Sometimes, the best way for craft beer fans to learn about beer is to make their own. With this in mind, to mark the end of its first year Barley’s Angels Colorado, a craft beer club designed for Colorado women who want to know more about craft beer, has collaborated with four professional brewers to create holiday beers.
Participation tickets for all brewing sessions were sold out and group members, many of whom had never brewed before, planned innovative, seasonal recipes that can be paired with Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, taken to a holiday party, or enjoyed with friends. Photos of the group brews can be found at www.barleysangelscolorado.beer
Now its time to taste the results. Angels and their guests (including men) are invited to special release parties for each of the brews. Parties will be held at each brewer’s taproom. Tickets or RSVP’s are not required.
Pints or growlers of the brew, and food pairings designed for each, will be available – while supplies last – for guests to purchase.
A listing of all tapping events, brew styles, and food pairings are as follows:
- 300 Suns: 335 1st Avenue Longmont CO 80501
Tapping: November 23 at 5pm
Brew: Belgian wheat with sweet orange peel
Food pairing: Cheeses from The Cheese Importers
- Kokopelli Brewing Company: 8931 N. Harlan St. Westminster CO 80031
Tapping: December 10th at 7pm
Brew: Chocolate Cranberry Stout
Food Pairing: Chocolate tasting plate from The Chocolate Therapist
- Former Future Brewing Co.: 1290 S. Broadway Denver, CO 80210
Tapping: December 14th at 2pm
Brew: Belgian Christmas ale with pink peppercorns, grains of paradise, nutmeg and spruce branches
Food pairing: Handcrafted empanadas from Maria Empanada
- Wells Brewery: 2516 49th St. #5 Boulder CO 80301
Tapping: Dec. 15th at 5:30 pm
Brew: Two beers – an imperial porter and an imperial cherry porter
Food Pairing: TBD
About Barley’s Angels Colorado:
Barley’s Angels Colorado was founded in January, 2014. Group meetings are designed to be roaming meetings, so that members can experience a wide variety of craft beers that are available to brew fans in Colorado. One meeting each month takes place in the Denver area and one takes place in the Boulder area. Meetings are typically scheduled for the fourth Monday and Wednesday of each month. For questions about upcoming meetings or the chapter, visit www.barleysangelscolorado.beer or email barleysangelscolorado@gmail.com.
In its first year, the traveling group has visited approximately 20 craft breweries, meeting staff and brewers at each and pairing food with selected beers. Past events included: Dinner at Post Brewing with Bryan Selders, a sour beer and cheese tasting at Crooked Stave, dinner at Hops & Pie, craft beers and baked goods tasting at Upslope, a craft beer/Colorado history tour at Golden’s Barrels and Bottles, craft beer and VooDoo Doughnuts pairing at Copper Kettle, and a craft beer and artisan salsa pairing at Epic Brewing.
Membership is expanding and attendees have said that they appreciated the chance to visit a range of different breweries, meet the brewers and/or staff, and to socialize in an environment with other women who love beer.