Beer Calendar: Valentine's Day and New Brews at TRVE, Liberati and Diebolt

Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project has opened its brand-new, 3,000-square-foot Fort Collins taproom as part of a new Old Town community center called the Exchange. It boasts twenty taps serving a wide range of the brewery's wild and sour ales, along with a patio.

"Bringing Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project back to the town in which it was first conceived has been a dream of the owner, Chad Yakobson, a graduate of Colorado State University in 2006," the brewery explains. "It got its start as an extension of Yakobson's master’s thesis on Brettanomyces yeast species and their use in the brewing industry. ... Having an experimental pilot system and active taproom right next door to the Fermentation Science program at CSU allows us to work more in-depth with students and the program itself. Chad Yakobson currently sits on the advisory board for the program and hopes it will lead to great opportunities for Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project and Colorado State University."

Crooked Stave was founded in 2010 and brewed its first beers at Funkwerks in Fort Collins before moving to a business park in Denver the next year and following up with a taproom at the Source in 2014.

Keep reading to see all of this week's craft-beer events.
Wednesday, February 13
Liberati Osteria & Oenobeers taps three new beers at 4 p.m. The first is a Belgian Dubbel with 49 percent Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Syrah grapes; it is "a bit of an ode to the new world fruit bombs," the brewery says. The second is a Nut Brown with 11 percent Viogner grapes; this beer is light brown in color and "dangerously drinkable." The final beer is Strong Belgian Golden, made with 46 percent Gewürztraminer and Marsanne grapes: "For a fruity white wine lover but with the dryness one would find in a Duvel."

Join Copper Kettle Brewing for the first release of Snowed In Cherry, a new iteration of its Snowed In bourbon-barrel-aged imperial oatmeal stout. Made with Cholaca liquid cocoa and sour cherries, this 13.5 percent ABV "rich stout presents smooth body with a tart finish," the brewery says. It will be available on tap in 19.2-ounce stovepipe cans to go. Doors open at 2 p.m.

Thursday, February 14
Dos Luces Brewing, which specializes in making corn- and maguey-based chicha and pulque, will tap a new beverage this evening in conjunction with a chocolate-and-beer pairing from 7 to 9 p.m. The new release is Dry Hopped Chicha, Dos Luces’s first chicha to use hops. Made with malted blue corn, clove, cinnamon and El Dorado hops, this beer has a dry spiciness that makes it well-suited for pairing with sweet foods. And speaking of sweet foods, Janel Rosales of Cultura Craft Chocolates will be in the house, pairing six different chocolates or chocolate-covered fruits with six chichas or pulques. Tickets, $30, are available at squareup.com.

Love is in the air, and on Valentine's Day, "you're gonna fall madly in love with Belgian Chocolate Raspberry Love Stout," which Strange Craft Beer has been tapping on February 14 for years. This limited imperial stout with raspberries and chocolate has "subtle notes of rose, passion flower and honey," Strange says.

Diebolt Brewing taps Double Dutch Chocolate Bourbon Aged Imperial Stout for Valentine's Day. It was made with Dutch cocoa powder, cacao nibs and French sea salt.

Join Baere Brewing on Valentine's Day for a beer release and a beer-and-cupcake pairing with Buttercream Bakeshop. Here's a description of the beer: "We took four oak barrels of our mixed-culture sour brown and aged them in freshly emptied Laws Whiskey barrels for up to nine months. Then we blended them and aged some of the delicious nectar on freshly harvested Palisade Bing cherries." Baere will have both the regular and Bing cherry versions on tap and in 375ml bottles to go. As for the cupcake pairing, you get four cupcake bites and four beer samples for $20.

Comrade Brewing taps Media Blackout American Stout, which was brewed "with a rich blend of roasted British malts and flaked barley," the brewery says. The 5.9 percent ABV beer was also "generously hopped with Simcoe hops to match the big roast flavors of this pitch black ale."

Burns Family Artisan Ales releases Stolen Kiss, a 14.5 percent ABV Rum Barrel Aged Imperial Brown. It will be on tap and in 750ml bottles. The beer will be paired with Girl Scout cookies at 7 p.m.

Call to Arms Brewing will release Low Hanging Fruit at 3 p.m. "This beer began its journey as a sessionable, dry stout that's rested in oak puncheons for eight months on CTA's house culture. An addition of boysenberry and pomegranate produce a jammy, fruit-forward sour with gentle malt character," the brewery says. Call to Arms will also tap Kiss From a Rose, a French saison brewed with Nelson Sauvin hops and infused with fresh orange zest and a gentle amount of hibiscus. "This beer pours a beautiful, bright rose color, with multiple layers of complexity throughout," the brewery says. Mas Kaos Pizzeria & Taqueria will be offering a special dessert menu with suggested beer pairings.

Friday, February 15
Hogshead Brewery brings back its annual weekend-long Hogshead Days party. The brewery, which specializes in English-style cask ales, will tap a variety of dark or heavy specialties. They include Window Licker Barleywine, Barrel Aged Old Burton Extra Old Ale, Barrel Aged Divine Right Russian Imperial Stout, Gilpin Black Gold, John Stout Porter From the Wood, and Bourbon 101.

Come party with Factotum Brewhouse, which celebrates its fourth anniversary with a two-day party. Doors open at 3 p.m. on Friday, when the brewery will tap Tiramisu Nitro Stout; there will be food from Morsa's Kitchen and music from Big J. Beats. Then on Saturday, Factotum will tap its fourth-anniversary beer, Mango Pineapple Berliner Weisse, at noon. There will be food from Crescent City Connection and music all day.

TRVE Brewing will release a beer called Where I Leave at noon. "Remember just about a year ago when we went up for a blending session with New Belgium Brewing. After a good long rest, the fruits of our collaborative labor is ready for release," TRVE says. "This beer is composed of a specific blend of beer we hand selected from one of the bajillion New Belgium foeders and barrel-aged stock from the Acid Temple. The result is an incredible melding of our house cultures and characters. We can’t even express how big a deal this is for us. To have collaborated with such an incredible, long-standing brewery, one that inspired us, and one we’ve looked up to as long as we’ve been able to drink beer, is a massive honor."

Freshcraft will tap its own keg of Russian River Brewing's Pliny the Younger at 5:30 p.m. To make it extra fun, the restaurant will also tap the California brewery's Pliny the Elder, Blind Pig IPA, STS Pilsner, Damnation and Supplication. "Due to anticipated heavy attendance, no reservations will be accepted at Freshcraft on this evening; it will be first come, first served. For more details, go to Freshcraft's Facebook page.

Saturday, February 16
River North Brewery will celebrate its seventh anniversary by tapping seven barrel-aged beers, including its Anniversary Ale 7. There will also be some one-off tappings, including Nelson Sauvin Mountain Haze and Peach J. Marie. Enjoy a mini birthday cake and beer pairing with Good Sugar Baking starting at noon and tacos and other deliciousness by El Taco Veloz Food Truck.

Station 26 Brewing brings out its own Stout Month offering by tapping Nightfall of Diamonds Barrel Aged Imperial Stout: Moghli. This variant of the beer (formerly known as Dark Star) "is a flavorful combination of caraway, cinnamon, pistachio, almond, walnut and coconut, infused with the dark chocolate," the brewery says. There will be a limited number of Crowlers available at 11 a.m.

Falling Rock Tap House taps the original cult beer, Russian River Brewing's Pliny the Younger Triple IPA, at 1 p.m. today and tomorrow (it typically sells out within minutes or at least a few hours). Doors open, however, at 11 a.m., which is when Falling Rock will begin distributing tickets. If you get one, it means you get a pour, but only if you're there at 1 p.m. For the rest of the rules, go to Falling Rock's Facebook page.

TRVE Brewing releases two new beers from its spontaneous-fermentation program at noon. Axioma is "a blend of one and two year old spontaneously fermented ales brewed per the traditional Belgian spontaneous brewing methods," TRVE says. In Waves of Golden Light is "a young, non-traditional spontaneous ale aged on Colorado-grown apricots." Approximately 500 bottles were produced of each.

Parry's Pizzeria & Bar also will be tapping Pliny the Younger at two of its locations this weekend. Today you can find it at the Southglenn location, 2154 East Commons Avenue in Centennial. The doors will open at 10 a.m., but you'll need to arrive early for an opportunity to get a ticket. While you wait for your pour, Parry’s will have its breakfast pizza going, as well as 99 other craft beers on tap.

Sunday, February 17
Parry's Pizzeria & Bar will tap Pliny the Younger at its Northglenn location, 100 East 120th Avenue. Doors open at 10 a.m., but you'll need to arrive early for an opportunity to get a ticket. While you wait for your pour, Parry’s will have its breakfast pizza going, as well as 99 other craft beers on tap.

Barrels & Bottles in Golden will tap Pliny the Younger as well. The brewery and bar will begin handing out tickets when it opens at 11 a.m. Once you have a ticket, you are guaranteed an eight-ounce pour of the Younger at any point after tapping at 1 p.m. All tickets must be redeemed by 5 p.m.

Monday, February 18
Diebolt Brewing will tap a new variation of its Vladislav Russian Imperial Stout each Monday in February. Today's is Thin Mint Bourbon Aged Imperial Stout with peppermint extract, Dutch chocolate and cacao nibs.

Wednesday, February 20
Freshcraft will celebrate all things Surly by tapping beers from Minnesota's Surly Brewing; the restaurant will be serving a special entree paired with one of the beers. Several members of the Surly crew will be in attendance, including its head brewer. The beers include:Todd the Axe Man IPA, Barrel Aged Pentagram Sour Ale, DAF Brut IPA, Salted Chocolate Funeral Bar Dessert Stout and Coffee Bender Coffee Infused Brown Ale.

Fire on the Mountain has scored a keg of Russian River's Pliny the Younger for the first time and will tap it at 2 p.m. The wing joint will start handing out tickets at 11 a.m. though. For more details about the rules for getting a ticket (only fifty are available), go to Fire on the Mountain's Facebook page.

Thursday, February 21
Novel Strand Brewing will release three beers in cans at 3 p.m. They are: 2>1, a 7.5 percent ABV IPA made with Amarillo and Vic Secret hops; Alpha-Beta Soup, a hoppy 7.2 percent ABV beer made with Apollo, Citra, Galaxy, Summer and Vic Secret hops; and Contains Hops, which was brewed with Apollo, Citra, Galaxy, Mosaic and Nelson Sauvin hops. La Patrona will be parked outside with tacos.

Finn's Manor taps its five-gallon keg of Russian River's Pliny the Younger at 5 p.m. The beer bar and food-truck court will also tap STS Pilsner, Blind Pig and Damnation. As with most other places that have this rare beer, there are rules for how to get a ticket. Go to the Finn's Manor Facebook page for details.

Friday, February 22
Help Goldspot Brewing celebrate its fourth anniversary with a three-day luau party featuring five new beers:  Strawberry Brett IPA (a collaboration with Woods Boss), Coconut Porter, Pineapple Pale Ale, Maple Brown and Rum Barrel Aged Red Hefeweizen. There will also be custom glassware, anniversary merchandise and food trucks every day (Friday is Michigan Colorado Chefs, Saturday is Toby's New Orleans Po'boys, and Sunday is Ohana Grille). Other beers on tap include Cutter IPA, Pantalones Rojos Red IPA, Kodiak Brown Ale, Lavender Honey Stout, Guanabana Ale, Kolsch, Winter Warmer Lager, Orange Honey Rye Saison, Belgian Dubbel, Rye Pale Ale, Hull and Oats White IPA, Grapefruit Belgian Table Beer and Malbec Barrel Aged Plum Saison.

Saturday, February 23
Freshcraft taps a new beer from Seattle's Fremont Brewing. Release the (Sky) Kraken is a "monstrous" hazy pale ale. Freshcraft will also have other Fremont beers, including 2016 Barrel Aged Dark Star Imperial Stout, Mod Pod IPA and Mountain Daisy IPA.