Denver off the Wagon

Rough Draughts: Crooked Stave’s WWBV

“Brettanomyces is not a dinosaur,” but when it comes to research it might as well be. This genus of yeast, found naturally in wood, has various strains and adds a distinctive “barnyard” or “horse blanket” aroma and flavor to beer. To those not going for this effect, brett is a nightmare. But for Chad Yakobson [...]

Weekend off the Wagon – May 17-19

Weekend off the Wagon in your inbox, every Friday What the hell, Denver? The sun comes out and you decide “Oh, let’s have 138 parties”? Do you know how long it takes to put all of these events in one place? C’mon, buy a guy a beer or something! What I mean to say is [...]

New Belgium gets all professional with TV ad spots.

You may have noticed something familiar as you settled up to watch the series finale of The Office last night or while you were catching up on The Morning After on Hulu today – New Belgium Brewing has a series of 15 second TV commercials showcasing their flagship brand, Fat Tire Amber Ale. These spots [...]

Free Beer Friday – Courtesy of Illegal Pete’s

Guess what beer is pictured below. It’s a brewery that is on tap at at least one of the Illegal Pete’s locations. Send your answer and your mailing address to contest@denveroffthewagon.com. The first 10 people to respond correctly will receive in the mail a voucher for a free pint at any of the 5 Illegal Pete’s [...]

Rough Draughts: Hello, Darkness gets introduced to whiskey barrels

When thinking of whiskey barrel aged beers, styles such as stouts, barleywines, and perhaps a scotch ale or quad come to mind. But how about a whiskey barrel aged black IPA? Well don’t ponder that question for long, as that’s exactly what River North just crafted using their popular Hello, Darkness Black IPA. The virgin [...]

Cirque Du Yelp! is this Thursday

Yelp, that little website that helps you make all of your important life decisions, is throwing a party on Thursday, May 16. Rather than going out to eat and then going on to Yelp share your experience, Yelp is bringing the food, the booze, and the party. Come one, Come all, to the Greatest Show [...]

Beer Porn: BSB’s Red Evelyn

She was “the rock of the family,” “tiny yet strong, smart and loving.” Evelyn, a woman, rather a legend, who owned a general store in Westcliffe, CO is Branden and Chad Miller’s (Black Shirt Brewing) grandmother. Doing what these two brothers do best, they brewed a red ale to “honor and celebrate” this beloved lady. [...]

Beer and Cigarettes

“I only smoke when I drink.” “I’m a social smoker.” “I go through, like, maybe a pack a week. No big deal.” Hell, even I had a phase where I thought smoking suited me (Lucky Strike, unfiltered. I had been watching a ton of Band of Brothers during that time). It was, at the very [...]

The Good Fight for the Sulfite

Don’t be afraid! Yes, sulfites are in your red, white, and rose wine. However, they have been given a bad wrap. Sulfites have played the role of scapegoat since the 1980’s and have been falsely accused of inducing countless headaches and other adverse conditions. At Il Posto, I often hear the exclamation, “I can’t drink [...]

American Craft Beer Week – where we’ll be

American Craft Beer Week is upon us. Started in 2006 as a way to give Craft Beer fans (and noobs) more chances in more places to savor the brews that have kept this country chugging along (well, maybe not single handedly, but it’s a nice thought). There are numerous events going on across the state [...]