Beer Calendar: Star Wars Beers, Christmas Firkins and Doughnut Pairings

Living The Dream Brewing in Littleton is turning its dream into reality. The company recently installed several new fifteen- and thirty-barrel fermentation tanks, which will allow it increase its capacity from 49 barrels to 169. In addition, Living the Dream added 5,000 square feet of production space, enabling the brewery to expand its barrel-aging and sour beer programs.

Meanwhile, up in Brighton, the brand-new Something Brewery just celebrated a busy grand opening. "The line was out the door and wrapped around the block," says owner David Allegrezza, who adds that he was able to start the brewery for only $50,000 and should be seeing a profit in the next two months. The brewery makes the beers with flavors from tea, and its offerings include blood orange red, blueberry wheat and vanilla bourbon IPA.

Wednesday, December 16
Copper Kettle continues its twelve Firkins of Christmas countdown today by tapping 12 Hops IPA (Four Calling Birds), one of twelve cask-conditioned beers that it will break into as we head toward Christmas; the beer was made with twelve different hops varieties.  Farm to Truck will be there with food.

Wit's End Brewing founder Scott Witsoe loves the '80s and all things Star Wars, which is why he is counting down the days to the new Star Wars movie, The Force Awakens, on Friday by tapping a different Star Wars-inspired beer and showing a different Star Wars movie each night. Yesterday, it was Darth Malt (a black imperial amber ale and the Phantom Menace). Today's beer is Luke, I Am Your Pater, a Belgian-style Patersbier and a 6 p.m. showing of Attack of the Clones. Bring in your most unique Star Wars memorabilia, so the brewery can take your picture with it and have its Facebook fans vote for their favorite and most unique item. The winner gets a growler filled with their choice of one of the Star Wars-inspired beers.

Thursday, December 17
You've heard of Christmas in July? Well, how about July in Christmas! Little Machine will throw an indoor fiesta today where you can escape the cold and snow for eighty-degree warmth, pilsners with salt and lime, a kiddle-pool party and live music from the Plates at 7:30 p.m. The brewery will also tap a Kiwi Saison firkin and host a limbo competition every hour.

Wit's End Brewing founder Scott Witsoe loves the '80s and all things Star Wars, which is why he is counting down the days to the new Star Wars movie, The Force Awakens, on Friday by tapping a different Star Wars-inspired beer and showing a different Star Wars movie each night. Today's beer is Imperial Rye Fighter, a rye imperial dry stout, and a 6 p.m. showing of Revenge of the Sith. Bring in your most unique Star Wars memorabilia, so the brewery can take your picture with it and have its Facebook fans vote for their favorite and most unique item. The winner gets a growler filled with their choice of one of the Star Wars-inspired beers.

Copper Kettle continues its 12 Firkins of Christmas countdown today by tapping Five Golden Rings, a Rum Eggnog Stout, one of twelve cask-conditioned beers that it will break into as we head toward Christmas. Pavlo's Taste of Ukraine will be there with comfort food.

Friday, December 18
Wit's End Brewing founder Scott Witsoe loves the '80s and all things Star Wars, which is why he has been counting down the days to today's opening of the new Star Wars movie, The Force Awakens, by tapping a different Star Wars-inspired beers and showing a different Star Wars movie each night. Today's beer is Old Jedi Mind Trick, a session old ale brewed with brown sugar and oak chips. Wit's End will show all three of the original Star Wars movies beginning at 2 p.m.. Bring in your most unique Star Wars memorabilia, so the brewery can take your picture with it and have its Facebook fans vote for their favorite and most unique item. The winner gets a growler filled with their choice of one of the Star Wars-inspired beers.

Former Future hosts its second annual Beer Pairing and Ugly Sweater Contest today starting at 6 p.m. The brewery will welcomeCarbon Beverage Cafe and Habit Doughnuts for a beer-and-Christmas doughnut pairing. You get four pairings for $22. First come, first served. Best Ugly Sweater wins a Holiday Gift Basket worth over $100.

Copper Kettle continues its 12 Firkins of Christmas countdown today when it taps Sex Geese a Laying, a strong ale that was cask conditioned with gingerbread.

Mockery Brewing will host a new bottle release today at 2 p.m. for Commitment Phobe, an 11.25 percent ABV whiskey-and-wine barrel aged quad. It was brewed with Vienna and Special B Malts, Belgian Candi Sugar and California Dates.

Saturday, December 19
The newly-opened Cerebral Brewing will debut a new beer today at noon. Tandem Jetpack is "an intensely juicy and hazy DIPA brewed with excessive amounts of Galaxy, El Dorado and Simcoe hops," the brewery says.

Fiction Beer Company will host its second annual collaboration with Glazed and Confuzed today at noon. The beer this year is called DONUT PANIC and was brewed with Confuzed Samoa doughnuts and has flavors of coconut, chocolate and caramel. The release party will include a special beer and doughnut pairing. And finally, Fiction will be bottling a limited quantity of the beer for sale at liquor stores.

Black Shirt Brewing will release Red Evelyn, its once-a-year Imperial Red Rye IPA, today at 11 a.m. The beer is made to honor and celebrate the brewery founders' Grandma Evie. The beer will be on tap and available in custom bombers to go. In addition, there will be a pop-up record store featuring many of the brewery's favorite musicians from Colorado, playing their music videos and live concerts on the big screen so you can try before you buy.

TRVE Brewing gives a shit. Really, it does. That's why the brewery is hosting its second annual TRVE Gives a Shit holiday sweater charity auction at 7 p.m.. There will be beer, debauchery and sweaters that will be auctioned off from INDYINK, Hi-Dive Denver, Laws Whiskey House, Think Tank Tattoo, Illegal Pete's and Sweet Action Ice Cream. Auction proceeds will go to Urban Peak, which helps homeless teens.

Sunday, December 20
Avery Brewing will release bottles of numbers 31 and 32 in its Barrel-Aged series today at 11 a.m. The first is Fiel al Estilo, a 9.9 percent ABV ale brewed with agave syrup and aged in tequila barrels with chile peppers. There are 485 cases available, limit of one case per person. The second is Double D's, a 10.3 percent ale aged in bourbon barrels with ginger added. There are 633 cases available; limit of one case per person.

Join Strange Craft Brewing and chef Mike Long at 6:30 p.m. for a Strange Craft Christmas Carol Chef Dinner that features four courses and four beers for $49. The menu includes Christmas spice cured “ham” wrapped around roasted pears; roasted holiday goose “mousse” on gingerbread; “Smoking Bishop” oysters with dry ice gin and lemon. Beers include a Gingerbread Man and Farmhouse Ale.

Copper Kettle continues its 12 Firkins of Christmas countdown with Eight Maids a Milking, a Juniper IPA that is hoppy with a tart and citrusy finish. The Wing Wagon Grill will be on hand with wings.

Thursday, December 31
Renegade lights up the new year again with Depravity, its imperial peanut butter cup stout, which it releases every New Year's Eve. Come to the taproom between 3 and 9 p.m. "to get your hands on a pour of this extremely limited, extremely delicious beer," the brewery says. Or purchase an early-bird ticket for $32.50, which includes a 64-ounce growler, plus a fill of depravity, and come between noon and 3 p.m. to beat the crowd.

Fiction Beer Company is throwing its second annual New Year’s Eve celebratio, with live music, a special tapping to toast 2016 and the second barrel-aged sour beer release. Music starts at 10 p.m. and will continue into the new year. 

Copper Kettle hosts its second annual New Year's Eve black-tie party featuring a four-course beer pairing dinner from El Toro the Tot starting at 9 p.m. There will also be an optional champagne beer toast ringing in the New Year at midnight. This event will sell out. Tickets are $75 and available at eventgrid.com.

Kokopelli Beer Company in Westminster will ring the new year with live music from Mitchel Evan & the Mangrove starting a 8 p.m. There will also be giveaways and happy hour prices all day and then party favors and a champagne toast at midnight. Reservations are suggested, and are now being accepted.

2016
Tuesday, January 5
You already know about Stout Month, which takes place in February. Now Ernie's Bar & Pizza wants to celebrate the stout's cousin, the porter, and tonight Ernie's will devote eight of its thirty tap lines to a variety of local porters, whose "roasty, toasty, caramelly, drinkable goodness" is particularly nice during the cold winter months, the restaurant says. The following beers will start things off, and they'll be replaced with new ones as they kick throughout January: Denver Beer Company Graham Cracker Porter, Dieboldt Post Card Classic Porter, Dry Dock Vanilla Porter, Goldspot Gus Robust Porter, Verboten Caramel Porter, Wliey Roots Chocolate Porter, Wit’s End Kitchen Sink Porter with Smoked Malts and Rye.

Saturday, January 9
The annual Big Beers, Belgians & Barleywines Festival hosts its commercial tasting event today in Vail at the Cascade Hotel from 2:30 to 6 p.m. Tickets are still available for $70 — although they are going fast. The majority of the events for the rest of the three-day festival are sold out. More than 150 breweries will be bringing some of their biggest and best. Drink water first.