Look below for all of this week's beery events:
Wednesday, January 25Oskar Blues and Old Chicago team up again today when the Colorado-based restaurant chain taps HGH Part DUH at several dozens of location in Colorado, Wyoming, Arizona, Oregon and Wisconsin; the 7.5 percent ABV beer is part of Old Chicago's annual I Love Beer Mini Tour and is only available at their restaurants for a limited time. Old Chicago's Market Street location in Downtown Denver will hold a tapping part tonight at 6 p.m. in the back bar, complete with complimentary munchies and samples from brewery reps. HGH was made using hops grown on the brewery's Hops & Heifers Farm in Longmont, and debuted last year on draft and in a limited run of cans at the brewery. In 2011, Oskar Blues brewed one of its cult favorites, Deviant Dales IPA, for an exclusive run at Old Chicago. That beer went on to medal at the Great American Beer Festival and will be packaged for the first time in sixteen-ounce cans this March.
Caution: Brewing's new Toaster Bat Black Smoked Robust Porter, an 8.5 percent ABV winter brew, will debut today at 4 p.m. exclusively at Cedar Creek Pub, 2100 North Ursula Street, which is located near the new Children's Hospital on the Fitzsimmons campus in Aurora. Come by to meet the brewers and score some swag.
Friday, January 27
Great Divide will tap a firkin of Oaked Yeti Imperial Stout around 3 p.m. in the taproom -- just in case that is interesting to you. It's being called Morning Wood.
Update: Apparently, the Winter Brew Fest is sold out, but if you show up with $35, there is a chance you can get in if someone leaves, according to the fest's "one in, one out" policy. The annual Winter Brew Fest at Mile High Station, 2027 West Lower Colfax Avenue, runs today from 7 to 10 p.m. with more than 150 beers from 45 breweries and cider makers. General-admission tickets are $30 (or $35 the day of) and include unlimited tastings and a souvenir glass. There is also a one-hour VIP session beginning at 6 p.m. that includes a cheese sampling and beer pairing. VIP tickets are $40 ($45 the day of). The Winter Brew Fest also features live music and food vendors; a portion of the proceeds benefits the Swallow Hill Music Association.
Crazy Mountain Brewing in Edwards will celebrate its two-year anniversary today with a party at the brewery from 6 to 9:30 p.m. Enjoy live bluegrass music from the Laughing Bones and $2 beer specials for a limited time.
Saturday, January 28
Stout Month begins in four days at Vine Street Pub in Denver and at the Mountain Sun and Southern Sun pubs in Boulder, but for those who can't wait, Vine Street is throwing a Stout Month preview party at 3 p.m. today; tickets are $50 and can be bought at all three venues. There will be several stouts on tap, including a new one, Oatimus Prime Imperial Oatmeal Stout, along with Old School Dry Irish, Trickster, Chocolate Dip, Addiction, Dropkick, Stoked Oak, Nihilist, Girl Scout and Korova Cream. These will be paired with hors d'oeuvre, including toast crisps with sharp cheddar cheese, apricot compote and a stout reduction; smoked knockwurst and pretzel skewers; poached pears, Gorgonzola, crushed pistachios and a honey drizzle served on toast; and candied grapefruit rinds dipped in dark chocolate.
Renegade Brewing brings back its beer and pretzel pairing today at 2 p.m., serving up hot pretzel toppers from the Denver Pretzel Company that are served on top of a beer. Today's pairing brings back the most popular one so far: a chocolate and peanut butter-drizzled pretzel paired with Black Gold Imperial Peanut Butter Cup Stout. Brewery owner Brian O'Connell says the sold out fast last time, so get there early.
Sunday, January 29
Wake up right today with a three-course, sit-down brunch at Copper Kettle Brewing, which will give attendees a sneak peak of its new High Country Imperial Bourbon Breakfast Stout (being released to the public on February 4), made with a pound of coffee, dark chocolate and Kentucky aged bourbon. There will be two brunch sessions, one at 10 a.m. and one at noon; tickets are $30 per person. Brunch will be provided by the Chef Driven food truck, which will use some of the same ingredients as Copper Kettle does in its beer (bourbon in a maple syrup, for example). An appetizer will be paired with the brewery's Czech Pilsner, a main dish accompanies the Bourbon Breakfast Stout, and dessert will come with Mexican Chocolate Stout.
Tuesday, January 31
Euclid Hall breaks out its Beer Bites program, a weekly series running through January, today from 3 p.m. to close. Beer Bites includes three two-ounce pours of selected beers paired with three bite-sized snacks for $12.50 in the bar; today's lineup involves dark and strong beers.
Wednesday, February 1
Today marks the beginning of Stout Month at Denver's Vine Street Pub and the Mountain and Southern Sun Pub & Breweries in Boulder. The nineteenth annual celebration of stouts offers one of the most amazing array of dark beers made in Colorado at revolving taps at all three locations. There will be dozens of stouts on tap from Mountain Sun, as well as guest taps from other breweries. Some of the Mountain Sun specialties include Chocolate Dip Stout, Korova Cream Stout, Old School Irish Stout, Yonder Mountain Stout, Thunder Head Stout, Cherry Dip Stout, Coconut Cream Stout, Dark Harvest Pumpkin Stout, Bourbon Barrel Aged Stoked Oak Stout, Trickster Stout, Usurper Imperial Stout, Addiction Coffee Imperial Stout, Nihilist Imperial Stout, and new ones, Oatimus Prime Imperial Oatmeal Stout and Megatron Imperial American Stout.
