303: 30+ Colorado Beer Releases You Should Know About This Summer
“Good beer is everywhere in Colorado. Great beer can be found without much effort too. But special or limited beer — that is the type of thing that gets the beer drinkers of Colorado excited. These limited or special release beers are worth the excitement.
If you find a beer being released that you just can’t resist from a favorite brewery, do a little bit of research. Visit the events page on their Facebook to check out both past and future events along with Instagram posts from similar releases to find information. How limited is the beer? Is there a certain number of cans or bottles available? Using those numbers and the comments of people who have previously attended will help you create a plan of attack.
Here is a breakdown of the three main types of releases and how you can best prepare for them.
Level One: The Accessible Release
This release is more about trying something new and trying something first. This beer is generally being made one time but they are making enough to ensure plenty of their fans get a taste. You can arrive anytime on release day and enjoy a sip or if it’s being bottled pick up one before everyone else. There might be lines, but they will be minimal and will move fast. Often there are taproom party events to celebrate the distribution of this special beer.
Level Two: The Competitive Release
This release will require some planning. Whether on tap, in bottles or in a can, there may not be enough for everyone. The brewery will often share the quantity of the beer produced, even if the figure seems high, it’s being released for a reason. You will want to arrive on time to make sure you get what you are after. You will need to decide if waiting in line for beer is for you.
Level Three: The Extremely Limited Release
This is a challenge. The quantity of beer being released more than likely will not meet the demand of the number of people in attendance. There will be a line and people will begin to line up extremely early. This doesn’t mean you have to be there at the crack of dawn, reach out to the brewery and ask what time has been the best to show up in advance. Come ready to have fun, it’s limited and people will be people but if you are lucky enough to snag the sought-after beer it will be awesome. If you happen to miss out, you can still enjoy the other beers on tap and meet new members of your beer community.
Below is a list of upcoming releases in and around Denver for this summer and we have included the type of release we expect them to be. The list is broken down by month and the breweries are in alphabetical order. Save this list because we will be updating it throughout the summer as more dates become firm and other releases are announced….
May
Great Divide Brewing Company
Location: 1812 35th St., Denver
Beer Release: The next installment of Great Divide’s Local Knowledge Series, Apricot Colette (farmhouse with apricots — draft and bottle in taproom only)
Release Type: Level One
Release Date: May 27
Beer Release: The next installment of their Local Knowledge Series, Raspberry Sour (Draft and bottle in taproom only)
Release Type: Level One
Release Date: June 24″
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