, in the form of an old favorite - Maui Brewing Company's CoCoNut Porter.

I had first tried this brew several years ago at a Great American Beer Festival in Denver. Ever since Maui Brewing took gold at the 2006 World Beer Cup, this brew has been a welcomed sample here in Colorado. I've had this brew in two forms, the first on tap in it's standard format, and also as a wood-aged brew that was stored in a rum barrel. However, I had yet to taste an entire glass of it and give it a review. The time had finally come.

Maui CoCoNut Porter is classified as a Robust Porter made with 6 varieties of malted barley, hops and hand-toasted coconut. It weighs in at 6% ABV and came in a 4-pack, all for about $10.99. Would it be as good as I remember? Would it remind me of my trip to Maui 15 years ago? Let's find out.

Appearance: Right out of the can this robust porter was begging to get out. I popped the top of the can and a nice light brown foam started to peak out. As it poured into my glass a large 3-finger+ tightly packed foam rose and seemed to want to grow further. It took a long time for that head to settle too. The beer itself was very dark brown and had some nice mahogany edges around the snifter glass.

Aroma: Ah yes, this brew was full of a rich smell of roasted malts, some chocolate, some coffee qualities along with a distinguishable coconut blend. It was a highly inviting aroma to be sure, just as I remembered it.

Taste: Maui Coconut Porter had a full bodied feel filled with rich dark roasts with a touch of sweetness and enough coconut that reminded me of a Mounds bar. There was hints of bitter coffee roast there too. Altogether, the coconut, dark malts, caramel malts and the hops mixed extremely well. It seemed like no time that I finished this 12oz beer off. It was as good as I remembered, even from a can!

Overall: What would make this beer even better? I tried pairing this beer with something sweet. I just happened to have some coconut cookie balls left over from a dinner and tried one along with this coconut brew. Perfect! The sweet cookie ball countered the roasted bitterness and the two variations of coconut mixed well together.

Maui CoCoNut Porter seemed like a nice after meal drink. It would probably work well as an après-ski drink also. There's plenty there that warmed me up on this cold day. It was one of the best porters I've had in a long time. It still seemed to maintain it's gold medal quality. This brew is readily available across Colorado. Good thing too, this winter is going to drag on for a while and I'll want more of this.

Video showing the pour of :

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Related articles:
- Breckenridge Vanilla Porter review.
- Great Divide Saint Bridget's Porter review.
- Boulder Beer Planet Porter review.
- Ska Brewing Ten Pin Porter review.

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