Upcoming Events (Week of 12/13)

If you're anything like me, your wallet gets a bit thinner this time of year and the beer buying budget shrivels up. Luckily, Dry Dock Brewing is starting the gift giving a bit early with help from Joe's Dent Removal. This Wednesday, December 16th, you can head down to the brewery and get a free pint courtesy of Joe Griffith (owner of Joe's Dent Removal). Dry Dock will also be tapping a keg of their delicious Russian Imperial Stout and should have a special firkin on tap.

Other beer events in the Denver area this week:

• The Society for the Pursuit of Hoppiness @ Avery Tap Room - 12/14, 6:00pm
• Hop Lover Challenge - Contestants must first identify various hop strains in pellet form, and then identify those same hops when used to dry-hop a keg of Avery IPA. 1st place wins a $50 Avery gift certificate
• Free for Society members, $15 for a lifetime Society membership
• Great Divide Barrel-Aged Old Ruffian Release - 12/14 (I'll be posting more details about this later today)
• Recession Relief Wednesday @ Dry Dock Brewing - 12/16, 3:00pm - 9:00pm
• Sour Tapping Event @ Trinity Brewing Company - 12/16 (Looks like the moved the date on this one, still don't have many details)
• Hop Disciples Meeting @ Great Divide Tap Room - 12/17, 6:00pm (RSVP to info@greatdivide.com)
• Oskar Blues Firkin Friday @ The Tasty Weasel - 12/18, 5:00pm
• Dry Dock Firkin Friday - 12/18, 3:00pm -11:00pm
• Black Fox Hiver Saison Release @ Bristol Brewing - 12/18, 5:00pm - 9:00pm
• A special holiday spiced beer
• Special Tapping @ Avery Tap Room - 12/18, 5:00pm
• They'll be tapping at 3 year old keg of Samael's Oak Aged Ale at 5:00 sharp.

If you know of any events I've missed or would like your event added please e-mail me: denverbrew@gmail.com

Upcoming Events (Week of 12/6)

This week is looking like another special one for beer drinkers in the Denver area with several events you won't want to miss.  The highlights include Oskar Blues' 7th CANiversary where they'll be debuting a brand new seasonal, a Holiday Beer Dinner at the Wynkoop featuring 4 courses and 6 great Colorado beers, and the 2009 release of Avery's monstrous Mephistopheles Stout (16% abv!) complete with a 4 year vertical tasting.  However, the one event I definitely won't be missing is Twisted Pine's release party for their new sour ale.  I'm a huge fan of sour beers and I've enjoyed most of the speciality releases the brewery has put out recently, so I'm expecting great things.  They'll only have two kegs on for the initial release and they will surely go quick, but I've been told that it will be released again in 7 months on tap and in 750 ml bottles.  Can't wait to try it!

Upcoming beer related events in the Denver area:

• Great Divide Brewmaster's Dinner @ Beatrice and Woodsley - 12/8, 6:00pm ($50 per person, RSVP at (303) 777-3505)
• Oskar Blues 7th CANiversary Party @ The Barn in Lyons - 12/9, 5:00pm - 10:00pm
• Oskar Blues will have live music, food, and specialty brews on tap.  Additionally, they'll be announcing a new seasonal beer and you'll have the opportunity to hand can your own beer to bring home with you.
• Holiday Beer Dinner @ Wynkoop Brewery - 12/10, 6:30pm ($35 per person, RSVP at 303-297-2700)
• 4 courses paired with 6 winter beers. Featuring selections from AC Golden, Breckenridge, Dry Dock, Great Divide, Odell and the Wynkoop.
• Oskar Blues Firkin Friday - 12/11, 5:00pm
• Dry Dock Firkin Friday - 12/11, 3:00pm - 11:00pm
• Sour Brown Ale Release Party @ Twisted Pine - 12/11, 3:00pm - 9:00pm
• Twisted Pine's first sour beer is a brown ale that was brewed with special strains of yeast and has been barrel-aged.
• Mephistopheles' Stout Release and Vertical Tasting @ Avery Tap Room - 12/11, 5:00pm-8:00pm ($15 for 5 tasters of your choice)
• Four consecutive years of Mephistopheles on tap (2006-2009)
• A keg of Straight Outta Hell will be on tap (50% Mephistopheles, 50% Out of Bounds with Coffee)
• Sour Tapping Event @ Trinity Brewing Company - 12/12
• I don't have many details on this one yet, but it's supposed to feature some of the best sour beers from around the world.

Dry Dock Brewing's First Bottled Beer

Tomorrow, December 4th, Dry Dock Brewing (GABF winner for Small Brewery of the Year) in Aurora will release their first bottled product onto the public. The Immolator Doppelbock was the winner of last Saturday's HO HO HO Slapdown (a competition between three Dry Dock brewers) holding off the Three Heavy Scotch Ale and Vixen's Cherry Ale in heated race. The winning beer is a big, malty lager (8.3% abv) that was bottled on Monday, labeled today, and will be available in the brewery tomorrow. Talk about a quick turnaround!


The 22 oz bottles will retail for $13 and will also be available at Chambers Wine & Liquor in Aurora.

Upcoming Events (Week of 11/29)

Sorry about the lack of updates, I went on vacation during the holidays and have just been getting back into the groove of things.  I plan on resuming my normal posting schedule next week, but here is a quick post with a few events coming up this weekend that should tide you over.  The highlight looks to be the release party that Falling Rock is hosting this Friday, December 4th, for the new Dogfish Head/Sierra Nevada collaboration, Life & Limb.  This dark heavy weight (10% abv) supposedly defies all style guidelines and is a unique rarity.  It is a true joint effort between the two renowned breweries using pure maple syrup from the Calagione family farm (Sam Calagione is owns Dogfish Head) in Massachusetts and estate barley grown on the Grossman "farm" (Ken Grossman is Sierra Nevada's founder) at the brewery in Chico, CA.  Additionally, Falling Rock will have Limb & Life on tap tomorrow.  This is a low gravity (5% abv) session beer brewed using the second runnings of Life & Limb.  It's only available on tap, so this may be your only chance to try it in the Denver area.

Upcoming events in the Denver area:

• Dry Dock Firkin Friday - Anthony's Milk Stout - 12/4, 3:00pm - 11:00pm
• Oskar Blues Firkin Friday @ Tasty Weasel - 12/4, 5:00pm
• Life & Limb Draught Release Party @ Falling Rock Tap House - 12/4, 5:0ppm
• Edge City Christmas Ale Release Party @ Bristol Brewing - 12/4, 5:00pm - 9:00pm

Upcoming Events (Week of 11/15)

This week there are several beer dinners, tastings, and release parties in the Denver area, but only one that you definitely won't want to miss as Avery Brewing celebrates 10 years of making their Belgian Quad, The Reverend, with the "beer dinner of the decade" this Friday, November 20th. Chris Blackwood, Executive Chef with the Big Red F Restaurant group, prepared a special Belgian-inspired five-course meal for the event and it will be served with a ten-year vertical tasting of The Reverend! Adam Avery will also be on hand, and in addition to the ten year vertical, he'll be presenting several other rarities from the Avery cellar.  They will also tap a firkin of Avery IPA, dry-hopped with a pound of centennial hops.  Only 60 tickets are available, so get them while you can.  Advance tickets are available at their web store.

Upcoming events in the Denver area:

• Great Divide Beer Dinner @ Argyll Gastro Pub - 11/16, 7:00pm ($45 per person, Call 720-382-1117 for reservations)
• Grimm Brothers Brewhouse Tasting @ The Pour House Bar & Grill - 11/17, 8:00pm - 9:30pm
• Oskar Blues One-of-A-Kind Keg Tapping @ Tasty Weasel - 11/17, 5:00pm
• Baker St. Pub & Grill Beer Dinner - 11/17 ($40 per person, Call 720-974-9490 for reservations)
• Homebrewers & Collectors Support Group @ Avery Tap Room - 11/18, 6:00pm - 8:00pm ($5 cover)
• Avery Beer Dinner @ Carellis - 11/18, 6:30pm ($40 per person, Call 303-938-9300 for reservations)
• Left Hand Beer Tasting @ Proto’s Denver - 11/19, 6:00pm - 9:00pm
• Hop Disciples Meeting @ Great Divide Tap Room - 11/19, 6:30pm
• Old #23 Barleywine Release Party @ Bristol Brewing - 11/20, 5:00pm
• Dry Dock Firkin Friday - 11/20, 3:00pm - 11:00pm
• Oskar Blues Firkin Friday @ Tasty Weasel - Cranberry Pilsner - 11/20, 5:00pm
• A Decade of Decadance: 10 Years of The Reverend Belgian Quadrupel @ Avery Tap Room - 11/20, 6:30pm - 9:30pm ($60 per person)
• Left Hand Beer Dinner @ The Empire Lounge - 11/21, 6:30pm - 8:30pm ($40 per person)

Upcoming Events (Week of 11/8)

After all the events this past Saturday, this week seems like a relatively tame one for beer drinkers.  The highlight looks to be Friday night's Fade to Black release party at the Left Hand tap room up in Longmont.  The first in a new series replacing their Snow Bound Spiced Ale, Fade to Black is a Export/Foreign Stout that weighs in at a hefty 8.5% abv.  Perfect for a cool winter night.  It's about a 40 minute drive from Denver, but it should be worth it to get an early taste of the brewery's latest offering.

Tasting Notes from Left Hand Brewing:

Pours black with licorice, espresso beans, mollassses, and black cardamom notes that give way to a feeling of self loathing, burnt opportunities, and smoked relationships.

Other beer events in the Denver area this week:

• Oskar Blues one-of-a-kind Keg Tapping @ Tasty Weasel - 11/10, 5:00pm
• Elysian Pumpkinfest @ Falling Rock Tap House -11/10, 5:00pm
• Dry Dock Firkin Friday - 11/13, 3:00pm -11:00pm
• Oskar Blues Firkin Friday @ Tasty Weasel - Dry Hopped Dale's Pale Ale - 11/13, 5:00pm
• Fade to Black Release Party @ Left Hand Brewing - 11/13, 5:00pm - 10:00pm
• Oskar Blues Beer Dinner @ Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steak House - 11/13 ($65, Call (303)796-0100 for reservations)
• Cask Ale @ Bristol Brewing - 11/14, 12:00pm - 9:00pm
• Colorado Cheese Festival @ Embassy Suites Denver Tech Center - 11/14, 10:00am - 6:00pm ($20 for General Admission, $79 for All Day Pass) - Featuring beer from Great Divide

Upcoming Events (Week of 11/1)

This week is jam packed with beer related events in the Denver area highlighted by a vertical tasting at Twisted Pine and three big events this Saturday.  On Thursday, November 5th, Twisted Pine will be hosting a 5 year vertical tasting of their Northstar Imperial Porter.  Tickets are $25 in advance, $30 at the door and include five 6 oz samples of different Northstar vintages from 2004-2009, a commermative glass, and a 1.5 hour educational session with owner Bob Baile, brewer Eric Mosiman and brewer Jeff Brumley.  Space is limited, so try to get your ticket early.

Then on Saturday, November 7th, you'll have to choose between the 3rd Annual All Colorado Beer Festival in Colorado Springs, Upslope Brewing's 1st Anniversary Party in Boulder (featuring 6 beers on tap including their First Anniversary Stout), and perhaps the biggest event this week, Wynkoop's Beers of the Year party here in Denver. From 1:00pm to 5:00pm, the Wynkoop will be pouring 25 different beers including all their 2009 specialty beers and a few from 2008.  Four ounce samples are just a dollar each, or you can get unlimited samples for $25.

This week's beer events in the Denver area:

• Mountain Standard Reserve Release Party @ Odell Brewing, 11/2, 5:00pm
• Sisterhood of the Hop - Inaugural Meeting @ Avery Tap Room, 11/3, 6:00pm - 8:00pm (Free, Women Only)
• Northstar Imperial Porter Vertical Tasting @ Twisted Pine Tap Room, 11/5, 6:00pm - 7:30pm ($20 in advance, $25 at the door)
• Oskar Blues Firkin Friday @ The Tasty Weasel, 11/6, 5:00pm
• Dry Dock Firkin Friday - Belgium Bounty Old Ale, 11/6, 3:00pm - 11:00pm
• Beers of the Year @ Wynkoop Brewing Company, 11/7, 1:00pm - 5:00pm ($25 for unlimited samples, 25 different brews available)
• 3rd Annual All Colorado Beer Festival @ Mr. Biggs Event Center, 11/7, 12:30pm & 5:30pm ($25 in advance, $30 at the door) - Check out my write up here
• Upslope Brewing 1st Anniversary Party, 11/7, 2:00pm - 6:00pm

Upcoming Events (Week of 10/25)

This week is shaping up to be another great one for Denver beer drinkers with no less than 11 events in the area.  Things start off with Great Divide's monthly beer & cheese pairing on Tuesday, continue with several great Halloween parties, and wrap up with a new fall seasonal release from the Wynkoop Brewing Company.  Following this year's Denver Gorilla Run on Saturday, the Wynkoop will tap a cask of their new Riverside Pumpkin Ale (named for Denver's historic Riverside Cemetery).  The twist is that the "cask" is actually a real pumpkin! The beer was brewed with 75 pounds of toasted pumpkin, 30 pounds of pumpkin puree, traditional pumpkin pie spices, and they threw in some flaked pumpkin during the secondary fermentation.  Sounds perfect for a brisk late Fall day.


From Wynkoop:

The beer is a mahogany-colored ale of approx 6.5% ABV and sports a balanced blend of amber malt notes, layers of pumpkin flavors, and gentle spicing. It’ll be available through November while supplies last.

Beer events in the Denver area this week:

• Great Divide Monthly Beer & Cheese Pairing, 10/27, 5:00pm - 8:00pm (RSVP with patrick@greatdivide.com)
• Avery Society for the Pursuit of Hoppiness - Pearl St. Hop Tour, 10/27, 6:00pm
• New Belgium & St. Arnold Beer Event @ Trinity Brewing, 10/28 (Lips of Faith beers, games, and raffles)
• Dry Dock Firkin Friday, 10/30, 3:00pm - 11:00pm
• Oskar Blues Firkin Friday - Spiced Old Chub, 10/30, 5:00pm
• Great Divide Hoppy Halloween Party, 10/30, 6:00pm - 9:00pm ($15 per person) - Check out my write up here
• Left Hand Brewing Halloween Party, 10/30, All Day ($3 dark beers, costume contest)
• Wildnight for Wildlife @ Millennium Harvest House, 10/30, 5:30pm - 10:30pm ($65 per person, beer tasting from local breweries)
• Smoked Stout Release Party @ Twisted Pine, 10/30, 3:00pm - 9:00pm
• Black Fox "Samhain" Pumpkin Saison Release Party @ Bristol Brewing, 10/30, 5:00pm - 9:00pm
• Trinity Brewing Halloween Party, 10/31, All Day (Beer specials from 3:00pm - 7:00pm)
• Real Gourd Beer @ Wynkoop Brewing Company, 10/31, 2:00pm (Riverside Pumpkin Ale release)

Upcoming Events (Week of 10/18)

This week is lining up to be another great one for beer events in the Denver area.  The biggest of these is Dry Dock Brewing's 4th anniversary party this Saturday (which I've already covered here), but there are also several other tastings and new beer releases in town.  One I'm definitely looking forward to is Avery's release party for the 2009 Czar Imperial Stout on Wednesday at their tap room in Boulder.  In addition to this year's version, they'll also have the 2007 and 2008 Czars on tap for a vertical tasting!  $15 will get you 5 tasters plus a slice of a cake prepared specifically for the event.

• October Beer & Wine Class @ The Kitchen, 10/20, 5:30pm ($60 plus gratuity)
• Homebrewers and Collectors Support Group @ Avery Tap Room, 10/21, 6:00pm - 8:00pm ($5 cover)
• Czar Imperial Stout Release Party & Vertical Tasting ('07, '08, '09 vintages) @ Avery Tap Room, 10/21, 5:00pm - 8:00pm ($15 for 5 tasters)
• Left Hand Beer Tasting @ Proto's in Broomfield, 10/22, 6:00pm - 9:00pm
• Pumpkin Smasher Tapping @ Rockbottom - Downtown, 10/22, All Day
• Left Hand Beer Dinner @ California Café, 10/23, 6:00pm (Call 303-649-1111 for more information)
• Oskar Blues Firkin Friday - Cask Conditioned Ten FIDY @ The Tasty Weasel, 10/23, 5:00pm
• Dry Dock Firkin Friday, 10/23, 3:00pm - 11:00pm
• Cask Ale Night @ Bristol Brewing, 10/24, 12:00pm - 9:00pm
• Mountain Sun "Funky Good Times" Benefit for KGNU Community Radio @ Boulder Theater, 10/24, 8:30pm - 1:30am ($25 at door or $22 at their 3 pub locations)
• 4th Anniversary Party @ Dry Dock Brewing, 10/24, 12:00pm - 11:00pm (See my write-up for more information)
• Left Hand American Homebrewers Association Rally, 10/24, 1:00pm - 4:00pm (Free for AHA members, RSVP here)
• The Rackhouse Pub is also set to open in Denver this week with 20 craft beer taps!

If you would like your event added e-mail me: denverbrew@gmail.com

Dry Dock Brewing's 4th Anniversary Party

Dry Dock Brewing in Aurora was one of the Denver area's best kept secrets until they hit the big time last month, winning Small Brewery of the Year at the Great American Beer Festival.  Now that the word is out, they're ready to throw down in a big way to celebrate their 4th anniversary.  Next Saturday, October 24th, they will be hosting an all-day party for the big occasion from 12:00pm to 11:00pm.  Special kegs have been set aside just for this event, so expect some rarities.  Additionally, they'll have a Randall the Enamel Animal on hand! Randall, an invention of the geniuses over at Dogfish Head, is a 3 foot long cylinder filter that is packed with whole-leaf hops and then affixed directly to the beer line leaving the keg.  The beer absorbs oils from the hops as it passes through enhancing the aroma and creating a unique experience.  As a twist, Dry Dock also plans to fill the Randall with fruit and run their award wining U-Boat Hefeweizen through it.  You won't want to miss these rare offerings, so show up early and stay late next Saturday.

A few of the beers that will be tapped:

• Topsail Trippel
• Alexander Nevsky Russian Imperial Stout
• Mouettes Joignastes Saison with Brett
• Rahab Belgian Dark Strong
• USS Enterprise IPA through a Randall full of hops
• U-Boat Hefeweizen through a Randall of fruit

Upcoming Events (Week of 10/11)

Not surprisingly, there are some great beer related events happening in and around Denver this week.  Things start off on a high with today's public opening of Oskar Blues' Homemade Liquids & Solids in Longmont. The new place is right around the corner from their Tasty Weasel tap room and will feature 43 craft beer taps, Southern inspired BBQ, and live music.  It's also equipped with a smoker called the Midnight Toker for true North Carolina style BBQ! Check out the menu here (smoked pulled pork sounds amazing right now). I plan to get up there soon to check it out, and hopefully, they will be pouring some of the barrel-aged rarities usually only featured in their tap room (Barrel Aged Ten FIDY, please!).

If you would like your event included please e-mail me at denverbrew@gmail.com.

• Oskar Blues Homemade Liquids & Solids Restaurant Grand Opening, 10/12, 11:00am
• Trinity/Ska Beer & Slow Food Dinner @ Trinity Brewpub, 10/14, 5:00pm
• Monthly Great Divide Hop Disciples Meeting, 10/15, 6:00pm
• Craft Beer Education with Scott Kerkmans (Chief Beer Officer for Four Points by Sheraton Hotels) @ Cook Street School of Fine Cooking, 10/15, 6:00pm-9:00pm ($59 per person)
• Oskar Blues Firkin Friday - Cask Conditioned Pilsner @ The Tasty Weasel, 10/16, 5:00pm
• Dry Dock Firkin Friday - PalateWrecker (Seven Seas Double IPA with Hatch chilis), 10/16, 3:00pm - 11:00pm
• Bristol Brewing Venetucci Pumpkin Ale Release, 10/16, 3:00pm-9:00pm, (22oz bottles on sale at 3:00pm (3 max), draft tapping at 5:00pm (2 growler max)) All profits go back to the Venetucci farm
• Fresh Hop Celebration @ Falling Rock, 10/17, 12:00pm-5:00pm ($20 for commemorative glass and 4 tokens, each token is good for 1 beer) - check out my write up for more information.

Upcoming Events (Week of 10/4)

This week brings us two more fall/winter seasonals with both Twisted Pine in Boulder and Bristol Brewing in Colorado Springs throwing release parties on Friday at their respective tap rooms.  Twisted Pine will be unveiling their Mr. Brown Pumpkin Ale for the first time, while Bristol is bringing out this year's version of the Winter Warlock Oatmeal Stout.  Both beers sound excellent and should be the perfect accompaniments to the brisk fall weather in Colorado.

If you would like your event included please e-mail me at denverbrew@gmail.com.

• Boulder Beer Company Dinner @ Beatrice and Woodsley, 10/7 ($55 per person)
• Beer Dinner of the Year @ Wynkoop Brewery, 10/8, 6:30pm ($35 per person)
• Mr. Brown Pumpkin Ale Release Party @ Twisted Pine, 10/9, 3:00pm - 9:00pm
• Winter Warlock Release Party @ Bristol Brewing, 10/9, 5:00pm - 9:00pm
• Oskar Blues Firkin Friday @ The Tasty Weasel, 10/9, 5:00pm
• Dry Dock Firkin Friday - Seven Seas Double IPA dry-hopped with Riwaka hops, 10/9, 3:00pm - 11:00pm
• Dry Dock @ Jack O' Launch Pumpkinfest at DeLaney Farms in Aurora, 10/10, 10:00am - 4:00pm, Free Admission
• 9th Annual Wines in the Woods - Beer In The Basement @ The Pines at Genesee in Evergreen, 10/10, 6:00pm - 9:00pm ($60 per person)

2009 Colorado Craft Beer Expo Recap

This past Saturday the Colorado Brewers Guild brought together 21 local breweries at the Empire Restaurant in Louisville for the 2009 Colorado Craft Beer Expo.  The event was the perfect place to catch up on any beers that you may have missed out at the Great American Beer Festival last weekend, and was also far more intimate than the big event in Denver.  Obviously, there were far fewer people in attendance allowing you to sample everything with no lines, but the real bonus was that every booth was manned by actual employees from the breweries.  In many cases, you were able to talk directly to the brewers about their beer as you drank it.  A real treat!

Most of the breweries brought their standard fare, but a few rolled out rarities not often seen outside their tap rooms.  These included Barrel Aged Gordon & Old Chub from Oskar Blues and Golden City Brewing's Barrel Aged Centurion Barleywine.  Another highlight was the new duganA IPA from Avery Brewing.  Just released this Friday, it was every bit has the "transcendental hop experience" advertised.  Colorado Springs' Trinity Brewing was pouring their Café Blanc (probably the only beer I've seen brewed with white coffee) and Peche Noir, but unfortunately didn't bring their GABF Gold Medal winning TPS Report.  They did mention that bottles are still available at the brewery though and from what I hear it'll be worth your time to drive down and get some.

All of this was great, but the biggest highlight for me was running into Tim from Oskar Blues who I had "helped" brew this year's first batch of their Ten FIDY Imperial Stout.  That batch was just canned this Friday and they were actually pouring it at the event!  I may be a bit biased, but I thought it tasted excellent and will be worth buying when it hits stores in the next few weeks.

Breweries at the Colorado Craft Beer Expo:

• Oskar Blues Brewery
• Gordon Biersch
• Boulder Beer Company
• Left Hand Brewing
• Odell Brewing
• Upslope Brewing
• Avery Brewing
• BJ's Brewpub
• Bristol Brewing
• Steamworks Brewing
• Ska Brewing
• Great Divide Brewing
• Walnut Brewery
• Rock Bottom Brewpub
• Del Norte Brewing
• Dry Dock Brewing
• Breckenridge Brewery
• Pump House Brewpub
• Golden City Brewing
• New Belgium Brewing
• Trinity Brewing

Upcoming Events (Week of 9/27)

The 2009 Great American Beer Festival and Denver Beer Fest have both come to an end, but there will be plenty of ways to cure your post-GABF depression this week.  The highlight looks to be the Colorado Craft Beer Expo at The Empire Restaurant in Lousiville, CO.  With 21 Colorado breweries in attendance this will be your chance to make up for anything you missed at GABF.  I know I'll be looking to try the offerings from Small Brewery of the Year Dry Dock Brewing and hoping that Trinity Brewing brings their gold medal winning experimental beer, TPS Report.

• Monthly Wine & Cheese Pairing @ Great Divide, 9/29, 5:00pm - 8:00pm ($10, email Patrick@greatdivide.com to RSVP)
• duganA IPA Release Party @ Avery Tap Room, 10/2, 4:00pm - 7:00pm ($15)
• Fresh Hop & Hibernation Release Party @ Great Divide Tap Room, 10/2, 6:00pm - 9:00pm ($15)
• Dry Dock Firkin Friday ,10/2, 3:00pm - 11:00pm
• Oskar Blues Firkin Friday @ The Tasty Weasel ,10/2, 5:00pm
• Colorado Craft Beer Expo @ The Empire Restaurant in Louisville, 10/3, 12:00pm - 4:00pm ($30 in advance, $35 at the door)
• Summit Brew Fest, 10/2, 6:00pm - 10:00pm & 10/3, 2:00pm - 10:00pm ($25)

Colorado GABF 2009 Winners

The Great American Beer Festival announced the 2009 medal winners today and Colorado breweries performed very well, collecting no fewer than 39 medals. Dry Dock Brewing in Aurora led the way for craft brewers with 3 medals plus winning Small Brewing Company of the Year! If you haven't been to their new location yet I suggest going soon as it's a beautiful brewpub and they clearly make some of the best beers around. Another standout looks to be Trinity Brewing's Gold Medal winning TPS Report experimental beer, which I somehow missed while I was at the Festival. I've only heard great things about it and will be heading down to the Springs to get a taste shortly. I'd also like to point out that the newest brewery in Boulder, Upslope Brewing, managed to take home 2 medals despite just opening this year! Their beer only recently started getting distributed to Denver, so grab a can the next time you're in your local beer store. It's great to see our local breweries getting accolades they deserve.

Colorado GABF 2009 Medalists (Brewery, Style, Beer)

• AC Golden Brewing - Bronze European Style Dunkel - Dunkel
• Avery Brewing - Gold German Style Doppelbock or Eisbock - The Kaiser
• Avery Brewing - Bronze Experimental Beer - Brabant
• Backcountry Brewery - Silver Bock - May Bock
• Bristol Brewing - Silver American Style Brown Ale - Cheyenne Cañon Ale
• Colorado Boy Pub & Brewery - Silver Irish Style Red Ale - Colorado Boy Irish
• Colorado Boy Pub & Brewery - Bronze Extra Special Bitter or Strong Bitter - Colorado Boy IPA
• Colorado Brewing Company - Silver American Style Pale Ale - 44 Pale Ale
• Coors Brewing - Gold American Style Specialty Lager - Keystone Ice
• Coors Brewing - Gold American-Style Lager or Premium Lager - Coors Banquet
• Coors Brewing - Silver American Style Light Lager - Keystone Light
• Coors Brewing - Silver American Style Amber Lager - Killian's Red
• Coors Brewing - Silver American Style Specialty Lager - Pre-Pro
• Dry Dock Brewing - Gold German Style Altbier - Bismark Altbier
• Dry Dock Brewing - Silver South German Style Hefeweizen - U-Boat Hefeweizen
• Dry Dock Brewing - Silver German Style Märzen - Reines Marzen
• Durango Brewing - Gold American Style Amber Lager - Durango Colorfest
• Glenwood Canyon Brewing - Gold Other Strong Beer - Cardiff
• Glenwood Canyon Brewing - Bronze German Style Doppelbock or Eisbock - Carbonator
• Gordon Biersch Brewery - Silver Bohemian Style Pilsener - Gordon Biersch Pilsner
• Gordon Biersch Brewery - Silver European Style Dunkel - Gordon Biersch Alt Bier
• Gordon Biersch Brewery - Bronze Munich Style Helles - Gordon Biersch Golden Export
• Great Divide Brewing - Silver Imperial Stout - Yeti Imperial Stout
• Great Divide Brewing - Bronze Rye Beer - Hoss Rye Lager
• Great Divide Brewing - Bronze Barley Wine Style Ale - Old Ruffian Barley Wine
• Left Hand Brewing - Gold Smoked Beer - Smokejumper Porter
• Mountain Sun Pub and Brewery - Bronze American-Belgo-Style Ale - Temperance
• New Belgium Brewing - Silver German-Style Sour Ale - NBB Love
• Rockyard Brewing - Bronze American-Style Wheat Beer - Double Eagle Ale
• Ska Brewing - Silver English Style Brown Ale - Buster Nut Brown
• Ska Brewing - Bronze English-Style Summer Ale - True Blonde Ale
• Ska Brewing - Bronze Sweet Stout - Steel Toe Stout
• The SandLot - Gold Dortmunder or German-Style Oktoberfest - Move Back
• The SandLot - Silver Munich Style Helles - Where the Helles Bill?
• The SandLot - Silver Dortmunder or German-Style Oktoberfest - Greenside Up
• Trinity Brewing - Gold Experimental Beer - TPS Report
• Upslope Brewing - Bronze Pro-Am Competition - Time of the Season
• Upslope Brewing - Bronze German-Style Wheat Ale - Upslope Dunkel Weizen

Falling Rock GABF Kickoff Recap

Falling Rock Tap House hosted their 13th annual Great American Beer Festival tapping party on Monday and it was a great way to start the week and try some new brews. As THE beer bar in Denver you just knew the event was going to be special. Especially because they set aside a few kegs specifically for this party each year! Around 10 or so beers were tapped throughout the night featuring some of the best from Avery, Odell, Full Sail, Lost Abbey, Dry Dock, Port, Moylan's, Left Hand, and Great Divide and everything I tasted was fantastic. The two highlights for me were Great Divide's "Les" Claymore Sour Bourbon Barrel Scotch Ale (quite the name!) and Avery's The Beast from the Wood (at 15% abv this is no beer for lightweights). Odell also brought their fantastic new Bourbon Barrel Stout, which seems to be at every event I go to this week and tastes great every time. If you missed the event you can still get a taste of some of these beers at their respective breweries this week. Great Divide will have the Sour Bourbon Claymore available in their tap room and Avery lists both The Beast from the Wood '08 and The Beast From JW Lees’ Wood ’08 as beers they might appear up in Boulder this week.

A blurry picture of a great beer with a long name. Great Divide's "Les" Claymore Sour Bourbon Barrel Scotch Ale

Upcoming Events

With the Great American Beer Fest, Oktoberfest, and the new Denver Beer Fest Week just around the corner things are about to start picking up in town. However, there are quite a few events and happenings going on soon to tide you over including Boulder Beer Week!

The festivities kick off on this Saturday with the Boulder Beer Heat Rave from 2pm - 6pm at the Boulder Beer Company. For just $25 you'll get unlimited tastings of small-batch and brewery only releases from more than 20 different Colorado brewers.

Other upcoming events in Boulder Beer Week and around the Denver area:

• Fall Prix Fix @ The Empire Lounge in Louisville Presented by Avery Brewing - 9/10, 6:00pm - 10:00pm ($32)
• Brew at the Zoo - 9/11, 7:00pm - 10:00pm ($55 in advance, $65 at the door)
• Firkin Friday - Seven C's Double IPA @ Dry Dock Brewing - 9/11, 3:00pm
• Firkin Firday - Pumpkin Spice Ale @ Oskar Blues - 9/11, 5:00pm
• New Belgium Brewing's Tour de Fat @ City Park - 9/12, 9:00am - 4:00pm
• Oktoberfest Tapping @ Dry Dock Brewing - 9/12, 12:00pm - 11:00pm
• Working Stiff's Tours @ Boulder Beer Company - 9/14 - 9/17, 5:30pm
• Beer & Food Pairing Dinner @ Boulder Beer Company - 9/15, 6:30pm ($35, limited seating)
• Founder's Night & Homebrew Ralley @ Boulder Beer Company - 9/16, 7:00pm
• Boulder Beer Company's 30th Anniversary Throwdown @ The Boulder Theater - 9/18, 7:30pm ($18)