When Sean Guerrero moved to the city of Huzhou, China, with his wife and their kids two years ago, he discovered one very depressing fact: “There was really no good beer,” he says. All he could find were mass-produced light lagers and “international pilsners” made by giant corporations. So Guerrero,…
A friend of mine recently moved to downtown Englewood — if that’s a thing (I’ve always referred to her new area as “You know, down near the Gothic”). So we decided to set out on a Saturday night tour of her new stomping grounds and check out…
Aspen Brewing will be forced to close its downtown Aspen taproom at the end of this month after the developer who owns the building made plans to lease it to another tenant. But the brewery, which actually produces its beer at a different facility in the Aspen Airport Business Center,…
We all know that craft beer is big in Colorado; in fact, the state’s beer industry contributed $3.07 billion to our economy in 2016 alone. But cider, wine and spirits are also developing a presence on the Front Range, in the Rocky Mountains and on the Western Slope. Here’s some fun…
It’s no secret that people in Colorado love to try and purchase locally made goods, be they wares, food or booze. Especially booze. Why else would the state have such a burgeoning beer, wine and spirits scene? Every year the number of craft breweries, distilleries and wineries grows, adding to…
Growing up in the 1980s, Brian O’Connell was bombarded of images of the Cold War, of Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev, of the Soviet boycott of the Olympics and of the end of the U.S.S.R. Years later, when he founded Renegade Brewing, O’Connell decided to highlight the idea of independence…
Colorado held steady at the Great American Beer Festival this year, winning a total of 38 medals on Saturday, the same number it won in both 2015 and 2016. And while that doesn’t seem like a lot of bling for a state with more than 320 breweries, it’s notable because…
The 2017 Great American Beer Festival has tapped its last keg. Although this year’s fest was bigger than ever, it sold out in less than a day…and Denver’s craft-beer scene continues to boom. But some readers think the scene is headed for a bust.
Stem Ciders, at 2811 Walnut Street in RiNo, is hosting its annual Cider Grass fall festival from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. this Saturday, October 7. No, not that kind of grass; Stem Ciders is a family-friendly craft cider maker. Grass, as in bluegrass music, will play live all day, with…
Development group McWhinney set out to make the Dairy Block a beacon of dining, drinking and shopping in downtown Denver, and every new tenant revelation raises the bar on that promise. On the heels of the announcement that Frank and Jacqueline Bonanno are building massive market hall Milk Market there comes…
The Great American Beer Festival, now in its 36th year, has changed drastically over the decades. It has grown significantly in size, while the industry it represents has grown even more. These days, the specifics of the fest itself aren’t too different from year to year, but the issues surrounding…
Pints Pub, 221 West 13th Avenue, is a landmark of sorts in the Golden Triangle, the sliver of land in the shadow of the Capitol, bordered by the arteries of Colfax, Speer and Broadway. Cruising by on West 13th Avenue, I am always reassured to see the familiar red phone…
The Brewers Association has, for the past ten years or so, been a little slow to respond to trends, changes and issues in the craft-beer industry. This is both a little strange, since the organization is the primary trade group for independent breweries nationwide, and understandable, since the BA is…
As ticket holders for the Great American Beer Festival gear up for three days of beer saturation, it’s easy to see why beer is on our brain. But those who can’t make it to the annual extravaganza of fermented beverages should consider eating their hops instead…or at least nibble on tasty…
How many breweries does Denver have? People ask me that question all the time, and I don’t have a good answer. Why? Because it is complicated. Some breweries have two locations where they brew and serve beer, while others have two locations, but only one with a taproom that is open…
Based on the size of his beer cellar, you might think Adam Avery was the sentimental type. Over the past fifteen years, he’s collected hundreds — make that thousands — of bottles of his own beer: one-off sours, barrel-aged stouts, discontinued high-gravity ales that used to sell out on the…
With more than 200 wines, visiting wine experts and delectable pairings, the 2017 Boulder Burgundy Festival, an event 600 years in the making, comes to the St. Julien Hotel (and several other Boulder restaurants) from October 13-15. Tickets are selling fast. A Saturday night dinner with New York Times wine critic…
The Great American Beer Festival has always been a little geographically lopsided. Since the annual event — which begins Thursday — was founded 36 years ago in Boulder, it’s no surprise that Colorado is the most heavily represented state. California also brings the brews with more than 150 breweries at…
If you don’t like beer, then Great American Beer Festival week, October 2-8, is a great time to head for hills to take in the beautiful reds, yellows and golds of Colorado’s fall colors. But if beer is your passion, then those reds, golds and yellows are all right here in town —…
If you’ve lived in Denver for a while and you like craft beer, chances are you’ve been to the Great American Beer Festival at least once — and maybe you’re even a seasoned veteran. Chances are better that you now like to regale people with tales about how crowded the…
A brewery should be a place where everyone feels comfortable. “There shouldn’t be constraints based on your race or your ethnicity, or what language you speak or who you want to kiss,” says Tamir Danon. “Nothing should make you feel alienated in the brewing community. If you are from a…
Did you buy a pint of beer at your local brewery in 2016? Then you can be proud to boost the Colorado economy. Craft breweries and brewpubs nationwide contributed $67.8 billion to the U.S. economy in 2016. That’s a lot of pints, and it’s an increase of 21.7 percent from just…
