Beer Me: November 3, 2015 – November 9, 2015

A map from Flowingdata.com was making the social media rounds last week. It plots out a road trip hitting 72 of the top 100 breweries in the world as ranked by Ratebeer.com. Maybe you saw it. Maybe you’ve already quit your job, packed the car, and are cranking the Into the Wild soundtrack as you roll west on I-80 to Salt Lake. Hopefully, you remembered a designated driver…

The timing was coincidental, because I, too, was in the process of creating a map. A map that lists all of the current breweries in operation in the state of Colorado (plus a few craft beer bars). A map that will most likely be outdated by the time you read this post. This map doesn’t provide direction or suggested routes, but it will show you the scope of brewing in the Centennial State. The Brewers Association currently has listings for 409 breweries in the state of Colorado – which isn’t even an exhaustive list – with about 130 designated as in the “planning” stages. Some (Cerebral Brewing is targeting a November opening) are closer than others (58 don’t yet have names and are just a “Brewery in Planning”). A couple of things that jumped out at me:

• Colorado Springs (24 breweries) has more breweries than Fort Collins (20) and almost as many as Boulder (26).
• It’s true, I’ve never been to a brewery along I-25 north of Longmont.
• I-25 is also clearly the 38th Parallel for craft beer in Colorado. Seriously. There is not one brewery further east than about 20 miles of the Valley Highway. Rocky Ford (cantaloup Kolsch, anyone? Plus they have the best mascot ever) or Sterling (Go Plainsman!) seem ripe for a taproom.
• If you’re ever in Trinidad (Colorado…), please do swing by Dodgeton Creek Brewing Company. It seems lonely down there.

Now, what about them there events?

Wednesday, November 4, 2015 @ 2 – 10pm: Cranberry Orange Golden Ale at Copper Kettle Brewing Company

Copper Kettle is giving thanks for the month of November by brewing up gracious casks of beer. This week they will be offering up a Cranberry Orange Golden Ale made with fresh oranges and cranberries in a Belgian Golden ale for a sweet combination with bursts of citrus. Farm to Truck will also be on-site with their farm fresh cuisine. No cover.

Thursday, November 5, 2015 @ 7:30pm: Trivia: James Bond Night at Fiction Beer Company

Trivia spanning over 50 years of James Bond movies and the original books they are derived from. So put on your best tuxedo or evening gown, dust off your Baccarat playbook, and test your knowledge of everyone’s favorite spy. No cover.

Friday, November 6, 2015 @ 4 – 9pm: Visit a new brewery, Dead Hippie Brewing

Dead Hippie opened quietly last week near the junction of Santa Fe and US-285 in Englewood. They’re currently open Thursday, Friday, and Saturday pouring an English pale ale, a stout, a wheat, and a strong ale.

Saturday, November 7, 2015: Learn to Homebrew Day (LTHD)

It’s the perfect time to start brewing. Whip up a batch today and in four weeks, give or take, you’ll have the perfect holiday hand-out. Started by the American Homebrewers Association in 1999, LTHD features events around the globe and encourages current homebrewers to entice their non-brewer friends and family to get started. In the Denver area, Grainy Days, CO-Brew, Station 26 + OG Homebrewers, The Brew Hut, and CAUTION: Brewing Lakewood + Barley Haven will all hold events. Take it away Kyle Hollingsworth (from the String Cheese Incident).

Saturday, November 7, 2015 @ 12pm: One-Year Anniversary + Block Party at Mockery Brewing

Mockery isn’t holding anything back when they celebrate their first year of existence. They’ll be pouring 20+ beers, including a whiskey barrel-aged quad with oats, a wine barrel-aged wild fermented dry-hopped dubbel, a mezcal barrel-aged quad with oats, and their Rakau IPA fermented with Bruxellensis Trois. The first 500 people through the door get a commemorative glass. Live music, food trucks, and giveaways will round out the event. No cover.

Saturday, November 7, 2015 @ 12 – 11pm: Second Anniversary Party at Grist Brewing Company

In addition to the 11 beers currently on tap, Grist will be tapping 1 specialty beer on the hour, every hour until 8pm, including their new Russian Imperial Stout aged for 10 months in whiskey barrels. The full tap schedule is available here. They’ll also announce the winner of the 2nd annual homebrew competition, who will get to brew 10 barrels of their brew with Grist. Food trucks, “Ask a Brewer”, prizes, raffles, and vendors will add to the fun.

Sunday, November 8, 2015 @ 2:30 – 5pm: Denver Bacon and Beer Festival at the Glitter Dome

The public outcry over the World Health Organization’s recent report about processed meat was so voracious that they felt the need to clarify, noting that the report only confirmed what they had already recommended back in 2002. Great! Now we can get back to ignoring WHO suggestions and continue eating bacon. A slew of Denver eateries and breweries have teamed up to give the people what they want: Beer and bacon. Tickets are $50.

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Matt Sandy, a self-proclaimed “Beer Gadabout,” has been enjoying beer since he was of legal drinking age. Having been born across the pond where “legal drinking age” is a relative term, let’s just say he washed down a shandy or two while still in short pants. He moved to Denver in 2007 and immediately took up residency at the Great Divide taproom. Since then, he’s enjoyed exploring all of the craft corners of this great town and in this column will highlight weekly beer-related events that you should consider drinking in.