While most of Colorado's breweries are open in some way, shape or form, the Mountain Sun Pub group has taken a different approach throughout the past eleven months of the pandemic, preferring to keep its five busy locations closed for the majority of that time, with only a few months of service since last March.

As a result, Mountain Sun won't be hosting its 28th annual Stout Month in February, a festival that runs the length of the month and features dozens of well-loved, house-brewed creations, such as Girl Scout Stout, Chocolate Dip Stout and Megatron Imperial Stout, along with stouts from many other Colorado breweries.

But Mountain Sun co-owner Kevin Daly says he is optimistic that he will be able to bring Stout Month back in September for a better-late-than-never appearance. Daly, who has been very conservative in his approach to the pandemic, believes that the vaccine will enable bars and restaurants to open with no restrictions by then.

"We will be back. All five locations will be back, and we can't wait to have a Stout Month when people can kiss and hug and make out and have a beer at the bar with their friends," he says.

For now, though, Mountain Sun, Southern Sun and Under the Sun, all in Boulder, along with the Vine Street Pub in Denver and Longs Peak Pub, will remain closed. In addition, none of the breweries are making beer.

Stout Month began nearly three decades ago in Boulder and grew to include the other locations over the years — something that required an immense amount of preparation by the brewers.

Other breweries have also begun celebrating Stout Month, and many now feature their own long lineups of dark, rich beers. To see some of the stout tappings happening in February, see our Beer Calendar.