Beer Brethren and Sisters of the Suds, you’ve survived Black Friday, Shop Small Saturday, Cyber Monday, #GivingTuesday and now . . . for your viewing pleasure, we bring you . . . Wort-News Wednesday! Just kidding. That is silly and doesn’t really make since. However, it is time for PorchDrinking’s Weekly Denver Beer Beat which brings news of openings, special tappings, firkins and one-off batches, bottle releases, dinners, pairings, anniversaries, tap takeovers etc. each and every week. And that totes make sense. 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, December 3

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.

Wayward Wednesday at River North Brewery (LoDo/Ballpark)

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

For today’s Wayward Wednesday tapping, they’re going big… Big City Quad! This Manhattan-barrel aged Quadruple pours at 3pm sharp! This high abv behemoth is a treat for your tastebuds!

$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 Artisan Sando Is A Treat For Your Inner Fat Kid: Chicken Parm BLT w/ Sriracha Ranch.

Rum Barrel Hefeweizen Tapping for Firkin Humpday @ High Hops Brewery (Windsor)

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

A light, refreshing Hefeweizen that has nice flavors of banana and clove. They then barrel-aged it for 6 months, which added pleasant notes of vanilla and oak! Then on Thursday, December 4th, it’s the return of their Winter Warmer – Footwarmer. A warming winter barley wine that will heat you to the tips of your toes! This brew is back, and they’re releasing their 2014 version of it just in time for colder temps!

Flor d’Lees Golden Sour Aged in Oak Barrels Bottle Release @ Crooked Stave (Five Points)

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

Crooked Stave is releasing bottles of Flor d’Lees, a golden sour aged in oak barrels, at 6 p.m. tonight in the taproom at the Source. Bottles are $12 each; limit of twelve.

River North Brewery Tap Takeover @ Backcountry Pizza and Taphouse (Boulder)

2319 Arapahoe Ave, Boulder, CO 80302

We’re headed to Boulder for an incredible tap takeover at Backcountry Pizza and Taphouse. Somehow, they managed to sit on a keg of Anniversary Ale #1 for nearly two years! One of only two kegs left in existence, if you haven’t tried this 12.5% Imperial Stout, don’t miss this chance! They’ll also tap Big City Quad, Whiskey Barrel J. Marie, and some other goodies.

Thursday, December 4

Our Mutual Friend & Baere Brewing Special Collaboration Tapping @ Our Mutual friend (Five Points)

Time: 6:00pm
2810 Larimer St, Denver, CO 80205

Tapping our Belgian Golden Strong Ale with our friends at Baere Brewing Company this Thursday at 6pm! Come celebrate beer and friendship with us!

Beer Tasting Thursdays Starts This Week @ Mr. B’s Wine & Spirits (Five Points)

Time: 4:00pm – 7:00pm
2101 Market Street Denver, CO 80205

Stop by any time between 4 and 7 this Thursday afternoon to try some great beers with one of the newest additions to the Mr. B’s staff, Alex Olivier. A recent transplant to Denver from the east coast, Alex was schooled in the worldly ways of beer at one of the South’s top beer bars, Trappeze Pub, while also getting his introduction to production brewing working in the taproom at the Athens based brewery Creature Comforts Brewing Co., the 2014 GABF bronze medal winner for Best American Brett Beer.

Starting this week and continuing every Thursday except the last Thursday in December, there will be a different theme bringing together the four beers Mr. B’s staffers are drinking. This week come by for some delicious and often under-appreciated imported brews – Thornbridge Bracia

Rich Dark Ale, Brouwerij De Molen Tsarina Esra Imperial Porter, Brasserie De Blaugies Saison D’Epeautre, and De Dolle Brouwers Dulle Teve 10º! And look forward to some exciting rare or drool-worthy beers being tasted each Thursday of January to kick off the New Year!

Good Fellas Beer Dinner @ Session Kitchen (Platt Park)

Time: 6:00pm
1518 S Pearl St, Denver, CO 80210

4 courses/6 beers – $60/pp – Denver, CO – 6:00pm – Call (720) 763-3387 for reservations and info. The “Good Fellas” of Denver’s brewing scene come together with Chef Scott Parker for a five-course beer dinner at Session Kitchen. Breckenridge, Elevation, Odell and Boulevard brewing will all provide tasty beers to go along with the eclectic plates such as white bean and veal breast chili or grapefruit and ginger cured smoked duck.

Beethoven and Brews  with the Colorado Symphony at VFW Post #1 (CBD/Downtown)

Time: 6:30pm – 8:30pm
841 Santa Fe Drive- VFW Post #1 Gallery

The event is sponsored by Renegade Brewery, which will provide with 4 oz. samples of their signature beers. In keeping with a holiday spirit, guests are encouraged to wear “ugly” holiday sweaters; sponsor Buffalo Exchange will have sweaters available for loan — and modeling in a photo booth.

Tickets are $40 in advance, $45 on site/day of, and include four 4-oz pours. Additional beverage and a signature Beethoven and Brews pint glasses will be available for purchase. A portion of each ticket purchase is tax deductible. Tickets can be purchased here:

Euro-Style Amber Dry-Hopped with Mittelfruh Tapping @ Comrade Brewing (Cherry Creek Country Club)

Time: Open to close
7667 E Iliff Ave, Denver, CO 80231

Comrade Brewing will be releasing Bernstein, European-Style Amber dry-hopped with Hallertau Mittelfruh this Friday. Bright copper in color with a richly layered, bready malt body with a mild yet spicy noble hop aroma with floral and citrus tones. Finishes dry with a balanced bitterness. 6% ABV. Get it while you can!

Christmas Ale Release @ Bristol Brewing Co (Colorado Springs)

Time: 5:30pm – 8:00pm
1604 S Cascade Ave, Colorado Springs, CO 80905

It’s time to usher in the holiday season with the release of the last beer in Bristol’s 2014 Brewhouse Series, Bristol’s Christmas Ale. They brew up a tasty batch of this spiced ale annually to celebrate this most festive of seasons. They use a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, cloves, molasses, and love, to put a cheery winter carnival in every pint. The halls will be decked, and they’ll have live acoustic music in the pub, plus a specially-paired bite to go with the ale (they’re thinking gingerbread…). If you’re so inclined, try your luck at their wreath toss and decorate an ornament to hang on their tree. It all kicks off with a group toast led by Mike Bristol, so do join Bristol for the festivities!

Find Locally Made Gifts, Free Gift Wrapping, and Craft Beer Samples @ Colorado Micro Market (Washington Park West)

Time: 4:00pm – 9:00pm
900 S. Pearl Street, Denver 80209

This one-of-a-kind holiday shopping experience will give its guests a reprieve from typical mall mayhem, where they can sample through an artisan market that features craft beer and food samples, and complimentary gift wrapping. Guests who RSVP will receive a gift when they arrive.

Backyard Soda Co., Corvus Coffee, Giuliana Olive Oil, Gypsy Juice, Helliemae’s, Kassia’s Pasta Farm, Paper Plates Press, RedCamper, Ritual Chocolate, Smart Cookie Dog Treats, Teakoe, Velvet Wolf, and others will have locally made gifts for sale at this event. which will also showcase food and beer-centric books written by Colorado authors, and bookshelves made by the Colorado Apple Crate Company. Learn more about these vendors at coloradomicromarket.com.

Friday, December 5

South Denver C-470 Collaboration Beer & Passport @ any of the Eight South Metro Breweries (c-470)

Time & Location: Dependent on Each Location

On Dec 5th, 2014, eight breweries along the C-470 corridor will begin pouring their first collaboration brew; Bock C-470, a special recipe beer, designed and brewed by all eight brewers. The brewers from Blue Spruce Brewing, Three Freaks Brewery, Lone Tree Brewing Company, 38 State Brewing Company, Grist Brewing Company, Living The Dream Brewing Co., C.b. & Potts – Highlands Ranch, and Rock Bottom – South Denver Park Meadows, got together to design a recipe for their Weizenbock. This style of beer is a more powerful Dunkel Weizen with a pronounced estery alcohol character and complex malt characters of dark fruits.

In addition to this collaboration beer, the breweries are offering a “beer passport” that can be picked up on or after December 5th at any of the eight locations. The passport will be stamped as patrons visit each location and the first 300 people that have their passport stamped from all eight breweries will receive a free limited edition C-470 Collaboration pint glass. The glass is etched with all eight brewery’s logos.

Grand Opening/Brewery Opening @ Zephyr Brewing (Five Points)

Time: 4:00pm
1421 26th St, Denver, CO 80205

Grand Opening! After 2 years of planning and build-out, they are finally set to open! The Grand Opening of Zephyr Brewing Company is this Friday, December 5th. All are welcome…come join us to celebrate!

Ugly Sweater Holiday Ale Release at Wit’s End Brewery

Join Wit’s End for the release of Ugly Sweater, a holiday loosely based off of an English Brown Ale with roasted pumpkin seeds, palm sugar and peace on earth. Come donning an ugly sweater, bring a can of food as well and get a raffle ticket for prizes throughout the evening including a pass to the Denver Beer Festivus! (one raffle ticket per can of food). Wit’s End will be crowning the king or queen of ugly sweaters at 7:00pm!

Repeal Day Tapping with Firestone Walker at 7pm @ Freshcraft (LoDo/Union Station)

Time: 7:00pm
1530 Blake St, Denver, CO 80202

Freshcraft honors Repeal Day at 7 pm by tapping Firestone Walker Mocha Merlin and Velvet Merkin; there will also be a Velvet Merlin Beer Cocktail.

Boulder Festivus featuring ONLY Boulder Breweries @ the Rembrandt Yard (Boulder)

Time: 7:00pm – 10:00pm
1301 Spruce St, Boulder, CO 80302

The first Boulder Beer Festivus, which was designed to celebrate the thirty craft breweries in Boulder, will take place today from 7 to 10 p.m. at Rembrandt Yard in Boulder. Hosted by Imbibe Events, Boulder Festivus is modeled after Denver Festivus, which was founded three years ago. So far, twelve Boulder breweries have signed on, but Imbibe says more will be joining the list. Tickets, $40, and the list of breweries are both available at boulderfestivus.com. A portion of proceeds benefits New Era Colorado Foundation.

End of Prohibition Celebration @ Black Shirt Brewery

Time: 2:00pm – 10:00pm

3719 Walnut St., Denver, CO 80205

Black Shirt Brewery is hosting a Prohibition themed party on the anniversary of the repeal of Prohibition! (Don’t worry, they’ll still be serving all of their delicious beer in typical speakeasy style!) Dress up in your best Prohibition themed attire, practice your Charleston, and expect the special tapping of a collaboration beer with TiredPirate! Also, keep an eye out for how to attain access to the BSB speakeasy! Goorin Bros. hat company will also be on hand for a pop up stand and a giveaway. Join them in celebrating the repeal of Prohibition with a Red Ale!

Saturday, December 6

5th Annual Parade of Darks presented by Wynkoop @ Bindery On Blake (Five Points)

Time: 1:00pm – 4:30pm
The Bindery On Blake – 2901 Blake St Denver, CO 80205

We are super excited for this weekend and to enjoy some dark beers at Parade of Darks. What beers will attendees be drinking at the festival? Here is a preview of the beer list:

Denver Beer Co. – Graham Cracker Porter and Ye Olde Nipple Pincher
Fiction Beer Company – Feely Effects (Green tea chocolate stout) and This is Not An Exit (Belgian Dark Strong with Roasted Hatch Chilies)
Grist – American Barleywine, Nitro Niobrara Stout and Baltic Porter
J Wells Brewery – Light’s Out and Chocolate Milk Stout
Jagged Mountain Craft Brewery – Junta Dog Enigma (Brown Ale) and Barking Marmot (Belgo-American Black IPA)
Left Hand Brewing Company – Fade To Black and Black Jack
River North Brewery – Quandary (Quadrupel) and Avarice (Belgian Imperial Stout)
Strange – Gingerbread Man, Powerhouse Porter and Cherry Bomb Stout
Tivoli Brewing –  Sigi’s Wildhorse Buck Beer
Wonderland Brewing Company – Vaderade Irish Stout

This event benefits Metro CareRing, Denver’s leading hunger-relief organization.  Event tickets are $35 and include a commemorative glass for unlimited sampling. Proceeds from the event’s silent auction will also benefit Metro CareRing. Silent auction items include a Peyton Manning jersey, ski trip and hoodies from the breweries

December Releases: 3 new beers and 2 new blends @ Casey Brewing & Blending (Glenwood Springs)

Time: 11:00am to 5:00pm
3421 Grand Ave Glenwood Springs, CO 81601

Casey has 3 new bottled beers to release this month! Grape Fruit Stand is made with fresh, whole Cabernet Sauvignon grapes from Palisade ($20/bottle – limit 2). East Bank Farmhouse Ale – brewed with fresh Glenwood Springs honey. This has notes of sweet honeycomb along with their house farmhouse yeast flavors ($16/bottle – no limit). And – Brett Loves Citra – This is their version of the collaboration brew with Roaring Fork Beer Company. 100% Brettanomyces oak fermented hoppy farmhouse ale made with Citra hops. Tastes like straight pineapple juice ($15/bottle – limit 6). They also have new blends of some old favorites in Montmorency Cherry Fruit Stand and Blackberry Fruit Stand.

Sunday, December 7

Beer, Gears, and Holiday Cheers@ Former Future Brewing (Platt Park)

Time: 4:00pm – 7:00pm
1290 S Broadway, Denver, CO 80210

Want to swill some brews while helping out a good cause on a Sunday? We thought so. Here are the deets. Former Future’s “Gears, Beers Holiday Cheers” event, a Steampunk Holiday Fundraiser benefitting Safehouse Denver is going down this Sunday, December 7th from 4pm to 7pm at the brewery. There will be some special beers pouring, crafts, a photo booth and lots of fun. Cash and item donations will go to Safehouse Denver. Donate an item from their wishlist worth $10 or more and get a FREE 4 beer taster flight! (Limit 1 flight per guest – must show item receipt) – View the wishlist here.

#InstaSweater Photo Contest @ Breckenridge Brewery (Breckenridge)

Get Festive. Instantly. If you’re lucky enough to find one of their Christmas Ale coasters at your favorite bar or restaurant, just hold one at arm’s length in front of a friend until it looks like a sweater! Take a picture and post it with #‎Instasweater. They might just post it up and send you a present! Must be 21 years of age or over.

Monday, December 8

$3 PINTS of CRAFT BEER for the MONTH of DECEMBER @ All Parry’s Pizza Locations

Time: The entire month of December
Highlands Ranch, Greenwood Village and Castle Rock locations.

Check these out and share this with your friends and enemies. #AleYeah Boulder Beer Co. Grist Brewing Company Genesse Brewing Company Left Hand Brewing Company Odell Brewing Co

Sugar Cookie Toast Crunch Cereal Has Arrived = More Cerealiously Beer Soon! @ Black Bottle Brewery (Fort Collins)

1611 S College Ave, Fort Collins, CO 80525

New Cerealiously cereal just arrived from General Mills. This holiday version will be, Sugar Cookie Toast Crunch. This is a brand new Cereal that General Mills produced and was kind enough to send to Black Bottle. The BBB will have Draft available as usual and they will also be bottling this round. They are brewing more of this version of Cerealiously for your drinking pleasure…. Get stoked.

Tuesday, December 9

Christmas Beer Tasting AND the Liquid Brain Release @ Bull & Bush (Glendale)

Time: 6:00pm – 10:00pm
4700 Cherry Creek Dr S, Denver, CO 80246

Join in the fun at the Bull & Bush Brewery for their annual Christmas Beer Tasting. They’re featuring over 150 special holiday beers, winter seasonals and vintage beers in an event that is always a fun time. If there is a holiday beer tasting that has a larger selection, we don’t know about it. Join Bull & Bush for a great evening of holiday cheer!

16.9 OZ Bottles of the long awaited 2014 vintage of The Legend of the Liquid Brain will be available at the Bull & Bush Brewery. The Legend of the Liquid Brain will be available at select retailers in Colorado later in the week, December 9 is your first opportunity to purchase this highly prized, cellar-friendly, award-winning and rare Imperial Stout.

Keep the Glass Night! @ Our Mutual Friend (Five Points)

Time: 4:00pm
2810 Larimer St, Denver, CO 80205

Keep the Glass #14! Every Tuesday for $10 you get an artist series glass (10oz) and three fills (under 8% abv). Every month (or while supplies last), Our Mutual Friend will feature a new artist. Support local art and local suds! Keep the Glass #14 is designed by AJ McCormick.

2015 Bottled Lightning Club @ Diebolt Brewing Co (Sunnyside)

Time: Sign up now before it is too late.
3855 Mariposa St, Denver, CO 80211

Sign up for their 2015 Diebolt Brewing Bottled Lightning Club. Looking for a great holiday gift for yourself or a friend? Sign up now to catch lightning in a bottle with the 2015 Bottled Lightning Club and receive twelve 22 oz bombers (1 per month beginning January 2015) and a 10% discount on beer and merchandise in the brewery tasting room. The cost of the bottle club is $150. To enroll go to Diebolt Brewing’s web site, click on the shop button or you can purchase a membership in the brewery tasting room.

Fermenting Events About Ready To Be Tapped . . .

December 12^th – 2nd Anniversary Party from 2pm to midnight. @ Our Mutual Friend Malt & Brew (Five Points)
December 12^th – Fort Collins Festivus featuring ONLY Fort Collins Breweries @ Yendra Built (Fort Collins)
December 12^th – Ugly Sweater & Barrel Aged Beer Festival at 6pm @ Parry’s Pizza (Highland’s Ranch)
December 12^th – Señorita and Oil Man’s release party at the Brewery @ Elevation Beer Co (Poncha Spgs)
December 12^th, 13^th and 14^th – A First Birthday Blowout @ Station 26 (North East Park Hill)
December 13^th – Denver Festivus featuring ONLY Denver Breweries @ McNichols Building (Civic Center)
December 23^rd – 2nd Annual “Festivus for the Rest of Us Dinner” @ Barrels & Bottles Brewery (Golden)

Did we miss any events in this week’s PorchDrinking 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!