If you tipped a microbrew in 2009, then you did your part for the craft brewing industry. If you tipped more than one – and you know who you are – then you helped contribute to a record year that saw both production and sales figures grow. Craft brewers sold…
Roasted bone marrow. Beef cheeks and fennel fronds. Lamb bacon. If you’re like most Americans, you have absolutely no idea what these foods are and you’ve never even considered eating them. Let’s try this again: Edamame beans. Free-range chicken. Balsamic vinegar and fresh mozzarella. Even if you don’t have these…
This may come as a huge surprise, but if I had to choose between having to give up alcohol or coffee, I’d probably give up alcohol. Its true! The only thing I love more than a frosty cold adult beverage is a steaming hot latte. The only hints that I’ll…
It’s 1:15 a.m. on a Friday and you want to take the party back to your place, but the liquor cabinet and fridge are both empty, and the liquor stores all closed at midnight. What do you do?…
The drink: Maraschino Liqueur is nothing like the neon-colored cherries that came in your Shirley Temples. This multifaceted, very aromatic liqueur — one of the few liqueurs that is distilled — is a delicious retro spirit that many bartenders are wild about today. It dates back to 1821, when the…
The Place: Encore Restaurant, 2550 East Colfax Avenue, 303-355-1112. The Hours: Monday through Saturday from 3 until 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. until close. The Deal: Half price well drinks, beer, and wines by the glass; small plates range from $4-7 and artisan flatbreads are priced from $5.50 to $6.50…
It wasn’t the fastest a keg has been drained at Falling Rock Tap House, but it was a close second to the all-time record. Two five-gallon kegs of Russian River’s Pliny the Younger went down in fifteen minutes last Friday. A packed house of hop heads was waiting to pounce…
This time of year makes me crave and consume copious amounts of meat. You could chalk this up to evolution. Once upon a time, a diet that included meat-based protein greatly increased your chances of surviving what must have been some pretty brutal pre-historic cold spells. So in that very…
Oskar Blues Brewery will roll out its latest canned beer tomorrow, the Gubna Imperial IPA, an uncommon brew made with rye malt and only one kind of hops. I had a pint of it at the Tasty Weasel, the brewery’s Longmont tasting room, a couple of weeks ago, and discovered…
Do you long to get super hammered after work, loosen your tie, eat half-priced wings and hit on an unsuspecting a totally suspecting bartender until the drink specials run out and it’s time to swerve on home? Well, it’s your liver’s lucky day! Village Voice Media — owner of Westword…
Colorado wasn’t able to claim its second consecutive Beerdrinker of the Year title on Saturday at the Wynkoop Brewing Company, 1634 18th Street, but at least we lost to a qualified candidate from the well deserving state of Alaska. Retired Navy officer and current college administrator Bill Howell took home…
The Vine Street Pub, which is celebrating the last few days of its annual Stout Month, is an unusual place to get a beer. Unusual because of the high highs and low lows. It offers one of the most delicious lineups of homemade brews on tap in any brewpub in…
I like to go out and get blotto as much as the next self-respect-less drunk. I do not, however, like having to piece together whole portions of benders using leftover evidence and eyewitness accounts. Yet this is exactly my fate the morning after spending a solid six hours at Zio…
It’s about time that Stranahan’s American Whiskey get the recognition it deserves. Yes, it’s a relatively young distillery — but young or not, Stranahan’s kicks ass. While the first year or so of production was a little hot, I’ve done a lot of “quality testing” of Stranahan’s and, in my…
The Place: Crêpes ‘n Crêpes, 2816 East Third Avenue, 303-320-4184 The Hours: Tuesday through Saturday, 4 to 6 p.m. and again from 9 to 10 p.m. The Deal: Various savory and dessert crêpes are between $3 and $5; glasses of wine are $4…
There’s nothing like snowy, blustery weather to conjure up images of classic cold-weather comforts like snuggling in front of a roaring fire with a warming bowl of steaming-hot chili. But as the saying goes, “man cannot live by bread alone,” so channel your inner oenophile and find yourself a bottle…
In sales, they say that it takes five good impressions to overcome a bad first impression. I know this is true, because I have, on occasion and against all odds, made a lousy first impression — and have had to work hard to overcome it. And although I loved the…
The Place: Tavern Uptown, 538 East Seventeenth Avenue, 303-830-9210. The Hours: Happy hour plays out Monday through Saturday from 2 to 7 p.m. and from 10 p.m. to close; food specials run Monday through Thursday from 10 p.m. to midnight, and Twilight Hour runs Monday through Saturday from 7 to…
The Nightclub and Bar Convention & Trade Show (NCB) in Las Vegas in March is the one event that everyone in the industry feels they need to attend — or wishes they could. The show includes a cocktail contest called the Shake It Up Competition, in which 25 mixologists, who…
Tonight is the last night of Carnival, and if you’re looking for a way to join in the celebration without leaving the state, Jared Boller at TAG (1441 Larimer Street) has crafted a Rocky Mountain Caipirinha made with Cabana Cachaça, Colorado wildflower honey, Palisade peaches and lemon juice. “Inspired by…
Remember all that talk about how to break up with the same boring white wines you’ve been holding onto for years? Now it’s time to dig out of the red wine relationship ruts you’ve been stuck in. If you’ve been obsessively buying Pinot Noir ever since you saw the movie…
At 5 p.m. today, the Wynkoop Brewing Company will pull the hand pump on the 2010 Beerdrinker of the Year beer, one of the perks of winning this august crown. The beer is Auld Rabbit, a cask-conditioned, molasses-infused brown ale that’s 6.4 percent ABV, brewed by Wynkoop head brewer Andy…
