And the society "is much more than" a series of beer and pickle releases, says Spangalang co-owner Darren Boyd. "For starters, for a modest fee, members will get a membership card affording them discounts on beer and pickles, a Society glass, and CPBS vestments (a T-shirt). We will be releasing unique beer and pickle pairings at each meeting, with Society members giving suggestions for future creations.
"The Society will be a place to celebrate local creations, with an emphasis on community and education," he continues. "A large component of The Society is education. We intend to inspire the home pickler in everyone with basic training and spirited repartee. Our first meeting will largely be a 'getting to know you' type meeting, covering basic protocol and taking vestment measurements. Each subsequent meeting will highlight members passion for pickles and beer through various competitions/feats of strength — think art contest, poetry slam, eating contest, etc. In the end we hope to create a community of people pushing the boundaries of what it means to be a pickle, or a beer. To shape the future of pickles and beer. And to be friends."
Now, here are all of the best Denver craft-beer events through June 24.
Wednesday, June 7
Free beer alert! From 5 to 7 p.m., Pizzeria Locale in Highland Square will host an Elevation Beer Company happy hour. Each guest can snag one free flight of beer from the Poncha Springs brewery; no food purchase needed.
Platt Park Brewing will tap Triple Tropical Snow Dance IPA. The single-hop Mosaic IPA was brewed with "cryo hop powder to give the additional hop boost it deserves," the brewery says. The 11 percent ABV, 100-plus IBU beer is available on tap and in bottles ($18).
Thursday, June 8
Renegade Brewing brings back its 5:00 Bangkok-style Ale at, of course, 5 p.m. This is the brewery's regular 5:00 Afternoon Ale session beer brewed with lemongrass and ginger. With the purchase of a pint between 5 and 10 p.m., you'll also get a limited-edition glass and a six-pack of beer to go.
TRVE Brewing
Black Project Wild & Spontaneous Ales will tap Gambit, a beer that was named to support the Brewtography Project's successful Kickstarter last year, at 2 p.m. "We loved the beer so much that we decided to re-brew it and re-launch it," Black Project says. "The base is almost Flanders-red style, but without acetic acid, and with a moderate amount of ruby red grapefruit zest added. The result is incredible. The flavors are complex, the acidity of the beer balances well with the grapefruit flavors, and the aroma is positively candy-like, with the base of this beer giving it a bit more complexity due to the darker malts and higher gravity."
TRVE Brewing will release its fifth anniversary beer, Vol. 5., at noon. "As per tradition, the beer is a culmination of a year of hard work and dedication of the brewery staff," TRVE says. "As we’ve used five different saison strains, this can be considered a mixed-fermentation beer..., Light dry-hopping contributes some subtle flavors typically not representative of dry-hopping, but more than anything, the saison comes through."
Beryl's Beer Company will tap Super Soaked IPA at 5 p.m. Brewed with generous amounts of Lemondrop and Mandarina hops, it has a citrus punch. Beef King will be on the patio with food.
Platt Park Brewery will tap a new beer, Common Stache. It is a 5.5 percent ABV Colorado common dry-hopped with Hull Melon hops.
Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project has begun canning for the first time and will debut three different styles of its Brettanomyces beers from 5 to 10 p.m. in its taproom at the Source. The beers are HopSavant, Colorado WildSage, and St. Bretta, all of which will be available in four-packs. "Unfiltered and naturally wild, these beers are the perfect companion for wherever life’s adventures take you," Crooked Stave says.
New Image Brewing in Arvada will release its Vemont Pale Ale, Paul, for the first time in cans; it's a New England-style pale ale that was dry-hopped with ninety pounds of Simcoe, Centennial and Columbus hops. "Celebrate the official shotgun toast with the brewers at 5:30 p.m. on the patio," the brewery says. Four-packs will be available for $12 per person, with a one-case limit per patron.
New Kids on the Block, "the rad-tacular ’80s dance party and new-breweries beer festival" returns for its fifth year from 7 to 10 p.m. Sponsored by The Lobby (2191 Arapahoe Street) and porchdrinking.com, the festival highlights local breweries that are two years old or younger. This year, that mighty list includes 14er Brewing, Banded Oak, Bierstadt Lagerhaus, Brewability Lab, Briar Common Brewery + Eatery, Call to Arms, Cellar West Artisan Ales, Cerebral Brewing, Cheluna Brewing, Holidaily Brewing, Little Machine, Maxline Brewing, New Image, Outer Range Brewing, Resolute Brewing, Seedstock, Something Brewery, Spangalang, the Intrepid Sojourner Beer Project, and WestFax Brewing. Each will pour two beers, which will help fuel you for the dance party, which will rock all night with a live DJ and prizes for the best ’80s outfits. Small-bite munchies will be provided by the Lobby, Briar Common and the Rackhouse Pub. Tickets are $35 at nightout.com or $40 the day of the event.
Saturday, June 10
Banded Oak Brewing celebrates its one-year anniversary on Broadway with a party from noon to 11 p.m. The brewery will tap three previously unreleased beers and maybe a surprise or two from head brewer Chris Kirk. In addition, Atomga, the twelve-piece band that Banded Oak named its imperial stout after, will be playing. And finally, Areyto will be on hand serving authentic Puerto Rican food.
Alpine Dog's Ski Naked Saison has evolved into a new version of the beer, Ski Naked Wild Saison, which was brewed as "a mixed-culture farmhouse ale this time around, adding an aromatic strain of...Brettanomyces to primary fermentation along with our house saison yeast. The result will be a dry, robustly aromatic saison with big tropical fruit notes and earthiness," the brewery says.
"Warmer days are upon us, which means it's time to cool down" with New Wave, Ratio Beerworks' kettle-soured strawberry Berliner weisse "brewed with patio sessions in mind," the brewery says. The bright-pink beer was brewed and fermented with more than 300 pounds of real strawberries.
The new Arvada Patio Society will launch at noon at New Image Brewing, which will host a series of parties throughout the summer. Each will include beer from four Arvada breweries: New Image, Odyssey Beerwerks, Spice Trade Brewing and Someplace Else Brewing, and they will be pouring their beers in typical festival fashion. Come meet the brewers, try their beers, ask questions and explore what Arvada has to offer.
Created by Copper Kettle Brewing and the parents of Alex Teves, who was one of the twelve people killed in the Aurora Theater shootings on July 20, 2012, A Night to Remember honors Teves and other victims by raising money for the ACT (Alexander C. Teves) Foundation, which provides "funds and opportunities to students with unique needs." Teves, who was 24 when he died, was a loyal customer at Copper Kettle and one of its original Brew Club members. The sixth annual festival runs from 5 to 9 p.m. at Founder's Green at Stapleton, in conjunction with the neighborhood's summer concert series. Breweries include: Black Project, Boggy Draw, Caution, Cerebral, Chain Reaction, Cheluna, City Star, Colorado Cider Company, Comrade, Copper Kettle, Crooked Stave, Elk Mountain, Factotum Brewhouse, Fiction Beer Company, Horse & Dragon, Launch Pad, Little Machine, Locavore Beer Works, Mockery, Peak to Peak Tap & Brew, Ratio Beerworks, Renegade, Station 26, Strange Craft, Trinity, TRVE, Two22, Ursula, WeldWorks, Wit's End and more. There will be food from Biker Jim's Gourmet Dogs, What Would Cheesus Do, Burgerchief, Donatella's Pizza and High Point Creamery, plus live music from the John Weeks Band (6 to 7 p.m.) and Big Sam's Funky Nation (7:30 to 9 p.m.). Other activities include a silent auction, giveaways and custom T-shirts. Tickets are $40; 100 percent of the proceeds will go toward the ACT Foundation.
Dry Dock Brewing brings back its A-Town Funk Fest for a second year, and this time, Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project and Wing Hut have been invited for a sour-beer-and-food-pairing event. Guests to that part of the fest will get seven beers from Dry Dock and Crooked Stave, including a collaboration made just for Funk Fest, all paired with dishes from Chef Josh Prater and his team. The pairing sessions are at 1, 4 and 7 p.m. There will also be music, games and other beers on tap. For the pairing menu, go to Dry Dock's Facebook page.
Sunday, June 11
Station 26 Brewing's monthly Bluegrass Brunch returns at 11 a.m., with lots of beer, tunes from Cosmic Mesa, doughnuts from Glazed & Confuzed and barbecue from Turn-In BBQ.
Outer Range Brewing will be a part of the haze craze.
Jonathan Shikes
Cedar Creek Pub, at 2100 North Ursula Street in Aurora (next door to Ursula Brewing), will host a "Haze Craze" tap takeover, when hazy New England-style IPAs from at least ten breweries will be poured. On the list so far: Ursula, Outer Range, Odd13, Weldwerks, Fiction, Cerebral, New Image, Liquid Mechanics, Wiley Roots and Coronado Brewing. There will be pints or blind tasters available.
Thursday, June 15
Hogshead Brewery will roll out four consecutive days of cask ales starting Thursday in order to celebrate its fifth anniversary. There will be beer tappings, music, a pig roast and an English breakfast. More details TBA.
Friday, June 16
Avery Brewing will release its newest year-round sour beer, Ginger Sour, at 11 a.m. "Verdant fresh ginger is artfully rooted in radiant tartness, peaking in the unmistakable burst and bite of this bright barrel-aged sour ale," Avery says. The beer will be available in 22-ounce bottles. The restaurant will serve ginger-inspired dishes.
The three-day Vail Craft Beer Classic brings "all the beer we can haul over the pass to throw a beer fest like nothing else on earth," according to its organizers. "Experience the mountains the way they should be enjoyed, with a cold beer and your friends." For more information, tickets prices and a schedule, go to the event website.
Saturday, June 17
Denver Beer Co. will host the official grand-opening party for its third location in Olde Town Arvada, starting at 11 a.m. The new brewery, at 5768 Olde Wadsworth Boulevard, includes a brewery, taproom and outdoor patio, plus the Mighty Burger, a permanent food truck that will sling artisan burgers out of an Airstream trailer within the building; Mighty Burger is run by the owners of Lucky Pie Pizza. In addition to beer and burgers, there will be live music from 2 to 10 p.m. from Arvada musicians and a photo booth.
Call to Arms Brewing will focus on hops from noon to 9 p.m. at Humulus Rumpulus, a more aromatic version of its regular bi-monthly Rumpus event. To help you get your hops on, CTA will tap Meemtonio Ginger Pale Ale, Sweet Bloom Coffee IPA, and Great Great Great Gam Gam Triple IPA. In addition, High Wire Hops will be in attendance from noon to 4 p.m. to talk about its Colorado hop farm. There will be food from the Stone Lotus Food Truck from noon to 6 p.m. and from Il Porcellino Salumi from 3 to 6 p.m.; Il Porcellino will be selling salami made with CTA's Freedom Fries Saison, which was hopped with Nelson Sauvin. The Alcapones will be playing music from 4 to 7 p.m., while Habitat for Humanity will be on hand from noon to 4 p.m. And finally, the first 25 people through the door will receive a free Rumpus can-style glass, "and if all goes to plan with our Crowler equipment, we'll be releasing a limited number of twelve-ounce cans of our Great Great Great Gam Gam starting at noon," the brewery says.
Follow the Light, a side project of the brewer at Nighthawk Brewery, will host a dual bottle release at Nighthawk. The first beer is a rye saison fermented with a Belgian farmhouse yeast and Brettanomyces in a neutral oak barrel. The second is a rye saison fermented with a blend of two saison yeasts and Brett in a used whiskey barrel that also held cider at one point. Bottles are $12 each. The beers will also be on tap.
Friday, June 23
TRVE Brewing will throw its annual Bacchanal at the hi-dive on June 23 and 24. The brewery will take over the taps and has brought in bands from around the country to help celebrate the occasion. For June 23, the band lineup includes Eternal Champion, Spirit Adrift, In the Company of Serpents, 908, and Rottstrotter. Tomorrow, you can expect to see Ash Borer, Vastum, Of Feather and Bone and Glacial Tomb.
Saturday, June 24
Much has changed since Renegade Brewing opened its doors on June 26, 2011. The west Denver brewery has grown from its initial taproom and a staff of three to having a separate production facility, a full lineup of canned beers that are distributed in five states, and a staff of twenty. To celebrate, Renegade will hold its Six-Year Anniversary Block Party from 1 to 5 p.m. at its production facility in a business park at 918 West First Avenue (the brewery has held its previous anniversary parties at its taproom on Ninth Avenue). This time around, the evening will be ticketed, and there are several levels, ranging from $40 to $70, but all of them get you unlimited beer tastings, a $5 voucher for any of the food trucks that will be on the premises, and some type of drinkware. There will also be live music from Hangman's Hymnal. For tickets and more information, go to renegadeanniversary.com.
LandLocked Ales in Lakewood will host its long-awaited grand opening starting at noon. There will be several beers on tap, and Woodhill Small Batch BBQ will be on hand with food.
Big Choice Brewing is moving from its Broomfield home of five years to a larger, new location in Brighton, but the owners want to say goodbye to the old spot in style, so they're hosting a party at 7270 West 118th Place, "from noon until whenever." There will be lots of beer and plenty of stories from staff and regulars. More details TBA.
