This past Monday (8-29-11) we conducted the first hop "harvest" in downtown Denver in a long, long time.
For the fresh hops we used in the first 20-bbl. batch of Belgorado (our wet-hopped, all-Colorado ingredients, Belgian-style pale ale) we trucked in (okay, vanned in) 50 heavy-with-hops vines from Colorado's own Misty Mountain Hops.
After draping the vines over the railing of the Wynkoop Brewing Co. patio, our staff hand picked the hops from the vines. It made for a very novel way to get ultra-fresh hops into a batch of beer. The aroma on the patio was wonderful! A few of us felt like our eyes might've been burning. Maybe it was just the glorious sight of so much humulus lupulus there at our feet.
The comments from folks walking by during our picking party were especially cool. "That's what hops look like?" Yes it is. A few of our customers (and Dick Kreck, the Denver Post's famed beer scribe) joined in to pick a few with us. It was great fun. A true hoppening.
We ended up with about 60 pounds of just-picked Chinook hops. These glorious cones were used in the beer that afternoon.The leftover vines and leaves? Composted in our composting setup to return to the soil.
We brew a second batch of Belgorado next week, this time with fresh hops flown in from Leroux Creek Farms near Hotchkiss, CO.
On September 15 the first batch of Belgorado starts flowing, be there for the first glasses.
MJ
Our third annual Beers of the Year event returns on Oct. 22 from 1-4:30 PM, upstairs at Wynkoop Brewing Company.
The event -- part of our celebration of our 23rd birthday (on Oct. 18) -- gives attendees the chance to sample every version of liquid art that we made in 2011.
That beer list includes our year-round treats (including our 2011 GABF medal-winning B3K Black Lager) as well as seasonal and special-release beers of 2011. We’re also breaking out a few vintages of barley wines and tapping a fresh firkin or two.
Denver Gorilla Run Sponsor
The Mountain Gorilla Conservation Fund (MGCF) is dedicated to the conservation and protection of the highly endangered mountain gorillas in Africa, their habitat, and working with the people around the National Parks.
The discovery of the Mountain Gorillas took place in the Virunga Mountains, on October 17th, 1902, by Captain Robert von Beringe. In celebration of this event and to promote the preservation of the Mountain Gorillas, the Mountain Gorilla Conservation Fund (MGCF) is undertaking several projects to achieve the goal of saving these gorillas from extinction. The Current Projects section gives a brief description of eight of these projects. The "Preservation through Visualization" portion of this project promotes the number one task set before the MGCF.
In 1987, only 248 Mountain Gorillas lived in the wild. Because of projects coordinated by the Mountain Gorilla Conservation Fund, there are now about 720 living in the wild. The Mountain Gorilla Conservation Fund is dedicated to ensuring the future of the Mountain Gorillas of Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. By providing a partnership of business, wildlife conservation, and community development, MGCF addresses the single biggest challenge facing preservation of these animals today; how do we help communities in developing areas grow and prosper without destroying precious habitat or the Mountain Gorillas, who call it home.
A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting lymphoma research. Our organization is based in Denver, Colorado and was founded by a group of aspiring physicians attending the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Three of our classmates have suffered from lymphoma, so we were inspired to fight lymphoma together. Please take a moment to browse our site and learn more about us, especially the News and Events Page for the latest blogs and pictures!
In 1978, Children’s Hospital Colorado Foundation was formally established as a separate charitable 501(c)(3) organization dedicated solely to advancing the mission of Children’s Hospital Colorado. The Foundation has three purposes:
- Educating and engaging the community on the hospital’s behalf
- Fundraising for the hospital
- Investing funds raised on behalf of the hospital
The foundation staff believes deeply that all children should have the opportunity for a bright and healthy future. Comprised of more than 50 fundraising professionals, the foundation is committed to engaging with the community to facilitate philanthropic support for the children and families served at Children’s Colorado.
Support for the hospital can be seen in a variety of ways as community leaders contribute to our mission by giving outright gifts, gifts in kind, volunteering their time and energy at a wide variety of fundraising events, corporate partnerships, gifts honoring loved ones, planned giving, and foundation grants.
When Edward W. Wynkoop came to this area in 1858, it was called Arapahoe County, Kansas Territory. The governor of the territory, James Denver, named Wynkoop to be its first sheriff. When the city was organized here Wynkoop proposed that it be named for the Kansas governor.
In 1860, a local newspaper published these nice words about Ned Wynkoop (as he was called): "Ned is considered by his personal friends a warm and genial companion, true as steel." Ned Wynkoop was also an actor. In 1861, the Rocky Mountain News reviewed his performance at the Apollo: "His rendition of the Drunkard was given with most thrilling effect and in the scenes of delirium... he exhibited more than an ordinary histrionic ability." Let this be a lesson to us all.
Wynkoop spent five years as an officer in the army, rising to the rank of colonel. (In 1864, he was an unwilling party to an act of betrayal and treachery, Colorado’s Sand Creek massacre. The event haunted him for the rest of his life).
From our start in 1988, we’ve worked to be good environmental stewards in our community. We began recycling glass and cardboard almost from the start, today those measures are joined by extensive composting, recycling, and water and energy conservation efforts.
Our biodegradable waste is composted, our spent brewing grains feed local livestock, and our used cooking oils are recycled into biodiesel. We use a range of biodegradable paper and carry-out supplies, and continue to seek new ways to operate as an environmentally friendly enterprise.
Our menu features a wealth of Colorado-produced meats and vegetables, Redbird Farms chicken, and wild salmon certified by the Marine Stewardship Counsel as a renewable resource. We use premium malts and hops in our beer and trans fat-free oil in our fryers, and we source a large number of staples and condiments from local producers.
Our goal with these collective measures? To reduce our environmental impact and increase our support of local entrepreneurs. While giving you the best food and beer your dollars can buy. If you have suggestions for other steps we can take toward that goal, please let us know about them.
Thank you to everyone who voted for the Wynkoop. We are excited to be crowned "Best Pool Hall" and "Best Old Idea" by Westword Newspaper 2011 Best of Denver Awards. We were also voted "Best Brewpub" Readers Choice.
Read full article on "Best Old Idea"
Read full article on "Best Pool Hall"
