Them Crazy Southerners Will Eat Almost Anything

This Sunday night, there is a beer dinner in Charleston, SC.

On the menu:
country ham, oysters, duck sausages, beef tenderloin and fried bologna and liver pudding.

Fried bologna and liver pudding??? Really? Oh yea, I forgot. Those crazy southerners eat parts of a cow that the rest of us throw away.

(laugh!)

Here are some great things to do this weekend here in Colorado.

Today (Friday, Nov. 13th)

It's Firkin Friday at Dry Dock and at Oskar Blues. Dry Dock is pouring a Bourbon Oaked Old Ale (www.drydockbrewing.com) while Oskar Blues is featuring Dales Pale Ale that's been dry hopped with a big dose of summit hops. (http://www.oskarblues.com/) Oskar Blues is also hosting a beer dinner tonight at Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse in Denver. (http://www.delfriscos.com/)

Left Hand Brewing releases their newest brew Fade to Black at a release party this afternoon (http://www.lefthandbrewing.com/) and down in the four corners, Pagosa Brewing's Nipple Mountain Nip is back! (http://www.pagosabrewing.com/)

Tomorrow is Cask Ale Saturday with their IPA at Bristol Brewing in Colorado Springs and Sunday morning, they host another session of Beer Yoga. BYOM (bring your own mat.) (http://www.bristolbrewing.com/)

To The Boats, Mate. There Is A Floatilla Of New Brews On The Horizon

Woo-Hoo!!! It's another Friday Afternoon Colorado Brew Cruise.

Today, we start at Colorado's oldest microbrewery. Boulder Beer is tapping the first keg of their Obovoid Oak-Aged Stout at 3pm. This is a perfect brew to dance with on a cold, Colorado afternoon.

Then, we will scoot across Boulder to the Twisted Pine. They are celebrating fall with a tapping party for their Mr. Brown Pumpkin Ale at 3pm. Mr. Brown comes complete with a little whipped cream on top. Whoa.

Ok, now it's time to chart a course out to Aurora. It's Firkin Friday at Dry Dock Brewing, the GABF's 2009 Small Brewery of the Year. Today, they are serving up Seven Seas Double IPA that's been dry-hopped with Riwaka hops. That starts at 3pm, too.

Speaking of the Great American Beer Festival, Downtown Denver's Falling Rock Tap House is the unofficial HQ during the GABF. Of course, they always have bodatious brews flowing from their wall of taps. Avery Brewing's gonna tap a keg of their brand new brew at 5pm, so here's your chance to grab a pint of dugan IPA.

Back in the boat and let's head south. Bristol Brewing in Colorado Springs is rolling out one of my winter favorites today. It's Winter Warlock time. Today at 5pm, they tap the first kegs of this amazing Imperial Stout.

Finally, we head back up north to drop anchor at Oskar Blues Brewing in Longmont. It's another Firkin Friday at The Tasty Weasel and they are pouring a wet hopped Dale's Pale Ale in OB's brewery pub. They tossed an extra heaping helping of Cascade Hops in this sucka. The grassy hops will be enough to make us wish for summer again.

So, leave a message for the boss, grab an oar and lets row over to the bar. There are some great new brews waiting for you and I today.

Falling Rock Tap House Gets The GABF Week Going

Who has the biggest wall of beer taps in the Mile Hi City? The Falling Rock Tap House, hands down. This place is the holy shrine of suds in downtown Denver. When the Great American Beer Festival comes to town, Falling Rock kicks it up even more with a bunch of special beer releases, beer events and keg tappings each day.

Circle it in red. You gotta visit this Denver brew palace.

Last night, Falling Rock got the week rolling by tapping some wickedly crazy brews from Avery, Odell, Full Sail, Moylan's, Port, Russian River, Lost Abbey, Dry Dock, Great Divide, and Left Hand. The crowd's most popular seemed to be Great Divide's "Les" Claymore Sour Bourbon Barrel Scotch, Lost Abbey's Ten Commandments, Full Sail's Lupulin, Port Brewing's Older Viscosity and Odell Brewings Bourbon Barrel Stout.

Believe me. Each was an amazing brew. The low grade throbbing in my head tells me I must have done my dead level best to down at least a pint of each one.

And, the GABF hasn't officially even started, yet.

---Beer-vents Today---

Left Hand Brewing is tapping 2 year old Widdershins Barley Wine in the tap room of their Longmont Brewery, starting at 10am.

Avery Brewing in Boulder has another special tapping today. There are only two little 5-gallon kegs of Bad Sally '08 left in the world. This is Avery's Salvation Belgian Golden Ale that was aged in a Bookcliff Cabernet Sauvignon barrel and graced with a secondary Brettanomyces fermentation. Today, Avery will tap them both at a special tapping at 11am sharp in the tap room at the brewery.

Enjoy brews from Boulder Beer and other craft brewers at an "Underground" beer tasting at Denver's TAG Restaurant, 1441 Larimer Sreet in downtown Denver, beginning at 2pm.

Boulder Beer's head brewer, Steve Trese, hosts a "Meet the Brewer" Night with a special food menu designed around several Boulder Beers at The Rialto Café on the 16th Street Mall in downtown Denver, starting at 4pm

It's taken Bristol Brewing five years to create their newest Belgium Sour Ale, Skull N' Bones. Grab a pint at the release Party at the brewery in Colorado Springs. The tapping party is at 5pm.

Odell Brewing is hosting a beer tasting at Marlowe's Restaurant on the 16th Street Mall in Downtown Denver, beginning at 5pm.

You can do a "meet-n-greet" with Left Hand's brewers in Denver tonight at Duo Restaurant, 32nd and Zuni. $12 per person. 5-7pm

Wynkoop Brewing taps the first keg of Ba-dunkle-donk tonight. Cody Christman, the 2009 Beer Drinker of the Year, helped to put this puppy together. It's a Munich-style dark lager called a dunkles: rich and malty, served at cooler temperature.

Hungry AND Thirsty?

Avery Brewing is at Jax Fish House in downtown Denver tonight, hosting amazing evening at one of the top ten best restaurants in Denver (5280 magazine) $50.

Great Divide Brewing is at Osteria Marco in Denver, pairing their incredible beers with the delicious Italian creations of Chef-proprietor Frank Bonanno. The reception starts at 6:30pm. Dinner starts at 7pm. $40

Oskar Blues Brewing and The Corner Office, 14th and Curtis in downtown Denver are teaming up for a Beer Pairing Dinner tonight. $40. 6-8pm

Ready, Set….BEER!

Here we go. Today begins an orgy of hops and malts. The Denver Beer Fest starts today, Boulder Beer celebrates 30 years of brewing tonight, Pre-GABF events kick into high gear and Oktoberfests start popping out all over.

Here is a list of some of the brew-things to choose from.

*****ON TAP TODAY*****
Tonight at 5pm, Oktoberfest in Downtown Denver begins. This might be the last one. The promoters are pulling out. www.oktoberfestdenver.com/

Tonight at 8pm. The Boulder Beer Throw Down at Boulder Theater on Pearl Street in Boulder. “Colorado’s First Microbrewery” celebrates 30 years of brewing with local music and $2.50 Boulder Beer pints all night long! Attendees will have a chance to win free beer for a year! Live music from Great American Taxi & Oakhurst. Get your tickets at http://www.bouldertheater.com/ or at the Boulder Theater Box Office.

Also at 8pm tonight. Nomis Fashion Show and Fall/Winter Line Release in The Tap Room of Avery Brewing in Boulder. A $15 get you in the door for the fashion show, three Avery brews, munchies from Illegal Pete's and more. http://www.averybrewing.com/

Beer Me!
Today is Free Sample Friday at Great Divide Brewing in Denver. Enjoy up to 8 free samples of Hercules. And Titan. And Hoss. And Yeti. And everything else. 'Nuff said. http://www.greatdivide.com/

Today at 3pm. Firkin Friday at Dry Dock Brewing in Aurora. Grab a pint of their Hazelnut Southern English Brown Ale, but don't be late. FF at Dry Dock is hugely popular and the beer doesn't last. http://www.drydockbrewing.com/

Tonight at 5pm. Firkin Friday at Oskar Blues in Lyons. Always great brews from the OB gang. Tonight, they tap 5 gallons of Ol' Bovinity Milk Chub. Now that sounds interesting. http://www.oskarblues.com/

Tonight at 5pm, Bristol Brewing in Colorado Springs Rolls Out a New Brew. Come enjoy their latest, Edge City Octoberfest, a light, toasty malt brew with a crisp finish and a head bonking 7% ABV. The release party includes great German food from the Edelweiss Restaurant. http://www.bristolbrewing.com/

Tonight at 5pm, Trinity Brewing in Boulder Releases Another Great Beer. This time, is their Oak Whiskey Red. http://www.twistedpinebrewing.com/

This Weekend:
It Telluride's Blues and Brews Festival. The Grand Tasting is tomorrow. http://www.tellurideblues.com/

Here's To You, Old No. 7

Yo Jackie D! Happy birthday, my whiskey brother. As they say, "Hells to the yeah, Jack Daniels, put on the birthday hat and party like a rock star!"

Jack Daniels...and, there really was a Jack Daniels...was born in September, but we don't know on which day. There was a fire in the courthouse that destroyed all the records and anybody that knew his birthday has passed on to that great distillery in the sky.

So, we celebrate his birthday all month long.

There is a funny story about Jack Daniels, not about how he was born, but how he died in 1911.

"As the story goes, Mr. Jack arrived at work early one morning and tried to open the safe in his office.
Thing is, he couldn’t recall the combination. In his frustration, he gave that safe a good, solid kick. The blow broke his toe and infection set in, leading to the blood poisoning that would take his life in 1911.
Because he never married or had children, he deeded the Distillery to his hard-working nephew, Lem Motlow. Some people say Jack Daniel not only left his Tennessee Whiskey behind, he left us all a valuable lesson as well: Don’t go to work early."

(from http://www.jackdaniels.com/)

So in the spirit of our dearly departed friend, who's birthday we celebrate each and every day of the month of September, let's all raise our right hand and take this solumn oath.

"I ____(your name here)_____ promise to love the ones around me, help others when I can and use my turn signal at all times.

I also promise that I will never get to work early and I will avoid kicking any thing harder than a football. Amen."

****On Tap****
Today, Sunday (Sept. 6th)

**Beer and Yoga? Sure, why not! Robyn, The Bristol Beer Ninja, leads a yoga session at Bristol Brewing in Colorado Springs on Sunday. Don't sweat it...it is guy friendly, too. $10 gets you the session, bottled water and a post yoga beer. BYOM (bring your own mat) http://www.bristolbrewing.com/
**Didn't make it yesterday? That's ok, the Oskar Blues pig roast in Lyons, CO continues today, 2-6pm. Then, enjoy country AND western when Halden Wofford & The Hi-Beams brings their honky tonk out starting at 6pm. http://www.oskarblues.com/
**Catch Hot Club Sandwich at the Mountain Sun Pub in Boulder. http://www.mountainsunpub.com/

**A Taste of Colorado Continues-downtown Denver. http://www.atasteofcolorado.com/

Monday, Sept. 7th (Labor Day)
**Come celebrate the labors of Doug and the Odell Brewing when they roll out their Bourbon Barrel Stout. The keg tapping and tasting starts at 1pm in at Odell Brewing in Ft. Collins. http://www.odells.com/
**Another new brew is coming out. New Belgium Brewery just announced that Hoptober Golden Ale, their new autumn brew is on the way. This puppy is described as “...a Hop Lover’s dream within the Belgian idiom.” http://www.newbelgium.com/
**A Taste of Colorado-downtown Denver-Last Day. http://www.atasteofcolorado.com/

What A Weekend For Us Beer Lovers.

Ah, Labor Day....one of the biggest weekends of the year for bodacious brew stuff to enjoy. So, let's get to it.

Tonight, (Friday Night, Sept. 4th), you can kick off the weekend with equal parts folk, country, blues and bluegrass. The Kort McCumber Band performs at Oskar Blues in Lyons. The show starts aboout 9 and it'll cost ya 5-bucks to get in. http://www.oskarblues.com/

Close your eyes and you might think you are hearing Joni Mitchell and the Counting Crows, but Jill Cohn has a sound all her own. Catch her free concert tonight on the Patio at Carver Brewing in Durango. It starts at 8:30pm. http://www.carverbrewing.com/

Speaking of the Four Corners, this is the weekend for the The Four Corners Folk Festival. Grab yourself some great Breckenridge brew and enjoy the live tunes. It happens all weekend at Reservoir Hill Park in Pagosa Springs, CO http://www.folkwest.com/

The Boulder Hometown Fair is this weekend, too. You might wanna chill out in the Boulder Beer beer garden with a Cold Hop or Mojo. http://www.boulderbeer.com/

It's the Taste of Colorado in downtown Denver this weekend. Go people watch, then head over to Great Divide, or Breckenridge, or Wynkoop, or the Falling Rock Tap House and wash that turkey leg taste out of your mouth with a good brew. http://www.atasteofcolorado.com/

Saturday, (Sept. 5th)
It's Fat Tire Time! Head to the New Belgium Brewery in Ft. Collins for the Tour de Fat. I just wish I'd kept my old Schwinn Rocket. http://www.newbelgium.com/

Oskar Blues in Lyons pigs out! They have a pig roast going Saturday and Sunday. And, after you've porked yourself on Saturday, hang around for The Dan Treanor Bandis free concert starting at 9pm. http://www.oskarblues.com/

Sunday (Sept. 6th)
Beer and Yoga? Sure, why not! Robyn, The Bristol Beer Ninja, leads a yoga session at Bristol Brewing in Colorado Springs on Sunday. Don't sweat it...it is guy friendly, too. $10 gets you the session, bottled water and a post yoga beer. BYOM (bring your own mat) http://www.bristolbrewing.com/

Didn't make it yesterday? That's ok, the Oskar Blues pig roast in Lyons, CO continues today, 2-6pm. Then, enjoy country AND western when Halden Wofford & The Hi-Beams brings their honky tonk out starting at 6pm. http://www.oskarblues.com/

DVS 3 plays at The Vine Street Pub in Denver. 10pm. Catch Hot Club Sandwich at the Mountain Sun Pub in Boulder. http://www.mountainsunpub.com/

Monday, Sept. 7th (Labor Day)
Come celebrate the labors of Doug and the Odell Brewing when they roll out their Bourbon Barrel Stout. The keg tapping and tasting starts at 1pm in at Odell Brewing in Ft. Collins. http://www.odells.com/

Another new brew is out. New Belgium Brewery just announced that Hoptober Golden Ale, their new autumn brew is coming out. This puppy is described as “...a Hop Lover’s dream within the Belgian idiom.” http://www.newbelgium.com/

Whoa.