Today: Learn about wine in Aurora

The City of Aurora hosts a wine class, Petite Syrah, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. tonight at the Summer Valley Recreation Center, 17400 East Lehigh Place in Aurora.Tuition runs from $22 to $29, and you must be 21 or older. To learn more and sign up, go to auroragov.org/recreation or…

Culinary calendar for the week ahead: Classes, craft beers and more

There’s plenty of food for thought on the local culinary scene, with everything from talks on healthy cuisine to overdosing on the best pizza around. Here’s a taste of what’s ahead: Monday, January 18: Elizabeth Somer, author of Eat Your Way to Happiness: 10 Diet Secrets to Improve Your Mood,…

Today: Eating well and vegetarian feasts

Need some help with your food-related New Year’s resolutions? Elizabeth Somer, author of Eat Your Way to Happiness: 10 Diet Secrets to Improve Your Mood, Curb Your Cravings and Keep the Pounds Off, will discuss her book at the Tattered Cover Highlands Ranch, 9315 Dorchester Street, at 7:30 p.m. tonight;…

Tonight: Adventurous eating at Opus

At 7 p.m. tonight, Opus Restaurant, 2575 West Main Street in Littleton, will offer a dinner for its Adventurous Eaters Club; $40 buys a three-course meal that includes sea urchin “pho” and tempura Asian tripe with chili pepper noodles; pan-fried sweetbreads, mustard-roasted lamb kidney salsify and syrah oxtail juice; and…

Today: Cocktails, beer … or both? The choice is yours.

The mixologists at the Bitter Bar, in Happy at 835 Walnut Street in Boulder, are offering a series of cocktail classes titled “Shake, Swizzle, Stir.” Get a jump on what you’ll be pouring out for your lover on Valentine’s Day at El Amor Cocktails, which runs from 2 to 3…

Ever wanted Gordon Ramsay to shriek at you? Here’s your chance

Have you ever watched one of Gordon Ramsay’s shows — he’s the temperamental chef who owns a string of restaurants and throws tantrums on such television tirades as Hell’s Kitchen and Kitchen Nightmares — and thought, “I’d really love to see him try that shtick with me”? Well, here’s an…

Tonight: Sip on Black Tot Imperial Oatmeal Stout

Avery Tap Room, 5763 Arapahoe Avenue in Boulder, releases its Black Tot Imperial Oatmeal Stout (aged in Gosling Rum barrels) today; the limited, one-time release will be celebrated with Black Tot Day: Then and Now. Visit the tap room between 5 and 8 p.m. for a taster ($3 a piece)…

Today: $1 Breckenridge Avalanche draws at Randolph’s

It’s a fact: Post-holiday season, everyone is broke — and, ironically, pretty much everyone could really use a cheap drink. Randolph’s, 1776 Grant Street, is here for you with its Thirsty Thursdays promotion. Enjoy a Breckenridge Avalanche amber ale draw for only $1 when you present your Randolph’s VIP card…

Cheech & Chong Do America

In 2008, two of the country’s most beloved comedians — not to mention the most beloved stoners of all time — got back together after decades apart for the Light Up America tour. The reunion with Richard “Cheech” Marin was “incredible,” Tommy Chong reveals. “When I’m out there by myself,…

Giddyup!

The annual Cowboy Poetry Gathering is finally legal this year, having reached the ripe old age of 21. Liz Masterson has been involved since the beginning — and even if you didn’t get tickets to tonight’s sold-out Baxter Black performance, she says there’s still plenty to be excited about. “We…

Tonight: Free tequila at Tambien

Head to Tambien, 250 Steele Street, tonight from 7 to 9 p.m. for Beyond Jose, a free tequila tasting for women (and the men who love them); stick around until 10, when the $1 taco special starts. For more information, call 303-333-1763. For information on dozens of culinary events around…

Tonight: A twisted pot luck

From 6 to 9 p.m. tonight, Twisted Pine Brewing Co., at 3201 Walnut Street in Boulder, will host the inaugural Twisted Pine Potluck, a dinner devoted to dishes that include Twisted Pine brew as an ingredient. Prizes will be awarded for the top three dishes, and it only costs $5…

Culinary calendar for the week ahead: Raw food and Females on Fire

There’s a lot going on in the local culinary world this week, from raw food to Females on fire, bourbon to beer. Here’s a taste of what’s ahead: Monday, January 11: Stephanie Tourles, author of Raw Energy: 124 Raw Food Recipes for Energy Bars, Smoothies and Other Snacks to Supercharge…

Tonight: Mixologist Monday at TAG

We love it when restaurants try new things — like TAG’s Mixologist Monday, which will feature special guest bartender Michael Martenson of Ron Zacapa Rum (plus TAG bar manager Mike Henderson). Anytime between 5 and 10 p.m. tonight, the ‘tenders will take you through an array of tasty cocktails: French…

Today: Get healthy at the Quaker Oatmeal Festival

This weekend brings the return of Lafayette’s Quaker Oatmeal Festival, complete with an oatmeal breakfast, a certified 5K run/walk, a health fair, an oatmeal baking contest and the inaugural Oatmeal Creation Challenge; events run from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. today. Spoon up all the details at www.lafayettecolorado.com/oatmealfestival.html. For information…

Tonight: Bartenders go head-to-head at Strings

How does your favorite drink-slinger measure up to the competition? You can find out tonight at Strings, 1700 Humboldt Street, where Strings bartender Kris Lykins will face off against ‘tenders from Steuben’s and Avenue Grill. The competition takes place at 6 p.m., but festivities will start at 5 and conclude…

Stephanie Tourles makes the case for raw food

Stephanie Tourles is the author of the just-released “cook” book Raw Energy: 124 Raw Food Recipes for Energy Bars, Smoothies, and Other Snacks to Supercharge Your Body. She’ll be appearing at the Tattered Cover LoDo, 1628 16th Street, on Monday, January 11, at 7:30 p.m. to sign copies of the…

Tonight: Big Beers, Belgians and Barleywines in Vail

Tonight, the Big Beers, Belgians & Barleywines Festival will kick off in Vail with a stellar lineup of breweries, some of which are even offering specialty brews for the tenth annual installment of the festival. Although the brewmasters’ dinners are all sold out, the Vail Cascade Resort & Spa, 1300…

Bottoms Up

This year marks the tenth anniversary of Vail’s Big Beers, Belgians & Barleywines Festival, and the organizers have something special planned. “Twenty-one breweries from around the world have created beers or are releasing new beers at our event,” explains organizer Laura Lodge. “Most are created specifically for our festival and…

Ullr Nothing in Breckenridge

Named for the Norse god of snow, who dumps more than 300 inches of sweet, sweet powder on Breckenridge each year, the Ullr Fest is one of the longest-running events in town. “It’s in its 47th year,” says spokeswoman Carly Grimes. “It began when the town was really small and…