Breckenridge Brewery and Never Summer Host Free Opening Day Party 10/21

Breckenridge Brewery and Never Summer Industries are teaming up for another "Artist Series" snowboard featuring local artwork crafted into a high-performance all-mountain board. Also to commemorate 10 years of partnership, Breckenridge Brewery will release a brand new beer to celebrate the winter sports season: Funslinger Lager.

Named after a famous Never Summer snowboard, Funslinger Lager is a beer born out of two Colorado companies with a legacy of quality and craftsmanship. This easy-drinking lager is light enough to knock a few back and has just a hint of dark German malts to draw out more flavor and complexity, making for a perfect beer after a day on the slopes.

“As two Colorado companies proud of our crafts, collaborating with Never Summer each year makes for the perfect way to bring on the upcoming winter sports season.” Says Ryan Workman Marketing director for Breckenridge Brewery. “This year is special as we introduce Funslinger Lager, a brand new beer perfect for enjoying at the end of your favorite run.”

Whether you are at the bottom of your favorite run or cheersing on a rooftop patio, you can get the party started with some Funslinger.

The Breckenridge Brewery + Never Summer Funslinger Westbound Snowboard is ideal for any condition and terrain. “We have been designing and building snowboards here in Denver since 1991,” says Vince Sanders of Never Summer “And we’re so thrilled to continue the partnership with Breckenridge Brewery, bringing together craft beer and winter sports fans for the 10th year.” Learn more about the board here.

Fans can join Breckenridge Brewery and Never Summer for an Opening Day Party, on October 21st at Blake Street Tavern for a FREE parking lot party, complimentary snowboard and ski waxing, more chances to win one of the custom collaboration boards, and of course experience the some of the first sips of Funslinger.

You can also get in on the fun and enter to win this year’s exclusive, custom snowboard, designed by local artist, Brandon Casey. Sweepstake is open to US residents who are 21+. Fans can enter on BreckBrew.com/FunslingerSweepstakes through December 31st.

Opening Day Party

  • When: Friday, October 21 Doors open at 6:00 pm

  • Where: Blake Street Tavern | 2301 Blake St, Denver, CO

  • What: 

    • Let's sling some fun! What better way to celebrate the start of the winter sports season than by cracking open some Funslinger at our annual Opening Day Party! 

    • Join us at 6 pm on Friday, October 21st at Blake Street Tavern for a FREE parking lot party! 

    • We will be giving away snowboards, offering complimentary ski and snowboard waxing, and of course crushing our fresh release, Funslinger Lager. 

Evergreen Music Festival Rebrands to ‘Hops Drops’ with new Leadership Team, new Vision, and Massive Expansion Plans for 2022 Music and Craft Beer Festiva

Hops Drops, previously known as Evergreen Music Festival, is proud to announce the new brand identity, leadership team, and vision for this year's 2022 Music + Craft Beer Festival, taking place on June 25, 2022, from 12:00 pm to 9:00 pm MT at Buchanan Park in Evergreen, Colorado. This will be the festival's 32nd year of musical celebrations in the heart of Evergreen.

Evergreen Music Festival celebrated its first year in 1966. The festival initially started with an intent to bring classical music to the mountains and has since been looked at as the beloved 4th of July fireworks celebration at Evergreen Lake. Thirty-two years later, the festival's leadership team has passed the reins to Evergreen hometown heros and long-standing local business owners Logan & Riley Boone, owners and operators of Boone Mountain Sports + Evergreen Brewery. Alongside the Boone family, local business owners Marcus Durante (Founder of Kree8), Bobby Everett (Co-Owner of Evergreen Brewery), and Colin Kerr (Owner of The Wildflower Cafe) have joined forces with the festival to better encapsulate the refreshed, modernized potential for Evergreen to be looked at as a go-to spot on the Colorado music and entertainment scene.

“Our Hops Drops team is made up of Evergreen locals, a team truly passionate about marrying music, craft beer, and the mountains, all to better our community and support local nonprofits while having fun,” said Logan Boone, new Executive Director of Hops Drops. “It is an honor to lead and grow this festival. We are incredibly excited at our potential to expand Evergreen’s entertainment offerings and bring a great music and beer festival to our picturesque mountain community.”

Attendees of the 2022 ​Hops Drops Music + Craft Beer Festival can expect to be submerged into a never-seen-before experience in Evergreen, filled with internationally known music legends as headliners (to be announced), numerous stages, various food vendors, kid-friendly activities, and an epic lineup of Colorado’s premier breweries, a craft beer lovers paradise if you must.

In addition to elevating Evergreen’s mountain entertainment, Hops Drop continues to support and give back to the local community and has committed to donating 10% of ticket sales to Rocky Mountain Academy of Evergreen.

“For 32 years, this festival has always been committed to supporting local artists and arts programs by donating proceeds to local schools supporting their music, art, and dance programs,” said Boone. “That is not changing this year. We will proudly continue the spirit of supporting artists and bettering our community any way we can.”

Early bird tickets are now on sale for $30 at www.hopsdropsevergreen.com. To stay up-to-date on all future Hops Drops announcements, please follow Hops Drops on Instagram @HopsDrops_Evergreen.


About Hops Drops:

Hops Drops is an all-day Music Festival that will feature nationally and locally celebrated musical acts alongside a beer festival showcasing a variety of Colorado’s premier craft breweries. There will be specialty food vendors, activities for the kiddos, and much more. Rooted in Evergreen’s long history of supporting the arts, Hops Drops (Evergreen Music Festival) is a non-profit organization. Ten percent of the proceeds will benefit Rocky Mountain Academy of Evergreen. For more information, please visit https://hopsdropsevergreen.com.

Early bird tickets are now on sale. All ticket options include:

  • General Admission: Starting at $30

    • Entry into the festival

  • GA + Beer Fest Admission: Starting at $55

    • Entry into the festival

    • Souvenir tasting glass

    • Unlimited tasting from 12-4 pm

  • VIP Bergen Peak Club: Starting at $150

    • Entry into the festival + Beer Fest

    • Premier viewing of main stage

    • Designated area with private bar

    • Private bathrooms

    • Free food & beverages

    • A photo booth and gifts from our partners

Breck Brewery Launches Howler Crowlers to Fuel Coloradans’ Howls; Benefits Project C.U.R.E.

Just in time for the Full Moon tomorrow...Breckenridge Brewery has created the Howler Crowler to celebrate the nightly howl and 100% of proceeds go to charity. See below the details and the cool image of the can.

You can hear it every night: Coloradans letting out howls at 8PM for a variety of reasons, from giving thanks to healthcare heroes’ selfless acts during the pandemic to finding joy in feeling united as a community.

Breckenridge Brewery wants to keep fueling those nightly howls across Denver-area communities, so they are releasing Howler Crowlers: custom crowler cans (32 oz) filled with your Breck beer of choice! 100% of Howler Crowler profits will be donated to Project C.U.R.E., which supports our local healthcare system by donating medical supplies to hospitals in need.

Howler Crowlers will be available for delivery or pick up from the Farm House starting on 4/22 in the afternoon, just in time to celebrate Howloween, the night of the new moon. This Howloween, Coloradans can celebrate by dressing up in costume and standing (safely) outside to howl for healthcare workers, sipping on a cold beer that gives back!

Breck Brewery Introduces Mountain Beach, Offers "Staycation"

Breckenridge Brewery wants to bring some much-needed sunshine into people’s homes across the US, so the brewery just released Mountain Beach, a tropical session sour with flavors of juicy pineapple and tart lime highlighted by sweet notes of guava. Every sip brings you major vacation vibes - making it the perfect way to turn a day at home into a sunny staycation. At just 4.5% ABV, the sessionable new brew will be available year-round nationwide.

While we’re doing our part and staying safe at home, many vacations have been put on hold. So Breck wants to give fans a much-needed break with the ultimate staycation experience. From now until Memorial Day weekend, Breck will choose one lucky winner per week to receive a staycation in a box, packed with everything they need to transform their home into an indoor paradise, from a pack of refreshing Mountain Beach, the scents of the ocean, to tiki lights, a porch swing, tropical decor, and more. To enter, fans simply share a pic on Instagram to show how they’re keeping busy at home, from puzzles galore to homemade bread, with the hashtag #BreckBrewStaycation.

BRECKENRIDGE BREWERY RELEASES THE 2018 OFFICIAL COMIC CON BEER “RAZZNAROK”

Launch Party to Take Place Thursday, May 17th at Stoney's Bar and Grill

WHO:  Breckenridge Brewery and Denver Comic Con (DCC) will officially launch the 2018 Comic Con Beer, RAZZNAROK, on May 17th at Stoney's Bar and Grill with live music, games, cosplay, and the first of many collectible pint glass giveaways. The beer’s name was the winner of the annual “Name the Denver Comic Con Beer” contest which beat out more than 800 submissions during the online contest. RAZZNAROK was inspired by the widely popular 2017 Marvel Comic book film: Thor: Ragnarok.

The 2018 DCC beer is a Belgian style witbier brewed with fresh raspberry puree. For the seventh straight year, Breck will be releasing the beer along with limited edition DCC beer pint glasses. This year’s Razznarok glass features artwork by local comic artist Morgan Beem.

After the launch party, RAZZNAROK will stay on tap at Stoney's through Denver Comic Con. Other pubs within walking distance to the Colorado Convention Center will serve the beer leading up to and during the event. Follow Breckenridge Brewery on Facebook and Twitter for information on other pint glass giveaway events during Denver Comic Con. This information will also be posted on breckbrew.com in the weeks prior to the DCC.

WHAT: For seven years Breckenridge Brewery has brewed a special beer exclusively for Denver Comic Con (DCC). The first 200 people to this FREE event will receive a limited collector’s series “Razznarok” pint glass featuring custom design by artist Morgan Beem. Colorado's premiere party band, 6 Million Dollar Band will be bringin' the 80s energy to keep the dance floor movin' all night!

WHERE: Stoney's Bar & Grill 1111 Lincoln St. Denver, CO

When:Thursday, May 17th

- Doors 7pm

- Live music by 6 Million Dollar Band 8pm

- DJ 10pm

About “Razznarok!”

Razznarok is a time-honored, Belgian-style ale with a tart pink twist. Brewed with unmalted wheat, orange zest, coriander and fresh raspberry puree, this unfiltered, light-bodied beer has fruity notes of raspberry & citrus, a touch of spice, and a pink blush of color. Refreshing. Surprising. Sprightly. Whimsical.

Past winners of the "Name the Comic Con Beer" contest are The Fantastic Pour, The Caped Brewsader, Brews Wayne, Hulk's Mash, Snape-ricot, and I Am Brewt.

 

Blue Moon Brewery Surprises with Sophisticated Beer Pairing Dinner

Craft beer snobs often turn their nose up at breweries associated with non-craft brewers and I have to say walking into the MillerCoors owned Blue Moon Brewery I was a little sceptical. However, the mood changed instantly as I was approached with a smiling face and a tall glass of ice cold Blue Moon wit, nothing can appease scepticism like a tasty beer. Immediately the group was whisked away by none other than head brewmaster John Legnard for a quick tour around the new brewing facility. Now I’ve been on more then my fair share of brewery tours, so I will spare you the details of the brewing process, but what became apparent during this tour was that Blue Moon had a brewer behind it that possessed the passion and knowledge to overcome some of that big brewery stigma. 

John Legnard got his start in craft brewing working around some of the now craft brewing giants of Fort Collins, Colorado. As a student at Colorado State University, John decided to brew beer for his chemistry final on fermentation. While his fellow students first eyed him warily as he brought this beat up jug of brown liquid into the room and told them to drink it, their eyes lit up as they tasted John’s first craft beer and from then he was hooked. Working in brewing for 10 years up in Fort Collins, when John heard of the opportunity to work for a small brewery attached to Coors Field he lept at the chance. From there the “Sandlot Brewery” as it was originally called created what we now know as Blue Moon Belgian White. After 10 years in the small facility it was time for an expansion and the ability to have a brewery that could focus on experimenting not just with beer, but with a good menu as well, thus the new Blue Moon Brewery RiNo was conceived.

We were ushered into a beautiful serving room, enclosed by glass so we could look upon the brewing equipment. John began leading us through the food and beer pairing. Legnard provided a brief description of both the beer and the food, stating that brevity was his prerogative because he wanted us, the tasters, to be able to form our own opinions. One thing he did highlight was the three “C”s of beer pairing, compliment, contrast, and cut and continued with that concept over the course of the evening. Here was the menu for the evening and my thoughts on it.

Course 1 - Polentina Paired with Saison    
This spicey and banana-clove heavy saison was considered a “compliment” to the polentina. A polentina, if you aren’t familiar, is a corn porridge that incorporates thin slices of polenta to thicken the texture. While not bursting with flavor, the polentina brought out spicey, fruit notes of the saison and was consistent with the texture of the soup since it is an unfiltered beer. 

Course 2 - Harissa Shrimp with Israeli Couscous Paired with Mango Wheat
The Mango Wheat was hands down my favorite beer of the night. I am definitely a fan of fruit beer, but it can often be difficult to find one that isn’t going to sucker punch you with a sugary bite. When John discussed the brewing process for this it beer it included over 8 pounds of mango puree in every keg. Yum! This beer has a very powerful mango aroma and taste, but with an IBU count of 18 it finished with a balanced hop flavor. This beer helped cut the spiciness of the harissa shrimp. The harissa sauce had a smokey chile flavor with hints of garlic and cumin. The shrimp, on a bed of couscous captured the full essence of a Mediterranean meal.

Course 3 - Roast Tenderloin with Smoky Sauce Paired with Smoked Porter
This beer was the only barrel aged beers that we tried over the course of the evening and I have to say I am looking forward to drinking more of their barrel aged line. John discussed how smokiness, which used to be prevalent in brewing in the past because of the use of wood burning stoves, has been somewhat lost in the age of steel and natural gas. This beer was brewed with the thought of returning to those smokey roots. The porter was pretty complimentary to the perfectly cooked roast tenderloin. Every tender bite was more unbelievable then the next. Hard to describe something that was so good, so I suggest to just go and try it for yourself!

Course 4 - Burnt Caramel Pudding Paired with Hogshead Collaboration Foreign Stout
Hogshead Brewery is known for their cask style beer, or a beer that is unfiltered and served without any additional nitrogen or carbon dioxide pressure. While this collaboration stout was not a cask ale, it was very apparent that Hogshead had a hand in making this one. Smooth and drinkable this stout had a balanced flavor profile not often found in stouts. Like creme brûlée but was better, the caramel pudding was topped with dark chocolate shaves, whip creme, and a churro and was indulgent. The burnt quality to the pudding complimented the stout. This dessert was the perfect end to a perfect beer paired dinner.

While it may be personally difficult to give a MillerCoors owned brewery a nod of recognition, it is clear that under the brewing leadership of John Legnard creativity, uniqueness, and flavorful beers are going to continue to flow from Blue Moon Brewing’s tap handles. 

Zoe Lanterman

Sesh Fest Is This Saturday - Day Drinkers Unite!

When: Saturday, August 6, 2016
2:00pm - 6:00pm MDT

Where: Highlands Masonic Events Center

Price: $30

Tickets: https://nightout.com/events/sesh-fest-2016/tickets#.V6IhsfkrLcs 

This year's Sesh Fest features dozens of breweries paying homage to session-style beers at the Highlands Masonic Events Center. With a new location comes plenty of food, lawn games, and music to complement Colorado craft beer! Sesh Fest invites breweries to pour beers of the lighter, more sessionable variety, which means they are all under 5% ABV — all of them designed with your day drinking pleasure in mind!

What's included with the ticket? Bottomless session beer samples, access to all the games, grass and turf to relax on, sunshine (says our meteorologist intern), and a fancy new tasting glass you can keep. Each attendee will be welcomed with a cold beer and then it's an all out sesh!

Meet The Breweries: 

CAUTION: Brewing Company

TRVE Brewing Co.

Ratio Beerworks

Strange Craft Beer Company

Dad & Dude's Breweria

Call to Arms Brewing Co.

Alpine Dog Brewing Company

The Old Mine

Something Brewery

Breckenridge Brewery

Elevation Beer Company

Wonderland Brewing Company

WestFax Brewing Company

Sanitas Brewing Company

Great Divide Brewing Co

Cerebral Brewing

Mu Brewery

Fiction Beer Company

Colorado Cider Company

Upslope Brewing Company

Jagged Mountain Craft Brewery

Baere Brewing Company

FATE Brewing Company

The Brew on Broadway

Black Bottle Brewery

Storm Peak Brewing Company

Spangalang Brewery

FERMÆNTRA

The Post Brewing Company

Beryl's Beer Co.

Wit's End Brewing Company

Ska Brewing Company

Little Machine

14er Brewing Company

 

*Tickets at the door will increase to $35*

Denver Deluxe Music Festival | Combining Burgers, Beer and Community

Denver’s music and event scene continues to expand and this weekend there’s a new (mini) music festival happening in RiNo. The Denver Deluxe Music Festival is a block party presented by Park Burger featuring 10 Barrel Brewing Co. who is building their first Colorado location across the street! They'll have two stages of live music playing all day, as well as a few burger and brew stations throughout. All ticket proceeds benefit Denver Urban Gardens, which means you can feel good about partying!

We spoke with Tobias Krause of Two Parts, a local company specializing in food and booze events in the Mile High City. From curating The Westword Music Showcase to the Breck Brew Hootenanny Krause has earned his stripes as a Denver socialite and event guru. Krause said it was Park Burger’s idea back in December to celebrate the summer and their new locations opening around Colorado this year. We can totally relate with dreaming about and planning summer events in the middle of winter! Music, the community, local beer, along with great burgers of course, is what the Park Burger culture is all about. They really wanted to merge all of these things and have a music festival type party because, “food and music naturally go together, they’re comforting, and create a good time,” says Krause. They also wanted to focus on making it an affordable festival option in the heart of the city, while still being able to give proceeds to a local charity at the end of the day.

Coordinating a festival comes with its own set of "to-dos" but for many, Krause included, the most exciting aspect is always booking the talent. When it came time for Two Parts to coordinate with Park Burger in creating the musical lineup they decided to take a different route. “We put a bunch of names out there and went after the bands we’d selected to see who was available. We wanted a lineup that would be approachable and enjoyable for most listeners.” It was also important to them to differentiate their lineup from the other music festivals happening around Denver to make their party different and unique. That ended up becoming a lineup of Reggae, Jam bands, and some Blues and Rock & Roll, which we feel fits just right with a summer block party. After the headlining band The Original Wailers, a late night set starting at 8pm will feature Rob Drabkin, followed by Technicolor Tone Factory on the Park Burger patio! So grab a burger, a beer, and sway the day away.

Music Line-up:

The Original Wailers

The Hip Abduction

Rob Drabkin

Musketeer Gripweed

Jonathon Boogie Long

Technicolor Tone Factory

ATOMGA

Park Burger RiNo – 2615 Walnut St

$20 Festival Pass — entry, access to all live music, 1 beer token

$30 Deluxe Festival Pass — entry, access to all live music, Deluxe Burger by Park Burger (beef / veggie options), 2 beer tokens

http://denverdeluxe.com

We also had a chance to chat with ATOMGA, the Park Burger house band for the day. They are playing half hour sets in between the main stage sets, “It’s going to be a really unique and also challenging set up to arrange our show in this (incremental) way. We’ve never done anything like this and our songs are all really long, so we’ve been figuring out the set list.”

ATOMGA started back in 2011 with a whopping twelve members, down to just ten these days, and aim to be purveyors of afrobeat to the masses. “Our musical backbone is clearly influenced by Fela Kuti, Orlando Julius, and other afrobeat forefathers, but we can't help but naturally infuse styles that we grew up,” they explain. You'll hear the likes of blues, funk, and progressive rock laced throughout their music. “When you see people from all walks of life getting down to our performances coupled with compliments from Femi Kuti's [Fela Kuti's eldest son] band saying 'Those white people play some great lines!,' then we feel like we're achieving exactly what we set out to do!” At their ongoing show Saturday you’ll see great horn arrangements, guitars, piano, and jazzy bits with lots of good rhythm. ATOMGA is “one good ol’ happy family of musicians”.

They’re very excited to play Park Burger’s first music festival and were specifically asked if they would be the official house band of the show, having worked with event company Two Parts before. They’ve also started to become a regular in the Colorado music scene playing the Crestone, CO Music Festival, Taste of Fort Collins, Tour de Fat in Fort Collins, Durango’s Oktoberfest, and Arise Music Festival in Loveland.  They will be embarking on their first Midwest Tour next month! Between their love for parties, burgers and a chance to share a bill with The Original Wailers, ATOMGA is stoked to be a part of the first annual Denver Deluxe Music Festival and plans on dancing the day away with you all!

Breckenridge Brewery's Latest Mango Mosaic Is Sure To Be A Hit This Summer

The temperatures are heating up here in Denver as we embark on another season of unpredictable, yet warmer weather. A common tradition for most Coloradans is to make for the outdoors to enjoy what Mother Nature is throwing our way. For us that means enjoying our favorite libations with friends and families. The latest creation from Breckenridge Brewery is their new Mango Mosaic Pale Ale. It creatively brings the fine pairing of fine mosaic hops and fruit to your taste buds. The combination is not overbearing at all all is fully balances the taste with a medium body and goes down as smooth as the mountain rivers. We decided to pair our beer with a fine set of delicious street tacos (Al Pastor Style) that made for a perfect evening.

Mango Mosaic brings a lighter, “hops meets fruit” addition to the brewery's year-round portfolio. Available in 6-packs of 12-oz bottles and on draft, the 5.5% ABV (alcohol by volume) pale ale will be available in 35 states where Breckenridge Brewery beer is sold.

The beer will be fully stocked at the office this year just in case we want to take our work outdoors to enjoy (or get happy hour started earlier). Th beer perfectly pairs with any fine Carribean dish as well as any spicier combination of food pairing. We enjoyed ours with some dark spicy chocolate that was a match made in heaven.

"We've used Mosaic hops for several years in other beers, and we love the floral, tropical fruit, earthy characteristics that it gives - great aroma and a sweetness unlike other hops we've experimented with," explains Todd Usry, President of Breckenridge Brewery

 

 

2016 Denver Comic Con Beer Release Party | Friday May 20th | Stoney's

Breckenridge Brewery once again joins forces with Denver Comic Con. Since the inaugural convention in 2012, Breckenridge has brewed a special con beer and hosted a "Name the Comic Con Beer" contest. And each year what follows is a wonderful deluge of creative input, street cred for the winners, a beer release party preceding the con and other events in and around the Colorado Convention Center.
 
Breckenridge Brewery congratulates Noah Eisenman and Greg Nuccio, who both suggested "Snape-ricot" as the name for this year's refreshingly crisp apricot lager. The name honors actor Alan Rickman, who played Severus Snape in the Harry Potter film series and recently lost his life to pancreatic cancer.
 
“It’s become a wonderful Denver Comic Con tradition to launch these pop-culture themed beers in the weeks leading up to the con,” said Christina Angel, Denver Comic Con director. “This year’s brew takes on a special significance as a tribute to Alan Rickman, who so masterfully brought Snape to life on the silver screen.”
 
Although the name was chosen by popular vote, the brewery found it to suit the beer quite perfectly. Ryan Workman, Breckenridge Brewery Brand Manager, describes the beer to be more complex than one would guess upon first impression. "The apricot our brewers added to their American lager recipe produced surprising ambiguity, much like Snape himself. It's pale and crisp, but spend a little time with it, and you'll find unexpected layers of interesting personality." Finding more parallels in Snape and Snape-ricot, he shares that the beer is "bitter and cold, yet the fruit magically transforms Snape-ricot into something not sweet, but certainly a little softer than one would've imagined."
 
Snape-ricot will make its first public appearance at Stoney's Bar and Grill on Friday, May 20th, at 7:30 p.m. The first 200 people to order a Snape-ricot will be given a limited edition pint glass featuring the beer's custom label artwork.
 
The beer and pint glasses will also be available at the 3-day Denver Comic Con, which kicks off on June 17th and features such pop culture notables as Stan Lee (Marvel Comics), Lena Headey (Game of Thrones) and Ralph Macchio (the Karate Kid) . Tickets are still available at www.DenverComicCon.com. Additionally, local pubs around the conference will feature the beer with additional pint giveaway promotions.
 
Past winning entries for Breckenridge's Name the Comic Con Beer contest are:
·      2012 Fantastic Pour

·      2013 Caped Brewsader

·      2014 Brews Wayne

·      2015 Hulk's Mash

Lifestyle | Breckenridge Brewery & Leftover Salmon kick off 25th Anniversary Celebration at new Littleton Brewery on July 18th

Plans have been brewing for months, and now two Colorado-born craftsmen are tuned up and ready for a unique silver anniversary celebration. Rock/bluegrass band Leftover Salmon and Breckenridge Brewery have each enjoyed twenty-five years of success. To commemorate this milestone they have joined forces to release a collaborative beer, packaged with twenty-five live tunes from Leftover Salmon, which will debut at Breckenridge Brewery's annual Hootenanny on July 18th.

Back in March, the two groups got together over a few pints to share ideas on just the right beer recipe for the momentous occasion. They embraced an India Pale Lager style and aptly named it Silver Salmon. “A hoppy lager is a lighter, thirst-quenching style that we thought would be perfect for an outdoor music scene,” explains Brian Reinecke, the brewer for Breckenridge Brewery who formulated the recipe. “We used American hops that give the beer flavor and aroma, but not too much bitterness. To give Silver Salmon some depth, we used Vienna malt and added in some flaked oats. The oats increase the body and give the beer a visual dimension, an opalescence.”

This isn't your typical brewery-musician collaboration, though. While the brewery brewed and nurtured Silver Salmon IPL, the band compiled and mastered twenty-five outstanding live performances for release alongside the beer. With the purchase of a 22-oz bottle of Silver Salmon is a free download code for the album. The 25 songs were selected from various shows over the past two years. These live cuts highlight the current band today, which includes the addition of Bill Payne of Little Feat. After releasing two studio albums in the past three years, Leftover Salmon wanted to spread the live sound that people enjoy at their shows.

On July 18th it all comes together as Breckenridge Brewery hosts its annual Hootenanny with Leftover Salmon headlining the all-day music festival and pig roast. This year the brewery hosts the event at its newly opened 12-acre brewery campus in Littleton, Colorado, nine miles south of its previous Denver location. “One would think our new brewery was built for this party,” says Todd Thibault, Culture Czar for Breckenridge Brewery. “Maybe it kind of was. We have plenty of room for two stages that will feature live performances all day long. We've got great music, great food, and great beer in store again this year. Closing our first Hootenanny at the new brewery with a live Leftover Salmon performance will be legendary.”  Anders Osborne, Zach Deputy, and MilkDrive take the stage leading up to the Leftover Salmon performance, and a second stage hosted by WinterWonderGrass Festival will feature an array of local and regional bands.

Tickets for the Hootenanny can be purchased in advance at www.breckbrew.com/Hootenanny25.

Those attending the Hootenanny will be the very first to sample Silver Salmon IPL.  In the fall, commemorative 22-oz bottles of the collaboration beer, featuring custom artwork by John Vogl and packaged with a free album download code, will be available in select stores across the United States.

The impressive histories of Breckenridge Brewery and Leftover Salmon started within months of each other in small mountain towns two and a half decades ago, taking similar but separate paths as they each blossomed and earned national acclaim.

Leftover Salmon co-founder, singer, guitarist and washboard player Vince Herman led the Salmon Heads in the late 1980s. He asked future co-founder Drew Emmitt of the Left Hand String Band with bassist Glen Keefe to fill in for some missing Salmon Heads for a show in Crested Butte, Colorado. Together, they took the name Leftover Salmon and the group played its first show New Year's Eve, 1989, in the small mountain town. Emmitt reflects fondly on the band’s early days. “We knew we were doing something special” he says. “At that point in the early-‘90s, it was the birth of the jam band movement, Phish was starting out, Widespread Panic was starting out, and they were a little ahead of us, obviously, but we were one of the first bands to get out there with bluegrass and just get on the road and try to make something happen without a record deal. We were just following in the footsteps of New Grass Revival, Hot Rize and Little Feat, but by doing that I think we inspired some other bands too.” The band went on to produce successful album after album and tour nationally, becoming unwitting architects of the jam grass genre.

Similarly, back in the late 1980s in another small Colorado mountain town, ski bum Richard Squire shared his talents for a different kind of craftsmanship. Richard had a knack for making extraordinary home brews, and for years, only his closest friends were able to enjoy his beer. They encouraged him to share his creations with others, so in February of 1990, Richard opened the doors of Breckenridge Brewery, Colorado’s third modern-day craft brewery. The company quickly expanded to Denver to improve its ability to distribute. That's when Todd Usry, the brewery's current Brewmaster and Director of Brewery operations, joined the team. Breckenridge Brewery's mission has always been to produce very balanced and highly drinkable beers. Through steadfast commitment to quality and steady organic growth, the brewery is now one of the top 50 craft breweries in the nation.

The paths of Leftover Salmon and Breckenridge Brewery came together in 2012 when they threw a street party in celebration of the band's "Aquatic Hitchhiker" album launch. The first of their beer and music collaborations was in 2013. Leftover Salmon created four original songs that were pre-released exclusively through Breckenridge Brewery’s 12-pack Sampler Packs on Artist Series coasters. The relationship has prospered and the groups continue to collaborate on beer-music projects like Silver Salmon IPL.

 
About Breckenridge Brewery

Breckenridge Brewery was founded in 1990 in Breckenridge, Colorado. In the past two decades Breckenridge Brewery has 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 64,000 barrels of fresh beer annually and owns and operates five brewpubs and ale houses in the state of Colorado. For more information visit www.breckbrew.com.

About Leftover Salmon

Looking back over the past 25 years of rootsy, string-based music, the impact of Leftover Salmon is impossible to deny. Formed in Boulder at the end of 1989, the Colorado slamgrass pioneers took their form of aggressive bluegrass to rock and roll bars at a time when it wasn’t so common, helping Salmon become a pillar of the jam band scene and unwitting architects of the jamgrass genre. Today, Leftover Salmon is: Vince Herman (vocals, acoustic guitar, washboard); Drew Emmitt (vocals, acoustic and electric mandolin, electric guitar, fiddle); Andy Thorn (vocals, acoustic and electric banjo); Greg Garrison(vocals, acoustic and electric bass); Alwyn Robinson (drums); Bill Payne (vocals, keyboards). For more information visit www.leftoversalmon.com.