I hope everyone has recovered from last week's festivities and is ready for the new year! We're working hard on a new website that will be public very soon, but in the meantime here's some great events to keep your bellies warm and full during the next few weeks!
The Dutch Mill has undergone a huge construction overhaul, and is reopening as 503W. They'll be featuring some of the same great food, craft beer, and more.
Friday, Jan. 10
Chilly Water release / 5pm Trinity Brewing
Chilly Water Baltic Porter. Not a common style of beer by any means, in fact this style of Porter is a Bottom fermented lager rather than an ale. Traditionally brewed in Northern Europe, this lager had to be strong to keep all the hearty northern souls warm. Again keep in mind this beer is brewed by Trinity and any beer we make will always have an added twist. The twist in this winter seasonal is the choice to age the beer on some rare Mexican wood known as Cauchalalate. This wood imparts a certain dryness accompanied by deep chocolate and coffee flavors. We think this unique wood is the perfect match for the style, and we know you will agree! 8.5% ABV
Red Leg Brewing Tap Takeover Brewer's Republic
The guys from Red Leg Brewing will be hanging out with 4 of their beers on tap!
Friday, Jan. 17
Pappy Legba Release / 5pm Trinity Brewing
Pappy Legba, Crimson Saison. Brewed with just a touch of flaked maize for a seductive and creamy texture, this red Saison is undeniably focused on fruit. Post fermentation this special Belgian is aged on a grip of pie cherries, lending it more of a Kriek profile rather than Saison. As Pappy is the guardian of the crossroads, this Imperial Saison releases every January. What beer will you be drinking at your crossroads? 13.0% ABV
Saturday, Jan. 18
Elevation Beer Dinner / 5:30pm Brewer's Republic
Tickets are $40 and on sale at Brewer's and Coaltrain Wine & Spirits. Menu: First Cast IPA – Tater tots with cotija cheese, cured pork belly and jalapenos served with a spiced, sweet chili coulis. Senorita Horchata Imperial Porter – Carnitas pork sliders with a tequila lime jicama slaw. Apis IV Belgian Quad – Beef bourguignon pot pie. Fanboy Barrel Aged Double IPA – Blackened catfish with a goat cheese cream sauce and hushpuppies. Oil Man Breckenridge Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout – Tiramisu with Breckenridge bourbon soaked lady fingers
With the flourish of breweries opening up in Colorado Springs, the west side is poised to make an impact on the beer scene here in 2014. With Paradox setting the precedent just a short drive up the canyon, and Manitou Brewing quickly getting ever closer to opening, another outfit is readying themselves to help draw you towards the mountains in search of your next frothy beverage. If you've driven on Hwy 24 westbound, you may have already noticed the unassuming sign above the door of a building just a stones throw from Rudy's Country BBQ.
It's over already? Wow, time flies when you're drinking great beer!
2013 was definitely a pretty amazing year. From rousing discussions about what makes a gueuze a gueuze to packing Front Range BBQ's patio month after month (no matter the temperature) for all of our Meet the Brewer talks, this year has been unique and interesting to say the least.Eric's Beers Made by Walking has again grown considerably, becoming bigger than a Colorado thing with tastings in both Denver and Portland this year, and we can't wait to see where it goes from there. The brewery boom has shown no signs of slowing, with Nano 108 and Lofty Brewing starting up recently and newcomers Manitou Brewing, Fieldhouse Brewing, and Fossil Brewing looking at 2014 for their opening date. Things here at Focus on the Beer are definitely evolving and changing, but we look forward to 2014 to be another year full of great times with craft beer.
Nano 108 Brewing may be Colorado Springs' latest craft brewery, but just walking in the doors of the nondescript industrial park building with "BEER" above the door will persuade you other wise.
Whilst wandering around most every local beer festival in the Pikes Peak region you can find the booth for the Brew Dogs of Colorado. Since December of 2009 this organization has existed with the goal of capturing Colorado's craft brewery staff and their furry companions in a gorgeous photo book. As a special promotion, $5 from every sale of the book through Christmas will be going to the National Mill Dog Rescue. Aside from the charitable aspect, they use the book to document the relationships the brewers and brewery staff have with their animals in loving detail to accompany the photos.
There's twenty days until that jolly old elf squeezes himself down your chimney to creepily leave anonymous gifts under the highly-flammable piece of nature that you unabashedly decided to stick in the corner of your living room and throw little trinkets all over. Chances are, someone you're buying gifts for likes craft beer, and hopefully if you're reading this, you do too! We could give you links to hundreds of things you could order from lands far away, but instead here's a few things every beer lover in Colorado Springs would love to find under the tree.
It's already the holiday season! This year has blown by. Now that the weather has decided that it is going to be winter, you might be looking for some craft beer to help warm you up. Among all the holiday gatherings you might already be heading to, there's quite a few beer-related things going on during this month! As new things arise, we'll continue to update this post.
Thurs. Dec. 5th
Meet the Brewer: Great Divide Brewing / 7pm
Front Range BBQ / 2330 W. Colorado Ave. Colorado Springs
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 hopsSaison Brauer - Saison brewed with Brettanomyces
Christmas Ale Release Party / Gnarly Holiday Garb Pageant/ 5pm
Bristol Brewing / 1604 S. Cascade
Join Bristol for this year's batch of Christmas Ale while donning your Gnarliest Holiday Garb! They brew up a tasty batch of spiced Christmas ale annually to celebrate this most festive of seasons. Bristol uses a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, cloves, molasses, and love, to put a cheery winter carnival in every pint. This Brewhouse Beer recipe was crafted by Bristol's own Bob Archibald.
Fri. Dec. 6th
Oskar Blues Ski Giveaway / 2pm-9pm
Brewer's Republic / 112 N. Nevada
Brewer's Republic is hosting Oskar Blues and giving away some skis in the process. They'll have 3-4 beers on tap from Oskar Blues, and each pint gets a raffle ticket! Raffle will happen at nine.
Thurs. Dec. 12th
Photo courtesy of EmilyHutto.com
Colorado Top Brewers book signing / 5pm Trinity Brewing / 1466 Garden of the Gods Rd W #184 Website
There are lots of great craft beer cities across America, but Colorado is the one state that can boast more awesome craft beer cities and towns than any other. (It s also the only state to have a former craft brewer for its governor!) Right now, there are more than 170 working breweries in Colorado, with an estimated 50 more in development. And the growth doesn t look like it s slowing. There s a craft beer fever spreading across the entire state! Denver and Fort Collins have long been the hubs of the state s craft beer scene, but they are now being rivaled by Boulder, Colorado Springs, Breckenridge, Longmont/Lyons, and up-and-comers like Aurora, Greeley, Ridgway, and Poncha Springs. Breweries in all these places are doing exciting things by re-interpreting classic styles, experimenting with flavors and yeasts, and developing innovative ways to manufacture, package, and reduce their impact on the environment. Colorado brewers all over the state share a distinct passion for creativity, a true dedication to craft, and a boundless energy. This book is a tribute to their outstanding work.
Fri. Dec. 13th
Farmhouse Rusé Release / 5pm Trinity Brewing / 1466 Garden of the Gods Rd W #184
Farmhouse Rusé.
This cold weather Saison is inspired by a beer from our friends at Black Fox Brewing Company. Consistent in theme this midnight black Belgian is created from a grist bill which includes roast, debittered-black, and chocolate . Maintaining our mission to utilize local sources we will be using a blend of Anaheim and Pueblo chilies from Mauro Farms in Pueblo, Co.; and tree ripened Bartlett pears from Pear Blossom Farms in Palisade, Co... Combined with cacao nibs this special winter warmer recipe showcases light fruit, a balanced and spicy heat, and a provocative dark chocolate bitterness. 9.2%ABV
Also, Ugly sweater night! Dig out your most hideous sweater and sport it at the pub.
Left Hand tap takeover / 4pm-? Brewer's Republic / 112 N. Nevada
Beer list TBA
New Belgium Accumulation - Scallop tacos with a mango salsa
New Belgium Le Terroir - Black bean tortilla soup with a cilantro goat cheese
New Belgium/Cigar City collaboration - Spicy rubbed pork loin and brown rice risotto with sundried tomatoes, mushrooms and arugula salad
New Belgium Wild Wild Dubbel - Irish bangers with sweet potato au gratin and maxim oil
New Belgium 1554 - Coffee ice cream with shaved dark chocolate and hazelnut brittle
Fri. Dec. 20th
New Belgium tap takeover / 4pm-?
Brewer's Republic / 112 N. Nevada
Beer list TBA
Sat. Dec. 21st
Winter Solstice Beer tappings / 11am Trinity Brewing / 1466 Garden of the Gods Rd W #184
Come out and warm yourselves with a tasty winter beer to kick off the first day of winter!!
Tues. Dec. 24th
Cherry Awaken Stout tapping / 12 noon Trinity Brewing / 1466 Garden of the Gods Rd W #184
We will be closing @ 4pm so our staff can get home early to be with their families.
Ugly Christmas Sweater party / TBA Brewer's Republic / 112 N. Nevada
Friday, Dec. 27th
Whiskey Barrel Aged Chilly Water Baltic Porter release / 5pm Trinity Brewing / 1466 Garden of the Gods Rd W #184
Chilly Water Baltic Porter
Not a common style of beer by any means, in fact this style of Porter is a Bottom fermented lager rather than an ale. Traditionally brewed in Northern Europe, this lager had to be strong to keep all the hearty northern souls warm. Again keep in mind this beer is brewed by Trinity and any beer we make will always have an added twist. The twist in this winter seasonal is the choice to age the beer on some rare Mexican wood known as Cauchalalate. This wood imparts a certain dryness accompanied by deep chocolate and coffee flavors. We think this unique wood is the perfect match for the style, and we know you will agree! 8.5%ABV
Tues. Dec. 31
Speakeasy New Year's Eve Party / 7pm Pikes Peak Brewing / 1756 Lake Woodmoor Dr., Monument Tickets
The days of the Vollstead Act are back and PPBC is hosting Monument's only Speakeasy for New Year's Eve!
Dress as a gangster, flapper, or even in the style of The Godfather, Downton Abbey or The Great Gatsby!
Your admission price includes 2 drinks, a champagne toast, tasty bites from our catering partners, the music of Good Green and loads of 1920's style fun!
PPBC will have a car service on hand to provide safe rides home - please let us know if you intend to use this service prior to Dec 31.
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Downtown Colorado Springs has a new craft beer, wine, and coffee joint. The Wild Goose Meeting House is set for their Grand Opening this Black Friday at 401 N. Tejon St. While south downtown has been having a flourish of new activity with Ivywild School and Urban Steam now serving craft beer, the north end of downtown is quietly staking it's claim. Being only a block from my work, I had to go see what the buzz is about.
