Saturday, May 5
Cerveceria Colorado Grand Opening
Cerveceria Colorado
1635 Platte Street
Cerveceria Colorado, a brewery project from Denver Beer Co., will open its doors at 11 a.m. with nine beers on tap, all of them honoring the traditions, cuisine and culture of Mexico. Located next to the brewery's original home on Platte Street, Cerveceria Colorado is both a beer bar and a statement: "Cerveceria Colorado believes beer is inclusive, collaborative and celebratory. Cerveceria Colorado is here to build bridges, not walls, in our communities," owners Patrick Crawford and Charlie Berger say. In addition to the beers, there will also be Mexican games, Mexican food trucks, a Tres Leches cake tasting, piñata smashing and a photo booth.The opening lineup of beers includes: Lupulo Cacao, a chocolate pale ale; Senor Piña, a pineapple blonde; Venga, a traditional Mexican lager that you can sip chelada-style with a salted rim and lime wedge; Barrica Reserva, a tequila-barrel-aged saison; Churro Stout, a milk stout aged on vanilla beans and cinnamon; Cocolimon, a kettle sour with zested limes and shredded coconut, created in collaboration with Cerveceria de Colima in Colima, Mexico; Nopalito, a wheat beer with nopal, created in collaboration with La Cirquera from Querétaro, Mexico; and Poblano Pils, a smoked Mexican lager aged on smoked fresh poblano chiles.
Thursday, May 10 (Beginning)
Craft Beer Summer School
Multiple locations
Are you interested in taking your beer knowledge to the next level? Then join seven Denver breweries that are hosting a series of classes every Thursday at 7 p.m. from May 10 through June 21. Here's the official decription of the syllabus:
You'll visit a new craft brewery every week and gain in-depth knowledge of the science and methodology of what they do best. Explore the world of IPAs and hops with Alpine Dog, dig into sour and mixed culture fermentation with Baere Brewing. Take your palate to Germany and Belgium at Bierstadt Lagerhaus and Bruz Beers, respectively. Delve into the complicated world of barrel aging with Cerebral Brewing and the detailed science of ingredients at CO-Brew Denver. Learn about the wide world of adjuncts at Intrepid Sojourner Beer Project.Each brewery will provide two to three hours of instruction to small classes of twelve people (there will also be swag and beer discounts). A graduation bash will take place on June 30 at Intrepid Sojourner. The cost for the entire series is $399, and registration is available at eventbrite.com.
Saturday, May 12
Fruit Frenzy
Platt Park Brewing
1875 Pearl Street
Join Platt Park Brewing for its second annual Fruit Frenzy, which encompasses a wide variety of beer styles. There will be nine fruit beers on tap starting at noon — for one day only. The beers are: Watermelon Berliner Weisse, Papaya Milkshake IPA, White Pear Berliner Weisse, Coconut Coffee Porter, Tangerine Tropical Snow Dance IPA, Future Blind Chocolate Cherry Stout, Pineapple Hop Religion, and Passion Fruit Phaded Pale Ale.
Saturday, May 12
Barrel Aged Extravaganza
River North Brewery
6021 Washington Street
"Here in Colorado, we know to expect those early May snows. So to celebrate the real end of winter, we are raiding the cellar and filling our lines with barrel-aged brews," says River North Brewery, which is throwing a Barrel Aged Extravaganza. Beers on tap include 2017 Vicennial: Barrel-Aged God Complex; 2017 Vicennial: Barrel-Aged Shadowman; 2017 Vicennial: Barrel-Aged Father Time; 2016 Barrel Aged Avarice; 2016 Whiskey Barrel Quandary; 2017 Whiskey Barrel Quandary; 2017 Fancy Effing Stout; 2017 Big City Quad; 2017 Barrel Aged Mr. Sandman; 2017 Whiskey Barrel J. Marie; Single Cask J. Marie - Port-Finished Whiskey; and Saison Conspiracy Noir. All beers will all be available to take home in Crowlers, too.
Saturday, May 12
Hops for Homes Craft Beer Festival
Great Divide Brewing
3403 Brighton Boulevard
Join Habitat Denver and more than thirty breweries at Great Divide Brewing's event space, 3403 Brighton Boulevard, for the 2018 edition of Hops for Homes, a craft-beer festival that "brings the collaborative spirit of the craft-brewery community together to craft a home and build hope for a local family in need." Tickets — $40 for GA and $50 for VIP — include unlimited pours, a specialty tasting glass, games, a live DJ and raffles. Food trucks include Basic Kneads Pizza, Farmer Joe's Food Truck and Catering, Mile High Cajun Food Truck, and Trubucha. For tickets and a full list of participating breweries, go to habitatmetrodenver.org. The fest runs from 1 to 4 p.m. (VIPs get in at noon).
Intrepid Sojourner
Intrepid Sojourner One-Year Anniversary
Intrepid Sojourner Beer Project
925 West Eighth Avenue
It's been a full year for the Intrepid Sojourner Beer Project, which will celebrate with a series of bomber bottle releases all week, leading up to a big bash on Saturday, May 19. Brewer and co-founder Andrew Moore kicks things off on Monday, May 14, at 7 p.m. with a presentation about brewing with adjuncts; he will also release Imperial Turkish Coffee Stout in bottles (for details on all the bottles, go to the brewery's Facebook page). On Tuesday, it will be Peach Hickory Wee Heavy, which just won a medal at the World Beer Cup, followed by Imperial Basil IPA on Wednesday, Belgian Quad on Thursday and Imperial Sahti on Friday. A special flight of beers made on the brewery’s new pilot system, each with four infusions, will also be available nightly in the taproom: the Middle Eastern Saison (infused Monday with za’atar, ras el hanout, khmeli suneli, and advieh); the Carrot IPA (Tuesday, with ginger, Sichuan peppers, beats and cilantro, and chiles); the Garlic Amber (Wednesday, with roasted, fermented, black, and Creole garlic); a sour (Thursday, with blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries); and the Coffee Session Pale Ale (Friday, with Aztec cocoa, Robusta coffee, Arabica coffee,and smoked coffee). And finally, the Saturday party will feature a band, the Barbed Wire Reef food truck, a firkin tapping, beer infusions and the launch of the Intrepid Sojourner Beer Club.
Friday, May 18, to Sunday, May 20
Strange Craft Eighth Anniversary Weekend
Strange Craft Beer Company
1330 Zuni Street
Strange Craft Beer Company celebrates its eighth anniversary this weekend with a variety of events, highlighted by a Backyard Anniversary Party and Carnival. On Friday, the brewery will fete its Dr. Strangelove Barleywine with flights (2014 through 2017) and host a cellar sale from noon to 10 p.m. Saturday is the main event, a backyard beer festival from noon to 4 p.m., featuring ten local breweries (Strange, Wit’s End, Chain Reaction, Black Sky, Copper Kettle, Caution, The Brew on Broadway, Renegade, and Very Nice). There will be food trucks and live music by Robby Wicks. Tickets, $25-$30, are available at eventbrite.com. And on Sunday, roll out for Anniversary Recovery Day by bringing your favorite dish to pair with a beermosa from noon to 6 p.m.
Saturday, May 19
Odyssey Beerwerks 5th Anniversary Party
Odyssey Beerwerks
5535 West 56th Avenue, Arvada
Five years is a big deal, so Odyssey Beerwerks is celebrating with a big party. There will be music from Matt Rouch & The Noise Upstairs, Brothers of Brass, Polka Folka and Jim Jamm Jimmy; food from Taste of Texas BBQ and Pambasos; and magic from Brandon K. Parker from Craft Beer and Magic. There will also be special beer tappings throughout the day, including fan fave Kiwis, Koalas, and Godzilla Pacific Rim IPA, featuring hops from New Zealand, Australia, and Japan. And finally, there will be vintage bombers for sale, like 2016 Salyut, 2017 Woods Monk, 2017 Imperial Fluffy Pumpkin, and 2018 Mountie Fuel.
Saturday, May 19
The Upslope Get Down
Upslope Brewing
1898 South Flatiron Court, Boulder
The fifth annual Upslope Get Down music festival and beer fest goes down from 2 to 10 p.m. at the Boulder brewery's Flatiron Park location. A serious blowout, the Get Down features eight bands on three stages, including Org?ne, Hannah Wicklund & The Steppin Stones, Guerrilla Fanfare, Tenth Mountain Division, The Jive Tribe, Steepland String Band, Kessel Run, and Boot Gun. There will also be food trucks, games, art, vendors and plenty of beer. VIP tickets are available as well.
Jonathan Shikes
Summer Crushable Party
Briar Common Brewery + Eatery
2298 Clay Street
Briar Common brings serious chops to Denver's rooftop — or rooftap, in this case — patio game, and it will show things off starting at 1 p.m. with this Memorial Day Summer Crushable Party. The brewpub will celebrate the release of four new beers (details TBA) focusing on "bright flavors perfect for sipping on the rooftop patio on sunny days." The kitchen will also fire up the barbecue with a special menu, plus there will be games, prizes and more. No tickets needed.
