Oskar Blues Brewery Archives - Yellow Scene Magazine

Upcoming Events at the Museum of Boulder

Guest Contributor — Fri, 26 May 2023 20:15:51 +0000

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.

Happy Hour: Oskar Blues Brewery

May 26 | 5pm – 7pm

This event will include:

A beer flight tasting provided by Oskar Blues Brewery
Light appetizers
Information from Oskar Blues on their brewery with on-site representatives
Access to the Beer Here! exhibit at the Museum of Boulder

[BUY YOUR TICKET HERE]

Morning Yoga at the Museum

May 28 | 10am – 11am

Join us for a series of morning yoga classes at the Museum of Boulder! Each class will be held on Sunday morning and will be taught by either Zayd Atkinson or Soul Lorain. Ticket price includes access to all exhibits.

[BUY YOUR TICKET HERE]

Rooftop Concert featuring Anna Cutler

July 8 | 6pm – 8pm

Anna Cutler is a singer/songwriter and keyboardist based out of Boulder, Colorado. She started playing the keyboard at the age of six, by 13 she had booked her first gig, and by 18 she had performed to a crowd of 3,000 people.

Drinks and snacks will be available for purchase onsite.

[BUY YOUR TICKET HERE]

Proclaiming Colorado’s Black History through Song on the Broomfield Library Field

June 21 | 7pm

This program is presented in collaboration with Music in Common and the City and County of Broomfield.

Held at the Broomfield Library

This is a multi-modal performance and historical tour de force featuring James Beard award winner Adrian Miller. Discover the roots of contemporary Black music from spirituals and Dixieland jazz through contemporary R & B and hip hop. The small ensemble musical pieces—some rarely heard and others more familiar—will be interspersed with short historical vignettes to set the context for the music and inspiration of Colorado’s Black musicians and composers.

[MORE INFORMATION]

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Dale Katechis – Oskar Blues Brewing

Jim Burrus — Mon, 06 Oct 2014 15:03:43 +0000

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.

To find out more information about Oskar Blues head over to their website www.oskarblues.com.

“Coffee and beer are certainly two of my favorite vices,” Katechis says as he periodically removes beans from the roaster to check on their char. “I’ve always been a tinkerer, and when you find something you like, you want to find out how it’s done.”

Having the time to experiment with something new and different is a measure of the success Katechis has achieved chasing his other vice: great beer.

How Katechis and the other 450 employees that are Oskar Blues Brewing got to where they are today is due more to the company’s fertile culture, good people, freedom to fail and focus on having fun than any MBA generated business plan. That culture — the values, the vision, the work ethic, the expectations — is imparted by seeing and doing.

“You instill that by working hard alongside everyone you’ve brought on board,” Katechis said. “They respect that because you’re working as hard as they are.”

But of what, exactly, does that culture consist? What does it look like? How do you feed it? And how do you manage it? Katechis offered an outline as he watched, waited and sampled his roasting coffee beans in the corner of the empty space that would soon be filled with equipment for his growing craft brewery, a pizza oven and a bowling alley.

Dale Katechi’s Secrets to Success

Failure is good; it creates opportunity.

“Beers go bad, but we’re at a point now where our R&D lab will catch those. But early on, one of our brewers, Jason Pond, accidentally double hopped a batch of English Bitter beer [typically a mildly hopped style]. Instead of pretending it didn’t happen, just letting it go and not saying anything, he immediately owned up to it. He said, ‘Hey, I messed up.’ We didn’t let it out; instead we put the batch on tap in our tasting room and named it Pond Scum. It was one of our best selling beers.

“We applaud failure,” he said. “I’m drawn to people who are comfortable with messing up, because that’s how you learn and grow.”

Know when to let go, and do so.

“There was a turning point where the pirates took over the ship; when I allowed everyone the freedom to make decisions and gave them enough rope to hang themselves. That’s the most fulfilling aspect of where we are now: I don’t make many decisions any more. But jobs are getting done, we’re making quality beer and we’re growing.

“You learn that once you create the culture, things take care of themselves,” Katechis said. “When you’ve established that, getting in the way can cause more problems than it solves.”

III

Communication is key.

“You learn that once you create the culture, things take care of themselves,” Katechis said. “When you’ve established that, getting in the way can cause more problems than it solves.”

Find and hire good people.

“It’s hard, but I keep it simple,” Katechis says. “Do you look me in the eye? Do you have a strong handshake? Are you comfortable telling me to go away? Independent people, willing to take risks, are hard to find. We’d be ten times as big as we are today if the labor pool got what we’re about. People who are afraid of failure, who just tell you what you want to hear, are a dime a dozen. But they won’t grow your business.”

Know how and when to change jobs.

“My burden now is that my job has changed. Early on, I was doing all the creative stuff, getting bills paid, making sure we were making good beer and deliveries were getting made,” Katechis said. “Now, my job is to make sure that there continues to be opportunity for the people who have committed their lives to this.”

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The Bolder Life: A Little Taste of Sanity

Tyra Sutak — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 16:13:29 +0000

This week scrambled me up, cooked me in butter, added some salt and pepper and ate me for breakfast.

It’s probably been a pretty stressful week for everyone.

We’ve been glued to our TVs watching wildfires engulf our state. We’ve had cell phones cemented in our hands as we wait for news on loved ones and get word on our own homes. We’ve donated money to the Red Cross and we’ve pulled our cars off to the side of the road to make room for fire trucks with blaring sirens that are racing towards billowing clouds of smoke.

On top of all of that, it’s roasting out. I can’t remember the last time that I didn’t have to apply sunscreen and deodorant multiple times in one day. And of course we all (well most of us) have jobs, and we have to go to them on time and do work during the day. That is by far the most difficult part of the week.

I’ve been counting down the days ‘til the weekend and I’ve been trying to figure out the perfect cure for all of the stress and heat and craziness that have hijacked this week. And I think I’ve figured out just the thing.

Beer.

Come on, you live in Colorado, don’t act like you don’t use a cold, refreshing, craft beer as a reward/your salvation after a crazy week.

Here’s a list of places that you’ll probably find me enjoying a cold one and toasting to a small glimpse of sanity this weekend.

Cheers!

Oskar Blues Tasty Weasel Tap Room | Longmont
If breweries were like universities, Oskar Blues would be my alma mater. However, my tenure with this company didn’t include the awesome new patio they recently built as an addition to their tasting room. Stop by the brewery this weekend, grab a beer and catch a tour of the place and try to relax a little, huh?!

Bootstrap Brewing | Niwot
I’ve haven’t been yet, but I know that you should go here and check out this week-old nano-brewery. I had plans to go earlier this week, but a fire broke out in my ‘hood, and stuff happens. This place is getting warm welcome right now from the local beer scene and is definitely worth checking out.

Boulder Beer | Boulder
I’m a huge fan of Boulder Beer, and even though I stick to one seasonal beer here (Kinda Blue is the epitome of a summer beer), I still can’t think of a patio that I would rather be on at my worst, sitting in the cool shade and noshing on a plate of nachos. Go here. Make an afternoon out of it.

Left Hand Brewing | Longmont
Left Hand is the place to be on June 29th to catch Grateful Dead cover band, the Dark Star Orchestra, and support the victims of the High Park fire while sipping on one of Left Hand’s tasting beers and snacking on some food. The place is gonna be packed. It’s kind of the place to be tomorrow night.

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The Bolder Life: Guide to American Craft Beer Week

Tyra Sutak — Thu, 10 May 2012 15:00:23 +0000

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.

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The Bolder Life: Beer, Please

Tyra Sutak — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 16:47:00 +0000

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.

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The Bolder Life: Sweet Treats for Valentine’s Day

Tyra Sutak — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:57:01 +0000

Valentine’s Day is coming up. I know, I know—I’m not a fan of Cupid and his half-naked, chubby backside either, but this sugar-filled February holiday is kind of hard to avoid. Right this second, love birds from all over are finalizing their orders with the florist, confirming dinner reservations for two at expensive restaurants and trolling liquor store isles for the perfect bottle of bubbly.

To each their own.

But if you really want to get your sweetheart something special this year, consider showing your love by ordering some sweet treats from one of the three local specialty dessert companies below. Give the gift of a beautifully decorated, tasty treat made with love, for the ones you love. (Insert ridiculously corny ‘awww-ing’ sounds here).

Place your sweet treats orders today!

Piece Love and Chocolate
805 Pearl St. | Boulder | 303.449.4804
I’ve never really been much of a sweets person, but on the occasion that a sugar craving sneaks up on me, one dessert always comes to mind: A gluten-free, mouse-filled, vanilla cupcake from Piece, Love and Chocolate. I’ve been known to drive at least thirty minutes out of my way for a taste of this delicious cupcake. And let’s be real, who doesn’t like cupcakes. And since I lack a lot of self-control, I usually end up leaving this sweet-smelling chocolate shop with a bag filled with white chocolate truffles and other assorted desserts as well. To. Die. For. And right now Piece, Love and Chocolate’s display cases are filled with the colors of love and edible hearts. Fantastic place to find the perfect Valentine’s Day gift.

The Tasterie Truck
Mobile Food Truck | Boulder County | 303.550.6111
One of the best cupcakes that I’ve ever tried came from a food truck. Sometimes I dream about their melt-in-your-mouth pomegranate frosting and white cake cupcake. So yummy—and the Tasterie Truck is offering a special Valentine Day menu to help you find the perfect treat for the one you love. Pay $16/half-dozen or $28/dozen and choose from one of these heart-melting flavors: Strawberries and Champagne, Stuffed Triple Chocolate, Red Velvet and more! And this eatery on wheels also has the hook up on chocolate-covered strawberries… So place your order today. And if you’re having trouble deciding which cupcakes to order, then follow the Tasterie Truck on Facebook and Twitter and sample their goodies at a BoCo location near you!

The Daily Cake
Web-Based | Longmont | 303.250.1752 or 303.946.3256
This up-and-coming, local cupcakery is quickly gaining fans by making craft beer a popular ingredient in their unique and tasty cupcakes. Try a Chocolate (Left Hand Brewing) Milk Stout Cake topped with a Salted Butter Cream, or create your own cupcake and craft beer infusion using one of the award-winning brews from Oskar Blues Brewery. Call or order online today to customize your own cupcake from their extensive list of flavors and frostings— or order a dozen of their specialty seasonal cupcakes! Either way, The Daily Cake is the one-stop-shop to find a Valentine’s gift for the craft beer lover and the sugar addict in your life!

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The Bolder Life: Music Notes and Tap Room Quotes

Tyra Sutak — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 23:25:24 +0000

It’s official. Delicious microbrews aren’t the only things on tap in local tap rooms anymore.

These days, you can find anything from poker nights to Skee Ball, Schulbok tournaments to local food trucks, becoming unique venues to host special events. Perhaps the second best thing coming out of these popular watering holes (aside from all of the nationally acclaimed brews) are the sounds of live performances by the cream-of-the-crop of the local music scene. And while you might pay anywhere from $5-$30 to catch some of these popular acts in person, you can catch them live, for free, on different nights throughout the week at local breweries—the only catch is that you have to be committed to drinking good beer, and you have to dig the intimate music setting that comes along with playing live music inside of a brewery.

Last weekend, I caught the sweet sounds of local bluegrass/country and pop infused folk band, Idlewhile, at the Left Hand Brewing Tap Room—which paired with a Sawtooth Ale, straight from the source, made for an excellent start to my Saturday evening.

Here’s a list of other tap rooms that you can visit to fill your night with the smell of fresh hops and the sounds of free music notes:

Oskar Blues Brewery – Tasty Weasel Tap Room
1800 Pike Rd, Unit B
Longmont
Check out live music in this ever-expanding brewery every Saturday from 4:30-6:30pm. as well as an open bluegrass pick every first Wednesday and an open stage mic night every second and fourthMonday from 6:30-8:30pm. Upcoming shows include the Strangebyrds from Boulder and Lyons favorite Aaron McCloskey.

Left Hand Brewing Company
1265 Boston Ave.
Longmont
Whether you’re on the patio, in the back room or eating pretzels at the bar, the sounds of live music will find you in Left Hand’s always-jamming tap room. Check here to find out which local bands are on tap for the month of August and be sure to check out Left-a-Polooza on Aug. 21. Catch live performances by The Spring Creek Bluegrass Band, Cat Jerky, Squid and a slew of other oddly named local bands. This event is not free, but entry fees collected will be donated to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Boulder Beer Tap House
5757 Arapahoe Ave., Suite A1
Boulder
Adding Boulder Beer to this list of tap rooms might be cheating a little since the tap house is more than just a brewery that offers brewery tours and bar snacks: Boulder Beer is actually a full-service restaurant with a huge patio perfect for live music every Thursday night and Saturday afternoons. Check out their events calendar, and grab a seat outside next to fresh hop plants from some dinner and some free tunes.

Upslope Brewing Company
1501 Lee Hill Dr., # 20
Boulder
Local legend John McKay of Leftover Salmon fame recently played in the Upslope tap room, and the only thing that could make watching a gig like this any better would be enjoying it along with a ridiculously delicious meal made by Comida’s Rayme Rossello and crew and served fresh out of a hot-pink food truck named Tina. Follow Upslope on Twitter and Facebook for tips on upcoming shows.

Asher Brewing
4699 Nautilus Ct., Suite 104
Boulder
When this organically focused brewery isn’t busy putting on poker nights, they keep the place full by playing hosts to local musicians putting on free shows. Check out Asher’s Facebook page for upcoming music information and be sure to contact the fine folks at Asher if you and your band are looking for your next gig. You’ll be sure to be a hit as long as the fresh beer is flowing and the sounds of free music notes are rolling.

The post The Bolder Life: Music Notes and Tap Room Quotes appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Locally Incorrect

Andra Coberly — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 18:00:37 +0000

[marketing]
The City of Beers

Some cities have billboards that greet visitors with a giant “welcome.” Some city entryways are more artistic, conceptual or abstract. Others are more like warnings: “Welcome to Paradise, Pop. 384. No Loitering.” But Longmont’s new unofficial welcome mat makes a different kind of statement: Longmont, Chug it Down! Last month, Oskar Blues Brewery unveiled its grain-silo-turned-giant-beer-can at the southwest end of town, where Hover meets Ken Pratt, the junction where Boulderites descending from grace enter Longmont. The 68-year-old silo is a part of what will soon become Oskar Blues Homemade Liquids & Solids, the Lyons-based brewery’s newest venture. The transformation of the silo, while approved by the city, did receive some criticism. Despite naysayers, Oskar Blues’ can-do attitude persisted, and the silo was eventually painted to resemble a 39-foot can of beer. It’s a great marketing boon for Oskar Blues; the city, on the other hand, should just pop the top and drink it in. Cheers!

[politics]
‘Just a Feather in Your Cap’
Rep. Jared Polis shocked audiences last month when he did a beer bong on national TV and admitted that he does not, in fact, wear a feathery cap. On popular news talk show The Colbert Report, Polis sat down with pundit and comedy journalist Stephen Colbert to discuss Colorado’s “fightin’ 2nd” (that’s 2nd District for you plebs out there) in a segment known as Even Better-er Know a District. The show also featured an introduction to the region, featuring our famed giant volleyball players and the slopes of Vail. Colbert declared Boulder the tea-bagging capital of America (who doesn’t love tea!?!). Polis and Colbert also discussed the congressman’s homosexuality, Colbert’s love for the ladies and Polis’ name change. They touched on Polis’ earlier remark that Congress is a lot like college. That’s when Colbert whipped out a beer bong and a six-pack of Coors Light. Polis knocked back only about half a beer, making it clear that he did not attend CU.

[Crime and punishment]
Laying Down the Law
It’s one thing to have your buzz ruined, but it’s a life-altering experience to get tackled by a dude with no pants on. Police responded to an attempted car theft in Boulder and found Benjamin Smith being detained by Justin Chentnik. Apparently, Chentnik—who sleeps in the nude—was woken by his roommate, who said someone was in the house. Police say Smith had come over looking for a place to party; he supposedly broke in and took a set of keys, so he could listen to music. With his nobleness showing (as well as his twig and berries), Chentnik jumped out of bed, ran out to the car and grabbed the keys. There was a struggle; Smith ended up on his back with Chentnik atop him. Police had a tough time figuring out who was the victim; we guess Smith will continue to wonder about that as well.

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