Get fresh with fresh-hopped beers this weekend

By Jonathan Shikes Fri., Oct. 15 2010 at 2:38 PM

Categories: Beer Man

It's Friday afternoon. Do you know where your fresh-hopped beers are.

If not, then here are two suggestions.

All 27 Old Chicago locations began pouring Colorado IPA Nouveau this week. It's a limited release that was made especially for Old Chicago by Tommyknocker Brewing in Idaho Springs. The beer uses hops handpicked at San Juan Hop Farms in Montrose and added to the brewing kettle within 24 hours.

"It hits you right off the bat with grapefruit with this fresh hoppy citrusy thing that happens. It's a really easy beer to drink and it won't hurt you like some IPAs," says Old Chicago beverage manager Tracy Finklang.

Colorado IPA Nouveau is part of Old Chicago's Halloween Mini Tour of beers. Each outlet got four kegs and four kegs only, so when it runs out, it's gone.

The other suggestion is the fourth annual Fresh Hop Celebration at the Falling Rock Taphouse, 1919 Blake Street. Here, you can try fresh- or "wet"-hopped beers from breweries in Colorado and elsewhere, including Deschutes, Oskar Blues, Great Divide, Sierra Nevada, Full Sail and Port Brewing.

Even AC Golden, the small-batch brewery owned by Coors will be there with a fresh-hopped version of its Colorado Native Lager.

The festival runs from noon to 5 p.m.

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