This is a list of past, present, and future events that we have organized. If you enjoy reading the blog, attending these events is one way you can help support us.
We're working on our events for 2014 right now, and will update this page once things are finalized!
Meet the Brewer: Great Divide Brewing
Meet the Brewer: Avery Brewing
Thurs. Nov. 7th / 7pm
Front Range BBQ / 2330 W. Colorado Ave., Colorado Springs
Event on Facebook
Avery Brewing is well known across the United States for beers that push the boundaries of the craft brewing industry. They show off the maturity of their beer portfolio by including 18% ABV stouts and puckery barrel aged treasures, along with their well-known and delicately balanced easy drinkers like White Rascal, Ellie's Brown Ale, and Joe's Pils. That's why we've been looking forward to announcing this for months and months - Avery Brewing will be joining us for a very special Meet the Brewer event on November 7th at Front Range BBQ.
Joining us will be Matt Thrall and Andy Parker. Matt is Avery's head brewer, and Andy is the the head of the barrel aged beer program. We interviewed them for our Cellarmanship video series, and we encourage you to check out that video. They will talk about the beer that they make, their roles in the industry, what's coming up at Avery, they can geek out with you, and they'll be available to chat one on one.
For the event we will have a fantastic lineup of Avery beer, including a number of beers normally only available in their Boulder taproom, some regular favorites, a number of aged bottles from their barrel series, some big beers, and some small beers. Here's the list:
Beers Made By Walking / Denver 2013
Each beer in this series is innovative in that they are drinkable landscape portraits of areas throughout Colorado. You'll get to taste a portrait of Boulder’s historic Chautauqua Park, the Palmer Lake Reservoir Trail in Colorado Springs, a beer inspired by a neighborhood stroll in Denver, and many others.
We are very happy to announce that this year, a part of the proceeds from the event will be donated to the Cottonwood Institute in Denver. The Cottonwood Institute is an award-winning 501(c)3 non-profit organization that inspires young people to initiate positive change by strengthening their civic engagement, environmental stewardship, and leadership skills.
The participating breweries are:
Boulder Beer, Crooked Stave, Elevation, Fate, Grimm Brothers, Mountain Sun Pub, New Belgium, Our Mutual Friend with Cerebral Brewing, Paradox, Phantom Canyon, Pikes Peak, Strange, Three Barrel, Twisted Pine, Wit's End, Wynkoop, and Yak & Yeti.
Ticket Info:
The beers will be available for one night only in Denver on October 8th, from 5-8pm, at Wynkoop Brewing (1634 18th St.) in their upstairs bar. Tickets will be available at Wynkoop on the night of the event or you can purchase them in advance here. Tickets cost $30 and give you access to unlimited samples of each specialty beer.
Meet the Brewer: Left Hand Brewing
Special Presentation: Smoked Beer
Thurs. October 3rd / 7pm / Pay per pint
Front Range BBQ / 2330 W. Colorado Ave., Colorado Springs
We've been looking forward to this event since we first saw Ro Guenzel, head brewer at Left Hand Brewing, give a beautiful presentation about Smoked Beer at the Vail Big Beer Festival. Ro was trained as a brewer in Germany and has a profound attachment to smoke. Many of his specialty beers used smoked grain, smoked pepper, and the like. Smoke, of course, has a long history in the lives of humans; if you wanted to be warm, if you wanted to cook, if you wanted to brew beer, smoke was an inevitable part of the process. Brewers went to great lengths to remove smokey character in beer, but now many brewers are interested in ways to bring that character back into the beer. For our Meet the Brewer event on October 3rd, Ro Guenzel will tell us more about smoke and give a slideshow presentation about the many smoked beers that Left Hand creates.
We'll have two different smoked beers available. The first is Fade to Black Vol. 2, a smoked Baltic Porter that was a Focus on the Beer favorite in 2010, and has now been re-brewed. Additionally we'll have the lovely Smoke Jumper Imperial Porter. We'll also have a great selection of non-smoked beers as well including Left Hand's German-style Oktoberfest beer, one of our favorite seasonal fest beers. Left Hand will have some door-prizes for visitors as well. Here's a full list of beers:
Meet the Brewer: Grimm Brothers Brewhouse
Thurs. Sept. 5th / 7pm / Pay per pint
Front Range BBQ / 2330 W. Colorado Ave., Colorado Springs
We are very happy to announce that the next brewery we're bringing to Colorado Springs for our ongoing Meet the Brewer series will be Grimm Brothers, from Loveland. Grimm Brothers is unique in that they specialize in traditional style German ales and lagers, but with a subtle twist that makes them feel quite Grimm. The brewhouse is known for their popular Snow Drop Köttbusser, which was a nearly extinct beer style utilizing oats, honey, and molasses. The style historically predates the German beer purity laws when those ingredients became unlawful to use. Their Little Red Cap Altbier has one multiple medals at the Great American Beer Festival, including gold. In addition to these two, we'll get to try a few specialty beers as well, including an Oktoberfest style beer just in time for Oktoberfest!
Don Chapman, head brewer and company president, will join us on September 5th to hang out, showcase a few of Grimm's mainline beers, a few specialty beers, and to tell us all about the Grimm Brothers Brewhouse. It's going to be a fantastic night, and we've really been looking forward to announcing this particular Meet the Brewer. See you there!
The Beers:
Meet the Brewer: Renegade Brewing
August 8th / 7pm / Pay Per Pint
Front Range BBQ / 2330 W. Colorado Ave., Colorado Springs
We're very happy to bring Renegade Brewing to Colorado Springs to introduce you all to this relatively new Denver brewery. They like to create big, fun, and crazy beers that don't conform to style guidelines. In less than two short years, Renegade has made a big hit in Denver, and they've already opened up a second public house. The beers we'll see on August 8th at Front Range BBQ will be a pretty radical display of what Renegade is capable of, with a Russian Imperial Stout, an 11.2% 3IPA an easy drinking 5% Blonde Ale and more!
We're also really happy to announce that Renegade is sending us their new head brewer, Ali Benetka. Ali got into homebrewing in college and knew she wanted to pursue a career in brewing after taking a course in microbiology. She is one of two female head brewers in the state of Colorado. She’s a Colorado Native who loves the science of brewing as well as the creativity. She started as Renegade’s assistant brewer and has been the head brewer since May, 2013.
Beers for this event:
Colorado Beer Tapping for PDX Beer Week
June 14th / 6pm / Belmont Station
4500 SE Stark, Portland
Focus on the Beer and Belmont Station are teaming up to bring a very special collaborative event to Portland for PDX Beer Week. We have worked with over ten breweries from our great state of Colorado to send their beer to Oregon. Many of the breweries have never distributed out of state before, so this will be a very special treat for our PDX drinking friends. Here's a list of what we will be getting to drink on June 14th, the list is subject to change:
Backcountry / Brett is a Douche / Imperial Saison with Brett
Crooked Stave / Vieille / Dry-hopped barrel aged Saison
Crooked Stave / Surette / Barrel aged provision Saison
Crooked Stave / St. Bretta / 100% Brett Witbier
Elevation / Third Base Tripel
Elevation / False Summit / Bourbon Barrel Aged Quad
Elevation / Oil Man / Bourbon barrel aged Stout
Elevation / Apis Red / Quad aged in red wine barrels
Great Divide / Barrel Aged Hibernation
Grimm Brothers / Snow Drop / Honey Wheat Ale
New Belgium / 2010 Vrienden / Hibiscus, Brett, and Lactobacillus
Oskar Blues / Chardonnay Barrel Aged G'Knight
Ska / TBA
Telluride / Face Down Brown
Telluride / Fishwater Double IPA
Trinity / TPS Report / Wild American Bretta
Trinity / Barrel aged Brett Saison with lavender
Trinity / Red Swingline / IPA with Lactobacillus
Trinity / Damn it Feels Good to be a Gangsta / Barrel aged dark Saison
TRVE / Stout O)))
TRVE / Tunnel of Trees IPA
Beers Made By Walking will have two special events for PDX Beer Week. On
June 12th we will have a public hike in Forest Park and on June 13th we
will tap four beers from Breakside, Coalition, Hopworks, and Gigantic
inspired by a trail in Forest Park. Details are below:
June 12th / 6pm / BMBW Hike in Forest Park
$10 / Tickets available at Belmont Statio
Come hike with the brewers at Breakside, Coalition, Hopworks, and Gigantic in Forest Park and learn about the plants that they are using in their latest BMBW beers. The $10 fee covers the cost of a guided tour from the Forest Park Conservancy and 2-3 hours of hiking with the four brewers. Paid guests will receive the exact location of hike in advance via email. Limited to 20 guests. Stop in at Belmont Station to get your tickets.
June 13th / 5pm / BMBW Tapping at Belmont Station
Pay per beer / 4500 SE Stark, Portland
Drink beers inspired by a trail in Forest Park. Brewers from Breakside, Coalition, Hopworks, and Gigantic have created beers using ingredients identified on a trail in Portland's famous park. Additional information about each beer will be made available on our FB page soon.
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Deschutes Brewery Tap Takeover
Fri. May 17th / 5pm
Brewer's Republic / 112 N. Nevada, Colorado Springs
Facebook Event
Seeing as how the director of Focus on the Beer is from Oregon, we figured our first "tourist tap takeover" at Brewer's Republic should be from an Oregon Brewery. In the past, Brewer's Republic has dedicated one tap handle to an outside-of-Colorado brewery and through our partnership with them we're hoping to do this on a monthly basis. On Friday, May 17th, you will be treated to one of our favorite breweries. Deschutes Brewery is located in Bend, Oregon, with an annex brewpub in Portland. Opening in 1988, the brewery has not only become a classic in the Pacific NW, its beers are still regarded as some of the best in the industry by geeks and professionals alike.
The beers that will be tapped include the dark, complex, and special 2012 Abyss brewed with licorice and cherry bark, partially aged in bourbon, oak, and wine barrels. Additionally, Armory XPA is an experimental Pale Ale normally only served at the taproom in Portland. In addition to those specialty beers, we'll get to try Mirror Pond Pale Ale. This is THE BEER that changed the world for the director of Focus on the Beer. We'll also get the very fun and tasty Chainbreaker White IPA, and the brand new 4% session River Ale, which will certainly become a go-to summer quaffing beer for many.
Crooked Stave Tap Takeover
At Brewer's Republic
Fri. April 26th / 5pm-close
Facebook Event
Brewer's Republic has teamed up with Focus on the Beer to bring you another lovely Tap Takeover. This one comes from our wild wild friends up in Denver, Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project. Crooked Stave specializes in beers with wild yeast strains and barrel aging. We'll have six beers on tap, two of them are from Crooked Stave's currently-most-popular line and the other four are specialty one-off beers that you won't want to miss! We will also have Kyle Krebsbach, the Crooked Stave representative to answer all your questions about wild yeast, Brettanomyces, barrel aging, the brewery's plans and more.
The Beers:
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Beers Made By Walking Special Tapping
Beer Bacon Breakfast
Beers Made By Walking (Denver)
Meet the Brewer: New Belgium (w/ presentation)
Beers Made By Walking (Monument/Colorado Springs)
Needless to say, this is going to be a very special Meet the Brewer. We
decided we would make it even more special by offering some door prizes,
including gift certificates to Front Range BBQ. We hope you all can
make it!
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Battle of the Brewers: Round 2
Saturday, May 19th / 4pm SHARP!
At Brewer's Republic / 112 N. Nevada, Colorado Springs$10 cash
Facebook Event Page
Round Two of Battle of the Brewers is just around the corner. Last time we brought you eight local brewers, we put the brewers into brackets, we chose sixteen random ingredients, and you were the judge for the beers. It was a blast. You selected your four favorite beers in a blind tasting and now the winners of round one are paired up against each other. They've been working endlessly to perfect this round's offering.
On May 19th, join us for Round Two, where once again you'll be the judge. Be there at 4pm SHARP to participate. When the round is over we will announce the winners for the finals and randomly select the two ingredients. For $10 you will get a sample tray with four beers AND you will get a 10oz pour of a beer from a specialty keg.
The Players:
Lone Tree vs. Phantom Canyon (Pineapple and Honey)
Rockyard vs. Shamrock (Almonds and Ginger)
Meet the Brewer: Funkwerks
Fri. April 13th / 7pm
Another Pint / 13860 Gleneagle Dr. Colorado Springs
Pay Per Pint
Facebook Event Page
When we first started the Meet the Brewer series, Funkwerks was not distributed in Colorado Springs and they were on our priority list to get on the Meet the Brewer series. Funkwerks won our hearts at GABF in 2010, and again almost a year and a half ago at Vail Big Beer Fest. At the Saison Festival last year we said their Saison was the best straight saison at the festival, and definitely one of the best we've ever had. As it turns out, within weeks of starting the Meet the Brewer series their beer became available at a few of our shops and a few of our bars so we thought we'd give it some time before we brought down Gordon Schuck, Funkwerks' head brewer. Now that we've been able to spend some time with their beers, familiarizing ourselves a bit with this all-saison brewery, we thought that it's time to invite him to our town. This event will take place the night before the Saison Festival, so if you're not able to attend that, you'll definitely want to come to this. If you are going to the Saison Fest, this will give you the chance to meet Gordon in advance and drink a few beers that won't be available at the fest (Belgian Stout, Alchemy, and White). Please join us in welcoming Gordon Schuck on April 13th.
Here is a list and description of beers we will have on hand for this special event.
Battle of the Brewers: Round One
Sat. March 31st / 4pm sharp!
Brewer's Republic / 112 N. Nevada, Colorado Springs
$5 for the full flight
We are proud to introduce the first ever Battle of the Brewers competition in Colorado Springs. We have invited eight local breweries to compete against one another using randomly selected ingredients that we pulled out of a hat! We have used a bracket system so that one brewery is matched up against one other brewery, both producing a beer using the same two ingredients (such as molasses and peaches). The fun part comes when you, our lovely beery readers, will do a blind judging of the beers. March 31st will be Round 1, we will announce the winners of the public vote, announce the date for the next round, and select the random ingredients again right there at the bar for all to see!
So, be sure to be at Brewer's Republic at 4pm on March 31st. For $5 you will get eight beers in sample glasses and you will get a judge. We are limited to only five gallons of each beer, so it will go quickly. Also we are dividing the eight beers into two brackets: Bracket One will be served at 4pm and Bracket Two will be served at 5pm. Here are the brackets, breweries, and random ingredients:
BRACKET TWO / 5pm
Meet the Brewer: Odell Brewing
The new beers:
- Footloose Golden Sour – Barrel aged with Brettanomyces and lactobacillus, this sour brings forth big fruit flavors of pineapple and citrus. Tropical aromas, coupled with a tart finish and slight hints of vanilla from the oak barrel make for a unique and refreshing beer. (8% ABV)
- Shenanigans - This delightful crimson ale is aged in oak with just a touch of Brettanomyces. The subtle Brett tartness balances the rich amber malt with hints of dried fruit and light citrus. Our ode to the happy accident, Shenanigans was just too good not to share. (9.1% ABV)
Beers Made By Walking Tasting #1
Sat. Aug 27, 2011 / 4-8pm
Brewer's Republic / 112 N. Nevada, Colorado Springs
The first installment of tastings for Beers Made By Walking. A summer long program in which a public group goes on a local hike. Along the way we identify edible and medicinal plants. A homebrewer takes note and afterword develops a recipe and creates a beer based off of what we see on the hike. The first four beers are brewed at Rocky Mountain Brewery so that they become commercial products and then it is available for tasting one night only at one of our local pubs, Brewer's Republic.
Many of the beers that are being developed for Beers Made By Walking are in uncharted territory. The brewer's are really testing out ingredients that have rarely or never been used and therefore there isn't a lot of information on how to use them. This should be an exciting way to experience beer, and it will be fantastic to have beer that is essentially a 'beer portrait' of the Colorado Springs landscape.
Here's a list of beers and the brewers:
- Justin Carpenter - Opuntaie Deorum - Prickly Pear Cactus Wheat Beer
- Grant Goodwiler - Smoked Piñon Brown - Smoked Brown Ale with Piñon Pine Nuts
- Isaac Grindeland - Monk Choker - Double Belgian IPA with Chokecherry
- Jason Miller - Lightning Strike - Ale with Juniper, 3 Leaf Sumac Berries, and Ponderosa Needles
See photos and a recap of the event here.
*****UPCOMING EVENTS*****
We're working on our events for 2014 right now, and will update this page once things are finalized!
*****PAST EVENTS*****
Meet the Brewer: Great Divide Brewing
Thurs. Dec. 5th / 7pm
Front Range BBQ / 2330 W. Colorado Ave. Colorado Springs
Great Divide Brewing has been brewing up well balanced and uniquely flavorful beers for almost 20 years. Located right in the heart of Downtown Denver, their brewhouse cranks out one delicious beer after another, and has become a beacon for craft beer lovers. Known for brewing many different styles, and in recent years, their barrel-aging and sour programs have gained in popularity and have helped Great Divide continue as one of the nation’s premier craft breweries.
Joining us will be Taylor Rees, Great Divide's head brewer. Taylor began working on the bottling line at Great Divide Brewing Company back in 2004. Over the next three years, he had a variety of duties for the brewery, including warehousing, kegging, filtration, and even spent a year or so in the office working logistics. In 2007, a brewing position opened up and naturally, he applied. Brian Dunn, founder and President of Great Divide, was kind enough to give him the opportunity, and that's what he's been doing ever since. Around 2010 he became the head brewer and now supervises the brewing and cellaring departments. Currently, he is also heavily involved in their barrel aged and sour programs.
For the event we will have an awesome lineup of Great Divide beer, including some standard favorites and a few rarities that are sure to please! Here's the list:
Draft List
- Yeti - The classic Imperial Stout 9.5%ABV
- Colette Farmhouse Ale - A fruity and slightly tart Saison 7.3%ABV
- Hoss Rye Lager - a Märzen style lager brewed with rye 6.2%ABV
- Peach Grand Cru - Belgian-style ale with fresh Palisade peaches 12%ABV
- Space Kitten - Pilot batch IPA brewed with 100% Galaxy hops
- Saison Brauer - Saison brewed with Brettanomyces
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Meet the Brewer: Avery BrewingThurs. Nov. 7th / 7pm
Front Range BBQ / 2330 W. Colorado Ave., Colorado Springs
Event on Facebook
Avery Brewing is well known across the United States for beers that push the boundaries of the craft brewing industry. They show off the maturity of their beer portfolio by including 18% ABV stouts and puckery barrel aged treasures, along with their well-known and delicately balanced easy drinkers like White Rascal, Ellie's Brown Ale, and Joe's Pils. That's why we've been looking forward to announcing this for months and months - Avery Brewing will be joining us for a very special Meet the Brewer event on November 7th at Front Range BBQ.
Joining us will be Matt Thrall and Andy Parker. Matt is Avery's head brewer, and Andy is the the head of the barrel aged beer program. We interviewed them for our Cellarmanship video series, and we encourage you to check out that video. They will talk about the beer that they make, their roles in the industry, what's coming up at Avery, they can geek out with you, and they'll be available to chat one on one.
For the event we will have a fantastic lineup of Avery beer, including a number of beers normally only available in their Boulder taproom, some regular favorites, a number of aged bottles from their barrel series, some big beers, and some small beers. Here's the list:
Draft List
- Lilikoi - Avery's famous White Rascal with Hawaiian passion fruit purée added. 5.6% ABV.
- Out of Sight - Coffe-infused Stout. 6.5% ABV.
- Uberschwein - Double dry hopped Barleywine style or Imperial Red Ale. This beer doesn't belong to one pure style. 9.2 % ABV.
- Joe's Pils - A wonderfully balanced, easy drinking Premium Americal Pils. 4.7% ABV.
- Czar - A rich, balanced, and complex Imperial Stout from the Dictator Series. 10-12% ABV.
Very Limited Bottled Beers
- Rumpkin 2011 - Pumpkin Ale aged in Rum Barrels
- Rumpkin 2012 - Pumpkin Ale aged in Rum Barrels
- Rumpkin 2013 - Pumpkin Ale aged in Rum Barrels
- Muscat d' Amour 2012 - Wild fermented ale with Muscat Grapes, aged in Chardonnay Barrels
- Oud Floris 2012 - Sour Brown aged in various wine and liquor barrels
- Odio Equum 2012 - Sour Ale aged with Raspberries in Cabernet Sauvignon Barrels
- Uncle Jacobs Stout 2012 - A huge Imperial Stout aged 6 months in Bourbon Barrels
- Uncle Jacobs 2013 - A huge Imperial Stout aged 6 months in Bourbon Barrels
- Samaels 2013 - Oak Aged English-Style Strong Ale
- Momi Hiwa 2013 - Porter with coconut, aged in Rum Barrels
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Beers Made By Walking / Denver 2013
Tues. October 8th / 5-8pm
Wynkoop Brewing / 1634 18th St. Denver
Wynkoop Brewing / 1634 18th St. Denver
$30 for unlimited samples
Advance tickets available online
As beer lovers from around the country gather in Denver to celebrate the Great American Beer Festival and the Denver Beer Fest, we thought we would give these beery visitors a taste of the great state of Colorado. Beers Made By Walking has invited seventeen breweries across the state to take a hike, literally, and then make specialty beers inspired by the edible and medicinal plants found along the trail. These seventeen beers, made specifically for this event, will be available for one night, Tuesday, October 8th, at Wynkoop in Denver.Advance tickets available online
Each beer in this series is innovative in that they are drinkable landscape portraits of areas throughout Colorado. You'll get to taste a portrait of Boulder’s historic Chautauqua Park, the Palmer Lake Reservoir Trail in Colorado Springs, a beer inspired by a neighborhood stroll in Denver, and many others.
We are very happy to announce that this year, a part of the proceeds from the event will be donated to the Cottonwood Institute in Denver. The Cottonwood Institute is an award-winning 501(c)3 non-profit organization that inspires young people to initiate positive change by strengthening their civic engagement, environmental stewardship, and leadership skills.
The participating breweries are:
Boulder Beer, Crooked Stave, Elevation, Fate, Grimm Brothers, Mountain Sun Pub, New Belgium, Our Mutual Friend with Cerebral Brewing, Paradox, Phantom Canyon, Pikes Peak, Strange, Three Barrel, Twisted Pine, Wit's End, Wynkoop, and Yak & Yeti.
Ticket Info:
The beers will be available for one night only in Denver on October 8th, from 5-8pm, at Wynkoop Brewing (1634 18th St.) in their upstairs bar. Tickets will be available at Wynkoop on the night of the event or you can purchase them in advance here. Tickets cost $30 and give you access to unlimited samples of each specialty beer.
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Special Presentation: Smoked Beer
Thurs. October 3rd / 7pm / Pay per pint
Front Range BBQ / 2330 W. Colorado Ave., Colorado Springs
We've been looking forward to this event since we first saw Ro Guenzel, head brewer at Left Hand Brewing, give a beautiful presentation about Smoked Beer at the Vail Big Beer Festival. Ro was trained as a brewer in Germany and has a profound attachment to smoke. Many of his specialty beers used smoked grain, smoked pepper, and the like. Smoke, of course, has a long history in the lives of humans; if you wanted to be warm, if you wanted to cook, if you wanted to brew beer, smoke was an inevitable part of the process. Brewers went to great lengths to remove smokey character in beer, but now many brewers are interested in ways to bring that character back into the beer. For our Meet the Brewer event on October 3rd, Ro Guenzel will tell us more about smoke and give a slideshow presentation about the many smoked beers that Left Hand creates.
We'll have two different smoked beers available. The first is Fade to Black Vol. 2, a smoked Baltic Porter that was a Focus on the Beer favorite in 2010, and has now been re-brewed. Additionally we'll have the lovely Smoke Jumper Imperial Porter. We'll also have a great selection of non-smoked beers as well including Left Hand's German-style Oktoberfest beer, one of our favorite seasonal fest beers. Left Hand will have some door-prizes for visitors as well. Here's a full list of beers:
Warrior Fresh Hop IPA
Milk Stout Nitro
Oktoberfest
Sawtooth
Fade to Black Vol. 2
Smoke Jumper
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Thurs. Sept. 5th / 7pm / Pay per pint
Front Range BBQ / 2330 W. Colorado Ave., Colorado Springs
We are very happy to announce that the next brewery we're bringing to Colorado Springs for our ongoing Meet the Brewer series will be Grimm Brothers, from Loveland. Grimm Brothers is unique in that they specialize in traditional style German ales and lagers, but with a subtle twist that makes them feel quite Grimm. The brewhouse is known for their popular Snow Drop Köttbusser, which was a nearly extinct beer style utilizing oats, honey, and molasses. The style historically predates the German beer purity laws when those ingredients became unlawful to use. Their Little Red Cap Altbier has one multiple medals at the Great American Beer Festival, including gold. In addition to these two, we'll get to try a few specialty beers as well, including an Oktoberfest style beer just in time for Oktoberfest!
Don Chapman, head brewer and company president, will join us on September 5th to hang out, showcase a few of Grimm's mainline beers, a few specialty beers, and to tell us all about the Grimm Brothers Brewhouse. It's going to be a fantastic night, and we've really been looking forward to announcing this particular Meet the Brewer. See you there!
The Beers:
- Farmer's Daughter - A Marzen style beer for Oktoberfest. The beer pours an amber color with a white head, and is medium bodied with caramel, earthy, and biscuity flavors. 6.2% ABV.
- 3 Golden Hairs - A clean, hoppy pilsner from one of Grimm's specialty lines. Brewed in the Czech style, featuring a malty pilsner aroma and flavor, it is balanced with the floral hoppy character of Saaz hops and is quite refreshing. 4.6% ABV.
- Dragon Slayer - A Bamberg style Rauchbier. Historically the malts in these beers are smoked with beechwood, providing a wide range of smoky flavors and aromas. This one is a specialty offering from Grimm Brothers and should be a real treat. 5.5% ABV.
- Little Red Cap - An Altbier with multiple GABF medals, one gold and one bronze. On the sweeter side of things, but balanced nicely with European and American hops. 5.2% ABV.
- Fearless Youth - This full bodied Munich Dunkel is made with a touch of hoppiness and has a bready and chocolatey flavor from toasted malt. It's then lagered for a clean, crisp finish. 5.2% ABV.
- Snow Drop - The Köttbusser style was outlawed in Germany because it contained oats, honey, and molasses. The style became lost over the centuries but Grimm has resurrected this refreshing ale and added a kiss of hops. 7.1% ABV.
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August 8th / 7pm / Pay Per Pint
Front Range BBQ / 2330 W. Colorado Ave., Colorado Springs
We're very happy to bring Renegade Brewing to Colorado Springs to introduce you all to this relatively new Denver brewery. They like to create big, fun, and crazy beers that don't conform to style guidelines. In less than two short years, Renegade has made a big hit in Denver, and they've already opened up a second public house. The beers we'll see on August 8th at Front Range BBQ will be a pretty radical display of what Renegade is capable of, with a Russian Imperial Stout, an 11.2% 3IPA an easy drinking 5% Blonde Ale and more!
We're also really happy to announce that Renegade is sending us their new head brewer, Ali Benetka. Ali got into homebrewing in college and knew she wanted to pursue a career in brewing after taking a course in microbiology. She is one of two female head brewers in the state of Colorado. She’s a Colorado Native who loves the science of brewing as well as the creativity. She started as Renegade’s assistant brewer and has been the head brewer since May, 2013.
Beers for this event:
- 5:00 Afternoon Ale / It's 5:00 somewhere. This is beer is light in flavor, easy drinking, and the perfect way to kick back no matter what time of day. 5% abv
- Redacted Rye IPA / Rye adds flavor and complexity to compliment this citrusy IPA. With 20% rye, Redacted has a hint of black pepper to balance Cascade, Nugget, and Columbus hops. 7% abv / 60 IBU
- Una Mas Poblano Mexican Amber / Poblano peppers are seeded and roasted in this full-bodied amber creating a fresh Poblano pepper flavor with no heat. 6% abv
- Elevation Triple IPA / A beautifully balanced but super strong IPA with 100% summit hops. 11.2% abv / 100+ IBU
- Hammer and Sickle Russian Imperial Stout / Rich stout filled with flavors of dark chocolate and coffee with a dry finish. 9% abv
- TBA Wheat Wine / This beer is made in the style of a barley wine and infused with coffee berries provided by Novo Coffee Roasters of Denver. (The name isn’t really TBA, we actually haven’t named it or put it on tap yet!).
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June 14th / 6pm / Belmont Station
4500 SE Stark, Portland
Focus on the Beer and Belmont Station are teaming up to bring a very special collaborative event to Portland for PDX Beer Week. We have worked with over ten breweries from our great state of Colorado to send their beer to Oregon. Many of the breweries have never distributed out of state before, so this will be a very special treat for our PDX drinking friends. Here's a list of what we will be getting to drink on June 14th, the list is subject to change:
Backcountry / Brett is a Douche / Imperial Saison with Brett
Crooked Stave / Vieille / Dry-hopped barrel aged Saison
Crooked Stave / Surette / Barrel aged provision Saison
Crooked Stave / St. Bretta / 100% Brett Witbier
Elevation / Third Base Tripel
Elevation / False Summit / Bourbon Barrel Aged Quad
Elevation / Oil Man / Bourbon barrel aged Stout
Elevation / Apis Red / Quad aged in red wine barrels
Great Divide / Barrel Aged Hibernation
Grimm Brothers / Snow Drop / Honey Wheat Ale
New Belgium / 2010 Vrienden / Hibiscus, Brett, and Lactobacillus
Oskar Blues / Chardonnay Barrel Aged G'Knight
Ska / TBA
Telluride / Face Down Brown
Telluride / Fishwater Double IPA
Trinity / TPS Report / Wild American Bretta
Trinity / Barrel aged Brett Saison with lavender
Trinity / Red Swingline / IPA with Lactobacillus
Trinity / Damn it Feels Good to be a Gangsta / Barrel aged dark Saison
TRVE / Stout O)))
TRVE / Tunnel of Trees IPA
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Beers Made By Walking will have two special events for PDX Beer Week. On
June 12th we will have a public hike in Forest Park and on June 13th we
will tap four beers from Breakside, Coalition, Hopworks, and Gigantic
inspired by a trail in Forest Park. Details are below:June 12th / 6pm / BMBW Hike in Forest Park
$10 / Tickets available at Belmont Statio
Come hike with the brewers at Breakside, Coalition, Hopworks, and Gigantic in Forest Park and learn about the plants that they are using in their latest BMBW beers. The $10 fee covers the cost of a guided tour from the Forest Park Conservancy and 2-3 hours of hiking with the four brewers. Paid guests will receive the exact location of hike in advance via email. Limited to 20 guests. Stop in at Belmont Station to get your tickets.
June 13th / 5pm / BMBW Tapping at Belmont Station
Pay per beer / 4500 SE Stark, Portland
Drink beers inspired by a trail in Forest Park. Brewers from Breakside, Coalition, Hopworks, and Gigantic have created beers using ingredients identified on a trail in Portland's famous park. Additional information about each beer will be made available on our FB page soon.
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Fri. May 17th / 5pm
Brewer's Republic / 112 N. Nevada, Colorado Springs
Facebook Event
Seeing as how the director of Focus on the Beer is from Oregon, we figured our first "tourist tap takeover" at Brewer's Republic should be from an Oregon Brewery. In the past, Brewer's Republic has dedicated one tap handle to an outside-of-Colorado brewery and through our partnership with them we're hoping to do this on a monthly basis. On Friday, May 17th, you will be treated to one of our favorite breweries. Deschutes Brewery is located in Bend, Oregon, with an annex brewpub in Portland. Opening in 1988, the brewery has not only become a classic in the Pacific NW, its beers are still regarded as some of the best in the industry by geeks and professionals alike.
The beers that will be tapped include the dark, complex, and special 2012 Abyss brewed with licorice and cherry bark, partially aged in bourbon, oak, and wine barrels. Additionally, Armory XPA is an experimental Pale Ale normally only served at the taproom in Portland. In addition to those specialty beers, we'll get to try Mirror Pond Pale Ale. This is THE BEER that changed the world for the director of Focus on the Beer. We'll also get the very fun and tasty Chainbreaker White IPA, and the brand new 4% session River Ale, which will certainly become a go-to summer quaffing beer for many.
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Meet the Brewer: Twisted Pine
Thurs. May 2nd / 7pm / pay per pint
Front Range BBQ / 2330 W. Colorado Ave., Colorado Springs
Facebook Event
After a cold-weather-hiatus we are happy to announce that our monthly Meet the Brewer series is back up and running! We wanted to start back up with a bang so we invited Henry Jager of Twisted Pine Brewing, in Boulder, to join us at Front Range BBQ on May 2nd. Jager is known for his playfulness and no-holds-barred characteristic when it comes to adding specialty ingredients into beers and it will be really fun to learn about his perspective on brewing.
We'll have a number of very unique and exciting Twisted Pine offerings that truly showcase the brewery's experimental nature. This will include the Cucumber Cream Ale and the Roots Revival Carrot IPA, two beers from their Farm to Foam program that benefit the local farmer's market and are made with non-traditional brewing ingredients from the farmer's market. Ghost Face Killah might be the hottest beer you ever try due to the ghost chillies used in the beer, and we're going to have a Ghost Face Killah competition. Look for details soon on our FB page. Here's a list of the beers that will be available this night:
Big Shot Espresso Stout - 6.5% ABV multiple-award winning stout with local Unseen Bean organic peruvian espresso
Hoppy Knight - India Black Ale, pours dark and has IPA-like dank citrus Simcoe and Amarillo hops. 8%, 85 IBU.
Ghost Face Killah - hottest beer this side of hell brewed with ghost peppers. 5.5%
Le Petite Saison - Award-winning smooth and crisp Belgian Farmhouse Ale. 5.5%
Cucumber Cream Ale - a Farm to Foam brew using all CO ingredients and local cucumbers
Roots Revival Carrot IPA - A hoppy Farm to Foam brew using all CO ingredients and a large amount of carrots
Walnut St. Brown - A special honey brown ale brewed with walnuts. 6%
Facebook Event
After a cold-weather-hiatus we are happy to announce that our monthly Meet the Brewer series is back up and running! We wanted to start back up with a bang so we invited Henry Jager of Twisted Pine Brewing, in Boulder, to join us at Front Range BBQ on May 2nd. Jager is known for his playfulness and no-holds-barred characteristic when it comes to adding specialty ingredients into beers and it will be really fun to learn about his perspective on brewing.
We'll have a number of very unique and exciting Twisted Pine offerings that truly showcase the brewery's experimental nature. This will include the Cucumber Cream Ale and the Roots Revival Carrot IPA, two beers from their Farm to Foam program that benefit the local farmer's market and are made with non-traditional brewing ingredients from the farmer's market. Ghost Face Killah might be the hottest beer you ever try due to the ghost chillies used in the beer, and we're going to have a Ghost Face Killah competition. Look for details soon on our FB page. Here's a list of the beers that will be available this night:
Big Shot Espresso Stout - 6.5% ABV multiple-award winning stout with local Unseen Bean organic peruvian espresso
Hoppy Knight - India Black Ale, pours dark and has IPA-like dank citrus Simcoe and Amarillo hops. 8%, 85 IBU.
Ghost Face Killah - hottest beer this side of hell brewed with ghost peppers. 5.5%
Le Petite Saison - Award-winning smooth and crisp Belgian Farmhouse Ale. 5.5%
Cucumber Cream Ale - a Farm to Foam brew using all CO ingredients and local cucumbers
Roots Revival Carrot IPA - A hoppy Farm to Foam brew using all CO ingredients and a large amount of carrots
Walnut St. Brown - A special honey brown ale brewed with walnuts. 6%
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Crooked Stave Tap TakeoverAt Brewer's Republic
Fri. April 26th / 5pm-close
Facebook Event
Brewer's Republic has teamed up with Focus on the Beer to bring you another lovely Tap Takeover. This one comes from our wild wild friends up in Denver, Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project. Crooked Stave specializes in beers with wild yeast strains and barrel aging. We'll have six beers on tap, two of them are from Crooked Stave's currently-most-popular line and the other four are specialty one-off beers that you won't want to miss! We will also have Kyle Krebsbach, the Crooked Stave representative to answer all your questions about wild yeast, Brettanomyces, barrel aging, the brewery's plans and more.
The Beers:
- Vieille Artisanal Saison - A 4.2% farmhouse saison with a touch of Brett and dry hopped with Citra
- Surette Provision Saison - A 6.2% provision saison with a tart and vinous character from extended barrel aging
- Apple Whiskey Barrel Vieille - The Vieille Saison aged in Leopold Bros. Apple Whiskey Barrels, brining the ABV up to 5%
- Hop Savant - Pale Ale fermented with 100% Brett to showcase the hops flavor and aroma instead of the bitterness
- Saint Bretta - Witbier with 100% Brett yeast and Minneola Tangelos
- Origins Burgundy Sour - A blend of two beers aged in French Oak barrels from 1.5-2 years. An homage to the history of barrel aging.
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Special New Belgium Tapping
Wed. March 13th / 4-11pm
At Brewer's Republic / 112 N. Nevada, Colorado Springs
Brewer's Republic, New Belgium, and Focus on the Beer team up to bring
you a wonderful night of beer bliss. The event will feature seven of New
Belgium's beers on tap, four of which are from their Lips of Faith
Series, two IPA's, and a keg of Frambozen that's been saved off since
the holidays. In bottles we'll see the infamous sour La Folie and
Transatlantique Kriek. The beers will be on tap on March 13th and the
night will prove to be a ton of fun, so we'll see you there!
The Beers:
Cascara Quad: A dark and strong ale brewed with dates and coffee cherries
Heavenly Feijoa Tripel: Collaboration with Dieu du Ciel in Belgium, brewed with hibiscus and pineapple guava
Fall Wild Ale: Dubbel brewed with Schisandra berries, slightly sour, and a touch of Brett yeast
Biere de Mars: An orange hued beer with earthy and mango characteristics, perfect for the coming Spring
Rampant Imperial IPA: A brand new huge IPA with citrus and berry hop notes and a light colored, but big, malt bill
Ranger IPA: Already a classic New Belgium IPA, should be fun to try side by side to the new Rampant IPA
Frambozen: A fruity brown ale made ruby in color with the addition of raspberries
La Folie: The quintessential sour beer in the United States. A Flanders-style beer aged in wood for 1-3 years
Transatlantique Kriek: Collaboration with Brewerij Boon of Belgium, spontaneously fermented lambic with Polish cherries
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Beers Made By Walking Special Tapping
New Belgium Lavender Plum Bock
At Brewer's Republic / 112 N. Nevada, Colorado Springs
Friday, Jan. 25th / 6pm / Pay per pint
Facebook Event Page
Facebook Event Page
We
are very pleased to announce that we were able to secure a keg of New
Belgium's Beers Made By Walking beer. We thought this was a good enough
reason to celebrate so we have coordinated with Brewer's Republic to tap
it later this month.
Last year we invited New Belgium
to be a part of our BMBW program. They went on a walk around their
property and identified plants in the area. They decided to use lavender
and plum in a bock. Not only that, they invited us to come up to Fort
Collins and help brew it with them. The beer has only been on tap in
their brewery taproom and it was also available during our Anniversary
Party. We have one more keg of it and would like to give you all another
opportunity to have some.
The beer turned out lovely.
It's a 5.5% amber with subtle and delicate malt notes. The lavender is
present but not overwhelming in any way and the plum contributes some
nice residual sugars for an extra layer of complexity. This may be your
last opportunity to try this beer so we hope to see you there.
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Beer Bacon Breakfast
Sun. Dec 09 / 10am / $50
Front Range BBQ / 2330 W. Colorado Ave., Colorado Springs
RSVP Only: 719.632.2596
If
you have been paying attention you know that we've been planning a Beer
Bacon Breakfast as part of our blog's Second Anniversary Weekend Party.
Well, we are very very very happy to say that you can now make your
reservations. This will be the ultimate hangover meal. After filling
yourself completely the previous night with specialty beer at our
Anniversary Party at Trinity (info to be released in the next couple
days) you can just sit down and work off that headache with five courses
of bacon-laced grub from Front Range BBQ.
We have
worked with FRBBQ closely to pair some fantastic rare beers with each
course. The menu is finalized and posted here. We expect this to fill up very quickly so please call in
and reserve your spot now. $50, plus tax and tip. You'll also have to
sign a waiver in case your arteries clog while you're there. No joke!
Call to RSVP at 719.632.2596.
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Focus on the Beer's Second Anniversary Party
Sat. Dec. 08 / 5-11pm / Pay Per Beer
Trinity Brewing / 1466 Garden of the Gods Rd., Colorado Springs
Facebook Event
It's hard to believe that we started Focus on the Beer two years ago now, the time flies with lightning speed. When I look back I see we've made nearly 500 blog posts, which feels like a big amount. In the last year we've organized nearly one event per month, we've interviewed brewers from around Colorado, we've kept you all posted on the beer happenings around town and we've documented those things with wonderful photos, and we've sought to keep our readers informed and educated on all things craft beer. I suppose it has been a good amount of work, but it's fun, and now it's time to party with you all!
For our second anniversary party we have asked some breweries that we've made friends with to provide special offerings that are hard to come by in Colorado Springs. We've got a killer lineup and we're excited to share that with you. Come have a good time, say hi, and throw a big 'Cheers' up with us on Dec. 08!
Special Tapping (Updated):
This will be updated in the next couple weeks
Avery - Lilikoi Kepolo
Backcountry - SaiZin - Zinfandel Barrel Aged Imperial Saison
Crooked Stave - L'Brett d'Or
Deschutes - Sage Fight IPA (made for BMBW in Oregon!)
Elevation - 8 Second Kölsch
Funkwerks - Deceit
Great Divide - 2011, 2012 Oak Yeti
Green Flash - Treasure Chest
New Belgium - Beers Made By Walking - Lavendar, Plum Bock
Odell - Spent Grain Chocolate Milk Stout
Oskar Blues - Chardonnay Barrel Aged Mamas Little Yella Pils
Paradox - Oaked Cherry Hell for Stout
Strange - Eldorado Bel-Gin Dark
Trinity - Saison du Tomme
Wynkoop - Barleywine
Sat. Dec. 08 / 5-11pm / Pay Per Beer
Trinity Brewing / 1466 Garden of the Gods Rd., Colorado Springs
Facebook Event
It's hard to believe that we started Focus on the Beer two years ago now, the time flies with lightning speed. When I look back I see we've made nearly 500 blog posts, which feels like a big amount. In the last year we've organized nearly one event per month, we've interviewed brewers from around Colorado, we've kept you all posted on the beer happenings around town and we've documented those things with wonderful photos, and we've sought to keep our readers informed and educated on all things craft beer. I suppose it has been a good amount of work, but it's fun, and now it's time to party with you all!
For our second anniversary party we have asked some breweries that we've made friends with to provide special offerings that are hard to come by in Colorado Springs. We've got a killer lineup and we're excited to share that with you. Come have a good time, say hi, and throw a big 'Cheers' up with us on Dec. 08!
Special Tapping (Updated):
This will be updated in the next couple weeks
Avery - Lilikoi Kepolo
Backcountry - SaiZin - Zinfandel Barrel Aged Imperial Saison
Crooked Stave - L'Brett d'Or
Deschutes - Sage Fight IPA (made for BMBW in Oregon!)
Elevation - 8 Second Kölsch
Funkwerks - Deceit
Great Divide - 2011, 2012 Oak Yeti
Green Flash - Treasure Chest
New Belgium - Beers Made By Walking - Lavendar, Plum Bock
Odell - Spent Grain Chocolate Milk Stout
Oskar Blues - Chardonnay Barrel Aged Mamas Little Yella Pils
Paradox - Oaked Cherry Hell for Stout
Strange - Eldorado Bel-Gin Dark
Trinity - Saison du Tomme
Wynkoop - Barleywine
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Beers Made By Walking (Denver)
Tues. October 9th / 5-8pm
Wynkoop Brewing / 1634 18th St., Denver
$15 for 10 tickets
As beer lovers from around the country gather in Denver to celebrate the
Great American Beer Festival, we thought we would give these visitors a
taste of our great state. Throughout the summer, ten Colorado breweries
have taken nature walks, hikes, and spent time outdoors as part of the
Beers Made By Walking program. Along the trail they identified edible
and medicinal plants and used them as ingredients in special beers. Some
of the hikes were public, and fans of the brewery tagged along and
helped give input.
Each beer in this series is innovative in that the beers become
drinkable landscape portraits of areas throughout Colorado. You'll get
to taste a portrait of the Animas River in Durango, the Palmer Lake
Reservoir Trail south of Denver, a beer inspired by the canyon walls of
the Eldorado Creek, and many others. If you haven't made it out one of
the beautiful trails in Colorado, you can still experience this
beautiful place through Beers Made By Walking!
The beers will be available for one night only in Denver on October 9th,
from 5-9pm, at Wynkoop Brewing (1634 18th St.). Visitors will buy
tickets, ten for $15, and each ticket will provide a 4oz pour of one of
the BMBW beers. Each visitor will receive a special drinking glass made
for the event. The beers will be served in the upstairs bar at Wynkoop.
Participating Brewers: Crooked Stave / Lone Tree Brewing / Oskar Blues / Phantom Canyon / Pikes Peak Brewing / Ska Brewing / Strange Brewing / Trinity / Wynkoop
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Meet the Brewer: New Belgium (w/ presentation)
Thurs. October 4th / 7pm / Pay Per Beer
With 60 Talk On "From Grain to Glass" by Eric Salazar
Front Range BBQ / 2330 W. Colorado Ave., Colorado Springs
We
are proud to present the eighth in our series of Meet the Brewer
events! On October 4th we are bringing Eric Salazar down from New
Belgium Brewing in Fort Collins. Eric Salazar is one of the most known
and respected names in the US Brewing industry. He is renowned as the
brewer for the wood aged and sour program at New Belgium, which is one
of the largest (possibly the largest) and most innovative sour programs
in the United States.
We
are changing the format of
Meet the Brewer quite a bit for this event. Eric Salazar will give a
60-minute Keynote Presentation called "From Grain to Glass" while we eat
and drink. The presentation has received accolades from other beer
geeks. Not only that but New Belgium is bringing out a lineup of
terrific beers for our event! We will see some rare, limited, and
special beers from the NB Lips of Faith line. This event will promise to
be the most unique and educational of our series so far, and I
recommend coming early
to grab a seat.
A list of the beers:
Biere de Mars - A celestial orange colored beer with notes that are sweet, tart, citrusy, fruity, and honey-like.
Eric's Ale - A Wild Ale that's fermented with peaches. A rare treat from Eric Salazar himself!
Fall Wild Ale - Mahogany Dubbel Ale spiced with Schisandra berries, with a touch of Brettanomyces.
La Folie - The signature Lips of Faith beer. A very sour Flemish Red that inspires many brewery's barrel programs.
Super IPA - A collaborative 2IPA with Alpine Brewery in California. Massive citrus and floral hop profile.
Trippel Firkin Dry Hopped - New Belgium's famous Trippel, this one is a cask version and dry-hopped with Cascade hops.
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Sept 22nd / 3-6pm / $10
At Pikes Peak Brewing / 1756 Lake Woodmoor Dr, Monument
Beers Made By Walking
is a program that invites brewers to make beer
inspired by nature hikes and urban walks. Each walk is different, each
beer is a portrait of that landscape. Join this year's BMBW crew as we
introduce eight new beers to the Pikes Peak Region! The beers will be
available at Pikes Peak Brewing Co. on Saturday September 22nd, from
3-6pm, and the cost is $10.
This summer we invited eight groups of local homebrewers to join us on a public hike. We walked the Palmer Lake Reservoir Trail, identifying edible and medicinal plants along the way. Each group came up with an exciting and innovative recipe, using ingredients that are non-traditional in contemporary brewing practices. The beers were produced at Pikes Peak Brewing and will be available at the brewery for one day only. $10 will give you entry and unlimited samples of each brew. Here is a list of the brewers and the eight beers that will be available at the event:
Bryan Paradisi and Oren Weil / Professor Plum / Brandy Oak Plum Porter
Carol White and Zenia Brink / Rosie's Wild Hips and Hops / Belgian Pale Ale with Rose Hips, Clover Honey and Wild Hops
John Landreman / Sundance Saison / Saison with Rose Hips and Sumac
Josh Adamski / Maple Ryetious Pale Ale / Maple Rye Pale Ale
Mike Bordick / Palmer Special Ale / Belgian Rye Brown with Maple and Juniper
Mike "Lefty" McGuckian / Dances With Bees / Cream Ale with Sunflower and Wildflower Honey
Scott Simmons / Kreikenstein / Sour Stein Kreik with Chokecherry
Scott Werner / Gose of Summer's Past / German Gose with Bee Balm and Sumac
This summer we invited eight groups of local homebrewers to join us on a public hike. We walked the Palmer Lake Reservoir Trail, identifying edible and medicinal plants along the way. Each group came up with an exciting and innovative recipe, using ingredients that are non-traditional in contemporary brewing practices. The beers were produced at Pikes Peak Brewing and will be available at the brewery for one day only. $10 will give you entry and unlimited samples of each brew. Here is a list of the brewers and the eight beers that will be available at the event:
Bryan Paradisi and Oren Weil / Professor Plum / Brandy Oak Plum Porter
Carol White and Zenia Brink / Rosie's Wild Hips and Hops / Belgian Pale Ale with Rose Hips, Clover Honey and Wild Hops
John Landreman / Sundance Saison / Saison with Rose Hips and Sumac
Josh Adamski / Maple Ryetious Pale Ale / Maple Rye Pale Ale
Mike Bordick / Palmer Special Ale / Belgian Rye Brown with Maple and Juniper
Mike "Lefty" McGuckian / Dances With Bees / Cream Ale with Sunflower and Wildflower Honey
Scott Simmons / Kreikenstein / Sour Stein Kreik with Chokecherry
Scott Werner / Gose of Summer's Past / German Gose with Bee Balm and Sumac
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Meet the Brewer: Crabtree Brewing
Thurs. Aug 23rd / 7pm / Pay Per Pint
Front Range BBQ / 2330 W. Colorado Ave., Colorado Springs
We're excited to announce that Crabtree Brewing, from Greeley, will be
the next visitors in our ongoing Meet the Brewer series! Crabtree
knocked our socks off the first time we tried their Berliner Weiss
nearly a year ago. It was a perfect beer, delicate, lightly tart, simple
but packed with flavor and so wonderful to drink. The beer went on to
win a Gold Medal at GABF in 2011. Since then, they've been on our list
for a visit. We're bringing down brewer Andrew Sheffield, who works in
their barrell program and played a part in the making of Menage a Trois.
This beer won a Silver medal at this year's World Beer Cup in the
Braggot Category and was previously only available to Crabtree Beer Club
members. There's a chance we'll get another beer from the barrel
program if it finishes in time. The Ginger Bee, Serenity Amber, and
Boxcar Brown are also very solid mainline beers that we will get to see
on tap for the first time in Colorado Springs.
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Meet the Brewer: Lone Tree Brewing
July 26th / 6:30pm / Pay Per Pint
At Front Range BBQ / 2330 W. Colorado Ave., Colorado Springs
Facebook Event Page
We're thrilled to announce the next brewer in the Meet the Brewer series will be Jason Wiedmaier of Lone Tree Brewing. We were first introduced to Lone Tree when we were seeking breweries for our Battle of the Brewers event. We visited the brewery and were thoroughly impressed with the quality and spot-on tastiness of Jason's beers. Throughout the competition Lone Tree continued to impress others, and they made it to the final round, ending up in second place. We decided right then that Colorado Springs should get to know Lone Tree a little better and we invited Jason to come and hang out with us. Join us on Thursday July 26th, at Front Range BBQ, and we will drink our fair share of Lone Tree beers, some from their mainstay lineup along with some seasonals. You also really need to check out Jason's beard in person, it's pretty impressive.
The Beers:
Acres O' Green Irish Red, Ariadne's Belgian Blonde, Puddle Jumper Pale Ale, Hoptree 2IPA, Toots' Oatmeal Stout, and Pilsner.
July 26th / 6:30pm / Pay Per Pint
At Front Range BBQ / 2330 W. Colorado Ave., Colorado Springs
Facebook Event Page
We're thrilled to announce the next brewer in the Meet the Brewer series will be Jason Wiedmaier of Lone Tree Brewing. We were first introduced to Lone Tree when we were seeking breweries for our Battle of the Brewers event. We visited the brewery and were thoroughly impressed with the quality and spot-on tastiness of Jason's beers. Throughout the competition Lone Tree continued to impress others, and they made it to the final round, ending up in second place. We decided right then that Colorado Springs should get to know Lone Tree a little better and we invited Jason to come and hang out with us. Join us on Thursday July 26th, at Front Range BBQ, and we will drink our fair share of Lone Tree beers, some from their mainstay lineup along with some seasonals. You also really need to check out Jason's beard in person, it's pretty impressive.
The Beers:
Acres O' Green Irish Red, Ariadne's Belgian Blonde, Puddle Jumper Pale Ale, Hoptree 2IPA, Toots' Oatmeal Stout, and Pilsner.
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Battle of the Brewers: Final Round
Sat. June 23 / 4pm Sharp! / $5 cash
Brewer's Republic / 112 N. Nevada, Colorado Springs
We started with eight local breweries, each brewer was given two random
ingredients to add to a beer, you did a blind tasting of all the beers
and decided which ones were best and which breweries advanced to the
next round. We're now at the third and final round, the last two brewers
are duking it out on June 23rd. We congratulate Shamrock Brewing and
Lone Tree Brewing on getting this point, your beers have been wonderful
thus far, but only one brewer will win in the end. What are the two
random ingredients for the beer this time? A bottle of wine per 5
gallons of beer, and the use of wood (but not oak).
Join us on Saturday, June 23rd at 4pm. You will get to decide, in a
blind tasting, which beer is best and who will be crowned the 2011
Battle of the Brewers Champion. For $5 you will get a sample of each
beer, one vote, a chance to win some door prizes AND a half pint of your choosing from two specialty kegs. It's going to be a good time, We'll see you there!
Wondering what the previous rounds were like? You can see the info here and here and our video recap.
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Meet the Brewer: Elevation Beer Co.
June 21st / 6:30pm / Pay Per Pint
Front Range BBQ / 2330 West Colorado Ave, Colorado Springs
Elevation Beer Co.
is one of the newest breweries in Colorado (they aren't even a month
old yet!) but we got our first taste of Elevation at the Saison
Festival. We were very impressed with the Saison and Farmhouse Ales they
brought to town and we knew we needed to bring these guys in for a Meet
the Brewer session. It is quite apparent that this brewery is
experimenting, having loads of fun, and they're doing it right too. The
brewery is located in Poncha Springs, just outside Salida, and I bet
they'll become a regular stopping point, for many of us Colorado
Springers, on our drives into the mountains. Come to Front Range BBQ to celebrate this new
brewery, meet brewer Christian Koch, he's bringing some fun and
experimental beers, as well as a couple of the flagships. Check out the
list of beers below!
The Beers:
- Apis IV - 10.7% - Belgian Quadrupel made with local carmelized honey
- Cabernet Barrel Aged Apis IV - see above beer
- First Cast IPA - 6.5% - Hop-forward, west coast style IPA
- Mount Blanca - Belgian Saison - 5.5% - A light and refreshing Saison with white wheat
- Imperial Saison - 8% - A stylistic oddity, reminiscent of a Saison mixed with a Trippel and a Belgian Strong Golden Ale
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Battle of the Brewers: Round 2Saturday, May 19th / 4pm SHARP!
At Brewer's Republic / 112 N. Nevada, Colorado Springs$10 cash
Facebook Event Page
Round Two of Battle of the Brewers is just around the corner. Last time we brought you eight local brewers, we put the brewers into brackets, we chose sixteen random ingredients, and you were the judge for the beers. It was a blast. You selected your four favorite beers in a blind tasting and now the winners of round one are paired up against each other. They've been working endlessly to perfect this round's offering.
On May 19th, join us for Round Two, where once again you'll be the judge. Be there at 4pm SHARP to participate. When the round is over we will announce the winners for the finals and randomly select the two ingredients. For $10 you will get a sample tray with four beers AND you will get a 10oz pour of a beer from a specialty keg.
The Players:
Lone Tree vs. Phantom Canyon (Pineapple and Honey)
Rockyard vs. Shamrock (Almonds and Ginger)
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Fri. April 13th / 7pm
Another Pint / 13860 Gleneagle Dr. Colorado Springs
Pay Per Pint
Facebook Event Page
When we first started the Meet the Brewer series, Funkwerks was not distributed in Colorado Springs and they were on our priority list to get on the Meet the Brewer series. Funkwerks won our hearts at GABF in 2010, and again almost a year and a half ago at Vail Big Beer Fest. At the Saison Festival last year we said their Saison was the best straight saison at the festival, and definitely one of the best we've ever had. As it turns out, within weeks of starting the Meet the Brewer series their beer became available at a few of our shops and a few of our bars so we thought we'd give it some time before we brought down Gordon Schuck, Funkwerks' head brewer. Now that we've been able to spend some time with their beers, familiarizing ourselves a bit with this all-saison brewery, we thought that it's time to invite him to our town. This event will take place the night before the Saison Festival, so if you're not able to attend that, you'll definitely want to come to this. If you are going to the Saison Fest, this will give you the chance to meet Gordon in advance and drink a few beers that won't be available at the fest (Belgian Stout, Alchemy, and White). Please join us in welcoming Gordon Schuck on April 13th.
Here is a list and description of beers we will have on hand for this special event.
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Sat. March 31st / 4pm sharp!
Brewer's Republic / 112 N. Nevada, Colorado Springs
$5 for the full flight
We are proud to introduce the first ever Battle of the Brewers competition in Colorado Springs. We have invited eight local breweries to compete against one another using randomly selected ingredients that we pulled out of a hat! We have used a bracket system so that one brewery is matched up against one other brewery, both producing a beer using the same two ingredients (such as molasses and peaches). The fun part comes when you, our lovely beery readers, will do a blind judging of the beers. March 31st will be Round 1, we will announce the winners of the public vote, announce the date for the next round, and select the random ingredients again right there at the bar for all to see!
So, be sure to be at Brewer's Republic at 4pm on March 31st. For $5 you will get eight beers in sample glasses and you will get a judge. We are limited to only five gallons of each beer, so it will go quickly. Also we are dividing the eight beers into two brackets: Bracket One will be served at 4pm and Bracket Two will be served at 5pm. Here are the brackets, breweries, and random ingredients:
BRACKET ONE / 4pm
Lone Tree vs Rock Bottom (Black Cherry, Clementine)
Rockyard vs Yak and Yeti (Molasses, Peaches)
Phantom Canyon vs. KBKB (Black Tea, Strawberry)
Shamrock vs. Pikes Peak (Raspberry, Pumpkin)
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Fri. March 30 / 7pm
Our third installment of Meet the Brewer is going to be killer! This is a series that we organize in partnership with Another Pint. The first two events were very popular with Crooked Stave and Oskar Blues. This time, we're working with Odell Brewing in Fort Collins and we're bringing down co-founder Doug Odell! The event will take place on Friday, March 30th at Another Pint. We'll have a couple classic Odell beers like the IPA, Myrcenary, and their first beer, back in 1989, 90 Shilling. We'll also have Footloose Golden Sour and Shenanigans, a couple beers you perhaps of not had before. You won't want to miss this event! The new beers:
- Footloose Golden Sour – Barrel aged with Brettanomyces and lactobacillus, this sour brings forth big fruit flavors of pineapple and citrus. Tropical aromas, coupled with a tart finish and slight hints of vanilla from the oak barrel make for a unique and refreshing beer. (8% ABV)
- Shenanigans - This delightful crimson ale is aged in oak with just a touch of Brettanomyces. The subtle Brett tartness balances the rich amber malt with hints of dried fruit and light citrus. Our ode to the happy accident, Shenanigans was just too good not to share. (9.1% ABV)
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Meet the Brewer (And Owner): Oskar Blues
Friday, January 13th / 7pm
Another Pint / 13860 Gleneagle Dr., Colorado Springs
Friday, January 13th / 7pm
Another Pint / 13860 Gleneagle Dr., Colorado Springs
We thought we'd start the New Year off strong so we are partnering up with Another Pint for what will be an incredible Meet the Brewer event on Jan 13th. This time, we've got the ever popular Oskar Blues and we have both Dave Chichura (Head Brewer) as well as Dale Katechis (Owner) driving down from the Lyons/Longmont area to visit us. This will be a sweet opportunity to meet the folks who made canning craft beer popular! But that's not all...They're bringing some special beers with them. We'll already have the classic Mama's Little Yella Pils on tap but we'll also see Deviant Dales, Belgian Smidy, and Velvet Elvis.
Deviant Dales is an extraordinary IPA, originally released through the Old Chicago exclusive contract but will soon become one of Oskar Blues most sought after beers. It won the Silver Medal in the largest-ever category at GABF this year and it hasn't been available in Colorado Springs since it's debut at Old Chicago in October 2010. Booya! Belgian Smidy...hmm, that sounds familiar doesn't it? Smidy was one of the beers at our Anniversary Part a month ago and is a beer made from the second wort runnings from the popular Ten Fidy...this version is different though as it has been turned Belgian. Finally we'll see Velvet Elvis, which is an American Stout named after a guy who looks and sounds like Elvis and is only released here and there at specialty locations.
Deviant Dales is an extraordinary IPA, originally released through the Old Chicago exclusive contract but will soon become one of Oskar Blues most sought after beers. It won the Silver Medal in the largest-ever category at GABF this year and it hasn't been available in Colorado Springs since it's debut at Old Chicago in October 2010. Booya! Belgian Smidy...hmm, that sounds familiar doesn't it? Smidy was one of the beers at our Anniversary Part a month ago and is a beer made from the second wort runnings from the popular Ten Fidy...this version is different though as it has been turned Belgian. Finally we'll see Velvet Elvis, which is an American Stout named after a guy who looks and sounds like Elvis and is only released here and there at specialty locations.
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Focus on the Beer Anniversary Party
At Trinity Brewing / Dec 02 / 5pm
Focus on the Beer will be turning one very soon. In our first year we've made nearly 200 posts, we've done interviews with brewers, documented festivals, we've had heated discussions, we helped bring new beer to Colorado Springs, we've kept you posted on what's happening around town, and much more, and...well, we thought it being our 1st birthday and all, we should probably throw a huge party! We invited a number of great breweries that we've talked about on the blog to provide special and rare beers just for this occasion. We've got quite the killer line up, so please mark Dec 02nd on your calendar. Below are the details and the list of beers:
Focus on the Beer Anniversary Party
Dec 2nd / 5pm-close / at Trinity Brewing
Come meet the people behind the blog and party with us!
Here's the facebook page for this event.
Special Tappings:
Avery Brewing - Piglet Purgatory
Crooked Stave - Chardonnay Barrel Aged Good Glory
Deschutes - 2011 Abyss
Firestone Walker - 15th Anniversary
Funkwerks - Cherry Saison
Great Divide - Hibernation Vertical - 09, 10, 11
New Belgium - Ken's Beer
Odell - Nitro Oil Can Double Stout
Phantom Canyon - Methuselah Rookie Card
Rockyard - No Brainer
Ska Brewing - Sethvleteren 8
Trinity Brewing - Soul Aged on Coconut
Twisted Pine - PoisonFish
At Trinity Brewing / Dec 02 / 5pm
Focus on the Beer will be turning one very soon. In our first year we've made nearly 200 posts, we've done interviews with brewers, documented festivals, we've had heated discussions, we helped bring new beer to Colorado Springs, we've kept you posted on what's happening around town, and much more, and...well, we thought it being our 1st birthday and all, we should probably throw a huge party! We invited a number of great breweries that we've talked about on the blog to provide special and rare beers just for this occasion. We've got quite the killer line up, so please mark Dec 02nd on your calendar. Below are the details and the list of beers:
Focus on the Beer Anniversary Party
Dec 2nd / 5pm-close / at Trinity Brewing
Come meet the people behind the blog and party with us!
Here's the facebook page for this event.
Special Tappings:
Avery Brewing - Piglet Purgatory
Crooked Stave - Chardonnay Barrel Aged Good Glory
Deschutes - 2011 Abyss
Firestone Walker - 15th Anniversary
Funkwerks - Cherry Saison
Great Divide - Hibernation Vertical - 09, 10, 11
New Belgium - Ken's Beer
Odell - Nitro Oil Can Double Stout
Phantom Canyon - Methuselah Rookie Card
Rockyard - No Brainer
Ska Brewing - Sethvleteren 8
Trinity Brewing - Soul Aged on Coconut
Twisted Pine - PoisonFish
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Beers Made By Walking Tasting #2
Sat. Oct 29th / 4-8pm
Brewer's Republic / Downtown Colorado Springs / 112 N. Nevada
$5 Entry
The second installment of tastings for Beers Made By Walking. A summer long program in which a public group goes on a local hike. Along the way we identify edible and medicinal plants. A homebrewer takes note and afterword develops a recipe and creates a beer based off of what we see on the hike. The special ingredients are purchased in local shops, online, or harvested with permission on private property. The beer is then made at Pikes Peak Brewing and will be available for tasting one night only at one of our local pubs, Brewer's Republic. The beer essentially becomes a portrait of the local landscape, a celebration of place. They will be served together in handmade serving trays and a 12 page catalog that describes our summer long process.
A list of the beers available:
- Scott Buchholz - Limber Blond Ale - Strawberry, Limber Pine
- Rich Mock - Gruit to It - Wild Sage, Wild hops, Yarrow
- Tom Brown - Eve's Forbidden Flower - Bee Plant, Tansy Mustard, Rose Hips, Amaranth
- Matt Kupferer - Not titled Yet - Sarsaparilla, Hazlenuts
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Meet the Brewer: Crooked Stave
Sat. Oct 22nd / 6pm
Another Pint (at A Second Cup) / 13860 Gleneagle Dr., Colorado Springs
Focus on the Beer is super proud to present to you Meet the Brewer Night with Chad Yakobson, the owner and brewer for one of Colorado's newest breweries, Crooked Stave. This is the first time that any of Crooked Stave's finished beers will be available in Colorado Springs, so come celebrate! We've mentioned Chad numerous times on this blog and have been really excited about his beer so it is only fitting that he be involved in our first Meet the Brewer event. All of Crooked Stave's beers are aged or soured, often using various strains of Brettanomyces. There will be a number of different specialty beers for purchase at Another Pint/A Second Cup, he'll give a little talk about his beers and the unique things he's doing at his brewery, and he'll be available to chat with you if you want to ask him any questions or make small talk.
This event will be the first of many that we organize. We're really excited to be an active part of the beer community here in Colorado Springs, and we have many more ideas/plans that are in the works. If you enjoy reading this blog, then you can support us by attending this event.
Also, check out the Facebook Event Page for this.
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Sat. Aug 27, 2011 / 4-8pm
Brewer's Republic / 112 N. Nevada, Colorado Springs
The first installment of tastings for Beers Made By Walking. A summer long program in which a public group goes on a local hike. Along the way we identify edible and medicinal plants. A homebrewer takes note and afterword develops a recipe and creates a beer based off of what we see on the hike. The first four beers are brewed at Rocky Mountain Brewery so that they become commercial products and then it is available for tasting one night only at one of our local pubs, Brewer's Republic.
Many of the beers that are being developed for Beers Made By Walking are in uncharted territory. The brewer's are really testing out ingredients that have rarely or never been used and therefore there isn't a lot of information on how to use them. This should be an exciting way to experience beer, and it will be fantastic to have beer that is essentially a 'beer portrait' of the Colorado Springs landscape.
Here's a list of beers and the brewers:
- Justin Carpenter - Opuntaie Deorum - Prickly Pear Cactus Wheat Beer
- Grant Goodwiler - Smoked Piñon Brown - Smoked Brown Ale with Piñon Pine Nuts
- Isaac Grindeland - Monk Choker - Double Belgian IPA with Chokecherry
- Jason Miller - Lightning Strike - Ale with Juniper, 3 Leaf Sumac Berries, and Ponderosa Needles
See photos and a recap of the event here.
