Beer Calendar: Bittersweet Brews at Odd 13, Epic and Denver Beer Co.

Colorado's craft breweries have had to get creative when it comes to making space for social distancing over the past few months, and many have been able to use parking lots, alleyways and even the street out front — thanks to emergency rules created by cities and towns — to help spread customers out.

But sitting outside under the blazing sun in 90-degree heat isn't always the most fun, so a few breweries have invested in full-scale tents to give patrons some shade. They include Bierstadt Lagerhaus and now Copper Kettle Brewing, which just added one. To celebrate, Copper Kettle is throwing a tent party and  beer release on Friday, August 7.

Keep reading to see more craft-beer tappings this week.
Wednesday, August 5
Rails End Beer Company in Broomfield is canning its flagship Blood Orange DIPA for the first time and will have a limited quantity available for sale in the taproom beginning at 2 p.m. The rest will be distributed to liquor stores from Fort Collins to the Denver Tech Center, the brewery says.

Comrade Brewing is back at it, loading up the tanks with hops. At 2 p.m., it will tap Batch 500 Double IPA to celebrate its 500th batch of beer. This one was brewed with El Dorado, Lotus, Sultana, Mosaic and Citra hops and weighs in at 8.9 percent ABV. Comrade will tap more hoppy beers on Sunday.

Cerebral Brewing has two fresh IPAs available on tap and in cans to go. The first is Breathing: Conversations, a social justice-inspired group project spearheaded by New York's Finback Brewery. The goal of participating breweries around the country, according to Finback, is to "engage in a sustained dialogue that will continue to shape our ethos, our behaviors, our actions and collaborate together to be the change we seek." Cerebral's beer is a double IPA with Citra, Mosaic and Galaxy. The second beer, Wheels Up, is a hazy IPA made with Sabro and Citra hops. It has notes of coconut, pineapple and papaya.

Epic Brewing has tapped a new hazy beer called Coconut IPA. "Using white wheat and flaked oats in the grain bill followed with massive amounts of late addition Cashmere, Styrian Dragon and Citra hops, the brewers are able to bring out a lush combination of mango, passionfruit, papaya, and, of course, coconut that will leave your mouth in paradise," the brewery says. "With coconut added twice, once on the brew kettle and again in the fermenter, this IPA combines the perfect blend of fresh coconut with the indistinguishable hop character of several tropical fruits to create an excellent beer for you to sip while your feet are kicked back."

Denver Beer Co. hosts a beer-and-ice cream pairing at its Platte Street taproom — or in your own home. To participate in person, reserve a spot on the brewery's patio for a table for two, four or six; the entire patio will be used for the occasion so that social distancing can be maintained. To play along at home, order your pairing pack in advance and pick it up or have it delivered — and then tune in at 5 p.m. to DBC's Facebook Live stream for a discussion with head brewer Jason Buehler and a representative from Little Man Ice Cream. For all the details — price and beer and ice cream flavors — and to make reservations, go to DBC's Facebook event page.

Jagged Mountain Craft Brewery will have three fresh beers in cans available at 2 p.m.: Bases Loaded Kolsch, Cherry Blossom Gose, and Dreamweaver DDH Hazy IPA.

Thursday, August 6
Seedstock Brewing, which primarily makes Eastern European-style lagers, is having a little fun with the annual IPA Day celebration happening this year on August 6. Instead of honoring hoppy ales, the brewery is using the letters in IPA as inspiration for its own International Pilsner Association Day. "After years of only offering a single IPA, we wanted to create a fun, lighthearted event that highlights our mantra: Just because it’s 'clear,' doesn’t meant it ain’t craft," the brewery says. Seedstock opens at 3 p.m. and will offer two pilsners at $4 a pour.

Odd13 Brewing in Lafayette kicks off its four-day-long, socially distanced seventh anniversary party today by releasing Codename: Socially Distant Anniversaryfan DIPA; Codename: Ice Cream Man IPA with milk sugar, vanilla and orange; and Suzannah Spine Slinger Sour ale, brewed with watermelon, prickly pear and lime. The brewery also brings back Hopperella IPA. In addition, there will be commemorative souvenirs available. The party is RSVP only, so get your table on the brewery website, along with other important details. On Friday, the brewery will feature guest beers from some of its favorite local brewery friends, and on Saturday, Odd13 will be pouring variants of past favorite Odd13 beers and anniversary beers.

Wiley Roots Brewing in Greeley will have an online sale at 7 p.m. for two new variations of A Visit From the Fruit Lady, its low-ABV smoothie-style sour series made with unpasteurized puréed fruit, one featuring coconut, guava and passion fruit, and the other loaded with peach and raspberry. For details on the beers and the online sale, as well as other information, go to the brewery's Facebook page.

Friday, August 7
Empourium Brewing will tap Mustache Shenanigans, a 4.6 percent ABV hefeweizen. "This German-style wheat beer presents a delicious balance of clove and banana notes," the brewery says.

Copper Kettle Brewing (which just installed the aforementioned tent in its parking lot out front) brings back Pillaged Village Imperial New England IPA, which was originally made in collaboration with Lost Cabin Beer Company in South Dakota. "Extremely hoppy and extremely hazy," the beer is available on draft and in 19.2-ounce cans, the brewery says. It weighs in at 9 percent ABV.

Saturday, August 8
A new version of Hop-A-Tronic Lupulositor will be released at both of River North Brewery's taprooms. Available on tap and in six-packs, this version of the double New England-style IPA was brewed with Citra and Galaxy hops.

Coal Mine Avenue Brewing in Littleton taps the latest in its Heeler Hazy IPA series — this time flavored with pineapple. "This smooth and dreamy hazy IPA has a lot of big personality with the tropical pineapple and generous late additions of hops, which provide the right balance to the sweet-tart pineapple goodness," the brewery says.

Knotted Root Brewing in Nederland hosts its inaugural Taylor Ham Day starting at noon. Not only will the brewery have a limited amount of Taylor ham, egg & cheese, salt, pepper, ketchup sandwiches available for a small donation (benefitting the Nederland Food Pantry), but it will have a beer called, you guessed it, Taylor Ham, Egg & Cheese, Salt Pepper Ketchup. No sandwiches were hurt in the creation of this beer, however, as it is an unfiltered double dry-hopped DIPA, featuring gobs of Motueka, Hallertau Blanc, and Vic Secret hops. "This beer is dedicated to the salty, savory, oozing display of New Jersey's best breakfast sandwich, the brewery says. Knotted Root will also have another new beer, Language Strange, a hazy IPA brewed with Rakau and HBC 586 hops. "This exciting new hop variety evokes rich tropical notes that swarm the palette."

Sunday, August 9
Comrade Brewing taps two hoppy beers at noon. The first is Honeyman 35, the 35th in its R&D IPA series, hopped with Citra, Galaxy and Amarillo hops. The second is Barbarillo IPA, brewed with Root Shoot Genie Pale grown and malted in Loveland; it is hopped with Barbe Rouge and Amarillo hops.

Monday, August 10
Join Goldspot Brewing for its next bottle release. This is the brewery's Black River Imperial Stout aged Honey Bourbon barrels from Law's Whiskey House. "It has notes of chocolate, dark fruit, caramel, honey and vanilla."

The second round of Westbound & Down Brewing's Western Conference All-Star cans will be available at its Idaho Springs brewpub and Westbound General beginning today. Western Conference All-Stars is a series of West Coast IPA collaborations with some of Westbound's favorite/most inspirational producers in the country.
The first collab is with Wyoming's Melvin Brewing; "lightly dank and dripping with flavors of pineapple, guava and tangelo," the 7.3 percent ABV beer was brewed with Mosaic, Styrian Wolf, and Cashmere, the brewery says. The second beer, with Barley Brown's Brew Pub in Oregon, is "light on the palate with a delicate bitterness," the brewery says. It's "a modern take on West Coast IPA with notes of ripe honey dew, mangoes, Mandarin orange, stone fruit and strawberries and brewed with Citra and Simcoe.

Tuesday, August 11
Woods Boss Brewing will note its three-year anniversary by tapping two new beers. Chili Lime Lager was brewed with limes and steeped on over four pound per barrel of fresh roasted Anaheim, Serrano, and Jalepeno peppers. The second beer is called Right Side of the Hammock West Coast IPA.

Wednesday, August 12
Copper Kettle Brewing continues its series of unusual firkins by tapping its Jalapeño Lager and Jalapeño Sobremesa. Both will come with a doughnut hole.

Saturday, August 15
Bierstadt Lagerhaus celebrates its fourth anniversary with food specials, live music from 5 to 8 p.m. and lots and lots of lager. "Tables will be properly distanced with masks and all other COVID protocols and restrictions in place," the brewery says. A fässer of Oktoberfest will be tapped at noon. "Come get your sneak peak of everyone's favorite seasonal lager, Märzen. Only fifty liters available, so get here early."

Wednesday, August 19
Avanti's Food & Beverage is transforming its beer garden into a more upscale dining experience from 6 to 10 p.m. when it serves up five courses of elevated southern cuisine, featuring fried chicken from Lea Jane's Hot Chicken, "thoughtfully paired" with five beers from Melvin Brewing in Wyoming. Tickets are $55 each and available via EventBrite.

Thursday, August 20
Ska Street Brewstillery in Boulder hosts a socially distant pairing dinner from 5 to 9 p.m. The four-course dinner includes beers and cocktails expertly paired with dishes. General seating is $45 per person, or VIP seating with brewery owners Dave Thibodeau and Bill Graham is $55. Call 720-510-9921 for reservations.

Saturday, August 22
Holidaily Brewing, Golden's dedicated gluten-free beer maker, releases Patchy Waters Pumpkin Ale on tap and in four-packs to go. The brewery will block off the parking lot from 2 to 6 p.m. for outdoor seating. Dedicated Bistro & Bakery will be serving food.

Friday, August 28
One of Colorado's best pumpkin beer returns to Odyssey Beerwerks in Arvada, which host a release of Fluffy Pumpkin Toasted Marshmallow Porter. "Deep flavors of spiced pumpkin and toasted marshmallow dance with notes of chocolate and graham cracker," the brewery says.

Saturday, August 29
Strange Craft Beer Company turned ten years old last May, and the brewery that kicked off Denver's taproom revolution wants to celebrate — in a safe way. As such, it is throwing a distanced event. Each table includes, per person, two sixteen-ounce beers, lunch or dinner from the Barrett & Pratt food truck, and a cupcake from Valhalla Cakes paired with a birthday shot of Dr Strangelove Barleywine.