As a native Denverite, I both hate and love Boulder. Its self-righteousness sends me over the edge: Give Boulderites a chance, and they’ll recite all the statistics about how they are healthier and better educated than everyone else, and know exactly which local farm each morsel of food on their…
Great Divide Brewing will challenge some of the big boys of bold brewing this week as it takes its Yeti Imperial Stout, Titan IPA, Hercules Double IPA, Smoked Baltic Porter and other beers to Southern California bars and stores for the first time. The Denver brewery recently added several fermentation…
Last week’s Swirl Girl blog taught you everything you needed to know about scoring value wines, which pack the biggest bang for your hard-earned buck. This week, say hello to four insanely good wines that also happen to be good buys…
Sean Kenyon knows how to pour out both drinks and advice. A third-generation bar man with almost 25 years behind the bar, he is a student of cocktail history, a United States Bartenders Guild-certified Spirits Professional and a BAR Ready graduate of the prestigious Beverage Alcohol Resource Program. You can…
It’s Hatch chile season, and for a pair of local breweries, that means Hatch chile beer. Boulder’s Twisted Pine Brewing will be making three kinds of beer using the specialty chiles, which are grown around Hatch, New Mexico, and shipped by the truckload to Denver, where fiery food lovers buy…
On Wednesday night, as part of Dish, Westword’s annual tribute to Denver’s dining scene, seven local cocktologists participated in a mixology battle judged by yours truly, Westword Drink of the Week scribe Nancy Levine, and Ian Grzybowski, the district manager for Coca-Cola North America. The competition, emceed by Sean Kenyon,…
For years, Gaetano’s, the iconic neighborhood Italian joint at 3760 Tejon Street, has billed itself as “Italian to die for.” And now it’s pouring cello, the potent Italian liquid that infuses fruit with vodka and packs the kind of lethal punch that knocks you on your ass in no time…
Trinity Brewing in Colorado Springs has released the label for its Double Rainbow saison and there’s only one way to describe it: “It’s so intense!” That’s right, the brewery is a beer — due to be tapped on October 24 as a dessert beer during a saison dinner — based…
I’m sure the six-week-old Rockaway Tavern — part 15th Street Tavern museum, part club of its own — is a great place to see live rock and roll. When I visit twice over the span of four days, however, I don’t experience any. Which is fine, because thanks to the…
The Place: Mezcal, 3230 East Colfax Avenue, 303-322-5219 The Hours: Daily from 4 to 6 p.m. The Deals: $2 PBR and $3 Tecate; $5 margaritas; $4.50 mojitos; half-price tacos, quesadillas and sopes. The Digs: Mezcal is everything an East Colfax cantina should be: ablaze in bright colors and funky wall…
Maui Brewing Company was one of the first breweries I wanted to hit at this year’s Great American Beer Festival. The Lahaina-based brewer was named Grand National Champion at the United States Open Beer Championships earlier this year and has been getting national buzz after beginning distribution in California and…
On Monday, we displayed a pictorial summary of everything that was edible at the Great American Beer Festival. If mediocre barbecue and carbs weren’t your thing, though, there was another option: Make continuous circles in the line for the bakery series by Rocky Mountain Brewery, a microbrewery and bar that…
Now that your hangover has subsided and you’re hunched over your desk, thinking back to all the beers you drank over the weekend, and that one funny shirt you saw through your beer goggles, it’s time to bring back some of the memories –specifically from those T-shirts. Luckily, we looked…
Ask your fellow oenophiles how they go about finding deliciously drinkable value wines and you’re guaranteed to get four different answers. That’s because their criteria for making that determination is likely to be as unique as their individual personalities, wine cravings and budget. When querying most peeps, though, the consensus…
Sean Kenyon knows how to pour — both drinks, and advice. A third-generation bar man with almost 25 years behind the bar, he is a student of cocktail history, a United States Bartenders Guild-certified Spirits Professional and a BAR Ready graduate of the prestigious Beverage Alcohol Resource Program. You can…
1) No matter how prepared you are for GABF, it is still overwhelming. 2) San Diego County makes more amazing beers than some entire regions of the country. 3) Maui Brewing’s CoConut Porter was one of the most heavenly beers I have ever tried. Even better, sources say they’ll begin…
Two years ago, when Dol Bhattarai purchased an old, allegedly haunted house at 7803 Ralston Road in Arvada as the site for his second Yak and Yeti restaurant, it came equipped with brewing equipment: a holdover from the last occupant, a brewpub called the Cheshire Cat. Instead of ripping the…
Ninety-three beers. That was the number of brewed beverages submitted for judging during the 2010 Alpha King Challenge, hosted by Falling Rock Taphouse, 1919 Blake Street. Crowds gathered in the basement as the judging took place, tasting what they could of the line-up…
Dan Lasiy, sous chef at Duo (2413 West 32nd Avenue) enjoys cooking with beer, but says it’s a little more challenging than cooking with wine. Lasiy was busy slinging plates of grilled veggies, quinoa salad, Smoked Baltic Porter-braised pork and cheesecake with Yeti caramel sauce to hungry brewers outside Great…
Ariel! Ariel, if the Great American Beer Festival is your “only shot at getting laid,” then you’ve got bigger problems than we can help you with. GABF may be a feast for the tastebuds, but it’s not exactly a feast for the eyes. Nevertheless, your answer was good enough to…
The Place: NoRTH, 190 Clayton Lane, 720-941-7700. The Hours: Daily from 3 to 6 p.m. The Deals: $2.50 draft beers; $4 well cocktails; half-price wines by the glass; $4 small plates The Digs: Partaking in happy hour at a Cherry Creek chain restaurant isn’t something we’d usually, if ever, be…
The Great American Beer Festival, going on now, has been sold out for weeks. Judging from the number of postings on Craigslist, there’s a big demand for these tickets. Did you get left out? Well, Cafe Society has two precious tickets for Saturday’s afternoon session that we’re going to give…
