After a year of pandemic-induced closure, the Stranded Pilgrim craft-beer bar inside Frank Bonanno's Denver Milk Market, at 1800 Wazee Street, has finally reopened for business Fridays through Sundays.
The bar, with twenty taps, typically has had a well-thought-out selection of local brews, from light lagers to hazy IPAs, from saisons to stouts.
Beers on tap the first week included WeldWorks Juicy Bits, New Image Passionfruit Dyad, Hogshead Chin Wag ESB, Tivoli Bo Girl Pilsner and Odell Peach Stand Rambler. But you will also be able to find beers now or in the near future from Epic Brewing, Great Divide, 4 Noses, Wibby, Cerveceria Colorado, Outer Range, Barquentine, Denver Beer Co., Ratio and many more.
Keep reading to see beer tappings and events through early next week.
Wednesday, May 5
Spice Trade Brewing taps four different versions of its chile pilsner, each infused with a different kind of pepper, ranging from mild to extra spicy. They are jalapeño, Korean sun-dried gochugaru, Aleppo and Thai. The brewery also has mixed four-packs of the beers to go. In addition, you can find a "choose your own spice adventure" beer-and-food pairing today.
Copper Kettle Brewing will be partnering with Cake Crumbs Bakery & Cafe every Wednesday this month to pair a different firkin beer with cake pops. The first is Cherry Milk Stout with a red velvet cake pop. That will be followed on May 12 with Caramel/Coconut Mexican Chocolate Stout with a chocolate cake pop; May 19: All the Fruits Fire Dancer with a pineapple cake pop; and May 26: Lemon Shandy Lager with a lemon cake pop.
Cerebral Brewing releases cans of Work From Anywhere Imperial Breakfast Porter, a 10 percent ABV beer made with Vermont maple syrup, Corvus coffee and lactose; and Pink Slip Breakfast Sour, an 8 percent ABV ale made with blueberries, maple syrup and lactose.
Strange Craft Beer Company taps Can I Get a Lime, a 4.7 percent ABV Mexican-style lager brewed for Cinco de Mayo.
Comrade Brewing has its Lost Shaker Mexican Lager on tap for Cinco de Mayo — and you can get a pint for $5 if you buy some complementary food from the X'tabai Yucateco food truck.
Luki Brewery in Arvada brings back Rocinante Mexican Lager, its 5.5 percent ABV crispy beer that was brewed with corn, honey malt and a hint of lime.
Ten Front Range breweries will release a gluten-free beer today and tomorrow that was brewed in honor of Celiac Awareness Month, which is centered around advocacy for celiac disease. Brut Together Brut IPA features certified gluten-free local millet and buckwheat malts rather than traditional wheat and barley malts, which contain gluten. "This crisp and light beer is characterized by a dry Brut flavor bursting with hops and fruity notes from fresh mango purée, pineapple and oranges," says Holidaily Brewing, which produced the beer at its Golden facility and is leading the effort. The other participating breweries are: Timnath Beerwerks, Broken Compass Brewing, Welcome Home Brewery, Joyride Brewing, Over Yonder Brewing, Peak View Brewing, Sparge Brewing, Elizabeth Brewing and Two22 Brew. Check each one for individual release dates.
Thursday, May 6
Recently released: Dry Dock Brewing had joined the black IPA resurgence by tapping Jolly Roger Black IPA, now available in both of its Aurora taprooms. "Notes of pine, honeysuckle, orange peel, papaya, and berry meld with sweet bread, mild roast, and light chocolate to create a unique drinking experience," the brewery says. In addition, the brewery recently tapped its seasonal Maibock. "This tasting room exclusive showcases the balancing act of sweet alcohol and noble hop character supporting a rich, easy-drinking, malt-forward lager whose strength goes unnoticed...until you get up from the table."
Newish cans: Not enough Black IPA for you? Well then, head to Diebolt Brewing, which also released a black IPA recently in honor of May the Fourth. Party On, Darth! was brewed with Amarillo and Cascade hops, providing "a balance to the subtle roastiness of the blackest malts known to man. It’s smooth, alluring, slightly bitter," the brewery says. It is available in cans to go and on tap.
Epic Brewing releases Put the IPA in the Coconut in cans at its taproom. "Using white wheat and flaked oats in the grain bill, followed with massive amounts of late-addition Cashmere, Styrian Dragon and Citra hops, the brewers are able to bring out a lush combination of mango, passionfruit, papaya and of course coconut that will leave your mouth in paradise," the brewery says. The beer will also hit liquor stores later.
Friday, May 7
Goldspot Brewing kicks off a three-day-long celebration of its sixth anniversary by tapping Sultry Pilsner, a collaboration with New Belgium. There will also be a food truck on hand. On Saturday, it's a Key Lime IPA collab with Diebolt Brewing, and on Sunday, Goldspot taps Pinot Noir Strawberry Saison.
Odell Brewing discontinued its famed and much-loved St. Lupulin dry-hopped extra pale ale a few years back, and fans have been asking for its return ever since. St. Lupulin answers those prayers with a small batch of the beer, which releases in four-packs of 16-ounce cans only at the brewery's three taprooms in Fort Collins and Denver. "Extraordinary oils in this yellow resin provide this dry-hopped extra pale ale with an undeniably pleasing floral aroma and clean, crisp finish," Odell says. They will disappear quickly.
Seedstock Brewing celebrates its birthday with a two-day event honoring five years on West Colfax Avenue. On Friday, there will be food, music, raffles and the release of its seasonal Maibock, an "amber-colored lager with a rich malt aroma," the brewery says. "Hints of hop spice and a warmth of alcohol balance this malt-driven beer that finishes smooth and clean."
Kendrick's Ale makes its return to Strange Craft Beer Company. The beer was brewed in honor of Kendrick Castillo, who was killed on this day in 2019 when he "rushed active shooters at the Highlands Ranch STEM School, sacrificing his life to save the lives of his classmates and teachers," the brewery says. Strange Craft brews Kendrick's Ale with Kendrick's father, John, who is a friend of Strange owner Tim Myers and a fellow home brewer. "Kendrick's Ale is a bittersweet Hefeweizen recipe brewed with bitter orange peel and honey. It brings a sweet hint of honey to the palate followed by the slight hint of bitter orange."
Hogshead Brewery taps six firkins (cask ale) of a session IPA called Denver Pride. The experimental beer is only 4.5 percent ABV and was double-dry-hopped with Simcoe. Hogshead opens at noon.
Little Machine Beer Company taps Too Too Low Low Italian-style Pilsner. The lager was dry-hopped with Nelson Sauvin and Saphir to give it an unusual note.
Saturday, May 8
River North Brewery releases Super Hopatronic Lupulositor, the newest in its hazy hoppy series. This one, a triple IPA, was brewed with Strata, Zappa and Citra hops. It is available on tap and in six-packs at both taprooms.
Seedstock Brewing celebrates the second day of its fifth anniversary weekend with food, music, raffles and the release of Huckleberry Broyhan, a slight twist on this northern German beer style, which was most popular 300 years ago. "Light yellow in color, a generous amount of wheat delivers nice mouthfeel balanced by slight tartness and a touch of huckleberry with a crisp finish," Seedstock says. "French hops provide a pleasant backbone for this refreshing beer."
Join Westword beer writer Jonathan Shikes (that's me) at Denver Beer Co.'s brand-new taproom and spacious patio at 2425 South Downing Street, where he'll be selling and signing copies of his book Denver Beer: A History of Mile High Brewing from noon to 2 p.m. The book covers the history of brewing in Denver from 1859 to 2019.
14er Brewing debuts a food truck that will now be permanently stationed at the taproom. Koi & Ninja specializes in globally inspired street food with Southeast Asian flavors and Cambodian roots.
Westfax Brewing has three beers available in cans. Cilantro Lima Ale is a 6.5 percent beer made with fresh lime and cilantro; Velveteen Stout is a 5.3 percent dry Irish stout; and DDH Urban Lumberjack is a 6.5 percent double-dry-hopped version of the brewery's flagship hazy IPA with added Citra hops.
Recently released: Over Yonder Brewing in Golden has tapped Hello My Love Kettle Sour Milkshake IPA made with passionfruit, strawberry and vanilla, along with Citra, El Dorado and Amarillo hops and oats and malt from Root Shoot Malting. "Balanced body synchronous with distinct flavors of each fruit. Think fresh fruit smoothies with sweet nibbles of candy sour delightfulness," the brewery says.
"April showers bring May Noches...and lots of them," says WeldWerks Brewing, which will offer tickets to buy four Media Noche Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout variations at 10 a.m. on Eventbrite (they will sell out fast). The $110 four-pack of 500 mL bottles includes Cookies & Cream Medianoche, Bananas Foster Medianoche, Medianoche Premier Vol. 3 and Double Barrel 1910 Medianoche. For all the details on the specifics of how the beers were aged, how to buy them and other information, go the WeldWerks Facebook page.
Wednesday, May 12
Copper Kettle Brewing will be partnering with Cake Crumbs Bakery and Cafe every Wednesday this month to pair a different firkin beer with cake pops. Today's is Caramel/Coconut Mexican Chocolate Stout with a chocolate cake pop. That will be followed on May 19 with All the Fruits Fire Dancer with a pineapple cake pop; and May 26 by Lemon Shandy Lager with a lemon cake pop.
Friday, May 14
Woods Boss Brewing brings back The Curtain With Rye in cans and on draft. The 6.6 percent ABV beer "is a beautifully crisp and dry IPA" that was brewed with rye for spicy notes, the brewery says. The Lemon Drop and Motueka hops provide a "beautiful balance of a piney back end with a sweeter lemony/lime citrus finish."
Little Machine Beer taps Kicks Old Skool Pale Ale. "Herbaceous and bodaceous," this beer uses "slightly more malt than we’ve been doing lately and with some classic hops: Glacier, Crystal and Cascade," the brewery says.