Aaron Thackeray

Great Divide's 17th Anniversary Party.

The summer beer festival season kicks off this weekend with Odell Brewing's Small Batch Festival, which it revived last year in a new format -- one that seems to be working. Born in 2007 as the Small Batch Revival, the fest lasted two years and welcomed about 1,000 people before taking two years off for a brewery expansion. The event returned last year and hosted 3,000 people; this year, Odell is expecting about 5,000.

But growing crowds at beer fests (see our rundown of a few upcoming ones below) aren't unique to Odell.

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An old-school growler.

Just because you walk out the door of your favorite brewery doesn't mean you can't take the good times with you. The majority of Colorado's craft brewers sell growlers -- 64-ounce brown glass bottles, for the most part, topped with a screw-off cap. Most will sell you the vessel for anywhere from $5 to$10, which you can then bring back for a fill, usually around $8 to $18, depending on the beer. But as great as growlers are, most don't keep beer fresh for very long. In fact, those screw-top caps mean your beer will likely be flat within a day or so.

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Odell Brewing Facebook page

It's beer festival season and the fiestas -- from the high country to the plains -- are going to come fast. The first two kick off this Memorial Day weekend, but they'll be followed by new ones almost every weekend this summer. Enjoy -- and keep some Advil around.

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Twisted Pine Brewing Facebook page

Warm weather is here, and for Colorado brewers, that means it's can season.

This weekend, Twisted Pine Brewing in Boulder will become the latest beer maker to roll out the aluminum when it begins filling sixteen-ounce cans of Hoppy Boy IPA. The cans of the brewery's flagship beer will be marketed as Tall Hoppy Cans -- or THC.

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Amusement park lovers are going to find a few thrills this summer when it comes to the beer selection at Elitch Gardens -- something that hasn't always been true in the past. Beginning tomorrow, Elitch's will be pouring two beers that Wynkoop Brewing made just for the park: Elitch Gardens Orchard Wheat, a 4.8 percent ABV unfiltered wheat made with German Saphir hops, kafir lime leaf and natural peach flavor; and Elitch Gardens Fire Roasted Amber, a spicier version of Patty's Chile Beer that's made with Anaheim, ancho and smoked Serrano peppers that were roasted by the brewery.

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Elevation Beer Facebook page

Elevation Beer Company may be located in Poncha Springs, but the brewery's four co-founders don't think of their place as a local hangout. "We are more like a winery than a typical brewpub," says Xandy Bustamante. "We could have done this from anywhere in country, so we figured, why not pick a place we love?"

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Strange Brewing, which opened during American Craft Beer Week two years ago this Saturday, will debut its new patio this weekend.

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Mountain Sun

Longmont's Oskar Blues Brewery has signed a letter of intent to open a new restaurant in Boulder's historic train depot, it was reported this week, an interesting decision considering how many other brewpubs and brewery-centric restaurants are open or opening in town. The Boulder Beer Company and Twisted Pine already serve food at their breweries, as do Mountain Sun and Southern Sun, which just announced that it will open a new taphouse. And then there is Avery, which is planning a massive new facility that will include a restaurant, and Upslope Brewing, which would like to open an eatery of some sort. There's also the Walnut Brewery & Restaurant; Shine restaurant, which is launching a brewery; and Centro Latin Kitchen, whose chef just opened his own small brewery, Bru. And did I mention West Flanders Brewing, which hopes to open in the old B.J.'s space later this year? Is there room enough for all of them? Stay tuned.

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Facebook

Brian Hutchinson brews the first batch of beer at Vine Street Pub.

The Vine Street Pub & Brewery will release its first-ever beer brewed on location in Denver today as part of American Craft Beer Week (get all your ACBW info here). Number One, a Belgian-style Trippel made with Golden Naked Oats and Belgian candy sugar, was brewed in early April. The beer, at 9 percent ABV, will be tapped at 4:20 p.m.

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All photos by Chris Morgan for Westword

Glorious beer-can chicken. Slide show: Colorado Beer Week at Highland Tap & Burger.

Cafe Society has explored the benefits of beer-can chicken before, but we couldn't pass up eating some at the kick-off party for Colorado Beer Week -- which runs through May 19 -- Saturday afternoon at Highland Tap & Burger in northwest Denver.

Below are a few photos of the patriotic delicacy, along with a few others from the Beer Week party.

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