Beer Calendar: Crooked Stave, Dry Dock and TRVE Bring Out Their Best

Boulder Beer Company will raise a toast today to one of its founders, a pioneer of the craft-brewing industry in not just Colorado, but the country. David Hummer died December 17 at Boulder Community Health at the age of 81. "David received his B.S. and masters from Carnegie Tech before moving on to the University College, England and receiving his Ph.D. in Astrophysics in 1961. In that year he met his wife, Janet Wood, and a year later their son Julius was born," the brewery says.

"Returning to the States in 1965, David became a fellow of JILA, the Joint Institute of Laboratory Astrophysics, located on the CU campus. Around that time he began the construction of their house in Pine Brook Hills where Janet and Julius still live today. In 1979, David Hummer and CU astrophysics colleague Randolph 'Stick' Ware founded Colorado’s first craft brewery, Boulder Beer Company, a move David later described as 'the most irresponsible thing I ever did.' At that time there were only 42 breweries in operation nationwide, making Boulder Beer the 43rd. With over 4,000 breweries currently operating nationally and new ones opening daily, David and Stick’s vision truly made them pioneers in what’s now a flourishing craft-beer scene in Colorado and the entire United States."

A memorial service and celebration of David’s life will be held at The Pub at Boulder Beer Company, 2880 Wilderness Place in Boulder, from 2 to 5 p.m. today. Find more information about Hummer on Boulder Beer's website.

Wednesday, January 6
Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project is planning to celebrate its five-year anniversary with a with a wide variety of tappings, limited bottle releases, food pairings and other events all week. The fun kicks off at noon today when the brewery taps Vielle Reserva Apricot ($12 pours, or $14 per bottle). At 5 p.m., there will be a mini fest featuring several out-of-state breweries, including a few that are distributed locally by Crooked Stave's distribution arm. The beers available include Bell’s Bourbon Barrel Aged Black Note; Arizona Wilderness Head of Helios; Jackie O’s Wood Ya; Perennial Abraxas; something from Cantillon; and Freemont Brewing's Bourbon Barrel-aged Dark Star. There will also be a Mondo cheese and charcuterie pairing. “The Mini-Festival is a way for us to include a few of our friends in the kick-off party to what is shaping up to be a no holds barred week of tappings with rare and limited beers being pulled out of the Brewery Cellar and in some cases my personal cellar,” Crooked Stave founder Chad Yakobson said in an announcement of the anniversary events. “We are very excited to go back and re-visit some beers we haven’t tasted in a few years, as well as getting the entire Crooked Stave family out to the taproom to mingle and celebrate what has been a roller-coaster ride over the past five years.”

Black Shirt Brewing continues its One Keg Wednesday series at 11 a.m. with Imperial Red Rye Chai Stout on Nitro. This one "features a beer crafted by head brewer Branden. The beer is an Imperial Red Rye Stout conditioned atop our house-made chai spice mix and served on nitro. We've made many beers with our chai mix, but this particular keg, with the weight and body of the stout, combined with the silky and creamy texture of nitro, is an absolute stand-out," the brewery says.

Copper Kettle Brewing will bring in the New Year with a kick of caffeine each Wednesday when it taps a coffee-themed firkin. Today's offering is Mexican Chocolate Stout with 2 Stroke coffee, which adds a "heavily roasted flavor," the brewery says. Pavlo's Taste of Ukraine will be there with food.

Thursday, January 7
Dry Dock Brewing will release a new beer — and its final beer in the 2015 Signature Series — today at 2 p.m. in the Canoe Room at its North Dock location. The beer, Cascara Imperial Stout, was aged in whiskey barrels with cascara, the dried fruit of coffee berries. Dry Dock sourced the coffee beans through Denver’s Coda Coffee, owned by brothers Timmy and Tommy Thwaites. Cascara has notes of dark cherry, rich leather and tobacco, according to the brewery. "The profile was a natural complement to our Signature Series Whiskey Barrel Aged Imperial Stout, and the sixth of this year’s Signature Series beers was born," says Dry Dock. The beer will be available on draft and in 22-ounce bombers.

And speaking of Dry Dock, head to Jake's Brew Bar in Littleton today at 4 p.m. for a side-by-side tasting of Dry Dock's Bligh's Barleywine from 2014 and 2015. 

TRVE Brewing will tap a beer today that it brewed for The Passport Program's Winter Warmer coupon book, which gives people access to drink and beer discounts around the city. The beer, Somniloquy, is a 6.2 percent ABV Belgian dark ale spiced with cinnamon and aged on cranberries. It will be tapped at 3 p.m.

Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project is celebrating its five-year anniversary all week with a wide variety of tappings, limited bottle releases, food pairings and other events. Today's special tappings include the complete Petite Sour 2015 lineup along with some vintage beers for on-premise only. They include NoB Apple Whiskey, $20 a bottle; Cellar Reserve Passion Fruit, $20 a bottle; and Cellar Reserve Origins Grand Cru, $20 a bottle. Fifth anniversary limited edition T-shirts will be on sale, and there will be a food pairing at 5 p.m. with Acorn.

Friday, January 8
Cerebral Brewing will tap two brand new beers today when they open at 4 p.m. The first is Strange Claw, a 5.9 percent ABV IPA "brewed with a blend of pale, pilsner and wheat malt as well as a touch of crystal malt and hopped with an immense amount of Citra and Columbus," the brewery says. The second is Nightglow, a 7.7 percent ABV porter "brewed with copious amounts of chocolate malt and four types of crystal malt for a truly decadent experience." The Burgersmith food truck will be parked outside from 4 to 11 p.m.

Copper Kettle brings back the Big DIPA today. "This double IPA was aged in bourbon barrels for months giving it a huge flavor for the IPA lovers out here," the brewery says. 5280 Sliders will be on hand.

Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project is celebrating its five-year anniversary all week with a wide variety of tappings, limited bottle releases, food pairings and other events. Today's special tappings include on-premise-only bottles of Cellar Reserve Nightmare Grand Cru, $20 a bottle; Cellar Reserve Blackberry Dark Origins, $20 a bottle; and Waelz Blood, $20 a bottle. You can also find Surette Reserva Cassis. There will be a food pairing with Comida at 5 p.m.

Saturday, January 9
The annual Big Beers, Belgians & Barleywines Festival hosts its commercial tasting event today in Vail at the Cascade Hotel from 2:30 to 6 p.m. Tickets are still available for $70 — although they are going fast. The majority of the events for the rest of the three-day festival are sold out. More than 150 breweries will be bringing some of their biggest and best. Drink water first.

TRVE Brewing will release a new sour beer today in bottles. Red Chaos was aged in oak barrels on tart, Colorado-grown Montmorency cherries — more than two pounds per gallon. There is a limit of six bottles per person.

Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project is celebrating its five-year anniversary all week with a wide variety of tappings, limited bottle releases, food pairings and other events. Today's special tappings include Motif Reserva Sherry Barrel 2014; Motif Reserva Secale Rye Barrel 2015; and Motif Reserva Leopold Brothers Whiskey Barrel 2015.

Sunday, January 10
Ratio Beerworks will pair its beers with doughnuts from Habit and coffee from Method Roasters and Carbon Beverage Cafe today from noon to 3 p.m. "The pairings will be: Ethiopia Chelchele coffee + Savory Bite of Golden Arches Brioche Doughnut Mini (Griddled Spam, Smashed Tater Tot, Blueberry Bourbon Jam, Cured Egg Yolk) + Ratio Beerworks Domestica (American Standard Ale)," the brewery says. And then, "Sumatra Arinagata coffee + Sweet Bite of Malted Chocolate Glazed Brioche Doughnut Mini + Method Roasters Infused Domestica." Tickets are $12; walk-ins welcome.

Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project is celebrating its five-year anniversary all week with a wide variety of tappings, limited bottle releases, food pairings and other events. Today's special tappings include on premise-only bottles of Full Rainbow Line-up (very limited) at $40 a bottle; Cellar Reserve L’Brett d’Pluot, $20 a bottle; Cellar Reserve Persica Blend #1, $20 a bottle; Cellar Reserve Persica Blend #2, $20 a bottle. At 5 p.m., there will be a Batch #1 tapping and toast with Brewmaster Chad Yakobson.

Friday, January 15
Oskar Blues celebrates the return of Deviant Dale's double IPA today at 4:30 p.m. at the Tasty Weasel tap room in Longmont. "Come grab a pint from from the Weasel and take home a six-pack of Deviant in its new twelve-ounce package," the brewery says. It will also have various Deviant firkins, including Jamaican and Pineapple, and a special Unfiltered version of Deviant Chowdah on tap. There will be food from Oskar Blues's Homemade Liquids and Solids, live music and a voodoo doll-making station for the kids.

Caution Brewing West, in Lakewood, will kick off its two-day two-year anniversary celebration today at 3 p.m. They'll be tapping an anniversary beer, Imperial Earl, which is the brewery's Earl, amped up in its alcohol content, as well as a Cherry Hippity Firkin. (On Saturday, Caution will tap Kissing Cousins, a chocolate banana hefeweizen; and a Blackberry Hefeweizen Firkin.) There will also be food from Luckyz Eatz food truck, live music and door prizes both nights.

Saturday, January 16
Cannonball Creek Brewing in Golden will celebrate its third anniversary today and tomorrow with several beer releases and other festivities. Today, the brewery will tap its third anniversary beer at noon and other specialty kegs throughout the day. My Beer Pickles will be sampling and selling Mindbender IPA pickles from 2 to 5 p.m., while Moe's BBQ will have a pig roast. There will also be live music from Modern Whiskey Market & The Lookout Mountain Boys throughout the day.

Coda Brewing is releasing 112 numbered bottles of its Spoonful Bourbon Barrel Aged Barleywine today at noon. The 10.2 percent ABV Barleywine was aged for nine months in bourbon barrels. There will also be one keg for tap pours.

Lowdown Brewery + Kitchen will host its second annual Barrel-Aged Beer Festival today at 2 p.m. It features beers from Lagunitas, Great Divide, Dry Dock, River North Brewery, Ratio Beerworks, Left Hand Brewing, Platt Park Brewing Rock Bottom Downtown, and of course, Lowdown. No tickets, no cover. Just pay by the pour.

Our Mutual Friend will release two beers at 2 p.m. today: its 2016 Winter Warmer and its Barrel-Aged Winter Warmer. Both are available in 500ml bottles. Barrel Aged Winter Warmer was brewed at the beginning of 2015 and aged for over a year in Laws Whiskey House bourbon barrels.

A new brewery called Castle Rock Beer Co will open its doors today at 11 a.m. at 514 Perry Street in Castle Rock. The brewery will tap a new beer each day of the weekend, including Monday. 

What! You're more in a cider kind of mood? Well then, head to C Squared Ciders at the Rackhouse Pub between 5 p.m. and midnight for its First Annual Wassail Celebration. The night includes the 5 p.m. tapping of Wassail 2016, "a semi-dry 5.5 percent ABV Organic Cranberry Ginger cider, seductively spiced with Sri Lankan Cinnamon," the cidery says. Chef Brandon Muncy is creating an entree to pair with the cider, although it will run out fast. At 6:15 p.m., C Squared will air the Packers vs. Cardinals game and give a tour of the cidery at half time, "culminating in a traditional Wassail celebration around our newly planted Dolgo Crab Apple Tree." Please RSVP.

Sunday, January 17
The Black Project will release two beers for the first time today at noon at its home brewery, Former Future. The first is Peach Rye Dreamland, a sour golden ale with peaches that was aged in a fresh AD Laws Secale Rye Barrel. "Great peach, funk, oak, tartness, and a noticeable rye whiskey character," the brewery says. "All parts are about equal in presence, no one component (fruit, base, oak, spirit) overwhelms the others. Very balanced and delicious." It will be sold in 375ml bottles for $12 each (limits will be announced closer to the date). The second beer, Mach-Limit Tempranillo, will serve as the launch beer for Black Project's revolving fruit sour series. Brewed in collaboration with Red Fox Cellars & Vineyard in Palisade (which supplied the Tempranillo grape must), the beer is described thusly: "bold, black cherry, currant, and herbal notes from the grape combines with the beer which has a dry tartness, wild yeast 'funk' and stone fruit from our house coolship microbes. Super interesting to drink. A little like the wine, a little like the beer. The two parts end up tasting like a super complex, funky, sangria - in the best possible way." This one sells for $28 per 750mL bottle.

Cannonball Creek Brewing continues its third anniversary celebration today with a Hair of the Dog Sunday Brunch featuring Solid Gold Mimosas and Bloody Red Marys. There will be artisan brunch pizzas from Rolling Dough Pizza and live music from The Industry.

Sunday, January 31
Avery Brewing in Boulder will release this year's version of Tweak today at 11 a.m. The beer is a 17.5 percent ABV monster, brewed with 1.6 pounds of Ozo Coffee Co.'s organic Isabelle Espresso roast per barrel. "We made the coffee toddy by soaking the grounds in the beer rather than in water, which causes better extraction and more awesomeness," the brewery says. The beer was then aged four months in bourbon barrels. Draft and bottles will be available.