
Don't give your dog beer — but if you do, make sure it's better than Miller Lite. But seriously: Don't give your dog beer.
Flickr/Andrew Bardwell
Spend the last Friday night of 2018 partying with friends who will never hook up with some loser at the bar and abandon you, get so drunk they puke in your car or steal your food without asking. Okay, they might do that last one, but it's a small price to pay for the unconditional love you get from your canine companion. Diebolt Brewing, 3855 Mariposa Street, is throwing a party for you and your pup on Friday, December 28, that will benefit Maxfund Animal Adoption Center. Tickets, $12, include pet caricature drawings, a ball thrower, dog food and treat samples (including a scoop of Sweet Action ice cream for humans), entry into the peanut-butter-licking contest (for your dog, not you), and the chance to hang out with your most reliable of buddies while drinking good beer. The party runs from 7 to 8:30 p.m.; snag your tickets on Eventbrite.

Get a bellyful of barrel-aged beers at Renegade this Saturday.
Courtesy Renegade Brewing Company Facebook
Build a base for the parties to come at a pancake breakfast at Four Seasons Farmers' and Artisans' Market. From 9 to 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, December 29, you can feast on pancakes made with special buckwheat flour from Pfz Farms in Haxton, topped with syrup from Pam's Jams. And may we suggest a side of Harvest Acres sausage? The market is located at 7043 West 38th Avenue in Wheat Ridge; find out more by calling 720-560-6648 or visiting fourseasonsfam.com.
Contemplate your advancing age as you head into the new year at Renegade Brewing. The taproom at 925 West Ninth Avenue is tapping some of its own well-aged brews from 2018 on Saturday, December 29. From noon to 10 p.m., six barrel-aged beers will be poured during the brewery's Barrel Aged Tap Takeover. Versions of Hammer Imperial Stout, Chocolate Oatmeal Stout (spiced with berbere), Cherry Farmhouse on Brett, Bedwetter Barleywine, Renegado Rye Mexican Lager and Pancakes Maple Porter (aged in rum barrels) will make appearances, as will The One and Only Jon Ham, who will be crooning from 6 to 9 p.m. Find out more on Renegade's Facebook page. Pro tip: If you drink enough, you won't care that you're aging at about the same rate as these beers.
Sunday, December 30
Ring in 2019 a day early — and avoid crowds, inflated prices and general fuckery — on Sunday, December 30. Bistro Barbès, 5021 East 28th Avenue, is hosting a seven-course New Year's Eve Eve dinner at 5 p.m.; offerings include salmon terrine, gnocchi, diver scallops and beef Wellington for $80, with wine pairings for an additional $40. And in consideration of those with dietary restrictions, vegetarian, gluten- and dairy-free substitutions will also be on the menu. Find out more on the restaurant's Facebook page, then call 720-398-8085 to book your seat.
Keep reading for future food and drink events: