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. 

The 2022 Great American Beer Festival Is Upon Us

The 2022 Great American Beer Festival is set to takeover Denver this weekend. The return of the largest beer festival in the world returns for its 40th Year Anniversary. As it does every year patrons can indulge on beers from all over the country. Breweries across the land submit their favorites in hopes of capturing the elusive gold medal for top beer in that category.

LIST OF BREWERIES PARTICIPATING

This year the festival has catered to include something for everybody:

  • For the foodie: Along with access to more than 1,500 different beers from the country's finest breweries, PAIRED is the craft beer and pairing event that curates a menu that's perfect for foodies looking for their next gastro-adventure. PAIRED tickets also include unlimited tastings of unique beers not found in the festival hall matched with award-winning chefs.

  • For the music lover: Head over to Studio 82 and Sing City to show your best moves or your voice in these hangouts built for those who love to get their groove on.

  • For the relaxer: Chill and play some cornhole, listen to live music on the IKON Pass stage, or just relax in a comfy lawn chair in The Backyard.

  • For those abstaining: don't forget — designated driver tickets for the General Session and Members Session include a special gift, unlimited sodas, and hospitality in the luxe Designated Driver Lounge.

  • For the one who likes to dress up: Assemble your brew crew and don your best fest costume. America's favorite beer festival is the place to see the craziest outfits worn by the most dedicated beer drinkers in the world — or someone who just likes to start Halloween a little early.

  • For the studious fan: Attendees have the opportunity to speak with and learn from industry experts and brewers as well as access to educational and interactive seminars on beer appreciation in the Brewers Studio.

We will be there this weekend and have a full list of the winners and full photo gallery with some of the amazing highlights., stay tuned. So grab your pretzel necklace and fun beer themed costumes because we will be looking for you!

Steuben's Switches Up Some Dishes

Denver's comfort food favorite Steuben’s (in Uptown & Arvada) is known for their casual diner vibe and home cooking, serving regional comfort food at its finest. Steuben's has always evolved with the times, leading to its long life in Denver, and has recently updated their menu with some tasty, and also healthy, new offerings. We went to their "Media Mixer" last week and tried the tasty new assortment along with some summer cocktails and desserts.

We've always loved their sandwiches, and now they have some lighter items like the Avocado Goddess Toast and the Rachel, a turkey version of a Ruben (pictured below). Both of these were fantastic and flavorful additions to their heartier standbys like Burgers, the Hot Beef Sandwich and Lobster Rolls. New entrees include a Brick Chicken (above) (brick-pressed half chicken which makes the skin extra crispy) with potatoes, veggies and chicken jus and Cayenne Etouffee (think gumbo with sausage, crawfish & shrimp) perfect for the cooler months ahead.

The cocktail menu at Steuben's has always been strong and ranges from light and summery to knock your socks off. The White Negroni looks like pure gin on ice, but it one of the staff's new favorites. Our new favorites (pictured) included That Drink which was a subtle and refreshing vodka, lemon, basil and seltzer cocktail and the No Where to Run with Bulleit Bourbon, lemon, mint, triple sec and seltzer.

Steuben’s is also known to have delicious desserts; we recommend the lovely and light Lemon Icebox Bar or a Salter Caramel Choco-taco filled with their homemade salted caramel ice cream. The Secret Sauce team behind Steuben’s (also Ace and Vesta) are committed to using locally and/or responsibly produced ingredients and each of these locations have been certified as a green business through the EPA and Certifiably Green Denver!

Steuben’s Uptown, 523 E 17 Ave, Denver, CO 80203  https://www.steubens.com/#menus

Review by Tiffany Candelaria    Photos by Josh Stephens

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

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 Releases New Beer With Free Concert @ Bluebird Theater | May 11

The real MVP this Wednesday will be Breckenridge Brewery's latest debut, the NVP or Nitro Vanilla Porter. Nitro Vanilla Porter (NVP) is the first release in Breckenridge Brewery's all-new line of portable and versatile nitrogenated cans. The 16-oz can presents the ability to drink silky, smooth nitrogen-charged beer outside of the pub. Although a glass displays the cascading effects of the nitrogen head, with Breckenridge’s can design the glass is optional. The Nitro Series from Breckenridge Brewery can be enjoyed anywhere – in a glass or right from the can - and those who attend the free concert get to experience "Nitro on the Go" first-hand. 

The craftsmanship of Vanilla Porter is evidenced in NVP. A variety of malts provide flavors of chocolate, roasted nut, caramel, and coffee. Imported vanilla from Papua New Guinea and Madagascar add complex and exotic flavors to the solid porter. The softening effect of nitrogen creates a velvety mouthfeel and highlights the flavors of the malts and vanilla. NVP presents another delicious way to enjoy Vanilla Porter.

The next release in the series is Nitro Lucky U IPA followed by new seasonal nitro specialties starting in the fall. The Nitro Series is packaged in 4-packs of 16-oz cans and will be sold where other Breckenridge beer is carried.

Breckenridge Brewery is throwing a free concert at the Bluebird Theater in Denver to celebrate the availability of Nitro Vanilla Porter in 16-oz cans. The release party on May 11th toasts the start of an exciting new nitrogen-charged canned beer series.  This free show is open to the public (21+) on a first-come basis with doors opening at 7:00 p.m. until capacity is reached. Each attendee will be given a complimentary can of Nitro Vanilla Porter to enjoy. The Bright Light Social Hour and Dragondeer are to perform. The party provides an introduction to the brewery’s new beer series, and because both bands are signed artists for this summer's Underground Music Showcase which Breckenridge Brewery sponsors, the event doubles as a preview to UMS.  

We were able to talk tacos, football and the Austin music scene with The Bright Light Social Hour before their show on Wednesday for Breckenridge Brewery's Nitro Vanilla Porter release. Check it out below:

Photo Credit: Nicole Fara Silver

1. Let’s start with the name, how did it come about?

Curtis was studying this Indian activist, Arundhati Roy, at Southwestern University where we started the band. She had a quote about the activist’s role as shining a bright light in the dark corners of society. So we kinda took it from there.

 

2. You guys are on the road a lot what are some of your favorite cities and what is a city you haven't played you wish you could?

I really love playing Quebec City. I feel like audiences there see us a strange, exotic thing, like we’re zoo animals. I like feeling like a zoo animal. Mexico City is definitely the most fervent crowd we’ve come across. Our last few shows at the Bluebird and the Ogden are very high on the list too. I really wanna play Berlin.

 

3. You currently reside in Austin, many people claim that the music scene in Denver is starting to mimic that of ATX, touring here and playing here do you see any similarities?

Honestly, we’ve visited Denver a lot but haven’t had much opportunity to go out and see shows and explore the music scene. It does seem that Denver is producing more varied and boundary-pushing styles and artists, so that’s very cool.

 

4. With so many bands hailing from Austin does the scene support each other or is it competitive? And what ever happened to Sound Team?

t’s very supportive and embracing. All my closest friends are musicians from other Austin bands. Plus the city itself as well as several non-profits do a lot to help musicians and the scene by helping provide resources like free legal advice, healthcare, grants and that kinda thing. I never heard of Sound Team til you mentioned it, but I looked them up and to answer your question, they disbanded in 2007 and Bill Baird went solo (one of his records mysteriously appeared in my collection and it’s awesome), and Matt Oliver once recorded a Daytrotter session for us at his studio, Big Orange.

 

5. A couple of you attended the University of Texas, How are we going to do this year in football? (I’m from El Paso and spend a lot of time in Austin and am a big Longhorns fan)

You know I have no idea, but I’m gonna vote for good.

 

6. Your live album was recorded in response to the attacks on France and was recorded live with proceeds going to the French Red Cross. How did that come about and was there any pressure knowing you guys were to be recording live to perform that show?

Haha no we wanted it to be real and have all the warts and gnarl of a real live show. It helps to accept that you’ll never be anywhere close to satisfied with a recording of yourself playing live. That’s what studio albums are for, we just wanted to capture the energy and the moment and do what we could to help.

 

7. Final question. Best breakfast tacos in Austin? Taco Deli or Torchy’s?

Well fuck Torchy’s because the tacos are incredible and we eat there every other week but the tortillas are ALWAYS cold, which is beyond unacceptable. Taco Deli is fantastic, but Veracruz All Natural is my current fav in town.

 

Be sure to get to the Bluebird early as this event is sure to be at capacity early in the evening. With amazing, local music and new local craft - this is one event not to be missed. 

Lifestyle | Denver Mug Club - Craft Beer Lovers Rejoice!

Spring into the new season drunker than the last by joining the all exclusive, elusive Denver Mug Club from Two Parts. This mug club will come to life via a traveling case filled with numbered, custom mugs made from hand thrown stoneware. The program will feature a new brewery each month, and membership includes discounts on beer, a free fill of the brewery's choosing, and one special “Mug Club Meet-Up” per month. A Meet-Up could consist of a specialty firkin tapping, unique food pairing, private brewery tour, brew session, etc. The Denver Mug Club is for craft beer fans who like to drink promiscuously. This is where exclusivity meets exploration. 

For just $10 a month, you can have your own numbered mug in our case. You just show up to the Brewery of the Month, show your ID and they'll pull your mug from the case and fill it with cold, delicious craft beer. Pretty perfect right? Don't delay, we've only got 100 mugs available to start!

Tell me more!