Where to Drink for Colorado Craft Beer Week, March 18-25
The Colorado Brewers Guild (CBG) and Colorado’s craft breweries will celebrate Colorado Craft Beer Week from March 18-25. Enjoy beers, education and all around frivolity from some of Denver’s and the state’s best breweries all week long. Depending on your level of interest, there is something for everyone. Just like to drink beer? There will be plenty of that. Consider yourself a beer geek? Look for special tastings, trivia, and seminars. Want to get involved in the industry? Meet brewers on a brewery tour. Here is a roundup of just a few of the fun beery things happening this week. To see more, visit the Colorado Brewers Guild website for the full list and find an event near you.
Main Events
Western Colorado Craft Beer Celebration
Grand Junction, Saturday, March 18, 2 PM
Welcome spring with a beer on the Western Slope. Western breweries will represent at this festival at the Kannah Creek production facility in Grand Junction. Tickets are $20 and include a glass and unlimited samples. A portion of the ticket sales go to the CBG. Western breweries include Palisade, The Rockslide, Suds Brothers, Copper Club, Roaring Fork, Glenwood Canyon, Colorado Boy, Telluride, Many Rivers and Horsefly.
Colorado Pint Day
Wednesday, various locations, March 22, all day
Colorado Pint Day is back for a second year and a way for people to try new beers and breweries while supporting Colorado’s craft beer industry. Have a pint at any participating brewery and receive a limited edition artwork pint glass by independent artist Liam Ashurt. Also, one dollar of every glass sold goes back to the CBG. Denver breweries participating include 38 State, Comrade, Crooked Stave, Declaration, Epic, Fiction, Great Frontier, Jagged Mountain, Joyride, Kokopelli, Locavore, Little Machine, Living the Dream, Lone Tree, Odyssey, Our Mutual Friend, Prost, and Strange Craft.
4th Annual Collaboration Fest
National Western Stock Show, Saturday, March 25, 2 PM
This year’s festival will feature over 100 collaborative beer projects from all over the world. Each beer is crafted by at least two, sometimes more, breweries. One brewery must be based in Colorado and a member of the CBG to participate. At this festival, beer enthusiasts will enjoy a variety of unique, creative and innovative beers made by all kinds of breweries and these amazing beers will be found nowhere else. Tickets are $60 for General Admission and $85 for VIP. Purchase online from the Collaboration Fest website.
Other Fun Events
Beer and Pancake Brunch at Great Divide Barrel Bar, Sunday, March 19, 9:15 AM
Breakfast and beer just go together. Enjoy Great Divide beers and Flipping Flapjacks for a beery breakfast brunch at the Barrel Bar.
C-470 Brewersy Panel Discussion at Lone Tree Brewing, Monday, March 20, 6 PM
Join the breweries of the C-470 corridor in a panel discussion of the craft brewing community, specifically the South Denver Metro Area. There will be a social hour after the discussion. Guests will receive discounts on beers and special offers from each brewery represented that can be used during the week. Breweries attending are Lone Tree, Grist, Blue Spruce, 3 Freak, Resolute, Halfpenny, and CB & Potts. Guests can sign up for free in advance on the CBG website.
Girl Scout Cookies Pairing at Strange Craft, Tuesday, March 21, 3 PM
Help raise money for the Girls Scouts while enjoying five different cookies paired with Strange Craft beers. Boxes of cookies will also be available for purchase.
Beer and Food Pairing at Yak & Yeti, Wednesday, March 22, 5 PM
Enjoy a colorful beer dinner featuring the Indian food of Yak and Yeti paired with beers from the brewery and Spice Trade Brewing. Also, learn how to create a beer pairing with Head Brewer Jeff Tyler.
Thirsty (Tasting) Thursday at Black Shirt Brewing, Thursday, March 23, all day
For only $7, get a mix-and-match flight of four beers.
Collaboration Fest Pre-party at Fiction Beer Company, Friday, March 24, 5 PM
Get a head start on sampling at Fiction on Friday. Enjoy two beers, Paperback Writer, a barrel fermented Brett Olde Stock Ale made with Ursula Brewery of Aurora and The Law of Sympathy, a gruit made with Mystery Brewing of Hillsborough, NC.
Photo via Flickr user adambarhan
