Beer Calendar: Winter Warmers, Brewery Anniversary Parties and Nitro Fest

Odell Brewing, which revealed in July that it would can some of its beers, will roll out the first two, flagships 90 Shilling and Odell IPA, this week. The Fort Collins brewery, which was founded in 1989, had been a staunch holdout when it comes to canning beer. "It wasn't so long ago that I totally dismissed the can idea,” co-founder Wynne Odell told Westword in July. “But then our progression changed over time as we saw what our peers where doing.” Odell's state-of-the-art canning line can package about 310 cans per minute. "Additional offerings will be introduced beginning early next year, including Loose Leaf Session Ale and summer seasonal St. Lupulin. Initially, all brands will be offered in twelve packs of twelve-ounce cans," the brewery says. To celebrate, the brewery will host a tapping party and food drive today (Wednesday, November 11) at its tap room in Fort Collins. Guests who bring in two or more canned food items will get one free canned beer (limit one per person). Guests can also enjoy local food-truck fare and live music by Brian Parton from 4 to 6 p.m.
 
Wednesday, November 11
Coda Brewing in Aurora will tap 11 Iron Men Triple IPA today. Made with eleven kinds of hops and eleven kinds of malts, this 11 percent ABV triple IPA is named after brewery co-owner Scott Procop's grandfather's "Yale football team from 1935 that played without substitution for the full sixty minutes, the last time this ever happened in college football," the brewery says.

Crooked Stave will release Motif today at 5 p.m. "Motif is a take on a Belgian dark strong (9 percent ABV) fermented with the brewery's mixed culture of wild yeast and bacteria in large oak foeders," the brewery says. "Brewed in anticipation of colder weather, each batch features strong malt-derived characteristics, which mingle with the earthy tart cherry notes derived from the fermentation with wild yeast in oak. Additional batches of Motif Reserva, aged in various spirit barrels, are still planned for this year."

Copper Kettle continues its Many Thanks Cask Month today by tapping Caramel Apple Helles. It's a "creamy, sweet beer with a sour apple twist," the brewery says. Pavy's Food Truck will be there with gourmet sandwiches.

Ian Clark of BRU handbuilt ales & eats will host a beer dinner tonight in Boulder with chef Jensen Cummings, who recently started the Brewed Food traveling beer-and-food pairing series. "The evening will showcase both chef Clark’s and Cummings's delicious creations from the kitchen with a focus on fermented foods," according to BRU. "In addition, the two joined forces to create a special collaboration Imperial Stout which will be shared that evening." Tickets are $60. Call 720-638-5193 for reservations. 

Thursday, November 12
River North Brewery is in transition. The beer maker closed its tap room at 24th and Blake streets after being forced out by development, but the brewery is currently building out a large production facility at 6021 Washington, which will include a small tap room. In the meantime, River North will continue to release beers. Today, Jake’s Brew Bar in Littleton will tap a keg of a new brew, Nightmare Fuel, a 13.5 percent ABV Imperial Stout brewed with whole bean coffee.

Friday, November 13
At 2 p.m., Wit's End Brewing will tap a version of its Super FL-IPA that has been aged in Law's Rye Whiskey barrels.

Twisted Pine Brewing will tap this year's version of Northstar Imperial Porter today at the Boulder taproom. The winter seasonal clocks in at 9.5 percent ABV and should age well. The brewery also points out that "a copyright dispute arose earlier this year between the brewery and Chateau Ste. Michelle Wine Estates over naming rights, but has been amicably resolved and, with the winery’s permission, Twisted Pine will continue to use the name Northstar." The beer will be sold in 22-ounce bomber bottles in liquor stores as well.

Saturday, November 14
Fermaentra Brewing will host its first-year anniversary bash today with lots of beer, food and live performances. The brews include at least four barrel-aged beers, some poured straight from the barrel; a firkin tapping and a wild/Brett ale. The first 100 people to order a beer get a commemorative glass to keep. There will be food available from Quiero Arepas and Brava! Pizzeria, as well as merchandise giveaways, resident artist Dom BeDan raffling prints, and live painting performed by artist Matt James.

Diebolt Brewing will tap Figgy Noir, an Algerian Biere de Garde, today at 4 p.m. The winter seasonal is the first of what the brewery calls its "French Expat Series," which takes inspiration from Algeria. "Sweet Algerian curry, palm sugar and figs give it the color of the Saharan sands, the heady, spiced aroma of an outdoor bazaar and the figgy flavor of the cradle of civilization," the brewery says.

Odyssey Beerwerks in Arvada will debut its new winter seasonal, No Safe Harbor Baltic Porter, today on draft and in cans. The 9.6 percent ABV beer is "packed full with a range of caramelized malts, and topped with just a touch of roasted grains to deliver a pleasant chocolate and coffee finish," the brewery says. Head Brewer Joe Savage will be in the tap room to talk about the beer.  There will also be live music from the Prairie Scholars at 6 p.m. and food from Talarico's Italian Taste.

Locavore Beer Works in Littleton will honor its one-year anniversary with a party starting at noon. That's when the brewery will begin tapping a series of special beers, including Barrel-Aged Pullman Porter (noon); Sassy Lindy, a Sassafras Bitters-Barrel-Aged Tripel (1 p.m.); Fireside Winter Warmer (2 p.m.); The Vig Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout (3 p.m.); and Black Pearl Barrel Aged Imperial Porter (4 p.m.). Locavore will also be releasing its first bottled beer in bombers, Sister Christian. The Fabulous Boogienauts, a ten piece all-original power disco funk ensemble from the deep recesses of space, will be shaking the joint at 6. Rocky Mountain Catering will be serving a half-pound Angus jalapeno popper burger topped with jalapeno cream cheese, smokey bacon and raspberry preserves on the side ($12 with fries).

Upslope Brewing will host a seventh anniversary party today from 2 to 8 p.m. at its Flatiron Park location. There will be more than forty beers on tap (some very limited), including a seventh anniversary brew, vintage favorites, collaboration brews, a battle of the firkins and the core beer classics. There will be live music from Technicolor Tone Factory, Wandering Natives and Zen Mustache & K-Law, and food from the Tasterie Truck, Sancho's Authentic Mexican Food and Rollin' Bones BBQ.

Nitro Fest, produced by Left Hand Brewing, returns to Longmont's Roosevelt Park today as the country's only fest dedicated exclusively to nitrogenated beer. There will be rare, out-of-state and just plain creamy selections from around forty breweries like Ballast Point, North Coast, Founders, Dogfish Head, Firestone Walker, Victory, Green Flash and more. Some of the beers will be on nitro for the first time, and many almost never make it out of their home taprooms. Left Hand is hosting the fest because it is a leader in the nitro category. The event runs from 6 to 10 p.m. at the park. There will be live music and performances from Lunar Fire, Fractal Tribe and the Boulder Circus School, including fire dancers, stilt walkers and aerial artists. Food will be available from Samples World Bistro, the Roost and more. Cocktail attire is encouraged. Tickets range from $50 to $85.

Sunday, November 15
Black Project Spontaneous & Wild Ales, which is a part of Former Future Brewing, will host a bottle sale for its Kalmar, a 100 percent Spontaneous Imperial Gose, today at Former Future. Kalmar is a light, wheat-heavy recipe that we inoculated in our rooftop coolship. Sea salt and corriander were added directly to the boiling wort in the vessel. The next morning the wort was cool and put directly into a steam-cleaned neutral oak barrel," the brewery says. "After nearly one year the beer told us it was ready and time to bottle. Wheat breadiness, smooth pilsner malt, and clean lactic tartness. Brettanomyces funk plays well with the assertive coriander flavor and aroma that are present throughout. Slight oak character and of course a wonderful mildly salty finish as is characteristic of the style. Begs you for another sip. Beautiful complexity from all of these components and of course due as well to a true, wild mixed fermentation." The very limited beer will be sold in cork-and-cage 375mL bottles for $14 each. The bottle sale begins at noon, however people began lining up for the last Black Project release at 9 a.m. We will do our very best to allow everyone in line by noon to get at least one bottle. Additional bottles may be available to those at the start of the line," the brewery says.

TRVE Brewing now has a TV in the tap room, where they plan to "unobstrusively" show Broncos games on Sundays. They also "guarantee at least 66.6% less bros than your other viewing experiences around town." Today, they'll have Owlbear Barbecue in the house; it's $15 for a plate of grub and a pint of beer.

Wednesday, November 18
Crooked Stave will have a release party for Mama Bear’s Sour Cherry Pie today at 5 p.m. "Mama Bear’s Sour Cherry Pie features over 3,000 pounds of Colorado sour cherries harvested" on the Western Slope.

Thursday, November 19
The Chef & Brew Festival returns to the EXDO Event Center from 7 to 10 p.m. (VIP entry starts at 6 p.m.) with a new lineup of chefs and brewers who have teamed up to offer an overwhelming pairing experience. Enjoy dishes from more than twenty restaurants with over fifty unique beers. Tickets are $45 for general admission and $65 for VIP (although they will go up on October 26). They include a commemorative glass and unlimited access to beer and food. Gets tickets at chefandbrew.com.

Joyride Brewing isn't messing around. It's pairing four different small slices of pizza with four different half pints of beer "to create some flavor explosions." The pizzas are being made out front by Rolling Dough Food Truck. The pairings were chosen by Joyride's brewmaster, who will be on hand to talk about them. Each pairing is $15.

Friday, November 20
It's Yeti Float Night at Stapleton Tap House starting at 6 p.m. tonight, when Great Divide Brewing and Sweet Action Ice Cream team up to bring you some sweet treats based on Great Divide's Yeti Imperial Stout.

Saturday, November 21
American Craft Beer Radio Presents its 3rd Annual Holiday Beer Bash today from 5 to 9.pm. at the Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum. There will be thirty breweries on hand pouring nearly one hundred beers, along with several chefs serving holiday treats. There will also be prizes and an Ugly Sweater contest at 8 p.m. Tickets are $35 for general admission (6 to 9 p.m.) and $49.00 for VIP (5 to 9 p.m.). Also, please bring non-perishable food items and or an unwrapped toy (ages 1-15) for extra raffle tickets. These are to benefit the Arapahoe County Adopt a Family Program. Members of the program will be on hand with more information.

Alpine Dog turns one this weekend and plans to celebrate with a party starting today at 6 p.m., at which they will tap an experimental project, Bourbon Barrel Aged Peach Pale Ale. "Early tastings show notes of peaches, bourbon and wood, and rich earthy and spicy notes with a mellowed hop presence after aging," the brewery says. The Hot Brat Philly Food Truck will be on site.

Wednesday, November 25
Black Shirt Brewing has once again teamed up with Shauna of The Long I Pie Shop to pair their beers with her pies. Today's pairing costs $20 per person and includes four beer samples and four pie samples. No advanced tickets available.

Friday, November 27
Station 26 will bring back its Black Friday madness today by tapping eight different versions of its 11 percent ABV Dark Star Imperial Stout, which was aged for twelve months in Heaven Hill bourbon barrels. "Favorites from last year like Mexican Chocolate and German Chocolate are returning but we have some new tricks up our sleeves too," the brewery says. Tappings will be on the half hour.

Copper Kettle Brewing will tap and release Snowed In today at noon. This Black Friday tradition is an imperial oatmeal stout aged in Colorado bourbon barrels with coffee and chocolate. 5280 Sliders will be on hand as well.