The post In the Cups: Young at Heart: Eat, Drink, and Play your Way Through Winter appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Crosscut Pizzeria & Taphouse

I can’t imagine a better spot for a post-ski beer and pizza than Crosscut. This is one of my favorite places to take friends from out of town. If you find yourself coming off Eldora after 3 pm, stop into this cozy corner of Nederland. Crosscut is an underrated option; it’s up there and smaller space-wise, but once you smell the wood-fired pizza and sit back to enjoy the view of fresh snow falling out the window, it’s perfect for Apres. My favorite post-ski/work/weekend order is the Mario Pizza: Colorado hot Italian sausage, pickled shallot, basil, cremini mushrooms, mozzarella, and herbed ricotta sauce. Pairs well with a beer on tap or Crosscut’s Colorado-drafted root beer.

Jungle

The liveliest of our apres options! Jungle is a tropical-themed tiki bar and burger (with tropical twists!) shack. Located in Boulder on 10th Street, it’s known for fun, island-inspired cocktails and a huge variety of rum from all over the world. Food-wise, they offer a creative menu that includes burgers, plantains, and vegan/vegetarian options. They’re open from 4-11 pm on weekdays, 11 am-12 am Fridays and Saturdays, and closed Sundays. They’re the ideal spot for ski buddies who love to have a great time on and off the mountain. I kept it simple with a Cheeseburger—that Hawaiian bun makes it!—and a frozen Piña Colada.

Bitter Bar

Looking for apres drinkies only? I know just the spot. Bitter Bar in Boulder is off of Pearl Street on Walnut, which is noticeably quieter just one street over. It’s great to decompress after ski traffic. Bitter Bar is laid back, and you won’t want to spoil your dinner as it serves drinks only. It’s a unique spot that’s a happy change from pub fare and beer if you need something new. I love the loungey, Japanese cocktail bar vibe they have going on, but they still keep up a neighborhood bar energy. My go-to lately has been their Fire & Ice cocktail, which is bourbon, ginger beer, Angostura bitters, and candied ginger–a little something to warm up after a cold day.

West End Tavern

If you’re down from the mountains but not quite ready to head home, take a turn onto Pearl Street and visit West End Tavern. They have an incredible view of the Flat Irons if you need to show off for your ski buddies, and their BBQ is the ultimate comfort food after a hard day of skiing. I keep coming back to their Fried Chicken Sandwich, Sticky Style, which is a delectable piece of fried chicken paired with spiced honey, smoked garlic mayo, green apple, and crunchy kale slaw, all on a buttered brioche bun. It hits different after you’ve taken your boots off, trust me.

Rosetta Hall

The snow hasn’t been so great this year, folks, I don’t need to tell you that! It was an early day off the mountain, and we needed a little something for everyone, so we checked out Rosetta Hall. It features eight restaurants and two bars, which offer seasonal, craft cocktail menus that are made with fresh-squeezed, organic citrus and small-batch spirits. I was appreciative to have so many options, from Thai food to Italian, so everyone could enjoy what they wanted rather than trying to decide as one big group. Hangry skiers were thankfully avoided, and we got to make the most of a not-so-great ski day. Rosetta Hall also has live music on Tuesdays and the weekends, which I hope to catch one of these days!

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The post Front Range Foodie: Apres appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

When Ana and Guillermo Reyes noticed a guest quietly crying in the dining room, they approached with concern. The explanation stopped them in their tracks.

“He said the beans tasted like his mother’s,” Ana recalled.

This moment captures the soul of Hacienda San Raphael – food that doesn’t just satisfy hunger, it stirs memories.

After spending a long afternoon with the Reyeses at their Longmont restaurant, I found myself flooded with similar emotion. Impeccably fresh Latin dishes are only part of the experience. What lingers long after the meal is an unmistakable warmth and a sense of family woven into every corner of the space.

Ana and Guillermo treat every guest like kin. The passionate husband-and-wife team poured their hearts into creating a homey, colorful sanctuary inspired by their Mexican heritage and travels across Central and South America.

“The menu is ‘Cocina Latina,’ not just Mexican,” Ana explained. “There are dishes from Argentina, Cuba, Colombia, and Venezuela. We tried homemade mom and grandma recipes in a lot of hard-to-reach places.”

Hacienda San Raphael quietly opened in an unassuming stretch of Longmont’s Main Street in June. The interior is whimsical, bright, and lovingly handmade. Ana and Guillermo personally curated every piece of furniture and oversaw every detail – with a little help from their young children.

“Our kids said, ‘Mommy, this is the worst summer ever,’” Ana laughed. “They were helping us paint the tables and chairs.”

Both Ana and Guillermo grew up in Monterrey, Mexico. Ana is a schoolteacher, and Guillermo comes from a strong background in hospitality. The couple met in Miami before relocating to Colorado’s Front Range. Guillermo, a University of Colorado graduate, felt a natural pull to the area.

After watching her husband tirelessly manage every aspect of multiple restaurants, Ana encouraged Guillermo to channel his skillset into opening something of their own.

“If I could describe this restaurant in one word, it would be ‘unique,’” Guillermo said.

He and Ana were introduced to Chef Victor Colunga through family ties. Colunga previously worked in two Michelin-starred restaurants in Mexico before relocating to the United States. Despite his impressive pedigree, he avoids comparisons to past accolades. When Guillermo approached him about the project, Colunga immediately embraced the vision: high-quality, soulful cooking that reflects the depth and diversity of Latin American cuisine.

Chef Victor Colunga

Drawing inspiration from his own travels and multicultural culinary experience, Colunga incorporates a fusion element into the menu, yielding mouthwatering results. One of the chef’s personal favorites, Ají de Camarones, is a Latin and Italian-influenced dish featuring spaghetti tossed in a tangy, creamy ají amarillo sauce topped with perfectly grilled shrimp, peppers, onions, and parmesan.

Deep respect and thoughtful collaboration between Colugna and the Reyeses is apparent. During my time at Hacienda San Raphael, I was truly blown away by every plate.

The Cachapa Venezolana de Queso y Ribeye showcases a corn pancake layered with mozzarella and tender ribeye, served with crisp fried yucca – an homage to travels in Venezuela.

The Tostones Rellenos, inspired by Colombia, present golden plantain cups filled with juicy shredded beef.

Familiar Mexican favorites such as tacos, enchiladas, and chile rellenos are all made from scratch – never frozen. “People love our Mexican food because all 

of our salsas are freshly made. Even our margaritas do not have sweet-and-sour mix. We try to do everything fresh and in the moment,” said Guillermo.

Not to mention, Colugna’s “postres” deserve special recognition. The seasonal flan and arroz con leche are fine-dining-caliber desserts.

The drink menu includes margaritas, mojitos, micheladas, martinis, a variety of original cocktails, beer, wine, and spirits. Ana generously prepared me a selection of well-balanced beverages behind the bar she built with her husband.

When scouting a location for the restaurant, ample parking was non-negotiable. The Reyeses immediately fell in love with 1935 Main Street. In addition to being a centrally located spot that offers ease and accessibility, the space itself sparked Ana’s imagination. “I saw the large windows and imagined guests coming in for a homemade meal while watching the snow fall outside,” she said.

Ana and Guillermo Reyes are deeply grateful for the community’s support. “Our customers have been so patient and kind from the beginning. We built this restaurant to offer high-quality food. As parents, we know how hard it can be to cook at home or find healthy, homemade meals out,” said Ana.

At its core, Hacienda San Raphael is rooted in community, quality, and genuine hospitality.

Like journalism like this? Consider becoming a sustaining supporter — and get our print edition delivered to your home each month.

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The post Off Menu: Hacienda San Raphael appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

We have put together a full list of all local places to get a drink! whether its coffee, beer, Tea, or alcohol-free.

We have compiled it all in a Google map for ease of use with Google map locations and websites linked here, along with every location also listed here in this article.

For a full and more comprehensive view, click the square button in the top right (it will say “view large map” when hovering over the button).

Boulder

4 Noses Brewing | Wild Provisions

Website: http://www.4nosesbrewing.com/
Address: 2209 Central Ave, Boulder, CO
Phone: 303-993-3598

Asher Brewing Company

Website: http://www.asherbrewing.com
Address: 4699 Nautilus Ct., #104, Boulder, CO
Phone: 303-530-1381

Avery Brewing Company / Tap Room

Website: http://www.averybrewing.com
Address: 4910 Nautilus Ct., Boulder, CO
Phone: 303-440-4324

Bookcliff Wine Tasting Room

Website: http://bookcliffvineyards.com
Address: 1501 Lee Hill Rd., #17, Boulder, CO
Phone: 303-499-7301

Boulder Spirits – Vapor Distillery

Website: http://www.vapordistillery.com
Address: 5311 Western Ave., #K, Boulder, CO
Phone: 303-997-6134

The Boulder Wine Merchant

Website: N/A
Address: 2690 Broadway, Boulder, CO
Phone: 303-443-6761

Boxcar Coffee Roasters

Website: http://boxcarcoffeeroasters.com/
Address: 825 Pearl St., Boulder, CO
Phone: 720-456-7962

Finkel & Garf

Website: http://www.finkelandgarf.com
Address: 5455 Spine Rd., #A, Boulder, CO
Phone: 720-379-6042

Mountain Sun

Website: http://www.mountainsunpub.com
Address: 1535 Pearl St., Boulder, CO
Phone: 303-546-0886

Ozo Coffee Company

Website: http://www.ozocoffee.com
Address: 5340 Arapahoe Ave., Boulder, CO
Phone: 303-440-0233

Redstone Meadery

Website: http://www.redstonemeadery.com
Address: 4700 Pearl St., #2A, Boulder, CO
Phone: 720-406-1215

The Root Kava Bar

Website: https://www.therootkavabar.com/
Address: 1641 28th St., Boulder, CO
Phone: 303-856-3851

Ruzo Coffee

Website: https://www.ruzocoffee.com/
Address: 3980 Broadway St., #104, Boulder, CO
Phone: 303-953-8402

Sanitas Brewing Company

Website: http://www.sanitasbrewing.com/
Address: 3550 Frontier Ave., #A, Boulder, CO
Phone: 303-442-4130

Silver Vines Winery

Website: http://www.silvervineswinery.com/
Address: 2037 13th St., Boulder, CO
Phone: 303-458-0280

Twisted Pine Brewery

Website: http://www.twistedpinebrewery.com
Address: 3201 Walnut St., #A, Boulder, CO
Phone: 303-786-9270

Upslope Brewing Company (Flatiron Court)

Website: http://www.upslopebrewing.com
Address: 1898 S. Flatiron Court, Boulder, CO
Phone: 303-449-2911

Upslope Brewing Company (Lee Hill Rd.)

Website: http://www.upslopebrewing.com
Address: 1501 Lee Hill Rd., #20, Boulder, CO
Phone: 303-449-2911

Vinnie Fera Wine

Website: https://www.vinnieferawine.com
Address: 3012 Sterling Cir., #100, Boulder, CO
Phone: 720-287-1252

Vision Quest Brewery

Website: http://www.visionquestbrewing.com
Address: 2510 47th St., #A2, Boulder, CO
Phone: 303-578-0041

Longmont

300 Suns Brewing

Website: http://300sunsbrewing.com/
Address: 335 1st Ave., #C, Longmont, CO
Phone: 720-442-8292

Abbott & Wallace – Longtucky Spirits

Website: http://www.longtuckyspirits.com
Address: 350 Terry St., #120, Longmont, CO
Phone: 720-545-2017

Bearded Brewer

Website: https://www.beardedbreweraa.com/
Address: 1425 S Airport Rd., #100, Longmont, CO
Phone: 531-999-3051

Bootstrap Brewing

Website: http://www.bootstrapbrewing.com
Address: 142 Pratt St., Longmont, CO
Phone: 720-438-8488

Collision Brewing Co.

Website: http://collisionbrewco.com
Address: 1436 Skyway Dr., Longmont, CO
Phone: 720-996-1850

Colorado Mountain Kava

Website: https://rootsandleaveskava.com/locations/colorado-mountain-kava
Address: 615 Ken Pratt Blvd., Longmont, CO
Phone: 720-833-6864

Dry Land Distillers

Website: http://www.drylanddistillers.com
Address: 471 Main Street, Unit B, Longmont, CO
Phone: 720-600-4945

Grossen Bart Brewery

Website: http://www.grossenbart.com
Address: 1025 Delaware Ave., Longmont, CO
Phone: 720-438-2060

Knuckle Puck Brewing

Website: https://www.knucklepuckbrewing.com/
Address: 13783 East I-25 Frontage Rd., #B-1, Longmont, CO
Phone: N/A

Kuper Wine Bar

Website: http://kuperwinebar.com
Address: 600 Longs Peak Ave., #11, Longmont, CO
Phone: 303-834-8902

Left Hand Brewing

Website: http://www.lefthandbrewing.com
Address: 1265 Boston Ave., Longmont, CO
Phone: 303-772-0258

Longs Peak Pub

Website: http://www.mountainsunpub.com
Address: 600 Longs Peak Ave., Longmont, CO
Phone: 303-651-7886

Meco Coffee Collective

Website: https://mecolongmont.com/
Address: 627 Main Street, Longmont, CO
Phone: 720-899-2352

Pumphouse Brewery

Website: http://www.pumphousebrewery.com
Address: 540 Main St., Longmont, CO
Phone: 303-702-0881

St. Vrain Cidery

Website: http://www.stvraincidery.com/
Address: 350 Terry St., #130, Longmont, CO
Phone: 720-727-5706

Wibby Brewing

Website: http://www.wibbybrewing.com
Address: 209 Emery St., Longmont, CO
Phone: 303-776-4594

Lafayette

Brewing Market

Website: http://brewingmarketcoffee.com/
Address: 2770 Dagny Way, #101, Lafayette, CO
Phone: 720-890-3993

Cellar West

Website: http://cellarwest.com
Address: 778 West Baseline Rd., Lafayette, CO
Phone: 720-465-9346

Day Day Up Tea

Website: N/A
Address: 535 W. South Boulder Rd., #210, Lafayette, CO
Phone: 720-835-1119

Liquid Mechanics Brewing Company

Website: http://www.liquidmechanicsbrewing.com
Address: 297 N. Hwy 287, #100, Lafayette, CO
Phone: 720-550-7813

Meco Coffee Collective

Website: N/A
Address: 1280 Centaur Village Dr., Lafayette, CO
Phone: N/A

Sanitas Brewing Company (Lafayette)

Website: http://www.sanitasbrewing.com/
Address: 400 W South Boulder Rd., #1650, Lafayette, CO
Phone: 303-442-4130

Louisville

Crystal Springs Brewing Company

Website: http://www.crystalspringsbrewing.com
Address: 604 Main St., Louisville, CO
Phone: 720-572-7975

Gravity Brewing

Website: http://thegravitybrewing.com/
Address: 1150 Pine St., #B, Louisville, CO
Phone: 303-544-0746

Mother Tucker Brewery

Website: https://www.mothertuckerbrewery.com/
Address: 1132 W. Dillon Dr., #4, Louisville, CO
Phone: 303-565-9459

Rocky Mountain Tap & Garden

Website: https://rockymountaintap.com/
Address: 1071 Courtesy Rd., Louisville, CO
Phone: 720-900-2440

Paul’s Coffee And Tea

Website: https://www.paulscoffeeandtea.com/
Address: 956 W Cherry St #101, Louisville, CO 80027
Phone: (720) 259-1723

Lyons

Spirit Hound Distillers

Website: http://www.spirithounds.com
Address: 4196 Ute Hwy, Lyons, CO
Phone: 303-823-5696

Niwot

Fritz Family Brewers

Website: https://www.fritzfamilybrewers.com/
Address: 6778 N. 79th St., Niwot, CO
Phone: 303-834-9123

Westminster

4 Noses Brewing | Wild Provisions (Westminster)

Website: http://www.4nosesbrewing.com/
Address: 8855 W. 116th Cir., #4, Westminster, CO
Phone: 720-460-2797

Windfall Brewing Co.

Website: https://windfallbrewing.co/
Address: 14694 Orchard Pkwy., #400, Westminster, CO
Phone: 720-531-5822

Erie

Old Mine Cidery & Brew Pub

Website: http://theoldmine.com
Address: 500 Briggs St., Erie, CO
Phone: 303-905-0620

Firestone

Wild Cider

Website: http://wildcider.com/home/
Address: 11455 County Rd. 17, Firestone, CO
Phone: 303-532-9949

Frederick

Mirror Image Brewing Company

Website: https://www.mirrorimagebrewco.com/
Address: 5969 Iris Pkwy., Frederick, CO
Phone: 720-445-5969

Denver

Stem Ciders (RiNo Taproom)

Website: https://stemciders.com/
Address: 2811 Walnut St., #150, Denver, CO
Phone: 720-443-3007

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The post YellowScene’s 2025 Libations Map appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Editor’s Note: Press Releases are provided to Yellow Scene. In an effort to keep our community informed, we publish some press releases in whole.

DENVER (Feb. 4, 2025)—The Colorado Brewers Guild (CBG), a nonprofit trade organization for independent craft breweries in the State of Craft Beer, is delighted to announce the 215+ participating breweries for the 10th Annual Colorado Pint Day on March 5. Approximately half the number of craft breweries in the state, including two dozen breweries that have not participated in Colorado Pint Day before, will be selling Colorado Pint Day glasses at local taprooms for the Colorado Brewers Guild fundraiser that supports the CBG’s mission to promote, protect, and propel independent craft breweries in the State of Craft Beer through advocacy, community, education, and public awareness. $1 of each pint glass sold goes back to the Colorado Brewers Guild.

The event is always held on a Wednesday during the spring which is typically a slower period for breweries.

“Colorado Pint Day has become a time-honored tradition where beer lovers from all over the state head to their favorite brewery to support the Guild and a local brewery,” says CBG Communications Manager Carrie Knose Wilson. “The Colorado Pint Day glasses have become coveted collector’s cup items so make sure to pick up this year’s edition to round out your collection!”

Colorado Pint Day started in 2016 when the nonprofit trade organization debuted a pint glass with simply the Guild’s logo. Over the years, the CBG has released a new theme and design to commemorate Colorado Pint Day, including launching an art competition to support local artists that work with the craft beer industry. This year’s theme, Beer is for Everyone, was designed by Leanne Bridie.

The list of participating breweries and map of Colorado Pint Day locations can be found on the CBG website

“Breweries are known to sell out of Colorado Pint Day glasses so make sure to check out our map and plan accordingly!” says Wilson. “We’ll also be sharing on social media which locations still have glassware.”

The post Colorado Pint Day Celebrates 10th Anniversary on March 5 appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

LAFAYETTE, Colorado – Our largest fundraiser of the year, WOW! on Tap, will be held on Friday, September 20th, 2024, at the Museum. This year’s theme is Colorful Colorado. Guests (ages 21+) will enjoy live music, exciting games, catered heavy appetizers, and local brews for every taste bud. Attendees will even get to meet the four-legged stars of Colorado’s Heritage Sport: racing burros! The evening’s highlight is a one-of-a-kind silent auction including getaways to some of Colorado’s best destinations.

WOW! on Tap benefits our Play for All Initiative, which provides deeply discounted memberships, field trips, and programs to low-income and under-represented families, schools, and community groups. Play For All families account for over 30% of WOW!’s membership base; a profound statement of the Museum’s commitment to serving the diverse families of our region.

“We’ve had another wonderful year of community programs and community partnerships,” said Joanna Cagan, WOW! Executive Director. “WOW! on Tap is a great way to raise a glass with our community — celebrating the power of play in all our lives. We’re so grateful for the tremendous support that makes Play For All possible, and we can’t wait to party together.”

Event: WOW! on Tap Fundraiser (This event is for grown-ups ages 21 and over )
Date: Friday, September 20th
Time: 6:00 pm-9:00 pm
Location: WOW! Children’s Museum, 110 N. Harrison Ave, Lafayette
Individual Ticket: $55.00
Couples Ticket: $100.00
Group Ticket (Includes 10): $450.00

Thank You to Event Sponsors: Scotts Roofing: Elevations Credit Union; Meyer, Walker & Walker; Matt Dolan of Raymond James: Cook, Bradford & Levy, LLC: RAKD; Mile Hi Modern; JT Kitchen and Bath; Tammy Sandoval of State Farm; Portia Noel of Guild Mortgage; StaffSscapes; Team Behnfield and Guidi at Morgan Stanley.

Thank You to Food and Beverage Donors: Cellar West; CTS; Eldorado Springs; Liquid Death; Liquid Mechanics; Mother Tucker; Superior Liquor; Crooked Stave; Wiley Roots; Eats & Sweets; Boulder Flower Farm.

Contact carly@wowchildrensmuseum.org if you are interested in adding your name to the sponsors list!
WOW! Children’s Museum strives to inspire every child’s learning and curiosity through play. For more information, visit Wow! Children’s Museum online. Connect with WOW! Children’s Museum on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

WOW! Children’s Museum is a community-supported 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

The post Win Your Next Vacation at WOW! On Tap Annual Fundraiser appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

For decades, the craft beer movement enjoyed creativity and business growth that took it to places few would have imagined. Recent years have been more challenging, but last month The Colorado Brewer’s Guild’s 2024 Collaboration Fest brought back the feeling of the party. The Westminster Westin’s ballroom was packed with long pour lines, flannel-clad brewers, a silent disco, pretzel necklaces, and enthusiastic volunteers. Big beards and even bigger beers were out in force. Few, if any, seltzers were to be found.

Chris Coyne of Boulder-based Sanitas Brewing and Mike Baraco of FlyteCo Brewing in Stapleton

Conversations with brewers showed how personal some of these beers were to them. Mike Baraco, brewer at FlyteCo Brewing in Stapleton, and Chris Coyne of Boulder-based Sanitas Brewing talked to attendees while they poured their pistachio brown ale, inspired by Baraco’s love of Newcastle Brown. “It was one of my favorites in my formative years and I wanted to do something similar but with pistachio,” Baraco said.

“We had about 15 ideas for recipes that we could have done, but this one really stuck out to me,” Coyne added. The recipe choice paid off. It was malty, slightly sweet, but saltier than Telluride’s “Face Down Brown,” long an industry standard. It was more nuanced than the sweeter Hazlenut beers that can sometimes be found in taprooms.

Across the aisle, Sam Hookway was pouring an on-point, crisp, and fragrant Hazy IPA called “Upside Down, Downside Up” for Lafayette-based Odd 13 Brewing, as well as by Boulder-based Wild Provisions, and Broomfield-based 4Noses Brewing, and out-of-state Streetside Brewing. “This is what the industry is about. The camaraderie and doing fun things with your friends. Garret at Streetside is one of my best friends and it was amazing to make this beer with him,” he said.

Zach Nichols, owner, and head brewer at Lafayette-based Cellar West, created a wild beer with Juice Draper, Head Brewer at Oskar Blues’ original facility in Lyons. It was a blend of Oskar Blues blonde wild ale from Lyons and Cellar West’s oak-aged wild beers. The combined beers were re-fermented with Oregon wild grains and then lightly dry-hopped.

Nichols explained how the beers came to be. “Juice is an old friend of mine from when we both worked at Boulder Beer. We knew the collab fest was coming up and he mentioned that he could bring over some growlers of his wild beer. We tasted some of our beers to come up with a blend to play with.” This beer epitomized how creative, nuanced, and approachable wild beers can be even when their creation is complicated.

Very Nice Brewing in Nederland collaborated with BJ’s Brewing to create a recipe featuring Kveik, a Viking Yeast, and cannabis terpenes, Owner and head brewer Jeffrey Green explained the thought behind the beer. “Hops and Cannabis are very similar. They can actually be grafted onto each other. It’s just another playground we can play with.” The THC-free result was more refreshing than dank and it showed how cannabis can taste in a glass.

Fritz Family Brewers of Niwot and Idaho Springs-based Tommyknocker Brewing, created two pilsners using different hops, asking attendees to taste them side-by-side. The effort was especially notable because Fritz’s brewer Cory Buenning spent some of his earliest brewing days at Tommyknockers before leaving to brew in other parts of the U.S.The two brewers remain close even after years away and this was a chance for them to work together again.

It was a statewide event with plenty of other area brewers pouring from behind tables. Lafayette’s Liquid Mechanics created a barrel-aged Munichwine with Loveland’s Verboten Brewing. Wibby Brewing paired with Danico Brewing and Cerveceria Colorado to create a Schwartzbier. The Pumphouse from Longmont and Denver Beer Co in Arvada created a Witbier while Gravity Brewing in Louisville paired with Guanella Pass Brewers and Strange Craft to create a Belgian Brut beer.

These beers, representing connections to Boulder-area brewers, are just a portion of what was available. I left filled with beer, surprised, and again amazed at the creativity and passion that was there. It’s always been part of the industry and it’s why I’ll always return for another pour.

The post Collabfest 2024 Breaks Through Expectations appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Press Releases are provided to Yellow Scene. In an effort to keep our community informed, we publish some press releases in whole.

The Louisville Chamber of Commerce welcomes back its annual beer festival, for the second year, this month. Pints in the Park will be held on Saturday, September 2nd, from 4pm-8pm, at Community Park.

“We are thrilled to host Pints in the Park again this year! We had a great turnout at our past festivals, and we expect this year to be even bigger,” says Executive Director, Eric Lund.

“Colorado’s ever-growing love of microbrews has given way to a number of great breweries, distilleries and craft breweries and we are excited to be able to tap into them at Pints in the Park!”

Pints in the Park is a 21 and older event that will feature breweries from all around the area, food from local restaurants, and live music by local cover band Moon Project featuring hits from the 70’s, 80’s and more! Tickets are limited and on sale now for $45 to as low as $10 for designated drivers at https://louisvillechamber.com/pints-in-the-park/. Tickets will be sold at the gate for $55.00 the day of the event.

“We created this festival to give our community another opportunity to come together,” notes Chamber Events and Marketing Manager, Elaine Khuu, “It’s exciting that we can do that while adding to a piece of modern Colorado culture by celebrating the art of craft brewing with the local community and visitors!”

For more information: https://louisvillechamber.com/pints-in-the-park/

The post 10th Annual Pints in the Park Returns Saturday, September 2nd appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Press Releases are provided to Yellow Scene. In an effort to keep our community informed, we publish some press releases in whole.

Adding something for everyone is a goal for the Greeley Stampede. Over the years, special events have been added to the annual celebration to bring more diversity to the entertainment. The 2023 Greeley Stampede is going to be bringing back some classics as well as add some new events to add even more excitement this year!

Barn Dance – Hosted by Country Kickup
Friday, June 23 at 7:30pm in the 4H Building
Included with park admission or arena event ticket
Dust off those boots and come dance the night away with Country Kickup at the Greeley Stampede Barn Dance. Need to freshen up your dance moves? Come early for lessons starting at 5:30pm.

Hot Rods & Horsepower
Saturday, June 24 at 11am
The 4^th annual Stampede Hot Rods & Horsepower car show will feature more than 70 classic cars and custom hot rods. The cars will be on display around the south side of the park until 6pm when they join the Daily Parade in the Park.

Brickies Creation Festival – Presented by Oxy
Saturday, June 24
Registration required to compete
Do you love to build and have unique ideas? If so, join us for a fun and competitive day of Lego® building! See what you can create with the provided blocks to match this year’s theme of Celebrating Our Community. For more information, visit nolacreativecompany.com/greeley-stampede.

Boots and Bling – Presented by NoCo Healthcare and Health By Design Chiropractic
Monday, June 26 at 4:30pm
THIS EVENT SOLD OUT
An exclusive event for women promoting western lifestyle and the sport of rodeo while raising money for A Woman’s Place. Ticket includes: two drink tickets, hors d’oeuvres, club level seating to the Tough Enough to Wear Pink PRCA ProRodeo, guest speakers and more.

New Tacos and Tequila – Presented by Luna’s Tacos and Tequila with support by Corral Bay Wine & Spirits
Tuesday, June 27
Cost per ticket: $50 (Space is limited)
Pick a flight of five featured tequilas while enjoying tacos from Luna’s under the shade of the North Forty special events tent presented by Greeley Nissan & Greeley VW. Ticket includes tequila flight, three tacos from Luna’s, and one-day park admission.

Whiskey and Cigar Tasting – Presented by Brad Inhulsen, Sears Real Estate
Wednesday, June 28
Cost per ticket: $50 (Space is limited)
Select, learn and sample a flight of five featured whiskeys or scotch while enjoying a cigar under the shade of the North Forty special events tent presented by Greeley Nissan & Greeley VW. Ticket includes a flight, one premium cigar, and one-day park admission.

Tea with the Queen – Presented by Norfolk Iron and Metal
Thursday, June 29^th at 4:30pm
Cost per ticket: $20 (Space is limited)
Kids ages 6-8 are invited to have tea and treats with Miss Rodeo Colorado 2023, Randilyn Madison! Activities during the event include a crowning ceremony (crown and sash included), tea time, photos, and a ride in the daily parade.

Zumba in the Park – Presented by QT Mechanical
Saturday, July 1 at 10am at the Pavilion
Start your Saturday right by coming out to the park before gates open for a morning Zumba workout with local instructors.

Boots and Bags Cornhole Tournament – Presented by Flatiron Steel
Saturday, July 1 at 12pm
Registration Required (Space is limited)
Compete at the second annual Stampede cornhole tournament! Recreational or competitive teams can register to compete at coloradocornholeconnection.com.

Touch-A-Truck – Presented by Ken Garff Ford of Greeley
Sunday, July 2 from 11am-3pm
Included with Park Admission
Guests are invited to get up close and hands-on with some amazing large-scale trucks, tractors and vehicles. Want to register your vehicle to be a part of the event? E-mail kennidi@greeleystampede.org for more information.

Family Funday Sunday – Presented by Bucklen Equipment
Saturday, July 2 at 3pm
Join us for an afternoon of family fun with traditional community events that pay tribute to the original Spud Day Rodeo. Activities include: pie eating contest, potato sack races, mascot foot race and more! No register required to participate, but space is limited for each event.

New Craft Beer Fest – Featuring Breckenridge Brewery
Sunday, July 2
Cost per ticket: $30 (Space is limited)
Enjoy limited and exclusive tastings from local craft breweries under the shade of the North Forty special events tent presented by Greeley Nissan & Greeley VW. Ticket includes your choice of five craft beer tastings, souvenir cup, and one-day park admission.

Tickets for the special events that require one including Tacos and Tequila, Whiskey and Cigar, Tea with the Queen, and the Beer Fest can be purchased by calling the ticket office at 720-600-8669 Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 10am-2pm or Wednesday from 12pm-6pm. You can also now purchase tickets in-person at the 11^th Avenue ticket office located East of the arena parking lot during the ticket office hours. For general questions about the special events, email info@greeleystampede.org

ABOUT THE GREELEY STAMPEDE: The Greeley Stampede, a 501(c)4 nonprofit corporation, is the Colorado’s premiere summer western celebration. The 2023 Greeley Stampede is scheduled for June 22-July 4. This longstanding event has grown in diversity and popularity since its inception and has provided music and rodeo entertainment to hundreds of thousands of people every summer. The Stampede has been inducted in the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame and received many awards including PRCA Mountain States Large Rodeo of the Year, RMCMA Event of the Year and listed in the US Today Top 10 rodeos.. For more information about the Greeley Stampede visit www.greeleystampede.org.

The post Whiskey, Tacos, Legos & More at the 2023 Greeley Stampede appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

[NATIONAL]

• Ex-president Donald Trump is indicted for payments to porn star Stormy Daniels in an attempt to squash news of his affair, which occurred just 4 months after Trump’s wife Melania gave birth. He previously announced the day of his arrest, which, like most of his statements, turned out to be false. He pleaded not guilty to all 34 charges.
• Nashville school shooting leaves 6 dead, including 3 nine-year olds in the latest string of gun related tragedies plaguing the nation, making this over 130 mass shootings in 2023 so far.
• Lori Lighfoot (D) comes in third place, losing her Chicago mayoral reelection bid which historically has seen the incumbent remain in power for decades.

[INTERNATIONAL]

• Mass protests spread in Paris following the proposed raising of the retirement age. While France is looking at raising it from 62 to 64, we could learn a thing or two about solidarity in the face of stripped benefits.
• UBS takes over one of its largest competitors, Credit Suisse, in a buyout following news of the bank’s fragility.
• Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovic is detained by Russia who accuses him of spying.
• Fire in a detention center for migrants that have been sent back from the U.S. to Mexico kills at least 38 people trapped in the facility.
• Archaeologists have found evidence of horseback riding that pushes the domestication date of these animals back to about 5,000 years ago.

[LOCAL]

• North Boulder was placed under a shelter in place order for several hours after a standoff with armed suspect near 17th and Yarmouth.
• Prop 125 took effect this month allowing sellers of beer to also stock wine on their shelves. Expect more and more faux wine snobs to come out of the woodwork.
• Jenna Ellis, one of Trump’s numerous former lawyers, has been rightly censured in Colorado over fabricated statements regarding the 2020 elections.
• Lauren Boebert announces her underage son will soon be a father, having impregnated an even younger girl. Boebert will be a grandmother at age 36. 
• CU Boulder signed a football player to their program that is under investigation by the El Paso County sherriffs dept for rape, sexual assault, and sexual exploitation of a minor. A petition to expel him is currently circulating but the administration has made no decision by the date this was published.
• Denver East high school experiences a shooting with two injuries and the death of the shooter. Students staged a protest at the State capitol in a plea for lawmakers to do something.

Small Talk

“I have looked into the terrified eyes of many children after they’ve been shot and tried to comfort them… I tell them they’re in a safe place now, but in my heart, I don’t know if they are.” – Dr. Halden Scott on treating child survivors of mass shootings. 

“Aurora Civil Service Commission quietly approved a package of changes to entry-level hiring rules for police and firefighters, giving the commission… the ability to hire candidates whose backgrounds include caveats that would have previously gotten their applications thrown out.” – according to the Colorado Sentinel‘s In The Blue project.

“To all the trans youth who may be affected by this legislation: we stand by you, and we will not stop fighting. You are cherished. You are loved. You belong,” – Kentucky ACLU on the State passing a bill that, among other restrictions, bans all gender-affirming medical care for those under 18.

“The police department is destroyed. City Hall is destroyed. The county courthouse is damaged. The fire department is devastated. There’s no grocery store that’s operable in the community.” – US Rep. Bennie Thompson on the tornado that devastated Rolling Fork, Mississippi.

“What you’re telling me is, you don’t mind  infringing free speech to protest children [from drag show readings] but when it comes to children that have died, you don’t give a flying f*ck to stop that because ‘that shall not be infringed.’ That is hypocrisy at its highest order.” – Jon Stewart to Oklahoma State Senator Nathan Dahm during their conversation on drag shows and gun rights.

By the Numbers 

11 – Candidates still in the Denver mayoral race as voting comes to a close, with Mike Johnston and Kelly Brough now facing each other in a top-two runoff.

19% – American children deaths are from gun violence, now the leading cause of death for those under 18.

48% – Superior residents are renters according to 2020 census data reviewed by Mayor Mark Lacis.

311,000 – Jobs added last month in an already strong labor market 

47% – Of all building and permit fees for the Town of Superior have been issued as rebates to residents wishing to rebuild.

The post Month in Review | April 2023 appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Editor’s Note: Press Releases are provided to Yellow Scene. In an effort to keep our community informed, we publish some press releases in whole.

April’s Theme of the Month

Sustainable Earth

As you may know, Earth is what we Tappists call Outworld, and it has all the planetary requirements for beer! To further educate our visitors, we have an installation at a museum exhibit explaining the elements of Earth beer. At Outworld, we are committed to using locally sourced ingredients in both our food and beer. For instance, our upcoming Fruit Saison uses only locally sourced fruits, and all our meat is sourced from Lombardi, a local supplier. In addition, we practice sustainable waste management by composting our food waste. Moreover, we are organizing an East Longmont Farmer’s Market and would love to know if you are interested in supporting it. Lastly, we want to give a shout-out to Earth-centric organizations, laboratories, and eco-friendly companies in Longmont such as NCAR, NOAA, and ESRI for their work in earth science research and conservation. We also want to recognize eco-friendly businesses in Boulder, including Independent Motors and Clean Conscience. These companies are making a positive impact on the environment, and we encourage our customers to support them as well.

Let’s work together to make our world a better place!

UPCOMING EVENTS

4/17 Week
Wed – Geeks Who Drink 7 pm
Fri – Fun with Friends/Family – Bring a Game, Play One of Ours 2-8 pm
Fri – Dungeons and Dragons @Uxmal
Fri – Hefeweizen Beer Release

4/24 Week
Wed – Geeks Who Drink 7 pm
Thu – Sci-Fi Book Club w/ Ally
Fri – Fun with Friends/Family – Bring a Game, Play One of Ours 3-9 pm
Fri – Final Fridays w/Catalyst 5-8 pm 

GET YOUR EVENT TIX HERE!

STILL READING?

If you’ve read all the way through this newsletter, you’ve read more than most! We are excited to announce that we will soon offer lunch service and online ordering for delivery and pick-up through our website, Toast, DoorDash, Uber Eats, Easy Eats, and Grubhub. Stay tuned for more updates on this!

Second, we have a new sign Outworld sign! This month, take a picture with the sign, post it to social media, show us, and get 10% off your check.

Additionally, we want to remind you that “escape pod” seating is reserved for parties of 3 or more during busy times, and the best seat is at the bar, where you can enjoy faster drinks, and food, and chat about the beer.

In honor of Earth Month, Outworld Brewing is proud to announce our new “Green Growler” promotion! Every Wednesday throughout the month of April, customers who bring in their own growler will receive $2 off their pour!

Finally, Colorado Pint Day glasses will be sold for $10 with beer, and $6 without. Join us in celebrating Earth Month and let’s do our part in protecting the planet, one pint at a time!

The post A SCI-FI/ FANTASY- THEMED BREWPUB. COME EXPERIENCE THE DIFFERENCE. appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Even when you anticipate it
the sting pulses through you
whether it’s a love interest
who picked someone else
or the local poetry festival
that rejected your work
as unsurprising as it is.
It still hurts.
It’s a big shit sandwich
you have to eat.
It’s reality.
and before you move on
to someone else
and buckle down
and work at writing better poems,
you silently wonder why
and replay everything
possibly wrong
over bourbon
and beers
and an 8 ball of cocaine
and you drink your failures
and snort your rejection
through a dollar bill in
the bathroom
as the drip and the rush
simply say
fuck them.
You consume it.
Consume it all
as it consumes you.
You go back to your stool,
down another shot
and the bartender
brings you another round
and throws the empty bottle,
your life
in the garbage
and you clank with the other
discarded lives
as the hip, academic poets
read down the street
and the person you want
the most
is not with you
and you find someone else
for just the evening
if you’re lucky
to fill the empty time
and to ease anything.
The sprinklers turn on at 5
just before the sun rises
and you come down
with failures and rejections still
reminiscing in the first beam
of light as you write it down.

– Ian A Dundas

The post Rejection | Whiskey and Words appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Editor’s Note: Press Releases are provided to Yellow Scene. In an effort to keep our community informed, we publish some press releases in whole.

Windsor, CO February 28, 2023: William Oliver’s is excited to announce the official grand opening of their third location in Windsor, Colorado. 

William Oliver’s opened their first location in Fort Collins ten years ago and a second location in Lafayette six years ago.

“We are very excited to have our Grand Opening in Windsor finally,” said William Oliver’s owner Ryan Wallace, “we began this project in September of 2021. It has been a long build-out, but the support of the Town of Windsor and the community has been phenomenal.”

William Oliver’s Windsor has held their “Soft Open” to the public since February 15, 2023, and it is now time to launch the new pub officially. “The Soft Open gave our crew a chance to learn the unique items that make each pub special,” said Maggie Trees Keenan, General Manager of William Oliver’s Windsor, “the feedback from the community has been so kind. Our guests have graciously welcomed us to the community during our two-week soft opening period, and we are extremely excited to get to know more of our wonderful neighbors and friends.”

William Oliver’s Windsor opens for lunch at 11 am and stays open until 2 am, seven days a week.

Social Media: IG @williamoliverswindsor

About William Oliver’s Public House:

William Oliver’s Public House is Northern Colorado’s first dedicated whiskey and bacon bar. In addition to whiskey from all over the world, William Oliver’s carries beer, spirits, and wine produced exclusively in Colorado. William Oliver’s goal is to be the quintessential Colorado pub and neighborhood hangout.

Photo credit: John Robson Photography

The post William Oliver’s Windsor Grand Opening appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Pouring stout. Photo credit: Deborah Cameron

Boulder County is ready.

The second month of the year is still darker and colder than we’d like. Unless you’re planning to hit the slopes or strap on a pair of snowshoes in Rocky Mountain National Park, storms that would have seemed cozy in December now seems like an aggravation that requires us to navigate icy roads and pull the snow blower out one more time.

But there’s a bright spot. February is stout month.

The delicious tradition was established by Mountain Sun Pub and Brewery in 1994 and it’s an anticipated high spot during a slower part of the year. It also honors the creativity and deliciousness inherent in darker, maltier beers that take center stage during winter.

Over the years, Mountain Sun menu of beers has remained incredibly extensive and probably one of the best showcases you’ll find for carefully crafted stouts. When kegs run dry they’re replaced with something equally interesting. We’re talking thin mint stout, chai stout, Belgian stouts, hoppy stouts, pastry stouts, coffee stouts and maybe even a white stout.

True stout lovers go multiple times and you should too. At the same time, other taprooms in the area will also be showcasing their darker labors of love. Try them as well. We’ve got a list of highlights below.

Left Hand Brewing

This brewery showcases a lot of stouts, and while their February lineup wasn’t available at press time, there are plenty of standard options available every winter that are worth trying. Of course, their Milk Stout Nitro is a nationally distributed classic with peanut butter and other versions. But we will always have a soft spot for their Wake Up Dead Russian Imperial Stout, which was our introduction to the high ABV, sweet but not too sweet style that will knock you off your barstool in short order. 

Outworld Brewing

Outworld brewing on Hwy 119 is a unique sci-fi fantasy themed restaurant with a brewer that knows how to brew a dark beer. Their Midnight Robber is a Caribbean rum barrel aged export stout with flavors of coffee, chocolate and dried fruit. They’ve also got a follow up to their previously brewed Black is Beautiful Brew, originally created as a benefit beer in June, 2020 to call attention to injustices faced by people of color. This newly crafted beer is an Imperial Milk Stout with an ABV of 9%. It’s chocolate notes are also flavored with cinnamon and guajillo chilis for a spicy hit of deliciousness.

Collision Brewing

If you’re looking to try an Irish Stout that’s not Guinnes, head to Collision Brewing, located just up the road from Outworld. This dry stout is well made and classic, with notes from darker malts and a fuller body showing through. At 7.1 percent ABV, its not the smallest stout you can order, but it also isn’t the largest.

Finkel and Garf

Located in Niwot on Lookout Road, the team at Finkel and Garf don’t hesitate to show off their brewing chops by competently crafting beers in a range of styles. No surprise – they’re proficient at making a stout as anyone. Their tasty milk stout is one to try, but they also do imperial stouts and pastry stouts. We don’t know what specialties they’ll have brewing for February, but we’ll be sure to stop by and see.

Westbound and Down Mill

Lots of people seek out Westbound and Down for their stouts. Originally in Idaho Springs, when they moved to 95th and Arapahoe in Lafayette, that meant that people in our area didn’t have to go far to access them. Their oatmeal stout is a classic, and their imperial stout is a classic example of their style. In Lafayette, diners can also order a handcrafted, wood fired pizza that pairs well with the malt and hops in their glass.

Avery Brewing

In this case, we’ve saved some of the biggest options for last. And by biggest we mean biggest ABV. Beloved for decades, there was a time when the eye-popping ABV levels of Gunbarrel-based Avery stouts and imperial stouts led the way in creating larger beers than anyone thought. If you want to expand your stout experience this February, don’t dismiss old guard options like Uncle Jacobs stout, Rumpkin Night Watchman and more.

The post It’s February and it’s Stout Month | In The Cups appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Boulder County’s distilled spirits are standing tall in some of the best competitions in the world. Case in point: earlier this spring Spirit Hound, the nearly decade old distillery, in Lyons took home Whisky of the World for its single-malt whisky at this year’s London Spirits Competition. It scored 96 points and earned best in show for the competition which is known for highlighting the best spirits worldwide. It was the only US-based whisky to win gold. 

We talked to Co-founder and Head Distiller Craig Englehorn and Spirit Hound’s new Chief Executive Officer Brad Stevenson, who was the former COO of Founders Brewing. Englehorn shared about the night he learned they won the award.

“I was up in my office and my events coordinator was with me. I got a congratulations email from a UK magazine. I turned to her and asked if we got notified that we won whisky of the year. She said she didn’t think so. We started doing internet searches and I saw an article headline that said ‘US Wins Big in London spirits competition.’ Turns out, the competition announcement went into spam and we didn’t see it right away.”

There’s been a lot of activity at the brewery since that fortuitous notification. Stevenson said they’re now getting visits from people who had often driven the distinctive brown sign that marks Spirit Hound’s entrance on Ute Hwy/Hwy 36 just before Lyons’ downtown. More liquor stores and distributors are calling.

Overall, the distillery said the award drove 125% sales growth. Even before the win, the Spirit Hound team was looking at expansions and are even planning to add on to the building and expand. Now there’s even more exciting growth.

Photo by Deborah Cameron

When we stopped by the distillery, the prize winner was out of stock, but we had a close version of the award winner. “All of our malt whisky is made from the same recipe and are aged single barrel,” said Stevenson, “Very similar profiles.”

When we sampled the single malt and noted some peat profile, smoothness and some oak. We also tried it in a Robert Burns cocktail with Spirit Hound vermouth, a cherry infusion, cacao bitters, walnut extract and orange peel. We recommend both.

Avery Brewing Reunion Collab at Call to Arms

Chris Bell, former Avery Brewing Company brewer and founder of Call to Arms Brewing reunited over a dozen former Avery friends and co-workers for a collaboration last month.

“I began to work at Avery in 2011. It was an amazing experience,” Bell said. “We brewed in the Avery alley and the best thing about that location is the people. My former boss there is now our production manager. We talked about what it would be like to get everyone together. Things went from there.”

Bell estimated that there may be as many as a half dozen breweries that have been founded by Avery alumni. In addition to Call to Arms, participating breweries for the collaboration included current Avery Brewing staff, Denver Beer Co, Ska Brewing, The Rayback, Rocky Mountain Barrel Co., Harmonic Brewing, New Belgium Brewing, Lawson’s Finest Liquids, Stonecloud Brewing, and Station 26 Brewing.

Photo by Deborah Cameron

“This was a great opportunity for all of us to get back together, make beer together, reminisce about making beer in several storage units in the Alley, which is what we did. We even had people flying in from both coasts, California and Vermont. Adam [Avery] was able to make it. It was amazing.”

The group brewed a 6.3%, fruit-forward, tart, tropical IPA. It was made with citra, waimea, galaxy, cashmere, and riwaka hops. The beer is currently available in 16 oz cans and in draft at breweries. Craft beer fans can view a video of the day at: https://f.io/pf1bIOGX

The post Spirit Hound Colorado Whisky Wins Worldwide Honor / Avery Brewers Reunite | In the Cups appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

This month: Five Surprising Facts about the Fourth of July

Source: Parade.com

Americans eat enough hot dogs on the Fourth to stretch end-to-end across the country five times over.

Photo: Jay Wennington via Unsplash

After eating spoiled fruit at a July 4, 1850 celebration, President Zachary Taylor died.

One World Trade Center in New York is 1,776 feet tall to commemorate the year the U.S. declared its independence.

Photo: Lucas Franco via Unsplash

Three presidents have died on July 4: Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and James Monroe.

As of 2016, July 4 is the number one holiday for beer sales in the U.S.

Photo: Yiran Ding via Unsplash

The post French’s 5 | June 2022 appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Photo: Deborah Cameron

Summer time is camping time in Colorado. For many of us, camping time is drinking time. We’ve got our canned, craft beer and seltzer for hiking and water sports, and many of us stock our camping site for after hours with a nice clean whiskey, a dark, roasty stout, or a portable cocktail kit that makes anyone a rustic mixologist.  

We’re here to help make sure you don’t wind up camp drinking the same way you’ve been doing it for years. Sure, it’s easy to break open a can of something you are used to, but we have three ways to shake up your routine. 

Put a Hot Poker in Your Dark Beer

If you think beer is always supposed to be served cold, we’re asking you to reconsider. Immediately. Throughout history, there’ve been many instances where beer has been served as a hot drink, and that trend is on the way back.

As you set out to camp this year, consider bringing a four or five-foot, relatively clean and heat-safe, metal poker along with your camping supplies. If the night is a little chilly at altitude and you’re camping where a fire is allowed (and please be careful about this given the state’s well-warranted fire bans), heat your metal poker in the fire for 15 minutes or so. Once you’re sure it’s heated through, pour a strong, dark beer halfway up a thick metal or glass cup. Let the head settle, rest it on a table or tree stump, and then place the poker in it. You won’t need to hold it for more than a minute or so. When a thick foam rises at the top, it’s done.

We tried this last fall at Longmont’s Primitive Beer and were amazed at the experience. The flavor of the beer tastes different, sweeter or with a more-forward maltiness, and the foam tastes like marshmallows. We’ll say it again – marshmallows. We were also surprised that the beer didn’t get that hot. After the foam settled we repeated the poker-ing process two more times. By the third time, the beer was at its most hot and flavorful.

Photo: Deborah Cameron

Use Snow Like Hawaiian Shaved Ice 

We know it’s the middle of summer and that it’s hot, but one of the things about Colorado is that it’s possible to always be around snow. If you’re camping or hiking, or on a river at altitude and there is snow around, it can be a really fun drink ingredient. Either collect fresh and clean snow in a cooler when you’re out and bring it back to camp or pack some drink supplies on your day’s adventure. 

Once you’ve collected the snow, you have a lot of options for how to work with it. Firstly, know that just about any drink that uses ice can use snow. You can firmly pack it into snowballs and substitute it for ice cubes, or you can leave it nice and loose to make a frozen margarita or your favorite adult slushy. If you’re making a slushy, keep the airy snow in the glass first, mix your cocktail ingredients separately, and then drizzle them over the snow. We tried it last year and found it was hilarious. Full disclosure, we had a tough time working with the snow because it melted pretty quickly. but this year is going to be different. We’ll bring a better cooler and work faster. We’re going to get it down.

Photo: Deborah Cameron

Replenish with a Cocktail

If you live for adrenaline adventures, you probably had an active day while camping. Even though you may want to relax after with some nutritious food and an adult beverage, the right mixer can help you combine your alcohol with more functional ingredients. 

An example of one of these, made here in Boulder, is Mortal Power. It’s a sparkling beverage from the makers of Mortal Kombucha with varieties that include electrolytes, magnesium, and collagen that help you replenish while you relax.

Aside from these benefits, it’s delicious and lower in sugar than other similar products. Be aware though, the mixer’s probiotics are often negated by alcohol. If you want to fully take advantage of its benefits, Power or other mixers work just as well in a mocktail or as something to sip on its own.

The post Camp Drinking: Three New Ways to Fill Your Cup Outdoors | In The Cups appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Celtic Fest Returns! – Celtic crafts, clans, music, and beer on tap at St. Brigit’s

FREDERICK, CO – After a two-year COVID-induced break, Celtic Fest returns to Frederick, CO in an expanded two-day version Sept. 24-25, 2022. Started in 2017, the festival annually drew more than a thousand attendees to the grounds of host St. Brigit Episcopal Church. Back now, bigger and better than ever after a two-year hibernation, the 2022 version will feature Colorado’s well-known RenScots, along with music on the main stage by Denver-based Angus Mohr and Gadbaw & Krimmel. Visitors can quench their thirst with a visit to The Oak and Cloak Pub and enjoy St. Brigit’s famous Bath Water Beer, brewed by Longmont brewery Grossen Bart.

Editor’s Note: Press Releases are provided to Yellow Scene. In an effort to keep our community informed, we publish some press releases in whole.

David and Shelly Arnold, 2022 event coordinators, extend an invitation to the community: ”If you’ve been missing community and family-friendly fun, don’t miss the return of Celtic Fest. You can discover your clan, dance to great music, thrill to the skirl of the bagpipes and drums, meet new friends around the bonfire, and reconnect with the friends you’ve been missing. You’ll need two days to enjoy it all.” Vendors offering food and craft items will take over the 7.5-acre grounds, along with Celtic contests and heritage crafts.

Organizers are enrolling sponsors for festival events including whisky tasting, a parade, kirkin’ o’ the tartans, and a ceremony honoring first responders and military personnel. Volunteers from the community and sponsoring businesses are also needed. Admission to the festival ranges from $5.00 for a one-day child’s ticket (under 5 years, free) to $25 for a two-day adult pass. All proceeds will help feed the hungry in Carbon Valley.

For more information, contact David Arnold, Celticfestbrigit@gmail.com;  cell: 303-815-8116.

St. Brigit Episcopal Church hosts the annual Celtic Fest in Frederick, CO on its grounds at 110 Johnson St. Event specifics:

• Festival Hours

11 AM to 7 PM Saturday Sept. 24; 11 AM to 4 PM Sunday Sept. 25.

All are welcome to attend Worship in the Glen, 9:30 AM on Sunday (no admission fee)

• Festival Tickets:

Adults (12 and up) – One-day $15.00; Two-day $25.00

Children (6-11) – One-day $5.00; Two-day $7.50

Children under 5 – free

Seniors (65+) – One-day $10.00; Two-day $17.50

The post Celtic Fest Returns! – Celtic crafts, clans, music, and beer on tap at St. Brigit’s appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Libations that make our lives worthwhile

We raise our collective glasses to toast the vintners, the distillers, the brewers, and the baristas who spend their lives, their love, their money, and their energy on keeping us libated, liquored up, awake, and loose. We love a summer sip, to dance under stars when the wine hits, to shoot vodkas with strangers in random bars, and to recall it all over a cup of coffee.

As F. Scott Fitzgerald said, “Here’s to alcohol, the rose-colored glasses of life.”

(All photography by De La Vaca unless otherwise stated.)

Image by Joshua Smith

BOCO Cidery – English Style Cider

I’m told this is their flagship cider. It’s Washington Apple Juice pitched with English yeast. Their official drinking notes say that it’s “delicious apple with hints of pear and notes of caramel.” We agree that it’s delicious. Because it’s so good, it’s foundational to many of the other ciders they make. They use it as a base cider. For example, the Mango Tango, which has “a peck of peppers including Poblano, Anaheim, Habanero, and Jalapeño to create a hot dance between sweet and spicy.” Surprisingly, given I tend to dislike pepper drinks, the blending here is nuanced and definitely delicious.

The Sink – Passion Fruitini

“It’s a little sophisticated, sweet-savory drink,” my favorite bartender tells me. “It’s got passion fruit, lime, citrus vodka, a splash of simple syrup, and topped with a champagne floater.” Our bartender has created this cocktail himself, so you can’t find it anywhere else; he’s only been bartending for three months and already a mixologist. Some people are born for the bar life. It’s a large drink, at 10oz, and gorgeously presented. Take a date for the casual bar fare – or a fancy burger – then spice it up with this high-level libation. Everything about this drinks screams “yessss, please enjoy me and then order another.”

Mountain Cowboy Brewing Company – Sassy Sarsaparilla

“This take on a White Russian is a hand-crafted cocktail made with our house root beer” – yes, they make their own in house – vodka, coffee liqueur, and a splash of cream. It looks like a root beer float with the heavy cream floating on top, and it tastes like you’re getting a buzz at a 1950s soda fountain. Ron (the co-owner with his wife) tells me they may get to canning it one day after I joke that I want it at home on a warm movie night. All the concoctions are made in house. They’re definitely killing it in Frederick, CO.

West Side Tavern – Paper Plane (Bada Bing, and Old Fashioned)

Some people are born to entertain. Wes is an old school cocktail guy, having won awards in Vegas for his creations. He guarantees his Old Fashioned is the best you’ve ever had, but starts with a Paper Plane. It’s a classic 1940s libation, equal parts rye, Aperol, lemon, and amaro. Shake it, serve it up, lick your lips, and wonder why you’ve been missing out. Wes also folded a paper plane, put it on a skewer, and laid it on top. I could tell you about the Bada Bing, but I’m not going to. This place is delectable and your visit is required.

The Old Mine – Cider Flight

These, I’m told, are the core ciders that are always going to be around. The Handlebar started it all and is enough to hold down the entire shop. It’s “a burst of refreshing apple fruitiness and a hint of tartness… liquid gold.” My flight is rounded off with Crisp Pear (same process as Handlebar, different fruit). And lastly we have Colorado Sunshine. Citra hopped, like a smooth, apple-infused IPA, it’s the cider of choice for discerning craft beverage drinkers. It’s my favorite. Lastly we had a hibiscus citrus pear. They’re all fantastic.

Image: Western Pine Photography

24 Carrot – Farmer’s Daughter

I know – living in the country – a few farmer’s daughters. Few I like as much as this drink. This huckleberry-infused vodka, cucumber, lemon, balsamic, and agave godsend is the cocktail that started it all when they opened six years ago. The manager told me, “It’s a little sour, a little sweet, and really balanced, really refreshing with the cucumber. A great patio drink.” I concur, sir. I was loving the muddled cucumber and I have to say it’s one of the few drinks I finished in this round of reviews.

DV8 Distillery – The Pride (and an Espresso Vodka)

I first had a Pride during one of their massive parties. Maybe the bartender was tired? This one was fantastic and changed my mind. It’s a party drink but it also speaks to the identity of DV8, which is openly queer-friendly, a safe space. Pineapple vodka, lemonade, and a splash of a few other things and voilà… delicious. The Espresso Vodka is a perfect sipper. I want to put it in a mug (with a single large cube) and watch a movie with the fire crackling and now that we’re in fall I can. Note that this is an authentic, natural infusion. This is real.

Grossen Bart – Chin Curtain IPA

I surprised GBB with my drop-in. They weren’t ready with a favorite drink. The bartender spotted a regular and yelled, “Tyler! He’s a regular. Tyler, what’s your favorite beer?” And Tyler knew, deep in his soul. Not a moment of hesitation and he says: The Chin Curtain. I must’ve looked bewildered. The name is funny and I didn’t expect it. It’s an IPA named after a beard, with an UnTapped rating of 3.8 out of 5. It’s not overly hopped, which I liked. It’s not overwhelming. It’s smooth AF. Plus, I just love the vibe of this place.

Dry Storage – Sonoran and Soda

Using Dryland Distillers’ Light Wheat Whiskey (same Sonoran grain as their bread baked), this cocktail is completed with sparkling water. Simple, elegant, hydrating. The simplicity (and whiskey style) recalls Japanese whiskeys and the grain harkens back to the bakery, making the use of Dryland for these cocktails a perfect choice. This is light, there’s water – good drinks and good nutrition matter, keeping you hydrated matters – so you can session these and drink with friends all day. We suggest the patio. It’s wonderful.

Giovanitti Coffee Roasters – Latte, Nitro Cold Brew, & Coffee Slushie

It’s a fantastic espresso, I’m told. Having lived in Europe I expect my espresso served as a shot. I do love a latte though, and this double shot had me living my best life in a matter of minutes. I followed with a Nitro Cold Brew tasting. These have never been great to me but this one is done right. Lastly, and most fun, is the Coffee Slushie. Cold brewed coffee, organic oat milk, topped with hazelnut flavoring. I took this one to go.

Bookcliff Vineyards – Malbec Reserve

“Our Malbec Reserve is different from our regular in that it is aged longer in Oak (18 months), comes from our most prized vineyards – that is the Hawk Ridge region of the valley – and is one of our most popular wines.” Malbec grows well in CO and Bookcliff is doing a fantastic job cultivating it. It’s to the drier side, full-mouthed with a softer nose than I expected. Excellent tannins and legs for days. It’ll cellar well so you can grab a few bottles to spice up a meal. It took silver in San Francisco at the International Wine Competition 2020.

INJOY Tavern* – Till the money runs out

The bar manager/mixologist/genius at INJOY told me it’s a “nod to some musicians that reference green chartreuse.” It’s a smoked glass, rye whiskey (they use Woodford Reserve Rye), green chartreuse, and sweet vermouth. The floral herbaceousness of the chartreuse stands out, as does the smoke that magically lingers. I wasn’t even at INJOY for a cocktail review but had to include this. It’s a perfect drink and officially my new favorite whiskey cocktail. *INJOY was not on my review list but it was so good I bumped one to include it.

The post 21 BOCO Drinks: Libations That Make Life Worthwhile | The 2021 Indulgence Issue appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Welcome to the year’s first Random Roundup. There’s so much weird stuff going on, events popping up and events canceling (thank you, pandemic naysayers) that we barely know what’s going on. Here’s what we’ve experienced, wanted to experience, upcoming events, and things we tasted. Reminder that we absolutely love tastings so if you have anything going on you want to invite us to, please send an email to De La Vaca at: editorial@yellowscene.com or mail us a bottle at Editorial YS, PO Box 964, Erie, CO 80516.

Rye In July

What we attended

This past month we were able to hang out with our good friends from Big Red F and get way too tipsy off some stellar whiskey. Their annual Rye in July featured some amazing offerings. Shout out the team at the West End Tavern for hosting another fantastic night of sips. Rye selections included Sagamore Spirit Distillery Select Tequila Finished, Angel’s Envy Rum-Cask Finished, Laws Whiskey House San Luis Rye, WhistlePig 10 Year Straight Rye, Michter’s Barrel-Strength Rye, and Minor Case Sherry Cask Finish.

Whiskey ambassadors from Sagamore Spirit Distillery and Laws Whiskey House were there to guide us through the tasting experience. Best part being the in-house made appetizers and accompaniments, which ended up being incredibly delicious and very large amounts of food. Hey WET, please always do this. Count us in.

Things we wanted to attend

WET also hosted their 13th-Annual Jul-IPA Rooftop Party, their annual celebration of the illustrious IPA! This was a lovely rooftop party, live auction, food from the West End Tavern, live music, IPAs from 10+ badass breweries (including Dogfish Head Brewery, New Image Brewing, Bootstrap Brewing Company, Horse & Dragon Brewing Company, and others), and whiskey tastings from Sagamore Spirit Distillery and Breckenridge Bourbon. Sagamore is popular.

Be Social, that nationwide roving band of drunken miscreants and other awesome people hosted both of their annual Denver drink festivals, the summer tequila festival and the summer whiskey festival, which we’ve attended in the past. We did not attend this year because they fell in the same time frame as other events, including the Underground Music Showcase which we love and would never miss. Importantly, we’ve gotten more into our tequilas of late and we were sad to not have the opportunity to further expand our palates. Maybe they’ll invite us next year.

Rye In July

Upcoming events

Deviation Distillery is opening a location at the Dairy Block and Denver; not in our area but they are serving our favorite drink. As a massive fan of artisanal gins, knowing how good the water and botanicals are in Colorado, and what other gin distillers are doing in that area, we’re definitely going to pop in for the tasting on September 14th and you all should plan for a visit shortly thereafter. They’ll be on Blake in the alley space at the Dairy Block, not to be confused with Boulder’s Dairy Art Center.

Bottles we tasted

The good folks over at J Rutledge Distillers sent us a bottle of High Plains Rye, which we enjoyed. We’d be remiss in our reporting if we didn’t state unequivocally that this is not something that you want to drink straight and neat. I enjoyed it more with a few cubes to open it up, let it breathe, and mellow the directness of the distillation. We also enjoyed it with mixers. In our opinion, here at Yellow Scene, it’s almost impossible to mess up a whiskey. We’ve been known to drink plastic bottles of Black Velvet Canadian on occasion. That said, we do know when a whiskey is able to stand on its own. This isn’t quite there yet, but we expect the next batch or two to elevate.

Do you have anything else going on this here? Invite us. We love to come out, get a buzz, and get you some buzz for what you’re doing at your brewery, distillery, winery, bar, restaurant, or backyard shenanigan.

The post De La Vaca’s Random Roundup | In The Cups appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

From the moment you walk into Outworld Brewing’s dark, 8,000 square foot space – with vintage Star Trek episodes playing silently above the bar – two things are clear: The brewpub caters to sci-fi/fantasy fans and it isn’t afraid to do things differently. They’re also solid enough to hold up to the tough expectations faced by any new Colorado brewery.

Outworld’s beer menu is ground zero for understanding their creative approach. It stays solid enough to hold up to the tough expectations faced by any new Colorado brewery, especially in Longmont, home of behemoth beermakers Oskar Blues and Left Hand. It’s also unafraid to venture into the experimental side of brewing.   

Case in point is a Vienna Lager that swaps out a conventional brewer’s expected barley grain choice, for rye. The result is smooth, crisp, and drinkable. Taking exploration further, there’s a Belgian IPA made with local honey, lemongrass, coriander, and cumin. While you’d expect the spice to be more prominent, it plays seamlessly with the other flavors and blends into the beer’s finish. It’s why you like the beer, but you hardly notice it.

This experimentation is thanks to Mike Hall, Outworld’s brewer, who has worked throughout the U.S. and has rubbed shoulders with everyone in the industry, including Brooklyn Brewing’s Garrett Oliver. When you first meet Hall, particularly as he wears a COVID-19 protective mask that ends just above his large beard, he looks like he could either hold up a bank or make beer. When you share a glass with him, you’re glad he picked the second.

While geeks may be comfortable here, drinkers with solid beer standards have good reason to stick around.

One of the best things about Outworld is how they make their differences work for them. Like every other brewery and restaurant, they had to bend over backwards to meet a range of requirements to open safely given CIOVID-19. The brewery’s owners realized that their existing tables, which they call “escape pods” in a shout out to a space-travel theme, met some of their requirements for them.

Each section in the escape pod functions as the perfect socially distant areas for drinkers. With floor-to-ceiling metal wall enclosures surrounding the tables, there may be no other place in Boulder County – or on the Front Range for that matter – where you could enjoy food and drinks in such a protected environment.

In a time when citizens are focusing on supporting Black and minority-owned businesses, it is important to note that Outworld is Longmont’s only Black-owned brewery and one of just three Black-owned breweries in Colorado at the time of publication. This year on Juneteenth, they announced participation in a brew to support the Black Is Beautiful initiative, which was created by San Antonio Texas-based Weathered Souls Brewing Company. Weathered Souls asked breweries everywhere to brew a single stout recipe with their own twist in order to raise awareness for the injustices people of color face daily.

Outworld is in good company in joining the brew. 1,030 breweries in the U.S. and abroad are taking part, and that number is continuing to increase. 27 of these are in Colorado including Avery Brewing, Left Hand Brewing, Odd 13, and WeldWerks. All breweries are required to donate profits from their brew to an organization that is fighting injustice and Outworld is still finalizing their choice of a recipient.   

Outworld’s take on the recipe is a complex chocolate-forward imperial stout weighing in at 9.50 ABV. If you let it warm up – and you should – you’ll be treated to a taste of mandarin orange in the finish. It’s available at the bar or to take home in 32oz crowlers.

The brewery’s Co-Creator, Jeremy Williams, talked about what being part of the brew meant to him. “Weathered Souls allowed for a platform for all breweries to be able to support the community and talk about things that have been in the background for some time. It’s about helping to make a change right now. To fight for equality for all people. It’s beyond excellent. Beyond kind.”

Outworld Brewing is open Wednesday through Sunday, 3pm to 9pm. 1725 Vista View Drive, Longmont.  

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Oskar Blues Brewery, Boulder County’s behemoth craft beer maker, prides itself on bringing bold change to the craft beer industry. Now it has announced that it is going to change something new – it’s look.

The brewer has brought a retooled branding standard to its can lineup. New packaging can be found on cans of the well-known Dale’s Pale Ale, Mama’s Little Pils, Old Chub, and G’Knight beer as well as on offerings that fans are less familiar with, like their Rose for Daze and the Can-O-Bliss Tropical IPA.

Each can will feature a different, fresher look that mirrors its contents. Mama’s Little Pils features a smooth look with retro 1970’s vibes, while Old Chub’s scotch ale bears a tartan-like pattern. The Rose for Daze can is appropriately pink while the Can-O-Bliss line features a swirled, psychedelic pattern.  G’Knight and Dales pale look the most similar but are streamlined and Dale’s has lost its signature Colorado mountain imprint.

A newly designed and prominent Oskar Blues seal ties them together. It’s creative font on a bold badge is a callback to the company’s original logo.

In presenting the new look, founder Dale Katechis said, “Sometimes, there are just things we have to leave to kind of grow up a bit.” Management felt that a new look could help address some of the challenges that their growth has brought on. One of the most notable areas of growth is that Oskar Blues now makes beer in two additional facilities located in North Carolina and Texas. New branding could help ensure that all three of these regions feel appreciated.

Beyond location, the company hoped the branding change would help them clarify its name. Oskar Blues’ signature beverage, Dale’s Pale Ale, has gotten so big that some customers mistake it for the brewery.  As Senior Marketing Manager Aaron Baker explained, “We wanted to make sure that beer drinkers knew that Oskar Blues Brewery made Dale’s Pale Ale. We also want them to know that if you dig Dales, you might dig Can-O Bliss too.” 

It’s more than understandable that there’s some confusion given the kind of growth the company has experienced. After it started in 1997 as a community-focused street side restaurant in Lyons, CO, it kicked off brewing production a short two years later with just 340 barrels of beer. Two decades later, the company brewed 160,000 barrels of beer, which are distributed throughout the US and in 20 countries.

One driver of its growth was the company’s move in 2002 to can its craft beer. No other major craft brewer was doing it on a large scale at the time, but the Oskar Blues team thought it made sense. The move made brewing history and now most other beer makers are following their lead. Dales Pale Ale stands as the nation’s number 3 top selling craft can six-pack at U.S. grocery stores.

In 2015, Oskar Blues protected what the company had grown with an innovative business move that further disrupted the industry.  That year,  in response to growing financial pressures faced by medium and large sized breweries, the company began to work with Fireman Capital Partners to establish CANarchy. This business has evolved into a collection of seven other well-known craft breweries from around the country, led by Oskar Blues. Currently CANarchy is working to expand the market power of its brands and has plans to open a joint taproom in North Carolina.

Providing a new logo that represents this much evolution isn’t always easy, even when it’s necessary. The Oskar Blues team determined to not only take it on, but to tackle the project in house. The process took 6-8 months with involvement from Katechis. It also included retailer and distributor feedback. Everyone seems happy with the results and the cans are currently appearing on liquor store and grocer shelves throughout the company’s distribution area. We look forward to a new era of Oskar Blues continuing the great craft beer traditions of Colorado. 

The post Looking better with age: Boulder County’s Oskar Blues rebrands for 2020 appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Oskar Blues’ new series Can-O-Bliss is aptly named. The first of the series to launch, a tropical IPA,  fizzles lightly on your tongue, flavors of peach and citrus kiss your tastebuds signaling the hard work of the day is over. It’s the kind of the beer that I like to start my nightcap with even if it ends with something a little stronger. Not that the Can-o-Bliss is light, it boasts a 7.2 percent ABV, but it’s the perfect beer to crack open after being out in the cold, a cure for the winter blues if you will.

“It took a bit of experimenting to get there,” said Juice Drapeau, head brewer at Lyons. He mostly oversees preparing and experimenting with new hops, new methods and new beers in small batches that often unique to the taproom.

Can-o-Bliss started out as one of these beers, with a centrifuge bought specifically with this hazy beer series in mind. The centrifuge spins solids out and ejects them, leaving beer in the middle, without any exposure to oxygen.

“If you have hops with too much yeast, you lose the flavors, you end up with this sort of grassy flavor,” says Robin Mead, lab manager at the Longmont location. The centrifuge also helps monitor clarity and turbidity of the beer.  “Hazy beers are different, they’re more subjective.”

The Can-o-Bliss Tropical IPA has a complex mix of sweet and fruity and bitter hops, you can tell a lot of time, energy and experimentation has gone into this brew, which will be followed by the Can-o-Bliss Hazy IPA and Citrus IPA.

We are all dwarfed by the large stainless steel tanks as the brewers take a small group of us through the tap room, pointing out the most important parts of the process, including the machine that they use to dry hop the beer. Adding some hops in secondarily, creates a beautiful hoppy aroma in the beer. Many of the sweet yet citrusy front notes however, come from the combination of five hops, all of which have tropical aromatics or taste:  Mosaic, Azacca, El Dorado, Galaxy and Idaho 7 hops, the latter which features most prominently in the Can-o-Bliss brew.

“Flavor isn’t cut and dry, it’s variable,” Drapeau says. “It’s not a direct scale up so it takes a few batches to get there. We knew we wanted to incorporate these hops and we knew in combination of each other would yield tropical notes.”

Flavors of kiwi, pineapple and mango transport you to a luau, a tropical celebration in the middle of winter that can almost make you forget it’s snowing out your window. The Can-o-Bliss has a dankness to it, a little bit piney and papaya sweet, which is likely where the beer gets its name from, the play of words on cannabis, but don’t be fooled, there is no THC in this drink.

“We’re honoring the New England IPA, but it’s different in the amount of haziness that you can get, but this beer preserves those nuances and subtleties. You see what the hops can do and then scale it back,” Drapeau says.

The Tropical IPA is the first release in the Can-o-Bliss series, but with the government still shutdown, new beers aren’t getting approved, which could potentially delay the release of other beers in the series, and getting new or experimental brews out to the public.

“We’re sort of in limbo because the government isn’t approving new beers,” Drapeau says.

It’s not a problem Oskar Blues is facing alone, all other major and craft breweries looking for a new release in the new year will be hurt by the government shutdown, having to wait to get new beers out to the public until the government is back in session. But even then there is likely to be a backlog of new brews waiting to be approved, and it’s going to put financial strains on smaller craft breweries that are dependent on new releases either at their brewery or to liquor stores.

Oskar Blues with their 11 year-round taps and national distribution, will likely be spared some of the hardship but the frustration is the same. Brewers at Oskar Blues are busy, Drapeau says he basically creates a new beer each week, that are only distributed at the company’s tap rooms in Lyons, Longmont and Boulder. The Can-o-Bliss is just one of his many developments that aim to take the brand beyond their signature Dale’s Pale Ale.

“We became interested in this centrifuge process eight to nine years ago with how it could help the flavor of the hoppy beers and create more interesting beers going forward,” Mead says. “It’s been interesting to watch it develop over the years.”

And it’s interesting to drink. A beer that can please both the avid IPA drinker and the person who might consider themselves hops averse, since the hops are prominent but delicate.  Can-o-Bliss will be available on tap and in six and 12-pack cans nationwide, so crack one open and find your bliss, might I suggest by a heat lamp.

The post Bliss Out With Oskar Blues appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

YS sat down with Bill Campbell, president and brewer at Brewmented in Longmont, CO. He’s a lowkey genius, tech alumnus, and beer lover who had moved from making sips for fun to sips to share. And he’s sharing in a big way. Brewmented, located at 900 S. Hover, Unit C, serves as both a nano brewery and brewer supply house for the crafty beer minded among us. We had a few beers and talked. Here’s what we found out.

YS: Hi. What are we doing here?
Bill Campbell: There are a couple of ways to look at what we’re doing. I like to look at this thing as a couple of different business models all combined into one. Our nanobrewery does very small, experimental batches. Small batch beer production, high quality, lots of experimental ingredients. We can brew beers in a quick succession, which a lot of bigger breweries simply can’t do. So we’re always running through different and unique beers. We’re a home brew store, so we like to be experimental and show people what you can do right here in store. We also have guest taps. Those are beers we just happen to like a lot.

YS: What was first, the brewery supplies or …?

BC: It all kinda came in at the same time. We were looking at starting a brewery and we looked around in the industry and – really – with the closures that we’ve seen lately, we wanted to do something unique that nobody else had. What appealed to us was the fact that I’ve been homebrewing for 40 years. I’ve been going to homebrew stores for that long; they’re neat environments, but none are set up like we are. We wanted to change what the market looks like. We opened this store with the intent of having the home brew store feed into the taproom and have the taproom feed back into the home brew store. They’re tied in, in that all of our beers are produced with our store ingredients.

YS: “I guarantee you can make beer happen, because we make beer happen.”
BC: Exactly. It’s kinda fun. We get two types of folks in here: folks that love home brews and want to make beers. But we also go to the market; the statistics say that 41% of craft beer drinkers want to make their own beers but haven’t, and that’s our target market. We have a big enough area so we can do competitions, we can do presentations, we have home brew club meetings inside here, classes (and they’re all free).

YS: Kristen (PR) mentioned the women’s only club. Tell me about that.

BC: Kitty, our GM, ran them. They’re really neat. The history is, if you look at the homebrew industry, only 10% of homebrewers are women. It’s really low percentage. We looked at it and said, how do you fix that?

YS: Women love beer!

BC: And that’s a great point. They love beer. And 41% of craft drinkers want to brew, so there’s a disconnect. We need to start to look at why there aren’t many and I think the big thing is that they don’t hire women at the stores. Kitty would be the first person to say, “You want to bring women into homebrewing? Hire women.” Kitty was the first person we hired. She’s our GM. She helps run the entire storefront. Heather is our head of marketing. Kyle works in our taproom. That’s three major areas of our company that all have women. To get women inside the store, you have to attract women. They’re more comfortable coming in the store. More comfortable going to classes.

YS: It’s happening across the country, across many industries, right? These old boy networks, male only spaces, are finally being opened up to women…As they should be. We’ve historically denied access to half the country.

BC: Brewing was very much like that, too. I came out of the IT world, which used to be very dominated by males and it’s not [as much] anymore.

YS: It’s nice that your paying attention to the feminist twist; it’s not something you come across a lot when interviewing brewers and distillers. So…what got you into home brewing in the first place?

BC: I was living in Northern California, in Eureka. I had tried an Anchor Steam – it’s probably the first craft beer – and they’re from San Francisco. Someone was putting them in a van and driving them up and distributing them. It was about ‘76 and I had one in a bar and I just couldn’t believe it. It was so different from anything. I thought, “ok, how’d they make it?” I moved to Portland and I couldn’t find it there, so immediately said, “how can I recreate it?” So that’s how.

With attention to women, attention to millenials, attention to the consumer who doesn’t have a degree in fermentation sciences, Brewmented is a place for the everyday Jose, the average Jane, who want to have some fun and brew some beers. Stop in to Brewmented today to get started or check their website, brewmented.com, for classes and info. Happy Brewing.

The post Brewmented: on brews, beer supplies and feminism appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Loveland. A land to love, and not just for the open skies and outdoors. The drinking in these parts is incredible. We were up for the Arise festival at Sunrise Ranch, so we decided to pop our heads into a few of the local spots for sips and hellos with the locals keeping Loveland lushy — I mean lovely.

First up, Big Fat Pastor Spirits. Talk about a holy good time. What the distillery lacks in size, it makes up in quality and care. See, Big Fat Pastor Spirits is run by a full-time pastor: Father Hans Breuer. The distillery started as a way for Breuer to “invest in the next generation … and the only thing I could get my kids to agree on was making alcohol,” Breuer said. From their still, aptly named “Still Murray,” to their partnerships with community charities, you feel good and whole drinking Big Fat Pastor Spirits. The Holy Smokes Whiskey — reminiscent of an Islay, peat-heavy scotch — and the incredibly fragrant, smooth, cardamom-heavy Genesis Gin, make Big Fat Pastor Spirits an unforgettable, spiritual experience.   

Just around the corner, we popped into Spring44. We were flying high, which is probably why they gave us travel sized bottles to go, but let’s talk goodness. The folks at Spring44 claim to have some of the best water in the business — and for clear spirits like vodka and gin, high quality water is paramount to craft spirits. From their remote artesian spring in the Rockies, Spring44 is one of the largest producers of spirits in Colorado. The high mineral content in their water imparts a substantial mouthfeel onto their vodka. Nevertheless, Spring44’s honey-flavored vodka is unforgettable, made from local co-op Colorado Honey Company honey. It’s sweet, it’s floral, it’s a must-have for your home bar. Also notable is the Spring44 whiskey, which will be released sometime this fall. If you like bold, campfire flavors, this whiskey has your name written all over it.

Finally, in need of more suds and less spirits (it was barely 1pm), we headed over to the brand new — opened July 27th — Dratz Brewery. The brewery is inspired by it’s founder, Kerry Drake’s, family history and several beers are named after family members starting from Josias. Drätz is the original name of the family, but to avoid harassment from the English in the 1800’s, the Drätz name was dropped and changed to Drake. Kerry has been homebrewing for decades and decided to dive into the craft scene. We tried several Dratz beers, all of which are lovely, but the standout was the RAW Pineapple and Rosemary Saison, poured right from the bright tank. Delectable. Drawing on legacies and family history, reclaiming a family name lost due to oppression, and brewing very excellent beers makes Dratz a brewery must for your next road trip.

The post Loveland Libation Scene appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Yeast filters out of the beer into a vessel kept cold and bubbling for the yeast to stay active. Photo by Andrea Tritschler

The bartender lifts a pint glass to the tap. A creamy, golden wheat ale streams from one of the twenty taps at Boulder Beer Co. The Iron Lion Hefeweizen swirls in the glass. Small bubbles of carbonation pop on the side of the glass, resulting in a frothy white head.

The journey of beer from select ingredients to tap/bottle/can/keg and eventually into our stomachs is one many of us have heard in some way or another, through brewery tours or your heady friends experimenting with homebrewing.

John Giarratano, owner, operator and yeast grower at Inland Island Yeast Laboratories, is one of those beer lovers, only he spends most of his days in the lab. Inland Island sources their yeast from many different sources, some local, and others from overseas to make strains suitable for brewing beer and other alcohols .

Yeast is prolific; it lives in plants on the skins of fruits and berries, it lives in association with soil and insects, and it lives in our food.

“We have acquired yeast from bottles of beer, we’ve acquired wild yeast, which a lot of people are excited about right now,” Giarratano says. “There is yeast everywhere. There are around 10,000 kinds of yeast found all over the world.”

Eye in a microscope, Giarratano carefully feeds sugar and other nutrients to a selected strain he pulled from a Belgian beer. Like all living things, yeast needs sustenance to grow.

“When you feed yeast sugars they consume it and produce three main byproducts — CO2, alcohol, and other yeasts,” he said. “It’s very similar to brewing. You make a sugar mixture (wort) pulled from starches like hops and other grains. We feed it the same things plus nutrients and a supply of oxygen to promote growth.”

Various strains of yeast are used in other kinds of alcohol (there are over 10,000 known strains): mead, ciders, wines and whiskeys. They function the same, but like people, they each behave differently. Yeasts used for making whiskeys need to be heated to higher temperature and are more efficient converting sugar to alcohol.

Harvesting yeast for beer and the quality control process takes about a week, said Giarratano. Quality control is an important step to make sure the yeast is free of bacteria and other yeasts that would contaminate the fungus and affect the taste of the beer.

Breweries order yeast frequently. It’s a living product and has to ship cold overnight by standard mail and package carriers, which can drive up prices for brewers, especially those that don’t have a local yeast laboratory.

“It can be 20 to 40 percent of a brewer’s total order cost and there’s nothing you can really do about that, since we are beholden to shipping services,” Giarratano said. “Local really matters.”

Colorado has a few other yeast labs including White Labs in Boulder and the Brewing Science Institute in Colorado Springs. Bootleg Biology in Longmont is making yeast more accessible to brewers and homebrewers alike with its Local Yeast Project, which collaborates with scientists, foragers and others to collect and cultivate official local yeast strains for every U.S. postal code across the country and globe.

Some breweries forgo yeast labs altogether, choosing to harvest their own in house, which makes it difficult to really know how many yeast labs there are nationwide. At Boulder’s first craft brewery, Boulder Beer, yeast strains are produced on site. And once yeast gets into the brewery, that’s where the magic happens.

Beer starts with malt — barley mashed with water and heated before hops are added. Hops boil for a specific amount of time and can be added at varying intervals to reflect the brewer’s desire for taste — add them earlier to create a less hoppy beer, add them in later and you’ll have a big hops flavor, according to Patrick Murphy, assistant general manager and tour master extraordinaire at Boulder Beer.

The beer is then ready for fermentation. This is where the yeast comes in, hungry and ready to consume the sugars of the barley and malt. As the yeast munches down, it produces alcohol.

Amber Sheldon, bartender at Boulder Beer, pours a citrus IPA for a customer. Photo by Andrea Tritschler

While some yeast will remain in every beer, much of it is filtered out to keep the beer’s texture smooth and supple on the tongue. That’s right, beer is alive. Treat it kindly — drink often and with appreciation for all the behind the scenes work going into your buzz.

The post Beast of the Yeast: Fungus to Fermentation appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

JUNE

June 22, 23: Leadville BBQ & Brew Festival | Leadville | leadvillebbq.com

June 22-24: Attack of the Big Beers
| Copper Mountain |
attackofthebigbeers.com/

June 22-24: 29th Annual Colorado Brewers’ Festival | Fort Collins | downtownfortcollins.com/events/colorado-brewers-festival

June 23: 6th Annual Hops & Harley | Berthoud |
citystarbrewing.com/hops-and-harley

June 23: Bluegrass, Brews, & Brats | Manitou Springs |
sksfcolorado.org/event/bbb

June 23: 2018 Weldwerks Invitational Festival | Greeley | 
eventbrite.com/e/2018-weldwerks-invitational-festival-tickets-40167979508

June 23: Red, White, & Brews in the Boat |  Steamboat Springs |

redswhitesandbrews.net

June 23: Rocky Mountain Beer Fest | Louisville |

facebook.com/rockymtnbeerfest/

June 23, 24: Keystone Bacon & Bourbon Festival | Keystone |
keystonefestivals.com/festivals/bacon-and-bourbon-festival

June 25-29. Crested Butte Wine & Food Festival

| Crested Butte | cbwineandfood.com

June 27, 28: Denver Summer Brew Fest | Denver | Denverbrewfest.com

June 28-July 1: 37th Annual Telluride Wine Festival | Telluride |
telluridewinefestival.com

June 29, 30: Wild West Fermentation Fest | Glendale | roaringforkevents.com/wild-west-fermentation-fest

June 29-July 1: Rapids & Grass Beer Festival | Buena Vista | gfest.com

June 30: vail Valley Brewfest |       Vail | vailvalleybrewfest.com

JULY

July 4-7: Casey Brewing Four Year Anniversary | Glenwood Springs |
caseybrewing.com/news/four-year-anniversary-details

July 7: Breckenridge Summer Beer Festival | Breckenridge |
summer.breckenridgebeerfestival.com

July 7: Tequila & Tacos | Winter Park | colorado.com/events/tequila-tacos-0

July 13: 22nd Annual Colorado Brewers Rendezvous | Salida |
salidachamber.org/salida-festivals

July 14. Mile High Wine Fest. |
Denver | www.milehighwinefest.com

July 14, 15: Wine & Jazz Festival
| Keystone | keystonefestivals.com/festivals/wine-and-jazz

July 21: Arvada On Tap | Arvada | arvadafestivals.com/arvada-on-tap

July 21: Castle Rock Wine Fest

| Castle Rock |
castlerock.org/castle-rock-winefest

July 21: 2018 Denver Summer Tequila Tasting Festival

| Denver | facebook.com/events/328924330965561

July 21: Springs Beer Fest

Colorado Springs. springsbeerfest.com

July 21: Twisted Pines Brewery 23rd Anniversary| Boulder |
twistedpinebrewing.com/calendar

July 21, 22: Summerfest | Evergreen | evergreenarts.org/summerfest.php

July 27-29. Breckenridge Food & Wine Festival | Breckenridge |
rockymtnevents.com/breckenridge-food-wine

July 28: Westy Craft Brew Fest

| Westminster | westybrewfest.com

July 29: Fiddle Vittles & Vino

| CO. Springs |
fiddlesvittlesandvino.com

AUGUST

August 4. Carbon Valley Music & Spirit Festival | Dacono |
carbonvalleymusicfestival.com

August 4: Vino & Notes

| Woodland Park |
www.vinoandnotes.com

August 4: Winter Park Brew
Festival | Winter Park |
winterparkbeerfestival.com

August 4, 5: Keystone Bluegrass & Beer Festival | Keystone |
keystonefestivals.com/festivals/bluegrass-and-beer

August 6: Avery Brewing 23rd Anniversary Party | Boulder |
averybrewing.com/events/23rd-anniversary-party

August 11: Arts & Ales | Arvada | arvadacenter.org/events/artsandales

August 11: Hops in the Hangar

| Denver | wingsmuseum.org/event/hops

August 11, 12: Estes Park Wine Festival | Estes Park |
estesparkwinefestival.com

August 18: Boulder Craft Brew Fest | Boulder | boulderdowntown.com/craft-beer-festival

August 18: Front Range Wine Fest

| Windso | frontrangewinefestival.com

August 18: Parker Brewfest

| Parker | parkerbrewfest.com

August 18: Steers & Beers Whiskey & Beer Festival | CO Springs |
steersandbeersbrewfest.com

August 21: San Juan Brewfest

| Durango |
sanjuanbrewfest.com/breweries

August 24, 25: Bruises+Brews Beerfest | Glendale |
Glendalebeerfest.com

August 25: Cider Circus

| Frisco |  cidercircus.com

August 25: The Great Central City Brew Fest | Central City |
centralcitybeerfest.com

August 25: Castle Rock Brew Fest Under the Stars  | Castle Rock |
rendezvousattherock.net

August 29: Chef & Brew Festival | Denver | tickets.beerfests.com/event/chef-and-brew/tag/bf18

The post Summer Drinks Calendar appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

The post Libations Map Summer 2018 appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

If you cried in your beer after “Infinity Wars”, craved a Peach Bellini during “Call Me by Your Name”, or still mix a White Russian everytime someone mentions The Dude, mixing up drinks with your movies this summer makes them more fun.

Cocktail Time

For the scoundrels, spies, and the good guys chasing them, grab a shot and some bacon at William Oliver’s in Lafayette. They carry over 40 Colorado whiskeys, along with dozens of bourbon, rye, and scotch from all over the world, something every jewel thief from Ocean’s Eight (out now and kicking ass at the box office) can appreciate. A Dirty Bird cocktail, made of moonshine, chocolate whiskey and irish cream goes well with those dirty rotten scoundrels in “The Hustle” (June 29).

Skip Jim Beam if you like Mila Kunis playing the scorned ex in “The Spy Who Dumped Me”, (August 3) and try a more local Peach Street Bourbon out of Palisade instead. For the getting a little long in tooth “Mission Impossible” (July 27) fan, a Smoked Old Fashioned made of aged whiskey will do. “The Happytime Murders” (August 17), featuring Melissa McCarthy and a cast of hard boiled muppets, needs something freaky like the Dirty Fairy, which mixes Absinthe and a Rocky Mountain Soda.

Local superheroes already know that Odd13 in Lafayette caters to their heroic needs all year round: just check out the artwork on their cans. Visiting superheros can go for a Codename Superfan IPA or their hoppy lager Superfly before catching “The Incredibles 2” (June 15).

Keep an eye out (probably your left one–what, too soon?), for Thor Strong Honey Wheat Ale at FATE Brewing in Boulder and Lafayette this summer. The Avengers swear by it. For “Ant-Man and the Wasp” (July 6) try an Avery’s Ginger Sour ale. It stings a little on the way down. Or mix up a quick Wasp Sting. That’s three parts Guinness to one part orange juice.

You’ll need something silly to drink after watching “Teen Titans GO! to the Movies” (July 27). Grossen Bart Brewery in Longmont, with their beard obsessions, are goofy enough to keep Beast Boy and Cyborg in stitches, even if they’re too young to drink them. The Frida SMaSH Belgian Ale or Chin Curtain IPA would keep them laughing.

You’ll crave only the darkest stout like Oscar Blues’ Ten Fidy Imperial Stout, or Great Divide’s Yeti after watching the superpowered teens attack all the grownups in “The Darkest Minds” (August 3).

Speaking of the darker side, Luke Skywalker-approved Left Hand (there’s no way it’s too soon for this one) Brewing carries some of the best stouts and porters in Colorado, which you can enjoy while watching recent summer hits outdoors. Their Milk Stout Nitro pours out thick and creamy from the can like a Guinness, but with a sweetened coffee kick. It’s a beautiful thing to behold, and available all over the state. “The Last Jedi” shows up twice this summer at local parks: in Erie (July14) and Westminster (August 24).

Maui, one of the original superheros, would  fit right in with Odd13’s Hawaiian Bartender, a sour ale made of mango and pineapple. It’s only available in August so you’ll have to grab a Liliko’i Kepolo stop by Avery’s Tap Room. This tangy passion fruit witbier also comes in kegs for your next luau. “Moana” plays Friday June 29th as part of Movies in the Park in Lafayette. Dwayne Johnson also stars in “Skyscraper”, July 13th, which sounds a lot like “Die Hard”.

There’s more to summer fun than just beer. “The First Purge” (July 4th) is sure to get bloody and so will “Sicaro 2” , so don’t settle for a boring DIY Bloody Mary bar; lay out Bloody Maria spread instead.

You will need the basics:

• Start with a good blue agave tequila–get lucky with Boulder’s Suerte brand, or try a trendy Mezcal.

• Tomato  juice, V8, or good ole fashioned bloody mary mix – keep it local with The Real Dill Bloody Mary Mix

• Pickled veggies including olives, onions, beans – but add jalapenos and other peppers

• The usual horseradish, Worcestershire, Tabasco, and spice it up with Sriracha, Cholula, and other hot sauces. Jalapeno and habanero taste best with tequila.

• Fresh garnishes like celery, cilantro but use limes instead of lemons. For the meat eaters add shrimp and bacon on the side.

• Lay it all out on a big table and let your friends make their Maria’s as hot as they want, just be sure to keep the drinks ice cold.

• Don’t forget the biggest movie monsters of the summer in “Jurassic world: fallen Kingdom”, (June 22nd). You’ll want to mix up an oldie but a goodie with this very lovely twist on the Green Dinosaur.

• Mix equal parts vodka, gin, spiced rum, Blue Curacao (for our favorite velociraptor), triple sec, sweet and sour mix, Sprite, and a load of ice. Pour into a mason jar or a little fish bowl. Garnish with plastic dinosaurs and cocktail umbrella to complete the look.

The post Summer Movies and Sexy Drinks appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

June 15

Summer Writing Program – All Day event Downtown Boulder Campus, Boulder. magazine.naropa.edu/2017-swp/ Free. Check website for schedule.

Gloria Trevi vs Alejandra Guzmán – 8:00 p.m. Bellco Theatre, Colorado Convention Center, Denver. bellcotheatre.com $72 – $187

Maurizio Cattelan: Be Right Back – 2:30 p.m.; Whisky Galore – 4: 30 p.m. Boedecker, Boulder. tickets.thedairy.org $10-$20. Please check website for additional dates and times.

Hanuman Festival- 8:30 a.m. Boulder High Great Lawn, Boulder hanumanfestival.com $10 – $997

Colorado Rockies vs. San Francisco Giants – 6:40 p.m. Coors Field, Denver. colorado.rockies.mlb.com $16 – $148. Check website for full season schedule.

Exhibition Reception for Leona Lazar & Hone Williams – 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Dairy Arts Center, Boulder thedairy.org Free

Do At The Zoo – 7:00 p.m. Denver Zoo, Denver. denverzoo.org $175

At the Drive In – 7:00 p.m. Fillmore Auditorium, Denver http://fillmore.auditoriumdenver.com/ $75

Dynamic Earth 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM; Solar Superstorms 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m; Black Holes: The Other Side of Infinity 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.  Fiske Planetarium Theater, Boulder. colorado.edu/fisk $7 (child, veteran) – $10 Adult.  Please check website for additional dates and times throughout the summer.

Laser Beyonce 8:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.  Fiske Planetarium Theater, Boulder. colorado.edu/fisk $7 (child, veteran) – $10 Adult. Please check the website for additional Laser concerts throughout the summer.

Parlando School of Music Arts: The Sound of Music – 2:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m. Gordan Gamm Theater, Boulder. tickets.thedairy.org $15 – $20

Telluride Bluegrass Festival – 10:00 a.m. Telluride Town Park, Telluride bluegrass.com/telluride $145. Check website for full schedule.

Country Jam Music Festival – 9:00 a.m. Mack, Grand Junction countryjam.com $109- $165

Lafayette Weekly Farmers Market – 4:00 P.M. – 8:00 p.m. Boulder Ridge Mobile Home Community Park, Lafayette cityoflafayette.com Free, through the summer.

June 16

Butch Clancy – Tyro, Sektah, Tyrant Dubz – 9:00 p.m. The Black Box Theater, Denver. blackboxdenver.ticketfly.com – $20

DION TIMMER with DISSOLVES, Shank Aaron – 9:00 p.m., Bluebird Theater, Denver. www.bluebirdtheater.net  $74

FNWeird: The Dirty Dozen – 8:45 p.m. The Boedecker, Boulder, Co tickets.thedairy.org/Online/default. $11. Check website for additional dates.

Mortified: Colorado – 8:30 p.m.  The Boulder Theater, Boulder, Co, bouldertheater.com/calendar/  $15

Drive by Truckers – 7:30 pm Chautauqua Auditorium, Boulder.  https://Chautauqua.com $35 – $50

ASSE Safety 2017 – Professional Development Conference & Exposition – Colorado Convention Center, Denver. denverconvention.com $800 – $1,100

Downtown Neighborhood Block Party – 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Historic Downtown Erie Briggs street, Erie. eriechamber.org Free

Bella Gaia: Beautiful Earth – 8:00 P.M. – 9:00 P.M. Fiske Planetarium Theater, Boulder. colorado.edu/fisk $7 (child, veteran) – $10. Check the website for additional dates and times.

Liquid Sky: Tool – 9:30 P.M. – 10:30 P.M.  Fiske Planetarium Theater , Boulder. colorado.edu/fisk $7 (child, veteran) – $10. Please check the website for additional Liquid Sky concerts throughout the summer.

A LIVE ONE – PHISH TRIBUTE Kessel Run – 9:00 p.m. Fox Theatre, Boulder. foxtheatre.com $10 – $12

Parlando School of Music Arts: The Sound of Music – 7:00 p.m. Gordan Gamm Theater, Boulder. Tickets.thedairy.org

BLACK LIPS with Timmy’s Organism, Dirty Few – 9:00 p.m. Gothic Theatre, Denver. gothictheatre.com $20 – $25

Big Wu Family Reunion XVll – 8:00 p.m. Mishawaka Amphitheatre, Bellvue. Themishawaka.com $20 – $50

Friday Fest— Greeley Stampede Kick-Off – 5:00 p.m. 600 North 14th Avenue, Greeley Free

Street Faire – 5:00 p.m. Downtown Louisville, Louisville downtownlouisvilleco.com/street-faire/ Free. Runs through summer, check website for details.

June 17

Denver Adventure – 9:00 a.m. Denver. thedenveradventure.com $40

“The Post Chicken & Beer Longmont presents American Classics Car Show & Auction – 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. 1258 S. Hover rd., Longmont postchickenandbeer.com Free

The Denver Deluxe Festival – 2:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Walnut St., Denver denverdeluxe.com $10 – $20

Wonderbound presents: DIVISIONS with Flobots – 7:30 pm, Arvada Center Outdoor Ampitheatre, Arvada. arvadacenter.org/ $22 – $50

BORGEOUS- Beta Night Club, Denver. betanightclub.com $20

Bethel Music worship nights – 6:30 p.m. Bellco Theater, Denver. bellcotheatre.com/ $28.05 – $83

Ozzie brothel, Kyral x Banko, Elctrx – 9:00 p.m. The Black Box Theater, Denver. blackboxdenver.ticketfly.com/ $12- $20

Hanuman Festival- 8:30 a.m. Boulder High Great Lawn, Boulder hanumanfestival.com $10 – $997

Paper Bird, Shook Twins – 8:00 p.m.The Boulder Theater, Boulder. bouldertheater.com/calendar/  $20

Drive by Truckers – 7:30 pm Chautauqua Auditorium, Boulder. chautauqua.com $35 – $50

DENVER PRIDEFEST 2017 – 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Civic Center Park, Denver glbtcolorado.org/pridefest/ Free

Movie in the Park – Hook- 8:30 p.m. Erie Community Park, Erie. eriechamber.org/events Free

Planets and Laser: Galactic Odyssey 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.; Habitat Earth – 2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Fiske Planetarium Theater, Boulder. colorado.edu/fisk $7 (child, veteran) – $10. Please check website for additional dates and times throughout the summer.

Pete and the Incidentals –  6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. Front Range Brewery, Boulder frontrangebrewerycompany.com Free

Parlando School of Music Arts: The Sound of Music – 2:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m. Gordan Gamm Theater, Boulder. Tickets.thedairy.org $15 – $20

Walkin’ and Talkin’ with Mayor Muckle – 9:00 a.m. Louisville Rec Center, Louisville. louisville.com Free

Colorado Shakespeare Festival – 8:00 p.m. Mary Rippon Outdoor Theatre, Denver cupresents.org $20. Check website for full schedule.

Big Wu Family Reunion XVll – 6:00 p.m. Mishawaka Amphitheatre, Bellvue. Themishawaka.com $20 – $50

The Revenge Tour XXXTENTACION with Ski Mask The Slump God & Craig Xen – 8:00 p.m. Ogden Theatre, Denver. ogdentheatre.com $28

Paula Poundstone – 8:00 p.m.  Paramount Theatre, Denver paramount.theatredenver.com $113

Denver Outlaws vs. Boston Cannons – 7:30 P.M. Sports Authority Field, Denver sportsauthorityfield.tickets.expert $14 – $52

G’Knight Ride! – 3:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.  Roosevelt Park, Longmont gknightride.org/schedule.html Free

Bicycle Rodeo with Lafayette Police Officers – 9:00 a.m. Flatirons Church North Parking Lot, Lafayette. cityoflafayette.com Free

Littleton Jam – 6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. Bega Park 2250 W. Main Street, Littleton. littletonrocks.com Free

Walkin’ and Talkin’ with Mayor Muckle – Louisville Rec Center, Louisville. louisville.com Free

June 18

Wonderbound presents: DIVISIONS with Flobots – 2:00 p.m., Arvada Center Outdoor Ampitheatre, Arvada.arvadacenter.org/ $22 – $50

HOJ – 9:00 p.m. Beta NightClub, Denver. betanightclub.com $20

MASON JENNINGS with Hannah Samano – 8:00 p.m.  Bluebird Theater, Denver. bluebirdtheater.net  $77

Michelangelo: Love and Death – 1:00 p.m.; Essential Cinema: Hud – 4:00 p.m. The Boedecker, Boulder. tickets.thedairy.org $10-$20. Check website for additional dates

Southwest Native American Art Auction – 9:00 a.m. Boulder Fairgrounds, Boulder. bouldercounty.org/open-space/fairgrounds Free

Open and 4-H Horse Show / 4H challenge day – 8:00 a.m. Boulder Fairgrounds, Boulder. bouldercounty.org/open-space/fairgrounds Free

The Oddest Sea – Greek Gods and Giggles – 11:00 a.m. Chautauqua Auditorium, Boulder. chautauqua.com $15 – $20. Check the website for additional dates and times.

DENVER PRIDEFEST 2017 – 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Civic Center Park, Denver glbtcolorado.org/pridefest/ Free

Colorado Rapids vs. Portland Timbers – 7:30 p.m. Dicks Sporting Goods Park, Denver. dickssportinggoodspark.com $33 – $83. Check website for full season schedule.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time 2:00 p.m. Ellie Caulkins Opera House, Denver. elliecaulkins.operahousedenver.com $30

Double Feature: Life of Trees/ Perseus & Andromeda 1:00 P.M. – 2:00 p.m.; Moons and Lasers: Robot Rock 2:30 P.M. – 3:30 P.M.  Fiske Planetarium Theater Boulder. colorado.edu/fisk $7 (child, veteran) – $10 Adult. Please check website for additional dates and times throughout the summer.

Purple Squirrel Mountain Sun Pub and Brewery – 10:30 p.m. Mountain Sun, Boulder mountainsunpub.com Free

GEORGE CLINTON & PARLIAMENT FUNKADELIC – 8:00 p.m. Ogden Theatre, Denver. ogdentheatre.com $77

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – 8:00 p.m. Paramount Theatre, Denver paramount.theatredenver.com $120

Dads Play Free Day at the BBRC – 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Bob L. Burger Recreation Center, Lafayette Free

Kenny Wayne Shepard Band- 7:30 p.m. Hudson Gardens & Event Center, Littleton hudson-gardens.tickets-center.com Adults $34 Child $24

HOJ – 9:00 p.m. Beta NightClub, Denver. betanightclub.com $20

June 19

Hanuman Festival- 8:30 a.m. Boulder High Great Lawn, Boulder hanumanfestival.com $10 – $997

The Workshy Southern Sun- 9:30 p.m. Mountain Sun, Boulder mountainsunpub.com Free

AREDAY Summit, Expo & Electric Vehicle Show – Snowmass Village snowmassvacations.com Free

Arts and Ales – 5:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.  Left Hand Taproom, Longmont lefthandbrewing.com Free

June 20

Sorrow & Jonah Freed Grime Takeover – 9:00 p.m. The Black Box Theater, Denver. blackboxdenver.ticketfly.com/  $15

SUMMER SOLSTICE SALE  – 6:00 p.m. Clyfford Still Museum, Denver clyffordstillmuseum.org Free

Solar Superstorms – 2:00 P.M. – 3:00 P.M. Fiske Planetarium Theater, Boulder. colorado.edu/fisk $7 (child, veteran) – $10. Check website for additional dates and times.

THE WAILING SOULS Highway50 & Al Laughlin – 9:00 p.m. Fox Theatre, Boulder. foxtheatre.com $12 – $20

June 21

HURRAY FOR THE RIFF RAFF with Making Movies – 8:00 p.m.  Bluebird Theater, Denver. bluebirdtheater.net  $29

Risk – 4:30 p.m. ; Slack Bay – 7:00 p.m. The Boedecker, Boulder, Co tickets.thedairy.org/Online/default. $11. Check website for additional dates.

Family Tour – 10:30 a.m. Clyfford Still Museum, Denver clyffordstillmuseum.org Free

We Are Stars 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.;  Dream to Fly 2:00 P.M. – 3:00 P.M. Fiske Planetarium Theater  Boulder. colorado.edu/fisk $7 (kid/ veteran) – $10 General admission. Please check website for additional dates and times throughout the summer.

A BOOGIE WIT DA HOODIE with Trayce Chapman, Ken and Ryu, Low Hanging Fruit – 9:00 p.m. Gothic Theatre, Denver. gothictheatre.com $20 – $25

Open Bluegrass Pick – Longs Peak Pub and Taphouse 7:00 p.m. Mountain Sun, Boulder mountainsunpub.com Free

#IMOMSOHARD Live – 8:00 p.m. Paramount Theatre, Denver paramount.theatredenver.com $35.75 – $45.75 

Sustainability Ad-Hoc Committee Meeting – 5:45 p.m.; Planning Commission Meeting – 6:30 p.m. 645 Holbrook Street Community Room, Erie erieco.gov Free. Check the website for all local government meetings

Museum Summer Concert:Coral Creek – 7:00 p.m. Littleton Museum, 6028 S. Gallup Street, littletongov.org Free

June 22

Finkel and Garf Beer Diner – 6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Arugula Restaurant, Boulder arugularestaurant.com Cost for food

SAM FELDT LIVE – 9:00 p.m. Beta Nightclub, Denver. betanightclub.com $15

The Small Business Expo – 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Colorado Convention Center, Denver. thesmallbusinessexpo.com Free

Miss Colorado Scholarship Paegent 7:30 p.m. Ellie Caulkins Opera House, Denver. elliecaulkins.operahousedenver.com $30

THE FUNKY KNUCKLES & PHO – 8:00 p.m. Fox Theatre, Boulder. foxtheatre.com $5 – $8

POPTONE- 8:00 p.m. Gothic Theatre, Denver. gothictheatre.com $27.50 – $30

Telluride Wine Festival – 12:00 p.m. Downtown Telluride, Telluride telluridewinefestival.com $100 – $1,600. Check website for full schedule.

Music & Magic on the West Patio 10:00 a.m. City of Longmont. longmontcolorado.gov Free

June 23

BAAUER – 9:00 p.m. Beta Nightclub, Denver, Co, betanightclub.com/ $20

Goldfish – 9:00 p.m.  Bluebird Theater, Denver, Co, bluebirdtheater.net   $45

True West Productions Barrels Jackpot – 4:00 p.m. Boulder Fairgrounds, Boulder, Co, bouldercounty.org/open-space/fairgrounds/

Poptone – 8:00 p.m. The Boulder Theater, Boulder, Co, bouldertheater.com/calendar/  $ 20- $25

CockTail Hour – Ballet – 7:30 p.m. Chautauqua Auditorium, Boulder, Co Chautauqua.com $30

Exhibition Reception for Mark Alan Francis & Steve Mason – 5:00 p.m. Dairy Arts Center, Boulder thedairy.org Free

Miss Colorado Scholarship Paegent 7:00 p.m. Ellie Caulkins Opera House, Denver. elliecaulkins.operahousedenver.com $30

Climate change in Our Backyard 8:00 P.M. – 9:00 P.M. Fiske Planetarium Theater  Boulder. colorado.edu/fisk $7 (kid/ veteran) – $10 General admission

PHIL LESH & THE TERRAPIN FAMILY BAND – 8:00 p.m. Fox Theatre, Boulder. foxtheatre.com SOLD OUT

HELL’S BELLES – 8:00 p.m. Gothic Theatre, Denver. gothictheatre.com $15 – $19.99

Blue October – 7:30 p.m. Mishawaka Amphitheatre, Bellvue. themishawaka.com $28 – $65

STREETLIGHT MANIFESTO with Jenny Owen Youngs – 8:00 p.m. Ogden Theatre, Denver. ogdentheatre.com $26.50 – $30

Brian Regan – 7:30 p.m. Paramount Theatre, Denver paramount.theatredenver.com $103

Friday Fest – 5:00 p.m.- 8:00 p.m. Downtown Greeley, Greeley. Greeleydowntown.com Free. Every Friday.

June 24

Color Fun Fest 5k – 4:30 p.m. , 8:30 p.m. Dicks Sporting Goods Park, Denver. colorfunfest5k.com/denver/ $20 – $90

South Platte River Fest – 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. Confluence Park and Little Raven Street, Denver thegreenwayfoundation.org/south-platte-riverfest.html Costs vary with with each activity

BRODY JENNER – 9:00 p.m. Beta Nightclub, Denver, Co, betanightclub.com/ $10

King Crimson – 8:00 p.m. Bellco Theater, Denver, Co, bellcotheatre.com $94

Sacred Dance ‘White Party’ Brian Peek, DJ Icon, MILK, Seraiah, Malia – 12:00 p.m. The Black Box Theater, Denver, Co. blackboxdenver.ticketfly.com/  $10-$15

True West Productions Barrels Jackpot – 4:00 p.m. Boulder Fairgrounds, Boulder, Co, bouldercounty.org/open-space/fairgrounds/

Boulder County Bombers Roller Derby – 5:00 p.m. Boulder Fairgrounds, Boulder, Co, bouldercounty.org/open-space/fairgrounds/ $13 – $15

Reckless Kelly – 8:00 p.m. The Boulder Theater, Boulder, Co, http://www.bouldertheater.com/calendar/  $20 – $25

TAG TEAM TALKS: SHADE: CLYFFORD STILL / MARK BRADFORD – 9:00 a.m.  Clyfford Still Museum, Denver clyffordstillmuseum.org Free

Miss Colorado Scholarship Paegent 7:00 p.m. Ellie Caulkins Opera House, Denver. elliecaulkins.operahousedenver.com $30

Concert in the Park*- That Eighties Band – 5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Erie Community Park, Erie. erieco.gov Free

PHIL LESH & THE TERRAPIN FAMILY BAND – 8:00 p.m. Fox Theatre, Boulder. foxtheatre.com SOLD OUT

Ultralofi-  6:30 p.m. Front Range Brewery, Boulder frontrangebrewerycompany.com Free

Boulder Sour Fest – 9:00 a.m. Avery Brewery, Boulder averybrewing.com $80

Brian Regan – 7:30 p.m. Paramount Theatre, Denver paramount.theatredenver.com $103

Snowmass Loop Mountain Bike Fondo – 9:00 a.m. Snowmass Village snowmassvacations.com Free

Denver Outlaws vs. New York Lizards- 3:00 p.m. Sports Authority Field, Denver sportsauthorityfield.tickets.expert $14 – $52

Rocky Mountain Pizza & Pints Festival Tour – 1:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Community Park, Louisville bceproductions.com/rocky-mountain-pizza-and-pints-festival $35

Sound Healing Concert – 7:30 p.m. Louisville Center for the Arts, Louisville brownpapertickets.com/event/2947210 $15 – $20

June 25

South Platte River Fest – 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Confluence Park and Little Raven Street, Denver thegreenwayfoundation.org/south-platte-riverfest.html Costs vary with with each activity

FREDDIE GIBBS with Jon Connor, Le$ – 9:00 p.m.  Bluebird Theater, Denver, Co, bluebirdtheater.net   $48

Marc Cohn – 7:30 p.m., Arvada Center Outdoor Ampitheatre, Arvada, Co, arvadacenter.org $54

Niwot Antique Auction 9:00 p.m. Boulder Fairgrounds, Boulder, Co bouldercounty.org/open-space/fairgrounds/ Free

PHIL LESH & THE TERRAPIN FAMILY BAND – 8:00 p.m. Fox Theatre, Boulder. foxtheatre.com SOLD OUT $75

Wood Belly -10:00 p.m. Mountain Sun, Boulder mountainsunpub.com Free

Vans Warped Tour ‘17 64+ Band Line-up – Pepsi Center, Denver. vanswarpedtour.com/dates/denver/ $40

Michael McDonald- 7:30 p.m. Hudson Gardens & Event Center, Littleton hudson-gardens.tickets-center.com $48 Adult – $38 Child

June 26

Russ- The Wake Up Tour – 7:00 p.m. Fillmore Auditorium, Denver http://fillmore.auditoriumdenver.com/ $124

Policulture Southern Sun – 9:30 P.M. Mountain Sun, Boulder mountainsunpub.com Free

June 27

Kman & Cessman Shinigami Crew – 9:00 p.m. The Black Box Theater, Denver, Co, blackboxdenver.ticketfly.com/  $15

Mark O’Connor, O’Connor Band – 8:00 p.m. The Boulder Theater, Boulder, Co, bouldertheater.com/calendar/  $25-$30

Supervolcanoes 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Fiske Planetarium Theater Boulder. colorado.edu/fisk $7 (child, veteran) – $10 Adult. Please check website for addiional dates and times.

Board of Trustees Regular Meeting – 5:45 p.m. Erie Town Hall Board Room, Erie erieco.gov Free. Check website for schedule.

June 28

Cos fan tutti: Opera National Paris – 1:00 p.m.; Manifesto – 4:30 p.m; Glory- 7:00 p.m. The Boedecker, Boulder, Co tickets.thedairy.org/Online/default. $11. Check website for additional dates.

The Three Muskateers – 7:30 p.m. Chautauqua Auditorium, Boulder, Co chautauqua.com $12

Mavic Haute Route Rockies – All day event Snowmass Village hauteroute.org $2,200 – $2,400

Museum Summer Concert – Coral Creek – 7:00 p.m. Littleton Museum, 6028 S. Gallup Street, littletongov.org Free

June 29

FLAURAL- 8:30 p.m. Fox Theatre, Boulder. foxtheatre.com $5

Dash Berlin – 9:00 p.m. Beta Nightclub, Denver, Co. betanightclub.com $30

SPL Omega, Shoebox, Miss Felix – 9:00 p.m. The Black Box Theater, Denver, Co, blackboxdenver.ticketfly.com/  $10-$12

Rocky Mountain P.O.A. Regional and World Horse Show- 8:00 a.m. Boulder Fairgrounds, Boulder, Co, bouldercounty.org/open-space/fairgrounds/  Free

TROUT STEAK REVIVAL – 9:00 p.m. Caribou Lounge, Nederland thecaribouroom.com Free

Kern Plays – Rachmaninoff – 7:30 p.m. Chautauqua Auditorium, Boulder, Co chautauqua.com $12 – $54

Starset Demonstration Live Concert 10:00 P.M. – 11:30 P.M. Fiske Planetarium Theater  Boulder. colorado.edu/fisk $7 (kid/ veteran) – $10 General admission

KOOL Koncert 2017: Styx & REO Speedwagon with special guest Don Felder formerly of The Eagles – 7:00 p.m. Pepsi Center, Denver. pepsi.centerdenver.com $29

Music & Magic on the West Patio 10:00 a.m. City of Longmont, Longmont longmontcolorado.gov Free

June 30

OOKAY WITH DIRT MONKEY + DETRACE-  9:00 p.m. Beta Nightclub, Denver. betanightclub.com $20

Final Fridays: June – 9:00 p.m. The Black Box Theater, Denver, Co, blackboxdenver.ticketfly.com/  $20 – $30

Rocky Mountain P.O.A. Regional and World Horse Show- 8:00 a.m. Boulder Fairgrounds, Boulder, Co, bouldercounty.org/open-space/fairgrounds/  Free

THE ALCAPONES & FOXFEATHER – 9:00 p.m. Caribou Lounge, Nederland thecaribouroom.com $10 – $12

Downtown Neighborhood Block Party – 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Historic Downtown Erie Briggs street, Erie. eriechamber.org Free

Starset Demonstration Live Concert – 9:00 P.M. – 10:30 P.M.  Fiske Planetarium Theater, Boulder. colorado.edu/fisk $25 SOLD OUT

KING LIL G Swizzy J, Rhymesight – 9:00 p.m. Fox Theatre, Boulder. foxtheatre.com $20 – $22.50

Playhouse Productions: Baby Boomer Baby – 7:30 p.m. Gordan Gamm Theater, Boulder. tickets.thedairy.org $45-$65

BIRCH STREET with Bison Bone, Florea, Paul Whitacre – 8:00 p.m. Gothic Theatre, Denver. gothictheatre.com $12 – $14

Dirty Dozen Brass Band – 40th Anniversary Tour with The Burroughs & Space Orphan – 8:00 p.m. Mishawaka Amphitheatre, Bellvue. Themishawaka.com $17 – $30

CONOR OBERST with Tim Kasher – 9:00 p.m. Ogden Theatre, Denver. ogdentheatre.com $36

Deftones with Rise Against  – 6:30 p.m. Pepsi Center, Denver. pepsi.centerdenver.com  $31 – $421

BLUEBIRD Art + Sound – All Day event Snowmass Village, Snowmass snowmassvacations.com $30 – $70

Weld County Courthouse 100th Anniversary Celebration – 1:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Weld County Court 901 9th Ave Greeley greeleycalendar.com/event/centennial-courthouse-celebration/ Free

The Sizzler Fun Run For Kids – Peak To Peak Track – 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. 800 Merlin Drive, Lafayette cityoflafayette.com $3 – $8

July 1

Rapids and Grass Beer Festival –  South Main st, Bueno Vista, CO greatdivide.com/event/rapids-grass-beer-fest/ $10 – $30

Rocky Mountain P.O.A. Regional and World Horse Show- 8:00 a.m. Boulder Fairgrounds, Boulder, Co, bouldercounty.org/open-space/fairgrounds/  Free

Conor Oberst – 8:00 p.m. The Boulder Theater, Boulder, Co, bouldertheater.com/calendar/  $31-35

CMF, Pianist Olga Kern – 7:30 p.m. Chautauqua Auditorium, Boulder, Co chautauqua.com $12 – $45

DINOS! Live at Denver Zoo – 9:00 a.m. Denver Zoo, Denver. denverzoo.org $20 – $25. Please check website for additional dates and times.

DINOS! Prehistoric Party – 6:30 p.m. Denver Zoo, Denver. denverzoo.org price of admission Please check website for additional dates and times

Playhouse Productions: Baby Boomer Baby – 2:30 p.m., 7:30 p.m. Gordan Gamm Theater, Boulder. tickets.thedairy.org $45-$65

Trout Steak Revival & Billy Strings- 8:00 p.m. Mishawaka Amphitheatre, Bellvue. Themishawaka.com $20 – $35

MISTERWIVES with The Greeting Committee, Bell the Band – 8:00 p.m. Ogden Theatre, Denver. ogdentheatre.com $40

July 2

Prok & Fitch – 9:00 p.m. Beta Nightclub, Denver, Co. betanightclub.com $10

Shakesbeer Presents: A Midsummer Night’s Dram-  7:30 p.m. Black Shirt Brewing Co. Denver Co, blackshirtbrewingco.com/events/ Free

Rocky Mountain P.O.A. Regional and World Horse Show- 8:00 a.m. Boulder Fairgrounds, Boulder, Co, bouldercounty.org/open-space/fairgrounds/  Free

CMF / Mozart with Giora Bernstein-  Chautauqua Auditorium, Boulder, Co  https://Chautauqua.com $12 – $54

Playhouse Productions: Baby Boomer Baby – 7:30 p.m. Gordan Gamm Theater, Boulder. tickets.thedairy.org $45-$65

Conor Oberst – 7:00 p.m. Mishawaka Amphitheatre, Bellvue. Themishawaka.com $31 – $45

Fireside Collective – 10:00 p.m. Mountain Sun Pub and Brewery, Boulder mountainsunpub.com Free

ZEDS DEAD with SMLE, Sober Rob, Kid Froopy, Champagne Drip, and Megalodon – 800 p.m.  Ogden Theatre, Denver. Ogdentheatre.com $50.75

Lafayette Birds – Bird Watching For Beginners – 1:00 p.m. Greenlee Wildlife Preserve at Waneka Lake, Lafayette. cityoflafayette.com

July 3

Independence Eve Fire Works-  8:00 p.m. Civic Center Park, Denver. denver.org/event/independence-eve Free

July 3rd Extravaganza at Colorado National Golf Club- 5:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. Vista Parkway, Erie  coloradonationalgolfclub.com Free

Mama Magnolia Southern Sun – 9:30 P.M. Mountain Sun, Boulder mountainsunpub.com Free

Super Diamond Neil Diamond Tribute Band- 7:30 p.m. Hudson Gardens & Event Center, Littleton hudson-gardens.tickets-center.com $26 Adult – $10

July 4

Colorado Firecracker 4k/4 mile Race –  8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Erie Community Park, Erie. coloradofirecrackerrun.com $15 – $40

Denver Outlaws vs. Boston Cannons – 7:00 P.M. Sports Authority Field, Denver sportsauthorityfield.tickets.expert $14 – $52

Plein Air Telluride Fourth of July Celebration – 9:00 a.m. Downtown Telluride, Telluride telluridepleinair.com Free

SUPERIOR MILE – 7:00 a.m. Rock Creek Parkway and at the Key Bank at 1000 S McCaslin Blvd, Superior CO flatironsrunningevents.com/races/superior-mile/ $15 – $20

4th of July / Pancake Fest- 9:00 a.m. Rock Creek Pkwy, Superior CO superiorcolorado.gov Free

Greeley Stampede Parade – 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. 600 North 14th Avenue, Greeley $20 – $90

Family Festival & Fireworks – 3:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. Belleview, Progress and Cornerstone Parks, 5150 S. Windermere Street, Littleton Free

Fourth of July Celebration and Fireworks- 6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. Coal Creek Golf Course

585 W Dillon Rd, Louisville louisvilleco.gov/visitors/special-events/july-4th-fireworks Free

July 5

Charlie Chaplin Comedy night – 7:30 p.m. Chautauqua Auditorium, Boulder, Co Chautauqua.com $12

Hoppy Yogis – 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Great Divide Barrel Bar, Denver greatdivide.com Free

Museum Summer Concert – Edwards & Company – 7:00 p.m. Littleton Museum, 6028 S. Gallup Street, littletongov.org Free

July 6

Active Minds – Iran – 2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. The Carillon at Boulder Creek, Boulder activeminds.com Free

Playhouse Productions: Baby Boomer Baby – 2:00 p.m., 7:30 p.m. Gordan Gamm Theater, Boulder. tickets.thedairy.org $45-$65

Queen + Adam Lambert – 7:30 p.m. Pepsi Center, Denver. pepsi.centerdenver.com  $46

Red Violin New world – Bernstein – 7:30 p.m. Chautauqua Auditorium, Boulder, Co chautauqua.com $70

Music & Magic on the West Patio – 10:00 a.m. City of Longmont, Longmont longmontcolorado.gov Free

Summer Concerts in the Park: Megan Burtt – 8:30 p.m. Louisville Community Park, 955 Bella Vista Dr Louisville louisvilleco.gov Free

July 7

TEDxMileHigh – 5:00 p.m. Ellie Caulkins Opera House, Denver. tedxmilehigh.com $70 – $120

Sonder Immersive – 7:30 P.M. Ellie Caulkins Opera House, Denver. elliecaulkins.operahousedenver.com $20

JADEN CARLSON BAND + BROCCOLI SAMURAI – 8:30 p.m. Fox Theatre, Boulder. foxtheatre.com $10 – $12

Playhouse Productions: Baby Boomer Baby – 7:30 p.m. Gordan Gamm Theater, Boulder. tickets.thedairy.org $45-$65

RIVAL SONS – 8:30 p.m.  Gothic Theatre, Denver. gothictheatre.com $24 – $27

Art Walk 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Telluride Arts District, Telluride. telluridearts.org Free

Bike In Movie Night – Lamont Does Park – 6:30 p.m. – 10:30 p.m. 500 E. South Boulder Rd. Lafayette cityoflafayette.com Free

July 8

Hot Air Balloon Rodeo and 43rd annual Art in the Park – 6:00 a.m. Bald Eagle Lake, Steamboat steamboatchamber.com/signature-events/hot-air-balloon-rodeo#launchfield Free. Runs through July 9.

Rocky Mountain Gay Rodeo – Jefferson County Fairgrounds, Jefferson County westword.com/event/rocky-mountain-regional-gay-rodeo-8059778 $10

Bassnectar, ill.gates, CloZee, AtYya – 8:00 p.m. 1st Bank Center, Broomfield 1stbank.centerbroomfield.com $19 – $2,045

Colorado Symphony: Mozart Under Moonlight – 7:30 p.m., Arvada Center Outdoor Ampitheatre, Arvada, Co, arvadacenter.org/ $20 – $45

20TH Annual Colorado Brewers Rendezvous – Riverside Park, Salida, CO, blackshirtbrewingco.com/events/ Free

A-MAC AND THE HEIGHT with Robby Wicks Band, Lola Rising, Dear Me, – 8:00 p.m. Bluebird Theater, Denver, Co, bluebirdtheater.net   $10 – $13

CMF / Young people Concert – 10:00 a.m. Chautauqua Auditorium, Boulder. chautauqua.com $5 – $10

CMF / Chamber  Music – 7:30 p.m. Chautauqua Auditorium, Boulder, Co. Chautauqua.com $110 – $207

Summer Family Day – 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Clyfford Still Museum, Denver clyffordstillmuseum.org Free

DISTILLED: NOIR – 7:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. Clyfford Still Museum, Denver clyffordstillmuseum.org $15 – $20

Bubble Run – Dicks Sporting Goods Park, Denver. bubblerun.com $15 – $55

TEDxMileHigh – 10:00 a.m. Ellie Caulkins Opera House, Denver. tedxmilehigh.com $70 – $120

Sonder Immersive – 2:00 P.M., 7:30 P.M. Ellie Caulkins Opera House, Denver. elliecaulkins.operahousedenver.com $20

Concert in the Park- FACE – 5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Erie Community Park, Erie. erieco.gov Free

GHOST – 7:00 p.m. Fillmore Auditorium, Denver http://fillmore.auditoriumdenver.com/ $26.25 – $55

OOPS!… WE DID IT AGAIN (A THROWBACK DANCE PARTY) – 9:00 p.m. Fox Theatre, Boulder. foxtheatre.com $8 – $10

Playhouse Productions: Baby Boomer Baby – 2:00 p.m., 7:30 p.m. Gordan Gamm Theater, Boulder. tickets.thedairy.org $45-$65

Great Divide Block Party – 2:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Great Divide Barrel Bar, Denver greatdivide.com Free

Yamn does Daft Punk & Character Zero (aka Philsh) – 8:00 p.m. Mishawaka Amphitheatre, Bellvue. themishawaka.com $12.50 – $20

Eric Gonzales & Brooks Steeles – 7:00 p.m. Longs Peak Pub and Taphouse Mountain Sun, Boulder mountainsunpub.com Free

July 9

Rocky Mountain Gay Rodeo – Jefferson County Fairgrounds, Jefferson County westword.com/event/rocky-mountain-regional-gay-rodeo-8059778 $10

Bassnectar, Beats Antique,azTEC, Mr. Projectile – 8:00 p.m. 1st Bank Center, Broomfield 1stbank.centerbroomfield.com $19 – $2,045

SCUBA- 7:00 p.m. Beta Nightclub, Denver, Co. betanightclub.com/ $10

Shakesbeer Presents: A Midsummer Night’s Dram – 7:30 p.m. Black Shirt Brewing Co. Denver Co. blackshirtbrewingco.com/events

STILLNESS: MEDITATION IN THE GALLERIES – 8:45 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Clyfford Still Museum, Denver clyffordstillmuseum.org Free

Sonder Immersive – 2:00 p.m., 7:30 p.m. Ellie Caulkins Opera House, Denver. elliecaulkins.operahousedenver.com $20

Playhouse Productions: Baby Boomer Baby – 2:00 p.m. Gordan Gamm Theater, Boulder. tickets.thedairy.org $45-$65

Bill McKay Band- 10:00 p.m. Longs Peak Pub and Taphouse, Longmont mountainsunpub.com Free

The Ride Festival – 11:00 a.m. Telluride Town Park, Telluride. Ridefestival.com $135 – $234. Check website for schedule.

July 10

Rocky Mountain Gay Rodeo – Jefferson County Fairgrounds, Jefferson County westword.com/event/rocky-mountain-regional-gay-rodeo-8059778 $10

Kessal Run Southern Sun – 9:30 p.m. Mountain Sun, Boulder mountainsunpub.com Free

July 11

DJ SHADOW – 8:00 p.m.  Ogden Theatre, Denver. Ogdentheatre.com $30

HAPPY HOUR – TWO TO TANGGO. 7:30 p.m. Chautauqua Auditorium, Boulder. chautauqua.com. $12-$45

July 12

Reel Big Fish – 6:00 p.m. The Boulder Theater, Boulder, Co, bouldertheater.com/calendar/  $28 – $30

Silent Film – Peter Pan – The Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra – 7:30 p.m Chautauqua Auditorium, Boulder, Co chautauqua.com $12

FRIENDS OF CLYFFORD STILL PRESENT LOCAL TASTES – 4:00 p.m. Clyfford Still Museum, Denver clyffordstillmuseum.org $10 – $35

Natalie Merchant: 3 Decades of Song – 6:30 p.m. Denver Botanic Center, Denver. concerts.botanicgardens.org SOLD OUT

Sonder Immersive – 7:30 P.M. Ellie Caulkins Opera House, Denver. elliecaulkins.operahousedenver.com $20

CARAVAN PALACE – 8:00 p.m. Ogden Theatre, Denver. ogdentheatre.com $77

Art + Architecture Weekend – 7:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. 135 W Pacific, Telluride tellurideartandarchitecture.com $85 – $150

Summer Concert Series : Raising Cain – 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Waneka Lake Park cityoflafayette.com Free

Museum Summer Concert – Delta Sonics – 7:00 p.m. Littleton Museum, 6028 S. Gallup Street, littletongov.org Free

July 13

Beethoven’s Ninth – 7:30 p.m. Chautauqua Auditorium, Boulder, Co Chautauqua.com $12 – $54

Sonder Immersive – 7:30 P.M. Ellie Caulkins Opera House, Denver. elliecaulkins.operahousedenver.com $20

FLASH MOUNTAIN FLOOD Kind Hearted Strangers, Honeydew Connection – 9:00 p.m. Fox Theatre, Boulder. foxtheatre.com $10 – $12

Playhouse Productions: Baby Boomer Baby – 2:00 p.m., 7:30 p.m. Gordan Gamm Theater, Boulder. tickets.thedairy.org $45-$65

2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup – 4:00 P.M. Sports Authority Field, Denver sportsauthorityfield.tickets.expert $38 – $218

Art + Architecture Weekend – 7:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. 135 W Pacific, Telluride tellurideartandarchitecture.com $85 – $150

Music & Magic on the West Patio – 10:00 a.m. City of Longmont, Longmont longmontcolorado.gov Free

Summer Concerts in the Park: Megan Burtt – 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. 955 Bella Vista Drive, Louisville Free

July 14

Hardrock Hundred Endurance Run – 6:00 a.m. Silverton Colorado,hardrock100.com/ Free

Three Dog Night – 7:30 pm, Arvada Center Outdoor Ampitheatre, Arvada, Co, arvadacenter.org/ $60

Dan TDM – 7:00 p.m. Bellco Theater, Denver, Co, bellcotheatre.com $39 – $59

Big Chocolate Secret Recipe, Toadface, Ether – 9:00 p.m. The Black Box Theater, Denver, Co, blackboxdenver.ticketfly.com/  $15 – $20

LOLA BLACK with Tonight We Rise, Phoenyx A.D., Wake The Bat – 8:00 p.m.  Bluebird Theater, Denver, Co, bluebirdtheater.net  $13 – $15

Peter Kater – 8:00 p.m. The Boulder Theater, Boulder, Co. bouldertheater.com/calendar/  $35-$40

Beethoven’s Ninth – 6:30 p.m. Chautauqua Auditorium, Boulder, Co. Chautauqua.com $12 – $54

LAWN CONCERT: SEAN ROWE – 5:30 p.m. Clyfford Still Museum, Denver clyffordstillmuseum.org Free

Sonder Immersive – 7:30 P.M. Ellie Caulkins Opera House, Denver. elliecaulkins.operahousedenver.com $20

Downtown Neighborhood Block Party – 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Historic Downtown Erie Briggs street, Erie. eriechamber.org Free

Art Night Out July 14 – Wendy Woo – 5:00 p.m. Festival Plaza Lafayette, Lafayette artslafayette.org Free

Rockstar Energy presents: All Time Low – Young Renegades Tour – 5:30 p.m. Fillmore Auditorium, Denver http://fillmore.auditoriumdenver.com/ $41

THE PAMLICO SOUND + THE JIVE TRIBE – 9:00 p.m. Fox Theatre, Boulder. foxtheatre.com $10 – $12

Playhouse Productions: Baby Boomer Baby – 7:30 p.m. Gordon Gamm Theater, Boulder. tickets.thedairy.org $45-$65

MICHELLE BRANCH – 8:00 p.m. Gothic Theatre, Denver. gothictheatre.com $48

A Night of Hope with Joel Osteen – 7:30 p.m. Pepsi Center, Denver. pepsi.centerdenver.com $30 – $234

Art + Architecture Weekend – 7:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m, July 14-18. 135 W Pacific, Telluride tellurideartandarchitecture.com $85 – $150

July 15

“UZ **NEW DATE** with Kyral x Banko – 9:00 p.m.  Bluebird Theater, Denver, Co, bluebirdtheater.net   $48

Railroad Earth – 9:00 p.m. The Boulder Theater, Boulder, Co, bouldertheater.com/calendar/  $40

ASonder Immersive – 2:00 p.m. , 7:30 P.M. Ellie Caulkins Opera House, Denver. elliecaulkins.operahousedenver.com $20

INTERSTELLAR BOYS Feat. Todd Nance, Daniel Hutchens, Jerry Joseph, Sam Holt, John Neff, Jon Mills, Eric Martinez – 9:00 p.m. Fox Theatre, Boulder. foxtheatre.com $15 – $20

Playhouse Productions: Baby Boomer Baby – 2:00 p.m. , 7:30 p.m. Gordan Gamm Theater, Boulder. tickets.thedairy.org $45-$65

Brad Paisley- 7:00 p.m. Pepsi Center, Denver. pepsi.centerdenver.com $18

Hijas de su Madre – 7:00 p.m. Paramount Theatre, Denver paramount.theatredenver.com $45 – $90

Drums Along the Rockies – 6:30 P.M. Sports Authority Field, Denver sportsauthorityfield.tickets.expert $36 – $80

Ah Haa Art Auction – 6:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. 300 S Townsend St, Telluride, ahhaa.com Free

19th Annual Jazz Festival – 11:00 a.m. Roosevelt Park, Longmont longmontjazz.com/annual-jazz-festival.php Free

Little Jam #2 Eufórquestra – 6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. Bega Park, Littleton littletongov.org Free

July 16

The Denver Brass – 7:30 p.m., Arvada Center Outdoor Ampitheatre, Arvada, Co, http://arvadacenter.org/ $15 – $32

Shakespeare In The Park – 8:00 p.m. Telluride Town Park, Telluride. events.tellurideskiresort.com/event/romeo–juliet—shakespeare-in-the-park/ $12 (Children) $20 (adults) Check website for full schedule.

BLACK ASTEROID – 7:00 p.m. Beta Nightclub, Denver, Co, betanightclub.com/ Free

BrüFrouFEST 2017 –  12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Trivoli Quad, Denver, Co, blackshirtbrewingco.com/events $45 – $50

Playhouse Productions: Baby Boomer Baby – 7:30 p.m. Gordan Gamm Theater, Boulder. tickets.thedairy.org $45-$65

Banshee Tree Mountain Sun Pub and Brewery – 10:00 p.m. Mountain Sun, Boulder mountainsunpub.com Free

Welcome To Night Vale – 7:00 p.m. Paramount Theatre, Denver paramount.theatredenver.com $30

Ah Haa Art Auction – 6:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. 300 S Townsend St, Telluride, ahhaa.com Free

Colorado Music Festival: Pianist Stewart Goodyear 7:30 p.m. Chautauqua Auditorium, Boulder. chautauqua.com $12 – $54

July 17

Active Minds – The Soviet Union: The Road After Collapse – 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. West Boulder Senior Center, Boulder activeminds.com Free

Matt Flaherty Band Southern Sun – 9:30 P.M. Mountain Sun, Boulder mountainsunpub.com Free

Shawn Mendes: Illuminate World Tour Support: Charlie Puth – 7:30 p.m. Pepsi Center, Denver. pepsicenterdenver.com $41

Ah Haa Art Auction – 6:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. 300 S Townsend St, Telluride, ahhaa.com Free

July 18

Robert Cray Band – 7:30 p.m. Arvada Center Outdoor Ampitheatre, Arvada, Co, arvadacenter.org/ $29 – $49

Happy Hour – Time for Three – 7:30 p.m. Chautauqua Auditorium, Boulder, Co Chautauqua.com. $12 – $45

Mystery Science Theater 3000 – 8:00 p.m. Paramount Theatre, Denver paramount.theatredenver.com $90 – $286

Donny & Marie- 7:30 p.m. Hudson Gardens & Event Center, Littleton hudson-gardens.tickets-center.com Adult $79 – Child  $69

July 19

MITSKI with Half Waif – 8:00 p.m. Bluebird Theater, Denver, Co, bluebirdtheater.net $36

Harold LLoyd Comedy Show – 7:30 p.m. Chautauqua Auditorium, Boulder, Co chautauqua.com $12

FILM/STILL: A BAND CALLED DEATH – 7:00 p.m.  Clyfford Still Museum, Denver clyffordstillmuseum.org $8

Mary Chapin Carpenter w/ special guest Sarah Jarosz – 6:30 p.m. Denver Botanic Center, Denver. concerts.botanicgardens.org $62-$67

Prince Royce – FIVE TOUR – 6:30 p.m. Fillmore Auditorium, Denver http://fillmore.auditoriumdenver.com/ $69 – $228

John Mayer Support: The Night Game – 7:00 p.m. Pepsi Center, Denver. pepsi.centerdenver.com $57

Telluride Baseball Festival – 1:00 p.m. Telluride Town Park, Telluride telluridebaseballcamp.com $375 – $455. Check website for full schedule.

Summer Concert Series : My Blue Sky – Waneka Lake Park- 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Waneka Lake Park, Lafayette mimmusictheater.themim.org Free

Yoga in The Gardens- 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Hudson Gardens & Event Center, Littleton hudson-gardens.tickets-center.com $10. Check website for full schedule.

Museum Summer Concert – Bringers of Swing – 7:00 p.m. Littleton Museum, 6028 S. Gallup Street, littletongov.org Free

July 20

Summer Writing Program – All Day event Downtown Boulder Campus, Boulder magazine.naropa.edu/2017-swp/ Free

Telluride Yoga Festival – 9:00 a.m. – 8:30 p.m. 135 W. Colorado Ave. Suite 2B, Telluride. tellurideyogafestival.com $20 – $460.  Check website for full schedule.

Colorado Symphony – 7:30 p.m., Arvada Center Outdoor Ampitheatre, Arvada, Co, arvadacenter.org/ Admission fee

Carlos Vives – 8:00 p.m. , Bellco Theater, Denver, Co, bellcotheatre.com $94 – $347

Benedetto Lupo-Ravel and Debusy – 7:30 p.m. Chautauqua Auditorium, Boulder, Co chautauqua.com $12 – $54

ARTISTS SELECT: RONI HORN – MEMBER PREVIEW AND OPENING RECEPTION – 5:30 p.m. Clyfford Still Museum, Denver clyffordstillmuseum.org Free

Dita Von Teese’s “The Art of the Teese” Burlesque Revue – 7:30 p.m. Fillmore Auditorium, Denver http://fillmore.auditoriumdenver.com/ $107 – $222

Colorado Skies: Moon Landing Anniversary 7:00 P.M. – 8:00 P.M.  Fiske Planetarium Theater Boulder. colorado.edu/fisk $7 (kid/ veteran) – $10 General admission

CLOZEE Lucid Vision, Godlazer – 9:00 p.m. Fox Theatre, Boulder. foxtheatre.com $15 – $20

Playhouse Productions: Baby Boomer Baby – 2:00 p.m., 7:30 p.m. Gordan Gamm Theater, Boulder. tickets.thedairy.org $45-$65

SLIM CESSNA’S AUTO CLUB WITH HALDEN WOFFORD AND THE HI*BEAMS & ANDY THOMAS’ DUST HEART – 5:30 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. Levitt Pavilion, Denver levittdenver.org/ $20

Earth, Wind & Fire and CHIC ft. Nile Rodgers: 2054 The Tour Support: Classixx – 8:00 p.m. Pepsi Center, Denver. pepsi.centerdenver.com  $74

QUEEN and Adam Lambert – 7:30 p.m. Pepsi Center, Denver. pepsi.centerdenver.com  $46 – $1,080

Music & Magic on the West Patio – 10:00 a.m. City of Longmont, Longmont longmontcolorado.gov Free

Summer Concerts in the Park: Chain Station- 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. 955 Bella Vista Drive, Louisville Free

July 21

Rocky Mountain State Games – All Day event Colorado Springs, Colorado coloradospringssports.org/index.php/events/rocky-mountain-state-games $5 – $12

WHAT SO NOT – 9:00 p.m. Beta Nightclub, Denver, Co, betanightclub.com/ $20

Sarah Jarosz, James McMurtry – 8:00 p.m. The Boulder Theater, Boulder, Co bouldertheater.com/calendar/  $25 – $30

Benedetto Lupo-Ravel – 7:30 p.m. Chautauqua Auditorium, Boulder, Co chautauqua.com $12 – $35

Buddy Guy & Quinn Sullivan – 6:30 p.m. Denver Botanic Center, Denver. concerts.botanicgardens.org $212 – $298

Playhouse Productions: Baby Boomer Baby – 7:30 p.m. Gordon Gamm Theater, Boulder. tickets.thedairy.org $45-$65

UB40 LEGENDS ALI ASTRO & MICKEY WITH MATISYAHU AND RAGING FYAH – 6:00 p.m. Levitt Pavilion, Denver levittdenver.org/ $25 – $75

DAWES – 9:00 p.m. Ogden Theatre, Denver. ogdentheatre.com $59

Neil Diamond 50th Anniversary Tour – 8:00 p.m.  Pepsi Center, Denver. pepsicenterdenver.com $92 – $771

Snowmass Doubles Volleyball Tournament – Snowmass Village, Snowmass snowmassvacations.com Prices vary

Global Dance Festival-  3:00 P.M. Sports Authority Field, Denver globaldancefestival.com $179 – $219

July 22

Rocky Mountain State Games – All Day event Colorado Springs, Colorado coloradospringssports.org/index.php/events/rocky-mountain-state-games $5 – $12

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy – 7:30 p.m., Arvada Center Outdoor Ampitheatre, Arvada, Co, http://arvadacenter.org/ $29 – $49

Steve Martin & Martin Short – 8:00 p.m. Bellco Theater, Denver, Co, http://bellcotheatre.com $169 – $425

Dimond Saints & Stylust Beats (Official Shambhala Pre-Party) – 9:00 p.m. The Black Box Theater, Denver, Co. blackboxdenver.ticketfly.com/  $ 15 – $25

Benedetto Lupo-Ravel – 7:30 p.m. Chautauqua Auditorium, Boulder, Co chautauqua.com $12 – $45

Steve Martin and Martin Short – 8:00 p.m. Colorado Convention Center, Denver. denverconvention.com  $169 – $425

Foam Glow – Denver – 6:00 p.m. Dicks Sporting Goods Park, Denver. foamglow.com $15

Concert in the Park – Chase N The Dream – 5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Coal Creek Park, Erie. erieco.gov Free

Descendents – 7:00 p.m. Fillmore Auditorium, Denver http://fillmore.auditoriumdenver.com/ $27

Playhouse Productions: Baby Boomer Baby – 2:30 p.m. , 7:30 p.m. Gordan Gamm Theater, Boulder. tickets.thedairy.org $45-$65

Sarah Jarosz & James McMurtry with Special Guests – 8:00 p.m. Mishawaka Amphitheatre, Bellvue. Themishawaka.com $25 – $40

Global Dance Festival-  3:00 P.M. Sports Authority Field, Denver globaldancefestival.com $179 – $219

Denver Outlaws vs Ohio Machine – 6:00 P.M. Sports Authority Field, Denver sportsauthorityfield.tickets.expert $14 – $52

Dog Days Half Marathon –  5:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Westminster, Co alloutmultipro.com $30 – $70

Stars of Summer – Astronomy – 11:00 p.m. Open Space TBD, Lafayette, cityoflafayette.com Free

July 23

The Four-Twenty Games – 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Boulder Reservoir, Boulder 420games.org/events/boulder-2017/ $10 – $60

Rocky Mountain State Games – All Day event Colorado Springs, Colorado coloradospringssports.org/index.php/events/rocky-mountain-state-games $5 – $12

BRENDAN JAMES with Megan Burtt, Dave Tamkin – 8:00 p.m.  Bluebird Theater, Denver, Co, bluebirdtheater.net $54

French Mini-Fest – Faures French Soiree – 7:30 p.m. Chautauqua Auditorium, Boulder, Co chautauqua.com $12 – $54

Lifehouse & Switchfoot: Looking for Summer Tour – 6:00 p.m. Fillmore Auditorium, Denver http://fillmore.auditoriumdenver.com/ $35 – $60

Playhouse Productions: Baby Boomer Baby – 2:30 p.m. Gordan Gamm Theater, Boulder. tickets.thedairy.org $45-$65

Stone Foxes – 6:30 p.m. Levitt Pavilion Denver, Great Divide Barrel Bar levittdenver.org/ Free

Evening with Dawes – 8:00 p.m. Mishawaka Amphitheatre, Bellvue. Themishawaka.com $25 – $40

Midnight Strange -7:00 p.m. Mountain Sun, Boulder mountainsunpub.com Free

Gladys Knight- 7:00 p.m. Hudson Gardens & Event Center, Littleton hudson-gardens.tickets-center.com Adult $49 – Child $39

July 24

Active Minds – The United Nations- 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. East Boulder Senior Center, Boulder activeminds.com Free

Retro Futura – 7:00 pm , Bellco Theater, Denver, Co. bellcotheatre.com $55 – $318

Mary Chapin Center- 7:30 p.m. Chautauqua Auditorium, Boulder, Co chautauqua.com $110 – $201

Foxfeather Southern Sun – 9:30 p.m. Mountain Sun, Boulder mountainsunpub.com Free

Sabrina Carpenter: The De-Tour – 7:00 p.m. Paramount Theatre, Denver paramount.theatredenver.com $75 – $332

Telluride 100 Mountain Bike Race – 6:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Location TBD, Telluride telluride100.com $180

July 25

VIP Soundcheck Meet & Greet – 5:00 p.m. Joshua Radin, Rachael Yamagata – 7:30 p.m.

The Boulder Theater, Boulder, Co. bouldertheater.com/calendar/ $25 – $30

Happy Hour – Classicallapalooza – 7:30 p.m. Chautauqua Auditorium, Boulder, Co. chautauqua.com $12 – $45

NICOLAS JAAR – 9:00 p.m. Fox Theatre, Boulder. foxtheatre.com $106 – $222

Tesla – 8:00 p.m. Paramount Theatre, Denver paramount.theatredenver.com $117 – $308

TOGETHER: The Women’s Foundation of Colorado’s Celebration. Featuring a Conversation with Former First Lady Michelle Obama – 5:00 p.m. Pepsi Center, Denver. wfco.org/together $125

July 26

MURA MASA – 9:00 p.m. Gothic Theatre, Denver. gothictheatre.com $45 – $193

Annual American Cheese Society Conference – All day event Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel & Surrounding Venues cheesesociety.org/conference/cheese-with-altitude/ $798 – $898

Boz Scaggs – 7:30 p.m., Arvada Center Outdoor Ampitheatre, Arvada, Co, arvadacenter.org/ $47 – $67

The Scarlet Letter – Hank Troy – 7:30 p.m. Chautauqua Auditorium, Boulder, Co  chautauqua.com $12

Violent Femmes And Echo & The Bunnymen – 7:00 p.m. Fillmore Auditorium, Denver http://fillmore.auditoriumdenver.com/ $68 – $181

MURA MASA with KU?KA – 9:00 p.m. Gothic Theatre, Denver. gothictheatre.com $45 – $193

Denver Outlaws vs. Chesapeake Bayhawks- 12:00 P.M. Sports Authority Field, Denver sportsauthorityfield.tickets.expert $14 – $52

Summer Concert Series : Burn It Blue – Waneka Lake Park – 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Waneka Lake Park, Lafayette mimmusictheater.themim.org Free

Museum Summer Concert – Lynn Baker – 7:00 p.m. Littleton Museum, 6028 S. Gallup Street, littletongov.org Free

Music & Magic on the West Patio 10:00 a.m. City of Longmont, Longmont longmontcolorado.gov Free

July 27

Savoy-  9:00 p.m. Beta Nightclub, Denver. betanightclub.com $20

Annual American Cheese Society Conference – All day event Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel & Surrounding Venues cheesesociety.org/conference/cheese-with-altitude/ $798 – $898

CMF / The Planets – 7:30 p.m. Chautauqua Auditorium, Boulder, Co chautauqua.com $12 – $54

Colorado Skies: War in Space – 7:00 P.M. – 8:00 P.M.  Fiske Planetarium Theater Boulder. colorado.edu/fisk $7 (kid/ veteran) – $10 General admission

BOOGIE T – 9:00 p.m. Fox Theatre, Boulder. foxtheatre.com $12 – $15

Mario the Maker Magician! – 2:00 p.m. , 7:00 p.m. Dairy Arts Center, Boulder thedairy.org $10 – $20

WHISKEY SHIVERS WITH GARRETT LEBEAU AND R.L. COLE & HIS ANGELS –  5:30 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. Levitt Pavilion, Denver levittdenver.org/ $20

Lindsey Buckingham & Christine McVie – 7:30 p.m. Paramount Theatre, Denver paramount.theatredenver.com $81 – $594

West End 4k – 5:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Pearl St., Boulder flatironsrunningevents.com/races/west-end-4k/ Kids $15 – Adult $25 – $30

July 28

Rocky Mountain State Games – All Day event Colorado Springs, Colorado coloradospringssports.org/index.php/events/rocky-mountain-state-games $5 – $12

Annual American Cheese Society Conference – All day event Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel & Surrounding Venues cheesesociety.org/conference/cheese-with-altitude/ $798 – $898

Caked Up – 9:00 p.m. Beta Nightclub, Denver. betanightclub.com $10 – $20

Boulder County Fair – 10:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. Boulder Fairgrounds, Boulder, Co, bouldercounty.org/open-space/fairgrounds/ Free. Runs through August 6.

Herbie Hancock Tribute – 8:30 p.m. The Boulder Theater, Boulder, Co, bouldertheater.com/calendar/ $12 –  $15

CMF / The Planets – 6:30 p.m. Chautauqua Auditorium, Boulder, Co chautauqua.com $12 – $54

The Mavericks & The Last Bandoleros – 6:30 p.m. Denver Botanic Center, Denver. Concerts.botanicgardens.org $111 – $119

Downtown Neighborhood Block Party – 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Historic Downtown Erie Briggs street, Erie. eriechamber.org Free

Summer Brewfest – 7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. Mile High Station, Denver denverbrewfest.com/summer/ $34 – $45

Downtown Longmont Summer Concert – 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Downtown Longmont, Longmont visitlongmont.org/events Free

July 29

Rocky Mountain State Games – All Day event Colorado Springs, Colorado coloradospringssports.org/index.php/events/rocky-mountain-state-games $5 – $12

Jim Gaffigan – 8:00 p.m. 1st Bank Center, Broomfield 1stbank.centerbroomfield.com $16

DJ Icey, BreakBeat Mafia, D-Unit, Dirty Rotten – 9:00 p.m. The Black Box Theater, Denver, Co, blackboxdenver.ticketfly.com/  $10 – $15

Amadou & Mariam – 8:00 pm The Boulder Theater, Boulder, Co, bouldertheater.com/calendar/  $25-$27

CMF / Chamber Music – 7:30 p.m. Chautauqua Auditorium, Boulder, Co  https://Chautauqua.com $12 – $45

Annual American Cheese Society Conference – All day event Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel & Surrounding Venues cheesesociety.org/conference/cheese-with-altitude/ $798 – $898

Zac Brown Band – 7:00 p.m. Coors Field, Denver. axs.com/events/330550/zac-brown-band-tickets $58

Rad Rover Kids Obstacle Adventure – 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Erie Community Center recessfactory.pulsemob.com/event/rad-rover-kids-obstacle-adventure-2017/ $40

SPECTACLE – 9:00 p.m. Fox Theatre, Boulder. foxtheatre.com $5 – $14

Westminster Craft Beer Festival – 5 p.m.-9 p.m. Westminster City Park westybrewfest.com/ $35 – $55

THE SWORD with Big Jesus – 8:30 p.m. Gothic Theatre, Denver. gothictheatre.com $24.50

EUFÓRQUESTRA – 6:30 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. Levitt Pavilion, Denver levittdenver.org/ $20

Lane 8 with Special Guest Luttrell This Never Happened – Summer Gathering – 2:00 p.m. Mishawaka Amphitheatre, Bellvue. Themishawaka.com $45 – $60

Summer Brewfest – 7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. Mile High Station, Denver denverbrewfest.com/summer/ $34 – $45

Kendrick Lamar: The DAMN. Tour With Travis Scott & D.R.A.M. – 7:30 p.m. Pepsi Center, Denver. pepsicenterdenver.com $89

Enduro World Series – All Day event Snowmass Village, Snowmass snowmassvacations.com $179.79 registration

Black Hawk Trail Half Marathon and 10k – 6:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. 9467 Drew Hill Rd Golden Co. enduranceraceseries.com/black-hawk.html $50 – $80

Rocky Mountain Tea Fest – 10:00 a.m. 1770 13th Street Boulder, Co rockymtnteafestival.com/about Prices vary

Greeley Arts Picnic – 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Lincoln Park, Greeley greeleygov.com/activities/arts-picnic Free

July 30

Rocky Mountain State Games – All Day event Colorado Springs, Colorado coloradospringssports.org/index.php/events/rocky-mountain-state-games $5 – $12

CMF / Classically Jazz – 7:30 p.m. Chautauqua Auditorium, Boulder, Co  https://Chautauqua.com $12 – $54

Chevelle – 6:30 p.m.  Fillmore Auditorium, Denver http://fillmore.auditoriumdenver.com/ $49 – $181

MAKING MOVIES WITH JYEMO CLUB – 4:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Levitt Pavilion, Denver levittdenver.org/ $20

Rocky Mountain Tea Fest – 10:00 a.m. 1770 13th Street Boulder, Co rockymtnteafestival.com/about Prices vary

Greeley Arts Picnic – 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Lincoln Park, Greeley greeleygov.com/activities/arts-picnic Free

Creedence Clearwater Revisited- 7:30 p.m. Hudson Gardens & Event Center, Littleton hudson-gardens.tickets-center.com Adult $38 – Child  $28

July 31

Lucinda Williams – 7:30 p.m. Chautauqua Auditorium, Boulder, Co chautauqua.com $84 – $217

Jeff Crosby and the Refugees Southern Sun – 9:30 p.m. Mountain Sun, Boulder mountainsunpub.com Free

Tim McGraw and Faith Hill  – 7:30 p.m. Pepsi Center, Denver. pepsicenterdenver.com $84

August 1

World’s Fair of Money – 1:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Colorado Convention Center, Denver. money.org/worldsfairofmoney $8

Stephen Stills & Judy Collins Numa Edema – 6:30 p.m. Denver Botanic Center, Denver. concerts.botanicgardens.org Sold Out

National Night Out – 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm, Various Neighborhoods in Erie, Co., erieco.gov/259/National-Night-Out/, Free

Against All Odds Tour – 7:00 pm, Fillmore Auditorium, Denver, Co.  fillmore.auditoriumdenver.com/ $49.00 – $225.00

Tim McGraw and Faith Hill – 7:00 p.m., Pepsi Center, Denver, Co., axs.com/events/326226/tim-mcgraw-faith-hill-tickets/, $25.00-$119.50

Tim & Eric – 8:00 p.m. Paramount Theatre, Denver paramount.theatredenver.com $75 – $248

August 2

KOTO Duck Race – 3:45 p.m. Telluride Town Park, Telluride telluride.com/koto-duck-race Free

Slayer, Lamb of God, Behemoth – 7:00 p.m. 1st Bank Center, Broomfield, Co 1stbankcenter.com/ $36.75-$44.95

Stephen Stills & Judy Collins – 7:30 p.m., Arvada Center Outdoor Ampitheatre, Arvada, Co, http://arvadacenter.org/ $49-$69

The Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra – 7:30 p.m., Chautauqua Auditorium, Boulder, Co https://Chautauqua.com/, $12.00

A TRIBE CALLED RED – 8:00 p.m., The Ogden Theater, Denver, Co., atribecalledred.com/, $15.00-$25.00

Guns N’ Roses: Not In This Lifetime Tour – 7:00 P.M., Sports Authority Field, Denver, Co.,gunsnroses.com/tour/, $35.00-$341.00

August 3

Ghost Town Writers Retreat – All Day event Georgetown, Coloradoghosttownwritersretreat.com/  $25 – $157. Check website for full schedule.

Arty-  9:00 p.m. Beta Nightclub, Denver. betanightclub.com $10

Shiverz & Obey, Sektah, DJEWW – 9:00 pm The Black Box Theater, Denver, Co, http://blackboxdenver.ticketfly.com/ $15 – $20

CMF, Mahlers Ninth – 7:30 p.m. Chautauqua Auditorium, Boulder, Co  chautauqua.com $110 – $207

Dwight Yoakam – 6:30 p.m. Denver Botanic Center, Denver. concerts.botanicgardens.org $124 – $242

THE SUFFERS WITH THE OTHER BLACK -6:30 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. Levitt Pavilion, Denver levittdenver.org/ $20

Bryan Ferry – 8:00 p.m. Paramount Theatre, Denver paramount.theatredenver.com $73 – $258

Art Walk 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Telluride Arts District, Telluride. telluridearts.org Free

August 4

ARISE Music Festival- All Day event Sunrise Ranch, Loveland arisefestival.com $145 – $199. Through August 6.

Dancing with the Stars Live – 8:00 pm, Bellco Theater, Denver, Co, bellcotheatre.com $57.00 – $1866.00

Steve Earle & the Dukes – 8:00 pm, The Boulder Theater, Boulder, Co, bouldertheater.com/calendar/ $25-30

Marvel Universe Live! Age of Heroes – 7:30 p.m. Pepsi Center, Denver. pepsicenterdenver.com $84

CMF / Gil Shaham – 7:30 p.m. Chautauqua Auditorium, Boulder, Co chautauqua.com $17 – $64

LAWN CONCERT: DAVINA AND THE VAGABONDS – 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Clyfford Still Museum, Denver clyffordstillmuseum.org Free

Frequent Flyers® Aerial Dance Festival Showcase: Toward the Light – 8:00 p.m., Boulder frequentflyers.org/page/adf/ $24 – $48. Check website for schedule.

JOHN FULLBRIGHT WITH THE DRUNKEN HEARTS – 6:30 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. Levitt Pavilion, Denver levittdenver.org/ $20

Marvel Universe Live! Age of Heroes – 7:00 p.m. Pepsi Center, Denver. pepsicenterdenver.com $84

CO Scottish Festival & Highland Games – 5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Snowmass Village, Snowmass snowmassvacations.com Free

Many Hands Fiber Arts Festival – 1:00 p.m. Telluride Elementary School Gym. 447 West Columbia Ave. Free

Mudd Butts Mystery Theater – 6:00 p.m. Michael D. Palm Theater 721 W. Colorado Ave Telluride  telluride.com/mudd-butt-mystery-theater Kids $5 Adults $12. Check website for schedule.

Telluride Jazz Celebration – 9:00 a.m. 238 E Colorado Ave, Telluride telluridejazz.org $25 – $2,000

August 5

Ironman 70.3 – 7:30 a.m. Boulder Reservoir, Boulder ironman.com $600 Sold Out

MUDD Volleyball Tournament – 8:00 a.m. Majestic Commercenter, Aurora muddvolleyball.marchofdimes.org/ $400 – $1,000

Asleep At the Wheel – 7:30 p.m., Arvada Center Outdoor Ampitheatre, Arvada, Co, http://arvadacenter.org/ $49

DELTA RAE with Liz Longley – 8:00 p.m. Bluebird Theater, Denver, Co, bluebirdtheater.net  $33

Edwina the Great and her Flea Circus – 10:00 a.m. & 12:00 p.m. Chautauqua Auditorium, Boulder, Co  https://Chautauqua.com $9 – $12

Concert in the Park Daddy Blue Band – 5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Coal Creek Park, Erie. erieco.gov Free

JAMES VINCENT MCMORROW – 9:00 p.m. Gothic Theatre, Denver. gothictheatre.com $25.75 – $30

Urban Nights – 7:00 p.m. Mile High Station, Denver fashiondenver.com/2017/04/11/urban-nights-denver- $100 – $10,000

Marvel Universe Live! Age of Heroes – 7:30 p.m. Pepsi Center, Denver. pepsicenterdenver.com $84

Many Hands Fiber Arts Festival – 1:00 p.m. Telluride Elementary School Gym. 447 West Columbia Ave. Free

Telluride Jazz Celebration – 9:00 a.m. 238 E Colorado Ave, Telluride telluridejazz.org $25 – $2,000

August 6

Mallets for Melanoma – 10:00 a.m. Sedalia Fields, Sedalia eventbrite.com/e/mallets-for-melanoma-charity-polo-tournament-tickets-34841954223 $30 – $1,000

Hanz Zimmer – 8:00 p.m. 1st Bank Center, Broomfield 1stbank.centerbroomfield.com  $59 – $149.50

Chris Botti – 7:30 pm, Arvada Center Outdoor Ampitheatre, Arvada, Co, arvadacenter.org/ $47 – $67

PETER ROWAN – 9:00 p.m. Caribou Lounge, Nederland thecaribouroom.com $22 – $30

ROCKY DAWUNI – 4:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Levitt Pavilion, Denver levittdenver.org/ $20

11th Anniversary of the Colorado Playlist with My Blue Sky, Kerry Pastine & the Crime Scene, and GOATZ! – 5:00 p.m. Mishawaka Amphitheatre, Bellvue. Themishawaka.com $12.50

Lafayette Birds – Bird Watching For Beginners – 1:00 p.m. Greenlee Wildlife Preserve, Lafayette cityoflafayette.com Free

Dances With Branches Recreational Tree Climbing – 12:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Waneka Lake Park, Lafayette cityoflafayette.com $35 – $45

Lynyrd Skynyrd- 7:30 p.m. Hudson Gardens & Event Center, Littleton hudson-gardens.tickets-center.com $113 – $5,880

August 7

JULIEN BAKER with Luray – 8:00 p.m.  Bluebird Theater, Denver, Co, bluebirdtheater.net  $15.75 – $18

Randy Newman – 6:30 p.m. Denver Botanic Center, Denver. concerts.botanicgardens.org $111 – $242

August 8

Dweezil Zappa: 50 Years of Frank – 7:30 p.m., Arvada Center Outdoor Ampitheatre, Arvada, Co, arvadacenter.org/ $39 – $57

ETIT BISCUIT – 8:00 p.m. Gothic Theatre, Denver. gothictheatre.com $18 – $25

August 9

NATIONAL POETRY SLAM COMPETITION – 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Clyfford Still Museum, Denver clyffordstillmuseum.org Free

ONE OK ROCK with Set It Off, Palisades – 7:00 p.m. Gothic Theatre, Denver. gothictheatre.com $27.50 – $32

HIPPO CAMPUS WITH SLOW CAVES AND CORSICANA – 5:30 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. Levitt Pavilion, Denver levittdenver.org/ $20

Spoon – 8:00 p.m. Mishawaka Amphitheatre, Bellvue. Themishawaka.com SOLD OUT

BLACKBERRY SMOKE with The Cadillac Three – 8:00 p.m. Ogden Theatre, Denver. ogdentheatre.com $49

Silent Film – Sherlock Holmes – Hank Troy, Piano – 7:30 p.m. Chautauqua Auditorium, Boulder, Co  Chautauqua.com $12

August 10

STRANGE AMERICANS with Miles Nielsen & The Rusted Hearts – 9:00 p.m. Bluebird Theater, Denver, Co, bluebirdtheater.net $15 – $20

NATIONAL POETRY SLAM COMPETITION – 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Clyfford Still Museum, Denver clyffordstillmuseum.org Free

José González Darlingside – 6:30 p.m. Denver Botanic Center, Denver. concerts.botanicgardens.org $59 – $64 SOLD OUT

Climate change in Your Backyard: Fracking on the Front Range – 7:00 P.M. – 8:00 P.M. Fiske Planetarium Theater  Boulder. colorado.edu/fisk $7 (kid/ veteran) – $10 General admission

THE DUSTBOWL REVIVAL WITH CHARLEY CROCKETT – 6:30 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. Levitt Pavilion, Denver levittdenver.org/ Free

SYLVAN ESSO with Flock of Dimes – 8:00 p.m.  Ogden Theatre, Denver. Ogdentheatre.com SOLD OUT

Telluride Chamber Music Festival – 11:00 a.m. Telluride telluridechambermusic.org/HOME.html $30. Check website for schedule.

August 11

moe., TWIDDLE – 9:00 p.m. Fox Theatre, Boulder. foxtheatre.com $89.95 – $135

Colin Hay with Trace Bundy – 7:00 p.m. Chautauqua Auditorium, Boulder, Co chautauqua.com $33 – $48

NATIONAL POETRY SLAM COMPETITION – 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Clyfford Still Museum, Denver clyffordstillmuseum.org Free

Downtown Neighborhood Block Party – 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Historic Downtown Erie Briggs street, Erie. eriechamber.org Free

Art Night Out August 11 – Groove-a-Licious – 5:00 p.m. Festival Plaza Lafayette, Lafayette artslafayette.org Free

311 WITH NEW POLITICS, & THE PLATES – 5:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. Levitt Pavilion, Denver levittdenver.org/ $39.50

Sylvan Esso – 8:00 p.m. Mishawaka Amphitheatre, Bellvue. Themishawaka.com SOLD OUT

Yoga on the Mountain- All day event Snowmass Village, Snowmass snowmassvacations.com $99 – $349

One To One’s Top Chef and Taste of Telluride – 5:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. The Peaks Resort and Spa, 136 Country Club Dr. Mountain Village, Telluride Pricing TBD

August 12

Colorado Jazz Repertory Orchestra “Basie 2.0” – 7:30 pm, Arvada Center Outdoor Ampitheatre, Arvada, Co. arvadacenter.org/ $20 – $35

moe – 8:00 p.m. The Boulder Theater, Boulder, Co. bouldertheater.com/calendar/ $65

Erie Air Fair – 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Erie Municipal Airport, Erie, erieairfair.com Free

CAAMP The Wonderfool – 7:00 p.m. Fox Theatre, Boulder. Foxtheatre.com $12 – $15

Haystack Mountain – 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Front Range Brewery, Boulder frontrangebrewerycompany.com Free

Hippo Campus – 8:00 p.m. Mishawaka Amphitheatre, Bellvue. Themishawaka.com $18 – $35

NATIONAL POETRY SLAM FINALS – 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Clyfford Still Museum, Denver clyffordstillmuseum.org Free

Banda MS de Sergio Lizarraga – 8:00 p.m. Pepsi Center, Denver. pepsi.centerdenver.com $119 – $717

Justin Bieber: Purpose Tour –  7:30 P.M. Sports Authority Field, Denver sportsauthorityfield.tickets.expert $32 – $4,320

Holy COW Trail Stampede – 8:00 a.m. Westminster City Park, Co runningintheusa.com/race/ $20

Little Jam #3 Walker Williams – 6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. Bega Park, Littleton littletongov.org Free

August 13

Flight of Fancy – 11:00 am Chautauqua Auditorium, Boulder, Co chautauqua.com $12

STILLNESS: MEDITATION IN THE GALLERIES – 8:45 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. Clyfford Still Museum, Denver clyffordstillmuseum.org Free

Garrison Keillor’s Prairie Home “Love and Comedy” Showw/ Richard Dworsky, Heather Masse, and Fred Newman – 6:30 p.m. Denver Botanic Center, Denver. concerts.botanicgardens.org $61 – $66

Hold-Marc Muench (Karl Jules Mueller) – 5:00 P.M. – 9:00 P.M. Fiske Planetarium Theater  Boulder. colorado.edu/fisk Free

THE BAND OF HEATHENS WITH BLAKE BROWN & THE AMERICAN DUST CHOIR – 4:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Levitt Pavilion, Denver levittdenver.org/ Free

Los Lobos & Los Lonely Boys- 7:00 p.m. Hudson Gardens & Event Center, Littleton hudson-gardens.tickets-center.com Child $29 – Adult $39

August 14

MEW – 8:00 p.m. Bluebird Theater, Denver.  bluebirdtheater.net $45

Seether – 7:30 p.m. The Boulder Theater, Boulder. bouldertheater.com/calendar/ $33

Herbie Hancock – 6:30 p.m. Denver Botanic Center, Denver. concerts.botanicgardens.org $294 – $588

August 15

St Paul and the Broken Bones – 7:30 p.m. Chautauqua Auditorium, Boulder. chautauqua.com $35 – $50

The Chick Corea Elektric Band and Béla Fleck & The Flecktones – 6:30 p.m. Denver Botanic Center, Denver. concerts.botanicgardens.org $134 – $208

THE MELVINS with Spotlights – 8:00 p.m. Gothic Theatre, Denver. gothictheatre.com $54 – $222

Ed Sheeran Support: James Blunt – 7:30 p.m. Pepsi Center, Denver. pepsicenterdenver.com $205 – $8,976

August 16

St Paul and the Broken Bones – 10:30 p.m. Chautauqua Auditorium, Boulder. chautauqua.com $35 – $50

Colleges That Change Lives Program – 7:00 p.m. Colorado Convention Center, Denver. ctcl.org/denver-co-august-16-2017/ Free

August 17

Feed Me + No Mana-  9:00 p.m. Beta Nightclub, Denver. betanightclub.com $20

The Watering Hole: Adult Lecture Series – 6:30 p.m. Denver Zoo, Denver. denverzoo.org General admission price

MACEO PARKER Naughty Professor- 8:00 p.m. Fox Theatre, Boulder. foxtheatre.com $25 – $30

THE HAUNTED WINDCHIMES AND EDISON – 6:30 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. Levitt Pavilion, Denver levittdenver.org/ $15

Telluride Mushroom Festival – 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. W. Colorado Avenue, Telluride telluridemushroomfest.org $25 – $300. Check website for full schedule.

Silent Film – College – Hank Troy, Piano – 7:30 p.m., Chautauqua Auditorium, Boulder, Co chautauqua.com $12

August 18

Moody Good-  9:00 p.m. Beta Nightclub, Denver. betanightclub.com $10

KILL PARIS – 9:00 p.m. Gothic Theatre, Denver. gothictheatre.com $5 – $25

MY BODY SINGS ELECTRIC AND CHEMISTRY CLUB – 6:30-10:00 p.m. Levitt Pavilion, Denver levittdenver.org/ $15

Zoppé Italian Family Circus All day event Snowmass Village, Snowmass snowmassvacations.com $20 – $75

Rocky Mountain Folks Fest – 10:00 a.m. Lyons. Runs through Aug. 20. bluegrass.com/folks/ $65 – $150

August 19

Boxing at the Brewery Tour – 10:00 a.m. Odell Brewing Co., Fort Collins. eventbrite.com/e/boxing-at-odell-brewing-tickets-33859429465 $15 – $25

Outcry with Lauren Daigle, Bethel Music, Chad Veach, Martin Smith, Kari Jobe, Cody Carnes- 8:00 p.m. 1st Bank Center, Broomfield 1stbank.centerbroomfield.com  $50

Clint Black – 7:30 p.m. Arvada Center Outdoor Ampitheatre, Arvada. arvadacenter.org/ $259 – $262

City and Colour – USA Tour 2017 – 8:00 p.m. Paramount Theatre, Denver paramount.theatredenver.com $57 – $391

August 20

Blind Pilot – 7:30 pm Chautauqua Auditorium, Boulder, Co chautauqua.com $54 – $198

WESTWORD TACOLANDIA- 3:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Civic Center Park, Denver. westwordtacolandia.com $25 – $65

Joan Jett and the Blackhearts- 7:30 p.m. Hudson Gardens & Event Center, Littleton hudson-gardens.tickets-center.com Adult $46 – Child $36

August 21

KHALID – 8:00 pm Fillmore Auditorium, Denver http://fillmore.auditoriumdenver.com/ $35 – $560

August 22

JACOB COLLIER with Dandu – 8:00 p.m. Bluebird Theater, Denver, Co, bluebirdtheater.net   $112

August 24

GABY MORENO WITH VANESSA ZAMORA – 6:30 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. Levitt Pavilion, Denver levittdenver.org/ $20

August 25

“Hot time in Old town” – 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Hover Street, Longmont. Through Aug. 27. stvrainhistoricalsociety.com $35

Fat Tire Tour de Fat – 7:00 pm The Boulder Theater, Boulder.  bouldertheater.com/calendar/ $12

MARIACHI SOL DE MI TIERRA with FIESTA COLORADO DANCE COMPANY – 7:30 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. Levitt Pavilion, Denver levittdenver.org/ $20

My Favorite Murder Live – 8:00 p.m. Paramount Theatre, Denver paramount.theatredenver.com $35

Depeche Mode Global Spirit Tour with special guest Warpaint – 7:30 p.m. Pepsi Center, Denver. pepsicenterdenver.com $60 – $4,675

Downtown Longmont Summer Concert – 6:00- 9:00 p.m. visitlongmont.org/events Free

11th Annual Front Range Playwrights’ Showcase- 7:30 p.m. Coal Creek Theatre, Louisville cctlouisville.org/show-local_showcase Prices TBD

August 26

Colorado Ballet – 7:30 p.m., Arvada Center Outdoor Ampitheatre, Arvada. arvadacenter.org/ $15 – $44

The Steeldrivers – 7:30 p.m. Chautauqua Auditorium, Boulder. chautauqua.com $23 – $40

Living Every Day with Passion and Purpose – 6:00 p.m. Bellco Theatre, Colorado Convention Center, Denver. bellcotheatre.com $29 – $39

Movie in the Park – Harry and the Hendersons- 8:30 p.m. – 10:30 p.m. Erie Community Park, Erie. eriechamber.org/events Free

The Great Erie Outdoor Adventure – 12:00 p.m. Erie Community Park, Erie eriechamber.org/events/details/great-erie-outdoor-adventure-856

NEXT Art Quilt Symposium – 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Dairy Arts Center, Grace Gamm Theatre, Boulder Free

August 27

Lucerov with special guest Paper Bird – 6:30 p.m. Denver Botanic Center, Denver. concerts.botanicgardens.org $57 – $62

The Great Erie Outdoor Adventure – 12:00 p.m. Erie Community Park, Erie eriechamber.org/events/details/great-erie-outdoor-adventure-856

NEW BREED BRASS BAND WITH DENVER MUNICIPAL BAND – 4:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Levitt Pavilion, Denver levittdenver.org/ Free

The B-52’s- 7:30 p.m. Hudson Gardens & Event Center, Littleton hudson-gardens.tickets-center.com Adult $45 – $35 Child

August 28

Sierra Hull – 8:00 p.m. The Boulder Theater, Boulder, Co bouldertheater.com/calendar/ $20 – $25

Linkin Park: One More Light World Tour Support: Machine Gun Kelly – 7:30 p.m. Pepsi Center, Denver. pepsicenterdenver.com $54 – $2,238

August 29

Playboi Carti –  8:00 p.m. Ogden Theatre, Denver. ogdentheatre.com $54 – $222

Lionel Richie: All The Hits with Very Special Guest Mariah Carey Support: Tauren Wells – 7:00 p.m. Pepsi Center, Denver. pepsicenterdenver.com $32 – $2,471

The Gypsy Kings – 7:30 p.m. Chautauqua Auditorium, Boulder. chautauqua.com $58 – $78

August 30

The Gipsy Kings – 6:30 p.m. Denver Botanic Center, Denver. concerts.botanicgardens.org $149 – $210

RIPE WITH CHRIS DANIELS & THE KINGS WITH FREDDI GOWDY –  6:30 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. Levitt Pavilion, Denver levittdenver.org/ Free

Telluride Film Festival – 10:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. Telluride, telluridefilmfestival.org $390 – $4,900

The post Summer Calendar: Your Guide to Festivals and Concerts During the Summer. appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Leslie and Steve Kaczeus take a break in their Niwot brewery to enjoy the fame and good fortune that gold and bronze GABF medals bring.

When a homebrewer cracks her first bottle of delicious, homemade beer, the elation and sense of accomplishment can be quickly followed by dreams of going big. What if those plastic fermenting tubs were replaced with gleaming stainless steel tanks; the siphon hose with pumps and pipes; the hand-washed brown glass bomber bottles with colorful cans sporting distinctive designs? What if this hobby could be turned into a career as satisfying and successful as that of, say, a high tech mechanical engineer or marketing director?

It was exactly such a dream that prompted Steve (aka “Stick”) and Leslie Kaczeus to trade in successful engineering and marketing careers, respectively, for the long hours, heavy lifting and sleepless nights involved with starting Bootstrap Brewing.

That was a little more than four years ago. In the 52 months since, the husband and wife team have watched their dream grow and prosper and — with the winning of a gold and bronze medal for Stick’s Pale Ale and Wreak Havoc Imperial Red Ale, respectively, at this year’s Great American Beer Festival — explode like a flash pot at a Who concert.

“On a personal level, it’s a dream come true,” said Steve Kaczeus, sitting with his wife, Leslie, among the fermenters and brite tanks that they have shoe-horned into their back alley, Niwot taproom. As he talks, the freshly minted, ear-splitting grin that comes with a first-time GABF gold medal never leaves his face; or his wife’s.

“It’s amazing to go from being a home brewer to owning your own brewery, and now to get this kind of recognition from your peers,” he said, “it’s a great confirmation of how good your beer is.”

With 157 entries, the American Pale Ale style is the fifth largest of the GABF’s 96 categories for medals.

This year’s medals aren’t the first wad of beer bling Bootstrap’s beers have hauled in. Wreak Havoc won silver at last year’s GABF and a bronze at this year’s World Beer Cup, an international version of the Great American Beer Festival also put on by the Brewer’s Association every two years, without the public tastings.

Given the accolades, it’s no surprise that Bootstrap is gearing up to grow. In fact, the Kaczeus’ had already inked a deal with Oskar Blues owner Dale Katechis to take over 14,000 square feet in the old Times-Call newspaper building at 350 Terry Street in Longmont. In addition to housing a larger brewing operation, there will also be a taproom.

“We already had a plan to grow,” Leslie Kaczeus said. “Winning the gold was the frosting on the cake and it’s just helping accelerate that plan. After winning the gold, we were getting calls from liquor stores and restaurants the next day: ‘Where can we get your beer?’ “

As for how that will happen, Leslie and Steve are still self-funding their brewery — truly a bootstrapped operation  and they will be hiring additional — staff to handle the increased production at the new Longmont facility, set to open year. They have also signed on with Coors Distributing Co. of Golden, which will give Bootstrap beer better market penetration within Colorado and ease the pressure that comes with hauling product to your accounts with just one driver and a van.

Don’t look for the Kaczeus’ to grow their baby too big or too fast. They are looking to grow incrementally by taking measured steps that have been in the works for several months. But where, exactly, that will land them in the months and years to come is anyone’s guess. One thing is certain, however: the soundtrack of their success will include a heavy dose of rock and roll.

“We’ll keep doing this as long as it makes sense,” Leslie said. “As long as it’s fun, we’ll keep going.”

Smaller Boulder County brewers taste medal at 2016 GABF

Several veteran Boulder County brewers were uncharacteristically missing from the winners’ circle at this year’s Great American Beer Festival, but a handful of young craft brewers stepped in to fill the void.

Lefthand Brewing of Longmont again entered its Export Stout style-defining Fade to Black, Volume 1 beer, but came away with silver. It had earned three gold medals in three previous entries over more than 14 years; an unheard-of feat that signifies true mastery in a category. And a silver medal still indicates style domination.

Other medal winners include:

-Gold, Pumpkin Spice Beer: Pump Action Imperial Pumpkin Ale, 4 Noses Brewing, Broomfield;

-Gold, Session India Pale Ale: Trump Hands, Cannonball Creek Brewing, Golden;

-Gold, Golden or Blonde Ale: Kirby, Echo Brewing Co., Frederick;

-Gold, English-Style Brown Ale: Tri-Town Brown, Echo Brewing Cask and Barrel, Erie;

-Gold, Classic Saison: Achtertuin Seizoen Farmhouse Ale, The Post Brewing Co., Lafayette;

-Silver, American Style Brown Ale: Upslope Brown Ale, Upslope Brewing Co., Flatiron Park, Boulder;

-Silver, European-Style Dark Lager/ Munich-Style Dunkel: Piney Ridge Dunkel, Front Range Brewing Co., Lafayette;

-Bronze, Historical Beer: Bronze: Wild and Crazy Rye, BJ’s Restaurant and Brewery, Boulder;

-Bronze, Belgian-Style Strong Specialty Ale: Treachery, 12Degree Brewing, Louisville;

The post GABF puts gold and bronze icing on Bootstrap Brewing cake appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Have food news? Have a dish pick? Let our editors know where to look by sending us an email to editorial@yellowscene.com!

Openings/Closings

2020 Food + Wine Bar opened last month in Prospect at none other than 2020 Ionsophere St. in Longmont. After shifting around, the restaurant situation at the Hotel Boulderado is finally settled with Spruce, which opened on August 5. Alfalfa’s opened their second location in Louisville, complete with hot and cold food bars. Saving best for last, the Cinebarre Boulder opened on August 1 where the old Louisville Regal Colony Square Theater once lived. The cinema/eatery—which includes a fully stocked bar with 24 taps—provides paper and pencil for you to place your order after taking your seat in one of the leather chairs. After years of pizza recon from around the world, the good folks at Rosalee’s Pizzeria in Longmont will be opening for business by the end of the summer. Boulder’s farm-to-table Beehive has closed its doors, and a wine bar called PMG will be taking its place by mid-August.

News

With a smaller food menu and a more neighborly feel aimed at getting people to stay longer with fancy cocktails, The Bitter Bar in Boulder unveiled its new look that has been in the works all summer. PETA named Mustard’s Last Stand (located in Denver and Boulder) one of the top five places to get vegan hot dogs in the country. The owners of Salt, Colterra, Black Cat and Bramble and Hare in Boulder are on a quest to completely eliminate pesky GMOs from their restaurants. Purely Elizabeth, a new natural foods company, has relocated its headquarters to Boulder from NYC for reasons that seem to be quite clear. After a brief Listeria scare, peaches, plums and other pitted fruits have been deemed safe to enjoy in once again (while the summer prices last). Flagstaff House won Wine Spectator’s Grand Award for the 31st year in a row. Great job, guys.

Events

The Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse hosted its 15th annual Rocky Mountain Tea Festival at the beginning of August with lectures and tea tastings. Frasca Food and Wine celebrated its 10th anniversary with a special menu offered from August 4-9. Arguably the best seven days of the year, National Farmers’ Market Week runs through August 9 with the Boulder County Farmers’ Market hosting events like “Yoga and Wine in the Gardens” and veggie-harvesting workshops. Want to learn how to cook like a Native American? Head over to Kachina Southwestern Grill in Westminster and Chef Bolton will teach you how. Bring $20 on August 21 at 6pm and get ready to learn while enjoying traditional dishes.

The post Sampler Plate appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

It’s 7:30 on a Thursday night and Dale Katechis is in the far corner of 60,000 square feet of naked, cavernous warehouse space that his Oskar Blues Brewery in Longmont has just added to its existing 40,000 square feet that last year cranked out 119,000 barrels of beer and is headed north of 155,000 barrels this year. He’s scooping raw coffee beans from one of four, 50-pound burlap bags into a small roaster that’s perched on an assemblage of pallets he’s built for his new obsession.

The post Dale Katechis – Oskar Blues Brewing appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

By Jake Plessinger

picture from telegraph.co.uk

Fort Collins Brewery’s Malt Monster 5k – October 11
Fort Collins Brewery, an up and coming brewery in Ram Country, Colorado (the best stretch of country in the world), is putting on one monster of a 5k. Not only do you get to counteract that pesky exercise with free beer, but you can also score a massage, cool prizes, take pictures in a free photo booth, dress up for the costume contest, meet the Malt Monsters themselves (a group of artisanal brews released each month in Fort Collins’ limited bomber series) along with so much more. If you’re thinking we’re stopping there then you haven’t watched enough late night info-mercials. On top of the free beer every runner gets a chip timed custom race bib and an FCB sports pack which includes a custom pint glass for all the beer you’ll drink after the race. There will be games for adults and kids alike, giveaways, an awards party and, did we mention, FREE BEER! The event begins at 10am but packet pick up starts on Oct. 10 at 4pm at Fort Collins Brewery. Registration is $29 which helps benefit FoCo Café, a local nonprofit organization. Call 970-472-1499 or go to the Fort Collins Brewery website for ticketing/information.

Boulder Facial Hair Club 2nd Annual Competition – October 25
What is it about beards that drive us absolutely batty? Be it a well groomed handle-bar moustache or the long flowing mastery of a wizard’s beard, facial hair has always captivated and awed us. Coming off the huge success of their 2013 Competition, the Boulder Facial Hair Club is again holding their “Bearding” (a sanctioned and now world renowned sport) event for facial hair fortitude. This year most of the proceeds go to Rocky Mountain Cancer Assistance (RMCA), a nonprofit Colorado based organization that helps patients with cancer pay for basic living expenses. The event will be held at the Dickens Opera House and will highlight numerous categories such as Moustache, Business Beard, Female Artistic and the Yeard, a yearlong beard growing competition that requires competitors to shave in house and record their progress. The event sold out last year and plans to draw even more patrons and competitors this year. The competition starts at 7:30pm and tickets start at $10. Call 303-834-9384 for tickets and information.

The Shining Ball – October 25
Having inspired the setting of the 1980 Stanley Kubrick horror/thriller it is only fitting that the infamous Stanley Hotel hosts this Shining themed gala. Those brave enough to attend will be treated to the upmost elegance the Stanley Hotel can offer with just a dash of the macabre that every patron hopes for. The ball will play host to live entertainment, a Jack Nicholson impersonator, Shining themed events and an extravagant costume contest which can win you up to $500. Food and drinks will be served alongside the event which all takes place in the Hotel’s MacGregor Ballroom, with REDRUM most likely being the house specialty. You must be 21 years of age or older to attend the ball and a costume is highly recommended. The festivities begin at 8pm and tickets are $325 per couple or $175 per person. Call 970-586-3371 for information or go to the Stanley Hotel website to purchase tickets. If you’re on the fence about this event, please let Yellow Scene remind you that all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.

Fall Back Beer Festival – November 1
Whether you’re looking for some hair of the dog or just want to learn how to brew your own beer the Fall Back Beer Festival at the Estes Park Events Complex is for you. This beer event is one of kind in that, not only can you sample and buy over 100 unique beers from 30 different Colorado breweries, but you can learn how to concoct your own brew at home. The American Homebrewers Association will be present and will offer sampling and demonstrations for those interested in learning how to brew from home. Beer glass experts, professional food pairings, samples from hop farms, giveaways and more are just a few of the highlights at this unique beer fest. If that’s not enough adventure for you, 30 people will get to have dinner with the brewers after the event in the VIP Overlook Lounge. The dinner will include a three course meal with your choice of beer flight. All food pairings for the event and dinner are prepared by certified cicerones. The event is family friendly but you must be 21 years or older to drink. Tickets start at $30. Call 970-586-6104 for ticketing and information.

The post Scene Stealers: Online Edition appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

By Aaron Butzen

Four or five years ago, when “craft beer” was a phrase tossed around only by industry insiders and the geekiest beer geeks, the many upstart breweries fighting their way into the beer world had something to prove.

Mostly, they needed to prove they were nothing like the BudMillerCoors beer establishment, and they did so by making beer that was as different from bland macro-lagers as can be—brash, insanely hoppy IPAs and double IPAs; barrel-aged, imperial renditions of just about every style of beer out there; funky sour and “wild” brews; and beers with ingredients ranging from cucumber to prickly pear to smoked pigs’ heads (seriously—look for Right Brain Brewery’s Mangalitsa Pig Porter next time you’re in Michigan).

While there are still scores of “challenging” beers crowding the shelves, many craft brewers and drinkers seem to have tired of the big-beer arms race, shed their compensating attitudes (you know, the guy with the really big truck and the small … well, never mind) and decided to brew more beers you can just sit back and enjoy a lot of.

Enter “session beers.” If you know what a “session” is—according to Merriam-Webster, “a period devoted to a particular activity”— then you probably get the gist of these beers, but Derek Ridge, manager of the beer department at Hazel’s Beverage World in Boulder, offers a concise explanation.

“They’re lower in alcohol,” Ridge says. “You can drink four, five, six and not feel too out of it. You can kind of keep your wits about you, I guess you’d say, but you can enjoy the beer.”

Exactly. And self-proclaimed session beers have been showing up in droves this year, with powerhouse brewers like Stone, Sierra Nevada, Goose Island, Boulevard and Firestone Walker all entering the fray with new, lower-alcohol offerings. Ridge says customers’ reception to these beers has been enthusiastic.

“We’re selling a lot of them, at least at the moment,” he says. “The Stone (Go-To IPA) is doing really well, the Firestone (Easy Jack) does great. That one was on fire in here. They’re definitely selling.”

So far, you might think that “session beer” describes the aforementioned BudMillerCoors bland macro-lagers, but the craft beer world seems to have appropriated the term for itself. As such, it should mean more than just “low alcohol.” A craft session beer—like any good craft beer—should have real, well-developed flavor, and lots of it, while remaining light and refreshing enough to be quaffed with impunity.

Churning out low-alcohol but super-flavorful beers might sound like a tough proposition, but its old hat for brewers in the UK, where the idea of a drinking session is centuries old. It’s common practice in British pubs for patrons to spend their whole evening downing pints of cask ale in the range of 2.5 to 4.5 percent ABV or so, generally sticking with the same beer all night. These traditional bitters, milds and the like have ample, complex flavor, but won’t knock you off your barstool, especially if you throw a curry or some fish and chips in the mix.

So why are US brewers and drinkers just now catching on to this wonderful, age-old idea, you ask? Obviously, lower-alcohol beers have been around for decades in the States. According to Ridge, the only thing that’s changed for many brewers is their marketing.

“It’s just kind of a rebranding,” he says. “Brewers can just put ‘session’ on the side of the package and kind of tweak their recipes—anything to pique people’s interest. They definitely sell, though.”

André Dimattia, beer program manager at Lakewood’s Mile High Wine and Spirits, agrees that the “session” label often doesn’t tell consumers anything important about the beer.

“Many customers are a bit confused with the term, and with good reason, given the odd naming for something that is simply a lighter beer,” Dimattia says. “I’m personally not a fan of the term, as it is too vague and broad, with the variations being wide between brands. When did the standard IPA become something we couldn’t ‘session’?”

Indeed, many new “session IPAs” would have been called “pale ales” or maybe “summer ales” a year or two ago, and with no generally agreed-upon guidelines on how low in ABV a session beer should be, some self-proclaimed examples are clocking in at upwards of 5 percent ABV—a pretty standard alcohol content, even for craft beer.

Not all session beers deliver on the flavor side of things, either, often sacrificing hop-malt balance, body and mouthfeel in the name of lower alcohol.

“Many of the new offerings don’t have the body to match the bitterness of the hops. Some feel like a hopped-up seltzer drink,” Dimattia says. “Beer should be about the flavor and the engagement that comes in tow, not about how it will hit you after one pint.”

So while there are plenty of kinks to work out with the nomenclature, marketing and quality of session beers, the proliferation of new, lower-alcohol beers on store shelves and draft lists signals at least a bit of a shifting focus on drinkability over extremity in the craft beer world. And when playing outside or spending entire weekends on the porch this summer, that’s reason enough to raise a pint—or three—of one of these new quaffable, quenching craft beers.

Aaron Butzen is a Certified Cicerone and packaging lead at Avery Brewing Company. Find him on the web at www.craftbeersolutions.com and www.vittlesandbrews.com.

3 session beers to try:
Stone Go To IPA (4.5% ABV): A hazy, tropical, resinous and otherwise lupulin-infused beer that delivers on the promise of hops, albeit without a ton of malty complexity. Tough to put down!

Firestone Walker Easy Jack (4.5% ABV): Firestone is known for its balanced and beautiful beers, and Easy Jack is no exception, its new-school, fruity hoppiness tempered by a caramel-malt backbone.

Odell Loose Leaf American Session Ale (4.5% ABV): Refreshing and refreshingly not trying to be an IPA, Loose Leaf offers a kiss of hops over a light, blonde ale base—a recipe that this year propelled the beer from a seasonal one-off to a year-round offering.

The post Having A Session appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

On a triple digit, bluebird sky day, a local craft beer might not be quite the jolt you are looking for. In that case, you need a concoction of harder stuff. Boulder is increasingly home to some top shelf distilleries and while many restaurants boast their ties to locally sourced foods, their attention to proximal spirits is distressingly lacking.
With that said, anyone can put together a basic rum and tonic or mojito, but if you’re looking for some uniquely delicious thirst quenchers that pack a punch, we have just the lineup.

No.1: West End Tavern

If you’re up for a view with your cocktail, one of Boulder’s best is atop The West End Tavern (9th and Pearl streets). The iconic Boulder burger joint has a nearly complete complement of locally distilled spirits behind the bar. Over the years it’s had some of its sweeping views trimmed by people with money (who never seem to be home to enjoy what they’ve paid for), but it’s still good enough to provide tasty eye candy while your mouth goes “mmmm” sipping on a cocktail.

Pimm’s Cup is a smooth, refreshing mix that starts with a muddled fresh cucumber, mint, Pimm’s #1 (a gin based liquor with a relatively mild 25 percent ABV), lemonade, splash of ginger ale to finish and a mint sprig and orange slice for garnish served on the rocks. The result is an easy-drinking cocktail that isn’t too high in alcohol, making this truly sessionable.

No.2: Absinthe House

Down the street, the Absinthe House (at 1106 Walnut St.) has recently changed management and is worth a visit. Right next door to the Rio, the two rooftop bars duke it out between their competing views. But Absinthe House will be featuring live music during the summer and, in addition to one of the most extensive selections of real deal Absinthe in the state, it’s got some righteous cocktails up its sleeve.

The Coleman (named for the bartender who created it) is a quaffable concoction of lemon infused vodka, pineapple, lemonade and hibiscus vodka served on the rocks with a lemon rind garnish. This tart, refreshing drink balances the berry-like tartness of the hibiscus and lemon with the sweet pineapple making for a flavorful cocktail with a punch.

No. 3: Comida

If you’re looking for something chill to put the finishing touches on a Monday evening of food truck gluttony, grab a table at Comida (the restaurant in Longmont’s Prospect neighborhood, not the bright pink food truck) and soak in the delicious cocktails, sangria and live music at the weekly Prospect Eats.

And there’s no better beverage for cooling down a summer evening than a Point Break. Starting with a foundation of Hussong’s reposado, add some Aperol (an Italian aperitif with bitter orange, rhubarb and cinchona), orange and grapefruit and shake with ice. This is just smooth enough to balance the heat of the resposado and to ensure it keeps its chill, ask for it on the rocks instead of neat.

No. 4: Oak at Fourteenth

If you prefer your Boulder views to be a bit more pedestrian literally the street view from the outdoor tables at Oak at Fourteenth (14th and Pearl streets) can’t be beat. The top shelf food here has been a favorite of Boulder power brokers for years, and it’s unique cocktails created and assembled by pro mixologists are refined and complex.

If Hunter Thompson drank bourbon, he’d be an ardent fan of the Oak Julep. Select a local bourbon (you can’t go wrong with the multi-gold medal winning Breckenridge Bourbon) and add some Peche de Vigne, homemade Oak Bitters and mint over crushed ice, serve in a stainless steel cup and you’ve got an instant cure to a three digit summer day. Wrapped with a napkin coozy to prevent frostbitten digits, this smooth, complex, cryogenic concoction is a guaranteed brain freeze that you can sip on for hours.

The post Cooldown Cocktails // Canned Beer appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Summer beer league softball and kickball are time-honored traditions. Almost sacred. They connect us to our national pastime, to the Yankee Clipper and Say Hey Willie Mays. They are our chance to show our dedication to this beautiful reflection of America’s Game, and to America herself, and to be real athletes.

Or something like that.

“Hey Séanalee!” the manager of a Boulder Kickball League team called Jurasskick Park yells into the dugout. An expectant tone in the manager’s voice clearly conveys the message that he expects the young woman to jump when she’s called.

There is no response.

“Hey Séanaleeeeeee!” bellows the manager again. This is on a recent evening at the East Mapleton ball fields.

“Séanalee” is Séanalee Flaherty, a delightfully loud spark plug of a woman. She is a fairly typical beer league player: she shows so much enthusiasm and dedication to the game that, running the bases, her left shoe falls off—but she doesn’t show so much enthusiasm and dedication to the game that she is willing to put down her beer long enough to tie her shoes. Séanalee is currently just outside the dugout, talking to her friend Caitlin about how much the ballfield bathrooms smell.

“SÉANALEEEEE!” the manager yells.

Finally she hears her name.

“What!?” she yells.

“Do you want to play!?” the manager asks.

“I don’t care!!” she yells back.

Yes, this ain’t the big leagues. These are the beer leagues.

There are dozens of casual meet-ups for volleyball, ultimate frisbee, and other sports built for summer and beer. Many can be found through Meetup.com. But the official beer leagues in this area occur chiefly in Boulder, where the city has a license to allow beer in the dugouts of the fields at East Mapleton and Stazio. (Most other cities in the area don’t.) In the Boulder beer leagues—kickball and softball—it takes 10 fields operating four nights a week to accommodate the roughly 4,000 people who come out every week to play in the beer leagues, which…

“It’s not a beer league,” interrupts Megan Lohman, who coordinates these programs for the City of Boulder.

“What?”

“Beer isn’t the point,” she says again. “The point is to go out with your friends and have fun. It’s not a beer league.”

“What is it, then?”

“It’s a league with beer,” she says.

Right. You can tell.

You can tell it’s a league with beer when more effort goes into the costumes than the game.

You can tell it’s a league with beer when the entire pre-game planning is not about strategic base running or “hitting the cutoff man,” but making sure that everyone remembers to show up wearing this week’s theme clothes—either dresses or jorts or capes or swimsuits.

You can tell it’s a league with beer when one of the biggest challenges is getting the right ratio of the two currently officially recognized genders (male and female, until further notice). Most leagues make you have something close to an even number.

You can tell it’s a league with beer when the teams spend more money on booze—per game—than they spent on their gloves, and possibly more money than they spent on their last home renovation.

You can tell it’s a league with beer when the players are careful to avoid a number of classic exercising “missteps,” such as burning more calories than you ingest, which can lead to dangerous thinness. No one trusts a skinny person, and winds can become treacherous.

Plus, beer makes you excel at the part of the game that is actually the point of any league with beer—having fun.

For Scott Potter of the Boulder kickball squad the Rocket Dogs, the point of the league is wearing a comically large manta ray hat on his head. Last week he wore a cheeseburger. The weeks before, an octopus and a jellyfish. The Yankees are considering similar attire.

Another point of the Boulder league with beer is thinking of clever beer-related nicknames, which include: Loaded on the Bases; I Got 99 Problems but this Pitch Ain’t One; Booze on First; and Pitch Please!

The other main points of beer league sports, according to years of diligent research performed by the author, include falling down in front of pretty girls, dropping balls when the game is on the line, and making sure that there is some other kind of beer besides PBR, which is made out of hops, yeast and frog urine. It is also extremely important to sing “We are the Champions,” even after losing, and to remember where you last set down your can of frog urine. A woman named Caitlin Murphy says her role on her kickball team is like the designated hitter, except she’s the “designated drinker.” “I’m the best player on the team at my position,” she says. She and the author mostly sit in the dugout and watch.

The post The (Slightly Fading) Allure of Beer League Sports appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

{ No.1-Small Town: Great Sand Dunes } Elizabeth Escobar

When Zebulon Pike first came across the Great Sand Dunes, it was by accident. He was on his way to find the Arkansas River but instead ended up crossing over “sandy hills at the foot of white mountains.” A mix up that could happen to anyone.W

Some 200 years later, the route to the dunes is more deliberate—from the Front Range it’s a clear shot south down I-25, then west on US-160. Once you clear bustling cities (like, you know, Pueblo), the Sangre de Cristos rise into view with those sandy hills coming into focus at their base. The term “hills” was used loosely by Mr. Pike though, because when you’re up there pulling your feet through heavy sand with a plastic sled strapped to your back, it feels much more like scaling Mt. Everest than any knoll.

You’ll want your camping gear since camping is almost your only—certainly the best—option out in this remote part of the San Luis Valley, unless you come with an RV in tow.

Roughing it is how you get the full experience here—unobstructed star gazing, top-notch views of the sunrise hitting the dunes, and the occasional wolf spider in your tent (beware). If, for some reason all six campgrounds are full and you forgot your RV at home, don’t despair; the Great Sand Dunes Lodge is a ranch-style motel located at the entrance to the park in Mosca. Rooms are simple, but each comes with a private porch complete with wooden chairs for rocking—so pack the harmonica.

That sled you’ll be carrying? It’s because there’s nearly a requirement that you sail down the mountains of sand at least once. Wear sunglasses (sand will fly up), and clothes that you don’t mind sacrificing to dirt, and devote part of the day to climbing up and sliding down the sandy monstrosities. Between the warm wind’s push and the sand giving way, you’ll be convinced that sand luging should be an Olympic event.

Obligatory sledding aside, there are 30 square miles of dunefields for you to hike through however you like. There aren’t any trails carved out, so frolic at your leisure, but do keep in mind that the sand heats up to 150 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer, so venturing out in early morning or evening is your best bet.

But when it is high noon and the sand is boiling, there are other things to explore here, too.

The Zapata Falls hike is a short treat located off of Highway 150, where water flows into a narrow crevasse and drops down a 25-foot waterfall. Of all places, the parking lot for Zapata offers one of the most camera-worthy views of the Great Sand Dunes. Assuming you can pull yourself away from the sight, you’re only a half mile of wading through water away from reaching the cool mist that radiates off of the falls. On days above 80 degrees (most days), this pseudo shower feels like you’ve stumbled into heaven. Bask in it awhile before heading back to the heat, or to the alligator farm.

I didn’t mistype; the Colorado Gators Reptile Park is located just ten minutes from the dunes. And while you might not be able to fathom why this a) exists or, b) is something worthy of your time, let me explain. The Young family runs what they call a “sanctuary for unwanted exotic pets,” and aim to educate people about their nonnative (to Colorado) animals. Almost weekly you can catch some afternoon gator wrestling (a genre of fun on par with watching roller derby), and you’re always welcome to pet or hold one of them. If you’re so inclined (I wasn’t), you can also check out Burmese pythons, red tail boas and rattlesnakes. Does it have anything to do with the sand dunes? Not really. It’s just one of those things that you can chalk up to being found only in Colorado.

As far as eating, you should definitely do it. However, options aren’t exactly abounding out here—McDonald’s is a rare sight and fine dining is basically extinct. If you’re camping, it’s much easier to pack in your own food (s’mores) and camp stove. More in the mood to be waited on? Try the San Luis Valley Brewing Company in Alamosa. It’s about a 40 minute drive from the park, but beguiling views of 14,000 foot peaks pass the time quickly, and the oven-baked Colorado Stream Trout (often caught that day) is worth any commute. Both the food and the day are washed down nicely with their Valle Caliente: a light Mexican-style lager infused with green chili.

When you get back to the park you can always go midnight dune sledding (I happen to know that glow-in-the-dark sleds exist), or sit outside talking, rocking, even journaling like good old Zebulon about your trip to the sandy hills. Life out here is slow, even if not always easy, so it’s best to do as the locals do and sit back.

The post Summer Travel: Small Town // Big City appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Walking into the Malt Room at Left Hand Brewery feels like a rite of passage into the beer connoisseur world. A secret clubhouse for ale aficionados where wooden walls (featuring mounted barrel ends) and dimmed lighting enclose the cozy hideout. On the night of Ales 4 Females, add to this image long bar-height tables with white linens, and a collection of boisterous beer lovers who just happen to be women.

Twice a month since 2008, Left Hand’s female beer club has assembled to learn from industry guest speakers and collectively develop their palates and beer IQ.

The night of my visit, Bubba Love is said guest speaker, the brewery’s Boulder ambassador who bursts into the room boasting an English schoolboy costume and an accent to match. (This will make more sense later.) At his side is the sombrero-wearing Joe Schiraldi (I should mention it’s Cinco de Mayo), the vice president of brewing operations for the company. Right away the energy changes and it’s clear this will be an interactive night. Together, Bubba and Joe lead a presentation about the differences between cask, draft and Nitro beers.

To start off the night, Bubba gives a toast (his accent has quickly faded into a blend of Cockney and Southern American) in the form of a poem. Amusing and surprisingly consistent in rhyme scheme, he ends with the declaration that everyone “is here to relish, enjoy and learn the historical significance of the Sawtooth Ale,” cuing a lesson to follow that is packed with far more information and insight than I’d expected.

In front of us all sit three testers full of the Sawtooth cask, draft (CO2) and Nitro, to be paired with plates of Arancini (mozzarella stuffed rice balls) and walnut carrot cake. The catch with these included treats, is that they’re meant to be enjoyed slowly, deliberately, allowing each of the beers to accent different qualities of the various flavors and layers in everything.

This sounds impressive in theory, but as someone who doesn’t generally think much about which beer I have with what food, I’m wary of how successful it will be in practice. I’m proven wrong, of course. One bite and sip at a time, I come to find that I actually prefer certain combinations to others. The draft and cask both go really well with the Arancini, but don’t do much for the cake. On the other hand, the Nitro doesn’t taste too great on its own or with the rice balls, but does complement the dessert. Others at my table find the opposite to be true, or even that none of the beers taste well with any of the food; all opinions going to show that as Bubba tells us: “no one tells you what your palate enjoys but you.”

What helps us all realize the differences and our own preferences is the simultaneous lesson we’re being given on each of the beers. With drinks in hand, Bubba and Joe explain the origin of Nitro beers (Guinness was first to use nitrogen and carbon dioxide), how casks differ between the U.S. and the U.K. (the Brits keep them warmer at 55 degrees Fahrenheit), and finally, how Left Hand derives their Sawtooth variations.

Without question, the highlight of the meeting is the slide show that winds down the night. Having recently returned from a brewery trip to England (now the schoolboy outfit makes sense), Bubba and Joe take us through photos of the highlights—lots of sheep and country pubs—sharing anecdotes along the way. Keeping with theme, the two men serenade us out to the Irish drinking song “No Nay Never,” with each verse growing exponentially rowdier; a fitting way to end a night that has no interest in being very serious.

Aside from a few women trying to conjure up a feminist vibe (so no ladies chose to go on the England trip, big deal), it is definitely not what Ales 4 Females is about. Though a great excuse for a girls’ night, anyone is welcome to the event which focuses on educating people about the various facets of beer, and building community along the way—aims that aren’t gender exclusive by any means.

Ales 4 Females meets the first and third Monday of every month at 6:30 pm at Left Hand’s tasting room, 1265 Boston Ave., Longmont, 303.772.0258, lefthandbrewing.

The post Ales 4 Females appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Just east of the foothills resides a humble brewery where your dreams of finding the perfect beer and pizza combination can become a reality. I visited Bru to speak with owner Ian Clark about how he started this hole in the wall brewery, and enjoy a few sips myself.

Ian started out like many restaurant owners, attending culinary school and becoming the executive chef at restaurants across the country. It took a cold beer on the breezy beaches of Mexico to realize that it was time to set up his own shop.

“I don’t know if it was the beer and sun talking, but I knew then and there that I wanted to start a brew pub from a chef’s perspective” Ian said.
Ian began brewing in his garage, learning the basics and developing his palette. Eventually, he started making all of his own equipment for all-grain brewing. He spent 10 years practicing in his garage and began selling his beer to stores on his small 10 gallon system. Ian brewed 8-10 times weekly, with each batch taking about eight hours from start to finish—over 60 hours per week on the low end In May 2013, Bru opened to the public, and kegs tapped out quickly.

The first beer I tried was Bru’s most popular, the Citrum IPA. Citrum was the first beer Bru ever produced. The slight citrus notes in juniper berries really bring out the bold flavors from the lemon zest making for a very crisp and refreshing IPA.

Packed with thirty pounds of rich, in-house roasted dates, the Obitus American Brown Ale was more indulgent. The rich flavor from the roasted dates and the caramelized sugar made me lose sight of the slightly higher than usual alcohol content.

The comforting honey flavor in the Beezel Belgian Style Golden Ale prepared me for the pleasantly surprising black pepper and bitter orange kick at the end. This beer will creep up on you as you get completely consumed by the whole experience from the gentle honey to the pungent pepper.

The Sumac is an abbey style golden strong ale that came to fruition after a friendly beer-off between the chefs at Bru. Everyone submitted their ideas, Ian wrote the recipes, and Sumac won. This bronze beauty knew exactly how to work my taste buds.

Ian is always finding new ways to incorporate his strong values of honesty and quality in his food and beer. Pepperoni isn’t just bulk ordered at Bru, it’s hand built. The pigs are raised at a local farm where they are fed the same grain they use in their beer. After that, they are delivered to Bru to be spiced and aged for six months before being served on their pepperoni pizza.

“We do everything the hardest way possible but the integrity of our products is of utmost importance to us here. If your pizza crust isn’t made from good, whole ingredients, the whole pizza isn’t going to taste as good.”

Ian Clark brews like a chef. Each of the ingredients used in the restaurant is carefully chosen and thoughtfully incorporated into every aspect of the business. Bru is not just a brewery, but a hand built business full of passion and respect for the food and beer they serve.

“A great beer is about the people that make it; it’s an expression of who we are.”

Bru Handbuilt Ales: Four Stars

The post A Bona Fide Bru appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

For many Americans, pairing beer with food is a given. It’s something they do without thinking twice about it. My beer-pairing adventure began in college, where the majority of my papers would not have been written without the help of an extra large pizza and somewhere between one and four fizzy American lagers.

And while that old standby pairing still holds up pretty well, there is a wider, even more wonderful world of pairing flavorful beers with quality food that most hungry young journalism majors haven’t discovered yet.

In fact, despite the impressive selection of craft beer in restaurants around the Front Range, only a handful give any serious thought to pairing their beer selections with menu items. It’s a shame, since many of the same servers are capable of suggesting a suitable wine to pair with whatever you’re eating, even in the frequent situations where beer would be a better match.

Yep, you heard right: beer is often a better match for food than wine, due in part to beer’s carbonation, which lifts fats and oils from the tongue, cleansing and awakening the palate. Additionally, beer alone has bitterness from the use of hops in the brewing process, which helps balance sweetness and cut through fat in rich, flavorful foods. These qualities help beer pair beautifully with everything from French toast to Thai red curry, and whatever else you can dream up.

If you’re interested in taking your beer pairing beyond the pepperoni-and-Busch level, you’ll be pleased to know that all it takes is paying a little attention to the flavors present in both your food and beer, and keeping in mind a few simple guidelines for making compatible matches. To illustrate, I’ll use the ubiquitous but flavorful Belgian witbier.

The Belgian wit is a refreshing, unfiltered wheat beer, with a snappy carbonation, and a fruity-but-spicy character. It finishes dry and a bit tart and acidic. There are several excellent local examples to be found – Avery’s White Rascal, Great Divide’s Heyday, and Crooked Stave’s St. Bretta – in addition to Belgian classics like Hoegaarden.

These here wits pair brilliantly with lighter cuisine such as salads, seafood and pretty much all breakfast fare. (They also make incomparable beermosas.) Don’t go too rich, sweet or spicy with the food, though, or you’ll verwhelm the witbier’s somewhat delicate flavor profile. That is, in fact, the first rule of successful pairing: pair beers with foods of similar flavor intensity.

For an example, try a salad of mixed greens, mandarin oranges, goat cheese, red onions and strawberry vinaigrette alongside a spritzy wit. The fruity flavors from the oranges and the dressing will link up with the orange peel and fruity esters in the beer, while the earthiness of the greens will find a welcome companion in the coriander and peppery phenols in the glass.

When similar flavors like these come together in beer and food, they’re amplified and intensified, creating a veritable flavor explosion in your mouth. This is another basic pairing guideline at work: look for flavor harmonies in your beer and your food.

Our final basic pairing guideline? Look for ways to contrast or balance flavors present in food and beer. With the right beer pairing, foods that might otherwise seem very sweet, salty or rich become manageable and enjoyable.

Wits also rock with sushi, omelets, Indian food and … well, I’ll let you figure the rest out on your own. In this case, practice really does make perfect – might as well get started with a six-pack now.

Aaron Butzen is a Certified Cicerone and packaging technician at Avery Brewing Company in Boulder. Read his beer and food chatter at www.vittlesandbrews.com

The post Beer Pairing appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Despite craft beer’s growing ubiquity across our fine state, most casual drinkers are unaware that certain beers age as gracefully as fine wines—but with lower price tags, greater accessibility and more variety to boot.

Indeed, the phrase “vintage beer” runs contrary to most people’s ideas about the storage and consumption of Colorado’s favorite beverage, and, in a way, rightly so.

“Hoppy beer, any kind of beer—drink it now,” says Jensen Cummings, Denver chef and Certified Cicerone (a sommelier for beer). “But there is something really unique about the way beers evolve, and that’s something that should be celebrated.”

Undoubtedly, the majority of beer is meant to be consumed as soon as possible after being packaged. This is because beer is usually rather low in alcohol, and brewing ingredients are sensitive to time and the elements—especially the Centennial State’s favorite ingredient, hops. Just ask Taylor Lees, head brewer at Denver’s Great Divide Brewing Company.

“Generally speaking, as beer ages, the first thing to go is the hop aroma and flavor. And by ‘go,’ I don’t always mean ‘disappear.’ Oftentimes, the hop character can become unpleasant,” Lees says.

The wonderful hop flavor and aroma that people love in IPAs and pale ales also lend themselves to off-flavor production under the wrong conditions. Hops are responsible for creating the somewhat common “skunky” aromas and flavors in beer, and as hops oxidize with age, they can produce a stale paper and wet cardboard funk.

However, other elements in beer age quite nicely. Some of the best beers for cellaring are darker, malt-laden brews like imperial stouts, Belgian strong ales or barleywines (which, although often hoppy, have enough of a malt foundation to age with dignity). In these beers, that same process of oxidation can yield a sherry- or port-like character, along with more perceived sweetness, increased notes of caramel and fruit and an elegant softness that doesn’t always exist in the fresh versions.

“We age our Yeti Imperial Stout, Old Ruffian Barley Wine, and Hibernation Old Ale on a consistent basis,” says Lees. “The beers simply change as a result of staling and oxidation in a way that some people find enjoyable.”

These somewhat subjective changes in aged beer have spawned a few different schools of thought in the brewing industry on vintage beer, with some brewers adamantly opposed to it. But for Erik Peterson, proprietor of Denver’s Bull & Bush Brewery—and a roughly 7,000-bottle beer cellar—the unexpected evolution of beer flavors is what makes vintage beer so exciting.

“I don’t think beer necessarily gets ‘better’—you know, they say with wine, ‘cellar this away and it’ll get better and drink it in five or 10 years,’” Peterson says.
“I think it [vintage beer] just changes; the flavor profile changes, and that’s what’s fun, seeing all the different flavors come out of it.”

The educational and revelatory aspects of vintage beer, as well as its accessible start-up price, make starting a beer cellar at home an attractive option for many beer fans. But most importantly, it’s fun.

“That’s the important thing with all of this—with cellaring beer, with being a beer geek, going through the Cicerone program—is that it’s completely subjective when it comes to drinking beer,” says Cummings. “We like drinking beer because it’s simple to enjoy. If we don’t enjoy the beer, then what’s the point?”

Three Colorado Beers to start your cellar with: 1.Great Divide Brewing’s Yeti Imperial Stout; 2.Avery Brewing’s The Beast Grand Cru; 3.Left Hand Brewing’s Widdershins Barleywine.

The post Cellaring Beer appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Remember when the Veterans of Foreign Wars post in Lafayette was an empty, outdated building on a sleepy side street? Well, it’s no longer a VFW and it’s no longer empty.

Instead, it has become the latest brainchild of David Query and The Big Red F Restaurant Group (think Jax, Zolo, West End Tavern, Centro and Bitter bar). And like every one of the other Big Red F restaurants, every detail of The Post was carefully and self-consciously planned, from menu items to actual dishes to the light fixtures to each specific brew.

If you like a hopping seen-and-be-seen bar atmosphere, then this is the place for you. Nightly wait times run 1-2 hours—people wait that long to get their hands on a piece of fried chicken and a cold porter. We decided on an early dinner to beat the crowds, arriving four minutes after the restaurant opened on a Saturday. By the time we got up to the front counter all the private tables and booths were taken leaving only a shared community table in the bar. We took it and perused the menu.

Post is all about the fried chicken. David Query and Chef Brett Smith traveled far and wide to sample many fried fowl to get just the right recipe for theirs. They start with humanely raised all-natural chickens, then brine the pieces, marinate in buttermilk, and toss with seasoned gluten-free flour. Once fried, it’s crispy on the outside, moist on the inside, and not at all greasy. In other words, this is not your typical fried chicken. It’s served with sausage gravy and a couple of pickle slices.

As all the menu items are a la carte, you can order sides separately—I suggest you get a few and share. Try the buttermilk cheddar biscuits, which are a cross between a buttery biscuit and a doughy roll. The broccoli and pepper slaw was without a doubt the best thing we tasted all evening—fresh and tangy with just the right amount of mayonnaise and crisp vegetables. The creamy grits, on the other hand, were not at all to my taste—too creamy (which sounds like complaining about being wet in the rain but really, they were too creamy) with little flavor.

When Big Red F set out to find a brew master for this latest creation they could not have been expecting quite the coup they got: the nationally known Bryan Selders. He started at Dogfish Head Brewery and has been on more than one beer-focused TV show. Bryan has brought his dedication to brewing great beers along with his quirky sense of humor to The Post and is already wowing crowds with his drafts.

I’ll return when the warmer weather comes in earnest, and the patio opens. A couple of pints of amazing beer, an order of fancy deviled eggs, and a whoopie pie served al fresco could be just the thing. And who knows, eating in the peaceful great outdoors might make you remember that sleepy VFW, which gave its building and name to this happening Post.

The post brewery and good bird chicken:
Rating: 3 YS suns

105 W. Emma, Lafayette
303.593.2066
postbrewing.com

Bottom line: Fried chicken minus the greasy fingers. Need we say more?

The post Chicken and Beer appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Our graphics designer is constantly telling us how wonderful a place Longmont is. Among other things, he’s head over heels for the town’s array of local restaurants. “Sure, Michael,” I agree. “It’s great.” But CyclHOPS Bike CAN-tina reminds me just how right he really is.

Oskar Blues’ latest brainchild, the taquería combines some of the best parts about living along the Front Range: good beer, bicycle culture, and authentic Mexican food. The fact that CyclHOPS would be cool was beyond question. So, we threw them our childish ingredient for this SuperKids issue, and waited to taste what they’d make with animal crackers.

“We thought of something savory and crusty, immediately,” Rogers explains in regard to his team’s brainstorming session over what to do with the kid-friendly snack.
They took split bone shanks and roasted the marrow with their own chili powder, topping it with crushed animal crackers that acted as breadcrumbs. I’ve never had bone marrow before, nor have I ever gone out of my way to try it. Prepared the way Rogers did though, I’m now craving the exalted treat. Spice from the chili was most predominant in the taste, but it was surprisingly flattered by the subtle sweetness of the animal crackers. I quickly ate this part of the dish before moving on to the beef tenderloin.

Cooked medium-rare, the filet was juicy and only made better by the thick brown demi-glace that coated it. The sauce also mixed well with the grits, which I willingly would have eaten an entire bowl of. (Can this be part of the menu here all the time?) The meal as a whole was the way I think everyone idealizes Mexican food as tasting.

Pairing well with the tacos—and over twenty craft beers that are on tap—is a full-service bike shop. Altogether, CyclHOPS is the kind of taco-tequila joint that you’d pop into after a day on the beach in Los Cabos—or in this case, a day on your bike. Include the Dia de Los Muertos-inspired spray-painted mural spanning across their neon-green wall, and you kind of forget we’re 1,500 miles north of the border. Olé!

CyclHOPS Bike CAN-tina is located at 600 S. Airport Rd., Longmont. oskarblues.com

The post Challenging Elements appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

As you may have heard, the city of Boulder has a reputation for being a little, um, health-conscious. For a population of people passionate about exercise and healthy eating, it’s almost a must that Boulder County eateries offer local, reliably sourced and organic options.

In addition, barrages of food providers are offering their customers a variety of gluten-free items. Among them is what some consider healthy and others sacrilege. That’s right—now is the time of gluten-free beer.

While some people voluntarily choose to remove gluten from their diets, other folks—like those who suffer from celiac disease—have very little option. For them, it’s much less a choice than it is a means of comfort and, quite literally, survival.

Sadly enough, the three main culprits behind celiac are also three incredibly important ingredients in one of mankind’s oldest and most cherished consumables: beer. Symptoms of celiac include damage to the villi of the small intestine caused by glycoproteins, aka gluten, which is a hero in the beer world. Gluten is found in barley, wheat and rye. According to the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness, there are no pharmaceutical cures for celiac disease, meaning a “100% gluten-free diet is the only existing treatment for celiac.”

Fortunately for the gluten-wary, a number of US breweries have taken celiac disease very seriously, and the number of gluten-free beers has risen dramatically over the last ten years.

In 2007, Budweiser actually started producing their own sorghum-based beer, Redbridge lager. You know there’s a large, thirsty and thriving market when Bud starts pushing gluten-free beers!

These breweries realized early on that there was money to be made in the gluten-free market. But it wasn’t until four-and-a-half years ago that a Colorado brewery came along that was focused entirely on gluten-free beers, a brewery that, oddly enough, brings us right back to Boulder County.

For Pedro Gonzalez, founder and owner of New Planet Beer, the unofficial end of summer served as his brewery’s official kickoff party. On one fateful weekend in September of 2009, he poured his first gluten-free beers for the masses, and at that point New Planet became only the second all-gluten-free brewery to open in the US.

Since they began, it was less about large growth and more about a quality product that those with celiac could safely consume. Says Gonzalez, “My approach to New Planet has been one step at a time; focus on brewing, bottling and shipping well made, gluten-free beer. When you first start out, you just do what you can to open retail accounts.”
From the looks—and taste—of it, one has to be impressed with New Planet’s growth. They now brew six styles of beer (ranging from a hoppy Pale Ale to a subtlety-spiced Belgian Ale), they’re officially opening their Gunbarrel-based taproom this May, and their distribution now spans 46 states.

With a recent partnership with a large east coast distributer, there’s really no telling how large their brewery’s footprint can become. Perhaps Gonzalez was really on to something when he decided to give the brewery such a planetary name.

This is Jesse Brookstein’s last beer column for YS. Up next? His new brewery with fellow Avery alums opens next year in Denver. Have a drink with him then, at Call to Arms Brewing Company.

The post Gluten Be Gone appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

I attended college on the central coast of California—a beautiful little town nestled among the morros and cuddled up around a simple Spanish mission. It was a college town and a retirement town, and that left little room for anyone else. Which meant that San Luis Obispo was just a tad disconnected from the real world…more so than the rest of California. And that meant my peers considered Colorado something akin to the backwoods of Alabama, or Mars. I fought hard to defend my Broncos, my ski resorts, my blue skies and fresh air, my native land as the best in the country. It was me against the Raider Nation.

And then one day, Fat Tire came to town.

I had long touted the beer-centric-ness of Colorado and the amazing micro-breweries that were beginning to make the Centennial State a craft beer powerhouse. But Coors was the only Colorado beer that had made its way to San Luis Obispo. That is, until the cozy dark pub Frog & Peach began stocking Fat Tire. It wasn’t on tap or even in a can or normal bottle. Colorado craft beer made its debut in a 22 oz. glass bomber.

With pride, I’d order a bottle and strut around the bar bringing as much attention as possible to my old friend (growing up in Fort Collins, New Belgium was everywhere. I had gone to school with the Odell kids, and I had hung out in the Colorado breweries before I could drink). I’d share my beer with anyone who asked and praise its complex notes and truly New Belgium-ish characteristics. “This is from my home town,” I’d say with pride. They could not deny the deliciousness, and by the end of my senior year, it was not rare to see handfuls of people lugging Fat Tire bombers to the back patio or clutching them as they swayed to a raucous band.

And that is my legacy.

There is something very beer-ish about fall in Colorado. It’s when we put down our session beers and seek something soul-satisfying and wonderfully flavorful. It’s when the Great American Beer Fest makes connoisseurs out of thousands of beer lovers; though, a vast majority of us never even get to see the convention room floor. It’s when Oktoberfests remind us that beer is a part of our history as well as our future. And it’s most definitely when that instinctual Colorado sensibility takes over: as the leaves change and the air gets all chilly and crisp, it’s time to cuddle up with a good magazine and a bottle of beer.

Make mine a bomber.

The post Here’s to Beer appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

After 15 years of homebrewing in Colorado, what initially started as a joke is becoming reality. John Frazee is this summer’s beer guy to watch for. Louisville’s Gravity Brewing, which is set to open in July, focuses more on the science of making a delicious, one-of-a-kind beer. With opening around the corner and the stress of building the brewery, one main concern for the civil engineer is what to name his brews.

Why open a brewery?

You only live once. Mainly, it was me dissatisfied with corporate America, and  I wanted to open my own business. I live in Louisville and saw a good opportunity. It’s a cool little town that could definitely use a brewery.

How many beers will be on tap?

Initially at least four, that’s kind of the logistical problem with opening. Once we have time to brew, we could have six to eight on draft throughout the year. Variety will change through the year as much as 20.

Will there be a summer beer?

We’re going to likely have a couple summer beers. A Belgian Whit, regular pale ale, double IPA and Belgian blonde.

What is your favorite beer when you’re doing summer activities like mowing the lawn, barbecuing, etc?

A light Belgium beer, or an IPA even on the bitter end is floral and refreshing in the summer.

How did your first home brew taste?

The first batch was with my brother, and he was helping a little bit so that was good. My first batch on my own was good. Making beer is not that hard. It’s just a matter of attention to detail. I’ve had some bad batches, for sure. I’m not saying I’m some perfect homebrewer.

What is your own favorite Gravity beer?

I would say two favorites: Belgian Blonde and the double IPA (Acceleration Ale). Both of those would be my favorites. Our Imperial Stout is very good too. I know you asked for one and I just gave you three. Sorry.

How do you name your beers?

Coming up with the beers and recipes is something that we love to do. Coming up with the names, we struggle with. They have names that we don’t like. We’re engineers and the creative side we struggle with. We’re trying to have a common theme and go back to the main Gravity Brewing and the science behind the beer. Most of them are place holders that are going to evolve.

The post Faces of summer: The beer guy appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Next week is American Craft Beer week, which naturally means that Boulder County breweries have stocked their calendars full of events to help celebrate the culture and the community of craft beer. Craft beer lovers will be in hoppy/malty heaven this Monday, May 14 through Sunday, May 20, as local breweries offer up a little something for every pint-loving drinker. So grab your favorite koozie, your best beer-drinking buddy, some milk thistle to keep your liver happy and a print out of this blog post to help keep your Craft Beer schedule on point.

Cheers!

And a safe and happy Craft Beer Week for all!

Twisted Pine Brewing | Week Long Celebration |Monday, May 14^th – Sunday, May 20^th
Twisted Pine is so excited for Craft Beer Week, they’re throwing an event every night for seven days to truly celebrate in style. Ever participated in a frozen t-shirt contest? Me neither. Sounds chilly, and a little ‘naners—but if there’s beer involved—it probably means it’s going to be a good time. Along with the frozen t-shirt contest, Twisted Pine is also hosting a tapping of their Independence Ale along with $2 pints on Monday, musical trivia on Tuesday, a koozie give-away on Thursday, a performance by the popular local band, the Holden Young Trio, on Friday and on Sunday, Twisted Pine gives the gift of all day happy hour. Who doesn’t love a good all day happy hour?! Click here for a complete listing of events.

Avery Brewing Co. | Murray’s Cheese Pairing | Tuesday, May 15^th
I’m loving the special events that Avery is hosting in their delicious smelling Barrel-Aging Cellar. Just last month I attended a Sister Hood of the Hops Belgian beer tasting and got some education on the background of Belgian-style beers along with several tasty samples. For Craft Beer Week, Avery is throwing down a cheese and beer pairing event on Tuesday, a lesson in fermentation for anyone who’s interested in brewing beer on Monday, a screening of a film dedicated to women in the beer industry (put on my the Sisterhood of the Hops) on Wednesday and a special tapping on Friday. I pretty much have my heart (and stomach) set on the cheese pairing event which, at the tiny price of $8 per person for 5 tasters of Avery beers paired with my favorite food group, is straight up winning all around.

Oskar Blues Brewery | Hoe Down Throw Down @ The Blake Street Vault | Wednesday, May 16^th
I’m a small town girl with a fascination and appreciation for all things country—such as a good ol’ fashioned hoe down. Although local beer giant, Oskar Blues, doesn’t have too much going in at either one of their restaurants or at the brewery, they are throwing down some interesting events in Denver—such as a Hoe Down Throw Down at the Blake Street Vault. OB fans are encouraged to check out the Oskar Blues Beer Dinner at Freshcraft before moseying next door to The Blake Street Vault for a free show by extremely popular Colorado band, The Tusks of Elephant Revival. Tickets for the beer dinner are $35. Which is an excellent price for the quality of beers you are going to drink and the delicious food you’re going to put in your mouth. For a complete listing of Oskar Blues Craft Beer Week events going on around the nation, check here.

Left Hand Brewing | Left Hand/Firestone Walker Beer Dinner | Thursday, May 17^th
Left Hand Brewing recently emerged as a serious contender after years of silently building up their current beer empire. This is seriously great for Colorado folks. But what’s even better—Left Hand is teaming up with one of my favorite California breweries, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., for what I can only imagine will be an epic beer dinner at Highland Tap and Burger in Denver next Thursday. The theme of the dinner is “Distinctly American Style Beers” with a combination of brews from two of the hottest breweries on the scene, paired with a menu by Highland Tap and Burger chef, Eli Odell. This beer dinner caps out at 50 seats, so click here and purchase your ticket now!

Boulder Beer Co. | Innovation Celebration Tap Takeover | Saturday, May 19^th
Boulder Beer is keeping it local by hosting their Craft Beer Week events at the brewery next week—most exciting of which is the Innovation Celebration Tap Takeover happening on Saturday. Boulder Beer is loading their taps with a selection of their most innovative, small-batch and barrel-aged beers chosen by the brewers who made them. This event is for the true lover of the complex and unique brews coming out of the craft beer scene. The only tricky thing about this event, is that only 40 pints of each beer will be available, which means that you should show up early, and thirsty.

The post The Bolder Life: Guide to American Craft Beer Week appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

My ego, my calves and my liver are still a little sore from the beating I took this past weekend during the 6^th Annual Boulder Beer Pearl Street Scavenger Hunt. Aside from a tummy full of beer, other things I took away from this highly sought after event (tickets sold out in 8 minutes!) included: an appreciation for those used concert tickets that always end up in your wallet, a renewed love for the locals of the fair city of Boulder that spend more time eating in restaurants on Pearl Street than in their own dining rooms and come in handy when scavenging artwork from the inside of restaurant walls—and an appreciation for the awesome awkwardness that is the Pearl Street Mall.

If you’ve never participated in the Boulder Beer Scavenger Hunt, I highly recommend you look into it next year. Although my team, Team BFF (Beer Friends Forever), didn’t take away the grand prize of beer of a year, and lost out to team Purple Rain in the costume contest, I still had a blast running around downtown Boulder– playing games like corn hole, Pictionary and Memory at different bars and restaurants, and collecting awkward items… like rubber babies, golf tees and colored paper clips.

Although you’ll have to wait until next year for this beer-lover’s event to come around again, here’s a list of upcoming beer-centric events that should tide you over for a while.

2012 Samael’s Release and Vertical Tasting
Thursday, April 26^th | 6:30 p.m. | Avery Brewing Barrel Aging Cellar
I spent some time in the Avery Brewing Barrel Aging Cellar last week, and let me tell you, these guys take their aged beers seriously! Samael’s Oak Aged Ale is part of the “Demons of Ale” series and promises to demonize your pallet! $20 gets you: in the door, a vertical tasting of Samael’s paired with some tasty desserts.

Microbreweries for the Environment
Friday, April 27^th | 8:00 p.m. | The Boulder Theater
This much-loved Boulder event is back again, and ready to serve up craft beers from 20 Colorado microbreweries! Tickets are $25.75 in advance plus an additional $12 for unlimited tastings or $2 per pint of beer. Proceeds from this benefit will be awarded to a slew of local non-profit organizations and the who’s who of the local music scene will provide the entertainment for the evening.

Oskar Blues/Upslope Brewing Beer Dinner
Thursday, May 10^th | Time TBD | Oskar Blues Homemade Liquids & Solids
Oskar Blues and Upslope Brewing will be kicking off Craft Beer week on Thursday, May 10^th with a collaboration beer dinner held at Oskar Blues Liquids and Solids in Longmont. Food by OB, with Upslope Beer pairings sounds like the makings of one delicious beer dinner. Time and price are still TBD. Keep an eye on the Oblongbar Twitter page for more info.

Chocolate Lab for Lovers… of Craft Beer
Wednesday, May 16^th | 7:00 p.m. | Piece, Love & Chocolate
Beer and chocolate go together like peanut butter and jelly—and the chocolatiers at Piece, Love & Chocolate are holding a tasting class to show you why. Join “Madame Chocolat”, Chef Sarah Amorese and Jeff Mendel of Left Hand Brewing as they guide you on your way to a new appreciation for fine chocolate and craft beer—together as one. Tickets are $45 per person. Register here.

The post The Bolder Life: Beer, Please appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

First it was the increasing number of double-digit alcohol-by-volume beers, and then there was talk about how letting said high-alcohol beers age a year or more in wine, rum or whiskey barrels added all sorts of great flavors. And that was followed by buyers of high-alcohol beers letting said bottles age for a year or more (isn’t that what you do when there’s a cork in the bottle?) before drinking them. And now, as if beer wasn’t getting treated even more like wine, we have brewers blending beers.

Just as a vintner in pursuit of a high quality red wine will often combine the juice from Cabernet, Merlot and Shiraz grapes (to name a few), so, too, are brewers turning to blends to create new craft styles. And no, we’re not talking about floating some Guinness on top of some Harp or Bass for a Black and Tan.

Firestone Walker Brewery in Paso Robles, Calif., is among the veterans of blending beers. Their Proprietors Reserve XV is a combination of eight barrel-aged beers and the finished product—limited to only a few hundred cases—clocks in at just over 12 percent ABV. Serving suggestions are to let the beer “breathe” in a wine glass or brandy snifter, which let the chocolate and vanilla aromas shine and mingle with a subtle, citrusy flavor. Brewer notes say, “this beer will age well and change favorably for years to come.”

Closer to home, you can find delicious, interesting and innovative blends from Breckenridge, Oskar Blues and Avery that rarely find their way into bottles and are only available on tap until they run out, which is typically a couple of days at most.

Such a rarity is Avery’s Eremita Sour Ale #3, on tap now until it’s blown. This is a fermented version of a Warhead or Cry Baby sour candy that will put your pucker on big time. For that reason it’s hard to call it a session beer, even though it only registers in the single digit ABV range. But several barrels were blended by head brewer Andy Parker, and after 18 tastings, he settled on a mix that’s on tap at the Avery Tap Room.

Raise a pint for Danny

Boulder beer aficionado Danny Williams died Jan. 23 at his home after battling pancreatic cancer. He was 52. In addition to spending the last decade making sure the more than 4,000 beers received each year for judging as part of the Great American Beer Festival were handled properly and kept at the right temperatures, Williams was also legendary for his beer cave. Converted from an old mine shaft on his Sunshine Canyon property, his cave holds more than 3,000 bottles of (mostly Belgian) beer at an optimum 52 degrees F. Friends and beer lovers are invited to celebrate his life at a memorial service being held at 6 p.m. Feb. 11 at the Backcountry Pizza and Tap House, 2319 Arapahoe Ave. Parking is limited, so car pool or ride your bike.

It’s heeeere, again.

The dark love is flowing once again from the taps at the Mountain Sun, Southern Sun and Vine Street Pub in observance of the 19th annual Stout Month. The somewhat rare and creative (Addiction Coffee and Nihilist imperial stouts are back) black ales will be joined by periodic additions to the tap list. “Like” Mountain Sun on Facebook for daily updates on their offerings and special events; they try to keep up on their website, mountainsunpub.com, but FB is your best bet.

The post Blending Beer appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.