Denver Beer Fest: Falling Rock, Osteria Marco, Rackhouse and Strange get their suds on

Falling Rock Taphouse.

Things are swinging in the Mile High City as just about every plane that touches down at Denver International Airport today will carry a brewer, a beer blogger or a beer lover on their way to the Great American Beer Festival, which begins tomorrow.

And Denver is ready for them with a host of beer-related events today.

The drinking gets started at Falling Rock Taphouse, which will tap into several special brews today, including Oxymoron, a collaboration between Left Hand and Terrapin, at 5 p.m.; three beers distributed by Shelton Brothers at 9 p.m.; and Luna Lager, RIPA on Rye and Jewbelation Bar Mitzvah, from Shmaltz Brewing Company, at 9:30.

The Shmaltz event also includes a book reading and signing by brewery owner Jeremy Cowan, who just published "Craft Beer Bar Mitzvah: How it took 13 years, Extreme Jewish Brewing, and Circus Sideshow Freaks to make Shmaltz Brewing Company an International Success." Falling Rock is at 1919 Blake Street.

Nearby, Osteria Marco, 1453 Larimer Street, will host a $45 brewers' dinner with Boulder's Mountain Sun Brewery (reviewed in Westword this week). The restaurant will pair four courses of its rustic Italian food with Mountain Sun beers. It's one of many excellent beer dinners planned for this week.

From 7 to 10 p.m. tonight, the Rackhouse Pub will host a $25 rare-beer tasting with brews from Avery, Great Divide, SKA, Breckenridge, Bristol and Wynkoop, among others.

And at 3 p.m., Strange Brewing will celebrate its first Denver Beer Fest with a Great American Beer Fest kick-off party from 3 p.m. to close. Strange, located at 1330 Zuni Street, will also be offering tours (it's a small brewery, so you'll have plenty of time) and food from the Steuben's truck after 6 p.m.

Click here for many, many more Denver Beer Fest events.