Barrel-Aged Shake Chocolate Porter Builds On Classic Beer and Expands Boulder Beer Brand

After a tumultuous end to 2019 and the pandemic-related uncertainty of 2020, Boulder Beer Company is forging ahead with a refresh of its brand lineup in 2021. To help kick off the rebrand, it’s created a barrel-aged version of Shake Chocolate Porter using Laws Whiskey barrels.

The new variety brings a robust and complex twist to an already-flavorful beer. Starting with the deep brown color and moving to the rich, multi-layered nose it’s clear—this beer needs to be slowly sipped and savored. Read More

Boys Are From Märzen Podcast | Whitney Way City Star Brewing

In Episode 22 of the “Boys Are From Märzen” podcast, Kindsey Bernhard is joined by Whitney Way of City Star Brewing in Berthoud, Colorado.

Whitney Way calls herself the “Jill of All Trades” for City Star Brewing, and that title fits her perfectly. Way is a co-owner with her husband, John. She is also the general manager, the taproom manager, she does the brewery’s accounting and taxes and helps with the brewing.

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Crooked Stave | Scoville Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout

In a saturated Denver craft beer market, Crooked Stave has managed to remain a standout brand for a decade. They’ve recently chosen to move out of the River North Art District and return to their brewing roots in the up-and-coming Sunnyside neighborhood with a recently refreshed taproom. They also recently added a satellite location about an hour outside of Denver up the road in Fort Collins.

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Falling Rock Alternative Festival of Great Beer Aims to Fill Void of GABF

For the past 22 years, on the Monday before the Great American Beer Festival (GABF), one of the country’s most iconic beer bars has helped usher in the event with a celebratory kick-off tapping at 5 p.m.

However this year, on September 21, when Falling Rock Tap House’s GABF countdown timer would normally have ticked down to all zeros, there will be little pomp and circumstance as the festival transitions to a virtual format in response to the pandemic.

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Oktoberfest Beer Showcase | Bierstadt Lagerhaus Oktoberfest Märzen

In a year when longstanding traditions have been upended by the unconventional, a Denver brewery is aiming to preserve one of beer’s most time-honored rituals. Bierstadt Lagerhaus in Denver, CO, which has been celebrated since its inception for its unwavering dedication to brewing traditional Lagers, is set to release their vaunted Oktoberfest Märzen Lager. This weekend’s release will coincide with the date that the 210-year-old Oktoberfest festival in Munich was originally scheduled to kick-off before being canceled as a result of the pandemic.

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2020 Guide to Colorado’s Oktoberfest Beer Releases

It’s clear by now that the year 2020 has no chill, and rather than ease into a gradual shift of in temperature, us Coloradoans have already begun experiencing some seasonal … Read More

Colorado Brewers Guild Announces Colorado Pint Day Date & Participants

The Colorado Brewer’s Guild (CBG) has announced the new date and participating brewery list for Colorado Pint Day 2020. Colorado Pint Day will now take place on Wednesday, July 29.

The annual event raises money for the guild and traditionally takes place during Colorado Craft Beer Week each spring. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the CBG had to postpone its 2020 fundraiser. Now that breweries are being allowed to re-open with on-premise consumption, the guild was able to confirm a new date. Read More

3 Freaks Brewery | Lloyd Christmas Porter

Like an adult candy cane, Lloyd Christmas Peppermint Chocolate Porter from 3 Freaks Brewery in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, offers a minty, tasty holiday treat that captures the spirit of the season. Each year the brewery tweaks the recipe to explore new flavor profiles; the 2019 version seems more mint-centric and somewhat lighter on the chocolate than previous incarnations.

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2019 Craft Brewers Conference External Events Guide

While the Craft Brewers Conference is an amazing opportunity to gain valuable education from the multitude of sessions and seminars, as brewers we know the real fun comes with the after-parties surrounding the conference. To help you navigate the week-long schedule of tap takeovers, beer dinners, special releases and more surrounding CBC we put together a day-by-day external events guide. Use the menu below to quickly navigate to the corresponding day.

Additionally we will be updating this guide throughout the week, so if we missed an event be sure to shoot us a message.

Special thanks to our friends at OnTap Credit Union, who have been crafting banking solutions for breweries, brewery employees and beer lovers for the past 64 years in Golden and Arvada. Their support in underwriting PorchDrinking allows us to continue to research and present in-depth pieces like the the 2019 CBC External Events Writeup

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What We’re Drinking | February 16, 2019

The heart of February means showering those with whom you love affection…and beer, right? Of course, it also means enduring the last few weeks of cold and snow, unless you … Read More

Call to Arms Brewing | Really, Really, Ridiculously Good Tasting

The nearly four-year-old Denver brewery, Call to Arms Brewing (CTA), won a 2018 World Cup gold in the Fresh or Wet Hop Ale category for a beer inspired by the crew’s love of Billy Madison with its More Like Bore-O-Phyll. In September, during GABF week, the brewery held its third annual F@#*ing Call to Arms Catalina Wine Mixer! Simply, the brewery deftly intertwines the art of sophisticated beer production with relaxed, easy-going fun. And, the recent release of Really, Really, Ridiculously Good Tasting (RRRGT), a farmhouse ale aged in Chardonnay barrels with Brett Claussennii only further cements that concept; one should not feel compelled to stick out one’s pinky—just kick back and enjoy a beer that’s really, really, ridiculously good.
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Soulcraft Aims For A Greater Audience By Transitioning to Cans

CAN YOU?  What single element can turn previously laid-back fun-loving brewers into nose-to-the-grindstone workers? Oh, that could only be…success. CEO and Head Brewer Mike LaCroix of Soulcraft Brewery in Salida, CO and his team are transitioning from very limited bottling to full-out canning.

On his first day off in three weeks, he takes some time to breathe and reflect on this next transition: The “big spark” he believes will revolutionize this small brewery into a nationally recognized brand.

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First Look: Odell Brewing Opens Small Batch Brewery & Taproom in Denver RiNo

Denver’s River North Art District is beginning to look completely different than it did even six months ago. Just along the once rough and tumble, sleepy main drag of Larimer Street alone, the transformation is none more apparent than the recent additions of American Bonded, the next chapter in Sean Kenyon’s (founder of Williams and Graham) burgeoning cocktail bar catalog, and Call, a trendy coffee shop, sandwich concept, along with it’s upcoming neighboring sister bar Beckon. The landscape has also been forever changed by the recent influx of satellite locations from several already well-established national brands. This recent flood of familiar faces includes one of the country’s hottest bar concepts in Death and Co, inside of The Ramble Hotel, the fast food behemoth that is Shake Shack, and chain wine bar concept Barcelona. And beginning Monday, Odell Brewing will extend their reach outside of their Fort Collins roots to Denver’s hottest neighborhood, when they open their second outpost in the heart of Denver’s River North Art District.

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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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Left Hand Brewing Company | Saison au Miel

A beer series usually provides intrigue, and it provides brewers with a chance to be creative, experiment, tell a story and have some fun. Like the brewer, let’s have some fun and figure out the intention of the first installment of the Left Hand Brewing Company Les Quatre Saison Series: Saison au Miel.

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Funkwerks | Pineapple Provincial

Here in Colorado, it’s the beginning of the season for patio sitting, flip flop wearing, and summer time imbibing. The abundance of sunshine has got me in vacation mode and not just any kind of vacation mode—the kind where you sink your toes in the sand and smell the salt in the air. Sadly, I won’t be embarking on such a vacation anytime soon but Funkwerk’s Pineapple Provincial, paired with a tiny umbrella, will take you on a tropical vacation one delicious sip at at time.

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Verboten Brewing & Barrel Project | Blood Guardian Imperial IPA

Verboten Brewing & Barrel Project is a Loveland darling, known for taking risks and creating innovative, exciting beers that differentiate their taproom from the rest of the pack. From their Killer Boots Caramel Porter to the “Rollin’ In Ze” series that is compiled of goses that employ flavors ranging from mango to Palisade peach, the mantra that there’s a beer for all is the apparent theme with the tap list. One of the powerhouses that have become a staple in the taproom is the Blood Guardian Imperial IPA, and it’s easy to see why it is so popular.

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Renegade Brewing Company | The Night Flight

We’ve mentioned Renegade Brewing Company several times here at PorchDrinking. Since 2011, Renegade has been gifting the Denver Arts District with exciting and unique brews. From their Peanut Butter Cup Milk Stout to the Pancakes Maple Porter, you’d be hard-pressed to find something you aren’t intrigued by on the taproom menu.

On my most recent visit to Renegade, which also happened to be my first, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. As a sucker for dark beers with malty, roasty flavors, I don’t often find taprooms that have a large variety of these drinks on the beer list. However, when I walked into Renegade, I was pleasantly surprised by the vast array of stout and porters on the list. I knew I wanted to highlight one of their beers, but I simply couldn’t pick. So, you lucky readers get a five-for-one in this beer showcase, as I was a lucky drinker of what I’ve taken to calling the Night Flight courtesy of Renegade Brewing. Read More

Beer Showcase | Strange Craft Beer Co. & Epic Brewing Strangely Epic

Once again, for the fourth year in a row, we get to try Strangely Epic, a blend of two celebrated beers from Strange Craft Beer Company and Epic Brewing. The beer was first created in 2013 for Denver’s Collaboration Fest. Crafted at both breweries and named Strangely Epic and Epically Strange (for where each beer was brewed and blended), the collaboration brews release is eagerly awaited each year.

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BREAKING | Surly Brewing Announces Full-Time Distribution in Colorado

Last October, Surly Brewing made shockwaves within the craft beer world after the popular Midwestern brewery announced the departure of Todd Haug, Surly’s iconic brewmaster, who has been credited with developing many of the brewery’s cult classic beers. 12 months later, as the popular Minneapolis-based brewery celebrates its 10 year anniversary, Surly is primed for its next evolutionary phase, as it expands its distribution footprint.

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