Beer Calendar: Summer Seasonals and a Bunch of Brewery Anniversary Parties

Denver's southern suburbs continue to chug along when it comes to new craft breweries. The latest to start pouring beer: Barnett & Son, which quietly opened earlier this month in Parker at 18425 Pony Express Drive, #125, with several beers on tap and a rotating caravan of food trucks. Owned by Andrew Barnett, the brewery has a seventy-seat taproom and an eighty-seat patio. The brewery uses a seven-barrel system from Bennett ForgeWorks in Ridgway. An example of what's on tap: CH-47 IPA, made with 100 percent Chinook hops.

And in other news, Colorado Craft Beer Show host John Turk (also a sales rep for Epic Brewing) announced that the four-year-old radio program, on AM 760, will come to an end after the broadcast on Saturday, June 27; the show will be broadcast live from Hogshead Brewery. "I have decided I need to spend more time with my family on Saturdays and to see my kids' games. They are growing up too fast and I have been missing out," Turk said in a Facebook post. "I can't thank all you who have listened and to those who have sponsored the show over the years. I am a very grateful person to have been able to talk about beer on the radio for the last four-plus years."

Wednesday, June 24
Goldspot Brewing will tap its newest beer, La Cienega, a Grisette farmhouse ale today. The beer is based on one that Goldspot co-owner/brewer Matt Hughes has been making for several years. It uses a custom blend of three different yeasts, including Brettanomyces.

Rock Bottom Downtown Denver will host a charity tapping party for its Summer Honey Ale today at 6 p.m. A tasting sample of the beer is free between 6 and 6:30 p.m. A portion of pints sold thereafter will be donated to the Delores Project, a Denver-area homeless shelter for unaccompanied women and transgender individuals. Summer Honey Ale is an American Blonde Ale brewed with local honey from Beeyond the Hive, Colorado’s oldest honey company.

Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project will release HopSavant Galaxy and St. Bretta Pomelo today at 6 p.m. HopSavant Galaxy is the brewery’s third recent release of its Brettanomyces IPA (its very first batch of HopSavant Galaxy was released in 2013 and earned a bronze medal at the Great American Beer Festival). The latest version, at 7 percent ABV, was primary fermented with Crooked Stave’s mixed culture of Brettanomyces yeast and then "received over three pounds per barrel of Galaxy hops, a varietal known for its distinct citrus aroma and stone fruit characters," the brewery says. In addition, Crooked Stave will release St. Bretta Pomelo, a version of its Brettanomyces Citrus Wildbier, which features zest from Pomelo citrus, a varietal closely resembling a sweet grapefruit.

Copper Kettle Brewing will wrap up its Hybrid Month tappings today with Montepulciano IPA, a beer that was made with Italian red wine grapes from Montepulciano. The Cajun Kitch'n will be there for its first time serving cajun cuisine.

Thursday, June 25
Hogshead Brewery will begin four days' worth of birthday celebrations today. The brewery is turning three years old. There will be new ale releases, live music and other festivities over the course of the long weekend. 

Beryl’s Beer Company is also kicking off a four-day birthday celebration today (the brewery is one year old) by debuting A Beryl Full of Laughs at 6 p.m. The comedy night features a performance by Denver-based improv comedy team The Dinner Experience and food from the Cajun Kitch'n food truck. 

Friday, June 26
Bery's Beer Company will continue its birthday celebration today and through the weekend. It will have live music and food trucks on its large patio area each night. Tonight, the bands are Dagger Dagger, Dear Me and The Outfit.

The Post Brewing in Lafayette will tap Summer Teath IPA today. The 4 percent ABV quencher was brewed with Azacca and Pekko hops, American 2-row barley malt, red wheat malt and light crystal malt and fermented with the Post's house ale yeast. It was also made with Sunny Green Tea from Boulder's Pekoe Sip House. "This is a tea blend that features dried papaya and pineapple. These aromas shine through along with the hops while the tea delivers an herbal flavor and gently astringent mouthfeel which evokes the sensation of sipping on iced tea," the brewery says. Summer Teath joins another new summer beer from the Post, a Berliner Weiss, which was brewed with the winner of the second Lil' Brewer Buddy homebrew competition, Mike Rivera. The 3 percent ABV beer was made with American 2-Row Barley malt and red wheat malt, then kettle soured over night with lactobacillus delbrueckii, boiled and finished with Kolsch yeast.

Saturday, June 27
Renegade Brewing will celebrate its third anniversary from 3 to 10 p.m. today with a giant block party in front of the brewery on Ninth Avenue, between Santa Fe and Kalamath. A stage on the west end of the street will feature local musicians in the following order: The Unsiblings, Animal Electricity, U Ain't Nevaherd, and then headliner Josh Moorehead and the Guest List. There will also be five food trucks, including Matt's Snack Shack, Baba & Pop's Kitchen, Smokestack 70, Wong Way Veg, and Em's Ice Cream. And, of course, there will be lots of beers, including twelve taps in the taproom, a firkin room and two outdoor beer tents. In addition to Renegade's flagships, you'll find summer seasonals like 5:00 in Bangkok (Afternoon Ale with Lemongrass and Ginger), A Nice Pear (Double Wit with Pear), Smolder (Rauch beer), and Sunday Morning (Coffee Strong Ale). There will also be a few favorites from the year, including Disarm (Pumpkin Farmhouse), Hypocrisy (Pale Stout), Berbere (Imperial Chocolate Oatmeal Stout with spices), and Depravity (Imperial Peanut Butter Cup Milk Stout). And finally, there will be twelve firkins throughout the day. There will be free bike valet parking, and the party is both kid and pet friendly.

Ratio Beerworks will introduce its new summer seasonal today — and unveil its new, 4,000-square-foot patio — with a giant Patio Party from noon to midnight. The beer, called New Wave, is a "tart and refreshing" strawberry Berliner Weisse. The patio features custom tables, games and landscaping. There will be live music in the late afternoon from Andy Thomas and Scooter James. Matt's Snack Shack will be out front serving up wings, grilled cheese and more.

12 Degree Brewing in Louisville will celebrate its two-year anniversary today with a party from noon to midnight. In addition to several special beers, including some that were barrel aged in red wine barrels, there will be music from the West African band Paa Kow at 7:30 p.m., and giveaways all day.

The Governor's Residence at the Boettcher Mansion will host Brews & Bites tonight from 6 to 8:30 p.m., featuring beers from breweries that  are members of the Colorado Brewers Guild paired with various culinary creations from Colorado chefs. Proceeds from the event, which takes place both inside and outdoors in the gardens, benefit the Governor's Residence Preservation Fund. Tickets are $80 for general admission or $200 for VIP admission, which gets you in an hour early. Find them at imbibe.com.

The Denver Flea will be back today and tomorrow from noon to 7 p.m. in a new location: in a parking garage at 27th and Blake.  The flea market-style event includes more than 200 vendors, a dozen food trucks and the collaboration beer that the organizers of the Denver Flea brewed with New Belgium Brewing. That beer, Fleak Out, is a wild ale brewed with several hops varieties and Brettanomyces. It will be served in a tent bar on the rooftop deck. It will only be released three times (twice on Saturday and once on Sunday). There will be a big clock counting down until each pouring.

Sunday, June 28
Epic Brewing will release Sour Brainless on Peaches today at its Denver taproom. The extremely limited beer was aged for more than a year in oak foeders (purchased from New Belgium). It is the brewery's golden ale made with peaches. You can sample the beer, learn about the souring process and wax-dip your own bottles for purchase.

Tuesday, June 30
Todd and Candice Alström from BeerAdvocate will reveal the gender of their child (currently being brewed) in style at the Falling Rock Taphouse today at 6:30 p.m. with either a pink or a blue beer. Made in collaboration with New Belgium Brewing and the Alstroms's best friend and brewer Kelly McKnight, the beer will either be "a Blue Hawaiian Beer with rum flavors and pineapples OR a Pink Passion Fruit Double IPA" Wanna find out which it is? The event is open for all in the area to attend, but the beer is limited.

The local authors of Italy: Beer Country, Paul Vismara and Bryan Jansing, are hosting a series of Italian beer food pairings around the metro area. The second takes place today at 6:30 p.m. at Il Posto. A four-course meal with Italian beer paired with food from its region will be served, featuring dishes from Chef Andrea Frizzi. The dinner is $75 per person and you can call 303-394-0100 for reservations.

Wednesday, July 1
Crooked Stave will release two beers today at 6 p.m. The complex Flor d’Lees is a 5 percent ABV wild ale aged in oak barrels. "Numerous barrels are sampled to get just the right blend," the brewery says. "Never one to be complacent with brewing tradition and classical styles of beers, Flor d’Lees walks the lines of the most ancient of beers." The second beer is Progenitor Dry Hopped Golden Sour, a 6.2 percent ABV beer fermented with Crooked Stave’s mixed culture of Brettanomyces yeast and bacteria and then dry-hopped.

Saturday, July 4
C Squared Ciders, a new cidery co-owned by former Wynkoop head brewer Andy Brown, will host a party today at 7 p.m. inside the building that will eventually house C Squared, Bierstadt Lagerhaus and the new Rackhouse. This will be the first time that C Squared is open to the public before its eventual grand opening, soon. "We want to celebrate the holiday in our wonderful neighborhood, watch some fireworks, and give thanks to all our friends that helped us on this journey," the cidery says. "There will be music, starting with the funky side of Miles Hurwitz, and Andy Babb's Big Beautiful Band followed by Buteo Buteo later in the evening."

Thursday, July 9
Goldspot Brewing and its neighbor, the Noshery (the cafe just celebrated its one-year anniversary), will host a collaborative beer dinner at 6 p.m. tonight at Goldspot. The dinner features meats from Western Daughters. Tickets are $60 and available at either business.

Factotum Brewhouse will tap 5280 IPA today at 6 p.m. The West Coast-style IPA was made by guest brewer and local beer lover Steve Comeau; "it features more hops than anything else we've brewed at Factotum," the brewery says. "Brewed with Columbus, Centennial, Chinook, Citra, and Simcoe hops and dry-hopped with Columbus, Centennial, and Simcoe, this one's a hop-head's delight." Comeau will be on hand to meet and greet all the fans of his beer, Factotum says.

Saturday, July 11
The West End Tavern and The Farm will bring the seventh annual JUL-IPA Festival back to the outdoor pavilion at the Millennium Harvest House today from noon to 4 p.m. in Boulder. A "celebration of the best and the baddest IPAs out there," the event features beer from more than thirty breweries, bites from the West End Tavern (BBQ Pulled Pork, Bacon Baked Beans, and Mac ‘n’ Cheese), live music from the Goonies and Sixty Minute Man and carnival games. Some of the breweries include: Avery Brewing Co., Boulevard Brewing Co., Bristol Brewing Co., BRU Handbuilt Ales, Crazy Mountain Brewing, Crystal Springs Brewing Co., Denver Beer Co., Elevation Beer Co., Epic Brewing Co., Fate Brewing Co., Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Left Hand Brewing Co., New Belgium Brewing Co., Odd 13 Brewing, Oskar Blues Brewery, Pikes Peak Brewing, River North Brewery, Sanitas Brewing Co., Ska Brewing Co., Stone Brewing Co., Telluride Brewing Co., The Post Brewing Co., Upslope Brewing Co., and Wild Woods Brewery, Tickets are $30 per person and $10 for designated drivers (non-drinking). All proceeds will benefit Safehouse Progressive Alliance for Nonviolence.

Saturday, July 18
Großen Bart Brewing — the Longmont beer maker with the facial hair theme — will host its inaugural Longmont Mane Festival from 2 to 8 p.m. today at the taproom. Owners Shad Chancey and Taylor Wise plan to fete "beers, beards, and community" at the fest, which will include a Beard & Mustache Contest (it costs $10 to enter at the brewery's website) from 4 to 5 p.m., featuring categories like "The Business Beard", "The Groomed Beard", "The Full Beard Natural", "The Styled Mustache", "The Natural Mustache", "The Goatee", and "Sideburns & Chops." There will also be a "Whiskerella" category for women and a "Freestyle" category for "particularly creative and outlandish facial hair." In addition, there will be live music from 2 to 8 p.m., food trucks all day long, free beard and mustache trims by Sean Murphy, mustache rides (Speed/Obstacle Race on Adult Big Wheels), mustache tattoos (fake), facial Hair-themed vendors, and lots of beer. Tickets are $5 in advance and $8 at the door.

Twisted Pine Brewing in Boulder will celebrate its twentieth anniversary today from 2 to 7 p.m. with an indoor/outdoor party. There will be live music from members of Head for the Hill,s Augustus and Dear Landlords, life-sized lot games, and food from Umami Mobile Eatery. Plus, the brewery will release Twenty to Life, "a canary-colored Belgo-American ale with a light, bright body and tropical fruit finish." In addition, Twisted Pine will tap other special treats throughout the day. Tickets are $5.

Sunday, July 19
The fourth annual A Night to Remember beer festival takes place today from 4 to 8 p.m., at Four Mile Historic Park, honoring the twelve people who were killed in the Aurora theater shootings in 2012. One of those was Alex Teves, the 28th member of the Brew Club at Copper Kettle Brewing, which co-founded the festival; proceeds from the event go to the Alexander C Teves Foundation, which benefits the Humanex Academy, which provides scholarships for "students with unique academic, social, or emotional needs." There will be beers from 29 breweries, as well as food trucks, live music, a silent auction and prizes. 

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