Category Archives: Colorado Beer News

Beer Mapping: The rise of Craft Beer

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The New Yorker recently ran a story about the rise of craft beer in the United States. There are currently 2,360 American craft breweries, and the number is steadily rising each year. The flavors, styles and unique characteristics of craft beer play a major part in the rise in craft beer. Another major reason for the popularity of craft beer is that Americans continue to gravitate towards locally grown and sourced food and beverages. Craft beer is a great example of this. There is something special about getting a freshly brewed beer from a tap, or from a bottle that was filled earlier that day. Chances are the beer was not only brewed locally, but included ingredients that were sourced locally as well.

Black & Tan from Brewery Rickoli in Wheat Ridge, CO

A few interesting facts:

  • Costco’s beer sales now make up 30% of all beer sales.
  • All but 2 states brewed more craft beer in 2012 than in 2011.
  • 27 of the top 50 craft breweries are located in California, New England, Oregon, or the Mid-Atlantic coast. Meaning most of the larger craft breweries are on either the East Cost or West Coast.
  • Colorado has 6 breweries that are listed in the top 50 craft breweries in the country.
  • Craft breweries are least dense in the South.

The story by The New Yorker includes a really cool map that can be sorted by many different criteria. You can sort the map to find out more about breweries in an individual state, how many breweries there are per 500,000 people, which breweries are growing the fastest, or many other other categories. Below are some facts that pertain to Colorado breweries, or to the craft beer industry in Colorado.

Colorado Beer Facts:

  • Two of the top 50 fastest growing craft breweries are Oskar Blues (#36) and Upslope Brewing Company (#41)
  • Breckenridge Brewery, Left Hand, New Belgium, Odell Brewing, Oskar Blues and rank in the top 50 largest craft breweries.
  • In 2012 Colorado had 151 craft breweries, ranking #3 of all states.
  • Total Colorado craft beer production was 1,291,711 barrels, ranking #3 of all states.
  • Total Colorado craft beer production went up 8.98%, ranking #41 of all states.
  • Colorado has 15 craft breweries for every 500,000 people, ranking #5 of all states.

Check out some of the great information available from the beer map on newyorker.com.
For even more information about the craft beer industry, check out the Brewer’s Association’s website

Coors Field ranked #1 baseball stadium for craft beer

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Coors Field

Coors Field is widely considered one of the nicest stadiums in Major League Baseball. The facilities are fan friendly, and the atmosphere at Coors Field is always fun for fans to enjoy a game. With a name referencing one of the largest breweries in the country, it is a bit ironic that Coors Field would be #1on a list of Top 10 Baseball Stadiums for craft beer. Welcome to Colorado, home to one of the nation’s largest breweries, as well as a mecca of smaller craft breweries.

Visitors of Coors Field can enjoy beers from New Belgium, Breckenridge Brewery, Oskar Blues, and Odell Brewing. Of course, one of the coolest parts of Coors Field’s beer offerings is that the Sandlot Brewery is located on site, and provides fresh Blue Moon from the tap. It is a sign of how the beer landscape is changing when a fan can visit Coors Field and get a beer from a craft brewery. Looking back 10-15 years ago fans were not able to order anything other than Coors or Coors Light at a Rockies game. While there are many fans that will always stick to Coors, there are a growing number of fans that want to enjoy a craft beer, and Coors Field offers a great opportunity to do so.

Coors Field Ranked #1 on FoxNews.com’s list of Top 10 Baseball Stadiums for Craft Beer.  FoxNews.com states “Several ballparks are featuring better and better beer — you just have to know where to find it. With that in mind, we explored Major League Baseball stadiums across the country to find the 10 best spots for beer.” Here are the rankings according to FoxNews.com:

#1 Coors Field – Denver, CO (Colorado Rockies)

#2 Miller Park – Milwaukee, WI (Milwaukee Brewers)

#3 Citi Field – Flushing, NY (New York Mets)

#4 Comerica Park – Detroit, MI (Detroit Tigers)

#5 Camden Yards – Baltimore, MD (Baltimore Orioles)

#6 Petco Park – San Diego, CA (San Diego Padres)

#7 PNC Park – Pittsburgh, PA (Pittsburgh Pirates)

#8 Citizens Bank Field – Philadelphia, PA (Philadelphia Phillies)

#9 AT&T Park – San Francisco, CA (San Francisco Giants)

#10 Safeco Field – Seattle, WA (Seattle Mariners)

New Belgium announces Asheville Brewery will be delayed

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New Belgium Logo

New Belgium Brewing Company, the maker of Fat Tire, recently announced that plans for their new Asheville, NC. location have been pushed back. The news is not actually bad for New Belgium. The reason they pushed back opening the new Asheville facility, is that they recently added capacity to their Fort Collins brewery, and can meet their estimated projected sales through 2015. The change in plans for New Belgium will push the opening of the new facility back about 8 months.

According to the Fort Collins Coloradoan, earlier this month New Belgium was finishing up a 140,000-barrel expansion that will allow the company to keep expanding distribution. With 70,000 barrels of capacity recently added, the Fort Collins brewery can produce up to 920,000 barrels a year, which will take New Belgium through 2015 sales projections,  according to Jay Richardson, General Manager of the Asheville facility. Thanks to the increase in production in Fort Collins, New Belgium is now planning to open the Asheville, NC. location in late 2015, or early 2016.

While this news is surprising, it is not as big of a deal as originally thought. With the increased capacity in Fort Collins, New Belgium will not miss a beat in keeping up with growing sales. There will certainly be some dissapointed craft beer lovers on the east coast that have been waiting for the opportunity to get a fresh pour of Fat Tire.

Caution Brewing To Open 2nd Location In Lakewood, CO.

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Caution Brewing Logo

Caution Brewing Company is currently located in Northeast Denver. They announced last week they will be opening a 2nd location, which will be in Lakewood, CO. This 2nd location will make Caution the 2nd craft brewery in the City of Lakewood. Currently Ironworks is the only craft brewery in Lakewood. This is surprising given the fact that Lakewood is Colorado’s 5th largest city.

According to their website, “CAUTION soon to be had with more CAUTION! We just announced the lease signing of our second location. Want more details? Come to our anniversary party on May 18th! You can’t say no to 16 beers on tap, live music, and big wheel races, right?”

The 2nd location for Caution Brewing will be at 1057 S. Wadsworth Blvd. Unit 60. The new location will have a larger taproom than the Denver location and will be more retail-oriented. Caution’s Owner Danny Wang says he plans on being “more hyperlocal,” working with area businesses, such as homebrewing shop Barley Haven. This Lakewood taproom is slated to open in October, and will have 12 taps with 4-6 regular, or “flagship” beers. Caution also plan to can and sell Lao Wang Lager in 4-packs of 16 oz cans.

Caution Brewing Company
12445 E 39th Ave #314 Denver, CO 80239
(970) 315-2739

Lakewood Location:
1057 S. Wadsworth Blvd. Unit 60
Lakewood, CO. 80226

 

Fate Brewing Company Collaboration Release Party: May 19th

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Fate Brewing Logo

FATE Brewing Company will release eleven of its twelve collaboration beers on Sunday, May 19th, 2013, just in time to toast American Craft Beer Week. Head brewer, Jeff Griffith, teamed up with many Boulder County breweries to stack hands on a variety of unique recipes. FATE will be offering the following collaboration brews: Echo Brewing Company (Eisbock), Crystal Springs Brewing Company (Wee Heavy Scotch Ale), Asher Brewing Company (100% Organic Cocoa Punk’n Porter), Wild Woods Brewing Company (Eastside Extra Pale Ale), Shine Restaurant and Gathering Place (Let Your Fate Shine Imperial IPA), Boulder Beer (English Brown Mild), Twisted Pine Brewing Company (Twist of FATE Rye Brown Ale), Mountain Sun/Southern Sun Pub & Brewery (Cherry FATE, Chocolate Cherry Foreign Stout), Big Choice Brewing Company (Biere de Garde), Lone Tree Brewing Company (Schwarzbier), Bru Handbuilt Ales and Eats (Trippel), and Twelve Degree Brewing (Hommelbier).

About the Brews

Echo Brewing Company Collaboration: Eisbock– A traditional German specialty beer style that originated accidentally at a brewery in Kulmbach. This is a malty lager with a rich, sweet flavor created by freezing a portion of the Doppelbock, removing the ice, and leaving a concentrated full-bodied beer. Eisbock is an extraordinary style that is perfect to make with the help of the snowy foothills of the Rocky Mountains. This brew is a high-octane treat and has a heavy, syrupy body with notes of dark fruit, raisins, plums and toffee. 13% ABV – Brewed with Dennis and Daniel Richards

Crystal Springs Brewing Company Collaboration: Wee Heavy Scotch Ale- This strong scotch style ale is rich in flavor with roasty, nutty, and golden honey notes. The beer has very low esters and hops, a moderately dark copper color, and a sweet and dry finish. It is slightly smoky, well balanced, and medium bodied. 10.3% – Brewed with Tom Horst

Asher Brewing Company: 100% Organic Cocoa Punk’n Porter- Pumpkins and cacao nibs are rich and nectarous and the body of the beer is full and dark. The pumpkins give a slight roasty quality as they were cooked on the wood fired ovens at our neighbors Pizzeria Basta. This beer is multifaceted and palatable with sweet, roasty, bitter dark chocolate and pumpkin flavor. 6% – Brewed with Chris Asher

Wild Woods Brewing Company: Eastside Extra Pale Ale- Refreshing pale ale with stimulating hop character and crisp finish. Fresh orange zest added during boil to enhance the citrus notes. 7% – Brewed with Jake Evans

Shine Restaurant and Gathering Place: Let Your FATE Shine Imperial IPA– Loaded with a very generous amount of delicious Amarillo, Eldorado, Columbus and Centennial hops, this imperial india pale ale features a tangerine-like hop profile supported by a well-balanced malt backbone. It is sure to be a hop lover’s new favorite. 10%, 100+IBU             – Brewed with Mike Kasian

Boulder Beer: English Brown Mild- This British session beer has mild hop character and a subtle toasty malt presence. 5% – Brewed with Chris Coyne

Twisted Pine Brewing Company: Twist of FATE Rye Brown Ale- Malty and spicy rye aroma and flavor with undertones of toast, nuts, and roast. 7% – Brewed with Reva Golden 

Mountain Sun/Southern Sun Pub and Brewery: Cherry FATE: Chocolate Cherry Foreign Stout- This decadent beer was originally released on Valentine’s Day. It has a creamy cocoa mouth feel and two kinds of cherries contributing a sweet and tart finish. 6% – Brewed with Anthony Laurig

Big Choice Brewing Company: Biere de Garde– Literal translation is “beer for keeping.” This deep copper colored ale is characterized by a toasted malt aroma, slight malt sweetness in flavor and mild hop bitterness. 7% – Brewed with Zach

Lone Tree Brewing Company: Schwarzbier- This German dark lager has an opaque, black color and full, chocolate and subtle coffee flavor. The hops allow for a bright finish. 5% – Brewed with Jason Wiedmaier

Bru Handbuilt Ales and Eats: Trippel- Opens with a bold blast of hops that slowly gives way to the fruity esters implied by the Belgian yeast strain. Brewed with lemongrass 9%      – Brewed with Ian Clark

Twelve Degree Brewing: Hommelbier- This Belgian IPA style beer is the most recent collaboration. While it will not be ready in time for the collaboration release party, we still wanted to give you a teaser. – Brewed with John Howland

About FATE Brewing Company

FATE Brewing Company opened its full-service restaurant and brewery at 1600 38th Street in Boulder, Colorado on February 4th, 2013. The full production brewery handcrafts five core beers, numerous special releases and partnered collaboration efforts. Head Brewer Jeff Griffith joins the FATE Brewing Company team from Golden City Brewery. Jeff’s unique blend of innovation and expertise in the craft beer world make him an ideal fit, he was the driving force behind Evolution IPA, Stand Up Double IPA, Imperial Stout, Javapeño Imperial Stout and more during his time at Golden City Brewery. Founder Mike Lawinski has wide-ranging knowledge in the restaurant and craft beer industry.

303.449.FATE | fatebrewingcompany.com | 1600 38th Street Boulder, CO 80301

Top 50 Craft Breweries List Includes 6 From Colorado

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On April 10, 2013 the Brewers Association released it’s annual list of the Top 50 Craft Brewing Companies in the U.S. The list for 2013 is based on sales volume totals from 2012. Six Colorado breweries made the list including; New Belgium Brewing Co., Oskar Blues Brewing Co., Craftworks Restaurants & Breweries Inc., Odell Brewing, Breckenridge Brewery and Left Hand Brewing Co. New Belgium came in on top of the list for Colorado breweries, and came in 3rd overall on the top 50 U.S Craft Breweries list.

Colorado Brewery Rankings in the Top 50 U.S. Craft Breweries:

  • New Belgium #3
  • Oskar Blues #27
  • Craftworks Restaurants & Breweries #32
  • Odell Brewing #33
  • Breckenridge Brewery #41
  • Left Hand #43

While six Colorado Breweries finished in the top 50 U.S Craft Breweries list, four of those breweries also came in the Top 50 Overall U.S. Breweries List. The four Colorado breweries in the top 50 overall include: New Belgium, Oskar Blues, Craftworks Restaurants & Breweries and Odell Brewing.

Colorado Brewery Rankings in the Top 50 U.S. Overall Breweries:

  • New Belgium #8
  • Oskar Blues #36
  • Craftworks Restaurants & Breweries #43
  • Odell Brewing #44

Overall, craft beer sales totaled 6% of all beer sales in the U.S. According to Paul Gatza, Director, Brewers Association. “Increasingly, beer lovers are turning to craft brewed beer from small and independent producers to satisfy their thirst for bold, innovative and flavor-forward beers.” With the continued growth and popularity of craft beer, the percentage of craft beer in the overall beer sales should rise each year.

Other interesting facts about the craft beer industry:

  • Craft brewers currently provide an estimated 108,440 jobs in the U.S., including serving staff in brewpubs.
  • Growth of the craft brewing industry in 2012 was 15% by volume and 17% by dollars compared to growth in 2011 of 13% by volume and 15% by dollars.
  • Craft brewers sold an estimated 13,235,917 barrels* of beer in 2012, up from 11,467,337 in 2011.
  • The craft brewing sales share in 2012 was 6.5% by volume and 10.2% by dollars.
  • As of March 18, 2013, the Brewers Association is aware of 409 brewery openings in 2012 (310 microbreweries and 99 brewpubs) and 43 brewery closings (18 microbreweries and 25 brewpubs).
  • 2,347 craft breweries operated for some or all of 2012, comprised of 1,132 brewpubs, 1,118 microbreweries and 97 regional craft breweries.

To view more statistics and information from the Brewers Association follow these links:
1) Top 50 Breweries List
2) Craft Beer Facts

The 2013 Breckenridge Spring Beer Festival was a great event!

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The 2013 Breckenridge Spring Beer Festival was held Saturday, April 6th in Downtown Breckenridge, CO. There was a lot of buzz as beer enthusiasts gathered to sample some of the best craft beer Colorado, and the United States has to offer. From big national brewers like Sam Adams and Sierra Nevada to smaller regional brewers like Palisade Brewery and San Luis Valley Brewing, the event provided visitors a chance to sample many different types of beer. Several Colorado favorites were available with AC Golden, Breckenridge Brewery, Great Divide, Left Hand, Odell and Oskar Blues providing their popular craft beers.

The atmosphere in Downtown Breckenridge was lively and fun as beer enthusiasts from all over gathered to sample a great mix of quality craft beers. The event catered to an audience of all ages, and many families came to enjoy the festival. Live music created a nice vibe as many participants danced in the street to the music of 7Horse, Mountain Standard Time, and Max Gomez. There is nothing quite like drinking a fresh beer, while listening to good music with the mountains above Breckenridge in the background!

 Breck Beer Fest (2) 4-6-13 Breck Beer Fest 4-6-13

Best Beers (in our opinion). Keep in mind that there were so many great beers available to taste, we didn’t even come close to trying all of them! To see a list of all brewers that participated in the event, click here.

  • Wheat: Pug Ryan’s Morningwood Wheat was outstanding. A smooth taste, with very subtle spiciness and a nice finish.
  • Stout: Left Hand’s Milk Stout was really tasty. The subtle taste of coffee, without being overpowering. The Milk Stout has a nice creamy/frosty finish and goes down really smooth.
  • Belgian: Avery’s White Rascal has a spicy, sweet and unique taste. As we overheard someone say “It tastes like Christmas!” While that is not how we would describe it, the saying actually works.
  • Lager: Colorado Native was our favorite lager of the day. A distinct malt flavor with some bitterness and an overall clean, crisp taste.
  • IPA: The Odell IPA was our first beer of the day, and just so happened to be our favorite IPA as well. Great hoppiness, with smooth, subtle hints of fruity finish.
  • Pilsner: The Oskar Blues Mama’s Little Yella Pils. This beer has a bit of a different flavor than most Pilsners. A rich, smooth and subtly hoppy beer with a nice finish.
  • Most Unique/Unusual: Breckeridge Brewery’s Roasted Habanero Lucky IPA. This crazy beer has a subtle kick from the habanero, but is not overpowering. It’s a creative twist on the IPA, and was unlike anything else we tried!   

We had a great time at the Breckenridge Spring Beer Festival! If you were unable to make it to the Spring edition, plan on making it to the Summer edition. The Breckenridge Summer Beer Festival will be held July 13, 2013. To find out more check out http://breckenridgebeerfestival.net/july/

What is the definition of craft beer?

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As the growth of the craft beer industry continues, many beer drinkers are wondering…what exactly makes a beer a craft beer? A craft beer would be brewed by a craft brewer. According to the Brewers Association, the definition of a craft brewer is:

An American craft brewer is small, independent and traditional. According to the Brewers Association, a craft brewer also meets these 3 criteria:

  1. Small: Annual production of 6 million barrels of beer or less. Beer production is attributed to a brewer according to the rules of alternating proprietor-ships. Flavored malt beverages are not considered beer for purposes of this definition.
  2. Independent: Less than 25% of the craft brewery is owned or controlled (or equivalent economic interest) by an alcoholic beverage industry member who is not themselves a craft brewer.
  3. Traditional: A brewer who has either an all malt flagship (the beer which represents the greatest volume among that brewers brands) or has at least 50% of its volume in either all malt beers or in beers which use adjuncts to enhance rather than lighten flavor.

There are many interesting facts about craft beer and craft brewers. To read more about the industry, and what makes a beer a craft beer, check out the Brewers Association.

Here’s a quick video on what makes a craft brewer:

‘Beer Geeks’ TV Show to film breweries in Colorado

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Beer Geeks TV Logo

Beer Geeks is a nationally syndicated television show that will air a 22 episode season, starting in September 2013. The creators of the show partnered with the creators and producers of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives and host Michael Ferguson, Director of Brewing Operations for BJ’s restaurants. Beer Geeks will bring viewers inside breweries from all around the country.

There are a handful of Colorado breweries that will be featured on Beer Geeks. The Beer Geek crew is in Colorado profiling craft brewers in Denver, Boulder and Fort Collins for shows that will air this year. They will be profiling Avery Brewing Company, Denver Beer Company, Great Divide Brewing Company, New Belgium Brewing Company and Odell Brewing Company.

“Colorado is one of the nirvana areas for Geek Beerdom,” Ferguson said. “You can’t stumble and not run into a brewery here.”

In each weekly episode host Michael Ferguson, a pioneer and veteran of the craft beer world, (Director of brewing operations and beer training for BJ’s restaurants) will bring viewers along on a voyeuristic, inclusive and immersive road trip into the heart of the craft beer universe. Each episode will feature the inside story of the making some of the world’s most unique, interesting, even outrageous and bizarre brews.

“We’ll see what they’re doing, what ingredients and techniques they’re using, and then we’ll take their brews from tap to table, cooking with beer, and pairing meals with beer. But wait, this series doesn’t live just in the brewery. We’ll find ourselves at hop farms, berry brambles, pumpkin patches, caves, maple syrup sugaring houses, archaeological sites, monasteries and much more – a smorgasbord of locations that all lead back to the craft beers we’re making.” – BeerGeeks.TV

The premise of Beer Geeks sounds like a solid idea and the show should develop a good following among real-life beer geeks. It will be fun for beer enthusiasts around the country to find out about great beers from Colorado. It is a little suprising that only five Colorado breweries will be featured (there are well over 100 in the state). I guess that opens up the door for other great breweries to be featured in later seasons.