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

Denver Beer Fest Goes High Gear Today

The big beer week in Denver has arrived. From now through Sunday, Colorado is awash with great brews and the GABF ain't even started yet.

Here is the official "One Good Brew" beer tour for today.

We start our special beer tour in Boulder at Avery Brewing at 11am. Today, they will tap the final barrel of Reverend, their Belgian Quadrupel aged in an Eagle Rare Whiskey barrel. A little whiskey, a little sour, a lot of love. The special tapping is at 11am sharp in the tap room at the brewery.

Then, we're are back in Denver at Wynkoop Brewing. Saturday, Wynkoop brought back The Obamanator, the beer that made last summer's DNC famous. This afternoon, they roll out another special brew. All Star Ale is a moderately hoppy ale brewed arm in arm with the Brewers Supply Group. Get a free pint between 4 and 5pm.

Ok, let's waddle over to the Falling Rock Tap House, the unofficial HQ during the GABF/Denver Beer Fest. Tonight starting at 5pm, they will tap 10 to 12 keys of some hard to find brews from Avery, Russian River, Lost Abbey, Port Brewing, Left Hand, Odell and more.

It's meet the brewer night at Duo Restaurant in Denver, so we gotta slide by there. Besides the guys who started this "Can A Craft Beer" apocalypse, Oskar Blues will be there. $12 per person. 5-7pm.

It's Durango night at City, O' City in Denver. Ska Brewing is bringing their beers and Peach St. Distillery has the whiskey. 7-9pm.

Now we are hungry, right? Lucky for us there are several really nice beer pairing dinners tonight as some of Denver's finest establishments.

Vine Street Pub's Chef Rob Green and Head Brewer Brian Hutchinson are hosting a 4-course beer pairing dinner tonight at Harry's Space, just east of the pub. 6pm. Get tickets at the Vine Street Pub.

Great Divide Brewing is teaming up with Appaloosa Grill for a three course dinner, followed by a GD brewery tour and live music. It starts at 6:30pm. RSVP events@appaloosagrill.com.

Left Hand Brewing is pairing their great beers with the amazing food of Elway’s at the Ritz in the heart of Denver. For more information, visit their website or call 303-312-3107.

Now that dinner is over, how about something just a little bit naughty? Tonight is Beer and Burlesque! Avery Brewing is going to be bringing their brews to Lannie's Clocktower Cabaret. Twirl it baby! 7pm – 8pm

You are probably asking yourself..."Self? How does he know about all this stuff?" It's simple really. I spend hours and hours toiling over an ever expanding list of beer events happening across the Rocky Mountain West. Then, I stuff it into an email and send it out every couple weeks. "Hop Tips" is from your beer buddies at the Rocky Mountain Brewing News. Get on the list and get your "Hop Tips," FREE! Just Click Here

The Presidential Brew Is "Barrracckkkk!"

The guy who started Denver's Wynkoop Brewing is John Hickenlooper. He is a Democrat. These days, John Hickenlooper doesn't run the Wynkoop. He runs Denver.

He is the Mayor.

When the Democrats desended on Denver last summer for their National Convention, the brew-sters at Wynkoop knew they should create a special beer. They set out to build a beer special enough to carry the future President's name.

Guess what?

The Obamanator back on tap again, just in time for Denver's other big party, The Great American Beer Festival. The Obamanator is a Maibock, a style that is lighter in color and more heavily hopped than other bocks or German beers. We Americans pronouce it "My Bock." This type of beer is usually brewed in the spring. Maibock means May Bock in German. It can also be called a Helles Bock, Heller Bock, or a Frühlingsstarkier (spring strong beer), but I'm getting in way too deep here.

Let's get back to The Obamanator.

At the re-rolling out party, the Wynkoop brew crew grabbed onto the special, one of a kind, "Look Ma, Obama is on a beer tap" handle. Out came a light, yellow colored lager with an almost snow white head. For a second, I thought I was getting Coors by mistake. The difference is the hops. You really get it in The Obamanator. Hops dominates the aroma and is the biggest player in the flavor, too.

That's the beauty of a Maibock.

Look, I know that you are gonna be awash in cool brews when you come to town for the GABF, but do yourself a favor. Save room for The Obamanator from Wynkoop Brewing in Downtown Denver.

This ain't no cash for clunkers deal. It's a really good brew and you know something, Republicans will like it too. They just won't admit it.

Politics is funny that way.

Hang On To Summer With FCB's Big, Black Elephant

Are you ready for winter? Me neither. As I stared into the glass brew cages at the liquor store last night, I wasn't ready to surrender to the fall seasonals or the porters and stouts of winter.

I wanted summer to hang around a little longer. I wanted another nice IPA.

So, I reached for the big, black elephant.

Rocky Mountain IPA
Ft. Collins Brewery
Ft. Collins, CO
ABV: 6.20%
http://www.fortcollinsbrewery.com/

I have enjoyed this brew before, but haven't taken time to talk about it (shame on me.)

Ft. Collins Brewery's Rocky Mountain IPA is one of my favorite IPAs. It has a nice coppery-orange color with a tight cream colored head that really lasts.

Give it a sniff and you'll get a generous noseful of citrusy hops. Wait a minute. There is something else in here. Yes, its hoppy....but, there is a really nice bready malt aroma, too. That's what I really like about Rocky Mountain IPA. There is loads of hops...pure, wonderful hops. But, there is plenty of bready malt too. It's a great blend that you don't find in some other IPAs.

You taste the blend too. Lots of grassy and citrusy hops and some nice malts, too. The hoppy-ness really lingers after you swallow, giving you a chance to enjoy Rocky Mountain IPA's flavors just a little while after its gone.

This brew is so well done, you could drink it all day. So, you have another and another...and, another. Suddenly, here comes trouble. This brew is blended so well you haven't noticed it carries a 6.2% ABV. Look Out!!! A Big, Black, Elephant Buzz Is Rumbling Right Atcha!!! (maybe that is why they put that thing on the label...)

Overall, Rocky Mountain IPA is a great beer. It's the blend of hops and malts I really like. You will too, if you are lucky enough to live in one of the 19 or 20 states where Ft. Collins Brewery beers are sold.

Go grab yourself one last gulp of summer.

****ON TAP THIS WEEKEND****

All Weekend:
*It's the Telluride Blues and brews festival this weekend. The grand beer tasting is on Saturday. http://www.tellurideblues.com/

*Oktoberfest is Oompahhing in downtown Denver http://www.oktoberfestdenver.com/ and up in Breckenridge. http://www.breckenridgeoktoberfest.com/

Saturday, September 19th:
*Colorado Pork and Hops Challenge continues in Lincoln Park in Grand Junction, CO. http://www.porknhops.com/
*Wynkoop will roll out The Obamanator. This dry hopped Maibock lager was originally brewed for President Obama's historic visit to Denver during the DNC. 5pm. http://www.wynkoop.com/ *Denver's RooBar's Anniversary Party is tonight with Great Divide brews. http://www.greatdivide.com/

Live Music!
*It's Bluez House with Paul Soderman ($5) at Oksar Blues in Lyons.
*Crank up the tunes with Jon Cody on the patio at Left Hand Brewing in Longmont. 5pm. http://www.lefthandbrewing.com/

Sunday, September 20th:
*The Zooma Women’s Race Series takes off at 7:30am from Central Park in the Stapleton neighborhood in Denver. After the running, Left Hand Brewing does the pampering. http://www.lefthandbrewing.com/

*Vesta Dipping Grill Beer Dinner is tonight with beers from Great Divide Brewing in Denver. http://www.greatdivide.com/

Live Music!
*Scott Von on the patio of Left Hand Brewing in Longmont at 4:30pm http://www.lefthandbrewing.com/
*Felonius Smith acoustic blues band plays Oskar Blues Brewing in Lyons.

Missed the Boat at the Mountain Sun in Boulder at 10pm and Paper Stars plays the Vine Street Pub in Denver at 10pm http://www.mountainsunpub.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.

How Best Do You Know Beer?

Thousands of people are heading to Denver for the Great American Beer Festival. If you are one of them, I have a question for you.

Can we call you Beerdrinker of the Year ?

Denver's Wynkoop Brewery hosts the competition. The winner get free beer for life.

C'mon, what are you waiting for? Email your resume to beerdrinker@wynkoop.com.

Speaking of the Great American Beer Festival, my favorite night to go is Thursday night. None of the brews have run out and nobody has been beat to death by the more than 45-thousand people that come to Denver each year.

Guess what?

As luck would have it, the only session the GABF says tickets are still available for is Thursday night! Ticketmaster has some and there is a page on the GABF site that lists retailers who might still have tickets for other sessions. Call first.

*****IN THE NEWS*****

The Governor's Office, 1200 Square Feet Surrounded Entirely By Reality.

Colorado Governor Bill Ritter is turning up the heat on "the heat is on," the state's high profile DUI enforcement program. He wants to cut back on the number of DUI checkpoints across the state.

Is it because people are not driving drunk anymore?

Noooo!

Governor Bill thinks pulling 1.3 million dollars from DUI enforcement will help fill the 230-million dollar pothole the state's budget has fallen into.

I am all for balancing the budget, but c'mon Gov. You need to get a grip. I firmly believe "the heat is on" program is working. The threat of getting busted keeps a lot of people from driving after drinking. Many of those who choose to swill and swerve are getting busted at the checkpoints.

Go find something else to cut. Leave "the heat is on" alone.
Read the news story for yourself.

Call In The Clydesdales
How do you move dozens of zoo animals to safety when the California wildfire closes in?

Three words.

Bud-weis-er.
The full story is here.

How Much Can You Thigh Lift??

A Louisana woman swiped a case of beer by clenching it between her thighs and waddling out of a store. Yup, 20-pounds of brew wedged tightly between her drumsticks and out the door she goes. A big, old, flowery moo-moo was involved.
Here's the story.