Beer and holiday cheer: Shopping at a brewpub!

By Amber Taufen Thu., Dec. 10 2009 at 5:14 PM

Tonight's holiday beer dinner at the Wynkoop Brewing Company is sold out, but you can still enjoy some beer-infused holiday cheer with two special (non-alcoholic!) items that Wynkoop has crafted out of its ever-popular Rail Yard Ale.

The first is the Rail Yard Ale Hot Sauce, a beer-enhanced condiment made by Danny Cash, Denver's own hot-sauce expert; it's a cayenne-flavored, small-batch sauce that contains fresh-pressed garlic and the popular amber ale. My husband, who's a hot-sauce freak, proclaimed it delicious. Those of you who eat habaneros for breakfast might not find it all that hot, but it still imparts a tasty kick to french fries, eggs and whatever else you normally cover with hot sauce. A five-ounce bottle will set you back only $6.

Personally, I was swooning over the Rail Yard Ale All-Natural Beer Soap, made with the ale, skin-nourishing oils, honey and the malts and hops used in the beer, which give the soap a creamy "head" and an aroma so good you don't know whether you want to wash with it or eat it (drinking it being out of the question). And the grains provided the perfect amount of exfoliation for these winter months. Denver's Sweet Cheeks soap-maker collaborated with the Wynkoop on this bar, and at $5 for a 5.7-ounce bar, it's a real bargain. Did I mention that it smells like heaven, aka beery goodness?

Start -- or finish -- your Christmas shopping for the beer lovers on your list at the Wynkoop, 1634 18th Street; out-of-towners can also purchase these items over the phone by calling 303-297-2700.