Left Hand Brewing's Milk Stout Nitro made an appearance on HBO's Girls last week, and although it wasn't the most notable scene of this season — that happened a few minutes into episode one — it certainly made the Longmont brewery stand at attention. And while Left Hand is the newest Colorado craft brewery to make its way into a TV show or movie, it isn't the only one. Boulder Beer's Flashback showed up in an episode of Parks and Recreation a few years ago, while Dale's Pale Ale, from Oskar Blues, co-starred with Ray Romano in the long-ago cancelled sitcom Men of a Certain Age. Various New Belgium beers have also appeared on the big and small screens in the past. For a few other craft beer cameos, check out this post from firstwefeast.com.

Look below for all of this week's craft beer events.

Wednesday, March 4
Black Shirt Brewing will tap Blood Orange Double IRA today. "This beer was brewed with Centennial and Cascade hops, dry-hopped with the same, conditioned on heaps of blood oranges, and then double dry-hopped with Mosaic. It's beyond fantastic, it's sublime," the brewery says.

Riff Raff Brewing in Pagosa Springs will host its first-ever downtown Denver tapping and release today from 6 to 8 p.m. at Stout Street Social. In addition to the new beers (99 Schilling Scottish Ale and Weapons of Self Destruction Russian Imperial Stout), the evening will include food pairings and giveaways.

March is Irish Themed Cask Month a the Copper Kettle, which will tap a different cask-aged version of its Help Me Out! Stout each Wednesday at 3 p.m. Today's is Irish Cream Liqueur Keltic Stout made with the famous Irish cream liqueur. It's "both creamy and smooth with oak spirals added for an earthy flavor," the brewery says. A food truck will be on hand as well.
Thursday, March 5
Saint Patrick's Brewing is finally ready to open in its large new location at 2842 West Bowles Avenue in Littleton. The lager-only brewery will hold a soft opening today from 4 to 8 p.m. with seventeen beers on tap. It will hold a grand opening on March 17. The beers are: Oktoberfest, Dubbel, Berry Chili, Limoncello, Russian Imperial Stout, Pumpkin Vanilla Chai, French Barleywine, Espresso Blonde, Imperial Helles, Belgian Quad Wit, Dry Hop Saison, Hawaiian Farmhouse, Coroni, Helledel Helles, Czech Pils, Luminosity Oak Reserve, Midnight Mocha.

Friday, March 6
Heading to Summit County for some skiing or snowboarding? The Bakers' Brewery, a full-service brewpub and restaurant, opens its doors in Silverthorne today at 11 a.m. "Featuring homemade sourdough breads with awesome, creative sandwich combinations melted between slices of these delicious breads and served with hearty side dish options as well as homemade soups and freshly chopped salads," according to the web site. Bakers', at 531 Silverthorne Lane, is run by Cory Forster, formerly of the nearby Dillon Dam Brewery. The beers will run the gamut from session ales to big bruisers, as well as guest taps.

Saturday, March 7
Golden City Brewery in Golden will hold its grand reopening party today starting at 11:30 a.m. The venerable brewery has gone through some changes recently: remodeling its taproom to accommodate more people, updating its look and adding a second bathroom. It has also added more taps, including one for a new nitro coffee beer. In addition, GCB now makes its own cider and will be serving one today; it will eventually make its own wine as well. Specials today include $2 pints and $4 growler fills. Although GCB no longer serves its own food, it will have the Wheels On Fire food truck on hand serving pizza.

City Star Brewing in Berthoud will release Outlaw today at  noon in the taproom. The beer is the first in City Star's barrel-aged series and the firsts City Star beer available in bottles. The 13.25 percent ABV brew was aged for one year in Breckenridge Whiskey barrels. It includes flavors of "dark chocolate, toffee, dark fruit, oak, vanilla, and of course American whiskey," City Star says. The brewery only has 970 22-ounce  bottles available. They cost $18 each, with a limit of twelve per person.

Sunday, March 8 
Station 26 hosts its monthly Bluegrass Brunch today starting at 11 a.m. There will be beer, live music from Burn It Blue, donuts from Glazed & Confuzed, and barbecue from Rolling Smoke. Free admission.

Monday, March 9
Renegade Brewing will tap the second firkin in its new firkin program today at 5 p.m. The beer is 5:00 Afternoon Ale dry-hopped with Galaxy and Equinox hops.

Wednesday, March 11
March is Irish Themed Cask Month a the Copper Kettle, which will tap a different cask-aged version of its Help Me Out! Stout each Wednesday at 3 p.m. Today's is Catholic Irish Whiskey Keltic Stout, which was oak aged and "made with the smooth and slighter sweeter Catholic Irish Whiskey, produced outside of Cork," the brewery says. A food truck will be on hand.

Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project plans several bottle releases over the next few months. The first is a special edition of its recently released new beer, Progenitor, a 6.2 percent ABV dry-hopped golden sour. This one, called Progenitor Noir, uses "dark malts to create a 'Dark IPA'...while still being primary fermented with Crooked Stave’s mixed culture of wild yeast and bacteria," the brewery says. "While both Progenitor and Progenitor Noir received ample dry hopping, Progenitor Noir was concocted to have a fresh, resinous hop bite. Thanks to great hops like Amarillo, Citra and Simcoe, Progenitor Noir is a hoppy sour worth seeking out fresh to enjoy the full citrusy, resinous goodness."

Thursday, March 12
Renegade Brewing will debut its newest canned beer, Contrarian, today in the taproom. The 8 percent ABV imperial pilsner is Renegade's new spring seasonal and will be available in green cans at the taproom and in liquor stores soon. At today's party, though, you can get a ten-ounce pour for $2. Discount 4-packs will also be available.

Saturday, March 14
There's a St. Paddy's Day Celebration going down from noon to 10 p.m. today at Copper Kettle Brewing, which will tap Help Me Out Stout, a dry Irish stout, regular and on nitro. Spudwackers will be selling Irish inspired grub and Irish potatoes starting at 2 p.m.; Brian Hagen & The Inquiry will be playing live music at 6.

Tuesday, March 17
Asbury Provisions will host a release party for Renegade Brewing's newest beer, Contrarian Imperial Pilsner, today. "Those who appreciate the craft of beer will likely pass on pints dyed green on this day. Celebrate St. Patrick's with a green can instead," the brewery says. "This will be Contrarian's first appearance outside the taproom. Raffle prizes will be awarded to those who purchase a can."

Thursday, March 19
Colorado Plus Brewpub in Wheat Ridge will host a tap takeover today featuring Denver breweries that opened in 2011 and are among the first of the so-called third-wave breweries in the Mile High City. The breweries are: Copper Kettle, Renegade, Wit's End, Denver Beer Co. and Caution Brewing. Each one will have two handles, one is an original recipe and one is something new.

Craft brewers love to collaborate. But what does that actually mean? Find out at a collaboration-immersion class that will be offered to the public from 6 to 8 p.m. tonight through Metro State University's Hospitality Learning Center. Done in coordination with Collaboration Fest (which takes place March 21; look below for details), the class is being hosted by Imbibe Events, the Colorado Brewers Guild and MSU; it will take guests through a history of collaborations and provide a preview of the festival beers. The class will be led by beer-industry consultant Scott Kerkmans, a former brewer and beer writer who was among the first Certified Cicerones in the world and is a beer judge every year at the Great American Beer Festival. There will also be a panel featuring Nick Nunns from TRVE Brewing, Jesse Brookstein from the yet-to-open Call to Arms Brewing Company, someone from New Belgium Brewing and several others. Tickets, $35, are available at collaborationfest.com/metrostate. The class will be held at MSU Denver’s Hospitality Learning Center, Demonstration Theater Room 208, 1190 Auraria Parkway.

Friday, March 20

Falling Rock Taphouse owner Chris Black has again teamed up with Star Bar's Justin Lloyd and New Belgium Brewing's taste specialist Lauren Salazar to blend a sour beer. Rock Star Part Deux will be tapped at 5:30 p.m. in advance of Colorado Craft Beer Week.

Saturday, March 21
Colorado Craft Beer Week, organized by the Colorado Brewers Guild, kicks off today with a variety of events, highlighted by Collaboration Fest (see the details below). There are plenty of other activities though, some of which you can read about below. For all of them, go to the Colorado Craft Beer Week website at coloradocraftbeerweek.com.

The second annual Collaboration Fest returns today as part of Colorado Craft Beer Week — and it's grown to enormous proportions. This year's version will feature more than seventy one-off beer collaborations, mostly between Colorado breweries, but some including breweries in other states or countries. The event itself — hosted by the Colorado Brewers Guild and Imbibe Events — will takes place from 3 to 7 p.m. at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. “Colorado currently has more than 200 operating craft breweries and these breweries were responsible for $826 million in revenue in 2013,” CBG spokesman Steve Kurowski explains in a statement. “Collaboration Fest showcases how these breweries work together to strengthen the industry and why Colorado is the state of craft beer.”

Not done drinking? Head over the Falling Rock Taphouse at 7:30 p.m. for the Post-Collaboration Fest Party Featuring San Diego County-based Alpine Brewing’s introduction to Colorado. "One of the most awaited imports to Colorado will kick-off their arrival with a tapping of six beers here," Falling Rock says.

Denver Beer Co and the Real Dill are teaming up again to bring beer and pickle lovers that fifth edition of Beers & Spears, a beer-and-pickle pairing event from noon to 5 p.m. Taking place in the Barrel Room, next door to DBC's Platte Street location, Beers & Spears includes a flight of three beers paired with three pickles for $12. The Real Dill will also make a batch of its spiciest pickles for the infamous spicy pickle eating contest; the winner takes home a jar of The Real Dill pickles and a six-pack of Denver Beer Co beer of their choice.

Sunday, March 22
A couple of weeks ago, Ska Brewing teamed up with Wynkoop Brewing and the band Reel Big Fish to make a reel big 10 percent ABV oak-aged Russian Imperial Stout called Reel Big Stout. The upshot? A party today from 2 to 10 p.m. at the Denver Bicycle Cafe. In addition to that beer, DBC will also feature ten other beers from Wynkoop and Ska, along with food from The Cluck Truck and Barbed Wire Reef, and live music from the Denver Vintage Reggae Society and The Dendrites. There will be a raffle to benefit Trips for Kids Denver.

Falling Rock Taphouse will host its own Imperial Stout Fest today at 1 p.m. Details and beers are TBA.

Thursday, March 26
The New Kids on the Block craft beer party returns to The Lobby today at part of the annual Colorado Craft Beer Week. The fest celebrates local breweries that are less than two years old; there are at least twenty who are participating. Guests are encouraged to dress in their finest '80s duds. The all-you-can-drink event includes unlimited beer tastings, '80s jams, and a costume contest. Tickets are $30 for general admission (7:30 p.m.) and $45 for VIP (6 p.m. admission), which includes a three-course dinner.

Friday, March 27

Falling Rock Taphouse will host its own Sour Fest today at 5:30 p.m. as a way to wrap up Colorado Craft Beer Week. Firestone Walker has confirmed a special sour for the evening. The rest is TBA.

Saturday, March 28
Featuring beers brewed with rye malt, today's first Rye the Hell Not Rye Fest includes ten local breweries and benefits the MaxFund No-Kill Animal Shelter and Adoption Center. Participating Breweries: The Brew on Broadway ( The BoB ), Chain Reaction Brewing Company, Baere Brewing Company, Renegade Brewing Company, Black Sky Brewery, Strange Craft Beer Company, Wit's End Brewing Company, FERMÆNTRA, Brewery Rickoli Ltd., and CAUTION: Brewing. Rye the Hell Not takes place from 1 to 5 p.m. at Black Sky Brewing; tickets, $35, are available at participating breweries.

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