Amalgam Brewing | Present Time (Pilsner)

Making world-class lagers is no easy feat. The knowledge required to do so is not gained overnight, and no amount of luck can produce a clean and drinkable bottom-fermented beer without the requisite skill. A successful lager brewer must put in their time and learn from their mistakes on the way to creating something great. And it certainly doesn’t hurt to have a renowned mentor along the way.

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Primitive Beer Moving Operations to New Image Brewing Wheat Ridge

After operating out of Longmont for the past six plus years, Primitive Beer is moving operations to an annex at New Image Brewing Wheat Ridge. While leaving Longmont is bittersweet, operating out of New Image will allow Lisa and Brandon Boldt, co-owners of Primitive, to focus entirely on brewing, blending and packaging their spontaneous fermentations. “Given that our entire family-run operation is just two people strong, we’ve reached the conclusion that our current professional juggling act which includes running a retail space, outside sales, marketing, brewing, blending and packaging isn’t sustainable,” says Lisa. 

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Cerebral Brewing | Triple Mash Pappy Van Winkle Here Be Monsters

There are certain spirits in the world of barrel aged beer that elicit perked up ears, and then there are those brands that generate whiplash causing sore necks and desperate trips to the chiropractor. Pappy Van Winkle (PVW) falls squarely in the latter category, a mythical wheated bourbon whose popularity and even legend has skyrocketed in the past decade causing bottles to sell on secondary markets for 20-30x their retail prices of $120-$300. Even the used barrels from these 15-23 year aged whiskeys sell for exorbitant prices as breweries clamor to get their hands on them. Cerebral Brewing was lucky enough to land two Pappy Van Winkle 15 Year barrels, and they chose to rest a triple mash version of their Here Be Monsters Imperial Stout in those barrels. This particular single barrel expression aged for 39 months, an incredibly long time yielding an incredible creation.

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More Than a Patio | Breweries Expand Outdoor Activities

While virtually every craft brewery has a patio where patrons spend afternoons knocking back sessionable summer brews, several Denver-area breweries have taken the concept to a whole new level with a multitude of outdoor activities. These  taprooms offer more than just the patio experience, giving beer-lovers entertainment options like golf, games, dogs and mountain biking. Read More

Dos Luces Announces Closure

Dos Luces Brewery in Denver has just announced that its fifth anniversary will be its last. In the face of inflation and changing consumer tastes, owner Judd Belstock was contemplating the future of the brewery when a truck plowed through its front doors last February. For Belstock, that was the tipping point. Read More

Strange Craft Beer | Strange Fest Oktoberfest

Denver’s Strange Craft Beer added Strange Fest to its list of competition-winning beers, picking up a silver medal at the recent World Beer Cup. The Oktoberfest-style brew medaled in the German Maerzen or Franconian Rotbeer category. Read More

River North Brewery | Nightmare Fuel

As the name and label suggest, Nightmare Fuel from Denver’s River North Brewery is traditionally tied to Halloween. However, its dark, bold flavors and high alcohol translate nicely into winter warmer season as well. This barrel-aged Coffee Imperial Stout is the perfect comfort beer for curling up next to the fire on a snowy day. Read More

2022 Great American Beer Fest Day 1 Recap | Standouts and Hidden Gems

The bagpipers did more than kick-off the 40th annual Great American Beer Fest; they signaled the end of a two-year hiatus caused by the global pandemic. And with that re-start, the PorchDrinking team is back roaming the aisles and aisles of booths, sampling beer and taking notes. Without further ado, here is our team’s GABF Day 1 Recap – our favorites and hidden gems.

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Wah Gwaan 1 Year Anniversary and Juneteenth Celebration

How does a simple party become a full blown shindig? Make it an all weekend party celebrating two huge occasions! Wah Gwaan Brewing is turning one this weekend, an anniversary that coincidentally coincides with Juneteenth. Being a Black-owned brewery, Juneteenth is a perfect time for Wah Gwaan to celebrate, and celebrate they will.

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Strange Craft Beer Celebrates 12th Anniversary

Denver’s Strange Craft Beer Company celebrates its 12th anniversary this coming weekend with the release of six collaboration beers from 12 breweries. The party starts on Friday, May 20, and continues through Saturday, May 21. In addition to great beer, Strange will have live music, food and custom t-shirts. Read More

Wah Gwaan Brewing | Blacker the Cherry

Working together and collaborating is a core tenet of the craft beer industry, and Wah Gwaan Brewing Blacker the Cherry is a great example of what can happen when like minds devise a new beer recipe. Brewed in honor of Black History Month, Blacker the Cherry is a Black IPA brewed with cherries and vanilla created by Wah Gwaan, The Pint Exchange and Crafty Brothas. 

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Burns Family Ales Puts Collaboration Fest Beer To A Vote

The Collaboration Fest season started off strong for Burns Family Artisan Ales last Sunday. In an interesting twist on the typical theme of two breweries brewing together, Burns hosted Media Collaboration Day where the media got to have a say in the brew. Read More

Boys Are From Märzen Podcast | Laura Bruns Factotum Brewhouse

In Episode 46 of the “Boys Are From Märzen” podcast, Kindsey Bernhard is joined by Laura Bruns, owner of Factotum Brewhouse in Denver Colorado.

Bruns and her brother, Chris, founded Factotum Brewhouse in 2015 with a notion of a homebrewer-driven brewery.

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Seedstock Brewery | Kölsch

Kölsch beer is typically known as a summer beer for its clean, refreshing character and easy drinkability. Seedstock Brewery’s German-style Kölsch hits all of those highlights. making it a great choice for a lazy afternoon sitting on the brewery’s spacious patio watching Denver’s West Colfax Avenue wildlife.

Of course, Kölsch’s true home is Cologne (Köln) Germany, where the brew is typically served in small 200-milliliter glasses — approximately 6 ¾ ounces. Various theories exist regarding the purpose of this. The most common is that as a summer beer, frequent cold fresh pours keep drinkers from consuming warm brew. Seedstock takes a more generous attitude, however, and offers the beer in full pint glasses Read More

Brewery Showcase | Jade Mountain Brewery & Teahouse

It’s been a long path for Sean Guerrero to reach the grand opening of Jade Mountain Brewery & Teahouse in Aurora, CO. The brewery, which blends American and Asian culture in its beers, celebrates its opening weekend starting on June 11, 2021. Along the way, Guerrero’s journey spanned 13 years, two continents, a pandemic and countless test batches of beer. Read More

LUKI Brewery Releases Circus-Themed Goodies Box

Building on the recent brewery trend of creating innovative to-go offerings, LUKI Brewery in Arvada, Colorado, will debut Circus-in-a-Box March 16. This is the first of their quarterly boxes offering seasonal goodies, fun-inspired curations and deals from local vendors.

The first edition of Circus-in-a-Box will be available through May. It includes glassware, snacks and items designed to bring out the beer-lover’s inner child. Customers can get their box by purchasing four crowlers online or in-person and choosing the Circus-in-a-Box upgrade. Read More

Rotating Tap Brings Socially Distanced Comedy to Denver Breweries

COVID has derailed everyone’s way of life. In addition to your personal plans being put on hold, small and large brewers alike have been forced to make tough decisions to adapt to the current climate. While most live entertainment and nightlife is far from being back to normal, some breweries are taking creative approaches to attract drinkers to their taprooms like hosting stand up comedy to coincide with their craft beer. Let’s be real, a good laugh and a beer might be more important now than ever.

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Seedstock Brewery | Bohemian Dunkel

“Brewing is really in our blood,” says Ron Abbott, founder and brewer at Denver’s Seedstock Brewery. His brewery offers classic Czech-style lagers and periodically revives obscure historical styles rarely brewed on these shores, keeping his familial traditions alive.

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FlyteCo Brewing | RWY 5 Pale Ale

FlyteCo Brewing is a new aviation-themed brewery located in the Berkeley neighborhood of Denver and their reputation is taking off. Although they only opened their doors on March 9, their tasting room has been consistently packed with happy beer drinkers. It’s no surprise why they’re so popular: Every beer has been delicious, the space is unique with plenty of seating and it’s staffed with knowledgeable beertenders.

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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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