A Reason for Cheer

American Craft Beer Week is an annual celebration of microbreweries, organized by the Boulder-based Brewers Association and enjoyed from sea to shining sea.

And what better way to celebrate the week, which starts today and runs through May 23, than with the opening of a new brewery in Denver? Strange Brewing Company, founded by Tim Meyers and John Fletcher, a pair of former Denver Newspaper Agency employees who were laid off shortly after the Rocky Mountain News closed in 2009, will open its doors to the public for the first time tonight at 4 p.m. And the tasting room will tap new brews between 4 and 8 p.m. every day through Saturday.

“We wanted to be open last October or November,” Meyers says, but the city permitting process went slower than expected. As a result, “we’re piggybacking on American Craft Beer Week,” he adds. “It seemed like a good time for it.”

Many of Colorado’s one hundred-plus breweries will celebrate the week as well, with special events, beer tappings and other activities. Examples include Avery Brewing in Boulder, which is offering a class on the art of craft brewing, plus a tour and tastings, from 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday; the cost is $15. Go to www.averybrewing.com for more info.

To learn about other American Craft Beer Week activities in Colorado, log on to www.americancraftbeerweek.com.
May 17-23, 2010

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Jonathan Shikes is a Denver native who writes about business and beer for Westword.
Contact: Jonathan Shikes

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