Promo

Collaboration Fest Breakout Sessions Announced!

It’s almost here! Collaboration Fest is just a few days away and the creators just announced the breakout sessions. Which one are you most excited for? I will definitely be heading over to the Sour Beers with Lauren Salazar. See you there!

Sour Beers with Lauren Salazar
Time: 5:00 pm
Guests will learn about the art of blending from grain to glass focusing on techniques Lauren Salazar uses in New Belgium’s cellar. Lauren is the Wood Cellar Manager, Blender and the Specialty Brand Manager at New Belgium Brewing Company. She held the title of Sensory Staff Specialist from 1998-2012. Lauren focused primarily on sensory science, where she developed the sensory program from a basic production check to its present world-class program.

The Flavor of Colorado Craft
Time: 5:45 p.m.
You have a long history with flavor, and Colorado has a long relationship with beer. Take your knowledge of both to the next level with Dr. Nicole Garneau, curator at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. Dive into the science of experiencing a craft beer the way you were meant to. Along the way take home a few historical gems that will make you Colorado proud, even if you don’t call the “Napa of Craft Beer” home.

Comedy by The Fine Gentleman’s Club
Time: Varies
The Fine Gentleman’s Club started when Chris Charpentier, Nathan Lund, Sam Tallent, and Bobby Crane got into a bidding war at the yacht store. When none of the men backed down, ever, it was mutually agreed that each one was a Finer Gentleman than the next.

General admissions tickets are still available for $50 at CollaborationFest.com. Colorado Fest will take place on Saturday, March 21 from 3 to 7 p.m. at Sports Authority Field at Mile High (1701 Bryant St. Denver CO 80204).

303 Day – Things to do Around Town

Happy 303 day Denverites! Living in this city is absolutely amazing and I love it soooo much. In honor of this glorious holiday, a lot of venues around town are giving out free stuff or running deals for those who show support for Colorado. I’ll be compiling a list and updating it as I find out more – go enjoy yourself, you deserve it 🙂

Continue reading 303 Day – Things to do Around Town

Jax Molten Chocolate Cake

Sometimes it is really nice to take a break from thinking up new recipes. It is also really nice when other people send you theirs. This time around, I was asked to recreate this beautiful Molten Chocolate Cake (with a truffle center) from Chef Ricky Myers of Jax Fish House in Fort Collins and pair a few beers with it. Normally when I think of Jax Fish House, I’m craving their amazing oyster happy hour. As it turns out, they are great at cooking things other than fish, too. If you need proof, this recipe is it. Though I did manage to sneak a little beer into it, I also found that it pairs perfectly with quite a few different brews. For my dessert, I decided to go with the Imperial Java Stout by Santa Fe Brewing Company and even poured a 1/4 cup into the truffle center. This beer is named after coffee but I think it gives off more smooth chocolatey vibes rather than a bitter bite. Since the cake recipe has dark chocolate – which is on the bitter side – the beer paired with it like a match made in heaven. Other great pairings include: Dragon’s Milk by New Holland Brewing (if you want to double down on the richness), Vanilla Bean Buffalo Sweat by Tallgrass Brewing (if you want to keep things on the lighter side), and Shake Chocolate Porter by Boulder Beer Company (if you’re addicted to chocolate).

What are you waiting for? It is almost Valentine’s Day which means you better get your butt to the grocery store so you can whip this chocolate goodness up for someone you love.

Continue reading Jax Molten Chocolate Cake

Events | Denver Bacon and Beer Festival

So. Much. Bacon. My mind is still whirling with pork filled thoughts and dreams of never ending beer. Once again, Denver Bacon and Beer Festival, hosted by EatBoston and Denver Off the Wagon, was an extreme success. This year it was held at the Curtis Hotel and the fun atmosphere provided a great way to escape from the frigid outdoors. Over the past three years, the Denver Bacon and Beer Festival has donated the proceeds from the event to Project Angel Heart and Metro CareRing. Although festival goers left feeling glutinous, they could also give themselves a pat on the back for being charitable. Drinking/eating for a good cause is the only way to do it.

It would be hard to describe all of my favorite dishes because I’m obviously going to love anything that includes bacon. I will however tell you about the two that stand out most in my mind. The first was the Pale Ale and Goat Cheddar Soup along with a BLT Pesto, Pork Belly Bread Pudding, and Bacon Espuma by Kevin Taylor Restaurant Group. Every part of this dish was divine. First off, the BLT Pesto – how does someone come up with that? The taste remained true to the name in that it gave off smokey bacon flavors, tang from the tomatoes, and the herbal goodness from the basil. Then, there’s the goat cheese. This is my second favorite food next to bacon and because this dish included both wonderful ingredients, it is still haunting my dreams in the best way possible. The other dish I thoroughly enjoyed was probably the most simple creation at the party: Jalapeño Honey Bacon at The Corner Office. It was cooked to a crispy crunch, just the way I like it. This bacon was spicy, smokey, and sweet. It reminded me of frying up thick cut bacon and dipping it in maple syrup, only 10x better. I’m pretty sure I never want to eat another type of bacon ever again.

If you didn’t attend this year’s Bacon and Beer Festival, you seriously missed out. Here are the pictures to prove it to you..

Continue reading Events | Denver Bacon and Beer Festival

Events | Bacon and Beer Chef and Brewer Dinner

If you aren’t able to attend Denver Bacon and Beer Festival or you just feel like you need more bacon in your life, then this is the event for you. The Bacon and Beer Chef and Brewer Dinner is coming in hot with bacon filled dishes from the best chefs in Denver all paired with our awesome Colorado brews. It will take place on November 15 from 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. at The Lobby and it is hosted by Denver Off The Wagon and EatBoston so you know it will be a good time. Go ahead, treat yourself, you know you want more bacon.

This dinner will feature a five course meal prepared by five different local chefs paired with beer from five different Denver area breweries. Now, the moment your taste buds have been waiting for. Here is the menu for the dinner.

Welcome Beer from Breckenridge Brewery
72 Imperial Chocolate Cream Stout

First Course Prepared by John Little from Harman’s Eat & Drink
Squash and Baking Spiced Surette
Beer: Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project Autumn Surette

Second Course Prepared By Drew Watson from Hops & Pie
Celery Root Purée with Pork Belly, Fig and Frisee
Beer: Copper Kettle Brewing Company French Saison

Third Course Prepared by Vincent Vigil from Panzano
Coriander and Coffee Dusted Pork Loin with Renegade Coffee Beer Sauce and Sautéed Pumpkin Gnocchi and Wild Mushrooms
Beer: Renegade Brewing Company Hiatus Coffee-Infused Oatmeal Ale

Fourth Course Prepared by Brandon Muncy from The Lobby
Bacon Wrapped Pork Belly Meatloaf served over Parsnip Puree with Caramelized Wort Catsup and Crispy Sprout Leaves
Beer: TRVE Brewing Company Dunwich Robust Porter

Fifth Course Prepared by Samm Sherman from Root Down and Linger
Coffee Cremeux with Bacon Oreo, Malt and Cider Caramel with Great Divide Hibernation Whipped Cream
Beer: Great Divide Brewing Company Hibernation Ale

Tickets are on sale now for $65 at http://www.wheretoeat.in/2014-denver-bacon-and-beer-festival/. A portion of proceeds from tickets sales benefit Project Angel Heart and Metro CareRing.

Magic Hat Hop Drip IPA Release | Events

During Great American Beer Festival, all kinds of new beers were debuted. One of them was Magic Hat’s newest creation, Hop Drip IPA. The brewery invited me to the morning release to try out the new coffee-infused IPA along with some donuts. I’m sure I’ve had a coffee IPA before, but none of their names seem to come to mind. Hop Drip on the other hand, is a name I won’t forget. When I think of coffee and beer, my mind usually goes right to porters and stouts – never an IPA. Hop Drip is brewed with coffee from Speeder and Earl’s – a coffee shop that is down the street from the brewery and fuels brewers like Ross Thompson on a daily basis. Now that I’ve officially tried a coffee infused IPA (that I can remember), I can proudly say that I’m a fan. You’d think that hops and coffee would be overwhelmingly bitter, but that wasn’t the case. Hop Drip was actually quite refreshing, including the flavors of the roasted coffee beans without adding to much bite. It also happened to be perfect way to start day 2 of GABF.

Continue reading Magic Hat Hop Drip IPA Release | Events