Beer Calendar: Barrel Thieves, Barrel Aged and Brewery Birthdays

Denver Beer Co wants you to get outside. When the brewery began canning last year, it kicked off an unusual program in which a variety of GPS coordinates were printed on its cans. The coordinates corresponded to locations throughout the state. Whoever found them, took  pictures there and then turned them into the brewerys got a chance to win free beer for a year. This year, the brewery has added a new canned beer — Princess YumYum Raspberry Kolsch — and cranked up the program again last weekend. For the second annual Denver Beer Co Explorer Challenge, beer lovers will have to identify 36 different locations from GPS coordinates printed on cans of Princess YumYum, Incredible Pedal IPA and Graham Cracker Porter. Participants must visit at least 25 of the 36 locations and take a photo in each spot in order to be eligible for the grand prize — free beer for a year. To register and to find out all of the other details, go to the brewery's DBC Explorer Challenge website.

Wednesday, May 27
This month Copper Kettle Brewing aged its Naja Imperial Red IPA on a variety of woods to create different flavors for its weekly cask program. Today's is Naja with sassafras chips.

Crooked Stave will release two beers, HopSavant Citra and St. Bretta Gold Nugget, today at 6 p.m. HopSavant Citra is the brewery’s second recent release of its Brettanomyces IPA; Crooked Stave released HopSavant Amarillo at the beginning of the month, the first batch of HopSavant in almost two years. The 7 percent ABV beer "was primary fermented with a few of Crooked Stave’s mixed Brettanomyces cultures and then received over three pounds per barrel of Citra hops, a varietal known for its tropical aromatics and pungent citrus notes," the brewery says. St. Bretta Gold Nugget, the other beer, features citrus zest from Gold Nugget Mandarin citrus as well as lemongrass. St. Bretta Gold Nugget is the first St. Bretta that Crooked Stave has not named after a season.

Thursday, May 28
California's The Bruery will take over the taps at Freshcraft at 7 p.m today for the launch of Bruery Terreux. It will be focusing solely on farmhouse-style ales fermented with wild yeasts as well as oak-aged sour ales. The lineup includes Bruery Terreux Bottleworks XII, Bruery Terreux Hottenroth with peaches, Bruery Terreux Sour in the Rye, Bruery Terreux Oude Tart with cherries, Bruery Terreux Melange #1, OrXata, Grey Monday and Barrel Aged 6 Geese-A-Laying.

Friday, May 29
Odell Brewing will kick off a three-day party in its taproom today to celebrate a new beer called Barrel Thief. The 9.4 percent ABV Imperial IPA "was stolen from the brew house and stashed away in medium-toast, new American oak barrels. The brew features a notorious tropical fruit hop character that tangles with hints of vanilla, dried fruit, and toasted nut from its time served in the barrel," the brewery says. Odell will have it on tap and will be selling it in 750 ml bottles in liquor stores.

Saturday, May 30
Coda Brewing in Aurora will celebrate its first anniversary today starting at noon with three bands. The brewery will also tap "multiple surprises," including sours and brett beers. And Coda will be selling some of its beers in bottles for the first time.

River North Brewery will release Cabernet Barrel Aged J. Marie, its signature imperial saison, today at 1 p.m. in the taproom. The brewery has aged this beer in a variety of barrels over the years; this time, it used freshly emptied Cabernet Sauvignon barrels from California. "Notes of black currant, fresh apricot and orange marmalade complement a dry, lingering oak finish, with just the right amount of malt character for balance," the brewery says. The beer will be available on draft and in bomber bottles to go ($15). 

Oskar Blues brings back Burning Can for the fourth consecutive summer in Bohn Park in Lyons, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., featuring canned beers from more than fifty breweries around the country, along with a host of outdoor activities and the chance to watch world-class athletes compete in professional kayaking, dirt jumping and slacklining. There will also be a kid's climbing wall, live music from The Revivalists, dancing and food. New this year is the Beer Relay, a trail-running and beer-drinking event in which you can take turns with your friends to run a 5K. "You get two minutes taken off each lap time if you drink a 12-ounce Oskar Blues beer before you start," the brewery says. Tickets range from $45 to $100. Find them at eventbrite.com.

Saturday, June 6
Platt Park Brewing will celebrate its first anniversary today beginning at noon. The brewhouse "is turning into a 7 tap bar area that will feature our barrel aged beers and sour beers," Platt Park says. "We will also have our main 10 taps flowing with some amazing brews."

The Brew Hut will celebrate its twentieth anniversary today with a party from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. "Guests are encouraged to bring their homemade beer, wine, cider, mead, cheese, and more to share with fellow homebrewers," Brew Hut says. "They can also taste The Brew Hut’s employee homebrew showcase, purchase commemorative Brew Hut t-shirts and posters, and enjoy 20 percent off discounts on select merchandise. The Brew Hut’s anniversary party will also feature carnival games and raffle prizes, as well as homebrew demonstrations from The Fermentologists homebrew club and Aurora City Brew Club." In addition, Dry Dock Brewing, which is next door, will tap Mandarina Pale Ale, which it brewed in honor of the anniversary; the beer was made with "a new, experimental hop variety from the Hallertau and Tettnang growing regions of Germany called Mandarina Bavaria. These hops create a sweet, fruity aroma with strong notes of tangerine." The shop — now the largest homebrew store in Colorado — was founded by homebrewer Scott Newcomb in 1995. He sold it in 2002 to Kevin DeLange and Michelle Reding, who went on to create Dry Dock in 2005. Newcomb, who moved to Florida, where he is opening his own brewery, will be on hand for the party.

Imbibe, Denver Active 20-30 and Applejack Wine & Spirits are teaming up to host an event called the Applejack BrewDown from 1 to 4 p.m. today at the well-known Wheat Ridge liquor store. Local food trucks and breweries will be on hand with food and beverages; there will also be live music and lawn games — all to raise money for Denver Active 20-30 Children's Foundation, which helps disadvantaged children. Tickets are $30 and include unlimited beer tastings from thirty breweries, a tasting glass and a $10 gift card to Applejack.

Left Hand Brewing will bring back its Culture Jam music festival today at the brewery. The event, which celebrates Longmont's cultural diversity, will feature music from La Santa Cecilia, Afro-Fusion with Paa Kow, Quemando, and more; it benefits Himalaya Health Care, Intercambio Uniting Communities and Left Hand Brewing Foundation. There will be food, beer and a kid's zone.

Sunday, June 7
Former Future will release its latest very-limited, spontaneously-fermented bottled beer today. Ramjet was made in the brewery's coolship and then aged for close to a year in a single red wine barrel. "Montmorency cherries were added to the barrel for a second fermentation. Finally the beer was bottle conditioned using the spontaneous microbes. Ramjet will age and develop in the bottle for years if treated properly," the brewery says. "Deep red with clingy, bright white head. Big tart cherry aroma mixed with lactic tartness. Flavor is complex and balanced. Mild tart cherry acidity and lactic acid mingle with doughy-malt flavor and a dose of traditional Brettanomyces funk." There are only 168 wax-dipped, hand-numbered, hand-signed 750 ml bottles available. Each one costs $25. Here are more details from Former Future: "At 11:50 a.m., prior to opening the doors [at noon], James will come outside and speak briefly to anyone waiting about this release, future releases, and how to apply for our free, very limited membership program. This program will offer discount and perks and will fill up very quickly. If you are interested in this program we recommend making sure you are outside the front door by 11:45 a.m. as details on how to apply may never be publicly shared again...We will also be pouring a few bottles into glasses for folks to purchase at the bar and enjoy here. Former Future draughts will also be available.

Saturday, June 13
Great Divide Brewing is turning 21 — and to celebrate its legal drinking age, the brewery is throwing its biggest anniversary bash yet from 2 to 6 p.m. Head down to the site of Great Divide's under-construction future location, 3395 Brighton Boulevard, for an afternoon filled with music (Gin Doctors, A. Tom Collins, Oakhurst, Brent Cowles of You Me & Apollo), food trucks, special release beers (throwbacks, firkins, barrel-aged and pilots) and Yeti sightings. Tickets are $40.

City Star Brewing will release its second-ever barrel aged beer in a bottle today . Scoundrel is a brown ale that was soured with a blend of lactobacillus and pediococcus bacteria, "creating a pleasantly sour version of the brewery’s 2013 Great American Beer Festival gold medal winning Bandit Brown Ale," the brewery says. It was then aged for a year in oak Cabernet barrels. The beer will be sold at the taproom only in 22-ounce bottles for $18 each. Only 1,014 bottles are available.

Friday, June 19
The booming beer town of Longmont will get its newest brewery today when Skeye Brewing, at 900 South Hover Street, Suite D, opens today at 3 p.m. with a celebration featuring food trucks and live music by The Prairie Scholars and Interstate Stash Express. Skeye is owned by longtime homebrewers Christopher and Kami Malanowski, and craft beer industry veteran Steve Allen. Kami, a Marine corps veteran, will be the head brewer, but Christopher will brew as well. Skeye, named for the owners' dogs, includes a seven-barrel brewhouse and 3,600 square feet of space. They should have four beers on tap to start with: SMASH Pale Ale, SKEYE'S the Limit IPA, Tobias Red Ale and Yakita Porter, an English-style dark beer. The fifth flagship beer, PoleSki Pilser, an eastern European lager, is set to make its debut in July. Rotating seasonal beers and barrel-aged beers will also be on tap in the future.


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