Cider and Bluegrass Come Together at the Quickly Growing Stem

Stem Ciders, at 2811 Walnut Street in RiNo, is hosting its annual Cider Grass fall festival from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. this Saturday, October 7. No, not that kind of grass; Stem Ciders is a family-friendly craft cider maker. Grass, as in bluegrass music, will play live all day, with…

Cocktail Lair Run for the Roses Heads to the Dairy Block

Development group McWhinney set out to make the Dairy Block a beacon of dining, drinking and shopping in downtown Denver, and every new tenant revelation raises the bar on that promise. On the heels of the announcement that Frank and Jacqueline Bonanno are building massive market hall Milk Market there comes…

Ten Things to Watch for at the 2017 Great American Beer Festival

The Great American Beer Festival, now in its 36th year, has changed drastically over the decades. It has grown significantly in size, while the industry it represents has grown even more. These days, the specifics of the fest itself aren’t too different from year to year, but the issues surrounding…

Pints Pub Still Draws the Anglophiles After Nearly 25 Years

Pints Pub, 221 West 13th Avenue, is a landmark of sorts in the Golden Triangle, the sliver of land in the shadow of the Capitol, bordered by the arteries of Colfax, Speer and Broadway. Cruising by on West 13th Avenue, I am always reassured to see the familiar red phone…

Five Denver Foods Made With Beer and Beer Ingredients

As ticket holders for the Great American Beer Festival gear up for three days of beer saturation, it’s easy to see why beer is on our brain. But those who can’t make it to the annual extravaganza of fermented beverages should consider eating their hops instead…or at least nibble on tasty…

What Happened to New England? The Region Is Nearly Absent From GABF

The Great American Beer Festival has always been a little geographically lopsided. Since the annual event — which begins Thursday — was founded 36 years ago in Boulder, it’s no surprise that Colorado is the most heavily represented state. California also brings the brews with more than 150 breweries at…

Tips and Tricks for Making Your Tenth GABF New Again

If you’ve lived in Denver for a while and you like craft beer, chances are you’ve been to the Great American Beer Festival at least once — and maybe you’re even a seasoned veteran. Chances are better that you now like to regale people with tales about how crowded the…

Craft Brewing Had a $3 Billion Economic Effect in Colorado

Did you buy a pint of beer at your local brewery in 2016? Then you can be proud to boost the Colorado economy. Craft breweries and brewpubs nationwide contributed $67.8 billion to the U.S. economy in 2016. That’s a lot of pints, and it’s an increase of 21.7 percent from just…

A Popular Cannabis Beer Won’t Be Back at GABF This Year

Judging by the long lines that snaked away from the Dad & Dudes Breweria booth at the Great American Beer Festival the past two years, just about everywhere in Denver has tried cannabis beer. Last year’s version, called George Washington’s Secret Stash was an IPA infused with cannabidiol, a non-psychoactive…

Longtucky Spirits Honors Longmont’s Agricultural Heritage

Lately, Longmont has been winning at the booze game, and Longtucky Spirits, at 350 Terry Street, is the latest player. Owned by John Abbott Young and Howard K. Wallace, this 4,500-square-foot distillery and cocktail bar opened in late June in what formerly housed the Longmont Times-Call building downtown. The owners’ idea…

Six Newly Packaged New England-Style IPAs From Colorado Brewers

No, this isn’t a geography quiz. New England-style IPAs are the hottest and most controversial thing to hit craft brewing in a long time, and Colorado breweries are making some of the best examples in the country. The “style,” which isn’t yet recognized by the Brewers Association, showcases tropical, citrusy…

Colorado’s Only Master of Wine Gives Her Fall Recommendations

The first day of autumn arrives this week and it’s time to put away the summer wine list. As harvest begins, what works best to drink with those savory, spicy fall meals? Let’s ask Ashley Hausman Vaughters, Colorado’s only Master of Wine, a designation conferred (appropriately) by the Institute of…