Friday, September 14, 2018
GABF Week: Your High-Level Activities Guide
Colorado Brewers Guild Operations Manager Steve Kurowski put it best when he said Friday at the Denver Beer Fest kickoff that no city welcomes the beer world like Denver will do in the next week - and that virtually every brewery and bar in the area is stepping up their game for the occasion.
"What's happening here this week will make our beer scene even better," Kurowski said before raising a pint with Mayor Michael Hancock and other industry supporters. "We have breweries all over the city putting events with the best beers they ever brew … From a beer lover's standpoint, this is nirvana."
As such, this blog once again presents a high-level guide to the highlights of the week, for people who are looking to plan their schedule carefully with the knowledge that there are only 24 hours in a day to drink beer and that, at some point, you might have to sleep. For a more thorough calendar, I recommend Westword's edition; a warning comes, however, that you may cry when you see just how many events on it you won't be able to hit.
Saturday, Sept. 15
* 11 a.m.-5 p.m.: GABF Bike Loop & Kickoff Party, BarFly at Alamo Drafthouse Sloans Lake. Hop on your trusted steed for an 11-mile guided loop between the westside beer-centric movie theater and WestFax, Joyride, Hogshead, Oasis, Strange and Seedstock. For $30, you get an 8-ounce taster at each brewery and a post-party at BarFly.
* 11 a.m. New Image Brewing and Outer Range Brewing tap Something Dumb with a Wolf - a double IPA hopped with Citra, Simcoe and Columbus - at the New Image taproom in Arvada. There's no possibly way this won't be great.
* 2-6 p.m. Diebolt Brewing hosts a barrel-aged bier garden for its fifth anniversary, featuring BA efforts from the past half-decade, including vertical tastings of Commodore/Vladislav and Biere de Triomphe.
Sunday, Sept. 16
* The Westin Denver International Airport hosts Beer Flights throughout the day from Sept. 14-22, offering 20 beers from 10 different breweries to anyone flying in or out of DIA - or who just feels like driving out and enjoying suds with a grand view.
* Strange Craft Beer taps its Barrel-Aged Dr. Strangelove Barleywine, a beer that's taken home some GABF bling in the past. It's just the start of a week of great tappings at this Denver standout.
Monday, Sept. 17
* 5 p.m.: The Falling Rock Tap House kick-off party every year is a little like the Iowa presidential caucuses every four years. It's traditional. It sounds the trumpet for a crazy week to follow. And, frankly, you just never know what you'll find here - though you know it will be damn good.
* 5-7 p.m.: (Rad) Craft Night at Strange Beer features my very favorite author - me! - talking about "How to Write a Beer Book Without Destroying Your Liver" from 6-6:15 p.m. SpookyBat Designs then will talk about craft-beer woodworking, and there just may be some free samples getting passed around. Seriously, it will be fun.
* 6-11:30 p.m.: TRVE launches High Plains Distribution, its expanded company focused on bringing craft beer into cities for limited runs like the GABF, at Freshcraft and celebrates with its clients, such as Great Notion, J. Wakefield and Scratch Brewing.
Tuesday, Sept. 18
* Strange Craft Beer re-releases maybe the finest beer it's ever made, its Zora Pale Ale, which is made with rosemary and tastes like nothing else that has hit the market in Denver. It used to be a regular tap but now makes just an annual appearance.
* 4-11 p.m. Ursula Brewing's Imperial Crustless is the best high-alcohol peanut butter and jelly beer you'll ever taste. Crafty Fox Taphouse & Pizzeria agrees, and it will host a rare tapping of this beauty.
* 6-9 p.m.: Jameson Caskmates is a partnership between the Irish whiskey maker and Great Divide Brewing in which the whiskey is aged inside an IPA barrel - and a stout barrel - to take on whole new characteristics. Try it at Freshcraft tonight, as well as great beers from the likes of Great Divide, Green Flash and Captain Lawrence.
Wednesday, Sept. 19
* 11 a.m.-9 p.m.: Cedar Creek Pub in Aurora will host a Best of Ohio party featuring beers from renowned brewers like MadTree, Jackie O's and Rhinegeist that don't typically sell in this state. It's a great chance to imbibe in a way that only GABF week will allow you to do.
* 3 p.m. River North Brewery taps a quadruple-dry-hopped version of its Mountain Haze hazy IPA, which is already one of the best beers of its style made in Colorado. Quadruple. Dry. Hopped.
* 4 p.m. Tap Fourteen hosts a Fort Collins tap takeover at its rooftop bar. You might think "Can't I get that stuff anyway around here?" The answer is: Stop by and you'll realize how much more there is to the beer mecca to our north other than just New Belgium and Odell.
* 4-7 p.m.: If you love experimental beers, few events should interest you as much as the tap takeover at Crafty Fox by Paradox Beer of Woodland Park and Rowley Farmhouse Ales of Santa Fe.
* 9:30 p.m.: Last year's IPA Throwdown at Falling Rock simultaneously rewarded and destroyed all its visitors' taste buds at once. This year's, hosted by Melvin Brewing, should be the sequel of the week.
Thursday, Sept. 20
* 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Bruz Beers is doing an educational and just plain tasty "Old World Vs. New World" experiment with Merchant du Vin in which it pairs five classic Belgian beers, some rare, beside five of its own Belgian-style creations. At $30, this may be one of the best pre-lunch investments of the week.
* Noon to 10 a.m. Call to Arms Brewing's quirkily named Catalina Wine Mixer is a celebration of its wide range of wine-barrel-aged beers, shown off once a year to keep you sailing through the day.
* 5 p.m.-Midnight: RiNo Beer Garden hosts "Chicago Meets Denver," offering a chance to try beers from Windy City artists like Half Acre, Revolution and Three Floyds. There will be both award-winning and rare offerings here.
* 7 p.m.-Midnight: Epic Brewing once again brings out the big and often unusual guns at its 50 Firkin Fiasco, which features beers aged gently with everything from spices to fruit to children's cereal. This is always a chance to ensure your taste buds come back to life after the Thursday night GABF session.
* 10 p.m.: Telluride Brewing quietly has become one of the best breweries in Colorado. Ska Brewing continues to get more experimental. Put them together at Freshcraft and you'll get not only some of their tastiest individual beers but a collaboration with Freshcraft that's being described as a "gin and juice inspired ale."
Friday, Sept. 21
* 11 a.m.: Woods Boss may just have celebrated its first anniversary, but it's legitimately killing it with its wide selection of beers. Come see just how much it can do with Form & Function, a rum-barrel-aged Belgian quad aged on cacao nibs and dried cherries.
* 11:30 a.m. Hops and Pie never fails to offer up some great beers during GABF. Today it is pouring rarities from California breweries, including Cellarmaker, Rare Barrel and Sante Adairius Rustic Ales.
* 1-4 p.m. Those who've never attended the Denver Rare Beer Tasting hosted by Pints for Prostates at the McNichols Center may not understand how you can pay $125 for a ticket and still feel like you are stealing from the hosts because the range and quality of beers is so wonderful. And it goes to a great cause.
* 3-9 p.m. Cerveceria Colorado will change your mind about what you think Mexican beer is. And now the Denver Beer Co.-operated brewery also is offering collaborations between American and Mexican breweries at its Great Mexican Beer Fiesta - along with a lucha libre match.
* 6-11 p.m. Black Shirt Brewing is trying its hand at a new event this year - CITRAfest, in which 10 breweries make everything from IPAs to kolsches to table sours with the fruit-forward hop. No ticket is required.
Saturday, Sept. 22
* 10 a.m.-2 p.m.: Crooked Stave Artisans Distributing is rolling out some of its rarer beers at a brunch at Crafty Fox, from breweries such as Beachwood, Jack's Abby and Jester King. Oh yeah.
* 4 p.m. Head back to Freshcraft one more time? Why? Because 4 Noses, Green Flash and Alpine will all be featured in this last-day celebration.
* 5-8 p.m. Maybe the idea of Stone Brewing tapping a rare Berliner Weiss or Double IPA doesn't turn you on, though it should. But how about being at Star Bar while the Stone Dodgeball Tournament is going on at the same time?
* 9 p.m. Ratio Beerworks is tapping some great beers during GABF, from its Elderflower Carrot Saison to its Bourbon-Barrel-Aged Genius Wizard Imperial Stout. But you can head to its post-GABF karaoke party tonight to both enjoy them and sing the remaining bit of your voice out.
* 9:30 p.m. After a week of drinking, about the only thing that revives my taste buds is a sour beer. Tonight, Falling Rock breaks out a whole host of them. You're welcome.
Colorado Brewers Guild Operations Manager Steve Kurowski put it best when he said Friday at the Denver Beer Fest kickoff that no city welcomes the beer world like Denver will do in the next week - and that virtually every brewery and bar in the area is stepping up their game for the occasion.
"What's happening here this week will make our beer scene even better," Kurowski said before raising a pint with Mayor Michael Hancock and other industry supporters. "We have breweries all over the city putting events with the best beers they ever brew … From a beer lover's standpoint, this is nirvana."
As such, this blog once again presents a high-level guide to the highlights of the week, for people who are looking to plan their schedule carefully with the knowledge that there are only 24 hours in a day to drink beer and that, at some point, you might have to sleep. For a more thorough calendar, I recommend Westword's edition; a warning comes, however, that you may cry when you see just how many events on it you won't be able to hit.
Saturday, Sept. 15
* 11 a.m.-5 p.m.: GABF Bike Loop & Kickoff Party, BarFly at Alamo Drafthouse Sloans Lake. Hop on your trusted steed for an 11-mile guided loop between the westside beer-centric movie theater and WestFax, Joyride, Hogshead, Oasis, Strange and Seedstock. For $30, you get an 8-ounce taster at each brewery and a post-party at BarFly.* 11 a.m. New Image Brewing and Outer Range Brewing tap Something Dumb with a Wolf - a double IPA hopped with Citra, Simcoe and Columbus - at the New Image taproom in Arvada. There's no possibly way this won't be great.
* 2-6 p.m. Diebolt Brewing hosts a barrel-aged bier garden for its fifth anniversary, featuring BA efforts from the past half-decade, including vertical tastings of Commodore/Vladislav and Biere de Triomphe.
Sunday, Sept. 16
* The Westin Denver International Airport hosts Beer Flights throughout the day from Sept. 14-22, offering 20 beers from 10 different breweries to anyone flying in or out of DIA - or who just feels like driving out and enjoying suds with a grand view.
* Strange Craft Beer taps its Barrel-Aged Dr. Strangelove Barleywine, a beer that's taken home some GABF bling in the past. It's just the start of a week of great tappings at this Denver standout.
Monday, Sept. 17
* 5 p.m.: The Falling Rock Tap House kick-off party every year is a little like the Iowa presidential caucuses every four years. It's traditional. It sounds the trumpet for a crazy week to follow. And, frankly, you just never know what you'll find here - though you know it will be damn good.
* 6-11:30 p.m.: TRVE launches High Plains Distribution, its expanded company focused on bringing craft beer into cities for limited runs like the GABF, at Freshcraft and celebrates with its clients, such as Great Notion, J. Wakefield and Scratch Brewing.
Tuesday, Sept. 18
* Strange Craft Beer re-releases maybe the finest beer it's ever made, its Zora Pale Ale, which is made with rosemary and tastes like nothing else that has hit the market in Denver. It used to be a regular tap but now makes just an annual appearance.
* 4-11 p.m. Ursula Brewing's Imperial Crustless is the best high-alcohol peanut butter and jelly beer you'll ever taste. Crafty Fox Taphouse & Pizzeria agrees, and it will host a rare tapping of this beauty.
* 6-9 p.m.: Jameson Caskmates is a partnership between the Irish whiskey maker and Great Divide Brewing in which the whiskey is aged inside an IPA barrel - and a stout barrel - to take on whole new characteristics. Try it at Freshcraft tonight, as well as great beers from the likes of Great Divide, Green Flash and Captain Lawrence.
Wednesday, Sept. 19* 11 a.m.-9 p.m.: Cedar Creek Pub in Aurora will host a Best of Ohio party featuring beers from renowned brewers like MadTree, Jackie O's and Rhinegeist that don't typically sell in this state. It's a great chance to imbibe in a way that only GABF week will allow you to do.
* 3 p.m. River North Brewery taps a quadruple-dry-hopped version of its Mountain Haze hazy IPA, which is already one of the best beers of its style made in Colorado. Quadruple. Dry. Hopped.
* 4 p.m. Tap Fourteen hosts a Fort Collins tap takeover at its rooftop bar. You might think "Can't I get that stuff anyway around here?" The answer is: Stop by and you'll realize how much more there is to the beer mecca to our north other than just New Belgium and Odell.
* 4-7 p.m.: If you love experimental beers, few events should interest you as much as the tap takeover at Crafty Fox by Paradox Beer of Woodland Park and Rowley Farmhouse Ales of Santa Fe.
* 9:30 p.m.: Last year's IPA Throwdown at Falling Rock simultaneously rewarded and destroyed all its visitors' taste buds at once. This year's, hosted by Melvin Brewing, should be the sequel of the week.
Thursday, Sept. 20
* 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Bruz Beers is doing an educational and just plain tasty "Old World Vs. New World" experiment with Merchant du Vin in which it pairs five classic Belgian beers, some rare, beside five of its own Belgian-style creations. At $30, this may be one of the best pre-lunch investments of the week.
* Noon to 10 a.m. Call to Arms Brewing's quirkily named Catalina Wine Mixer is a celebration of its wide range of wine-barrel-aged beers, shown off once a year to keep you sailing through the day.
* 5 p.m.-Midnight: RiNo Beer Garden hosts "Chicago Meets Denver," offering a chance to try beers from Windy City artists like Half Acre, Revolution and Three Floyds. There will be both award-winning and rare offerings here.
* 7 p.m.-Midnight: Epic Brewing once again brings out the big and often unusual guns at its 50 Firkin Fiasco, which features beers aged gently with everything from spices to fruit to children's cereal. This is always a chance to ensure your taste buds come back to life after the Thursday night GABF session.
Friday, Sept. 21
* 11 a.m.: Woods Boss may just have celebrated its first anniversary, but it's legitimately killing it with its wide selection of beers. Come see just how much it can do with Form & Function, a rum-barrel-aged Belgian quad aged on cacao nibs and dried cherries.
* 11:30 a.m. Hops and Pie never fails to offer up some great beers during GABF. Today it is pouring rarities from California breweries, including Cellarmaker, Rare Barrel and Sante Adairius Rustic Ales.
* 3-9 p.m. Cerveceria Colorado will change your mind about what you think Mexican beer is. And now the Denver Beer Co.-operated brewery also is offering collaborations between American and Mexican breweries at its Great Mexican Beer Fiesta - along with a lucha libre match.
* 6-11 p.m. Black Shirt Brewing is trying its hand at a new event this year - CITRAfest, in which 10 breweries make everything from IPAs to kolsches to table sours with the fruit-forward hop. No ticket is required.
Saturday, Sept. 22
* 10 a.m.-2 p.m.: Crooked Stave Artisans Distributing is rolling out some of its rarer beers at a brunch at Crafty Fox, from breweries such as Beachwood, Jack's Abby and Jester King. Oh yeah.
* 4 p.m. Head back to Freshcraft one more time? Why? Because 4 Noses, Green Flash and Alpine will all be featured in this last-day celebration.
* 5-8 p.m. Maybe the idea of Stone Brewing tapping a rare Berliner Weiss or Double IPA doesn't turn you on, though it should. But how about being at Star Bar while the Stone Dodgeball Tournament is going on at the same time?
* 9 p.m. Ratio Beerworks is tapping some great beers during GABF, from its Elderflower Carrot Saison to its Bourbon-Barrel-Aged Genius Wizard Imperial Stout. But you can head to its post-GABF karaoke party tonight to both enjoy them and sing the remaining bit of your voice out.
* 9:30 p.m. After a week of drinking, about the only thing that revives my taste buds is a sour beer. Tonight, Falling Rock breaks out a whole host of them. You're welcome.
Labels: Denver Beer Fest, Falling Rock Taphouse, Freshcraft, Great American Beer Festival, Green Flash Brewing, Strange Craft Beer
Monday, October 03, 2016
Your Guide to GABF Week 2016
Let's face it: You abused your liver in college in many horrible ways, often with no reward for your taste buds. Later, you looked back on it and realized it wasn't the sharpest thing to do, especially because there was no upside, even in retrospect, to assaults by Busch Light and Keystone.
But this week, you can return to teaching that liver who is the boss - while also finding an incredible variety of complex tastes to cross your palate and making the vital-organ abuse a side product, rather than goal of your activities. And this blog is here to help you do it.
Once again, I don't claim this to be the comprehensive list of everything going on in the week leading up to the Oct. 6-8 Great American Beer Festival at the Colorado Convention Center - websites like Westword, Brewtally Insane and Porch Drinking can lay out everything happening in town for you. Instead, this is meant to be a highlight sheet, offering you the can't-miss and shouldn't-overlook fests, dinners and tappings for those of you with a desire to experience the week fully but a limited amount of time to sort through all of your options.
With that said, happy tasting. Even your liver will forgive you for going nuts this week.
Monday
* Noon - GABF veterans may remember the days when Great Divide Brewing essentially kicked off the festival with its media party on Thursday mornings. Now the party goes all week. But the Denver brewery will release a new Velvet Yeti on Monday at its taproom, and then keep the momentum with a tapping party from 6 to 9 p.m. at Avanti F&B.
* 5 p.m. Falling Rock Tap House tends to be the gathering spot all week for out-of-town brewers, throwing rare kegs on tap for all to try. That officially begins tonight, and only owner Chris Black knows exactly what he'll be busting out to commence the activities.
* 7 to midnight. GABF week is a haven for people seeking the cutting edge in sour beers. Freshcraft dives right into the melee with its Wild and Sour Monday, featuring beers from auteurs like Wicked Weed, Jester King and New Belgium.
Tuesday
* 5 p.m. First Draft, the beer bar where you pay by the ounce and get to sample from 40 different taps, is working with a lot of national brewers on special tappings during the week. But its Tuesday showcase of Odd 13 beers, featuring both hop bombs and sour gems like Hawaiian Bartender, gives locals unfamiliar with the Lafayette brewery the chance to see why it's growing an increasing reputation for being one of the best in Colorado.
* 5 to 9 p.m. IPA remains the king style in America, and Ernie's Bar & Pizza gets right to heart of the style, hosting a tour of some of the best hoppy beers in the country. Beers from Dogfish Head, Stone, Green Flash, Alpine and Comrade will be among the tasty options on the menu.
* 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Beers Made by Walking has become one of the signature events of the week in recent years, showcasing beers that were dreamed up when brewers were hiking and spotted intriguing local ingredients. The $35 festival is at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science this year.
* 6 p.m. to midnight. Another marquee event is What the Funk?, the annual celebration of wild-fermented ales that tends to leave far more of a (spectacular) beating on your taste buds than on your liver. For a cool $100, you can get access to a number of breweries that won't even be pouring their wares at GABF.
Wednesday
* 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Anyone who attended What the Funk? on Tuesday night will still be recovering on Wednesday morning. If you didn't, head to Hops & Pie for the Cliffs-notes version of the event, where the pizza restaurant/beer bar will be delving deep into the Crooked Stave Artisans collection of distributed beer.
* 1 p.m. Blunt honesty is good in assessing the week. So when Little Machine, a still-somewhat-secret treasure in the Jefferson Park neighborhood, puts on a pig roast, busts out new beers and calls it a "Brewers Health Fair," all are advised to check it out, purely for medical reasons.
* 5 p.m. River North, the recently displaced RiNo-neighborhood pioneer, will be all over the place during GABF week. Few, if any, of its events are as alluring as its tapping, in combination with Fort Collins masterminds Funkwerks, at Lucky Pie in downtown Denver.
* 5 p.m. Tivoli Brewing (pictured above) operates a distribution company that's accumulated 20 up-and-coming breweries and cideries in its portfolio, from local stand-outs like Grimm Brothers to national eyebrow raisers like Pipeworks Brewing out of Chicago. Tonight it holds its "pre-party," featuring rare offerings from throughout its catalog.
* 5 p.m. One of the highlights of this week is the number of bars and restaurants not normally associated with rare tappings that are getting their full beer geek on. A prime example: el Camino Community Tavern in the Highlands neighborhood will be brandishing beers from the likes of TRVE. Creature Comforts. 4 Noses and more today.
* 6 to 10 p.m. Possibly the oddest recurring event is Offensively Delicious, the Renegade Brewing-organized celebration where brewers not only pour their beers but then get up on stage and try their hands at stand-up comedy - before real comedians finish out the show. Curious? It's on again this year at the McNichols Building.
* 7 p.m. Ginger Johnson gained a name for herself in the beer world with her Oregon-based consulting/event business Women Enjoying Beer. She just released a book chastising breweries for their poor marketing to women. And she'll be at Kokopelli Beer Co. tonight annotating the book.
Thursday
* Strange Craft Beer makes a habit out of rolling out its most experimental offerings around GABF. Today you can not only try but take home its medal-winning Doctor Strangelove, as the Denver brewery offers up its annual bomber release of the complex ale.
* 11:30 a.m. Sun King Brewing burst onto the national beer consciousness a few years back by taking home seven medals from the GABF. You still can't get the Indianapolis brewery out here anytime but this week. But it will be pouring a boatload of its offerings all day today at Hops & Pie.
* 4 p.m. Among Colorado breweries, Casey Brewing and Blending is one of the rarest gems, offering occasional hours during which it released some of the most sought-after bombers of saison and sour beers in the state. It'll be easier to grab some today at Freshcraft.
* 5 p.m. Three Floyds produces big, beefy beers that are admired nationally - but not sold far beyond the doors of its Indiana brewhouse. Today however, it will be tapping a number of them at LowDown Brewery + Kitchen in Denver.
* 7 p.m. to midnight. Epic Brewing offers its 50 Firkin Fiasco tradition each year after the opening night of the GABF. The intriguing twist this year: Other breweries than just the Utah/RiNo beer maker were given a chance to take its beers and create their own firkins with them.
* 10 p.m. Avanti F&B has the closest relationship with Dogfish Head of any beer bar in Denver. That's why when it holds an after-party featuring Dogfish Head founder Sam Calagione, you almost have to show up to see what he is breaking out for the festivities.
Friday
* 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Start the day the only way you should - with a Gospel brunch hosted by Oskar Blues at its Tasty Weasel taproom in Longmont. Yeah, it's a ways north of Denver. But by now, you need some time behind the wheel when you actually won't be drinking.
* Noon to 4 p.m. The most expensive ticket of the week is also one of the most sought-after - a $115 ducat to get into the Rare Beer Tasting at McNichols, offering a peak into the cellars of some of America's best breweries and beers you may never seen again.
* 4 to 11 p.m. Crafty Fox has made a ballyhooed entrance into the Denver beer-bar scene this year with a fantastic tap list. And today it adds to its mystique by featuring the beers of Bellingham, Washington - including award winners such as Chuckanut and Boundary Bay Brewing - with a side splash of hop king Melvin Brewing and sour king Crooked Stave.
* 7 to 10 p.m. New Belgium and Ratio Beerworks aren't as hard to find as, say, Bellingham beers. But when they throw something as specific as a fruit luau at Illegal Pete's, it's a focused collection of pucker-worthy beers worth seeking out.
* 10 p.m. After the GABF session, you may find your palate somewhat wrecked. Freshcraft will be tapping the beers of Stone, Green Flash and Melvin, among others, which is guaranteed to either resuscitate your taste buds or finish them for good.
Saturday
* 9 a.m. to noon. After drinking heavily for five days, you may think that nothing new can come down the pipe. And then you discover that Denver Beer Co. is offering a Burritos and Barleywines breakfast event, and you happily say to yourself, "Well, I was wrong."
* 10 a.m. For those wanting to leave town with a few souvenirs, Black Project Spontaneous & Wild Ales will begin a two-day sale of some of its tucked-away bottles, suitable for enjoying when your liver has begun to recover somewhat.
* 9 p.m. There will be lots of after parties beginning tonight - but few that test whether you can cross the last boundary of the week quite like Ratio Beerworks' karaoke after-party. Oh, and the killer brewery will be breaking out some new and rare brews.
* 11 p.m. For many years, I viewed the traditional post-festival tapping of New Belgium sours at Falling Rock Tap House as the defibrillator to shock my taste buds back to life. Whether or not you agree, this event offers a great chance to find out.
Let's face it: You abused your liver in college in many horrible ways, often with no reward for your taste buds. Later, you looked back on it and realized it wasn't the sharpest thing to do, especially because there was no upside, even in retrospect, to assaults by Busch Light and Keystone.
But this week, you can return to teaching that liver who is the boss - while also finding an incredible variety of complex tastes to cross your palate and making the vital-organ abuse a side product, rather than goal of your activities. And this blog is here to help you do it.
Once again, I don't claim this to be the comprehensive list of everything going on in the week leading up to the Oct. 6-8 Great American Beer Festival at the Colorado Convention Center - websites like Westword, Brewtally Insane and Porch Drinking can lay out everything happening in town for you. Instead, this is meant to be a highlight sheet, offering you the can't-miss and shouldn't-overlook fests, dinners and tappings for those of you with a desire to experience the week fully but a limited amount of time to sort through all of your options.
With that said, happy tasting. Even your liver will forgive you for going nuts this week.
Monday
* 5 p.m. Falling Rock Tap House tends to be the gathering spot all week for out-of-town brewers, throwing rare kegs on tap for all to try. That officially begins tonight, and only owner Chris Black knows exactly what he'll be busting out to commence the activities.
* 7 to midnight. GABF week is a haven for people seeking the cutting edge in sour beers. Freshcraft dives right into the melee with its Wild and Sour Monday, featuring beers from auteurs like Wicked Weed, Jester King and New Belgium.
Tuesday
* 5 p.m. First Draft, the beer bar where you pay by the ounce and get to sample from 40 different taps, is working with a lot of national brewers on special tappings during the week. But its Tuesday showcase of Odd 13 beers, featuring both hop bombs and sour gems like Hawaiian Bartender, gives locals unfamiliar with the Lafayette brewery the chance to see why it's growing an increasing reputation for being one of the best in Colorado.* 5 to 9 p.m. IPA remains the king style in America, and Ernie's Bar & Pizza gets right to heart of the style, hosting a tour of some of the best hoppy beers in the country. Beers from Dogfish Head, Stone, Green Flash, Alpine and Comrade will be among the tasty options on the menu.
* 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Beers Made by Walking has become one of the signature events of the week in recent years, showcasing beers that were dreamed up when brewers were hiking and spotted intriguing local ingredients. The $35 festival is at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science this year.
* 6 p.m. to midnight. Another marquee event is What the Funk?, the annual celebration of wild-fermented ales that tends to leave far more of a (spectacular) beating on your taste buds than on your liver. For a cool $100, you can get access to a number of breweries that won't even be pouring their wares at GABF.
Wednesday
* 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Anyone who attended What the Funk? on Tuesday night will still be recovering on Wednesday morning. If you didn't, head to Hops & Pie for the Cliffs-notes version of the event, where the pizza restaurant/beer bar will be delving deep into the Crooked Stave Artisans collection of distributed beer.
* 1 p.m. Blunt honesty is good in assessing the week. So when Little Machine, a still-somewhat-secret treasure in the Jefferson Park neighborhood, puts on a pig roast, busts out new beers and calls it a "Brewers Health Fair," all are advised to check it out, purely for medical reasons.
* 5 p.m. River North, the recently displaced RiNo-neighborhood pioneer, will be all over the place during GABF week. Few, if any, of its events are as alluring as its tapping, in combination with Fort Collins masterminds Funkwerks, at Lucky Pie in downtown Denver.
* 5 p.m. One of the highlights of this week is the number of bars and restaurants not normally associated with rare tappings that are getting their full beer geek on. A prime example: el Camino Community Tavern in the Highlands neighborhood will be brandishing beers from the likes of TRVE. Creature Comforts. 4 Noses and more today.
* 6 to 10 p.m. Possibly the oddest recurring event is Offensively Delicious, the Renegade Brewing-organized celebration where brewers not only pour their beers but then get up on stage and try their hands at stand-up comedy - before real comedians finish out the show. Curious? It's on again this year at the McNichols Building.
* 7 p.m. Ginger Johnson gained a name for herself in the beer world with her Oregon-based consulting/event business Women Enjoying Beer. She just released a book chastising breweries for their poor marketing to women. And she'll be at Kokopelli Beer Co. tonight annotating the book.
Thursday
* Strange Craft Beer makes a habit out of rolling out its most experimental offerings around GABF. Today you can not only try but take home its medal-winning Doctor Strangelove, as the Denver brewery offers up its annual bomber release of the complex ale.
* 11:30 a.m. Sun King Brewing burst onto the national beer consciousness a few years back by taking home seven medals from the GABF. You still can't get the Indianapolis brewery out here anytime but this week. But it will be pouring a boatload of its offerings all day today at Hops & Pie.
* 4 p.m. Among Colorado breweries, Casey Brewing and Blending is one of the rarest gems, offering occasional hours during which it released some of the most sought-after bombers of saison and sour beers in the state. It'll be easier to grab some today at Freshcraft.
* 5 p.m. Three Floyds produces big, beefy beers that are admired nationally - but not sold far beyond the doors of its Indiana brewhouse. Today however, it will be tapping a number of them at LowDown Brewery + Kitchen in Denver.
* 7 p.m. to midnight. Epic Brewing offers its 50 Firkin Fiasco tradition each year after the opening night of the GABF. The intriguing twist this year: Other breweries than just the Utah/RiNo beer maker were given a chance to take its beers and create their own firkins with them.
* 10 p.m. Avanti F&B has the closest relationship with Dogfish Head of any beer bar in Denver. That's why when it holds an after-party featuring Dogfish Head founder Sam Calagione, you almost have to show up to see what he is breaking out for the festivities.
Friday
* 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Start the day the only way you should - with a Gospel brunch hosted by Oskar Blues at its Tasty Weasel taproom in Longmont. Yeah, it's a ways north of Denver. But by now, you need some time behind the wheel when you actually won't be drinking.
* Noon to 4 p.m. The most expensive ticket of the week is also one of the most sought-after - a $115 ducat to get into the Rare Beer Tasting at McNichols, offering a peak into the cellars of some of America's best breweries and beers you may never seen again.
* 4 to 11 p.m. Crafty Fox has made a ballyhooed entrance into the Denver beer-bar scene this year with a fantastic tap list. And today it adds to its mystique by featuring the beers of Bellingham, Washington - including award winners such as Chuckanut and Boundary Bay Brewing - with a side splash of hop king Melvin Brewing and sour king Crooked Stave.
* 7 to 10 p.m. New Belgium and Ratio Beerworks aren't as hard to find as, say, Bellingham beers. But when they throw something as specific as a fruit luau at Illegal Pete's, it's a focused collection of pucker-worthy beers worth seeking out.
* 10 p.m. After the GABF session, you may find your palate somewhat wrecked. Freshcraft will be tapping the beers of Stone, Green Flash and Melvin, among others, which is guaranteed to either resuscitate your taste buds or finish them for good.
Saturday
* 9 a.m. to noon. After drinking heavily for five days, you may think that nothing new can come down the pipe. And then you discover that Denver Beer Co. is offering a Burritos and Barleywines breakfast event, and you happily say to yourself, "Well, I was wrong."* 10 a.m. For those wanting to leave town with a few souvenirs, Black Project Spontaneous & Wild Ales will begin a two-day sale of some of its tucked-away bottles, suitable for enjoying when your liver has begun to recover somewhat.
* 9 p.m. There will be lots of after parties beginning tonight - but few that test whether you can cross the last boundary of the week quite like Ratio Beerworks' karaoke after-party. Oh, and the killer brewery will be breaking out some new and rare brews.
* 11 p.m. For many years, I viewed the traditional post-festival tapping of New Belgium sours at Falling Rock Tap House as the defibrillator to shock my taste buds back to life. Whether or not you agree, this event offers a great chance to find out.
Labels: Avanti F&B, Denver Beer Fest, Falling Rock Taphouse, Freshcraft, Great American Beer Festival, Hops and Pie
Sunday, September 28, 2014
GABF Week - The Can't-Miss Events
Denver Beer Fest and the events around the Great American Beer Festival have grown to the point where the idea of going to even a small percentage of them has become ludicrous. Therefore, you have to choose your schedule very carefully.
Here then are a few of the highlights of the week as you plan your itinerary. This is not a comprehensive list of all events; you can find those at The Denver Post or at Westword. Rather, this is one man's attempt to give you a couple you might want to focus in on with your valuable time.
Sunday
* 10 a.m.: Backcountry Pizza & Tap House of Boulder kicks off Sour Sunday - 28 beers, including offerings from Almanac, Evil Twin, Russian River and more. Blow your taste buds early.
* 11 a.m.: Black Sky Brewing of Denver celebrates its first anniversary with a BBQ and several special tappings. And the menu at this metal brewery always seems to surprise.
* 1 p.m.: If you're already in Boulder for Sour Sunday, be sure to stop by Avery Brewing for the release of its latest edition of Rumpkin, its fantastic 16% rum-barrel-aged pumpkin ale.
Monday
* Noon: Crooked Stave kicks off a week of noon special tappings with its Blackberry Dark Origins. Port Nightmare on Brett and L'Brett d'Peach are among the week's other highlights.
* 5 to 9 p.m.: Falling Rock Tap House's GABF tapping party is taking place for the 17th straight year. In addition to beer from the likes of Avery, Odell and Russian River, you can probably catch a few brewers there.
* 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.: GABF week involves a lot of learning. Metropolitan State University of Denver is putting that into very traditional form with a one-time, $35 class open to the public entitled "Ales, Lagers and Beyond: Tasting and Appreciating Beer."
Tuesday
* All day: Many breweries are doing special tappings all week, and it feels almost too selective to mention just a few. But veritable newcomer Jagged Mountain Brewery has a worthy lineup this week that includes a Barrel-Aged First Descent Old Ale - one of the strongest beers in Denver - plus ditties like a Cognac-Barrel Voodoo Goat Barleywine later this week.
* 5 p.m.: Upslope Pumpkin Ale is widely considered one of the best pumpkin ales in Colorado and is a former gold-medal winner. Tonight, the Boulder brewery releases it for the season.
* 5 to 8 p.m.: The first of the beer fests before the beer festival is the Paramount Café Beer Fest, featuring 20 area breweries and costing the low, low price of $20.
* 7 p.m.: Freshcraft is another one of the beer bars that will spend the week offering specialty days and nights from various breweries. One that shouldn't be missed is tonight's New Belgium tapping, featuring a number of sour beers that are hard to find anywhere else.
Wednesday
* 2 p.m.: Strange Craft Beer releases its first round of bombers in its 4-1/2-year history, ensuring that one of Denver's best-kept secrets will be getting a little less secret. Cherry Kriek, Grapefruit IPA, Dr. Strangelove Barleywine 2013 and its farmhouse ale all go out officially to the public today. Show up with me, and we can start the campaign for bottling Zora rosemary pale ale.
* 3 p.m.: One of the things that's surprised me is the lack of vertical tappings you see during this week. River North today offers just such a tapping of its J. Marie Farmhouse Ale four ways - classic, wine-barrel, whiskey-barrel and barreled and bretted.
* 6 p.m.: Music concerts have been done during Denver Beer Fest. But Renegade Brewing seeks to break new ground with Offensively Delicious, a comedy event. The $40 evening at the Oriental Theater gives you access to two professional comedians. But, more frighteningly, it also lets you see the (brief) comedy stylings of the 11 breweries pouring at the event as well.
* 6 p.m.: You won't have to look too hard to find barrel-aged beers at GABF. But if you want to cut out everything else, the new World of Beer in downtown Denver gives you unlimited tastings at a barrel-aged competition for $40.
* 7 p.m.: One of the coolest new out-of-state beers that will make its way around Denver Beer Fest is Sam Adams' Kosmic Mother Funk Grand Cru. The Boston brewery takes over Lucky Pie LoDo tonight to serve it up.
Thursday
* 2 to 7 p.m. and 9 to midnight: Epic Brewing offers not one but two sessions of its Firkin Fiasco, featuring 50 different firkins. The $25 tickets almost seem underpriced.
* 6 to 10 p.m. Crooked Stave once again offers its What the Funk festival of sour and barrel-aged beers opposite the opening GABF session. I mention this purely in passing; tickets are sold out.
* 6 to 11 p.m. Three Floyds beers are sought out, but the Indiana brewery isn't available in Colorado most of the time. That changes briefly today at a party it's hosting with TRVE Brewing at Summit Music Hall.
* 7 p.m. Speaking of things you can't find here much, Cigar City will have a host of beers available at Freshcraft tonight. As a bonus, they'll be serving them up with some rarer beers from Colorado geniuses Ska Brewing.
* 11 p.m. If your liver isn't already crying "mercy," head over to Euclid Hall, where Avery Brewing is offering 14 beers with a seven-course midnight breakfast. Tickets are $125.
Friday
* 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.: One of my favorite features of Denver Beer Fest is beer-themed events thrown by places you don't normally think of first when you think of beer bars. 16Mix in the Sheraton is throwing a Beer and Bacon Brunch for $25 to help you chase away the hangover you know you're going to have.
* Noon to 4: Not planning to spend over $100 on an Avery breakfast? Then you should have the money leftover to sample some truly, truly impossible-to-find offerings from around the country at the $110 Rare Beer Tasting taking place at McNichols Hall in Civic Center Park.
* Noon to 4: Focus on the Beer has done small "Beers Made by Walking" events for the past two festivals, getting a dozen or so brewers to craft beers with unusual ingredients inspired by hikes. This year, it's going big time with 33 breweries offering over 40 beers. At $40, this event at Wynkoop Brewery may be one of the best surrounding the festival.
* Noon to 8 p.m. Can't choose one brewery? Denver Microbrew Tour is offering a hop-on-hop-off bus that visits nine breweries and one cidery for a jump-on, leave-your-car-at-home price of $35.
* 1 p.m. Bury your taste buds at the Alpha King contest at Falling Rock, where brewers who know hops try to take it to the next level and make the hoppiest beer in America.
Saturday
* Local breweries will breaking out new beers all week, but the one I'm most looking forward to comes today: Copper Kettle taps its S'Mores Porter.
* 7 p.m. Like Surly Brewing? Freshcraft is tapping a number of the hot Minnesota brewery's beers.
* 7 to 8 p.m. Marco's Coal Fired Pizza is offering a number of tappings with out-of-state brewers during the week. Among the most exciting: Deschutes pouring its Mirror Mirror Barleywine on Saturday night.
* Post-GABF: By Saturday night, about the only thing my taste buds can still tolerate are pungently sour beers. Luckily, Falling Rock's traditional post-festival party with New Belgium will feature plenty.
* 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.: And if you want something a little different for bidding farewell to the best week of the year, the Pour House is sending people out with a party hosted by Left Hand and Boulevard.
Here then are a few of the highlights of the week as you plan your itinerary. This is not a comprehensive list of all events; you can find those at The Denver Post or at Westword. Rather, this is one man's attempt to give you a couple you might want to focus in on with your valuable time.
Sunday
* 10 a.m.: Backcountry Pizza & Tap House of Boulder kicks off Sour Sunday - 28 beers, including offerings from Almanac, Evil Twin, Russian River and more. Blow your taste buds early.
* 11 a.m.: Black Sky Brewing of Denver celebrates its first anniversary with a BBQ and several special tappings. And the menu at this metal brewery always seems to surprise.
* 1 p.m.: If you're already in Boulder for Sour Sunday, be sure to stop by Avery Brewing for the release of its latest edition of Rumpkin, its fantastic 16% rum-barrel-aged pumpkin ale.
Monday
* Noon: Crooked Stave kicks off a week of noon special tappings with its Blackberry Dark Origins. Port Nightmare on Brett and L'Brett d'Peach are among the week's other highlights.
* 5 to 9 p.m.: Falling Rock Tap House's GABF tapping party is taking place for the 17th straight year. In addition to beer from the likes of Avery, Odell and Russian River, you can probably catch a few brewers there.
* 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.: GABF week involves a lot of learning. Metropolitan State University of Denver is putting that into very traditional form with a one-time, $35 class open to the public entitled "Ales, Lagers and Beyond: Tasting and Appreciating Beer."
Tuesday
* All day: Many breweries are doing special tappings all week, and it feels almost too selective to mention just a few. But veritable newcomer Jagged Mountain Brewery has a worthy lineup this week that includes a Barrel-Aged First Descent Old Ale - one of the strongest beers in Denver - plus ditties like a Cognac-Barrel Voodoo Goat Barleywine later this week.
* 5 p.m.: Upslope Pumpkin Ale is widely considered one of the best pumpkin ales in Colorado and is a former gold-medal winner. Tonight, the Boulder brewery releases it for the season.
* 5 to 8 p.m.: The first of the beer fests before the beer festival is the Paramount Café Beer Fest, featuring 20 area breweries and costing the low, low price of $20.
* 7 p.m.: Freshcraft is another one of the beer bars that will spend the week offering specialty days and nights from various breweries. One that shouldn't be missed is tonight's New Belgium tapping, featuring a number of sour beers that are hard to find anywhere else.
Wednesday
* 2 p.m.: Strange Craft Beer releases its first round of bombers in its 4-1/2-year history, ensuring that one of Denver's best-kept secrets will be getting a little less secret. Cherry Kriek, Grapefruit IPA, Dr. Strangelove Barleywine 2013 and its farmhouse ale all go out officially to the public today. Show up with me, and we can start the campaign for bottling Zora rosemary pale ale.
* 3 p.m.: One of the things that's surprised me is the lack of vertical tappings you see during this week. River North today offers just such a tapping of its J. Marie Farmhouse Ale four ways - classic, wine-barrel, whiskey-barrel and barreled and bretted.
* 6 p.m.: Music concerts have been done during Denver Beer Fest. But Renegade Brewing seeks to break new ground with Offensively Delicious, a comedy event. The $40 evening at the Oriental Theater gives you access to two professional comedians. But, more frighteningly, it also lets you see the (brief) comedy stylings of the 11 breweries pouring at the event as well.
* 6 p.m.: You won't have to look too hard to find barrel-aged beers at GABF. But if you want to cut out everything else, the new World of Beer in downtown Denver gives you unlimited tastings at a barrel-aged competition for $40.
* 7 p.m.: One of the coolest new out-of-state beers that will make its way around Denver Beer Fest is Sam Adams' Kosmic Mother Funk Grand Cru. The Boston brewery takes over Lucky Pie LoDo tonight to serve it up.
Thursday
* 2 to 7 p.m. and 9 to midnight: Epic Brewing offers not one but two sessions of its Firkin Fiasco, featuring 50 different firkins. The $25 tickets almost seem underpriced.
* 6 to 10 p.m. Crooked Stave once again offers its What the Funk festival of sour and barrel-aged beers opposite the opening GABF session. I mention this purely in passing; tickets are sold out.
* 6 to 11 p.m. Three Floyds beers are sought out, but the Indiana brewery isn't available in Colorado most of the time. That changes briefly today at a party it's hosting with TRVE Brewing at Summit Music Hall.
* 7 p.m. Speaking of things you can't find here much, Cigar City will have a host of beers available at Freshcraft tonight. As a bonus, they'll be serving them up with some rarer beers from Colorado geniuses Ska Brewing.
* 11 p.m. If your liver isn't already crying "mercy," head over to Euclid Hall, where Avery Brewing is offering 14 beers with a seven-course midnight breakfast. Tickets are $125.
Friday
* 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.: One of my favorite features of Denver Beer Fest is beer-themed events thrown by places you don't normally think of first when you think of beer bars. 16Mix in the Sheraton is throwing a Beer and Bacon Brunch for $25 to help you chase away the hangover you know you're going to have.
* Noon to 4: Not planning to spend over $100 on an Avery breakfast? Then you should have the money leftover to sample some truly, truly impossible-to-find offerings from around the country at the $110 Rare Beer Tasting taking place at McNichols Hall in Civic Center Park.
* Noon to 4: Focus on the Beer has done small "Beers Made by Walking" events for the past two festivals, getting a dozen or so brewers to craft beers with unusual ingredients inspired by hikes. This year, it's going big time with 33 breweries offering over 40 beers. At $40, this event at Wynkoop Brewery may be one of the best surrounding the festival.
* Noon to 8 p.m. Can't choose one brewery? Denver Microbrew Tour is offering a hop-on-hop-off bus that visits nine breweries and one cidery for a jump-on, leave-your-car-at-home price of $35.
* 1 p.m. Bury your taste buds at the Alpha King contest at Falling Rock, where brewers who know hops try to take it to the next level and make the hoppiest beer in America.
Saturday
* Local breweries will breaking out new beers all week, but the one I'm most looking forward to comes today: Copper Kettle taps its S'Mores Porter.
* 7 p.m. Like Surly Brewing? Freshcraft is tapping a number of the hot Minnesota brewery's beers.
* 7 to 8 p.m. Marco's Coal Fired Pizza is offering a number of tappings with out-of-state brewers during the week. Among the most exciting: Deschutes pouring its Mirror Mirror Barleywine on Saturday night.
* Post-GABF: By Saturday night, about the only thing my taste buds can still tolerate are pungently sour beers. Luckily, Falling Rock's traditional post-festival party with New Belgium will feature plenty.
* 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.: And if you want something a little different for bidding farewell to the best week of the year, the Pour House is sending people out with a party hosted by Left Hand and Boulevard.
Labels: Denver Beer Fest, Great American Beer Festival
Sunday, October 06, 2013
Must-hit events during Great American Beer Festival week
If you have all the time in the world, you can scan through every event listed on the Denver Post or Westword Great American Beer Festival calendars and pick a few to put on your to-do list. But if you're like most people, you might prefer a few suggestions on what to do in the coming week, which Visit Denver sponsors as Denver Beer Fest.
Here, then, are a few ideas of how to find the best beer around the Thursday-Saturday festival without actually having to go into the festival.
1) Go to "Beers Made by Walking"
Maybe the most unique event before the 2012 GABF was Focus on the Beer's gathering of 10 beers, inspired by hikes, for which area brewers used fascinating ingredients like chokecherries and sumac. And this year, Eric Steen has ramped up the count to 17 different breweries using everything from dandelion to wild nectarines. Running from 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Wynkoop Brewing, the event is worth far more than its $30 ticket price.
2) Find out-of-town breweries tapping their wares
This happens more than you think with breweries that otherwise are not available in Colorado. Sun King Brewery of Indiana will tap its barrel-aged goods at Falling Rock Tap House (9 p.m. Wednesday) and Freshcraft (4 p.m. Saturday), among others. Freshcraft also will host a Cigar City tapping, along with some rarer New Belgium offerings, at noon Thursday.
3) Find in-town breweries tapping one-of-a-kind offerings
So far, the most interesting include: Great Divide tapping Rhine & Heart American Sour (10 a.m. Saturday); Falling Rock tapping Trinity Brewing's immensely sour Old Growth (5 p.m. Tuesday) and Odyssey Beerwerks tapping a Pina Colada Hefeweizen (all day Friday).
4. Drown yourself in barleywines
Well, don't really submerse yourself in the strongest and often most complex of beer styles. But if you love you some barleywine, the Rackhouse Pub will pit 30 barleywines from Colorado against the same number from California, starting at 10 a.m . Thursday and running through the end of the week. And the only real winner here is your taste buds.
5. Enjoy tap takeovers at restaurants not normally swimming in craft beer
Many places will have this, but maybe none so intriguing as Marco's Coal-Fired Pizza, which will offer eight Odell Brewing beers, including harder-to-find Mountain Standard Black IPA and Wellspring Saison Ale. Pair them with the Coal-Fired Lemoncello Wings or the Pizza Del Pappa - stacked with roasted bell peppers and smoked bufala mozzarella on roasted butternut squash - and it's everything you could want from a drinking experience.
6) Step away from the festival for a night
More events are going on simultaneously with the Great American Beer Festival this year than anyone can remember. On Thursday evening alone, you could hit a 50-firkin fest at Epic Brewing, a barleywine fest at Renegade Brewing or cheese pairing with River North Brewery at Stapleton Tap House.
7) Recover well on Sunday
Most brewers want to crawl into bed for a week after the GABF ends on Saturday night. Odell Brewing is hosting a 9 a.m. brunch on Sunday at Highland Tap and Burger, however, and Oskar Blues Home Made Liquids and Solids is inviting California hop king Green Flash up to Longmont at 11 a.m. Sunday to help it ring out the festivities.
If you have all the time in the world, you can scan through every event listed on the Denver Post or Westword Great American Beer Festival calendars and pick a few to put on your to-do list. But if you're like most people, you might prefer a few suggestions on what to do in the coming week, which Visit Denver sponsors as Denver Beer Fest.
Here, then, are a few ideas of how to find the best beer around the Thursday-Saturday festival without actually having to go into the festival.
Maybe the most unique event before the 2012 GABF was Focus on the Beer's gathering of 10 beers, inspired by hikes, for which area brewers used fascinating ingredients like chokecherries and sumac. And this year, Eric Steen has ramped up the count to 17 different breweries using everything from dandelion to wild nectarines. Running from 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Wynkoop Brewing, the event is worth far more than its $30 ticket price.
2) Find out-of-town breweries tapping their wares
This happens more than you think with breweries that otherwise are not available in Colorado. Sun King Brewery of Indiana will tap its barrel-aged goods at Falling Rock Tap House (9 p.m. Wednesday) and Freshcraft (4 p.m. Saturday), among others. Freshcraft also will host a Cigar City tapping, along with some rarer New Belgium offerings, at noon Thursday.
3) Find in-town breweries tapping one-of-a-kind offerings
So far, the most interesting include: Great Divide tapping Rhine & Heart American Sour (10 a.m. Saturday); Falling Rock tapping Trinity Brewing's immensely sour Old Growth (5 p.m. Tuesday) and Odyssey Beerwerks tapping a Pina Colada Hefeweizen (all day Friday).
4. Drown yourself in barleywines
Well, don't really submerse yourself in the strongest and often most complex of beer styles. But if you love you some barleywine, the Rackhouse Pub will pit 30 barleywines from Colorado against the same number from California, starting at 10 a.m . Thursday and running through the end of the week. And the only real winner here is your taste buds.
5. Enjoy tap takeovers at restaurants not normally swimming in craft beer
Many places will have this, but maybe none so intriguing as Marco's Coal-Fired Pizza, which will offer eight Odell Brewing beers, including harder-to-find Mountain Standard Black IPA and Wellspring Saison Ale. Pair them with the Coal-Fired Lemoncello Wings or the Pizza Del Pappa - stacked with roasted bell peppers and smoked bufala mozzarella on roasted butternut squash - and it's everything you could want from a drinking experience.
6) Step away from the festival for a night
More events are going on simultaneously with the Great American Beer Festival this year than anyone can remember. On Thursday evening alone, you could hit a 50-firkin fest at Epic Brewing, a barleywine fest at Renegade Brewing or cheese pairing with River North Brewery at Stapleton Tap House.
7) Recover well on Sunday
Most brewers want to crawl into bed for a week after the GABF ends on Saturday night. Odell Brewing is hosting a 9 a.m. brunch on Sunday at Highland Tap and Burger, however, and Oskar Blues Home Made Liquids and Solids is inviting California hop king Green Flash up to Longmont at 11 a.m. Sunday to help it ring out the festivities.
Labels: Denver Beer Fest, Great American Beer Festival
Monday, October 08, 2012
A GABF Week To-Do List
For some reason, no one wanted to go with me tonight to drink the marinade for a couple of sliced bull testicles. And so, the members of the Fearless Tasting Crew missed out on the opportunity to try Wynkoop's Rocky Mountain Oyster Stout tonight. For real. For shame.
The good news is, while cow cojones may be the oddest thing being served up at bars and breweries outside the Great American Beer Festival this week, it certainly isn't the only unique offering. And while there are hundreds of events worth mentioning, especially for those who weren't among the lucky few to get tickets to the GABF, I figured I'd at least distill down the hundreds of press releases and Facebook posts I've gotten to give you a decent guide to some of the best - including some that are available without a ticket.
Tuesday
*11:30 a.m.: Hops and Pie taps Cigar City beers all day long. 'Nuf said.
*5-8: Beers Made by Walking, at Wynkoop. $15. Eric Steen has gotten nine brewers to make 10 beers with ingredients inspired by hikes. Got a sneak preview of Strange's the other night and learned this is a great idea.
*6 p.m.: Renegade Brewing taps Elevated Wood. What's better than a triple IPA? How about a triple IPA aged in a bourbon barrel for six months.
Wednesday
*1 p.m.: River North continues its weeklong barrel release schedule with River North White aged in both white wine and whiskey barrels. It's a different barrel offering every day.
*5-6:30 p.m.: I'll be signing Mountain Brew at Strange Brewing. And they'll tap two one-barrel brews and play "Strange Brew" all night. Serious fun.
*6-9 p.m.: The Rackhouse Pub throws a rare beer tasting event featuring 21 different Colorado breweries. $35.
Thursday
*1-3 p.m.: Breckenridge Brewery hosts the Brews Cruise Rendezbrew featuring local craft beer, plus beer from North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Oregon. $15. At its 471 Kalamath St. location.
*10 p.m.: Freshcraft brewed a Big Brown Rye with the guys from Ska Brewing and then aged it in bourbon. Now they tap Colorado goodness.
*10:45 p.m.: Falling Rock Taphouse will first tap a collaboration between Oskar Blues and Sun King - the Indiana brewery that scored the most GABF medals in 2011 - and then just tap tons of Sun King beer.
Friday
*9:30-11:30 a.m. Freshcraft hosts the first Colorado Brewers' Brunch, featuring five local beers with big enough flavors to wake up your hungover taste buds. $30.
*11-5: Avery Brewing hosts a poker run with five barrel-aged beers at five of Denver's best beer bars. $45.
*10 p.m.: After the festival closes for the night, Falling Rock will host a number of Colorado breweries tapping rare one-off beers.
Saturday
*Noon: Euclid Hall taps sour and fruit-forward beers from Goose Island and Odell Brewing.
* 11 p.m. Once you've beaten your tastebuds all week, the only thing that can jolt them back to life is barrel-aged sours - like the New Belgium specialties that Falling Rock will be pouring.
For some reason, no one wanted to go with me tonight to drink the marinade for a couple of sliced bull testicles. And so, the members of the Fearless Tasting Crew missed out on the opportunity to try Wynkoop's Rocky Mountain Oyster Stout tonight. For real. For shame.
The good news is, while cow cojones may be the oddest thing being served up at bars and breweries outside the Great American Beer Festival this week, it certainly isn't the only unique offering. And while there are hundreds of events worth mentioning, especially for those who weren't among the lucky few to get tickets to the GABF, I figured I'd at least distill down the hundreds of press releases and Facebook posts I've gotten to give you a decent guide to some of the best - including some that are available without a ticket.
Tuesday
*11:30 a.m.: Hops and Pie taps Cigar City beers all day long. 'Nuf said.
*5-8: Beers Made by Walking, at Wynkoop. $15. Eric Steen has gotten nine brewers to make 10 beers with ingredients inspired by hikes. Got a sneak preview of Strange's the other night and learned this is a great idea.
*6 p.m.: Renegade Brewing taps Elevated Wood. What's better than a triple IPA? How about a triple IPA aged in a bourbon barrel for six months.
Wednesday
*1 p.m.: River North continues its weeklong barrel release schedule with River North White aged in both white wine and whiskey barrels. It's a different barrel offering every day.
*5-6:30 p.m.: I'll be signing Mountain Brew at Strange Brewing. And they'll tap two one-barrel brews and play "Strange Brew" all night. Serious fun.
*6-9 p.m.: The Rackhouse Pub throws a rare beer tasting event featuring 21 different Colorado breweries. $35.
Thursday
*1-3 p.m.: Breckenridge Brewery hosts the Brews Cruise Rendezbrew featuring local craft beer, plus beer from North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Oregon. $15. At its 471 Kalamath St. location.
*10 p.m.: Freshcraft brewed a Big Brown Rye with the guys from Ska Brewing and then aged it in bourbon. Now they tap Colorado goodness.
*10:45 p.m.: Falling Rock Taphouse will first tap a collaboration between Oskar Blues and Sun King - the Indiana brewery that scored the most GABF medals in 2011 - and then just tap tons of Sun King beer.
Friday
*9:30-11:30 a.m. Freshcraft hosts the first Colorado Brewers' Brunch, featuring five local beers with big enough flavors to wake up your hungover taste buds. $30.
*11-5: Avery Brewing hosts a poker run with five barrel-aged beers at five of Denver's best beer bars. $45.
*10 p.m.: After the festival closes for the night, Falling Rock will host a number of Colorado breweries tapping rare one-off beers.
Saturday
*Noon: Euclid Hall taps sour and fruit-forward beers from Goose Island and Odell Brewing.
* 11 p.m. Once you've beaten your tastebuds all week, the only thing that can jolt them back to life is barrel-aged sours - like the New Belgium specialties that Falling Rock will be pouring.
Labels: Denver Beer Fest, Great American Beer Festival
Saturday, October 06, 2012
Denver's Next Mayor Brewer
There will always be one man - John Hickenlooper - who will bear the title of "mayor brewer" here in the Mile High City. But the first beer from current Mayor Michael Hancock, unveiled Friday night at Denver Beer Co. (as seen in the great photo from Visit Denver and Trevor Brown), is deserving of kudos as well.
The beer is a spiced pumpkin ale made with gourds grown at Denver Urban Gardens. Hancock didn't come up with the recipe but did grind barley on a pedal-powered mill and toss the pumpkins and hops into the brew.
As far as pumpkin beers go, this one lacks the intensity of feeling like you're drinking liquefied pumpkin pie. The nutmeg and cinnamon jump out at you from the medium body. But the 110 pounds of pumpkins that went into the brew are more of an aromatic touch than a heavy touch, marking this as a spiced amber ale that's more relatable than a stand-out pumpkin beer.
Still, it's a nice beer to have as the nights get cooler, and the brewers at Denver Beer - the real brewers, rather than the celebrity brewer - add more interest to it by sprinkling granulated brown sugar on the rim. And Hancock can boast about the creation for as long as it's available, which should be at least throughout the Oct. 5-13 Denver Beer Fest.
There will always be one man - John Hickenlooper - who will bear the title of "mayor brewer" here in the Mile High City. But the first beer from current Mayor Michael Hancock, unveiled Friday night at Denver Beer Co. (as seen in the great photo from Visit Denver and Trevor Brown), is deserving of kudos as well.
The beer is a spiced pumpkin ale made with gourds grown at Denver Urban Gardens. Hancock didn't come up with the recipe but did grind barley on a pedal-powered mill and toss the pumpkins and hops into the brew.
As far as pumpkin beers go, this one lacks the intensity of feeling like you're drinking liquefied pumpkin pie. The nutmeg and cinnamon jump out at you from the medium body. But the 110 pounds of pumpkins that went into the brew are more of an aromatic touch than a heavy touch, marking this as a spiced amber ale that's more relatable than a stand-out pumpkin beer.
Still, it's a nice beer to have as the nights get cooler, and the brewers at Denver Beer - the real brewers, rather than the celebrity brewer - add more interest to it by sprinkling granulated brown sugar on the rim. And Hancock can boast about the creation for as long as it's available, which should be at least throughout the Oct. 5-13 Denver Beer Fest.
Labels: Denver Beer Co, Denver Beer Fest
Monday, September 26, 2011
Denver Beer Fest/GABF Week HighlightsIs it GABF week already? These things sneak up so fast, and you just don't have the proper amount of time to get your liver in shape. But rather than complaining about it, you might as well dive right into the mayhem. After all, this is not a week you want to miss.
The official website for Denver Beer Fest has the most extensive list of events from now until Sunday. But here are a few highlights for those of you who either didn't get tickets to the Thursday-Saturday Great American Beer Festival or simply can't wait that long:
Monday
* 5 p.m: Falling Rock Taphouse hosts its official GABF kickoff party, with beers galore.
* Vine Street Pub releases Four Virtue Reserve, a new Belgian beer
Tuesday
* Strange Brewing will be showing the movie "Strange Brew" all night - and serving special sausage plates.
* 5-7 p.m. Oskar Blues Brewery hosts its own rare beer tasting downtown at the Paramount Cafe.
Wednesday
* 5-8 p.m.: Shameless self plug: I'll be signing copies of my book, "Mountain Brew: A Guide to Colorado's Breweries," while chefs pair appetizers with Colorado beers at 16Mix downtown.
* 6-9 p.m.: Rackhouse Pub hosts a rare beer tasting for $35.
Thursday
* Shmaltz Brewing will be at Freshcraft all day, starting with a rare bottle tasting at 2 p.m.
* Falling Rock brings in out-of-state beer stars for some rare tappings, including Anchor Brewing (2 p.m.), Full Sail Brewing (10 p.m.) and Green Flash Brewing (11 p.m.)
Friday
* Avery Brewing is breaking at some rarities at Falling Rock at 2 p.m. and then hosting a Heaven and Hell party at Freshcraft at 10 p.m.
* Falling Rock's lineup includes tastings from Rogue (3 p.m.), Dogfish Head (10 p.m.) and Alaskan Brewing (11 p.m.)
Saturday
* Freshcraft features tappings from Upslope Brewing (11 a.m.), Oskar Blues (2 p.m.) and Widmer (10 p.m.)
* 10 p.m.: Still have a functioning liver after the GABF closes? Finish it off with rare beers - including a number of sour ales - from New Belgium Brewing at Falling Rock.
Labels: Denver Beer Fest, Great American Beer Festival, Mountain Brew book
Monday, September 13, 2010
This Week in Colorado Beer: GABF/Denver Beer Fest editionThere's a little event coming up this weekend called the Great American Beer Festival. If you're a beer geek enough to read this blog, I assume I don't need to say a lot more. But then, even if you are a beer geek but you don't have tickets, you're pretty S.O.L., as it sold out a record five weeks in advance this year.
But don't despair. There's a couple of places that rumor has it may be serving good beer this week, even if you're not going to the festival.
Denver Beer Fest: This isn't actually one place serving good beer. It's about 35 of them, putting on something like 150 beer tastings, meet-the-brewer events, pairing dinners and even offering beer ice cream. I wrote in my day job about one place that's even making beer cupcakes. And the idea, in its second year of organizing by the Visit Denver convention and visitors bureau, is a wonderful one to get people excited leading into the GABF. In fact, you can see a full schedule of the events here.But as much information as that website contains, it doesn't capture everything that's going on this week. And neither, frankly, will this blog. But I wanted to list just a few of the highlights for those who are hoping to cash in on all the beer rock stars who will be in town this week.
Tuesday
*Upslope Brewing begins five days of breaking out barrel-aged beers at its Boulder home.
*Jeremy Cowan, founder of New York's Shmaltz Brewing Co., holds a beer dinner/book release at Choice City Butcher & Deli in Fort Collins.
Wednesday
*Great Divide extends its tap room hours from 11 a.m. to midnight, hauls in food from Appaloosa Grill and taps a variety of unique and rare beers for the next four days.
* Gordon Biersch taps its Festbier Oktoberfest beer in Broomfield
Thursday
*Breckenridge Brewery continues its rare beer tapping that is running from Sept. 11-19, with 12 specially made beers on tap at 12 different restaurants around town. Use this map like it was a treasure map.
Falling Rock
Yes, these guys deserve their own section because of the depth and breadth of events they are offering this week. Here are a few of the highlights:
*5 p.m. Wednesday: Longmont's Left Hand Brewing and Terrapin Brewing of Athens, Ga. release their third collaboration beer: Oxymoron, an India pale lager.
*10 p.m. Thursday: Chris at Falling Rock promises to break out a stash of aged and rare Stone Brewing beers.
*Noon Friday: The annual contest to kill a keg of Sierra Nevada's Estate Harvest Ale in record time takes place again. Hide the squeamish livers.
*10 p.m. Saturday: Still standing after three days of GABF? New Belgium breaks out its rarities. This is a great way to finish the festival, as these often involve a slew of Belgian sours that are the only beers that can revive overused taste buds.
Labels: Denver Beer Fest, Great American Beer Festival
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Rock Bottom's Finest HourAfter a slightly disappointing week of Denver Beer Fest events that so far has included restaurants not serving the beer dinners they've advertised and bars blowing special kegs 10 minutes before I walk in, I found the event I was waiting for tonight.
Rock Bottom Brewery in downtown Denver broke out 11 specialty, limited-time beers for the festival, and the featured menu ranks as likely the best ever seen at the restaurant. Several in particular shined as brewmaster John McClure's finest creations.
There were saisons and the infamous Silver Mullet, but the two that deserve the highlighting are a pair of whiskey-barrel aged concoctions with similar backgrounds but definitively different personalities to show off.
One was the 5W30, an 11% ABV barrel-aged imperial stout matured for eight months on Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey barrels. It comes at you with the oaky heartiness you'd expect but offsets any belligerence with a whiskey sweetness sometimes lacking from this style. The scent is of a complex chocolate/oak combination, and the bourbon tinge gives way to a more chocolate fullness as it advances. Rarely are beers this ass-kicking also this drinkable.
Its brother in arms is Woody Bomb, a 10.6% ABV Hop Bomb IPA aged in a Woodford Reserve Bourbon barrel for nine months. This features a more assertive whiskey sharpness, which seems to grow in taste when mingled with the hoppy beer. It's more prominent on the nose and on the tongue. And though it may be lower in alcohol, it comes at you more strongly and sticks around longer as well.
Rock Bottom's offerings have at times been hit and miss. This one's all hit. And it couldn't have come at a better time if you're looking for something to spice up your week while it's on tap.
Labels: Denver Beer Fest, Rock Bottom Brewery
Friday, September 18, 2009
It Begins: Denver Beer FestIf you haven't heard yet about Denver Beer Fest, then let's just say this: You may want to clear out the next week of your calendar.
Visit Denver, the city's convention and visitors bureau, has assembled a lineup of roughly 150 events involving beer and food, beer and tappings, beer and trivia, beer and ice cream, hell, even beer and breasts. And between 5 p.m. today and sunset on Sunday, Sept. 27, there's a chance that if you plan things correctly, you may not have to do anything but drink beer for 10 days.
The idea of a celebration of a city's brewing industry isn't anything new: San Francisco and Philly have done it for a couple of years now. But what's impressive about the effort here in Colorado is the number of happenings they were able to set up in such a short time - Philly, for example, had about 60 events at its first beer week, Visit Denver officials tell me - and the variety of them. Brian Dunn, owner of Great Divide Brewing, noted that he's doing six beer dinners as well as about a dozen other events from tastings to meet-the-brewer gatherings before he collapses from sheer exhaustion in a week-and-a-half.
I've written about this several times for my real job (you can see the latest Internet article here but unfortunately have to be a subscriber to see the bigger story I wrote on the success of the Beer Fest and the Great American Beer Festival last week) and it's because it transcends the world of beer geeks. This is a chance for Bobby Blatz-chugger and Marty Miller-drinker who may not have found the full array of beer that is out there to stumble into a great beer and meet its brewer while out for dinner this week.
Rather than try to list all of the events, or even the highlights, I'll just go ahead and post a link to the full schedule here. But rest assured I'll be hitting dinners and new tappings and, yes, even trying some beer ice cream this week and trying to chronicle it (far more regularly than I have been) on this site.
And I've set my watch to 5:30 p.m. Thursday, for the start of the Great American Beer Festival. I imagine many of you have as well.
Labels: Denver Beer Fest, Great American Beer Festival, Great Divide
Friday, July 17, 2009
Denver's Two Beer WeeksHaven't heard about Denver Beer Week? Or about Denver Beer Fest? Here's a little explanation (written by yours truly) of why I mention two potential beer festivals that will leave you only 50 weeks of the year in which you can plan other things to do: http://denver.bizjournals.com/denver/stories/2009/07/13/daily87.html
What this breaks down to is this: Visit Denver (the Denver convention and visitors bureau) wants to do a week-long celebration of beer between the Larimer Square Oktoberfest celebration and the Great American Beer Festival. Brewers in this state want to do it sometime between February and April, when less people are roaming the Denver streets imbibing and eating in restaurants. The differences between the two groups appear to be leading to two beer weeks during the year, which are not competing so much as they're two different celebrations.
The question is this: Does having two beer weeks in one year really nix the importance of both of them and rob Denver of the ability to have a beer-specific celebration that the city deserves more richly than places like San Francisco and Philadelphia that now have such weeks?
My opinion is that two beer weeks are compatible. One in the Spring would be for beer geeks who want to talk beer and drink beer at a time when everyone else is complaining about how cold the weather is and how much the Avs suck. The one in the Fall would be like a push for people to get out and drink beer before the GABF, a time when the true beer-friendly restaurants and bars already are throwing such events but when a specified week could encourage others to get on the bandwagon.
Anyone else have thoughts on this gravest of issues?
Labels: Denver Beer Fest, Denver Beer Week
