Get ready to run for these five winning rosés

We knew something was up when we noticed Denver-area wine shops stocking up and tasting customers on the 2010 rosés a good four weeks ago. And by “something,” we mean the notion that maybe — just maybe — dry rosés have finally kicked that monkey of pink wine-prejudice off its…

Photos: The 1Up Arcade & Bar grand opening, 4/30/11

Back in March, we warned you that 1Up Arcade & Bar had planned to score big in LoDo. And that seems to be the case for the subterranean arcade/bar/restaurant on Blake Street (See photos from a recent Saturday night at 1Up), which is packing in the crowds. On Saturday night,…

Crooked Stave will rely on sour beers for sweet success

Chad Yakobson has a master’s degree in beer. And like most academics, he’s putting that degree to use for the greater good, namely by researching different kinds of yeast strains — primarily brettanomyces, which is used in certain styles of “sour” ales — and brewing beers based on what he…

Drinking the night away at Vesta Dipping Grill

Happy Place: Vesta Dipping Grill, 1822 Blake Street, 303-296-1970. The Hours: Monday through Friday from 5 to 6:30 p.m. The Deals: $3-7 Colorado beers and spirits; $2-6 small plates. Were we happy? Flip the page to find out…

Ask the bartender: The sun rises on Japanese whisky

Sean Kenyon knows how to pour out both drinks and advice. A third-generation bar man with almost 25 years behind the bar, he is a student of cocktail history, a United States Bartenders Guild-certified Spirits Professional and a BAR Ready graduate of the prestigious Beverage Alcohol Resource Program. You can…

Copper Kettle Brewing opens today just off Parker Road

Copper Kettle Brewing, a new brewery on the border of Denver and Aurora, opens today at 3 p.m. with five beers on draft — a saison, a pale ale, a helles, a summer ale and an altbier — and a beautiful 52-seat living room-like tasting room. Owned by Jeremy Gobien…

Congress Park drinks at Shells and Sauce

Happy Place: Shells and Sauce, 2600 East Twelfth Avenue, 303-377-2091. The Hours: Tuesday through Sunday from 4 to 6:30 p.m. The Deals: $2-4 beers; $4.50 wines by the glass and well drinks; $4.95 antipasti. Were we happy? Flip the page to find out…

TAG lands top bar talents James Lee and Bryan Dayton

It’s been a busy spring for Troy Guard and Leigh Sullivan-Guard, who opened TAG | RAW BAR in a below-ground spot in Larimer Square just before they became operating partners at Madison Street, the Larimer Associates project over on 12th Avenue and Madison Street. And now, they’ve announced a couple…

Strange Brewing celebrates a bittersweet transition tomorrow

Strange Brewing will celebrate a bittersweet anniversary Saturday, April 23, with a slightly sweet beer, a Belgian trippel that has been waiting for a year. The brewery actually opened on May 19, 2010, but owners Tim Meyers and John Fletcher brewed their first Strange beer a few weeks earlier, called…

Colorado Native follows Blue Moon into cans

AC Golden Brewing, the tiny MillerCoors-owned beer maker located inside the Golden factory, will begin packaging its signature Colorado Native in cans for the summer; it will be sold in twelve-packs starting May 1. “Our retailers and drinkers have been requesting cans, especially for summer, so they can take Colorado…