Phew! That was a whirlwind of a weekend. A couple of openings, Denver Bacon and Beer, and a handful of bottle release. It’s time to start planning for this next week though. No rest for the wicked. Or the thirsty.

Thanks for joining us for another installment of PorchDrinking’s Weekly Denver Beer Beat. The Denver Beer Beat brings news of openings, special tappings, firkins and one-off batches, bottle releases, dinners, pairings, anniversaries, tap takeovers etc. each and every week. Let’s Party!

Are you native to the city and looking for events to tide you over for the week? Are you new to the city and looking for the best place to find tasty suds? Visiting and looking for events to hit while you are in town? Check out this week’s Denver Beer Beat and return each week to find all things #craftbeer in the Denver Metro Area.

Wednesday, November 19

Festivus Goes on Tour @ Denver/Boulder/Fort Collins

Time and Location: Specific to Each Event

It’s true that Festivus was born in Denver. But Boulder and Fort Collins have their own beer culture, craft drinkers and brewers. Thus, our friends at Imbibe decided it’s time for each city to have its own wintery celebration of local suds. Not quite sure what Festivus is? Navigate to your city via the hyperlinks provided to learn more about this glorious beer festival. And, if you’ve been before, make your way to all three cities for a craft beer extravaganza in each! Denver, Boulder and Fort Collins.

Sweet Potato Casserole Porter Cask Tapping @ Copper Kettle Brewing Company (Southeast Denver)

Time: 2:00pm – 10:00pm
1338 S. Valentia Street, Unit 100, Denver CO 80247

Every Wednesday, they release a fun and interesting one off cask. Join them on Wednesdays to see them release their creative side! November is “Happy Thanksgiving” cask month! How about all the things you love about Thanksgiving in four tasty beers! Up this week is their Sweet Potato Casserole Porter Cask!! This English dark ale has restrained roasty characteristics with a hint of a sweet finish.

Wayward Wednesday at River North Brewery (LoDo/Ballpark)

Time: 3:00pm
2401 Blake St #1, Denver, CO 80205

For this week’s Wayward Wednesday, RNB have version two of their pilot session farmhouse ale! For this 2^nd version, they switched up the malt bill, yielding a darker, maltier beer. First pour is at 3p; swing by and tell them what you think!

Funkwerks and Crooked Stave Takeover the Taps for the Week @ Park Burger (Platt Park)

Time: 3:00pm
1890 S Pearl Street, Denver CO, 80210

Funkwerks and Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project brews will be tapped this Wednesday (November 19th) at Park Burger’s 3rd Annual Novembeer and will stay on until next Wednesday when Left Hand Brewing Takes over for the rest of Novembeer.

$2 Craft Can Night @ Hops & Pie (Berkeley)

Time: 5:00pm – Close
3920 Tennyson St, Denver, CO 80212

Wednesday is $2 Craft Can Night from 5pm-close at Hops and Pie.  This week’s artist sando of the week is: Kansas City Style pulled chicken, slaw, pickles, red onion & pepper jack on griddled house roll!!

Triple Firkin Release This Week @ High Hops Brewery (Windsor)

Time: 5:00pm
6461 Hwy 392, Windsor CO, 80550

It’s a firkin fiasco of fermented goodness over at High Hops this week. Swing by for Bobbin’ for Apples Ale Release on Wednesday, Nov 18^th, Picae Pale Ale Release on Thursday, Nov 19^th, and then their Hemp Ale Release on Saturday, Nov 22^nd.

Avery Brewing Barrel-Aged Beer Dinner with Adam Avery @ OAK at fourteenth (Boulder)

Time: 6:00pm
1400 Pearl St, Boulder, Colorado 80302

Seasonally-inspired courses paired with 10 rare brews! Mingle at 6pm, dinner begins at 6:30pm.
$95 includes tax & tip – tickets available at OAK at Fourteenth (stop by or call 303.444.3622)
THE MENU
OPENER
Fried Pickles & Green Goddess Aioli paired with White Rascal Belgian-Style White Ale [5.6%]
FIRST
Elk Loin Tartare with pickled mustard seed, radish, quail egg, house chips paired with Thensaurum Sour Aged in Rum Barrels [10.89%] & Rumpkin Pumpkin Ale Aged in Rum Barrels [16.73%]
SECOND
Plow Share Farms Oak Roasted Squash Ravioli with brown butter, Madeira gastrique, amaretto cookie, crispy sage paired with Antonius’ Carmen Sour Aged in Madeira Barrels [7.43%] and 5 Monks Belgian Quintupel Aged in Bourbon Barrels [19.39%]
THIRD
Grilled Swordfish with Indian spiced curry, coconut, cashew, jasmine rice paired with Obscuro & Nimbosus Sour Aged in Rum Barrels with Ginger and Lime [8.11%] and Black Eye Imperial Stout Aged in Rum Barrels [18.82%].
FOURTH
Smoked Beef Shortrib with black truffle polenta, wood roasted parsnip, gremolata paired with Rufus Corvus Sour Aged in Wine Barrels [6.83%] and Tweak Bourbon Barrel-Aged Coffee Stout [17.81%].
FIFTH
Fall Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake cayenne spiced chocolate, graham cracker crumb, spiced cream paired with Karmarita Sour Aged in Oak’s Suerte Barrel with Lime and Salt [6%] and Pump[KY]n Pumpkin Porter Aged in Bourbon Barrels [17.22%].

Bottle Release: Origins @ Crooked Stave Tap Room at the Source (Five Points)

Time: 6:00pm
3350 Brighton Blvd, Denver, Colorado 80216

Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project has an eventful holiday season full of releases planned for barrel-aged sour beer lovers! We already hinted at this yesterday but on Wednesday, November 19^th at 6 p.m., Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project will release bottles of Origins, their burgundy sour ale aged in oak barrels. This will only be the fourth batch of Origins released to date and marks the first in a string of seven unique bottle releases the brewery will host between now and the end of the year.

All of the upcoming releases will take place at the Crooked Stave taproom (3350 Brighton Blvd). The full bottle release schedule for November and December 2014 is as follows:

November 26^th – Nightmare on Brett – Dark Sour Aged in Whiskey Barrels
December 3^rd – Flor d’Lees – Golden Sour Aged in Oak Barrels
December 10^th – Surette Reserva Cassis – Black Current Sour Aged in Oak Barrels
December 10^th – Vieille Cranberry & Spice – Cranberry and Spices added in Secondary
December 17^th – Motif Reserva – Dark Belgian-style Sour Aged in Sherry Casks
December 17^th – Primitif – Dry Hopped Sour Ale

American Red Ale Now On Tap @ Comrade Brewing (Cherry Creek Country Club)

Time: Noon to 9:30pm
7667 E Iliff Ave Denver, CO 80231

New beer on tap! American Red Ale, brewed with Cascade, Chinook and Galaxy. 7.0% ABV. Stop by and have a pint. Also, their stellar growlers and other merch are begging for you to take them home!

Thursday, November 20

** A Foamy Heads Up For Next Week ** Renegade Beer Dinner @ Tag Burger Bar (Congress Park)

Time: Dinner hours
1222 Madison St, Denver, CO 80206

Check it out! One week from today you can attend an amazing beer dinner featuring Renegade Brewing at TAG Burger Bar. They do more than burgers and this menu looks fantastic. Make a reservation today! (303) 736-2260 – A de-constructed pre-Thanksgiving Feast!

Chef & Brew Festival @ Exdo Event Center (Five Points)

Time: 6:00pm VIP, 7:00pm GA
1399 35th St, Denver, CO 80205

Your favorite brewer paired up with your favorite restaurant. What does your ticket get you? Your ticket gets you unlimited access to Beer and Food, a Signature Chef & Brew Belgian Tulip Glass and a portion of ticket sales will be donated to Project Angel Heart. Since 1991, Project Angel Heart has delivered meals to men, women, and children coping with life-threatening illness, free of charge. For a list of brewer and restaurant participants, check out the festival’s website.

Upslope’s Lee Hill Series, Volume 2, Wild Saison Release Party @ Upslope – Lee Hill (Boulder)

Time: 5:00pm – 9:00pm
1501 Lee Hill Rd, Boulder, Colorado 80304

Get ready for round two, folks… Upslope is introducing a Wild Saison – Volume 2 of their Lee Hill Series! Be the first to try this one on tap or snag a can for your cellar! Shopey’s Sandwiches food truck will be serving food and live music will be performed by Blake Aaron Russell. 19.2 ounce cans will be available for $10 (limit four per person).

**A Foamy Heads Up For Next Week** Black Friday @ Station 26 Brewing Co. (North East Park Hill)

Time: NEXT FRIDAY – November 28^th from 1:00pm – 10:00pm
7045 E 38th Ave, Denver, Colorado 80207

Instead of shopping, they’re tapping eleven (!) different flavors of their 11+% Dark Star Imperial Stout throughout the day. So before the mayhem starts, put down the shopping bags and join S26B for an imperial stout journey. Here’s the schedule:
1:00 – Dark Star, Firkin Dark Star, Whiskey Coffee Dark Star
2:00 – Belgian Chocolate Dark Star, German Chocolate Dark Star, Mexican Chocolate Dark Star
3:00 – Thanksgiving Dark Star (cranberry, rosemary, thyme), Raspberry Dark Star
4:00 – Kopi Luwak Coffee Dark Star
5:00 – Gingerbread Dark Star, Rum Raisin Dark Star

Thanksgiving Pie and Beer Pairing @ Denver Beer Co. (LoDo/Union Station)

Time: 6:00pm – 9:00pm
1695 Platte St, Denver, CO 80202

In honor of the upcoming holiday, join in this Thursday, November 20th for a Pie & Beer pairing with Denver Beer Co and Sugar Bakeshop and Coffee House. Try 4 beers paired with 4 different pies. Then pre-order your Thanksgiving pie and beer to be picked up Wednesday, Nov. 26th at the taproom. #gobblegobble

Give! Black Lager Release @ Bristol Brewing (Colorado Springs)

Bristol Brewing Company recenlty announced the return of their Give! Black Lager with a release day of Thursday, November 20. The Community Ale (we know, it’s a lager and not an ale) will join forces with the Give! Campaign to benefit 75 area nonprofits. Bristol will donate 100 percent of the profits from the schwarzbier to the 2014 Give! Campaign.

The release of this Community Ale presents a new twist on beer philanthropy. With every pint of Give! Black Lager customers buy, they will be given a ballot and allowed to vote for their favorite of the 75 nonprofits in this year’s Give! Campaign. Two dollars from the sale of each customer’s pint will be donated to the nonprofit he or she voted for. The Give! Campaign is powered by the Colorado Springs Independent and the Pikes Peak Community Foundation.The beer will be available for a limited time, only on draught, and exclusively at the Bristol Pub and at all four Old Chicago Restaurants in Colorado Springs.For more information on Give!, visit www.IndyGive.com. To learn about Bristol Brewing Company and its brews, go to www.BristolBrewing.com.

Friday, November 21

2nd Annual ACBR Holiday Beer Bash @ Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum (Lowry)

Time: 5:00pm – 9:00pm
7711 E Academy Blvd, Denver, Colorado 80230

Join American Craft Beer Radio for their 2nd Annual Holiday Beer Bash!

***35 + featured breweries with unlimited sampling
***Local chefs serving sample food offerings
***TONS of prizes to give away (what are the holidays without gifts?)

VIP Tickets (early 5pm entry): $45; General Admission Tickets: $35 with 21+ admission ONLY.
Interact with the brewing industry first hand and sample hundreds of different seasonal and year-round offerings.

Ballast Point Tap Takeover at Asbury Provisions

Time: 6:00pm to Close
Location: 2043 S University Blvd. Denver, CO 80210

Asbury Provisions, DU and University Park’s premier gastropub, will host a Ballast Point Tap Takeover on Friday, November 21st. In collaboration with distributors Elite Brands, Asbury Provisions will be pouring four of the San Diego craft brewery’s offerings, including: Sculpin IPA, Big Eye IPA, Pale Ale Original and Calico Amber Ale.

Asbury Provisions hosts 25 quality taps dedicated to craft beer. The Ballast Point Tap Takeover at Asbury Provisions will begin at 6pm and continue through the night.

Saturday, November 22

GRAND OPENING PARTY @ Alpine Dog Brewing Company (North Capitol Hill)

Time: Noon to Midnight
1505 Ogden Street, Denver CO, 80218

Alpine Dog Brewing Company hosted their Soft Launch on the 15^th and has been open all week fine tuning things for their Grand Opening Party on 22nd! Four beers on tap to start; Alpine Dog IPA, Hogback Amber, Rye Blonde, and Belgian/American Hybrid Pale Ale, and more to follow soon! Food by Truck Yeah on the 22nd; sliders, wraps, and the infamous Totchos! (tater tot nachos)!

Beer Brunch @ Big Choice Brewing (Broomfield)

Time: 10:00am
7270 W 118th Pl, Broomfield, CO 80020

Plans for Saturday? Come out and have BRUNCH with the Big Choice Brewery!! Saison Beermosas, coffee infused Disconnected Red, and Breakfast food for purchase from the Tasty Eats! #choosewisely

NovemberFRESH Craft Beer Fest @ Green Man Taproom (Colorado Springs)

Time: 3:00pm
320 N Weber St, Colorado Springs, CO 80903

The event, to be hosted by Green Man Taproom on Saturday November 22, will feature local breweries pushing their select brews through randalls containing additional tasty ingredients such as additional hops, vanilla beans, fruits and spices, infusing the beer with interesting new tastes and aromas and creating fresh new craft beers. Ticket and sales from the event will go to the Rocky Mountain Field Institute. The event, to be held at Green Man Taproom, will feature local community-conscious breweries including Nano 108 Brewing Company, Smiling Toad Brewery, Lofty Brewing Company and Great Storm Brewing. For more information and for tickets, log onto www.greenmantaps.com.

The 12th Annual Oskar Blues CANiversary @ Oskar Blues Grill & Brew (Lyons)

Time: 6:00pm – 12:00am
303 Main St. Lyons, CO 80540

It’s that time of year! The 12th Annual Oskar Blues CANiversary kicks off in Lyons at the original Oskar Blues Grill & Brew on Saturday, November 22nd! Food & beer will be flowing all day with an Oskar Blues Tap Takeover. A special buffet will open at 6:00pm and Silent Disco will rock out (silently) at 7:30pm followed by Judge Roughneck opening for Eufórquestra at 8:30pm! Staying true to their canning roots, their head Lyons brewer will be canning some specialty beers for the event including Pollen Buzz, Station 3, Velvet Elvis & more! Tickets available at: 2014caniversary.eventbrite.com.

3rd Birthday Bash! @ Denver Bicycle Café (City Park West)

Time: 7:00pm
1308 E 17th Ave, Denver, CO 80218

Beer from DBC’s favorite breweries!! Even some very special rare beers!
RESERVE your pint glass in person or at the link below.
$15 gets you a LIMITED edition glass plus 2 beers at the party!

7pm Cutting the Cake!!
8pm Live Music
9pm HAIR CULT on the main stage

Sunday, November 23

Tap Barley’s Angels / 300 Suns Holiday Brew Release @ 300 Suns Brewing (Longmont)

Time: 5:00pm
335 1st Ave, Longmont, CO 80501

Barley’s Angels teamed up with four professional brewers to create holiday beers. Participation tickets for all brewing sessions were sold out, and the groups planned innovative, seasonal recipes that can be paired with Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, taken to a holiday party, or just enjoyed with friends.

Now it’s time to taste the results. Angels and their guests (including men) are invited to a special tapping of the brew the Angels made with 300 Suns Brewing’s Mark Lusher. It’s a winter wheat beer with sweet orange peel. Paid tickets to this event are not required; you can purchase a pint or growler of the brew and a food pairing on site at the tapping. The pairing at this event will be cheese from The Cheese Importers.

Monday, November 24

New Brewery in the Works – Ratio Beerworks Update @ Ratio Beerworks (Upper Larimer)

2920 Larimer St., Denver, CO 80205

Ratio Beerworks recently announced plans to open a production brewery and taproom located at 2920 Larimer St. in the Upper Larimer district of the historic Five Points neighborhood. That building may be familiar to Denverites as the old Mile High Spirits building. The brewery is currently under construction in the 5,500 square foot building that will be home to a 1,500 square foot taproom with the remaining 4,000 square feet to be used for production. In addition to the taproom, a 2,000 square foot outdoor patio will be open for the occasional warm Colorado days during the winter months. Future plans to extend the outdoor space will be unveiled when the warmer weather returns to the Front Range.

Tuesday, November 25

Pints in the Press: Denver Breweries Highlighted by the NY Times @ Your Local Brewery (Denver)

Recently, a handful of your favorite brewers, and mine as well, were showcased in the NY Times in a photo blog post entitled “Modern Beer Culture Through a 19th-Century Lens.” The piece is really moving and makes a great stride in respecting the craft of beer making while capturing our local brewers honing their expertise. Take a look at the post here.

Events That Are Hitting The Tap Wall Soon . . .

November 28th – Russian Imperial Stout Release @ Comrade (Cherry Creek Country Club)
November 30^th – Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine’s MovemBeerFest event @ The Whiskey (Fort Collins)
December 4^th – Beethoven and Brews @ the Colorado Symphony (CBD/Downtown)
December 5^th – Boulder Festivus featuring ONLY Boulder Breweries @ The Rembrandt Yard (Boulder)
December 6^th – 5th Annual Parade of Darks presented by Wynkoop @ Bindery on Blake (Five Points)
December 12^th, 13^th and 14^th – A First Birthday Blowout @ Station 26 (North East Park Hill)
December 12^th – Fort Collins Festivus featuring ONLY Fort Collins Breweries @ Yendra Built (Fort Collins)
December 13^th – Denver Festivus featuring ONLY Denver Breweries @ McNichols Building (Civic Center)

Did we miss any events in this week’s Denver Beer Beat? Let us know by emailing us at cory{at}porchdrinking{dot}com.

Cheers to ye and may eternity find us in as good company as this! Stay Thirsty and Keep Denver Beer’d!