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Firkin Fridays!
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It's only Wednesday, but it's never too early to think about the weekend. Friday after work is the best time to let off a little steam and stop into your nearest craft brewery and see what specials they have. Some breweries even feature a Firkin Friday.
What's a firkin? Technically it's 40.91 liters or more exactly 72 pints. The name has come to refer to the cask that holds that much beautiful beer. Beer in Britain is typically served in these casks at cellar temperature (about 55F) in their quaint pubs. This is the origin of the myth that all British beer is served warm - it's not warm, just not ice cold.
To me and you, it's a stainless steel container of infinite possibilities.
Many brewers will take a flagship beer and rack it into a firkin containing some special ingredient. Often times they dry hop the cask; meaning that they throw in hops without boiling them so that they only add aroma and flavor and no bitterness. Sometimes they use a different yeast to produce some delicious off flavors. Othertimes they use fruit or even throw some oak chips in there to mellow the beer out slightly. The combinations are endless.
Every Friday starting at 3pm, The Tasty Weasel in Longmont offers a new firkin for your pleasure. This week is a dry hopped Dale's Pale Ale. Hopheads rejoice!
If you can't make it that far north, Dry Dock in Aurora is offering a Bourbon-oaked Old Ale starting at 3pm on Fridays. If you like your vanilla and hit of bourbon tones in your big beer, then this is the place to go.
Boulder Beer usually taps a cask on Mondays, but if you want to try some, you'll probably have to show up before Friday.
Great Divide usually offers casked beers on Thursdays, but not always. Anytime they bring one out, rest assured it's a good one!
Avery currently has a casked Old Jubilation on tap. This is a must if you like big holiday beers!
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