New Belgium spokesman Bryan Simpson says Jordan's contract runs for another five years, but that she plans to stay on as the CEO of the nation's third largest craft brewer for the long-term. New Belgium is controlled by a four-member board of directors and will be adding a fifth member soon, Simpson says, adding that the sale will help keep the company independent for a long time.
For all of this week's craft beer events, turn the page.
Wednesday, January 16
The three beers in Avery Brewing's Dictator series are all seasonal releases, but once a year The Kaiser, the Czar and the Maharaja are able to convene. But only eight spots -- six in Colorado, one in California and one in Texas -- are worthy of the summit. They include Avery's taproom and the West End Tavern, both in Boulder; Denver's Euclid Hall; The Mayor of Old Town in Fort Collins; Brewer's Republic in Colorado Springs; and the Vail Ale House in West Vail. Join them at 8 p.m. (MST) as they raise a combined toast -- and if you have Instagram, you can get a picture on Avery's homepage as well. From 7 to 9 p.m., any Instagram pic with the hashtag #3dicts will scroll across the page. The best photo (as subjectively judged by the brewery) will win some Avery gear.
Copper Kettle continues its Firkin Wednesday program today at 3 p.m. by tapping a Belgian Pale Ale that was cask-conditioned with Tazmanian pepper berries.
Thursday, January 17
The Denver Bicycle Cafe will host two beer-and-cheese pairings today with the Copper Kettle Brewing Company and Marczyk Fine Foods; the first is at 6 p.m. and the second is at 8 p.m. For $20 ($25 on the day of), you get four five-ounce beers -- from a light lager to a dark stout -- paired with four hand-selected gourmet cheeses. There will also be a discussion.
The Falling Rock Taphouse will break out kegs of Alaska Brewing's Alaskan Smoked Porter going back to 2009. Try one or try the whole vertical beginning at 5:30 p.m.
Friday, January 18
Denver Beer Company will host a beer dinner at 7 p.m. today with the Mike2Kitchen food truck to celebrate the grand opening of DBC's new Barrel Room annex. The brewery will pair five of its small-batch beers with four courses from Mike2Kitchen, including cured and smoked trout with a crispy potato latke, sour beer reduction with lemon and caper and horseradish creme fraiche, paired with DBC's very first barrel-aged brettanomyces beer, Saison du Fou. Tickets are $60 plus gratuity. Call 303-433 2739 for reservations; get more information on Denver Beer Company's Facebook page.
Dry Dock Brewing will tap two firkins of Kona Coffee Stout today as part of its weekly Firkin Friday program, the first at 3 p.m. and the second sometime around 7 or 8 p.m.
Fans of the Copper Kettle have been asking for more hoppy beers, and the brewery is happy to oblige. It will release American IPA, "a bright, citrusy" brew, today. There will also be live music from Brad Murphey and a food truck in the house.
Tuesday, January 22
The Vine Street Pub, Mountain Sun and Southern Sun will all tap a beer today called Snow Krane Imperial Ale. The 8.3 percent ABV is a winter warmer-style ale, but with a twist, in that it is golden in color and has a lighter body that comes from toasted rice and orange blossom honey. Snow Krane is fermented with German Ale yeast, which adds to the clean, crisp character despite it's alcoholic strength, the brewery says.
Every Tuesday in January and part of February from 3 p.m. until close, Euclid Hall will feature three two-ounce pours of selected beers paired with three bite-sized snacks from the Euclid Hall kitchen for $12.50. Today's dark and strong ales.
Wednesday, January 23
Euclid will give over a portion of its back tap wall to Avery Brewing today, by tapping all three beers from the Boulder brewery's famed Demons of Ale Series: Samael's, The Beast and Mephistopheles. Euclid hosts a tap takeover each Wednesday.
The Rackhouse Pub has been hoarding beer, but has now decided to share with a series of Wednesday night "I'd Tap That" events. The latest is today at 5 p.m., when the Rackhouse brings out Dogfish Head's Theobroma, Sah'tea and Hellhound On My Ale.
The Yak & Yeti will tap a Chipotle Porter today at 4 p.m.
Thursday, January 24
The Falling Rock Taphouse is clearing out parts of its vast cellar this month and will give you the chance to taste five years' worth of Avery Brewing Company's stellar Czar Imperial Stout today beginning at 5:30 p.m.
Join the Denver Bicycle Cafe every two weeks for some free beer samples from rotating local Denver breweries. Today's tasting, at 6 p.m., features Strange Brewing.
Friday, January 25
TRVE Brewing will release a new beer today at 7 p.m. that it brewed in collaboration with the band Speedwolf. Death Ripper is a 4.2 percent ABV session ale that is "based on an inverted bourbon grain bill and hopped up with Falconer's Flight," the brewery says. Reed Wolf and El Brian will be spinning heavy metal tunes.
Saturday January 26
Hops & Pie will host its monthly Littlest Big Beer Fest today beginning at noon, and it's a doozy, featuring some of the biggest boldest beers from San Diego's Green Flash Brewing. The offerings include Barleywine Style Ale (10.9 percent ABV, 85 IBUs), Green Bullet 9th Anniversary Triple IPA (10.1 percent ABV, 100+IBUs), Grand Cru Dark Ale (9.1 percent ABV, 20 IBUs), Serrano Double Stout (9.8 percent ABV), Candela Rye Barleywine, a collaboration with Cigar City Brewing (10.9 percent ABV, 75 IBUs), West Coast IPA (7.3 percent ABV, 95 IBUs), Le Freak, a Belgian Trippel mixed with an American IPA (9.2 percent ABV, 101 IBUs), American Strong 1st Anniversary Ale (8.9 percent ABV, 45 IBUs) and Palate Wrecker Double IPA (9.5 percent ABV, 149 IBUs).
The Falling Rock Taphouse will hold a Vintage Beer Sale today from noon to 6 p.m. "It's been a few years since we've done one of these, and my cooler looks like it," explains Taphouse owner Chris Black in his newsletter. "We've got a few too many bottles of different vintages so...we'll put up a big dry-erase board of all the different beers we're clearing out and the quantity available for purchase (at substantial discount I might add) as we sell one we'll update the board and countdown till we're out."
Copper Kettle will tap a new beer, Oak Aged Double IPA, today; the brewery, which typically serves less hoppy beers, has never done one of these before. This one was aged in "in oak spirals for a hint of earthiness in the end."
Sunday, January 27
The local craft beer community is rallying around Denver's Strange Brewing today with a beer festival fundraiser to help Strange pay for possible legal fees it may incur in a trademark dispute with a similarly-named Massachusetts homebrew shop that has threatened to sue. The Strange Days fest, organized by Russell Fruits of Grimm Brothers Brewing, takes place from 3 to 6 p.m. today at the Rackhouse Pub. Tickets are $25 (if it's not sold out); there will be about 25 breweries in attendance.
Wednesday, January 30
The Lobby is kicking off a Monthly Beer Dinner Series today with a four-course feast featuring paired beers from Renegade Brewing, along with a welcome beer cocktail. The lobby will feature one Colorado brewery each month with a special tap handle all month long. The dinner starts at 6:30 p.m.; for info and reservations, call 303-997-9911.
Friday, February 1
New Belgium will host a party this year to celebrate the return of its classic sour beer, La Folie. The Lost in the Woods party, running from 7 to 11 p.m. in the Fort Collins brewery's foeder room, will also feature a sour beer symposium with New Belgium's wood cellar crew, a food pairing, live music, and a take-home bomber bottle. Tickets are $25 and available at eventbrite.com.
Thursday, February 7
Renegade Brewing will release two new beers in cans this month: 5:00 Afternoon Ale, in 16-ounce cans, on January 23, and Elevation Triple IPA, in 12-ounce ans, on January 30. And on February 7, the brewery will fete both beers with a party tonight from 6 to 10 p.m. in the taproom wtih deals on cans, draft "and happiness."
Wednesday, February 13
For this week's One-Barrel Wednesday, Strange Brewing will tap a keg of Belgian Chocolate Raspberry Love Stout, a special beer brewed with Colorado Craft Beer Radio's John Turk and his wife, Stacy Turk. Kegs of this Valentine's Day beer will also be available at Mountain Sun Pub & Brewery for their Stout Month.
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