Why Craft Beer?

It's the Tuesday after American Craft Beer Week. Did you support your local craft breweries?

American Craft Beer Week Thursday Night Toast

I interviewed Julia Herz of Brewer's Association on Friday for the next More Than Pink Boots post. I had several questions regarding the growing industry and why she is such a craft beer rock star. That post will be available soon. However, there's a few other questions I keep asking myself after this long, beery week, and I wanted to share Julia's answer.

Out of town

Hi Everyone,
Just a quick update - I'm teaching a travel class in Oregon right now and haven't had the ability to get to the blog and post anything. It may be a few days before I can. Just wanted to give you a head's up and explain my absence! Check back toward the end of the week.

Cheers,
Focus on the Beer

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Celebrate Elevation Beer Co.'s 1st Anniversary!

It's hard to believe it's already been a year since Elevation opened their doors in Poncha Springs. Also, it's hard to believe it's ONLY been a year considering the expansion and amount of beer Elevation is producing. The new brewery opened with a bang and things have not slowed down for a moment, and the beer has remained at top quality. On Saturday, and part of Sunday, head into Poncha Springs and celebrate, they're going to have some really fun beers, good looking food, and music. Here's the info from Elevation:

It's here our First Year Anniversary Party! Come help us celebrate one year of brewing beer in Poncha Springs. Hang out in our Beer Garden with special beer releases including:

7,437 Double IPA Anniversary
Apis IV 2012
Apis IV aged in Cabernet Barrels 2012
Prostator Smoked Doppelbock 2012
Oil Man Single Barrel 2012

Listen to Live Music from:
Dangerish out of Durango Saturday 12-4pm
The Nasca James Band out of Salida Saturday 4-8pm
Eric Lambert and Friends out of Chicago Sunday 12-4pm

All Ages Welcome! Outdoor fun with lawn games, Soda, and food by Kalamatapit Catering. Limited Edition outdoor stainless steel pints for sale, and don't forget to ride your bike and get a free beer token. Thanks to all of our friends, family and fans for supporting us through our first year.

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Focus on the Beer posters and BMBW in Portland

If, by chance, you happen to find yourself in Portland on May 17th and 18th (Fri. and Sat.) we are going to have a few things happening there as part of Focus on the Beer and Beers Made By Walking. If you're in Colorado Springs, you can head to the Deschutes Tap Takeover we helped organize at Brewer's Republic, and know that somewhere in Portland, someone is looking at a poster of the event, wishing they were drinking with you.

On May 17th, Focus on the Beer will have a few posters up at the Autzen Gallery for a show titled "Alum." The exhibition's theme is to show current and past artwork from alumni of the Art & Social Practice program at Portland State University. I definitely enjoy designing all the posters for the events we organize, all of which are either educational in nature or are an effort to build a stronger and larger craft beer community in the Pikes Peak Region. So, I'm really happy to be able to show the posters. There will be six printed posters, and one hand-drawn poster from our 2nd Anniversary party.

On May 18th, I am leading an urban walk for Beers Made By Walking with the brewers of Coalition Brewing and Upright Brewing. We will start in front of Coalition, at 2724 SE Ankeny, at 5pm and we will identify plants in local parks, parking lots, medians, and in people's front yards. The beers will be made later this summer and tapped in October during our larger BMBW Portland tapping. The walk is free and open to the public.

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Beer Photo of the Week #31

Photos of the Week by Daniel Flanders. Beer bottles, ready for pouring, at a beer festival

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An inconclusive and meandering thought process on the question - Are Beer Reviews Bullshit?

My favorite science-fiction blog, io9, recently published a fun little article titled Wine Tasting is Bullshit. Here's Why. where they humorously point out a number of studies where wine tasting experts contradict themselves, or they fail to differentiate between red and white wine when white wine has been dyed with food coloring. They point out one review that describes a wine like this, "The overall character is that of a sex loaded scarlet."

One wine maker, wanting to understand how his wine could win accolades at one competition and be ranked incredibly low in another, decided to give multiple glasses of the same wine to a panel of judges. None of the judges rated the wine with the same results, and it's implied that none of them realized it was the same wine. Now, it can be said that wine changes character over the course of minutes once you allow it to breathe in your glass, so there is some level of subjectivity in this experiment. Another wine maker replies that:

Beer Events this week in Colorado Springs

There's a couple great looking beer events happening in the next couple days and we wanted to draw your attention to them. We've already mentioned one but wanted to make sure you saw them all. Cheers!

Deschutes Tap Takeover at Brewer's Republic on May 17th

Deschutes Brewery Tap Takeover
Fri. May 17th / 5pm
Brewer's Republic / 112 N. Nevada, Colorado Springs
Facebook Event

Seeing as how the director of Focus on the Beer is from Oregon, we figured our first "tourist tap takeover" at Brewer's Republic should be from an Oregon Brewery. In the past, Brewer's Republic has dedicated one tap handle to an outside-of-Colorado brewery and through our partnership with them we're hoping to do this on a monthly basis. On Friday, May 17th, you will be treated to one of our favorite breweries. Deschutes Brewery is located in Bend, Oregon, with an annex brewpub in Portland. Opening in 1988, the brewery has not only become a classic in the Pacific NW, its beers are still regarded as some of the best in the industry by geeks and professionals alike.

11 New Belgium Beers to kick off McCabe's Joy Ride

McCabe's Tavern and New Belgium are teaming up again for the annual, summer long, Joy Ride program. Bring your bike and make sure you're thirsty because this looks like it will be a great time. Every Wednesday at 6pm throughout the summer, bicyclists will enjoy a ride down to America the Beautiful Park, make a couple rounds, and then come back for a couple pints. If you go on 5 Joy Rides you'll be entered to win a New Belgium cruiser bike toward the end of the summer.

For the kickoff event on May 8th, McCabe's will tap a gigantic list of eleven beers at 3pm and the joy ride will start at 6pm. It looks like Peach Porch Lounger will be there, and I've heard that with age that beer is really rounding out nicely and the Brett Yeast is giving that beer some nice character. I also can't wait to check out the brand new Rolle Bolle beer, which should be a nice easy drinker.

Here's a list of beers for the event: Rampant Imperial IPA, Ranger IPA, Fat Tire, Rolle Bolle, Cascara Quad, Heavenly Fejoia Tripple, Hoppy Bock, Shift Pale Lager, 1554, Peach Porch Lounger, and the  Trippel.

McCabe's is located at: 520 S Tejon St  Colorado Springs, CO.

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Reminder: Twisted Pine Meet the Brewer this Thursday!

We just wanted to remind you all that we have a fantastic Meet the Brewer with Twisted Pine this Thursday, May 2nd, at 7pm at Front Range BBQ.

Twisted Pine is going to bring some wonderful and experimental beers with ingredients including Cucumber, Carrots, and Ghost Chilies. They'll also have some seasonals and classics like the Le Petite Saison and their Hoppy Boy IPA.

The event will be a ton of fun, we hope to see you there!

Meet the Brewer: Twisted Pine
Thurs. May 2nd / 7pm / pay per pint
Front Range BBQ / 2330 W. Colorado Ave., Colorado Springs
Facebook Event

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Stay updated with our email updates and like us on Facebook. We're also on Twitter and Instagram at @focusonthebeer.