Colorado beer calendar: Dry Dock sets sail for the Littlest Big Beer Fest at Hops & Pie

What?!? But it's only August, right? Sure, it's August now, but school starts this week, and before you know it, it will be Labor Day weekend, and Sniagrab will kick off at Sports Authority. Then football will be here, along with a chill in the air as our tomato plants die. Halloween candy will show up in the stores, along with cravings for soup. And so it goes.

Thankfully, there are deep, dark beers to get us through the long, cold winter. This year, as always, there will be new and different ones. New Belgium, for instance will replace its 2 Below with something called Snow Day (just as it replaced its summer seasonal, Skinny Dip, with Somersault), while Left Hand is working on a chile-infused version of its Fade To Black. What else will be out there? We'll just have to wait and find out.

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Wednesday, August 17

What, you haven't toasted the Bull & Bush's forty years in Denver? Well, it's not too late. The pub's 40 Beers in 40 Days birthday celebration will continue through August 24 with a new keg of something special each day. Tonight, it's St. Feuillen Biere De L'Amite, followed by Cuvee Des Jacobins Rouge tomorrow. Oh, and Monday, August 22 will be Legend of the Liquid Brain Day, but don't tell anyone. That way there will be more for us.

Friday, August 19

Dry Dock Brewing, 15120 East Hampden Avenue, will tap a firkin of Oaked Double IPA today at 3 p.m. Get there early because it goes fast.

Saturday, August 20

The 2nd annual Stapleton Beer Fest kicks off today at 4 p.m. at the Stapleton Town Center Green, and includes beers from Renegade, Oskar Blues Brewery, Odell, New Belgium, Left Hand, Great Divide, Del Norte, Bull & Bush, Copper Kettle, Avery, Coors, Caution and Breckenridge breweries. There will also be eight food trucks slinging grub and two bands, Opie Gone Bad and Chris Daniels & the Kings. Tickets to the cash-only event are $30, or $35 at the doors; they're available at www.stapletoncommunity.com.

Renegade Brewing, 925 West Ninth Avenue, taps its Dark Chocolate Milk Stout today, followed by live music from CP Carrington and the Occupation at 8 p.m.. They'll also be joined by the Alvie's food truck at 4 p.m.

Sunday, August 21

Hops & Pie, will host its monthly Littlest Big Beer Fest today from 2 to 5 p.m. featuring three beers on tap from Dry Dock Brewing in Aurora (Lady Penrhyn Brown, Three Heavy Wee Heavy and Hop Abomination) and a firkin of Mango Pale Ale from Dry Dock firkin master Walt Chleva. Single pours and flights will be available.

Wednesday, August 24

Watercourse Foods will temporarily take over its sister restaurant, City, O'City's, beer firkin program while City, O'City is closed for an expansion. Tonight, Watercourse presents Viva La Firkin, combining a firkin of Renegade Brewing's Poblano Pepper Ale and Cuban-inspired menu at 4:30 p.m.

Saturday, August 27

The Fort Collins Brewery will toast its fifth anniversary in its new location today with a party from 1 to 8 p.m. There will be games, food and live music from 2 to 7 p.m., not to mention plenty of brews, including hefeweizen, Millions of Peaches and Cream Ale.

If you've never been to the Colorado State Fair in Pueblo, maybe this will be the key to luring you there: a craft beer competition culminating in Foam Fest, the fair's eighth annual beer extravaganza. Foam Fest will also be a chance to taste soon-to-open Arvada Beer Company's brews for the first time. Foam Fest takes place inside the special events tent from 6 to 10 p.m.; $20 gets you a commemorative beer glass and lots of the state's finest beers. Arvada Beer, which had planned to open in July, has postponed its debut until this fall, but it will have four beers inside the tent.