UnTappd Potential: Odell Brewing Sippin’ Pretty Fruited Sour

Welcome, readers! We’re kicking off a new series called Untappd Potential. The inspiration came to us when we realized how many beer lovers have fallen into the routine of checking Untappd to see a beer’s score before deciding to try it or not. (If you’ve been living under a rock, Untappd is a popular networking app for beer drinkers to check in and rate what they’re drinking. It aggregates scores on a scale of 1-5, and drinkers can rate in increments of .25.)

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2019 WeldWerks Invitational: In a Sea of Adjunct Stouts, Still a Slam Dunk

I’ll be honest, we were a little nervous about WeldWerks Invitational 2019. Last year’s inaugural festival came out of nowhere with its world-class breweries and ultra-rare pours, and quickly became one of the most talked-about and celebrated beer events of … Read More

Karl Strauss Brewing Company | Boat Shoes Hazy IPA

In the late 60’s and early 70’s, the music of the West Coast had a distinct sound. This sound was ringing down from Laurel Canyon in the Hollywood Hills. This music was complex and challenging, bringing the flavors of folk, bluegrass, country, funk, Latin, rock and roll, and the blues and blended them all together into something big. This stuff was smooth, it was easy to listen to, but it still had some soul and some groove. The era of Yacht Rock was here.

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Odell Brewing Co. Small Batch 2019 | Pour List Preview

Odell Brewing Co. is back with their annual Small Batch Festival, one of the more laid-back and downright pleasant beer festivals you could hope to attend this spring. Despite their recent expansion to Denver’s RiNo district, the festival is staying true to its roots and will occur at their original Fort Collins site. (It’s hard to argue with that logic, since the back patio at their Fort Collins brewery is routinely touted as the best place to enjoy a beer in the entire city.) On Saturday, May 25^th, festival-goers will get to enjoy over 40 different Odell beers, live music on two stages, and a round-up of local food trucks. Tickets cost $40 and get you four 6-oz pours of a wide variety of Odell classics, rarities, and special firkin tappings. Read More

Locavore Beer Works | Split The Baby

Have you ever heard the phrase “splitting the baby”? Apparently it comes from the Old Testament, when two bickering women both claimed to be a baby’s mother. King Solomon, who sounds like he had a few beers under his own belt that day, offered to split the baby in half so both sides could win. His suggestion was meant to flush out the truth, as he suspected that the real mother would never agree to such a clearly terrible plan.

It may have been a dubious method for figuring out the truth, but centuries later, this phrase gave birth to one majestic beer: Locavore Beer Works’ Split The Baby, a blueberry lemon wheat ale made with real blueberries and lemon zest, brewed with Sorachi Ace and Citra hops. Read More

Collaboration Fest 2019: It Takes Two To Make A Brew Go Right

Like most good friendships, Denver’s Collaboration Festival has only gotten better with age. This past weekend we celebrated its sixth year with over 100 creative and delicious collaborations amongst 200+ different breweries. The rules for participation were as laidback as the festival vibe itself: each beer needed to be a collaboration between at least two breweries, and at least one brewery in the team needed to be a member of the Colorado Brewer’s Guild. Beyond that, the sky was the limit.

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Envy Brewing Joins Fort Collins’ Storied Brewery Landscape

Envy Brewing is the newest watering hole to open in Fort Collins, but don’t be mistaken—they’re drawing from a wealth of knowledge and expertise in the business. Brian Connery, Envy’s head brewer, has been in the industry for 22 years. The brewery opened last Friday so we chatted with Brian about his past, present, and future in the beer industry. Read More

McClellan’s and Pink Boots Society Team Up For International Women’s Day

It’s no coincidence that on today, International Women’s Day, you’re reading about McClellan’s Brewing Company. Located in Fort Collins, CO, McClellan’s is a small brewery located in a shopping center at the northwest side of town. Their simple facade belies a cozy interior and an impressive brew list that specializes in cask ales. McClellan’s recently collaborated on a squarrel-aged brown ale that will be featured at the upcoming Collaboration Fest in Denver on March 16th. Since their collaboration goal was to highlight and empower women in the craft beer industry, they had an easy choice on who to collaborate with: the Pink Boots Society. Read More

Lost In The Woods 2019 | New Belgium Gets Lei’d

New Belgium Brewing is famous for a lot of things, but here in their hometown of Fort Collins, their parties are what most people will have a story about. The sprawling, beautiful brewery space just beyond Old Town has opened its doors to countless soirees over the years. But none is so popular or memorable as their annual Lost in the Woods. Read More

Stone Brewing | Xocoveza

I think everyone can agree that January is the worst month of the year. For the entire first week, you’re nursing your holiday hangover. The second and third weeks you spend frantically trying to catch up on all the work you avoided during December. The last week, you fully realize how long it is until you get another holiday. I guess what I’m trying to say is that good beer is what will help you get through January.

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Maxline Brewing Uses Cute Dogs in Ugly Sweaters to Promote Local Mental Health Program

Maxline Brewing in Fort Collins is making a name for itself as the most dog-friendly place in town. The brewery typically hosts a fundraiser at least once a month; those fundraisers are almost always pup-centric. Puppy adoptions with a local shelter are also scheduled at least once a month and their patio is a haven for all sorts of four-legged friends. So when Terri Lee Bolles was brainstorming about where to hold the first fundraiser for her non-profit, Project Mental Health Freedom (PMHF), it was a no-brainer.

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Avery Brewing | Rumpkin Rum Barrel-Aged Pumpkin Ale

Ahh, fall. A time of cooling temperatures, cozy knit sweaters and pumpkin spice as far as the nose can smell. It can be easy to hit gourd overload before the leaves even begin to change, and craft beer is no exception: I counted 14 pumpkin-themed six-packs at the liquor store this week, and that’s not even including bombers.

So, in an effort to help you wade through the most trendy of all beer trends this autumn, let me cut to the chase: just drink Avery Brewing’s Rumpkin. Read More

Brewery Showcase | Wiley Roots Brewing Co.

For the past five years, Kyle and Miranda Carbaugh have been operating Wiley Roots Brewing Company on a quiet dead-end street in Greeley, Colorado. They’ve run their small space with a friendly and humble mindset, believing that if the beer is good, then the rest will fall into place. The Carbaughs have even come to affectionately refer to themselves and their brewery as “the weird kid in class”.
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Funkwerks | Oud Bruin

Funkwerks Brewery, located in Fort Collins, CO, has achieved something pretty remarkable: in a town full of breweries, they maintain an underground “hidden gem” vibe while consistently producing quality beers. Maybe it’s their tiny taproom, or the lack of splashy … Read More

Odell Small Batch Festival 2018 Review: Something Old, Something New

Odell Brewing, home to the (unofficial) official Best Patio of Fort Collins, hosted its Small Batch Festival on May 26. Not many breweries can pull off a festival consisting entirely of their own brews, but the prolific Odell successfully produced a beer lineup consisting of old favorites and some brand new blends.

For $35, patrons received two 12oz pours (8oz for high ABV brews ), a stainless steel cup and 60+ beer options. This party isn’t new—Odell has hosted this festival a handful of times in the past decade—and in the late May summer sun, the Small Batch Festival definitely felt like a familiar get-together. It was part business as usual, but other aspects felt distinctly special. Here’s the breakdown of what felt old, and what was new:

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Ultimate 6er | Buffy The Vampire Slayer Beers

No, it’s not the latest show to be resurrected by Netflix or reborn on Hulu. But Buffy the Vampire Slayer, a show that bit the dust 15 years ago, still lives on in our hearts (and our fashion choices—I’m looking at you, red pleather pants). The show ended before the craft beer scene started booming, and much like Buffy herself, I refuse to let injustice linger when there are wrongs to right. I’m giving this show the Ultimate 6er it’s always deserved. Come and take a nostalgic journey with me through Sunnydale, California as we pair up the main characters with their perfect beer counterpart. Read More

Banded Oak Brewing | Cabernet Barrel Aged Belgian Dark Strong Ale

I like to consider myself an equal opportunity imbiber. My preference is beer, sure, but there’s no denying the fun that comes along with whiskey or a bottle of wine. The sweet spot, then, is barrel-aged beers: after all, what better way to improve upon a brew than to stuff another form of alcohol into it? Barrel-aged beers are like Turduckens, except your resulting sleepiness is due to a high ABV instead of tryptophan.

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You Won’t Ducking Believe the Amazing, Yet Bizarre Beers at 2018 Collaboration Fest

Last year’s Collaboration Fest, which took place at the National Western Complex, was a bit rocky to put it nicely. But a move this year to the Hyatt-Regency in Downtown Denver, along with better signage and understated touches to attendee experiences, helped elevate the 5th year festival to the upper echelon of beer event experiences nation-wise. This year’s Collab Fest brought everything together to combine incredible concept, high quality beers, and near flawless execution.

As I stood in line with another early-goer, I asked if he had a strategy for hitting all the best. He replied, “Normally I make a beeline for a few beers in particular, but I can’t do that here. I’m just buzzing all over the place instead.”

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