Beer Calendar: Barrels of Fun at Black Shirt, Chain Reaction; Breakfast at Cerebral

New Belgium forged new ground two years ago when it released Snapshot, a sour wheat for the masses that was available in both twelve-ounce cans and bottles. Now Epic Brewing in Denver is taking things a step further with Tart 'n Juicy Sour IPA, which it calls "a unique fusion of puckering tartness and an abundance of juicy, citrus-driven hops." Sour beers, even kettle-soured ones like this, are an acquired taste for some people, as are sour hoppy beers; the 4.5 percent ABV beer has notes of grapefruit, agave, tangerine and passion fruit, Epic says. It was also brewed with bacteria, like Lactobacillus and Pediococcus.

Epic recently ramped up its sour beer program, and the Denver facility is now home to twelve large wooden barrels called foeders and more than 2,000 oak barrels. The first kegs of Tart ‘n Juicy Sour IPA will be tapped this month at area bars and restaurants. Six-packs of accessible cans debut in April.

Wednesday, March 2
TRVE Brewing got its start as a homebrewer's dream, "and as such we want to give back to the homebrew community," they say. So today, TRVE will host the Fermentologists homebrewing club for a homebrew appreciation night at 7 p.m. You can hang out, have some beers, talk with other homebrewers and take away  free empty bottles for your next brew: Just buy two pints during the event and TRVE will send you home with a case of either twelve-ounce or 750-ml vessels. 

It's Saint Patrick's Day month at Copper Kettle Brewing, which will tap a new Irish-themed firkin every Wednesday in March. Today's is Irish Red Ale with rye and caraway. "This malt-focused, easy drinking pint has an initial sweetness and a roasted dryness in the finish. With the added ingredients of rye and caraway, characters of spiciness will arise," the brewery says. Pavlo's Taste of Ukraine will be there serving perogies and stroganoff.

Black Shirt Brewing rolls on with its One Keg Wednesday, starting at 11 a.m. Today's one-off pilot batch beer is an ESB brewed in 2013, "aged gently on Leopold Bros. Whiskey Barrels, and then cellared until now," Black Shirt says. "This beer is a lesson in subtlety and patience."

Thursday, March 3
Jake's Brew Bar in Littleton will host a side-by-side tapping of Avery Brewing's acclaimed Uncle Jacob's Stout tonight at 4 p.m. The 2016 version was just released, and Jake's will pour it along with a keg of the 2015 Uncle Jacob's. Jake's will also throw on kegs of Tweak and Lunctis Veribus.

Friday, March 4
Dry Dock Brewing's original South Dock taproom on East Hampden Avenue in Aurora will tap a firkin of its White Rabbit Gruit (a beer style traditionally brewed without hops) that has been ironically dry-hopped today at 3 p.m. as part of its weekly firkin program.

Saturday, March 5
Cerebral Brewing will host a special event from 10 a.m. to noon called the Work From Home Beer Breakfast. It includes waffles and bacon from Waffle Brothers, cartoons on the big screen and the tapping of Work From Home. "We added 165 pounds of Vermont maple syrup and 10 gallons of cold-brewed Sweet Bloom coffee to our Robust American Porter, Nightglow, to create Work From Home," Cerebral says. "The result is a 9.0 percent ABV Imperial Breakfast Porter teeming with lush notes of baker's chocolate, coffee and a slightly sweet maple finish. It's the perfect beverage to start your day, providing you're not going into work." Each ticket includes a screen-printed glass mug, a ten-ounce pour of Work From Home, a waffle and a side of bacon. Additional pours of Work From Home will be available for $5. Space is limited and tickets, $20, are expected to sell out quickly. Find them at evenbrite.com. Oh, and wearing your PJs is encouraged.

Chain Reaction Brewing will tap a special, gin-barrel-aged version of its Pink Peppercorn Saison today at noon. The flagship beer soaked in the Roundhouse Spirits Gin Barrels for several months, and there is a very limited amount. The first fifty people through the door get "a custom never-to-be-done-again piece of glassware designed just for the release of this extremely limited brew."

The Parry's Pizza location in Highlands Ranch will tap Pliney the Younger at 11 a.m. today. "Oh, yeah...it's first come, first served and if you're not an Ale Yeah member, don't expect a glass," Parry's says — whatever that means. PTY is a triple IPA from Russian River Brewing.

Caution Brewing, which sold its original east Denver location to the Brewability Lab earlier this year, will host a final party to say goodbye and to welcome the new brewery. There will be live music from 4 to 8 p.m. and the Green Tree Stir Fry food truck will be on hand. There will also be beer specials and giveaways every time a keg is kicked. The more you drink, the less Caution has to move.

The fourteenth annual Boulder Strong Ale Fest takes place today at Avery Brewing in Boulder from noon to 5 p.m. It features "epic brews from craft breweries around the country, bringing the beers of brawn and this king of categories to one holding pen for your pleasure. To make it into this fest, a beer must be 8 percent ABV or higher and represent something very special from the heart and soul of its creator," Avery says. Tickets, $50, and information are available at eventbrite.com.

Tuesday, March 8
St. Kilian's Cheese Shop will host a beer-and-cheese pairing tonight from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. featuring beers from nearby Call to Arms Brewery. This month, the shop is focusing on Alpine style cheeses. For $20, guests get a tasting menu with four beers paired with four cheeses and some accoutrements.

Thursday, March 10
In advance of Collaboration Fest, which takes place March 19 at Sports Authority Field, breweries all over Colorado are working on collaborative beers. One of those is Free to Be Renegade and FCB, which came about as a result of a friendship between Fort Collins Brewery national sales manager Katie Nierling and Laura Decker, vice president of operations at Denver's Renegade Brewing. The beer, a wheat lager brewed with five different varieties of wheat malt and hopped with mostly Cascade hops, is named in honor of Free to Be You and Me, the 1972 record by Marlo Thomas and Friends. Try the beer tonight at Historian's Ale House in Denver, from 7 to 9 p.m.

Friday, March 11
Oskar Blues celebrates the seasonal return of Gubna Imperial IPA today at the Tasty Weasel taproom in Longmont from 4 to 8 p.m. The 10 percent ABV beer changes its hop profile every year based on testing by the brewery's staff. This year's version includes "prodigious amounts of hand-selected Eldorado and Comet hops along with Idaho Experimental 007 hops from Jackson Farms. The brew boasts the same golden to light orange color with white foam and a clear to slight haze. Aromatic qualities include spicy orange zest, papaya, peach, pineapple, floral, pine/spruce and a mix of red berries and watermelon," the brewery says. The party includes music from Tony Rosario and cheese-tastings provided by Haystack Mountain Cheese along with the 2016 GUBNA on draft and in cans, Anejo Barrel Aged GUBNA, Melon GUBNA (Firkin), and Mango Jalapeno GUBNA (Firkin).

Sunday, March 13
Station 26 hosts its monthly Blugrass Brunch starting at 11 a.m. It features beer, live music from Timber, doughnuts from Glazed and Confuzed Doughnuts, and barbecue from Rolling Smoke BBQ.

Thursday, March 17
Ursula Brewing in Aurora (formerly called Coda Brewing) will celebrate St. Patrick's Day (and the launch of the March Madness NCAA Tournament) Chicago style. The brewery will tap two beers: Via Chicago River, a version of Ursula's Via Chicago that has been naturally dyed green (like Chicago does to the Chicago River) using a green algae; and Shuckago Stout, a dry Irish stout made with live oysters in the boil. Cedar Creek Pub will have corned beef and cabbage for delivery.

Copper Kettle Brewing will bring back Help Me Out Stout, its seasonal Dry Irish Stout served on the nitro tap. "This creamy, dark ale has a wonderful roasted character," the brewery says. "Ask the staff in the tasting room where the name came from." Pavy's Food Truck will on hand with gourmet sandwiches.

Friday, March 18
Did you miss out on tickets for the third annual Collaboration Fest, which takes place tomorrow at Mile High Stadium? Then join the folks from Beer Advocate, who will be hosting the official Collaboration Fest Pre-Party at 5:30 p.m. at Falling Rock Taphouse. They'll be "hanging with some of the collaborators, tapping some collabs and tasting some special offerings from collaborating breweries." No cover. Pay as you consume. Check Facebook for updates on the beer list.

Saturday, March 19
Colorado Craft Beer Week kicks off today with a variety of events celebrating craft beer throughout Denver and Colorado. It is sponsored by the Colorado Brewers Guild.

Strange Craft Beer will tap StrangeTail V today, a collaboration with Freetail Brewing in Texas. The beer is a version of Strange's Sour Cherry Kriek made with ancho chiles.

Upslope Brewing will tap a collaboration beer today at its Flatiron Park location in Boudler that it made with New Belgium Brewing. The beer is a tropical stout with plantains.

Tuesday, March 22
Launch Pad Brewery in Aurora will tap its Soyuz Russian Imperial stout, which has been aging in a Laws Whiskey  4 Grain bourbon barrel for more than three months. Come down at 3 p.m. and meet the owners of the brewery and some of the crew from Laws Whiskey House.