Bruz Beers To Bring Acclaimed Belgian Beer List To Denver At The Belgian Import Festival on June 7

Ryan Evans

Charlie Gottenkieny

DENVER, CO— No need for a passport— Bruz Beers is bringing Belgium to Denver. 

On Saturday, June 7, Bruz Beers will host the Belgian Import Festival at their original location on West 67th Avenue from noon to 3pm. This celebration of all things Belgian will serve the largest and most curated selection of Belgian beers to be found in Colorado this summer. Festival guests can sample beers from eighteen world-renowned Belgian breweries, including Orval, Rochefort, Chimay, and St. Bernardus. The complete brewery list is below. 

The Belgian Import Festival at Bruz Beers will also feature four food trucks— Big Belly Brothers BBQ, Macs and Mutts, Papa Frites, and Shuck Brothers— and live music by Boot Gun, named “the Denver Rock Band to Watch This Year” by Westword. The Bruz Beers owners and brewers will be onsite, ready to toast with guests and share more about the special offerings they have slated for the festival.

Everyone from seasoned Belgian beer enthusiasts to the Belgian beer curious will find something to love at this gathering dedicated to the European beer culture that inspires the ethos of Bruz Beers. Its owners facilitate a Belgian beer tour overseas each year, and this festival is their opportunity to bring standout beers from their travels home to their community in Denver. “This event is nine years in the making and a dream come true,” says Ryan Evans, CEO of Bruz Beers. “Bringing the finest beers in the world to our tasting room for all to enjoy together is truly a treat!”

Tickets to this Beer Disneyland-esque beer experience cost $60 per person and can be purchased via Eventbrite. 

BELGIAN IMPORT FESTIVAL DAY-OF DETAILS

When: Saturday, June 7, 2025 - 12 to 3 pm

Where: Bruz Beers, 1675 West 67th Avenue #100 Denver, CO 80221

Rain or Shine

Breweries on the Menu: 

Chimay

Cornelissen

De Brabandre

Dubisson

Halve Maan

Huyghe

John Martin

Kerel

Lindemans

Orval 

Rochefort

Rodenbach

St. Bernardus

St. Feuillien

Val Dieu

Van Steenberge

Verhaeghe

Westmalle

Media interested in attending the festival or learning more about Bruz Beers can contact Ryan Evans, Bruz Beers Co-Founder, at ryan@bruzbeers.com or 720-313-1724. 

ABOUT BRUZ BEERS 

The acclaimed Bruz Beers was named one of the 13 Best Craft Breweries in America by Hop Culture, has won countless awards and medals, and is dedicated to brewing traditional Belgian-style beers and innovative Belgian-inspired brews. It offers a wide range of Belgian-style seasonal and limited releases on tap at its two Denver area locations or for takeaway in crowlers, bottles and cans. Visit Bruz online at bruzbeers.com.

Lone Tree Brewing Debuts Golden Berry Belgian-Style Ale

LONE TREE, CO— It’s a fruit-packed summer at Lone Tree Brewing Company, where visitors can now find cans of Golden Berry Ale, the latest in Lone Tree’s rotating small-batch can series. Six-packs of Golden Berry Ale are also available across Colorado and Kansas in select craft establishments.

"This beer was inspired by a trip to Belgium,” says Dennis O’Harrow, Lone Tree’s Head Brewer. “It’s very fruit-forward with a unique almost banana-like character that comes from the esters in the yeast strain we use.” 

Golden Berry Ale is a higher octane, Belgian-Style Ale that’s surprisingly quaffable for its 8% ABV. Belgian Golden Strong Ale at its base with both raspberry and blackberry juice and puree, this new selection from Lone Tree has arrived right in time for the heat of the summer. Find it in cans at Lone Tree Brewing Company and across Colorado and Kansas for a limited time.

For more information about the Lone Tree Brewing Company Golden Berry Ale, contact Emily Hutto at hutto@radcraftbeer.com. 

ABOUT LONE TREE BREWING COMPANY

Lone Tree Brewing Company was the first brewery in Lone Tree, Colorado that opened near Park Meadows Mall in 2011. The neighborhood-focused, family-friendly brewery and tasting room regularly hosts community events that gather around a stylistically diverse lineup of flagship, seasonal, and limited release beers. Lone Tree’s cans are sold across the state of Colorado, and in select locations in Kansas. Its draft beer is poured at many bars and restaurants across its distribution footprint as well. Find the brewery online at lonetreebrewingco.com.

Thirsty Monk Takes Home Two Medals From 2019 U.S. Open Beer Championship

ASHEVILLE, NC—Thirsty Monk was the proud recipient of two medals at the 2019 U.S. Open Beer Championship on July 9 in Oxford, Ohio. The brewery’s North Carolina location received back-to-back medals in the Belgian and French Ale category, taking home a silver medal for Abby Blonde and a bronze medal for Past Life, a Belgian-Style Amber Ale.

This is the second time Thirsty Monk has medaled at the U.S. Open Beer Championship; in 2018, the Denver brewery won a gold medal in the French/Belgian Ale category for Abby Blonde, and the brewery’s Asheville location took home silver for Screaming Monk Belgian IPA, in the American-Belgo-Style Ale category. Abby Blonde, which is named after brewery owner Barry Bialik’s daughter, also received its first GABF bronze medal last year. 

“When I texted home that Abby Blonde had won another medal, the first question six-year-old Abby asked was Gold or Silver? I’m glad I didn’t have to tell her Bronze though I am super proud of our Bronze for Past Life Amber,” says Barry Bialik, Thirsty Monk CEO.

Abby Blonde is a classic Belgian-style Blonde Ale made with Franco-Belges Pilsner malt, wheat, and traditional sugar. Weighing in at 7.3% ABV, this slightly hazy, golden brew was fermented with Thirsty Monk’s in-house Belgian yeast strain, offering a plethora of flavors including banana and light clove.

Past Life Amber, inspired by Bialik’s legendary past life as a Monk and designed to be his partner Shelley’s “perfect beer,” comes in at an approachable 5.0% ABV. Past Life is a smooth, mellow and malty Belgian-inspired amber ale that welcomes entrancing notes of toasted bread, caramel and dried apricot, apple and pear followed by an earthy hop awakening. 

“Brian and Chris, our brewers in Denver and Asheville, deserve major kudos for bringing home a medal from almost every competition we are entering. I’m proud of them and the entire Thirsty Monk team,” says Bialik.

Both beers are currently available at Thirsty Monk Asheville, Denver and Portland locations.

If you have questions about Thirsty Monk’s recent U.S. Open Beer Championship win, or any other media inquiries about this family of Belgian-rooted breweries and pubs across the country, contact Chea Franz at chea@radcraftbeer.com.

ABOUT THIRSTY MONK

Founded in 2008, Thirsty Monk Brewery currently operates a family of brewpubs in Asheville, North Carolina (Thirsty Monk Downtown Thirsty Monk Biltmore Park), Denver, and Portland, Oregon. Thirsty Monk’s award-winning, modern-rooted Belgian ales are showcased in the company’s Cicerone-crafted food menus, which include beer style-centric Food Flights and beer-paired burgers. Find the company online at monkpub.com.

Elevation Releases Apis IV Quad Aged in Red Wine Barrels

PONCHA SPRINGS, CO— After patiently resting in red wine barrels for 4 months, one of Elevation Beer Company’s oldest recipes— the Apis IV Quad— hits the Colorado and Wyoming marketplaces in 750mL bombers this week as an exciting variant on their classic Quadruple.

Apis IV is a Dark Belgian-Style Ale brewed in the Trappist tradition. With a touch of locally sourced honey from Beekeepers Honey Boutique in Salida, CO the name Apis is a nod to the hardworking genus of the honeybee. Boasting notes of plum, fig, and molasses, Apis IV has a medium to heavy mouthfeel and finishes with subtle floral hops.

This year’s special barrel-aged Apis IV release was aged for 4 months in David Arthur Meritaggio blend barrels imparting a brilliant deep ruby color with a tan head and aroma notes of port wine, golden raisin, fig, and honey.

Red Wine Barrel-Aged Apis IV is available on Colorado and Wyoming shelves in limited quantities while supplies last. Get it on draft while you can at Elevation’s tasting room in Poncha Springs.

For more information about the history of Apis IV or this new red wine rendition, contact Emily Hutto at coop@radcraftbeer.com.

ABOUT ELEVATION BEER CO.

Proudly operating in the remote mountain town of Poncha Springs (just 17 miles from Monarch Mountain), Elevation Beer Co. is more than just a beer company— we are a family, a community, and a collective of ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Dedicated to creating sustainable, meaningful careers in rural Colorado, we take the preservation of our home as seriously as we do the quality of our beer. Taste our flagship 8 Second Kolsch and a lineup of other usual suspects and seasonals at our tasting room, and in canned 6-packs and specialty bombers across Colorado, Wyoming and soon Utah. Go higher at elevationbeerco.com.

Asheville’s Thirsty Monk to Celebrate Rare, Unusual Beers at 9th Annual Thirsty Fest

ASHEVILLE, NC – Thirsty Monk is bringing the rare, the exceptional and the downright unusual to Western North Carolina, tapping a variety of specialty beers at its 9th annual Thirsty Fest, September 3rd–7th, 2018 at the flagship Thirsty Monk location in Downtown Asheville,
and at its South Asheville location in Biltmore Park.

Each year, Thirsty Monk’s world class beer bars choose a selection of the best of their reserve kegs for a week dedicated to particularly outstanding and uncommon brews. Thirsty Fest-goers have the opportunity to enjoy exciting finds hardly ever poured in Western North Carolina. Whether you’re a fan of sours and wild ales, or big, bold and barrel-aged beers, this is your week to get the best of the best in one place.

Featured beers include: Thirsty Monk Barrel Aged Brother Noah, Thirsty Monk Roaring Monk DIPA, Allagash Brettanomyces Pilsner & Saison Gratis, Founders KBS, Bruery Terreux Tart of Darkness with Blackcurrant, Cascade Belmont Street Bramble, Firestone Walker Stickee Monkee, Boulevard The Changeling and many more.

Tap list and event updates will be announced through Thirsty Monk’s Facebook page, with live tap lists available at monkpub.com during Thirsty Fest. 

For more information about Thirsty Fest or Thirsty Monk, contact Emily Hutto at coop@radcraftbeer.com. 

ABOUT THIRSTY MONK
Founded in 2008, Thirsty Monk currently operates four locations in Asheville, North Carolina including Thirsty Monk Downtown, Thirsty Monk Biltmore Park, Top of the Monk Craft Cocktail Bar, and Brother Joe’s Coffee Pub, Thirsty Monk Denver and Thirsty Monk Portland. Find the company online at monkpub.com.

Asheville’s Thirsty Monk To Expand into Denver and Portland

DENVER, CO and PORTLAND, OR— Asheville, North Carolina-born Thirsty Monk, brewer of Belgian-Rooted Modern Ales and operator of world-recognized craft beer bars, announced today its expansion into Denver, Colorado and Portland, Oregon. Brian Grace, former Crooked Stave Head Brewer and Jolly Pumpkin Production Manager, has been hired as Head Brewer of the entire brewery group to assist with this growth. He will be based in Denver.

“Denver and Portland will be much more than just second homes to Thirsty Monk,” says Barry Bialik, Thirsty Monk CEO. “We will embrace the beer, food, and craft cultures in each of the cities, and operate as a true local brewery and pub. Thirsty Monk has always been about sharing beer knowledge and the European pub culture. Being in Denver and Portland will help us learn from some of the country’s best craft beer markets, and to design beers influenced by all the communities we call home.” 

Asheville brewing operations will remain under the tutelage of Norm Penn, who has been promoted to Vice President of Thirsty Monk. Thirsty Monk Downtown and Biltmore Park will continue to serve the growing selection of Thirsty Monk beers along side curated, rotating guest taps. “As our Brother Noah Belgian Chocolate Stout is brewed in Asheville using chocolate nibs from our friends at French Broad Chocolate, Brother Noah brewed in Denver will utilize a local Colorado chocolatier and Brother Noah brewed in Portland will be made with local Oregon chocolate. “Imagine that vertical tasting!” says Penn.

DENVER, COLORADO

Thirsty Monk will close on the purchase of a 12-Barrel existing brewery in Denver this month and will start immediate beer production there. Plans include a remodel of the existing taproom, slated for grand opening after Thanksgiving 2017. Head Brewer Brian Grace will be based in Denver, brewing Thirsty Monk beers and spearheading the creation of open fermentation, barrel aging and sour programs.

Brian Grace began his brewing career with Moylan’s in California before heading to Jolly Pumpkin in Michigan and then Crooked Stave in Denver. “We are so excited to have Brian join our Monk family, not just because he’s a well-respected Head Brewer, but also, he’s a creative and kind person. Good people make better beer,” says Bialik.

PORTLAND, OREGON

In November, Thirsty Monk will close on the purchase of a well-known Portland beer bar. Operations will continue under the Portland location’s existing name until sometime early 2018, when it will shift to serve Thirsty Monk beers out of Denver. Thirsty Monk also plans to install a small batch brewhouse in its Portland location, and serve a selection of guest taps while brewing operations get going.

“We’re expanding Thirsty Monk in a whole new way, linking a network of localized brewing hubs. Smart growth, craft-style. No need to sell the soul to expand. Our soul, creative spirit and community roots are what we and our beers are all about,” adds Bialik.

For more information about Thirsty Monk’s expansion, contact Emily Hutto at coop@radcraftbeer.com.

ABOUT THIRSTY MONK

Thirsty Monk, founded in 2008, brews Belgian-Rooted Modern Ales in Asheville, NC, a world recognized craft beer destination. Thirsty Monk currently operates Thirsty Monk Downtown, Thirsty Monk Biltmore Park, Top of the Monk craft cocktail bar, and Brother Joe’s Coffee Pub, all in Asheville. Find the company online at monkpub.com.