Denver Beer Festivus: A Timely Classic Returns

Although the temperatures are dropping here in Denver, there is no short supply of your favorite beer festivals. The Denver Beer Festivus celebrated eight years this past Saturday afternoon. We have always maintained this one of our favorites, nothing changed as a slew of local breweries were on hand to sample some of their favorite brews. Beer drinkers were decked out in their favorite ugly sweaters and holiday attire making for some amazing outfits (we even saw multiple Cousin Eddie’s from Christmas Vacation). This years edition spread out over several rooms making it easy to navigate from brewery to brewery with little to no lines. Food was a plenty as a food court had everything from warm pretzels to pizza for you to enjoy. A silent disco was on site providing for some amazing tunes by some of Denvers best DJ’s. It’s hard to name favorites with a festival like this as all the breweries showcase their best, but if we had to…..some of ours included brews from Denver Beer Co, Black Project Spontaneous, Great Divide, Zuni Street, and Ratio Beerworks. If you have never been to one of these we highly suggest you put it on your radar for next year.

-Words and Images-Robert Castro

The Passport Program Supper Social Program: Smök, The Family Jones Spirit House and New Belgium

BBQ, Booze and fun……Don’t threaten us with a good time!

Join us for The Passport Program Supper Social, a shared dining experience exclusively for Passport insiders. We're teaming up with our friends at Smōk for a night of tasty barbecue paired with a cocktail from The Family Jones Spirit House and beers from New Belgium Brewing, and you're invited! Tickets to this event are limited, so get them before they're gone!

Your $50 Ticket Includes:
→ Automatic Jones “Rock and Rye” cocktail from The Family Jones Spirit House
→ Three-course meal from Smōk
→ Two beers from New Belgium Brewery including the debut of their Smoked Banana Stout brewed downstairs in The Source Hotel

Menu:
First Course
Paired with a cocktail from The Family Jones Spirit House
→ Jalapeño Poppers -or- Deviled Eggs

Second Course
Paired with an Astral Traveler DIPA from New Belgium Brewing
→ Two Meats and Two Sides
Choose 2: brisket, pulled pork, pork belly, turkey, chicken, burnt ends, and sausage.
Choose 2: creamed corn, mac & cheese, coleslaw, pit beans, cornbread, and potato salad.

Dessert
Paired with a Smoked Banana Stout from New Belgium Brewing
→ Banana Pudding

Things To Remember:
→ All guests must be 21+ and are required to have a valid ID with proof of age.
→ We ask that you arrive at least 10-15 minutes prior to the start of your session.
→ You must have a Denver Passport Winter Edition and a ticket to attend.

It's The Most Wonderful Time For A Beer....Denver Beer Festivals Is Upon Us

Denver Beer Festivus Has Arrived.

It’s that time of the year once again. Time to don that ugly holiday sweater and head out to Denver Beer Festivus. Always in our top five events we cover every year. The Denver Festival is a celebration of all things….beer. With over 70 breweries set to take over the Sports Castle this year, add to that fun activities such as silent disco, lucha libra wrestlers, food trucks, and a pop-up coffee shop from Method Roasters paying homage to a Seinfeld cafe it’s sure to be an amazing time.

The event takes place this Saturday, December 15th at the Sports Castle located at 1000 Broadway from 3PM to 6PM. Special VIP packages include perks such as early entrance and an awesome Festivus Koozie. More ticket information can be found here.

Festivus With the Best of Us!


The Summer Passport Has Arrived

Whether you’re looking for a place to enjoy patio weather, a new date night spot, or the perfect after-work libation, The Summer Passport has you covered. The Denver Passport Summer Edition is a pocket-sized book filled with 2-for-1 drink specials from the city’s best establishments. This Summer Edition will feature 66 establishments and also includes a spotlight on a few of the best pizza spots around town.

“For our sixth summer we compiled a list of the 66 best bars and restaurants Denver has to offer,” said Amy Osgood, director of The Passport Program. “We’re featuring Frank Bonanno’s not-yet-opened Moo Bar in the Milk Market, while also not forgetting about his other concept Luca and its frozen Aperol Spritzes. We’re including James Beard award-winning chef Jennifer Jasinski’s newest concept Ultreia, as well as the nationally anticipated American Bonded. And making its first appearance in the Denver Passport is the beloved El Chapultepec, which will offer 2-for-1 ‘jazz-themed-cocktails.’ Also new this year, one can get 2-for-1 slices at Marquis Pizza and Sexy Pizza, because who doesn’t love pizza!”

Curated with the mission of highlighting the city’s best drinking destinations, The Passport Program encourages locals and visitors alike to explore different cities and regions via 2-for-1 craft beverages. The Passport’s various seasonal programs feature pocket-sized field guides that are designed to spark adventure, as well as support local establishments and non-profits. From tried-and-true local favorites to newly opened hot spots, this Summer Edition Passport helps narrow these options down while also providing extra incentive, a complimentary drink, to make going out that much easier—and more fun.
 
Participating bars and restaurants: Ace Eat Serve, Aloy Modern Thai, Alternation Brewing Co., American Bonded, Angelo’s Taverna, Banded Oak Brewing Co., Bar Fausto, Bear Creek Distillery, Bellwether, Bistro Vendôme, Block & Larder, Brazen Neighborhood Eatery, Copper Lounge, Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project, Deep Roots Winery & Bistro, Denver Distillery, Dio Mio, El Chapultepec, Euclid Hall Bar & Kitchen, FERMÆNTRA, Fish N Beer, Fort Greene Bar, French 75, Great Divide Brewing Co., Hudson Hill, Illegal Pete’s, Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar, Kachina, Leña, Leopold Bros., Lola Coastal Mexican, LOW Country Kitchen, Lowry Beer Garden, Luca, Middleman, MOO Bar at Milk Market, North County, Odell Brewing Co.’s RiNo Brewhouse, Ophelia's Electric Soapbox, Oskar Blues’ Black Buzzard, Park Burger, Punch Bowl Social, Ratio Beerworks, Root Down, Sarto’s, Seedstock Brewery, Skyline Beer Garden, Spangalang Brewery, Stem Ciders, Steuben’s Uptown, Stoic & Genuine, Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey, Tacos Tequila Whiskey, Tatarian, the ART, The Family Jones, The Post Brewing Co., The Way Back, there …, TRVE Brewing Co., Ultreia, Upstairs Circus, Vesper Lounge, Vital Root, Woods Boss Brewing Co. and Zeppelin Station.
 
Participating pizza locations: Marquis Pizza and Sexy Pizza

The Passport Program Summer Edition is a proud supporter of the Colorado Restaurant Association's Angel Relief Fund. A portion of Passport sales in Denver, Boulder, Fort Collins, Colorado Springs, and the Mountains support the Angel Relief Fund's mission of helping hospitality professionals recover from the unexpected by offering emergency assistance grants to those facing an unanticipated hardship such as: accident, illness, injury, death of an immediate family member, or natural disaster. To learn more, please visit angelrelieffund.com.

In addition, to celebrate all the good things teachers do year-round, The Passport Program is setting up its own Summer Passport Scholarship. The first 1,000 teachers that apply, in each city, will receive a free Summer Edition Passport. Teachers can apply here.
 
The Denver Passport Summer Edition is valid from May 25th through September 3rd. Passports go on sale on May 15 at 10:00 a.m. MST for $25. To purchase, visit ThePassportProgram.com.

Bacon and Beer | A Celebration of Food and Community

Cheers to bacon and beer. (photo Credit: Robert Castro)

This past Saturday we visited a magical land – one where beer was king and bacon lovers held hands and rejoiced in unison. What is this mythical place you ask? Well, it is the Bacon and Beer Festival! And it was a celebration fit for any self-respecting foodie/beer enthusiast. 

Managing Editor Mcclain managed to grab this shirt for her yoga workouts. (Photo Credit: Robert Castro)

The event boasted 20 + breweries and over 15 restaurants – all debuting their bacon inspired dishes and beverages. The food ranged from Thai to brunch to the good ol’ American burger. Most breweries stayed true to their brand but, some rolled out bacon inspired libations. A personal favorite of the Ultra5280 staff was the Bacon Bourbon from Ol' Major which took the pairing to a whole new level. They even went so far as to add a mesquite salt chaser – which was absolute perfection. 

Where do we get the bacon flavored salt? (Photo Credit: Robert Castro)

We love seeing events that celebrate our local scene, when there’s OMF (Our Mutual Friend), Ratio Beerworks and Call To Arms Brewing Co. on the same ticket – you can count us in. Moving outside of Denver’s coveted local watering holes we were elated to taste such classics as Breckenridge Brewery, Left Hand Brewing Company, Great Divide Brewing and Boulder Beer Co.  The Fest offered a nice gluten free option (although why a gluten free person would attend a Bacon and Beer Fest is beyond us) by adding some ciders to the mix. Stem Ciders and Colorado Cider Company were holding down the fort for our wheat challenged bacon lovers. Side Note: Beer and cider is an amazing combination… future festival idea? TM

Serving up amazing beer our friends from Ratio were on hand. (Photo Credit: Robert Castro)

Bacon was the ideal sponge for soaking up our beer filled bellies. Some stand out dishes were the Bacon Wontons from Aloy Modern Thai, The Lobby’s bacon-brunch bite, Little Man’s ice cream and from what we’ve heard The Regional had a mean chicken fried bacon dish (sadly they ran out of ingredients before we made the rounds).  The food was unique, tasty and answered every day-drinker’s wildest dreams and wishes.

Lovey bits of bacon morsel goodness compliments of Interstate Kitchen and Bar (Photo Credit: Robert Castro)

We wish we could have bottled up the scent emanating from the Glitter Dome this past Saturday – it was a scent filled with bacon fumes, hops and love. To quote our girl Taylor, there are just some things that never go out of style – and bacon and beer will forever be one of them. 

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!