Speaking of Strange, the Fermentedly Challenged beer blog (which won the Best Booze Blog nod at Westword's recent Denver Web Awards) is reporting that Grimm Brothers and the Rackhouse Pub are organizing a benefit for Strange, which is facing a legal trademark challenge from a homebrew shop in Massachusetts. Stay tuned to Cafe Society, where we'll report more on this fundraiser.
For all of this week's craft events, go to the next page.
Wednesday, November 28
TRVE Brewing will release its newest beer, Atma, today. It's an 8.6 percent ABV Belgian golden strong ale. (TRVE also has new shirts and hoodies in stock.)
The Rackhouse Pub has been hoarding beer. So in the interests of getting that out on the table, the restaurant will begin sharing it with you with in a series of Wednesday night "I'd Tap That" events. The first is today starting at 5 p.m., when the Rackhouse will bring out Mad River Brewing's Barley On Bourbon, Extra Stout On Bourbon, and Belgian IPA. On December 5, it will be Grand Teton Brewing's 2011 Black Cauldron Imperial Stout, XX Bitch Creek Double ESB, and Pursuit Of Hoppiness. Check the web site for the schedule through the end of the year.
Brewery Rickoli in Wheat Ridge (the city's first brewery) plans to open its doors today at 4 p.m. Owner Rick Abitbol will be pouring a lineup of five big beers with a low gluten content: Social Lubricant Scotch Ale; Hearty Rye Stout, Black Pliny Black IPA; Totally Eye-P-A and Aldo Red, a cross between an altbier and an Irish Red.
Friday, November 30
Tis the season, and Dry Dock Brewing in Aurora is into it. The brewery will tap a firkin of Roasted Marshmallow Bethla-yam today at 3 p.m. and another around 7 or 8 p.m.
Freshcraft will tap kegs of three of the biggest bastards in the world today at 7 p.m.: Arrogant Bastard, Double Bastard and Lukcy Basardt, all from Stone Brewing.
Saturday, December 1
Copper Kettle puts its Imperial Pumpkin Porter on nitro today at noon, giving the big gourdy beer a smooth, creamy texture. Brad Murphy and Sam Parks will be kicking ass on guitar at 5 p.m.; a wood fired pizza truck will be on hand too.
The Wynkoop Brewing Company will present its annual Parade of Darks holiday fundraiser and beerfest today from 1 to 4 p.m. The Parade showcases the darker side of seasonal beers from around the state (and a few from out of state), including stouts and barley wines, winter warmers and sours, Belgians and porters. There will also be of selection of cheeses and chocolates to accompany the beers. Wynkoop donates 100 percent of the proceeds to Metro CareRing, a downtown Denver food pantry; last year's event featured seventy beers and raised nearly $14,000. Advance tickets (available until November 30) are $35 and can be purchased at www.ticketalternative.com/Events/20968.aspx. Tickets at the door (if it is not sold out) are $42.
Twisted Pine Brewing in Boulder will release its final Artisan Ale Project beer of the year today from noon to 9 p.m. in the taproom. The series included a new beer each month along with a unique piece of art that was used to decorate the label. The 9 percent ABV beer, Noel Tripel, is a Belgian-style golden ale and "Twisted Pine's first foray into the Tripel style popularized by Trappist monasteries in Belgium," the brewery says. "Spice-scented hop character floats fragrantly from the glass, mingling with sourdough aromatics from Pilsner malt and fruity esters provided by the yeast. The artwork, "Longest Night," was done by local artist Richard Dotson, who will display his artwork on the walls of taproom today as well. Noel Tripel will also be available in a few liquor stores in 750 ml, wax-dipped bottles.
Black Shirt Brewing, the intermittently-open nanobrewery in RiNo, will be open today from 4 to 8 p.m., serving a new beer, which it describes as "an aggressive Red IPA brewed with boatloads of Voss Farms Colorado Chinook hops."
Monday, December 3
River North Brewery plans to break out one of its most anticipated beers today at 3 p.m.: It's whiskey barrel-aged imperial stout, which has been biding its time since early summer. Barrel Series No. 7, Avarice Imperial Stout will be on draft and available in bottles in the taproom today. The brewery made sixty cases, however, so it will also hit a few liquor stores around town next weekend and a handful of draft accounts.
For a few events later in December, go to the next page. Friday, December 7Hops & Pie celebrates Firkin 1st Friday today at 6 p.m. with Boulder's Upslope Brewing, which is bringing a cask of its stellar 8.2 percent ABV Christmas Ale that has been infused with cherries.
Twisted Pine Brewing is giving you three reasons to celebrate the return of its holiday seasonal, Northstar Imperial Porter, today at 4 p.m. in the taproom: a bronze medal at the 2012 European Beer Star competition in Nuremberg, Germany, two weeks ago; a gold medal at the Colorado State Fair in July; and a 97 on ratebeer.com. "Colored like French roast coffee with a head like latte froth, Northstar pours with a release of rich, fragrant caramelized malt aroma laced with swirls of dark chocolate," Twisted Pine says about its 9.1 percent ABV Baltic-style porter.
Thursday, December 6
You can find the Yak & Yet's Chai Milk Stout on tap at Old Chicago in Westminster, at Wadsworth and 88th, today and every day through December as part of the location's Holiday Mini Tour. Other beers included in the tour are Breckenridge Christmas Ale, Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale, Pyramid Snow Cap, Great Divide Hibernation Ale, Avery Old Jubilation Ale, Boulder Beer's Never Summer and Bristol Winter Warlock.
Friday, December 7
The Yak & Yeti will tap and new and unusually named beer today: Off Kilter 80/- (pronounced eighty shilling) is a 5.2 percent ABV Scottish Export. You can read more about the name -- voted on by the Yak's Facebook fans -- on brewmaster Adam Draeger's blog.
Saturday, December 8
Lone Tree Brewing will celebrate its one-year anniversary today by releasing a new beer every two hours starting at 11 a.m. There will be a live radio broadcast, food trucks, live music at 6 p.m. and cake. The beers are as follows: 11 a.m., Vanilla Carmel Amber Ale; 1 p.m., Red Chile; 3 p.m., Tropical Stout; 5 p.m., Peppermint Mocha Porter; and 7 p.m., Nitro Double IPA.
The Focus on the Beer blog in Colorado Springs will celebrate its two-year anniversary (and 500 blog posts) today and tomorrow with a couple of stellar events. Today is the official Focus on the Beer Second Anniversary Party from 5 to 11 p.m. at Trinity Brewing, 1466 Garden of the Gods Road, featuring some rare stuff that is typically hard to come by in Colorado Springs. Examples include: Avery Lilikoi Mahu; Backcountry Zinfandel Barrel Aged Imperial Stout; Funkwerks Deceit; Great Divide Negative Ghost Rider; and Oskar Blues Chardonnay Barrel Aged Mamas Little Yella Pils.
Copper Kettle will serve its English-style black session lager from a hand-pump powered firkin today at noon. There will be a food truck on hand at 5 p.m.
Sunday, December 9
Event planning company Eat Boston, along with Forkly and Denver Off the Wagon will host the Denver Bacon & Beer Festival today from 2:30 to 5 p.m., a greasy, hoppy fiesta that will include 25 Denver/Boulder area chefs, who will make bacon-based dishes, and an equal number of breweries. It happens at Mile High Station; tickets are $40 (if it is not sold out), and some proceeds will benefit Metro CareRing and Project Angel Heart.
The Focus on the Beer blog in Colorado Springs continues its two-day, two-year anniversary party this morning with a Beer Bacon Breakfast at 10 a.m. at Front Range BBQ, 2330 West Colorado Avenue. The five-course, bacon-laden meal will also include rare beer pairings (TBA). Tickets are $50 plus tax and tip; RSVP to 719-632-2596.
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