Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Exciting News, and Less Exciting News

We'll start with the good stuff first:

We are entering Colorado's much vaunted drinking season. In this state, fall is made for lovers of malted and distilled beverages. The manic bike/camp/paddle/hike/go go go summer season is winding down, and while you may have hit the Labor Day Ski Sales, you're not hitting the slopes until mid-October (at best). No, now is the time to wind down, rest up, and prepare for lots of early mornings, cold snowy days, and long hours on I-70. What accompaniment to this transition, but a cool beverage? Thankfully, Colorado and Denver specifically have recognized this pairing, and have done their best to satisfy your needs. To wit:

1) The Denver Beer Fest: Holy Crap. Culminating in the Great American Beer Festival, the Denver Beer fest is a week long parade of non-stop beer-fueled goodness. Events by breweries large and small, local and foreign , you simply cannot go wrong during the Denver Beer Fest. Never overlook that Denver's current mayor made his fortune brewing. The Great American Beer Festival is something that everyone should attend once, because you will never see such a collection of awesome (and occasionally terrible, but always funky) beers in your life. Just don't drop your sample glass.

2) Oktoberfest: Every mountain town has their own, and having attended a few, Breckenridge consistently comes out a winner. I wish I had the words to express how great these all are. Fall in the mountains is an experience enough; pair changing leaves, a low key vibe, and good Oktoberfest beer (the one time of the year I REALLY get into Paulaner) and you'll never miss it again. Secretly, in my book this one tops Great American Beer Fest. So, not so much of a secret.

Starting this Thursday, Brandon and I are going to embark on fully exploring both these events and the local breweries that support them. Look for at least weekly updates from your humble writing staff.

Finally, less exciting news:

Our readers may have noticed that our tagline is: 'Beer, Whiskey, Bikes, and Skis'. Some reading this may accuse us of adding the last two words merely to make it look as though we aren't total alcoholics, but this isn't (quite) true. Both of us are known to hit the slopes as much as possible through the winter (and beyond), and I've been on bikes in one form or another for some time. Its worth noting today the passing of cycling legend Laurent Fignon, who died this morning. Most notably, Fignon was a two time Tour de France winner who gave it all in some of the most cut-throat days of cycling. Known for his ponytail and glasses, Fignon was nicknamed 'The Professor', but he would put the hammer down on anyone who interpreted that as weakness. As a winner of both Classics and several Grand Tours, he was a hero to many, including myself. If you are having a cold one while reading our latest post, please raise it to the Professor.


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1 comment:

Brandon said...

I love drinking season. Too bad it only comes around once a year.