Welcome to this week’s Denver Beer Beat. What a week huh?! Hopefully all of you cerevisaphiles out there got your fix with Pliny the Younger popping up all over town. How lucky are we to have so many chances to try that coveted brew?! How about Avery Strong Ale Fest? So much good came out of that event that I must digress on to March. March is a month of transition. Lots of breweries are rolling out all of the big stuff from winter so they can to keep us toasty and warm while also trying to provide ample amounts of spring-esque suds for those gorgeous patio days. So whether you are trying to hit those last days of stout or gearing up for an afternoon porch session, please follow along as we showcase the not-to-miss events in this week’s Weekly Denver Beer Beat.

While I divulge in great specificity (well, mostly, depending on how much info a brother can get); all events are subject to change. So it’s always good to follow up with your favorite craft brewery through social media and to check back with PorchDrinking.com for updates on all things craft beer!

Wednesday, March 5

Colorado Plus (Wheat Ridge) – ON TAP NOW! – Dave Barry once wrote “Without a doubt, the greatest invention of all time is beer.  Granted, the wheel was a pretty good invention, but the wheel doesn’t go as good with pizza.”  Instead of pairing a beer with pizza, the folks at Colorado Plus decided to take their all -time favorite pizza (Hawaiian Pizza) and turn it into a beer!

Incorporating pizza into a beer was a no brainer. It’s built on a foundation of crust, so they picked malts like Munich, Melanoiden and Biscuit to emulate that toasty crust.  Next, they put pineapple juice directly into the fermenter! Next they had to decide if they actually wanted to put Canadian bacon into the beer.   Nah, instead they emulated it with some home-cold-smoked hickory malt (giving it that hickory smoke is the classic “bacon” aroma).  Lastly, they added some oregano up in the boil to bring out the sauce flavor and aroma.

421 Hawaiian Pizza comes in at 7.8% and 30ibus.   And where does the name come from?   Well they recently released the 420 Red Head, so they figured you’d probably have the munchies for some pizza after that beer.  On tap now!

High Hops Brewery (Windsor) – Ever have those Hot Tamale cinnamon candies? If you love the taste of cinnamon, then you’re going to want to get a pint of their upcoming Hot Tamale Stout this Wednesday, March 5^th at 5pm. This is a firkin of stout that was brewed with the Hot Tamale candy for an extra zing in your brew.

Copper Kettle Brewing (Denver) – March is March Madness: “What the firk??” Cask Month, interesting pairings that will make you think twice about the makings of a great beer. These crazy combinations will make you ask “What the firk??” They will be tapping a different cask every Wednesday to enjoy some delicious combinations of indulgent ingredients! The ’Firk’ starts flowing at 3 PM when they open the door and once it’s gone, it’s gone! This week, enjoy the Oatmeal Wit Firkin – a moderate-strength wheat based ale that uses no coriander or orange peel, like a traditional wit. The added oatmeal provides a creamy texture and silky mouth feel.

Sanitas Brewing (Boulder) – Come to a special Beer and Cheese pairing set for 6pm on March 5th. The first Wednesday of each month, join the craftsmen from Boulder’s Cured and Sanitas Brewing for an evening of perfectly paired fine cheese and craft beer. This is a great event to learn more about cheese, beer, ideal pairing methods, or just to spend time with friends. Call, visit, or email Cured or Sanitas Brewing Co. to reserve your seats.

Thursday, March 6

Ernie’s Bar & Pizza (Denver) – Ernie’s Bar & Pizza CAN’d Aid Benefit. Here’s one you won’t want to miss! Ernie’s Bar & Pizza is joining forces with Oskar Blues Brewery for a special fundraiser to benefit CAN’d Aid.  On Thursday, March 6, Oskar Blues will take over a portion of Ernie’s tap lines to feature some of their greatest beers. Fifty cents from every pint purchased will go directly to benefit CAN’d Aid and the Colorado flood victims.  Ernie’s will also donate 20% of the day’s sales from lunch and dinner to the CAN’d Aid Foundation.  Attending guests will have the opportunity to meet and chat with the Brewer from Oskar Blues from 5 to 8 p.m.

Station 26 Brewing (Denver) – Up-and-coming stalwarts, Station 26 Brewing Co., tap a firkin every Thursday at 4:00pm. This week’s firkin is a Tangerine Porter. All I can think of is a milkshake-like texture and a taste similar to an orange creamsicle with chocolate! Yep, get over there! ASAP!

Crabtree Brewing Co (Greeley) – Feeling manly? Sign up for the March MAN-ness event on Thursday, March 6th at Crabtree Brewing Company in Greeley. Join in for an evening of discussion on men’s health and drink some beer. It’s a free event. Just sign up in advance at: www.marchmanness.org. Those who sign up and show up get a chance to win season tickets to Colorado Eagles hockey and a limited edition signed hockey sweater. Sign up already, you hoser!

Friday, March 7

Very Nice Brewing (Nederland) – FROZEN DEAD GUY DAYS! If you are Heading up to the Frozen Dead Guy Days (I call them Encino Man Days) this weekend in Nederland, be sure to stop in at Very Nice Brewing Company. They’ll be tapping a new beer called “Grandfathered In”, a Wee Heavy Scottish Ale. It’s a beer they brewed in honor of the festival. Other activities will transpire over the weekend up there including live music and a live airing of Colorado Craft Beer Radio! Wheez the juice, bud-dy!

Quixotes (Denver) –Lagunitas enlisted a mix of members from bands and music & beer sites to not only brew CouchTrippin’ Fusion Ale, but create a special variation of it for each show. Bands included Allen Stone, The Mowgli’s and Tumbleweed Wanderers. Plus beer minds from DC Beer, Beer Street Journal, Kim’s Bay Brews and Good Beer Hunting; and music-centric folks from FILTER Magazine, Brightest Young Things and Consequence of Sound.

Each of the four variations will be tapped at a big freakin’ party along the way to Austin, where people can try the beers side-by-side and take in a mix of both the Austin and Lagunitas experience … killer tunes, some freaks from our Beer Circus, and well-loved couches from our Loft. RSVP here.

Saturday, March 8

Diebolt Brewing Co (Denver) – Diebolt, pronounced DEE-Bolt, will release a white IPA. Following its popularity as a small-batch “experiment-ale,” Diebolt Brewing Company will release a white IPA, Diebolt’s International Ale or DIA for short, to its standard list of beers on Saturday, March 8. The beer will be tapped at 6:30 p.m. at the brewery, followed by Denver soul rock band Calder’s Revolvers at 7 p.m. in the Diebolt Brew House. Local food truck Corner of Gourmet will be dishing up outside the brewery.

Hops & Pie (Denver) – Hops & Pie needs to empty its cellar, pronto. So the craft beer-centered pizza joint is holding an Everything Must Go party today from noon to close, and its closets are full of amazing stuff. Some of the beers on tap include: Bruery Bois; Prairie Bomb; Boulevard Rye on Rye; Oskar Blues barrel-aged Ten Fidy; Perennial Abraxas; Firestone Walker Parabola; New Belgium Biere de Peach Barrel; Ska Two Tone Montanya; Upslope Cabernet Barrel-Aged IPA; and Jackie O’s Dark Appartition.

Jagged Mountain (Denver) – Although Jagged Mountain Craft Brewery opened last November, the spot will hold an official grand opening today. Details are TBA, but the brewery say it will be releasing three or four new beers at different times throughout the day (including two beers with experimental hops). There will also be food-beer pairings, and raffles of swag, brewery tours/tastings, and “the opportunity to call your shot with a future pilot system beer (you choose the style and get to pick the name).”

Sunday, March 9

New Belgium (Fort Collins) – New Belgium Goes Seriously Sour with a 2014 Sour Vintage Single Batch Series. La Folie and Transatlantique Kriek make a return to kick off the series. Having recently doubled its wood beer capacity with the addition of 32 new oak foeders, New Belgium Brewing is going sour with its latest Lips of Faith beers. La Folie and Transatlantique Kriek make a return in 2014 as part of a 2014 Sour Vintage Single Batch Series.

Monday, March 10

The Fort Collins Brewery (Ft. Collins) – March is gearing up to be a big beer release month at FCB. Check out the upcoming line-up of specialty beers. Starting Monday, March 10th, there will be 3 new beers on tap at the FCB tasting room, Gravity 1020 and select bars: Voluptuous Blonde (5.6% ABV 20 IBU), Kiss Me Frisky Ginger (Irish Red 4.7% ABV 19 IBU), and Spiced Wheat Ale (5.0% ABV 15 IBU).

BrewAsanas (Denver) – Beer? Check. Yoga? Check. One might have to call it BrewAsanas. Could two things like these ever co-exist? You bet your flexible-ass they can! BrewAsanas takes a rocking one hour yoga class and follows it up with a brew in a local brewery.

This week’s classes are as follows:
Monday, 10th at 6 p.m. – Jagged Mountain Brewery (1139 20th St, Denver)

Tuesday, March 11

Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project (Denver) – They will be tapping specialty blends and rare kegs from their Barrel Cellar every Tuesday @ 6:00pm

Our Mutual Friend Malt & Brew (Denver) – Every Tuesday for $10 you get an artist series glass (10oz) and three fills (under 8% abv). Every month will feature a new artist.

Hops & Pie (Denver) – Today is Tuesday 23 Night from 5pm to close. Get an 18″ Pie with 2 toppings and 2 draft beers all for $23.

Until the next installment, stay thirsty and Keep Denver Beer’d!