"This is a question I’ve been asked multiple times in 2018," writes Herz in a tribute to Papazian that she wrote earlier this month. "My answer is whatever the heck he wants. No doubt whatever it is, he will be making beer history and helping U.S. craft breweries and homebrewers keep ahead of what is next. In other words, he will continue to not only document beer history, but continue to make it and brew it for many years ahead."
Keep reading for craft-beer events through February 2.
Wednesday, January 23
Walter's 303 Pizzeria & Publik House in Uptown is hosting the official release party for Bell’s Brewery's HopSlam Ale, a seasonal double IPA. The party starts at 7 p.m., and there will be swag for all.
The Post Brewing Co. in Boulder is hosting a four-course beer-pairing dinner — and not just any dinner. This one celebrates bison, an integral part of Colorado's history. The Battle of the Brewmasters (Bison Edition) begins at 6 p.m. and includes a four-course meal showcasing three cuts of bison (bison short rib tamales, for example), each paired with a beer from both the Post and 4 Noses Brewing in Broomfield; brewmasters Nick Tedeschi (The Post) and Brandon Boldt (4 Noses) will host. Afterward, you can vote on which pairings you thought were the best. Tickets are $50 and available at eventbrite.com.
Westfax Brewing in Lakewood will tap a new small-batch beer at 3 p.m. The Coconut Lime Gose won't last long, so get there fast.
Thursday, January 24
Great Divide Brewing taps Chocolate Cherry Yeti at both of its taprooms in honor of the beer's February bottle release. A big hit during Yeti Awareness Week in 2018, Chocolate Cherry Yeti, at 9.5 percent ABV, will become part of the brewery's seasonal Yeti series. In the meantime, though, Great Divide says it has "tweaked the hop bitterness for this special release and then added sweet and sour cherries and cacao. The roasty malt backbone of Yeti melds perfectly with the cherries and cacao to make this one smooth sipper."
Call to Arms Brewing loved its Majestic Wolf Lamp oak-aged blended Belgian sour with blackcurrants so much the first time it was released that the brewery decided to bring it back. Coming in this year at 8.6 percent ABV, "this complex, jammy blend offers notes of boysenberry and blackcurrant with a pronounced-yet-balanced sour finish," the brewery says. "Majestic Wolf Lamp is stunning, with a beaming magenta hue, and exudes pure farm-stand blackberry jam." The beer will be sold in 750ml bottles; there are only 150 available.
CO-Brew, a brewery and home-brew shop on Broadway, will host the folks from the Fort Collins-based Squarrel Barrel Company for a wood and beer class. You can learn barrel history, wood chemistry 101, and best practices and guidelines. The class is free, but reservations are required.
Burns Family Artisan Ales will release 23 Karat Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout, a 14.2 percent ABV beer that commemorates "the gold nugget find at Sutter’s Mill, which started the California Gold Rush," the brewery says, adding "This beer is a great discovery waiting for you to find it. (Hint: The taproom is located at 2505 West 2nd Avenue.)" The beer will be on tap and available in bottles to go.
Freshcraft will tap "one of our favorite beers in the universe" at 7 p.m.: Bell's Brewery Hopslam. "Starting with six different hop varietals added to the brew kettle and culminating with a massive dry-hop addition of Simcoe hops, Bell's Hopslam Ale possesses the most complex hopping schedule in the Bell's repertoire," the brewery says.
Friday, January 25
Seedstock Brewery recently landed two of its Old World beers in Beer Connoisseur’s Top 100 Beers of 2018 issue. Dusseldorf Alt was named the third-best beer on the list, while the brewery’s Oktoberfest was picked at number 33. "It’s a shame that currently you can only get the beer in the immediate Colorado area," Beer Connoisseur wrote. "However, this supports the notion of patronizing your local brewery, and anyone in the Denver area would be more than satisfied by a visit." In celebration, Seedstock will re-release Dusseldorf Alt today. The 5 percent ABV German-style beer "has a clean, malty aroma with a very slight hint of fruitiness," the brewery says. "It is assertive in its hop bitterness and balanced by a clean, bready malt character."
Something Brewery in Brighton will tap the latest edition in its Monsta series at 3 p.m. Biscotti Monsta Coffee Oreo Milk Stout was made with more than thirty pounds of chocolate almond biscotti, NoCo Coffee and seventy pounds of Oreos. It will be available on tap and in sixteen-ounce cans.
Sample more than 100 beers from forty breweries at the annual Denver Winter Brew Fest, which takes place today and tomorrow at 7 p.m. at Mile High Station. Tickets are $40 in advance or $50 the day of the fest, and include a commemorative tasting glass and live music from the Burroughs on Friday night and Dead Floyd on Saturday night. VIP tickets are $10 more and get you in an hour early. Get details and tickets at eventbrite.com.
Saturday, January 26
So you like stouts? River North Brewery has the party for you. "Once again, we will raid the cellar and fill our taps with our biggest and darkest brews, with Crowlers available of anything on draft," the brewery says. Beers available at the annual SuperStout Party, starting at noon, include Anniversary Ale 6, Coconut Mr. Sandman, 2018 Rum Barrel Mr. Sandman, 2018 Decennial II Shadowman, 2018 Barrel Aged Double Avarice,
2018 Barrel Aged Nightmare Fuel, 2017 Barrel Aged Mr. Sandman, Chai Mr. Sandman, Mr. Sandman XO,
2018 Barrel Aged Avarice, 2017 Fancy Effing Stout, and 2017 Vicennial II Barrel Aged Shadowman.
Waiter, there's a bug in my beer! At Cerveceria Colorado, that bug is from Rocky Mountain Micro Ranch, Colorado's only edible-insect farm, and it's supposed to be there. At least, that will be the case from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., when the watering hole — an offshoot of Denver Beer Co. next door — presents its Beer & Bug Pairing, with three brews, three kinds of edible insects, and other food from Comida to wash down the bugs. Tickets are $20 in advance at nightout.com, and $25 at the door.
Burns Family Artisan Ales releases Ponytail Blonde, a refreshing blonde "with medium bitterness and a soft fruit finish, simple and consistently flavorful at 5.2 percent ABV," the brewery says.
New Image Brewing launches Brut Force Brut IPA at 11 a.m. in Arvada. "This dry, hoppy, effervescent IPA comes in at 7 percent ABV and kicks you in the mouth with the citrusy, juicy flavors of Nelson Sauvin, Mosaic and Huell Melon hops," the brewery says. It will be available in cans to go and on draft.
Odd13 Brewing releases Fruit Puncher, a fruited double IPA with lactose that was made in collaboration with New Jersey's Carton Brewing. "Fruit Puncher contains an insane variety of fruit additions to mimic a fruit punch beverage," the brewery says. They include cherry, strawberry, papaya, mango and pineapple; the beer was hopped with Amarillo and Mosaic. In addition, Odd13 will launch a new small-batch, barrel-aged sour program by releasing four beers in bottles. They are Raspberry Rhubarb Sheriff Shane Sherman, a 6.63 percent ABV foeder-aged sour with raspberry and rhubarb; Barrel Aged Hawaiian Bartender, made with pineapple and mango; Barrel Aged Sour Ale with cherries; and Barrel Aged Sour Ale with peaches.
Sunday, January 27
Little Machine Beer hosts its fourth annual chili cookoff (all chili entries must be made with Little Machine beer) starting at noon and taps a keg of Green Chile Pilsner to celebrate. The categories are meat and veggie, and you get two cans of beer if you register. For the rest of the details, go t the brewery's Facebook page.
Chain Reaction Brewing will tap a couple of firkins tonight as part of its monthly charity event. The brewery will honor the Dawg Nation Hockey Foundation. There will be hourly giveaways, a cigar lounge, barbecue, music, a sled hockey shooting contest and more.
Strange Craft Beer Company
On this day in 1964, Stanley Kubrick released his final black-and-white film, "a theatrical version of an impending nuclear holocaust," says Strange Craft Beer Company, which has been brewing a beer named Dr. Strangelove since it opened in 2010. To honor this satirical comedy, the brewery will host a $15 vertical tasting of the potent barleywine, for which versions from 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017, along with Barrel-Aged 2015, will be poured. Strange will also air the movie Dr. Strangelove at 6 p.m.
Thursday, January 31
Great Divide Brewing will tap Orabelle Belgian-Style Tripel at both taprooms. "A seasonal favorite, Orabelle is brewed with barley, wheat, oats and rye," the brewery says. "Its two yeast strains, orange peel and dash of coriander impart surprising complexity and richness to this delicate ale."
Friday, February 1
The Mountain Sun brewpub and restaurant group will kick off its annual Stout Month at its locations in Boulder, Denver and Longmont. "Throughout the month, more than a dozen taps at all five Mountain Sun locations [Vine Street Pub, Mountain Sun, Southern Sun, Under the Sun and Longs Peak Pub] will be devoted to...the rich, thick and dark ale," the company says. "More than 31 Mountain Sun stouts will be featured, including 48 Smooth Chai Stout, Coconut Cream Stout, Addition Imperial Coffee Stout, Nihilist Russian Imperial Stout, Chocolate Dip Stout, and Space Odyssey Stout." In addition, there will be stouts from more than thirty other Colorado breweries rotating through. In Denver, Vine Street Pub will features several barrel-aged offerings at various times. They include Rye Barrel-Aged Addition Imperial Coffee Stout, Bourbon Barrel-Aged Oatimus Prime Imperial Oatmeal Stout and Chocolate Thunder Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Chocolate Milk Stout.
Join Our Mutual Friend Brewing at noon for the release of Thanatoid Vanilla Imperial Stout. The beer was aged for twelve months in Laws Whiskey House Bourbon and Secale Rye barrels, "then conditioned on a borderline ludicrous amount of Tahitian vanilla bean," OMF says. "Thanatoid is viscous, but still balanced in body and not too sweet. Aroma and flavor are complex, with German chocolate cake, Oreo cookie, vanilla, anise, oak and whiskey notes (to name a few). It’s warming at a tad under 13 percent ABV." There are only thirty cases available (each 500ml bottle is $20), and the first twenty people in the door get a free Thanatoid tumbler.
Saturday, February 2
Join De Steeg Brewing as it celebrates Six Years in the Alley, an anniversary party featuring the release of the brewery's 19.5 percent ABV Anniversary Biere de Garde. There will also be a chili cook-off and free swag.
