Our Buddies Breckenridge Brewery are Back at Ultraween 6!

Our good friends over at Breckenridge Brewery are once again the official booze sponsor of our annual Ultraween Halloween Party and we are so stoked to have them on tap again!

Ultra5280 and Breckenridge Brewery have had a long history of working together and share a passion for the Denver music, beer and event scene. Ryan Workman, Brand Manager for Breck Brewery explains, “We have always been involved in the Ultraween event from the beginning six years ago. Breckenridge Brewery brews balanced, sessionable beers that are perfect for the Colorado lifestyle. Ultra5280’s whole mission is to cover that awesome lifestyle we all get to live in, so it has always seemed like a perfect fit for us. We’re so happy to see the event grow to become one of Denver’s most sought out Halloween Parties!”

Ultraween6 will be held this Saturday Oct 29th at the historical and possibly haunted by now, Aztlan Theater on Santa Fe Blvd in Denver. This year we have two large local acts performing live and a DJ playing the party hits. (Ticket link at bottom). Breckenridge Brewery will be having a party of their own the following Saturday Nov 5th to kick off ski season!! Their "Opening Day Party" will celebrate with live music, games, art, free snowboard and ski waxing, and your chance to win the first limited-edition "Artist Series" snowboard of 2016! Don't miss this free event at Punch Bowl Social on S. Broadway from 6-10pm.

Breckenridge Brewery was founded in 1990 in Breckenridge, Colorado. In the past two decades they have grown from a small 3,000-barrels-a-year brewpub to one of the most successful craft beer and restaurant companies in the nation. It now handcrafts more than 62,000 barrels of fresh beer annually and owns and operates six brewpubs and ale houses in the state of Colorado.

Back in the early days, however, we very quickly found that there was more demand for craft beer than we could possibly make in that location. In 1992, they opened a second brewpub in downtown Denver. As luck would have it, in 1995, the Colorado Rockies built their stadium across the street. As much as they enjoyed that home, they inevitably outgrew it, and in 1996 moved production to 471 Kalamath Street several miles away. The Kalamath location served them well for 19 years, but as they approached 60,000 barrels a year they began to run out of space for any more expansions. President Todd and team once again searched for the right home that would accommodate their growing family. They found it in a 12-acre stretch of land in Littleton, Colorado and held their grand opening at last summer’s Hootenanny.

Terry L. Usry, Communications Director states that after 26 years, the focus is still on creating well-balanced, approachable, and interesting beers while also creating memorable visitor experiences. Their farm-inspired campus on Brewery Lane features a new 100-barrel brew house, barrel-aging room, all new packaging, dedicated tour staff, and the Farm House restaurant. “The Farm House is so much more than a tasting room. The wraparound porch and spacious beer garden offer multiple areas to convene, relax, and take in views of the majestic Rocky Mountains. Enjoy a comfortable dining atmosphere indoors or a leisurely, communal experience outdoors around fire pits, playing bocce ball, or challenging friends to corn hole. There’s also a 90-minute guided brewery/sampling tours are offered five days a week,” explains Usry.

What makes Breckenridge Brewery so successful and special you ask? Usry says it’s the many people who’ve been with Breckenridge Brewery for so long. “We have folks in the brew house, the restaurants, marketing, and the admin offices that have been with us for 20+ years. Over the years, we’ve grown as a business and as a family. What makes it special here is the pride in our product, the pride in our company, and the culture that we’ve fostered. It’s not just the ‘old-timers’ who’ve shaped it, either. All of our employees contribute to our success by embracing our mantra to offer a comfortable and welcoming place to hang out and enjoy well-balanced, approachable, interesting beers.”

In addition to their dedication and pride in their craft and their customers, they’re always pushing boundaries and dreaming up new and delicious beer. Their two locations, in Breckenridge and Littleton, are destinations for locals and out-of-towners. They now send beer to thirty-five states and continue to create new and exciting batches such as seasonals, barrel-aged beers, the new Brewery Lane Series, and a newly announced nitrogen-charged canned series. Breckenridge Brewery’s special seasonal crafts are especially popular, particularly the Autumn Ale in fall and the Christmas Ale. Also, their new Nitro Series includes seasonals as well, the first of which was just released, Nitro Pumpkin Spice Latte, with the winter nitro seasonal right around the corner!

Nitro Vanilla Porter –  year round - http://www.breckbrew.com/beers/nitro-vanilla-porter

Nitro Lucky U IPA – year round - http://www.breckbrew.com/beers/nitro-lucky-u-ipa

Nitro Pumpkin Spice Latte – fall Nitro seasonal -   http://www.breckbrew.com/beers/nitro-series-seasonal-pumpkin-spice-latte

Another special series this year is their Brewery Lane Series. The Brewery Lane Series is named after their new location on Brewery Lane in Littleton and aims at capturing the essence of the new brewery – big, bold, and adventurous.

After 26 glorious years of creating craft beers, their top selling are the Avalanche Ale, Vanilla Porter, Agave Wheat, Mango Mosaic, 471 Double IPA, and seasonals like Autumn Ale and Christmas Ale. Ultraween will be serving up a few of the favorites both on draft and by the bottle. Can't wait to see you all there, and btw discount tickets can be purchased today only at Illegal Pete's on S Broadway from 4-8pm!!

9 Tips for Surviving the GABF

The Great American Beer Festival may be turning 35 years old this year, but stands as proof that you're never too old to host a kegger. This kegger is just much bigger, and much, much better than those three-inch-head beers you shared in your friend Kevin's basement while listening to Phish. This sold-out festival spans a marathon of nearly 20 hours in total during four beer soaked days. It's packed into a 2,500 space, and plans to host 3,800 different types of brew. Needless to say, this festival is guaranteed better than Kevin's basement.

Pictured: two likely phases of GABF drinkers. Photo: Chilled Magazine; Great American Beer Fest 2016

If you were one of the lucky few to get yourself a ticket during the thirty minutes before they sold out, you're now facing a whole new set of problems. To uber or not to uber? To show off your new youtube tutorial dance moves at the silent disco, or just hang back and keep it mild? To take it to the limit, or make an attempt at being responsible human adult? 

While we can't make your decisions for you, we know that sampling 3,800 different beers is a difficult feat if you're trying to stay on your feet (just trying to have pun, here). Lucky for you, we've got a GABF prep list and survival guide to help you get your highest beer sampling score yet without making yourself into the village idiot. Here's a few ways to stave off that rising blood alcohol limit. 

Yours truly, 

The Ultra5280 Team (Certified Veterans of the Great American Beer Fest and ex-Phish fans) 

Photo: The Rooster

1. Carbo-load. We recommend pre-fest Fried chicken & potatoes from Welton Street Cafe on 26th and Welton. This Five-Points Southern comfort joint is a hidden food gem in Denver. Be forewarned, though, it's liable to have a line out the door at any given point, so go early. The menu warns of a 30 minute anything-fried-chicken wait time too, but thats because they fry it upon ordering. Nothing like fresh fried chicken before a good old fashioned beer binge, amiright? 

If you don't have time to finally fufill your fried chicken dreams, there's always the trusted, quick and easy Illegal Pete's LoDo. Their burritos are specially designed to carry you through even the most sauced adventures and escapades. We recommend their pablano pesto, too. It's worth the add on. Trust us. 

2. Charge your phones before hand, or invest in leashes to keep your pickled posse close. Rumor has it that the Colorado Convention Center has hit and miss phone service. If you're not willing to leash up, it's always a good idea to plan your meeting spots with friends before hand. That's probably the best option, in retrospect. 

3. Plan for snacks, and drink water in between tastes. If you're reading this and also live in Colorado, you have a Camelback backpack. Fill it up with some electrolytes and stuff some snacks in that thang. You're good to go. 

Photo: Oakshire Brewing's Public House in Eugene, OR

4. Do some research. While Denver is a craft hub, other areas like San Diego and North Carolina are known for unique brews. With thousands of award winning breweries from across the U.S., it's time to venture out of your beer zone. We recommend Oakshire Brewing coming to us from Eugene Oregon. Their small-batch brews are usually only distributed across the Pacific-Northwest, but we've heard that they're sure to satisfy. 

6. Pregame with Breckenridge Brewery's free Pre-GABF tours. Breckenridge Brewery is running free buses from the Crowne Plaza Downtown (1450 Glenarm Place) Thursday, Friday, and Saturday (October 6-8) to their new Littleton brewery and back. Buses depart from the hotel at 10:00 am and 12:00 pm each of the three days. They’ll give complimentary tours of the brewery that include a pint with time to enjoy their Farm House and beer garden before you head back. The 10:00 group departs the brewery at 1:00 to head back to the hotel. The 12:00 group departs the brewery at 3:00 to head back downtown. Although there’s no cost, reservations are required! Go to breckbrew.com/about/tours to sign up. Once you’ve chosen the date, click on “GABF Complimentary Bus to the Brewery Tour” at 10:00 or 12:00.
 
Note: Breckenridge Brewery is also giving free 1-hour tours (without transportation) Thursday, 10/6, and Saturday, 10/8, at the following times: 3:00, 3:30, 4:00, 4:30, and 5:00. Reservations are also required for these tours. Go to breckbrew.com/about/tours to sign up. Once you’ve chosen the date, click on “Complimentary Brewery Tour” at the desired time. Remember, they don’t provide transportation to these tours – you’re on your own for that, but they’ll take care of you once you’re there!

5. Prep your vocal chords, and get ready to shame the cup droppers. Due to the long-standing feud between glass breakers and those who keep their shit together, GABF will only be offering plastic tasting cups. This year we will not have to worry about stepping in broken glass and all. Still, no one likes beer-sticky hair or shoes. Don't be a cup dropper, and if you do, be prepared for some name calling (Spill Queen). 

6. Have an exit plan. Don't want to be the loser that throws up and makes everyone walk around a house plant for the rest of the night. That being said. Pace yourselves! Old rhymes beer before liquor.. etc. Remember what you really learned in college: the boot and rally. 

Photo: greatamericanbeerfestival.com

7. Start from the back to beat the line swarm. We heard from Left Hand Brewers themselves that the best way to get more beer in your belly is to start from the far right, avoiding the high traffics entrance row. This way, you'll know you never hit the same tent twice, and you'll save precious booze time. 

8. Uber. Sorry for this sobering thought, but let's be real. No one wants to be a DD after scoring a ticket to this festival, and Uber is a great alternative. Do some networking and staff yourself an All-Star Uber crew, split the cost, and safely enjoy the festival. This way no one will bitterly be doing the taste and spit. 

9. Have fun!