Beer Calendar: American Craft Beer Week Kicks Off; New Brews from Strange, Spangalang, Denver Beer Co

Golden City Brewery — which was founded in 1993 as Golden's "2nd Largest Brewery," has been slowly changing and expanding over the last year, eliminating the kitchen, renovating the taproom, adding new fermentation and serving tanks and walk-in cooler capacity, expanding its distribution and ramping up its packaging with a lineup of cans. As a result, the brewery broke a production record in April, turning out 200 barrels of beer during the month. The patio will be hopping this summer.

Wednesday, May 6
Crooked Stave will welcome the return of HopSavant, its acclaimed American Brettanomyces IPA, today at 6 p.m. The newest version, HopSavant Amarillo at 7 percent ABV, "was primary fermented in oak and was dry-hopped with over three pounds per barrel of Amarillo hops, a varietal from the Yakima Valley known for its floral and citrus notes," the brewery says. Hop Savant should now become a year-round offering. Crooked Stave will also release the May 2015 batch of Surette Provision Saison today.

Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods, Inc., (CHUN), which hosts the long-running annual People's Fair, taking place June 6-7, will host a weekly concert series through May at Lost Highway Brewing that is dedicated to promoting this year's event by highlighting the various bands that will play. Today's bands are Six Foot Joe & The Red Hot Rhinos, 6 to 6:45 p.m., and Rachel and the Ruckus, 7 to 8 p.m. They will be followed on May 13 by Biff Gore Band and P-Nuckle. After that, it's Stolen Instruments and The Mighty Nice Band on May 20, and Barry Shapiro Band and Ryan Chrys & The Rough Cuts on May 27.

This month, Copper Kettle Brewing has aged its Naja Imperial Red IPA on a variety of woods to create different flavors for its weekly cask program. Today's is Naja with red oak. Califoria Wrap Runner will be serving food at 5 p.m.

Alpine Dog Brewing will release a barleywine today. The Mestizos Food Truck will be on hand, and there will be live music.

Thursday, May 7
Head over to World of Beer today from 5 to 7 p.m. in LoDo to try Spencer Trappist Ale, which is rolling out in Colorado this month. The first Trappist Ale made in the United States, the beer is brewed by monks at St. Joseph's Abbey in Spencer, Massachusetts. There will be brewery representatives on hand.

Friday, May 8
Spangalang Brewery will release its newest beer, D Train IPA, today when it opens at noon. The 6.5 percent ABV beer is "heavy on hop aroma, with a moderate bitterness level. Enormous American hop aromas of tangerine and passion fruit prevail, with a dry, citrus finish," the brewery says. They will also have complimentary wings from the Welton Street Cafe at 12:30 p.m. (wings will be limited, so get there early). And as an early Mother’s Day gift, the brewery will be giving all mom’s a free ten-ounce pour of the new IPA or the Belgian Table Beer. The free beer deal for Moms will continue on Mother’s Day (Sunday) as well from noon to 8 p.m.

Inspired by its Collaboration Fest beer with Strange Craft Beer, Copper Kettle Brewing will tap a variation of it today — an American blonde with basil and cherries. Amazeballs will be there at 2 p.m. serving meatball combinations.

Strange Craft Beer Company is celebrating its fifth anniversary, along with American Craft Beer Week. Tonight it taps Paint It Black Honey Coffee Stout. There will be live music from Roma Ransom at 6 p.m.

Diebolt Brewing is tapping the inaugural release of Rayon Solaire today at 4 p.m. "Rayon Solaire or Solar Ray is a French IPA with a very simple malt bill, American and New Zealand hops and a French yeast strain," the brewery says. "Clocking in at 8 percent ABV and 70 IBU, Rayon Solaire boasts a beautiful, blonde color; big, bold, tropical fruit nose; spicy flavor and a smooth, slightly bitter finish.

300 Suns Brewing in Longmont will tap Beet Cancer today at 5 p.m. — a beer that was brewed to honor brewery co-founder Mark Lusher, who died recently, and to raise money for his family. Longmont's six breweries collaborated on the recipe, which has notes of white pepper, light fruit esters and tropical flavors. The beer was brewed by Oskar Blues and will be available at all six breweries next week.

Saturday, May 9
The Boulder County New Brew Fest, hosted the Colorado Beer Trail, returns to Whistle Stop Park in Niwot today, showcasing thirty Boulder County-area breweries and cideries, all of them under five years old. Eight of the thirty breweries are new to the event; Boulder County has approximately 65 craft breweries and cideries in total, with approximately half under five years old. The fest runs from 1 to 5 p.m. (general admission) with VIP guests getting in at noon. GA tickets are $40 in advance and $45 the day of. VIP costs $85.

Strange Craft Beer Company is celebrating its fifth anniversary, along with American Craft Beer Week. Tonight its taps Dr. Strangelove Barleywine, both the 2013 and 2014 editions. There will be live music from Ground Cover at 6 p.m.

38 State Brewing will celebrate its one-year anniversary today with live music from Black and Blues Guys & OAK, gourmet burgers from The Hamborghini, a live broadcast from American Craft Beer Radio, games, giveaways and more.

Sunday, May 10
Station 26 hosts its monthly Bluegrass Brunch today starting at 11 a.m. and featuring beer, live music from The Lonesome Days, donuts from Glazed & Confuzed, and barbecue from Rolling Smoke.

Strange Craft Beer Company is celebrating its fifth anniversary, along with American Craft Beer Week. Tonight it taps ColoREDo, a Collaboration Brew. There will be live music from Denny Driscoll at 3 p.m.

Colorado Plus Brewpub will give up its taps to both Strange Brewing and Odyssey Beerworks for an event called A Strange Odyssey starting at 4 p.m.

Avery Brewing will hold a Liliko'i Kepolo Luau today starting at 11 a.m. for this 5.4 percent ABV beer, which will be released in cans for the first time. It is a version of Avery's White Rascal belgian white with passion fruit added.

Monday, May 11
Small and independent craft breweries will be celebrated across the country starting today with the return of the annual American Craft Beer Week, which runs through May 17. "All 50 states will hold events including exclusive brewery tours, special craft beer releases, food and beer pairings, tap takeovers and more to honor the ever-advancing craft beer culture and unite tens of thousands of beer lovers nationwide," says the Boulder-based Brewers Association. We will list some of them here. Find more listings at craftbeer.com.

Denver Beer Co holds its Princess Yum Yum Raspberry Kolsch Can Release Party all day long today at the Platte Street taproom, where you can buy a six-pack. The first one hundred people to do so get to enjoy a taster paired with cheesecake from Wooden Spoon & Bakery. And if you stop by tomorrow, May 12, you can try to create a castle out of Princess Yum Yum Cans. You have fifteen minutes to make your castle. They will all be judged at the end of the night. The winner gets beer.

Tuesday, May 12
Ernie’s Bar & Pizza is hosting its second annual female brewer tap takeover featuring beer from around the country that were brewed by women (with a focus on Colorado). The takeover kicks off today, in celebration of American Craft Beer Week, when the majority of the brewers will be on hand at Ernie’s for the Pink Boots Society Reception where guests will have the opportunity to meet the brewers, sample beers and enjoy live music. The beers will remain on tap through Friday, May 15, and are expected to sell out fast. Ernie’s will donate fifty cents from each pint sold to the Pink Boots Scholarship Fund to help send a female brewer to school.

Wednesday, May 13
Longmont's Left Hand Brewing is debuting a brand-new, year-round bottled beer today with a party in its taproom. The beer, Introvert IPA, is a session ale, weighing in at 4.8 percent ABV, part of a recent trend toward lower-alcohol IPAs.  "Opinionated and hopped-up, Introvert can easily be misunderstood for having a strong personality. But this artistically complex IPA seeks balance and creative harmony with a ... relaxed pace," the brewery says. "he beer’s brilliant gold color hints at the character inside, revealing a well-versed hop blend of CTZ, Centennial, Cascade, Chinook, Sterling, and Comet. Hop aromas of tropical papaya and kiwi with woodsy pine reveal the balanced honey malt and a clean bitter finish within...Introvert was developed over the course of six months, testing multiple batches with accounts and fans for feedback, selecting the best hop personalities. Introvert IPA will be a unique compliment to Left Hand’s 400 Pound Monkey, offering fans year-round availability of both an American and an English-Style IPA." The beer will be tapped when the taproom opens at noon, but the party will start at 5 p.m. with music, games and giveaways. Introvert will be available in six-packs on liquor store shelves beginning this week.

Former Future and Maria Empanada will hold their third beer and empanada pairing today from 7 to 10 p.m. You get four beers and four empanadas for $12.

This month, Copper Kettle Brewing aged its Naja Imperial Red IPA on a variety of woods to create different flavors for its weekly cask program. Today's is Naja with Hickory spirals.

Wonderland Brewing celebrates its one-year anniversary today by tapping its barrel-aged Anniversary Barley Wine (and get $2 off beers all day). There will also be various activities and food trucks for the rest of the week.

Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project will release Batch #50, a Grand Cru Wild Ale Aged for 22 months in wine barrels, today at 6 p.m. in its taproom at The Source. Batch #50 will be a taproom-only bottle release, with only 100 total cases produced. Anticipated bottle limit will be four bottles per person. Brewed in June of 2013, the 6 percent ABV beer is a blend of some of Crooked Stave’s oldest barrels, some of which had Colorado peaches added in late 2013. “Releasing Batch #50 is an opportunity for us to showcase the amazing cellar potential of our beers,” said Crooked Stave owner Chad Yakobson in a statement. “These are some of our original barrels so it is really exciting to see how this beer has changed over 22 months. With extended aging, we start to see a pleasant tannic quality develop as well as sweet vinous notes and rich stone fruit characters.” Batch #50 is the fourth in Crooked Stave’s “Batch” line, which started with the release of Batch #1, Burgundy Sour Ale with Raspberries, at Crooked Stave’s Barrel Cellar in 2011. Since then, the brewery has added Batch #60 Dry Hopped American Wild Ale, Batch #100 Wild Ale with Centennial Kumquats & Dry Hopped with Centennial Hops, and now Batch #50. Crooked Stave will also release Blueberry Petite Sour today at 6 p.m. on tap. The brewery first released this beer to its Cellar Reserve members in 2013 as a small batch experiment. But due to its popularity, it is releasing the beer to the public. 

Thursday, May 14
The BSide in Denver will host one of several cocktail mixers tonight from 6 to 9 p.m. that New Belgium Brewing is throwing in conjunction with Girls Pint Out — a national organization that connects beer-loving women. The event, which will include mixing and mingling, will also celebrate the release of New Belgium’s new Pear Ginger beer. There will be crafty mixology, beer samples and food. Pear Ginger is "a zesty, invigorating summer sipper crafted for beer glasses and mixologists’ cocktail shakers," New Belgium says. "Warming, spicy ginger punctuates the lemon, pear and bready white wheat. It starts sweet, but finishes with just the right amount of heat. You can drink it straight, no chaser, or put a new spin on a classic gimlet." The event includes one cocktail made with New Belgium’s Pear Ginger beer, two samples of beer cocktails, samples of other New Belgium beers and appetizers. Tickets are $10.

Friday, May 15
To celebrate American Craft Beer Week, Copper Kettle Brewing has teamed up with Tender Belly for a custom bacon pairing event tonight at 7 p.m. For $25 (excluding tax and tip), you get four gourmet bacons, four craft beer samples and fresh fruit. The pairing takes place inside Copper Kettle's event center next door. This will sellout. Get tickets at eventgrid.com/Events/16078.

Denver Beer Co's Canworks production facility will celebrate ACBW and the release of its Princess Yum Yum Raspberry Kölsch in cans by offering free tours and taster flights from 5 to 7 p.m. today at the Canworks in Sunnyside.

Strange Craft Beer will tap Vanilla Rum Porter today. There will be live music from James & The Devil at 6:30 p.m.

Saturday, May 16
Upslope Brewing will host its second annual Upslope Get Down today from 1 to 11 p.m. at its larger Flatiron Park location. The event is a free music festival with eight bands on two stages, and also features plenty of beer and food in the back parking lot. 

A Berliner Weisse Smackdown will take place today at the newly opened Two Penguins Tap & Grill in Centennial. The showdown takes place between the Elk Mountain and Dry Dock breweries, which will each bring their best Berliner Weisse to the table. Two Penguins will be serving four-ounce blind tasters of each brew, $6 for both, and asking customers to rate them.

Grist Brewing will release a limited number of bottles of Virgil's Reserve today at noon at the taproom. "This beer started out as our 3rd Ring Belgian Strong Ale and has been naturally souring in wine barrels for several months," the brewery says.

Caution: Brewing will host its third anniversary party today at Caution East in Denver starting at noon today. There will be a pig roast, live music, cool new beer tappings and more.

Copper Kettle will host a beer and chocolate pairing today at 7 p.m. with four gourmet Hawaiian chocolates from Cacao Girl Chocolates and four craft beer samples. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased online or in the tap room.

Parker-based Hall Brewing will host a membership rally for the Boulder, Colorado-based American Homebrewers Association (AHA) today from 1 to 4 p.m. The event starts at Hall's tasting room, 10970 South Parker Road, and includes a shuttle-bus trips to Hall’s unusual homestead brewery, which is located on seven acres east of Parker and isn't typically open to the public. Attendees will enjoy samplings of the brewery’s beers, educational info on Hall beers and homebrewing and local fare. Admission to the event is free for current members of the AHA. AHA members can RSVP and get more details here. Non AHA members can attend by joining the AHA.

Tuesday, May 19
Strange Craft Beer Company celebrates its fifth anniversary today by tapping an oaked version of its Dr. Strangelove barleywine. Wish them a happy birthday and get a free five-ounce taster of your choice (not including Dr. Strangelove). Fourth Dog Floyd will play live music at 6 p.m. There will be an hourly raffle from 5 to 9 p.m.; tickets are available with pint purchase.

Wednesday, May 20
This month, Copper Kettle Brewing aged its Naja Imperial Red IPA on a variety of woods to create different flavors for its weekly cask program. Today's is Naja with cherrywood chips.

Wednesday, May 27
This month, Copper Kettle Brewing aged its Naja Imperial Red IPA on a variety of woods to create different flavors for its weekly cask program. Today's is Naja with sassafras chips.

Friday, May 29
Odell Brewing will kick off a three-day party in its taproom today to celebrate a new beer called Barrel Thief. The 9.4 percent ABV Imperial IPA "was stolen from the brew house and stashed away in medium-toast, new American oak barrels. The brew features a notorious tropical fruit hop character that tangles with hints of vanilla, dried fruit, and toasted nut from its time served in the barrel," the brewery says. Odell will have it on tap and will be selling it in 750 ml bottles in liquor stores.

Saturday, May 30
Oskar Blues brings back Burning Can for the fourth consecutive summer in Bohn Park in Lyons, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., featuring canned beers from more than fifty breweries around the country, along with a host of outdoor activities and the chance to watch world class athletes compete in professional kayaking, dirt jumping and slacklining. There will also be a kids climbing wall, live music from The Revivalists, dancing and food. New this year is the Beer Relay, a trail running and beer drinking event in which you can take turn with your friends to run a 5K. "You get two minutes taken off each lap time if you drink a 12-once Oskar Blues beer before you start," the brewery says. Tickets range from $45 to $100. Find them at eventbrite.com.


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