Beer Calendar: Green Beer, Pickles and Colorado Craft Beer Week

Colorado native Sarah Haughey, who worked at both Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project and Elevation Beer Company, plans to deepen the Arkansas Valley's craft-beer scene this summer when she opens the Jailhouse on Buena Vista's main drag, East Main Street. It will feature ten rotating craft-beer taps and a small selection of cans and bottles, a limited wine list and a small-bites menu.

The building itself is a former stable turned jail dating from the late 1800s; it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. The 1,000-square-foot space will feature antique lighting, rustic wood, a custom-made bar and patio seating.

Wednesday, March 16
Copper Kettle continues its Irish-themed cask-month celebration at 3 p.m. today by tapping Green Helles With Cloves, the brewery's traditional Bavarian helles dyed green and flavored with cloves. Pavlo's Taste of Ukraine will be on hand with dinner.

Crooked Stave will release Raspberry Origins today at 5 p.m. at its tap room in the Source. "Our Burgundy sour ale was aged on a crazy amount of fresh whole raspberries," the brewery says. Bottles and draft available.

Black Shirt Brewing will tap Cucumber Saison today at 11 a.m. as part of its weekly One Keg Wednesday program. The beer is "a refreshing and vibrant take on a farmhouse ale," the brewery says.

Thursday, March 17
Ursula Brewing in Aurora (formerly called Coda Brewing) will celebrate St. Patrick's Day Chicago-style (and also mark the launch of the March Madness NCAA Tournament). The brewery will tap two beers: Via Chicago River, a version of Ursula's Via Chicago that has been naturally dyed green (which is what 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.

The Post Brewing in Lafayette will be serving pints of green Howdy Beer and some classic corned beef and cabbage today. Also: A shot of Jameson and a pint of Howdy is $7.

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 Tap House. They say the'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.

And speaking of Collab Fest, Comrade Brewing will tap to beers today at noon that will also be served at the festival tomorrow. The first is Lupulin Manifesto IPA, a 7 percent ABV collaboration with Fat Head’s Brewery in Portland, Oregon. "Galaxy, Amarillo and Equinox give big dank flavors of pineapple, mango, papaya and pine. Balanced by just enough malt to carry all the hops we dumped into this bad boy," the brewery says. The second is IPA is Dead! IIPA, an 8.5 percent ABV collaboration with fellow hop specialists Cannonball Creek, in Golden, and Station 26, in Denver. "Using new varieties, Azacca, Idaho 7 and Jarrylo and a light malt base of Cargill Pilsner malt and Rahr malted wheat. This beer will also be available at Station 26 and Cannonball Creek," the brewery says. 

Dry Dock will tap a firkin of the Nutty Irishman today at 3 p.m. at its original South Dock location on Hampden Avenue. The beer was created by the Brew Hut in honor of St. Patrick's Day. 

Keep reading for more beer events.
Saturday, March 19
Colorado Craft Beer Week kicks off today with a variety of events celebrating craft beer throughout Denver and Colorado. It's sponsored by the Colorado Brewers Guild; see the full schedule on the Colorado Craft Beer Week website.

Westfax Brewing, which just opened last week, will host a grand-opening party today with at least six beers on tap, including a couple on nitro and a new one, a Belgian Abbey Ale. The brewery is located right next door to Casa Bonita in Lakewood and plans to be open Wednesdays through Sundays. The first fifty pints purchasers keep the glass; there will be other swag giveaways throughout the day. 

Back by popular demand, Denver Beer Co will once again team up with the Real Dill for Beers & Spears, a pairing of pickles and beer. The flight will include tasters from specialty firkins and a bloody beer (made with the Real Dill Bloody Mary Mix) paired with Real Dill pickles. As always, there will be a spicy pickle-eating contest, and the winner goes home with a six-pack or growler of the beer of their choice and a jar of pickles. Event entrance is free; $12 per pickle-and-beer flight.

Alpine Dog Brewing is kicking off Colorado Craft Beer Week by tapping Fresh Soul, a Grapefruit Session IPA, at noon. "It was brewed with fresh grapefuit zest and rings in at just under 5 percent ABV for a bright, citrusy, drinkable, spring beer," the brewery says.

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 Boulder that it made with New Belgium Brewing. The beer is a tropical stout with plantains.

SOLD OUT: The third annual Collaboration Fest takes place today at Mile High Stadium, featuring more than eighty collaborative, one-off beers made by Colorado breweries in conjunction with other Colorado breweries, as well as those from out of state and even out of the country. 

Sunday, March 20
The Black Project, which is part of Former Future Brewing, will release three different bottled variations of its Supercruise Tempranillo today. All three will be sold in 750-ml cork-and-cage bottles for $22 each and are in very limited supply. Here are some notes from the brewery: "Barrel 1 - First part of the grape pressing, aged in a 2nd use Law's Secale Rye barrel. Bright fruitiness, a bit of perceived sweetness, some oak character. Barrel 2 - Middle part of the grape pressing, aged in a 3rd use Law's Secale Rye barrel. More funky than 1 on the aroma, different fruit character in the taste. A bit less sweet, moderate oakines. Barrel 3 - Last part of the grape pressing, aged in a 3rd use Leopold Bros' Cherry Whiskey barrel. More dry and tannic but also combined with more interesting fruit notes, maybe some of that cherry character from the barrel is in there." There will also be some Dreamland Blend 2 available for $18 a bottle.

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.

Thursday, March 24
"New Kids on the Block, the radtacular part '80s Dance Party and part New Breweries Festival, is back for a fourth year," say hosts PorchDrinking.com, Two Parts and The Lobby, where it takes place. A celebration of Colorado breweries that are younger than three, NKOTB is part of Colorado Craft Beer Week and features a DJ spinning '80s jams and unlimited pours from twenty up-and-coming beer makers. Tickets are $30, or $45 for VIP. The party starts at 7 p.m.

Friday, March 25
Four beers from Good River Beer Company will be featured today from 5 to 9 p.m. at Rival Brews, a bar in Evergreen. Good River is searching for a location in the Denver area, but contract brews in the meantime at Prost in Denver and Odyssey Beerwerks in Arvada. The company donates 2 percent of its profits to river conservation efforts. Revival will also donate a percentage from tonight's sales.