Beer Calendar: Watering Cans, Zombie Beer and a Street Pub

When massive floods hit the Front Range two years ago, Boulder County, including the towns of Lyons and Longmont, was particularly hard hit. In response, Oskar Blues Brewery founder Dale Katechis founded CAN'd Aid to provide assistance to those struggling to rebuild after the waters receded. CAN'd Aid lived on after 2013 and has provided more than $1 million to to support small businesses and families in need throughout the country. Oskar Blues also operates a second brewery in Brevard, North Carolina, and is known as an innovator in craft-beer canning technology, so when heavy rains hit the Atlantic seaboard earlier this month (in what news reports were calling a 500-year flood), the brewery sprang into action and, with the help of Ball Corp., provided more than 38,000 cans of drinking water to hard-hit Columbia, South Carolina, on October 12, with more water being canned and delivered throughout this week. Nonprofit organization All Hands is assisting in the delivery of the canned water and freight has been donated by Justus Truck Lines.

Here's what's happening on the beer scene at home:

Wednesday, October 14
Copper Kettle Brewing will put the pumpkin on a pedestal this month, tapping a different pumpkin beer firkin each Wednesday. Today's is Peanut Butter Pumpkin Brown Ale. Pavy's Food Truck will be on hand with gourmet sandwiches.

Friday, October 16
Today at noon, Comrade Brewing is tapping Putsch Black IPA (7.3 percent ABV). Owner David Lin says the beer is brewed without mashing the roasted grains, so it has minimal roast character and is hopped with Azacca, Nugget and Simcoe. This is the third release of this seasonal beer.

Dry Dock Brewing Company's weekly Firkin Friday at the South Dock location features a beer created by the brewery's homebrew supply shop, The Brew Hut, with the help of Backyard Soda Company. "We used Backyard's Ginger Lime simple syrup to add sweetness and spice to Dry Dock's newest kettle sour, Regal Tang No. 1," the brewery states. The firkin taps at 3 p.m. and Backyard Soda Company will be in the tasting room sampling its simple syrups.

Saturday, October 17
Copper Kettle Brewing will release its seasonal, Well Bred, today. The English barleywine is on tap and in 22-ounce bomber bottles to go. It has "lots of malt, caramel undertones, and hints of vanilla come out in this year's version, aged in bourbon barrels from Versailles, Kentucky," the brewery says. The Wing Wagon Grill will be out for the occasion serving wings, ribs and burgers.

Deschutes Brewery, from Bend, Oregon, is bringing its traveling pop-up pub to Denver today from 2 to 10 p.m., when it will set up a 402-foot custom bar on 21st Street between Blake and Larimer streets. Deschutes will be pouring and selling beers from forty taps and donating 100 percent of the proceeds to Bicycle Colorado. In addition to many of the brewery's well-known beers, the Deschutes Street Pub will be selling food: The brewery's chef, Jeff Usinowicz will be working with Jake Grant of Euclid Hall and Carrie Baird of Brazen to create dishes that complement the beers being served. There will also be live music and kids' activities. 

Do you like chile? How about chile beers? Then head to the seventeenth annual Golden City Brewery Chile Fest today in Golden, where fifteen local chile cooks will enter their finest creations into a competition (and offer more for guests to sample). In addition, GCB will be pouring its legendary Hatch green-chile beer alongside three other breweries, which will also bring chile beers. Attendees can vote for their favorite. It's free to sample chile, although GCB is requesting a $10 donation to support the Christian Action Guild Food Bank. In return for the donation, you'll get a sixteen-ounce commemorative beer glass and one free pint of beer or soda. The fest starts at noon.

Monday, October 19
Join Dry Dock Brewing Company and The Truffle cheese shop for a beer and cheese pairing at 6:30 p.m. at the brewery's South Dock location. This event includes pours of Dry Dock's Chocolate Raspberry Porter, Regal Tang Kettle Sour, Signature Series Double Vanilla Porter and Apricot Blonde — paired with four cheeses. Tickets are $25 each and can be purchased at the South Dock tasting room.

Wednesday, October 21
Big Choice Brewing will release a beer today at 4:29 p.m. that brewmaster Nathaniel Miller has been working on for six months. OBEAH is a Caribbean-inspired imperial stout, at 10 percent ABV, that was brewed with Caribbean jerk spices and aged in rum barrels. It will be sold in 19.2-ounce cans at the brewery while supplies last, and may hit a few liquors stores. In addition, the cans, made by Germany's XOLUTION, are resealable, meaning you should be able to drink some of the beer and save the rest for later. 

Saturday, October 24
Dry Dock Brewing is celebrating its tenth anniversary with a party from 2 to 6 p.m. at its North Dock location at 2801 Tower Road in Aurora. The party will feature live music, food from Big Kiwi Eats and a big list of beers, including beers poured from the barrel and the debut of Dry Dock 10th Anniversary Quad. "When we launched a craft brewery in the back of our homebrew shop The Brew Hut ten years ago, we never expected to grow like we did," says the brewery. "From expanding into the tap room off of Hampden to our first barrel-aged beer, and now to canning at our production facility, this city has always been our home. The community and the people who live here are the reason we love doing what we do." Tickets for the event can be purchased on Dry Dock's Imbibe webpage.

Lone Tree Brewing Company is releasing its annual Zombie Red IPA at 11 a.m. "This taste of the Zombie Apocalypse balances malt sweetness and bold hops with bright citrus and subtle earthiness," says the brewery. The beer is 8.5 percent ABV and is hopped to a whopping 90 IBUs. Bombers of the beer will only be sold at the brewery and in past years have sold out within hours. Shirts, Zombue Red IPA glassware and other surprises will also be available.

Thursday, October 29
Dry Dock Brewing Company is releasing its Double Coffee Porter for the second year running. This whiskey barrel aged beer is the fourth of six 2015 Signature Series releases. It will be available on draft and in bombers today in the Canoe Room at North Dock at 2801 Tower Road in Aurora. The beer will also be available at South Dock and in liquor stores across Colorado starting next week.

Sunday, November 7
Boulder Beer Company releases The Dude’s D’Spare today at a party from noon to 3 p.m. at the the Pub at Boulder Beer. All bottles purchased during the party will be signedby brewmaster David Zuckerman and the infamous Shipping Dude, according to the brewery. The first 150 guests will also receive a complimentary 4-ounce pour of the beer, a barrel-aged imperial stout. Attendees will also be entered to win a VIP party at the brewery with a $500 retail value. Other fun activities at the Big Lebowksi-themed party include robe giveaways, lawn bowling and a photo booth. "This Imperial Stout uses a blend of specialty malts for a dark chocolate, roasty flavor with hints of black licorice," Boulder Beer notes. "Aging it in first-use Cabernet wine barrels adds depth, bringing out soft fruit flavors and subtle oakiness. The stout rings in at ten percent ABV and 52 IBU." The brewery adds that the barrels onsite "really tied the room together."

Monday, November 9
Enjoy pints and painting tonight at Dry Dock Brewing Company's South Dock location at 6:30 p.m. This class costs $40 and includes painting supplies, instruction and your first pint of Dry Dock beer. Sign up at The Paint Cella website while tickets are still available.