Craft Beer Week

In 1995 the Colorado Brewers Guild was formed to promote the diversity the craft beer scene in Colorado. A lot has changed since then; especially the number of craft breweries in Colorado and the quality and diversity are stronger than ever. To celebrate this there is Colorado Craft Beer Week, a celebration of all things Colorado beer. From March 18 to the 24^th there will be special tappings, new releases, and special events that showcase the best of Colorado beer. Here are a few events going on throughout the state this week that are can’t miss events.

West of Breckenridge along I-70 lies the small town of Eagle and within there lies a small brewery Bonfire Brewing. They will be celebrating Craft beer week with a new beer release each night as well as special events to enjoy. The new beers you will see throughout the week will be an Irish Red to get the festivities rolling, a Karate Hop Brown, Dirtbag Munich Dunkel, Boom! Double IPA, and a Jack Daniel’s Barrel Aged Baltic Porter. Also in the nearby town of Vail there will be the opportunity to meet the brew masters of Eagle County at the Vail Alehouse, and that will be taking place on March 19.  Great new beers and the chance to meet the people who create it for you, not to mention time in the mountains sounds like a great destination to spend part of Craft Beer Week.

North of Denver lies the beer rich community of Boulder, which is home of some of the most iconic microbreweries in the state. Part of that community is the four year old brewery of Upslope which is a great reason to visit Boulder this week. With special beers hitting the tap lines, deals on pints, the main reason to visit this brewery is for the week long raffle. With all proceeds going to support the Colorado Brewers Guild which make events like this possible enter for a chance to win a ¼ barrel keg of their fine ales. What better way to support the group that keeps these events alive than by supporting the small craft breweries in the process. Pint and raffle ticket at Upslope will be a great way to enjoy a night during this special week.  

The majority of events going on this week are taking place in Denver with great collaborations between breweries, one night only events, and a celebration of the craft beer scene. The festivities in Denver will be going on all week but it is not until Wednesday when Great Divide Brewing Company and Prost Brewing get together for a 5 course beer dinner at the Coral Room in Denver. This will be an iconic brewery pairing their beers with some of the finest German beers in Denver. Tickets are limited, but this will be a memorable night that one may not get to experience again. Heading into Thursday this week will keep you in the LoDo area but the beers featured are from all over the state.

The Breckenridge Brewery by Coors Field will be celebrating craft beer from all over the state with a night of cask style ales. With a total of 16 breweries featured including Breckenridge, New Belgium, Great Divide, Oskar Blues, Boulder Beer, Odell, and Left Hand this is another great event to celebrate craft beer. With rare cask style ales these beers will not last long so get down early and enjoy while you can. Heading into Friday there are no major events planned so continue with sampling the Firkins in the area. Copper Kettle Brewing Company in Denver will be releasing a special milk stout made with chocolate malts on cask, and as always Dry Dock Brewing in Aurora always has something special lined up for their Firkin Friday.

Heading into the end of the week head to not a brewery, but a restaurant instead. Off of 21^st and Arapahoe lies the Lobby where there will be a celebration of the new breweries who have been open less than two years with a 1980s themed party. Tickets are 19.86 and plan on seeing great breweries like River North, Caution, Wit’s End, Copper Kettle, plus more from throughout the state pouring some of their great offerings. End the week at Great Divide with a special tapping of their Grand Peach Cru, a beer made from their pilot system that will be sure to go fast.

In such a short week there some big things going on in the community that is Colorado craft beer. No matter what part of the state you live in there will be something for everyone to enjoy. These just happened to be some of the most interesting and unique events that we felt could not be missed. Even though this event only lasts for a week it gives everyone an opportunity to explore the world of craft beer in our own community, discover something new, and possibly find a new favorite beer or brewery in the process.

Is there a brewer we need to visit, or a limited edition beer we have to try? Let us know at https://www.facebook.com/MileHighBrews