Retail Beer Releases (Week of 10/25)

A small new release list this week, but it features some very rare beers that surely won't be on shelves for long. I've already covered Goose Island's fantastic Bourbon County Stout here, but their Christmas Ale is also one you'll want to pick up. Additionally, one-off releases from Widmer Brothers and Redhook have arrived in Denver and a favorite winter seasonal from New Belgium should be available again.

If you're looking for a place to find all these great beers, check out Lukas Liquor in Lone Tree (about 15-20 minutes south of Denver) as they're also having a special beer tasting today from 4:00pm to 7:00pm featuring brews from Left Hand Brewing.  This week they'll have Left Hand's Warrior IPA, Black Jack Porter, Sawtooth Ale, and amazing Milk Stout available for tasting.  Plus a representative from the brewery will be on hand to answer any questions you may have.

New beers available in the Denver area:

• Goose Island Bourbon County Stout (Seasonal)
• Goose Island Christmas Ale (Seasonal)
• Widmer Brothers Cherry Oak DoppelBock (Limited Release)
• Redhook Treblehook Barleywine (Limited Release)
• New Belgium Frambozen (Seasonal)

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)

Retail Beer Releases (Week of 10/18)

Compared to the last few weeks this is a relatively slow one for new beers in the Denver area, but still a few seasonal releases have arrived.  One to look out for is Ska Brewing's new Hoperation Ivy fresh hopped ale.  This once-a-year brew was one of my favorites at the Colorado Fresh Hop Celebration last weekend and is part of Ska's push to distribute their excellent Local Series further outside of Durango.  Hoperation Ivy is a 100% Colorado beer made in state using Cascade hops that the brewery's employees hand-picked at San Juan Hop Farms in Montrose, CO.  It's supposed to be a limited release, so don't wait to pick some up.

• New Belgium 2° Below Winter Ale (Seasonal)
  
• Port High Tide (Seasonal)
• Ska Hoperation Ivy (New/Seasonal)
• Golden City Evolution IPA
• Rogue Maierfest Lager (Seasonal)
  
• Fort Collins Double Chocolate Stout (Seasonal)

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

Retail Beer Releases (Week of 9/27)

In addition to the two great seasonals in my last post, several other craft beers have been released this week in Denver.  The biggest name of the bunch is the 2008 version of Alaskan Brewing's Smoked Porter.  It's obviously been out for awhile, but liquor stores in the area must have just gotten another shipment.  If you haven't had this beer before, do yourself a favor and go get it now.  It's the porter that started the smoked beer trend in America way back in 1988, and if you were at GABF last week you know just how popular smoked beers are now.  Even with so many other options on the market now, Alaskan's is still the smokiest and tastiest I've had and well worth tracking down.

From Alaskan Brewing:

The dark, robust body and pronounced smoky flavor of this limited edition beer make it an adventuresome taste experience. Alaskan Smoked Porter is produced in limited "vintages" each year and unlike most beers, may be aged in the bottle much like fine wine.

Also be on the lookout for these new releases:

• Alaskan Baltic Porter (Rate Beer)
• Grand Teton Lost Continent (Rate Beer)
• Deschutes Hop Trip (Rate Beer)
• Four+ Brewing Punk'n (Beer Advocate)
• New Belgium Hoptober (Rate Beer)

GABF Leftovers at Falling Rock

The Great American Beer Festival may be over, but all the special beers that were pouring last week aren't gone yet.  Falling Rock Tap House on Blake Street still has several rarities available on tap including some of the best beers from the Festival.  The beer list last night featured Elysian's The Great Pumpkin (tastes exactly like liquid pumpkin pie), Lost Abbey's Sinners Blend '09 (the beer pictured), Russian River's Temptation, and a whole slew of rarities from New Belgium (The Trip III, La Folie, Le Terroir, and Le Fleur Misseur) plus the usual stellar offerings you expect from Falling Rock.

I sampled several of these, and while they were all delicious, my clear favorite was the Sinners Blend '09. It is a combination of three different Lost Abbey beers blended together (Ten Commandments aged in Bourbon Barrels, Gift of the Magi aged in French Oak Barrels and Serpent’s Stout aged in Port Barrels). The end result is fantastic and manages to be slightly sour and chocolatey at the same time. Well worth the $8 they are charging for a half pint.

Remember these beers won't last long so get down to Falling Rock as soon as possible.

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

Denver Beer Fest Events: Part 3 (9/24 - 9/27)

The Great American Beer Festival begins this Thursday and while it's THE big event in town, it's not the only one. So if you missed getting tickets this year, don't sweat it. The Denver Beer Fest continues this weekend and will provide you with all the beer drinking entertainment you need including a beer brunch at the Cheeky Monk on Saturday morning complete with beer mimosas! Plus the Falling Rock Tap House over on Blake Street will be serving up special brews throughout the weekend (I know I cannot wait to try New Belgium's La Folie on tap) and Flying Dog is hosting it's second annual free FBAG party on Friday just down the road in the warehouse that used to house their brewery. Cleary you don't need GABF tickets to have a good time this weekend, you'll just have more fun if you do!

Thursday, September 24th

• Avery Tap Room - Voltron & Hot For Sammy, 11:00am
• Great American Beer Festival, 5:30pm - 10:00pm
• Koningshoeven Tasting @ Cheeky Monk, 7:00pm
• Rhythm and Brews @ Paramount Cafe, 10:00pm - 2:00am
• Collaborate Evil Tasting @ GABF, 6:30pm - 7:00pm

Collaborate Evil is an effort between 9 brewers to take a common theme and put their own individual spin on it. This year the theme is a Belgian Strong Pale and all 9 brewers will be presenting their versions at Thursday's GABF session. The participants include Valley Brewing, Sacramento Brewing, Fatheads Brewery and Grill, Flossmoor Station, Oakshire Brewing, Silver Peak Brewing, Lucky Bucket Brewing Co., FiftyFifty Brewing, and Speakeasy Brewing Co.

• World Brewer's Forum @ Denver Marriot City Center, 8:00pm - 12:00am
• Boulder Beer Meet the Brewer @ Crown Plaza, 12:00pm - 2:00pm
• Boulder Beer Tapping Party @ Falling Rock, 3:00pm
• Ommegang Brewers @ Argonaut Liquor, 3:00pm - 7:00pm
• Stone Brewing Tapping @ Falling Rock Upstairs, 10:00pm
• Shelton Brother's Tasting @ Falling Rock Downstairs, 10:00pm ($20 per person)
• Jewbilation Bar-Mitzvah @ Falling Rock, 11:00pm

Friday, September 25th

• Avery Tap Room - Sour Cherry Mephistopheles Stout & Moloch, 11:00am
• Great American Beer Festival, 5:30pm - 10:00pm
• Stone Brewing Meet & Greet @ City O' City, 4:00pm - 6:00pm
• Beer Advocate Social @ Great Divide Tap Room, 11:00am - 1:00pm
• Denver Rare Beer Tasting @ Wynkoop Brewery, 4:00pm - 6:00pm
• Firkin Friday - Cask Conditioned Dale's Pale Ale @ Oskar Blues, 5:00pm
• Oktoberfest @ Larimer Square, 5:00pm - 1:00am
• Lay the Foundation Lunch @ TAG Restaurant, 12:30pm ($55 per person)
• Achouffe Brewery Meet the Brewer @ Cheeky Monk, 4:00pm - 6:00pm
• Odell Meet the Brewer Lunch @ Govnr's Tavern, 11:00am - 1:00pm ($5 per person)
• St. Feuillien Celebration @ Cheeky Monk, 7:00pm
• Blues, Brews, & BBQ @ Paramount Cafe, 10:00pm - 2:00am
• Three Course Beer Dinner @ WaterCourse Foods, All Day ($52.80 for two)
• Flying Dog Brats & Gonzo (FBAG) Party @ Flying Dog Warehouse, 3:00pm - 6:00pm

The 2nd Annual FBAG party include free beer samples, free brats, and free live music. Did I mention it was free? Flying Dog will also be tapping their 20th anniversary beer for the first time for free!

• Sierra Nevada Kill-A-Keg @ Falling Rock, 12:00pm
• Sierra Nevada Estate Tapping @ Falling Rock, 12:30pm
• Meet Chris Brouwaerts from La Chouffe @ Falling Rock, 1:0pm
• Left Hand/Terrapin Depth Charge Espresso Milk Stout Cask Tapping @ Falling Rock, 2:00pm
• Up Your Reinheitsgebot: An Evening of Impure & Illicit Beers @ Falling Rock, 10:00pm

Dogfish Head, Avery, Allagash, and New Belgium will be pouring exotic beers that plead the 5th on the German Purity Law of 1517.

Saturday, September 26th

• Avery Tap Room - Straight Outta Hell, 11:00am
• Great American Beer Festival - Early Session, 12:30pm - 4:30pm
• Great American Beer Festival - Late Session, 5:30pm - 10:00pm
• Oktoberfest @ Larimer Square, 11:00am - 1:00am
• Flying Dog Beer Dinner @ Brauns Bar & Grill, 6:30pm ($35.95 per person)
• GABF After-Party @ Govnr's Park, 10:00pm - 2:00am
• Breakfast with The Bruery @ Cheeky Monk, 9:30am - 11:30am
• Gastropub Tour of Denver, 1:00pm - 4:00pm ($99 per person)
• Annual GABF Tasting with Dr. Bill @ Falling Rock, 9:00pm ($20 per person)

From Dr. Bill:

For those of you who haven't attended my previous events we ask for a $20 contribution to help pay for the beers we will order from Chris and to tip out the service staff. Also feel free to bring beers you may want to share. That being said I will be pouring over 100 rare and exotic offerings. A few teasers would be; LA Duck Duck Gooze, Santa's Little Helper aged in Bourbon barrels, Angel's Share, Cuvee de Tomme, RR Temptation, Consecration, Deviation, Bottleworks 10th Anniversary, The Bruery Papier, Alesmith BA Speedway, etc., etc., etc..

• La Chouffe Brewers @ Argonaut Liquor, 3:00pm - 7:00pm
• Boulevard Smokestack Beers @ Falling Rock, 4:00pm
• New Belgium Rarities @ Falling Rock, 10:00pm

Falling Rock will be pouring some of New Beglium's harder to find beers including Love, La Folie, Transatlantic Kriek, La Fleur Misseur & Le Terroir

Sunday, September 27th

• Avery Tap Room - Holy Trinity Day, 11:00am

Avery has just the cure for your post-GABF blues. More beer! They'll have their entire line of Holy Trinity beers on tap (Hog Heaven, Salvation, The Reverend) plus oak barrel aged and Brettanomyces versions!

• Oktoberfest @ Larimer Square, 10:00am - 5:00pm
• Coors Brewmaster @ Bridgewater Grill
• Beer Festival Exchange Fair @ Cheeky Monk

Denver Beer Fest Events: Part 2 (9/21-9/23)

The Denver Beer Fest kicks off tomorrow with several great events, but things really start heating up on Monday when Falling Rock throws their 13th Annual GABF Tapping Party. They actually save kegs specifically for this event and bring out stuff you cannot find anywhere else. It's definitely a "can't-miss" party and is sure to be packed, so get there early. If you happen to miss out though a quick look at the list below should tell you that you won't have any trouble finding things to do and new beers to drink in Denver, but also be sure to check out the happenings up in Boulder. Avery will be tapping extremely rare beers everyday at 11:00am and The Kitchen is hosting what looks to be the coolest beer dinner all week. Also don't forget to check our calendar often as I will be updating it with new info frequently.

Monday, September 21st

• Society for the Pursuit of Hoppiness - GABF Preview @ Avery Tap Room, 6:00pm ($15 for lifetime membership)
• Avery Brewing - Tasting & Tassels @ Lannie's Downtown Clocktower, 7:00pm ($22)
• Avery Tap Room - Eagle Rare Reverend ‘08 Tapping, 11:00am
• Appaloosa Grill & Great Divide Beer Dinner, 6:30pm (Contact events@appaloosagrill.com to reserve a spot)

Appaloosa Grill & Great Divide Brewery have teamed up for Denver Beer week to celebrate local beer and local food for who else? The Locals. Space is limited for this one of a kind event. The evening will start at Appaloosa with a three course dinner followed by dessert at the brewery and a tour. All guests will then be transported back to Appaloosa for an evening of live music. To reserve your spot please contact Mindy Lorens (events@appaloosagrill.com)

• Belgian Pairing Special @ Cheeky Monk, All Day
• Brew with the Brewer @ Rock Bottom - Park Meadows, 5:00pm (Call (303) 792-9090 to RSVP)
• 13th Annual GABF Kickoff Tapping Party @ Falling Rock, 5:00pm

They will be tapping 10-12 kegs at 5:00pm of harder to find specialty beers from breweries from all over, some sent in just for this event. Some of the breweries: Avery, Russian River, Lost Abbey, Port Brewing.

• Free Great Divide Tasting @ WaterCourse Foods, 5:00pm - 7:00pm
• Four Course, Four Beer Dinner @ Vine St. Pub, 6:00pm ($55 per person)
• Meet the Oskar Blues Brewers @ Duo, 5:00pm - 7:00pm ($12 per person)
• Five Course Left Hand Beer Dinner @ Elways Downtown, 6:30pm ($70 per person)

Tuesday, September 22nd

• Avery Dinner @ Jax Denver, 7:30pm ($50 per person)
• Meet the Left Hand Brewers @ Duo, 5:00pm - 7:00pm ($12 per person)
• Avery Tap Room - Bad Sally ‘08 Tapping, 11:00am
• Best in Brews Tasting @ TAG Restaurant, 2:00pm - 5:00pm

Come enjoy some of the finest brews around without the crowds of the GABF. Meet the merry men who make it happen. Sample some tasty snacks to help "wash down" the suds. Featuring: Avery Brewing Co., Bull and Bush, Great Divide and Oskar Blues, to name a few.

• Boulder Beer Meet the Brewer @ Rialto Cafe, 4:00pm - 6:00pm
• Great Divide Dinner @ Osteria Marco, 6:30pm ($40 per person)
• Beer College @ Rock Bottom - Westminster, 5:00pm
• Cheeky Monk Anniversary Party, 8:00pm
• Battle of the Beers @ Paramount Cafe, vote for your favorites all day
• Meet the Flying Dog Brewer @ Paramount Cafe, 8:00pm
• Specialty Beer Showcase @ Rock Bottom - Downtown, All Day
• Herman Joseph's Beer Dinner @ Parallel Seventeen, 6:30pm ($50 per person)
• Odell Brewing Tasting @ Marlowe's, 5:00pm - 7:00pm
• Meet the Guys from Alaskan Brewing @ Govnr's Park, 7:00pm
• Meet and Greet with John Harris From Full Sail Brewing @ Govnr's Park, 4:00pm
• Skull 'n Bones Grand Cru Release Party @ Bristol Brewing, 5:00pm - 9:00pm
• Breckenridge Brewers @ Argonaut Liquor, 3:00pm - 7:00pm

Wednesday, September 23rd

• Beer vs. Wine Dinner @ TAG Restaurant, 7:00pm ($75 per person)
• Boulder Beer Pool Party @ Crown Plaza, 5:00pm
• Sui Generis Release Party @ Avery Tap Room, 3:00pm - 8:00pm (Limited number of bottles per person)

Sui Generis is a complex ale, aged and artfully blended from several types of oak barrels, and displays a delightful lactic sourness complimented by hints of brett, oak, and acetic. Intricate yet bold, deeply complex yet surprisingly refreshing. It is not on tap due to extremely limited quantities, but they will have small amounts of tiny-batch sour beers made with their House Sour Blend.

• Boulder Beer Meet the Brewer @ Old Chicago - Market Street, 5:00pm - 6:30pm
• Boulder County Brews Cruise, 8:00am - 4:00pm
• Deschutes Beer Dinner @ Baker St. Pub - DTC, 6:00pm ($50 per person)
• Free Avery Tasting @ WaterCourse Foods, 5:00pm - 7:00pm
• Beer and Cheese Pairing @ Paramount Cafe, All Day
• Beer Pairing Dinner @ Bistro Vendome, ($60 per person, Call 303-825-3232 for reservations)
• Automne Release Party @ Bristol Brewing, 5:00pm - 9:00pm
• Q & A with the Brewers from Gambrinus @ Govnr's Park, 5:00pm - 7:00pm
• Pints & Bites @ the Governor's Residence, 5:00pm - 7:30pm ($100 for 1, $150 for 2)
• Third Annual Gold Medal Dinner @ The Kitchen Upstairs, 6:30pm ($140 per person)

The Kitchen [Upstairs] welcomes five of the nation's most progressive breweries and their brewmasters. Guests will enjoy a special five-course meal created by The Kitchen's head chefs and each course will be paired with two beers from our five featured breweries. Brewmasters will be on hand to pour and discuss their favorite beers. Featuring Allagash, Avery, Dogfish Head, Russian River, & The Lost Abbey

• New Belgium Tasting @ Marlowe's, 5:00pm - 7:00pm
• Great Divide Meet the Brewer @ Duo, 5:00pm - 7:00pm ($12 per person)
• New Belgium Beer Dinner @ Simms Steakhouse, 7:00pm ($60 per person)
• Chef and Brewer's Dinner @ Rock Bottom - The Orchards, 7:30pm ($40 per person)
• Tommyknocker Brewers @ Argonaut Liquor, 3:00pm - 7:00pm
• Flying Dog 20th Anniversary Beer Tapping @ Falling Rock, 4:00pm
• Pyramid Snowcap Unveiling @ Falling Rock, 5:00pm
• Artisanal Imports Tasting @ Falling Rock, 9:00pm

Boulder Beer Heat Rave 2009 Recap

As expected, the Boulder Beer Heat Rave was a great time. For just $25 I was able to sample several rare "tap-house" only beers from 25 different brewers all in one place while enjoying live music and meeting some great people.

Just about every beer was excellent, but there were a few that stood out a little more. These included the new Bourbon Barrel Stout from Odell Brewing (in stores now, so be on the look out for it), New Belgium's Tart Lychee (a sour beer aged in oak barrels with Brettanomyces yeast and blended with lychee and Ceylon cinnamon), and Blue Moon's Peanut Butter Ale (peanut butter in beer actually works!). The event's hosts, Boulder Beer Company, also pulled out all the stops and were offering up a Bourbon Berry Porter, Bourbon Mojo IPA, and 1998 Igloo Ale (that's right 11 years old!) plus their usual selections.

Barrel aged beers were definitely the hot trend of the day. In addition to the 4 already mentioned, there were 4 others available including Twisted Pine's delicious Reilly's Oak Whiskey Red (available in their tap room 9/18), year old Old Ruffian from Great Divide, oaked Mama Pilsner from Oskar Blues, and Avery's new Moloch Ale (I think on tap for the first time and every bit the 13.5% ABV). All in all, it was an excellent day and a great way to start off Boulder Beer Week!

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)