This Week in Beer: Hop Farm That Supplies AC Golden Is Closing and More

As the local brewery scene continues to evolve and grow, we're rounding up the news, events and new releases you need to know about. Here's the latest:

Bierstadt Lagerhaus Adds New Cocktails
The Story: The brewery continues to collaborate with top cocktail bars.
The Scoop: After a successful run of four cocktail collaborations, Bierstadt is switching it up with four new libations with some of the best bars in Denver. The Basic Batch is a pumpkin spice latte milk punch created with Yacht Club. Scarlett Harlot is a collaboration with the Marigold featuring gin, pomegranate, cardamom syrup, ginger and lemon. Death & Co is back again with Kicked in the Plums, a cocktail that starts like an Old Fashioned but ends like a cherry cola. And finally, Finn's Manor has helped create Left on Red, a smoky and spicy mezcal-forward concoction with pineapple, orange aperitivo, habanero and peach.

Misty Mountain Hop Farm Closing
The Story: The fifty-acre farm in Olathe supplied AC Golden and its popular Colorado Native beers.
The Scoop: Owner Ron Munger says that the AC Golden contract expired at the end of the 2024 season, but that the non-renewal actually worked out well. "I'm 64 years old. The timing couldn't be better," he notes.

Misty Mountain took third place in the 2024 Cascade Cup, a competition involving growers of the well-known Cascade hop variety. Despite growers from Washington far outnumbering Colorado farms, Misty Mountain took third place this year, while Montrose's Billy Goat Hop Farm took first both this year and last. Billy Goat remains a key supplier of Colorado hops for Colorado craft breweries, particularly during fresh hop season.

TightKnit Brewing Closing Downtown Greeley Location
The Story: In a social media post, the brewery announced that it does not plan to renew the lease at 813 8th Street.
The Scoop: Its last day at that location will be December 23, but in the new year, the brewery will have open taproom hours at its brewhouse (3940 Carson Avenue). 

Upcoming Events

No Peeking
Through December 31
Wiley Roots Brewing
625 3rd Street, Greeley
Spend $25 or more at Wiley Roots and receive an envelope that cannot be opened until after the new year. Bring the unopened envelope back to Wiley Roots from January 2 through 31 and a beertender will open it to reveal special prizes and/or discounts. There are 550 envelopes available this season with prizes like free tickets to a barrel tasting, a VIP experience with a $100 tab, gift cards, hats, four-packs of cellared beers, 50 percent off a tab, a retired bourbon barrel and more.

Dusk
Saturday, December 14, noon to 9 p.m.
Purpose Brewing
4025 South Mason Street, Fort Collins
Purpose is throwing a free event to celebrate dark beer. If you RSVP, you'll receive a free three-ounce pour. There will be three-, six- and twelve-ounce pours available of ten Purpose beers, as well as six guest beers from 4 Noses Brewing, Burns Family Artisan Ales and River North Brewery.

Cervezas and Tamales Pairing
Saturday, December 14, 1 to 4 p.m.
Cervecería Colorado
1635 Platte Street
Cervecería Colorado is teaming up with Kahlo's Mexican Restaurant to offer a beer and tamale pairing. Pairings include Tamal Verde con Pollo with Mi Vida IPA, Tamal de Fresa with Paleta Rosita Milkshake IPA and Tamal de Chocolate with Navidad Ponche Sour. In total, four beers and four tamales plus a Mexican lager and ceviche can be enjoyed for $30.

Beer of the Week

Sir Veza from Little Machine Brewing, Mexican-Style Lager, 5.3 percent ABV
From the Brewery: The pride of the machine, served with a lime.
From the Glass: This pours an attractive gold color and has about as much foam on top as there can be before casual customers could start to complain. The lime alters the experience of this beer. If I'm just sessioning this single beer at Little Machine, I'll start with a glass sans the lime. The beer has a light corn-like, soft hay malt sweetness balanced by a light hop bitterness and dry finish. It really does invite some lime, and my favorite way to drink it is to just keep the lime on the rim and let it soak into the beer a bit. Then as the liquid in the glass disappears, give it a squeeze and it becomes more like a light sparkling cocktail. Of course, the most popular way to drink it seems to be an initial squeeze into the full pint. There are no wrongs here.
Availability: On draft at Little Machine, 2924 West 20th Avenue.