Retail Beer Releases (Week of 12/13)

With just a week till Christmas Eve the new beer list is far shorter than usual and I've already covered the only one of these that looks like standout, so I guess I'll use this post to talk about the blog.  I'm currently trying to come up with some new ideas for future posts and was wondering what you, the readers, would like to see.  I have a little poll on the right or you can just comment on this post. Additionally, I'll be going on another vacation next week, so posting may be sporadic until the new year.

New beer releases in the Denver area:

• Buffalo Bill's Blueberry Oatmeal Stout (Seasonal)
• Great Divide Barrel Aged Old Ruffian Barleywine (Limited Release) - More details here
• Green's Gluten-Free Discovery Amber (New)
• Leinenkugel's Fireside Nut Brown (Seasonal)

Great Divide Barrel-Aged Old Ruffian Release Details

Great Divide released the 2009 version of their Barrel-Aged Old Ruffian Barleywine today at both their tap room and in area liquor stores. There are 1,188 bottles of this beer available and just like last month's Barrel-Aged Hibernation most of them will be distributed to Denver stores (the two bottles above were purchased at Argonaut).  Each 750 ml bottle is retailing for $25 and I also believe there is a 2 per person limit at the tap room. The brewery expects to release the last of their barrel-aged beers (Yeti) in January.

From Great Divide:

The special release of our acclaimed hefty barely wine has been aged for nine months in Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey barrels.  The process tempers Old Ruffian's edges for a mellowed version with heady whiskey flavors and subtle oak notes.  Bottle conditioned, it'll age nicely for years. If you can resist it that long. 65-80 IBU's. 

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

Retail Beer Releases (Week of 12/6)

The seasonal beers are back in a big way this week and just in time for the Christmas holiday.  California heavyweights Stone, Lost Abbey, and Port have all sent new winter beers to Denver that you won't want to miss.  Lost Abbey's Gift of the Magi is a big Golden Ale inspired by the story of the Three Kings using the bark of Frankincense and a little bit of Myrrh.  Stone's Special Holiday Ale is a collaboration with Nøgne Ø and Jolly Pumpkin that was brewed with chestnuts, juniper berry, white sage, and caraway seed (Check out Chipper Dave's review of last year's version here). Port Brewing's Santa's Little Helper is one of my favorite imperial stouts and it is so flavorful that I have difficulty describing it.  That could be because it's brewed with “everything but the kitchen sink.”  This great beer was also on tap at Falling Rock last weekend, so head down there for a taste.

Additionally, Tommyknocker's The Legend Oaked Brown Ale (covered here) has started showing up on liquor store shelves in the area.  I believe only 1,500 bottles were produced, so get it while you can.

New retail beer releases in the Denver area:

• Anderson Valley Winter Solstice (Seasonal)
• Breckenridge Christmas Ale Hand Numbered 1 liter bottles (Limited Release)
• Del Norte Luminaria (Seasonal)
• Lost Abbey Gift of the Magi (Seasonal)
• Nøgne Ø/Stone/Jolly Pumpkin Special Holiday Ale (Seasonal)
• Port Santa's Little Helper (Seasonal)
• Tommyknocker The Legend (Limited Release)
• AC Golden Herman Joseph's Private Reserve (New)
• Great Divide Oak Aged Yeti (Seasonal)
• Great Divide Old Ruffian Barleywine (Seasonal)
• Boulevard Harvest Dancer Wheat Wine (Limited Release)

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.

Barrel-Aged Hibernation Release Details

Great Divide released the 2009 version of their Barrel-Aged Hibernation yesterday at both their tap room and in area liquor stores.  Only 492 bottles of this beer were brewed and only 24 cases are available at the brewery.  The rest is being distributed to Denver area liquor stores (I know Argonaut already has a few bottles).  Due to the small number of bottles available at Great Divide they've decided to stagger the release to allow everyone a fair chance at getting some.  The plan is for 2 cases (just 24 bottles!) to be made available each day until they're all gone on Saturday, November 21st.  There is a 2 per person limit and each 750 ml bottle is retailing for $25. The brewery expects to release two other barrel-aged beers (Old Ruffian and Yeti) in November and December, respectively.

From Great Divide:

Last winter we took our Hibernation Ale and set it to age in Stranahan's Whiskey barrels. This fall we hand filled 492 750mL champagne-style bottles and set them aside to bottle condition. Once they were ready to drink, our packaging technicians hand labeled and hand foiled each and every bottle. We finished off the process by hand numbering each bottle

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)

Barrel-Aged Hibernation on sale Monday

The 2009 vintage of Great Divide's Barrel-Aged Hibernation Ale will be going on-sale this Monday, November 16th!  It will be available in 750 mL bottles (~$25 each) at the brewery's tap room and in several Denver area liquor stores.  This is an extremely rare beer with only about 500 bottles produced each year, so if you miss it you'll have to wait until next year!

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 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)

Hoppy Halloween

Halloween is just around the corner and what better way to celebrate than to dress up in a costume and drink craft beer!  You can do both next Friday, October 30th, as Great Divide hosts their first Halloween bash at their Arapahoe Street tap room.  The party will feature snacks, candy, and all the Great Divide beer you can drink.  Plus they're having a costume contest with awards going to the best beer related costume.  It will run from 6:00pm to 9:00pm and admission is $15 each.

Great Divide isn't the only area brewery hosting a Halloween party this year though.  Here are a couple of other options:

• Left Hand Brewing is also throwing a party on Friday, October 30th at their Longmont tap room.  They'll have a costume contest (1st, 2nd, & 3rd place get free beer!), candy, and $3 pints of any black beers (Milk Stout, Black Jack, & Imperial Stout). 
• Trinity Brewing Company in Colorado Springs is having an all day party on Saturday, October 31st. Things start off at 1:00pm with The Haunted Hunt, a scavenger hunt competition to benefit the local food bank. They'll also have a costume contest, beer specials from 3:00pm - 7:00pm, and live music at 8:30pm.

2009 Colorado Fresh Hop Celebration Recap

The 3rd Annual Colorado Fresh Hop Celebration was held this Saturday at Falling Rock Tap House.  The bar teamed up with Deschutes Brewery to bring together 11 different fresh hopped beers from 10 different brewers (including a homebrewer).  As described in an earlier post, a fresh hopped ale is one brewed the same day that the hops were harvested.  That means all of these great beers are once-a-year treats.

All of the brews had fantastic aromas and were great examples of how fresh hops can enhance beer in a very different way than their dried counterparts.  My two favorites were the Fresh Hopped Gordon from Oskar Blues (also the People's Choice winner this year) and Tommyknocker's Bitter Brewer IPA (a true CO beer with the hops coming from Montrose). Another highlight was homebrewer Gordon Pencis' Falling Over Hops Pale Ale.  Deschutes was kind enough to overnight him the fresh Crystal hops he used and the end result was the equal of all the pros coming in second in the People's Choice voting.

As if all the great beer wasn't enough, Beer at Home (a homebrew supply store in Westminster) held a homebrewing demonstration at the event.  They continued the theme of the celebration by brewing a beer using fresh hops harvested from vines at Falling Rock.  It really smelled fantastic in the kettle and was the perfect addition to a great event.

Complete Beer List:

• Deschutes Hop Trip
• Full Sail Lupulin
• Great Divide Fresh Hop Pale Ale
• Left Hand Warrior IPA
• Oskar Blues Fresh Hopped Gordon (People's Choice)
• Pizza Port High Tide IPA
• Ska Hoperation Ivy
• Sierra Nevada Harvest Ale
• Sierra Nevada Estate-Brewers Harvest Ale
• Tommyknocker Bitter Brewer
• Gordon Pencis Falling Over Hops Pale Ale (People's Choice Runner Up)

Oak Aged Yeti Returns

Over the weekend Great Divide finished bottling the 2009 version of their Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout and has made this great seasonal available at the brewery before releasing it in liquor stores!  You can currently try it on tap, or pick up a few bottles to bring home, at their Arapahoe Street tap room from 2:00pm-8:00pm Monday-Tuesday or 2:00pm-10:00pm Wednesday-Saturday.

From Great Divide:

Oak Aged Yeti is Yeti Imperial Stout’s sophisticated sibling. They may be from the same clan, but they have entirely different personalities. Oak aging gives a subtle vanilla character, rounding out Yeti’s intense roastiness and huge hoppy nature. Who says you can’t tame a Yeti?  9.5% ABV

Retail Beer Releases (Week of 10/4)

This is a big new beer week in Denver with no less than 17 new or seasonal beers hitting area stores including the latest releases from Avery, Fort Collins, and Odell. Plus the return of fresh hopped beers from Great Divide and Left Hand, the introduction of Elysian into the Denver market, and Dogfish Head's innovative Pangaea arriving in town (brewed with ingredients from each continent).  However, the real prize for me is the 2009 release of Oskar Blues Ten FIDY Imperial Stout.  I've mentioned in the past that I was on hand for the brewing of this year's first batch, so it was kind of exciting to open my first can and taste the end product.  Lucky for you, my presence didn't throw things off too badly and it tasted every bit as good as last year's version!

Look for these new releases at a beer store near you:

• Avery duganA IPA (New)
• Breckenridge Lucky U IPA (New)
• Buffalo Bill's Blueberry Oatmeal Stout (New)
• Dogfish Head Pangaea (Seasonal)
• Elysian Avatar Jasmine IPA (New)
• Elysian Night Owl Pumpkin Ale (New)
• Elysian The Immortal IPA (New)
• Elysian Loser Pale Ale (New)
• Fort Collins Brewing Common Ground (New)
• Great Divide Fresh Hop Pale Ale (Seasonal)
• Great Divide Hibernation Ale (Seasonal)
• He'brew Jewbelation (Seasonal)
• Left Hand Warrior IPA (Seasonal)
• Odell India Barleywine (New)
• Oskar Blues Ten FIDY (Seasonal)
• Sam Adams Coastal Wheat (New)
• The Bruery Autumn Maple (Seasonal)

3rd Annual Fresh Hop Celebration at Falling Rock

Next Saturday, October 17th, Falling Rock Tap House hosts their third annual Fresh Hop Celebration featuring fresh hopped ales from at least 7 different breweries.  A fresh hopped ale is one brewed the same day that the hops were harvested.  They go almost directly from the vine into the brew, in some cases barely hours after being picked. This imparts a different flavor and aroma into the beer than traditional dried hops.  It also requires using far more hops than usual, as drying them concentrates the bitterness and flavor.  Great Divide describes the process of creating their Fresh Hop Ale as the brewery's "biggest annual spectacle" leaving it "shamefully messy" due to the massive amount of whole, fresh hops used.  These are all seasonal beers brewed just once a year, as hops are only harvested in the fall, so this may be your only opportunity to try some of them.


The event will take place from 12:00pm to 5:00pm on Falling Rock's patio and in their parking lot and will feature live music, beer tastings, information on home brewing, People's Choice awards, and other activities. Tickets are $20 per person and include a commemorative glass and 4 tokens (each good for 1 beer).  You can order tickets in advance through Paypal.


Here's the beer list for the event:

• Deschutes Brewery - Hop Trip
• Ska Brewing - Hoperation Ivy
• Full Sail Brewing - Lupulin Fresh Hop
• Sierra Nevada - Harvest Ale & Estate Brewers Harvest Ale
• Left Hand Brewing - Warrior IPA
• Oskar Blues (Not sure what beer they're bringing, but probably a Wet-Hopped version of Dale's Pale Ale)
• Great Divide Brewing - Fresh Hop Pale Ale
• And also possibly something from Pizza Port and a homebrewer

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

Local Specialties

With the Denver Beer Fest in full effect and the Great American Beer Festival starting yesterday there are plenty of options for great beer in town. However, you may be missing some excellent specialty beers that local Denver breweries are rolling out this week. For instance, the Bull & Bush brewpub in Glendale is featuring a crazy beer list right now with just about every style imaginable on tap including 3 different kinds of stouts. It's worth stopping by just to taste their two barrel aged beers, the Royal Oil Barley Wine and Legend of the Liquid Brain Imperial Stout (best name ever & the beer featured in the picture). Both of these beers are aged in 23 year old Pappy Van Winkle barrels and after tasting them last night I can say they're some of the best I've ever had.

More great local specialties are available this week over at the Great Divide Tap Room where they've been pouring the "Les" Claymore Sour Bourbon Barrel Scotch Ale that I've mentioned in the past plus a brand new Berliner Weiss and a non-sour version of the Claymore Bourbon Barrel Scotch. They've even brought out this year's versions of the Hibernation Ale and Fresh Hop before their 10/2 release party! So while you're out there drinking all the amazing stuff from out-of-town, don't forget your local breweries.

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