The Brewers Association has, for the past ten years or so, been a little slow to respond to trends, changes and issues in the craft-beer industry. This is both a little strange, since the organization is the primary trade group for independent breweries nationwide, and understandable, since the BA is…
As ticket holders for the Great American Beer Festival gear up for three days of beer saturation, it’s easy to see why beer is on our brain. But those who can’t make it to the annual extravaganza of fermented beverages should consider eating their hops instead…or at least nibble on tasty…
How many breweries does Denver have? People ask me that question all the time, and I don’t have a good answer. Why? Because it is complicated. Some breweries have two locations where they brew and serve beer, while others have two locations, but only one with a taproom that is open…
Based on the size of his beer cellar, you might think Adam Avery was the sentimental type. Over the past fifteen years, he’s collected hundreds — make that thousands — of bottles of his own beer: one-off sours, barrel-aged stouts, discontinued high-gravity ales that used to sell out on the…
With more than 200 wines, visiting wine experts and delectable pairings, the 2017 Boulder Burgundy Festival, an event 600 years in the making, comes to the St. Julien Hotel (and several other Boulder restaurants) from October 13-15. Tickets are selling fast. A Saturday night dinner with New York Times wine critic…
The Great American Beer Festival has always been a little geographically lopsided. Since the annual event — which begins Thursday — was founded 36 years ago in Boulder, it’s no surprise that Colorado is the most heavily represented state. California also brings the brews with more than 150 breweries at…
If you don’t like beer, then Great American Beer Festival week, October 2-8, is a great time to head for hills to take in the beautiful reds, yellows and golds of Colorado’s fall colors. But if beer is your passion, then those reds, golds and yellows are all right here in town —…
If you’ve lived in Denver for a while and you like craft beer, chances are you’ve been to the Great American Beer Festival at least once — and maybe you’re even a seasoned veteran. Chances are better that you now like to regale people with tales about how crowded the…
A brewery should be a place where everyone feels comfortable. “There shouldn’t be constraints based on your race or your ethnicity, or what language you speak or who you want to kiss,” says Tamir Danon. “Nothing should make you feel alienated in the brewing community. If you are from a…
Did you buy a pint of beer at your local brewery in 2016? Then you can be proud to boost the Colorado economy. Craft breweries and brewpubs nationwide contributed $67.8 billion to the U.S. economy in 2016. That’s a lot of pints, and it’s an increase of 21.7 percent from just…
It’s stunning how quickly things are evolving these days in the craft-beer industry: styles, trends, rules and regulations, even the packages that beer is sold in. Breweries are bought and sold; they change names, change focus and change addresses. And collaborations between brewers can fall victim to the change.
The Park Tavern and Restaurant (931 East 11th Avenue) was one of the first bars I ever visited when I moved to Denver. In fact, a Ouija board once predicted that I was going there with friends. Seriously. As Halloween approaches, it seems only appropriate to share that I was once…
The Great American Beer Festival, which hits town next week, is an interesting time for any brewery that participates and usually results in some great stories. For Telluride Brewing, one of those stories begins in May 2012, just five months after Chris Fish and Tommy Thatcher opened the brewery. Still getting…
Judging by the long lines that snaked away from the Dad & Dudes Breweria booth at the Great American Beer Festival the past two years, just about everywhere in Denver has tried cannabis beer. Last year’s version, called George Washington’s Secret Stash was an IPA infused with cannabidiol, a non-psychoactive…
Most people assume that owning a brewery in Colorado is like living the dream. You get to make beer, talk beer, drink beer, sleep beer and hang out with your beer-loving friends all day and night. What could be better than that? The reality, though, says one Denver brewery owner…
Lately, Longmont has been winning at the booze game, and Longtucky Spirits, at 350 Terry Street, is the latest player. Owned by John Abbott Young and Howard K. Wallace, this 4,500-square-foot distillery and cocktail bar opened in late June in what formerly housed the Longmont Times-Call building downtown. The owners’ idea…
No, this isn’t a geography quiz. New England-style IPAs are the hottest and most controversial thing to hit craft brewing in a long time, and Colorado breweries are making some of the best examples in the country. The “style,” which isn’t yet recognized by the Brewers Association, showcases tropical, citrusy…
The first day of autumn arrives this week and it’s time to put away the summer wine list. As harvest begins, what works best to drink with those savory, spicy fall meals? Let’s ask Ashley Hausman Vaughters, Colorado’s only Master of Wine, a designation conferred (appropriately) by the Institute of…
Peaches and peppers tend to get the most play when it comes to Colorado crops. For craft breweries, many of whom have developed close relationships with growers over the past few years, particularly on the Western Slope, grapes, cherries and apricots, not to mention fresh hops, are also highly sought…
I seem to keep hearing about Clancy’s Irish Pub in Wheat Ridge from a wide variety of people who have ties to the area. My hair stylist, who lives in Golden, told me about it, my friend who lives in the area and is an expert on bars where you…
Few things in life are more rewarding than a mimosa at the end of a long week or the beginning of a relaxing weekend. Coming across a solid bottomless mimosa deal that pairs well with your brunch can be tricky, especially when you’re on a budget, so when you see…
Oskar Blues takes credit for being the first craft brewery to can its own beer, way back in 2002. While canned cocktails have a considerably longer history (are you old enough to remember cans of Purple Passion in the 1980s?), Oskar Blues is jumping into that market too, with its…
