Recent Articles from Jay Dedrick
Colorado beer lovers love Oktoberfest
It’s Oktoberfest in Germany, which means it’s a very lucrative time for a Littleton business. Paulaner HP USA is the U.S. importer of seven styles of Paulaner beer, including the Oktoberfest-Marzen – a beer you’re likely to find at American celebrations like those happening the last weekend of September in Denver’s Ballpark neighborhood and the […]
Colorado craft beer’s ever-growing map
Colorado's biggest producers of craft beer all sell product in multiple states. Some, like Durango's Ska Brewing, are most reliant on in-state business; the brewery sells 70 percent of its volume here. Others, like Boulder's Avery Brewing Co., turn that percentage upside-down. Both strategies are...
A sign of the very good times
Yes, Alan Bloom admits, the 2009 downturn might have inspired him to enjoy a bit more craft beer than he had in the past. More than a tasty salve, though, the stuff also proved to be his firm’s salvation. “Craft brewing is what kept my company alive last year,” Bloom said. So is he in […]
Great Divide’s viral video
The images are steeped in ‘70s tans and browns, the music seemingly crackling from a drive-in movie car speaker. Two tough leisure suits with badges take down a bad guy in an urban alley before quenching their thirst with suds from a nearby tavern. The creators of the 40-second spot threw “The Streets of San […]
Ol’ reliable Breck Brew performs new tricks at 20
Admit it, craft beer drinker: When it comes to an old favorite like Avalanche Ale, you take it for granted. Like wallpaper, it’s always there and gets overlooked. Heck, it’s been 20 years now since the Breckenridge Brewery got started with its flagship amber brew, which remains familiar and comfortable. It’s not surprising that the […]
A big new brewery worth the wait
An expansive wood deck on one side, a cozy patio on the other. A bit of a slope to the land out back, and clusters of shade trees all around. It’s like a lake house, without the lake. But who misses the water when there are thousands of barrels of beer inside? The newly opened […]
Colorado brewers craft growth
A year ago at this time, craft brewers were looking at their production figures and breathing sighs of relief that the down economy wasn’t hurting them the way it was hurting others. Craft beer really was a product people were willing to pay a bit more for — an affordable luxury, even when the wallet’s […]
A serious beer with a silly name
Chad Melis knows time is ticking on the gimmick. Oskar Blues, the craft brewery born in Lyons that has since branched out in Longmont, built its reputation by answering a simple question: What if you sold microbrews in cans instead of bottles? Since 2002, the brewery’s name has been synonymous with “canned craft beer,” and […]
State of the state: Legislation
For Colorado craft brewers, the January gathering of state lawmakers at the Capitol has come to signal an annual battle to maintain their livelihood, not to mention the Centennial State's status as center of the beer universe.Once again, state representatives have introduced legislation that would...
Beerdrinker of the Year must be more than a casual fan
On Saturday afternoon, one of three men will win beer for life at the Wynkoop Brewing Co. Now, some of you may be asking, will I be the one? Or at least, am I among the three? Sadly, no. I’m not either. Many of us would be delighted beyond belief to win such a prize, […]
Beer-brewing Davids worry about retail Goliaths
For Colorado craft brewers, the January gathering of state lawmakers at the Capitol has come to signal an annual battle to maintain their livelihood, not to mention the Centennial State’s status as center of the beer universe. Once again, state representatives have introduced legislation that would allow grocery and/or convenience stores to sell full-strength beer, […]
Colorado beer has gone to the dogs
If the Colorado craft brewing community were to adopt a mascot, there’s no question which animal would rise to the top: Dog. The canine influence on local beers is apparent even on a surface level. New Belgium’s Mighty Arrow Pale Ale was named for Arrow, CEO Kim Jordan’s Aussie/Border Collie mix. Ellie’s Brown Ale from […]