Westword's 2024 Best of Denver Brewery Winners
The Story: The fortieth edition of the Best of Denver includes plenty of brewery-related awards
The Scoop: This is the first year that the Readers' Choice categories were completely separate from the editorial picks, which include categories such as Best Kid-Free Brewery, Best Vintage Beer List, Best Beer Club, Best Brewery Expansion, Best Food Truck Lineup at a Brewery and Best Suburban Beer Scene. Check out all of the food and drink winners.
Milieu Fermentation Announces Grand Opening
The Story: The brewery is set to open on Saturday, May 4, at 2101 Ursula Street in Aurora.
The Scoop: The space at the Anschutz Medical Campus used to house Ursula Brewing — in fact, Milieu is owned by two former Ursula employees. With Lady Justice recently moving to Englewood, Milieu is set to inject some new life into the northwest Aurora beer scene. Along with a wide variety of beer, the brewery will offer hard tea, kombucha and hop water. It will also soon have a new neighbor — a neighborhood market and deli from the owners of Spinnelli's.
Upcoming Events
Beerspoke: A Beer Cocktail Pop-Up
Thursday, April 11, 5 to 8 p.m.
Fiction Beer Company
7101 East Colfax Avenue
Shea Wasson of Shea Provisions will be mixing up cocktails using select Fiction beers, fresh juices, herbs and simple syrups. Fiction also has an event on Friday, April 12, from 6 to 8 p.m. titled Clairvoyant & Past Life, featuring readings from Penni Louise.
Tacos, Yoga & Beer
Saturday, April 13, noon to 1 p.m.
14er Brewing
3120 Blake Street
14er is teaming up with Denver Yoga Social to offer an hour of yoga. Afterward, enjoy a complimentary beer and check out the rotating taco trucks on the patio. Tickets are $26.
Free Oral Cancer Screenings
Saturday, April 13, noon to 6 p.m.
Denver Beer Company
Littleton, Platte Street and Lowry Locations (times vary by location)
Doctor Christopher Griffith of Concierge Medical Care will be on site at Denver Beer Company performing free oral cancer screenings. This is the same doctor who helped save local beer expert Marty Jones's life by finding the telltale lump in his neck during the summer of 2020. Jones is also a musician and is donating 100 percent of the April sales of his Brewed Gold compilation to the Oral Cancer Foundation, while Denver Beer Company will donate 10 percent of the sales of its popular Yum Yum series beers on April 13.
The screenings will run from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the Littleton location, 2:15 to 3:45 p.m. at the Platte Street location, and 4:30 to 6 p.m. at the Lowry location. Screenings take about five minutes and involve a quick visual inspection of the mouth, tongue and gums and a hands-on inspection of the neck and shoulders for lumps or other abnormalities.
Supplier Fest 2024
Sunday, April 14, 3 to 5 p.m.
Woods Boss Brewing
2210 California Street
Woods Boss is hosting brewers, owners and reps from over 35 companies. The list includes some heralded out-of-state breweries such as Phase Three Brewing, Voodoo Brewing, Martin House Brewing and Snake River Brewing. Tickets are $25 and include a glass and two hours of samples.
Storm Peak's Urban Sombrero is a very well-balanced Mexican-style lager.
Storm Peak Brewing/Instagram
From the Brewery: Mexican-style lager with a hint of lime.
From the Glass: A graininess that reminds me of fresh sandwich bread on the nose, with a light herbal and citrus note following close behind. It's light to the taste without being thin, and has a pleasant dollop of maltiness balanced by a moderate hop bitterness. The can says "a hint of lime zest" is in the beer as well, but I don't think I would know that without the power of suggestion. There is a subtle citrus note — is that the lime or the hop? Who really knows? This is a well-crafted beer that would've been worse off if it had gone too hard in any one direction. Balance is the name of the game, and this beer has it in spades.
Availability: At the brewery and in liquor stores, restaurants and bars throughout Colorado. Storm Peak has a handy beer finder page on its website.
