Friday is IP-Yay! Day

Who wants a new beer?








How about TWO beer releases on the same day?




















Avery and Left Hand are both in Boulder County, CO and both are set to bring out their latest this Friday. duganA IPA is Avery Brewing's two year project to find a brew that would fit in between Avery IPA and their Maharaja Imperial IPA. They say it is "brutally bitter, dank, piney and resinous. This 8.5% abv monster offers a mystical and divine hop experience with 93 IBUs of hop goodness." http://www.averybrewing.com/

Meanwhile....

Left Hand Brewing's Warrior IPA returns this Friday, too. This annual fall brew has a "strong hop character that is balanced by a strong malt foundation, allowing for an approachable and drinkable IPA that finishes amazingly clean." Some of the hops in this brew come from Left Hand's very own hop farm. http://www.lefthandbrewing.com/

GABF Docks A Big Award In Aurora

Let me tell you a little story. It's a little long for a blog, but it is a story worth telling.


Once upon a time there were these two guys, Kevin DeLange (he's in the green shirt) and Kevin Kellogg. The two "Kevs" were quietly brewing little batches of beer in The Brew Hut, a small home brew shop they owned in Aurora, CO. The beer was good. It was so good their customers started telling them they ought to open a brewpub.


It's Alive!
In 2005, they did just that. They knocked a hole in the wall and took over the empty space next door. It was small. There was just room for a couple bar stools, 5 or 6 tables and a popcorn machine in the corner. They didn't care. They weren't there to impress the world. They just wanted a place where people could gather and enjoy their beer. Kevin grabbed the tap. With the "psssshst" of compressed air, Dry Dock Brewing was born.



They are brewing really good beer in Aurora.
It didn't take long for the word to get around. People were quaffing every gallon of beer the Dry Dock could brew. Kevin knew he needed help, so Bill Eye became head brewer and brought his love of rich, German lagers to the Dry Dock. (That's him in the brown shirt.) Two other guys, Jim Denier (right, wedged in the Boil Kettle) and Lachlan McLean (left, stuck in the Lauter Tun) signed on as assistant brewers. The four figured their beer was pretty good, so they entered a couple at the Colorado State fair. They won! They took some to Denver and won a couple of medals at the GABF, too.



Trouble on the Horizon
All of a sudden, Kevin discovered he had a problem. It was great that legions of brew lovers were packing the place, but his little brewpub was too small to handle it. Even with the fermenter running non-stop, they still could not keep up. So this summer, just four years after Kevin tapped the first keg, Dry Dock set sail. It dropped anchor at a big, new, spacious brew house, just a couple doors down from the old brew pub. It had everything a brewer could want, including a brand new brew system with bright, shiny kettles. One thing didn't change. Kevin, Bill, Jim and Lachlan were still brewing it right. Dry Dock's beer was as good as ever.



Hello World
Saturday, the beer world sat up and took notice. A huge cheer rocked the place when the Great American Beer Festival announced that nobody had a better small brewery than Kevin DeLange. Out of hundreds of choices from all over the country, Dry Dock Brewing was picked as the 2009 Small Brewing Company and Brewer of the Year.



Congratulations Kevin! You and Bill and Jim and Lachlan ought to be mighty proud of yourselves. Dry Dock crafts amazing beers and it is great that the largest beer gathering in America, The Great American Beer Festival, agrees.




----It's Almost "Hop Tip" Time----
I am putting the finishing touches on the next Hop Tips from the Rocky Mountain Brewing News. It's filled with October's events, festivals and new brew releases from all across the Rocky Mountain West. Watch for it to pop up in your email in the next couple of days. If you don't get "Hop Tips", click here to sign up. You don't want to miss any beer-vents this fall.

Bumblings from the Boulder County Brew Cruise

The 4th annual Boulder County Brew Cruise is history. Once again, two big busloads of happy hop-sters spent the day sloshing across some of Colorado's most fertile beer landscape. Here are some interesting flecks of malt and mash I picked up along the way.

First stop was Boulder Beer where BB brewer, the mysterious D Zuckerman, told me they will have an amazing beer tapped next Tuesday in the Wilderness Pub at the brewery. It's a keg of Igloo Ale that has been cellared for over 10 years. Talk about a blast from the past!

Interesting beer trivia of the day. Dan Weitz, Boulder Beer's bubbly tour guide and most excellent marketing man let it slip that the brewer who created their Hazed and Infused was attempting to make a beer with the aroma of weed. Yup, no kidding.

Next, to Longmont and Left Hand Brewing. We charged into the tap room and found Depth Charge expresso milk stout on tap. DC is the newest collaboration brew between Left Hand Brewing and Terrapin Brewing in Athens, GA. The gang on the brew cruise almost rioted when the Left Hand gang announced they were going to treat us to an early release of two cases of this amazing brew. I snarked up two bombers and will post up a review here on One Good Brew next week. I can tell you that Depth Charge is one of the best expresso milk stouts I have had in a long time. It should show up in front range liquor stores very soon and grab it when you see it. This will be a very limited release. It won't be around long.

Bubba Love, Left Hand's singing tour guide (and, Boulder County sales guru by day) told me Left Hand's Warrior IPA is being packaged right this very minute and it should start showing up on shelves soon, too. This beer warrior loves himself the Warrior IPA.

Oskar Blues hosted lunch for our little band of bodacious brew hunters in the Tasty Weasel tap room. Boy how they have grown! Before Oskar Blues starting putting their craft beer in cans back in 2002, it made just 700 barrels of beer a year. Next year, they are planning to brew up a heady 36,000 barrels of their brew to keep up with demand. By the way, they had oak barrel aged Gordon on tap that was nothing short of OMG Outstanding! Definitely worth the trip, just to get yourself a pint. In the brewery, there were stacks of whiskey barrels from Stranahans' Colorado Whiskey of Denver. Each was filled with Ten Fidy. I can't wait for that to be tapped!!!

Finally it was on to Avery, just in time for the release of Sui Generis. Those smart enough to grab some got the chance to have their bottles hand signed by Adam Avery himself. Sui Generis is the second of Avery's new Barrel-Aged Series. Brewers aged Sui Generis in several different oak barrels and fermented it with brettanomyces, lactobacillus and pediococcus. Only about 150 cases of Sui Generis were brewed so this new Avery beer is sure to become the gem of your beer cellar if you can get your hands on some. The price? About 48-dollars a six pack.

Speaking of Avery, their newest brew…duganA IPA will be released October 2nd. No doubt, duganA IPA should be another amazing brew from the Avery Brewing bunch.

That's all I heard...or all I remember...from this year's Boulder County Brew Cruise. It is a most amazing way to start your GABF adventures. Thanks to Left Hand Brewing for putting this puppy on.

Cruise On, Mighty Beer Bus

Today, I am off on the Boulder County Brew Cruise, organized by those right brain thinkers at Left Hand Brewing. Look at this photo from 2007. See, nobody has a good time on these things.

Truthfully, it is incredibly hard work spending the day touring and drinking and eating and drinking and touring through Avery Brewing, Boulder Beer, Left Hand Brewing and Oskar Blues.

I only do this to pursue my craft. Nobody would ever volunteer for this rough, almost inhuman duty.

I don't really know how I will survive.

So, while the cat is away, here are some beer-dashiously things going on.

Play on mices. Play on.

Be part of history as Avery Brewing releases its Sui Generis today. Less than 150 cases of this amazing brew were created, so it will not be on tap. Don't worry. Avery will have some interesting creations for you to try. 3pm-8pm (303) 440-4324 http://www.averybrewing.com/

Left Hand Brewing's classic keg tapping today is the 2008 Terra-Rye’zd Black Rye Lager. 10a-10pm (303) 772-0258 http://www.lefthandbrewing.com/

There is a GABF Beer Tapping Party at Trinity Brewing in Colorado Springs. Trinity will tap special kegs of brews from all across Colorado at their Brewery in Colorado Springs. 11am to 10pm (719) 624-0029 http://www.trinitybrew.com/

One of Colorado's newest breweries, Black Fox releases their newest brew today. "Automne" is a refreshing amber saison and is the fifth offering from Black Fox Brewing. The release party is at Bristol Brewing in Colorado Springs at 5pm. (719) 633-2555 http://www.bristolbrewing.com/

Falling Rock Tap House is ground zero for a bunch of special keg tappings today. Check this out. At 4pm, they tap a keg of Flying Dog's 20th Anniversary Beer. At 5pm, they unveil Pyramid's Snowcap. At 9pm, Artisanal Imports brings some of their offerings including a new, limited offering, Koenigshoeven (La Trappe) Isid'or 125th Anniversary Beer. Live music with Marty Jones & the Great Unknowns with special guests the Rolling Boil Blues Band. (303)293-8338 http://www.fallingrocktaphouse.com/

Boulder Beer is all over the place today. They host a Brewer's Meet-n-Greet at the Crown Plaxa Hotel in Denver. 12n-2pm. They tap a keg of special whiskey barrel aged Mojo IPA at the Falling Rock Tap house at 3pm and, they host a Boulder Beer Pool Party up on the 6th floor of the Crown Plaza Hotel, in Denver at 5pm. Then Boulder Beer's Brewmaster David Zuckerman shows up at Old Chicago on Market Street for a "Meet and Greet the Brewer" from 5pm-6:30pm. (303) 444-8448 http://www.boulderbeer.com/

Tonight, it's "pass the muchies, Gov!" It's Pints and Bites at the Governor's House in Denver, an evening of Colorado craft beer and food pairing hosted by the Governor's Residence Preservation Fund, the Colorado Brewers Guild and the Culinary School of the Rockies. All proceeds benefit the preservation of the Governor's Residence at the Boettcher Mansion. 5-7:30pm (303) 722-3623 http://www.coloradoshome.org/

It's also the night for the 3rd Annual Gold Medal Beer Dinner at The Kitchen in Boulder. Eat, drink and be merry while five of the world's best brewers go head to head to see who will cry first. Come eat and drink with Adam Avery (Avery), Vinnie Cilurzo (Russian River), Rob Todd (Allagash), Sam Calagione (Dogfish Head), and Tomme Arthur (The Lost Abby.) A meet and greet starts at 6:30 with dinner starting at 7pm. $140 (303) 544-5973 http://www.thekitchencafe.com/

Great Divide Brewing is in Duo Restaurant's "Meet the Brewer Happy Hour" tonight. 5pm-7pm.. They are also hosting a really nice beer dinner at Eagles' Nest at Green Valley Ranch.(303) 296-9460 http://www.greatdivide.com/

Deschutes Brewery is hosting a beer dinner at Baker St. Pub and Grill in the Denver Tech Center. $50 6p-10pm (303) 557-2790 http://www.sherlockspubco.com/

Left Hand Brewing holds beer tasting tonight at City, O City. For two hours, celebrate the beers that made this brewery famous at City, O City. 7-9pm (303) 831-6443 http://www.cityocitydenver.com/

New Belgium Brewing hosts a beer tasting at Marlowe's, on the 16th Street mall in downtown Denver from 5pm-7pm. They are bringing Fat Tire, Hoptober, Sunshine and other special release beers. Buy a beer and keep the glass, along with Chocolate-beer pairings. (888) NBB-4044 http://www.newbelgium.com/

Which is better...beer or wine? Find out the answer at the Beer vs Wine Dinner at TAG Restaurant in Denver. Avery Brewing and the Bull and Bush are gonna tag team Master Sommelier Doug Krenig from Southern Wines and Spirits and show him why beer pairs with food better than wine. 7:30pm – 8:30pm (303) 440-4324 http://www.averybrewing.com/

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.