When news broke that Randy Layman was leaving Avenue Grill to run the bar at Jonesy’s EatBar for Leigh Jones, it sounded like a match made in heaven. Layman is an incredible mixologist with a passion for tending bar — and for teaching neophytes how to tend bar well. Leigh…
The race for governor of Colorado is in full swing, but the next “Gubna” of Colorado has already been decided. Oskar Blues Brewery will release Gubna Imperial IPA on March 1, the Longmont-based brewer’s sixth canned brew. The unusual rye beer is made from three kinds of malt, including rye…
Cinderblock sober and with a few moments to mull, I could probably sound intelligent on the subject of whiskey — on the differences between bourbon, scotch, single-malt, straight, blended, Kentucky, Tennessee, Irish, Canadian, Japanese, etc., as well as why it’s sometimes spelled with an ‘e’ and other times not. My…
The Place: Z Cuisine Á Côté, 2239 West 30th Avenue, 303-477-1111. The Hours: Tuesdays from 4:30 to 10 p.m., and Wednesday through Saturday from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. The Deal: Wines by the glass — Gascogne Blanc and a Côtes du Luberon — are served for $5; Stella Artois is…
First, Ryan Layman left Avenue Grill and moved across the street to Steuben’s. Now comes word that after seven years at Avenue Grill, Randy Layman — Ryan’s twin brother — is heading to Jonesy’s EatBar to become bar manager there. Randy poured out his ‘tending philosophy to Nancy Levine for…
The Place: Parallel 17, 1600 East 17th Avenue, 303-399-0988 The Hours: Monday 3 p.m. until 10 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday from 3 p.m. until 7 p.m. The Deal: Food specials include six Asian-inspired small plates, ranging in price from $3 to $5. Drink specials include beer, wine and house sangria,…
Having trouble coming up with a New Year’s resolution you can keep? Here’s a suggestion: Try a new Colorado microbrew every month, starting with Mountain Sun’s Resolution Ale, which hit taps at its three locations — the Vine Street Pub in Denver and the Mountain and Southern Sun Pub &…
When I arrived in Colorado seven and a half years ago, there was no Stranahan’s, no Colorado whiskey to speak of, and no war in my soul over what to order when I pulled up before the long oak with a taste for whiskey and some time to kill. I…
Got New Year’s Eve plans yet? No? Well, have I got an event for you…..
These wine glasses wobble, but they don’t fall down, which is a very good thing if you’re like me and insist on making every point with your hands. At which bar did I manage to keep my glass upright? Special bonus: Every Friday, anyone who gave the first correct answer…
The sign on the Rackhouse Pub promises “Whiskey Beer Food.” It’s been a tough year, so I’m looking for signs. Life has gotten so complex that a sign, just a sign, can help chart my direction — even if it’s only for the course of a night. Whiskey, Beer and…
The Tommyknocker Brewery’s Cocoa Porter isn’t a particularly sophisticated beer, not a particularly powerful stout, but it is delicious nonetheless, almost like chocolate milk or hot chocolate. In fact, the beer is brewed with cocoa powder, which is quite apparent, and with honey, which is more subtle. Although the cocoa…
Full Sail’s Wreck the Halls is certainly hoppy, and it’s crisp and tastes good. In fact, it’s like many other American IPAs, if just a touch more malty. But frankly, it shouldn’t take the holidays to produce a beer comparable to what many, many other breweries put out year round…
Though the NBA is my least-favorite spectator sport, I always accept free tickets, especially when those tickets are in the nineteenth row and accompanied by a free ride. With my initial investment at $0 and my transportation on lockdown, the financial anal rape of an $8 beer (after tip) feels…
Elysian Bifrost Winter Ale pours a golden color, with a head that is as thick, fluffy and bouncy as a cozy homemade blanket – or a foot-high bank of Christmas snow. The bubbles go deep and rise slowly, like a Guinness, and the frothy top is so thick, it can…
Amanda Olig moved to Colorado in August 2005, right after the annual motorcycle rally in Sturgis, South Dakota. She worked as a promo girl for Premier Image for three years doing Jameson, Kahlua and Stoli promotions, then opened the Meadowlark in January 2006. She stayed there until August 2007, when…
Frambozen is a classic Colorado holiday beer, one that has a fan club across the country and everyone who lives here should try at least once. A brown ale that pours a deep red/brown color, Frambozen is deliciously flavored with juicy raspberries that make it seem like it should be…
Chanukah started on Friday, and the occasion called for a special brew, something that would go well with potato latkes and gelt. The answer was Jewbelation, the massive holiday beer from New York’s Shmaltz Brewing Company (makers of HE’BREW, the chosen beer). The gimmicky brand marketing for Shmaltz — its…
Bacon. Really, that’s all you need to know about this knockout cocktail that’s a new creation from one of Denver best cocktologists (thanks to Nancy Levine for coining that word). Shaken with Stranhan’s whiskey, bacon-infused rye and other potent poisons, its rim is is then edged with – get this…
Euphoria – This hop-happy beer in a can is a crowd pleaser, with its bitterly delicious dollop of hops delivered cold and crisp from aluminum rather than glass. Similar to the Celebration Ale in style, this beer more closely resembles a American style IPA along the lines of Dale’s Pale…
I have fond memories of the holiday season up at 44th and Federal. The space that was then 3 Sons always featured the most over-the-top, tacky Christmas decorations in town; as a kid, I liked counting all the different decor items, especially the red bows and cherubs. The owners sold…
When I first tried this beer last year, on the recommendation of a liquor-store employee, I thought I’d gotten a bottle from a batch that had been contaminated. Although it smelled like pine trees, it tasted like, well, the mold that grows on a plastic container full of spaghetti that’s…
