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.

Bruz Beers Takes Gold in European Beer Star Competition

INTERNATIONAL— Bruz Beers, Colorado’s premier Belgian-style brewery, has just won a Gold Award at the European Beer Star competition in Germany. The European Beer Star is the largest beer competition in Europe and a major worldwide competition, with entries from 47 countries.

Bruz Beers won gold in the Wood & Barrel-Aged Sour Beer category for its Oak Marionette on Peaches– a Belgian-style Flanders Red-Brown ale aged on a copious quantity of Palisade peaches grown in Colorado.

According to Bruz Beers Co-Founder Ryan Evans, “This is a huge honor for us. The European Beer Star is Europe’s premier beer competition. For a small, boutique brewery in Denver to take gold here is something we could only dream about a few years ago.” 

Oak Marionette on Peaches is the brainchild of Head Brewer Dave Olson. “We have made a lot of fruit beers before, but what made Oak Marionette special is the base beer– a Flanders ale aged in one of our oak fouders (large, vertical oak fermenters). For this special beer, we insisted on using Colorado’s famous Palisade peaches, which we brought in fresh and added to the fermenter with minimal processing. The sour ale and the flavorful Colorado peaches are a match made in heaven!”

Started in 2004, the 20th Anniversary European Beer Star competition honors the world's best beers. Breweries and judges from 47 countries worldwide come together each year to hold this world championship of beer. While not the world’s largest competition, many beer professionals consider the European Beer Star to be the best and most prestigious. For 2023, there were 2,356 entries from 550 breweries– two-thirds of them from outside Germany, the competition’s home country. Only the top three beers in each category win the coveted awards, which are judged by 150 international beer experts.

For more information about Bruz Beers and their latest accolade, contact Charlie Gottenkieny at charlie@bruzbeers.com or 469-964-0319.

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.

Ska Brewing Reports 2022 Impact; Previews New Sustainability Initiatives

Photo of Ska’s xeriscaped beer garden courtesy The Brewtography Project

DURANGO, CO— Ska Brewing is coming off of a dynamic year in business engaged in the craft beer, music, art, biking, and local Southwest Colorado communities in which it is ingrained— with even bigger plans to support its community with sustainability initiatives in 2023. 

Here is Ska Brewing’s 2022 Year In Review.

BEER

In 2022, Ska Brewing brewed approximately 25,000 BBL of beer that was served on tap at the brewery World Headquarters and distributed nationwide. Ska’s distribution footprint grew to 11 states last year with the addition of Wyoming in the fall.

Ska debuted several new canned beers last year, such as the new age Checkered Future IPA that brought together old school hops and new brewing techniques; Raspberry Blonde Ale that gave a fresh take on a classic style; the Faceplant Lager brewed with Tailwind Nutrition electrolytes; and the Peppermint Bark Stout crafted with Animas Chocolate Company peppermint bark. The brewery also brought back famed mainstays Mexican Logger, Oktoberfest, Euphoria Pale Ale, and Mexican Lager Style Dark. 

Up next in Ska’s canned beer lineup is The Ska Lager, a snappy, crisp, bright, and easy-drinking at only 4.8% ABV. This new no-nonsense offering will hit shelves in March. 

MUSIC 

Ska Brewing was born out of an affinity for music, which the brewery continues to stoke by hosting Ska, punk, and other relevant bands of all shapes and sizes to play at the brewery. The legendary third wave Ska group Hepcat and opener Rude Girl Revue traveled to Durango to perform an epic show at Ska’s 27th Anniversary Party and Brewer’s Invitational. 

SOUTHWEST COLORADO 

Ska was a proud supporter of many events that took place in its hometown Durango, Colorado— including Durango’s annual winter festival Snowdown, the 50th anniversary of The Iron Horse Bicycle Classic, the Durango Independent Film Festival, Animas River Days, Downtown 4th of July Celebration, Singlespeed Cyclocross World Championships, Thirsty 13 and many more.

Ska partnered with Fort Lewis College on multiple efforts, including a hop biotransformation research project that yielded the Skyhawk Single Hop IPA; and a hard seltzer branding deep dive with the Fennell-Saegert Student Marketing Agency.

Each year, Ska donates upwards of $50,000 in product, money and time to nonprofits organizations such as La Plata Open Space Conservancy, Manna Soup Kitchen, Fort Lewis College, United Way, KSUT, KDUR, Women’s Resource Center, LaPlata County Humane Society, and Trails 2000, among many others.

Ska Distributing continued to serve the Southwest Colorado market by bringing craft beer brands to the area from across the state and beyond, including new auditions to the portfolio: Bruz Beers and Weldwerks Brewing Co. 

COMMUNITY

Outside of its hometown, Ska engaged with the beer community at large through collaborations with Living The Dream Brewing in Littleton, Colorado and Manhattan Brewing in Manhattan, Kansas. 

Beyond beer and music, Ska is passionate about art— especially art that showcases Ska music. During the Ska anniversary weekend in September, Ska hosted San Diego-based artist Nan Coffey for an art show that brewery visitors can still peruse on the second floor of the building. 

Beyond beer, music, and art, Ska is passionate about biking. The brewery was a sponsor for Rides & Vibes in Grand Junction, the Fruita Fat Tire Festival, and 12 Hours Mesa Verde, among others. This year, Ska is stoked to be the official beer of the Session Series, Triple Bypass, Salida76, and Beti Bike Bash by Team Evergreen Cycling. 

SUSTAINABILITY 

Ska has long committed to reducing waste and developing brewery and distribution systems that minimize its carbon footprint— from recycled jeans in the walls as insulation and reused bowling alley wood as tables, to solar panels, solar lighting, wind energy credits, and recycling of all cardboard, paper, plastic, glass and metal waste. Ska was one of the first craft breweries in the country to package its beer in infinitely recyclable aluminum cans, and now has many packaging systems in place to further conserve resources, including Ionized air rinse instead of water rinsing and an efficient, on-demand, de-aerated water system. These are just a few of Ska’s sustainability programs that the brewery is constantly improving upon.

In 2023, Ska is pleased to continue these efforts alongside the implementation of two sizable and unprecedented sustainability initiatives. The brewery is installing a machine that will allow for the transition of all can collars from plastic to paperboard, making Ska one of the first breweries ever to utilize this equipment in the move away from plastic packaging materials. 

Secondly, Durango’s Table To Farm Compost will now be the recipient of all of Ska’s spent grain. This transition from cattle feed and landfill to compost will reduce methane emissions and align with Ska’s commitment to local partnerships. 

Ska will publish more information about these efforts in coming weeks. 

Media inquiring about Ska Brewing can contact Emily Hutto at hutto@radcraftbeer.com. 

ABOUT SKA BREWING

Based in Durango, Colorado, Ska Brewing was founded in 1995 and produces more than a dozen award-winning beers fueled with Ska music, and lots of it. Pioneers in the canned craft beer movement, Ska Brewing is known for an array of styles in 12 oz cans that include True Blonde, Modus Hoperandi and Rue B. Soho. For information, music, and a good time, visit www.skabrewing.com.

Ska Distributing Brings Bruz Beers to Southwest Colorado

DURANGO, CO— Ska Distributing is excited to add Belgian-inspired Bruz Beers to the gamut of independent brands in its portfolio for Southwest Colorado distribution. The following beers will be unleashed across the region this week:

Diablo Colorado - Belgian-style Golden Strong Ale - Diablo Colorado is a traditional Belgian-style Golden Strong ale brewed with all Colorado sourced ingredients. A pale blond beer with a dense white head and esters of apple, pear, ripe peach and honey. This crisp, clean beer finishes dry and slightly bitter with lingering fruit. 9.5% ABV  Available in 16oz 4-pack cans.

Right Hand Man - Pilsner - Pilsner is hugely popular in Belgium. Right Hand Man is a premium Pilsner-style beer made with 100% malt, noble hops and a clean lager yeast. It is malty and refined with a lightly hoppy aroma and a clean, crisp lager finish. A classic!  5.2% ABV  Available in 12oz 6-pack cans.

Roodbruin - Flanders Red-Brown Ale - Roodbruin’s aroma is complex and tantalizing – a preview of what awaits. Stone fruit scents and maltiness with wild yeast notes and a touch of dried fruit give the beer a perfumy nose. The flavor is malty up-front with a prominent tartness and notes of sour cherries, blackberries, raspberries, red grapes, dates and dried fruit. There are hints of aromatic vinegar and earthy wild yeasts, and the balance of flavors is perfectly proportioned. The finish is long, dry and complex with lingering stone fruit and malt notes.  A blend of a special Bruz dark ale with Brouwerij Omer Vander Ghinste’s Cuvée Des Jacobins Prestige, Bruz Roodbruin is sophisticated, flavorful and complex. Bruz Roodbruin is the second in a series of three beers produced in collaboration with Brouwerij Omer Vander Ghinste in Kortrijk, Belgium. 7% ABV  Available in 500 mL cork and cage bottles.

Farmstead Funk - Belgian-style Saison - Farmstead Funk is a Saison aged with Brettanomyces wild yeast. Medium gold with a white head, its aroma is grainy with a light touch of summer fruits and funk. The flavor features a nice hop bitterness, bready malt, fruit notes of apples and apricots and a pleasant Brett funkiness. Generous carbonation gives it a refreshing quality that lasts into the long fruity and funky finish. 7.6% ABV  Available in 375 mL cork and cage bottles.

Till The Earth - Belgian-style Spelt Saison - A Classic Farmhouse-style saison made with the ancient grain Spelt, and Noble hops. Lots of fruity fermentation notes like Apricot and Peach, with a touch of white pepper spice. 5.7% ABV  Available in 500 mL cork and cage bottles.

Abbey Series Mixed 4-Pack - Belgian-Style Single, Dubbel, Tripel and Quadrupel - Traditional monastery brewing is built around four distinct beer styles. While not every monastery brewery produces all four, they represent the core of Trappist and Abbey brewing. Their names come from the relative amount of malted barley in each style. We are pleased to offer this 4-Pack containing examples of each of these beer styles. - ABV Range 3.8% - 10.5% ABV  Available in 16oz 4-pack cans.

There will be a kickoff party held at Ska’s World Headquarters this Thursday, March 10 beginning at 4pm. Various Bruz Beers will be available for purchase on tap. Come meet the Bruz team, including the owners, brewers and sales team.  

ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP

Ryan Evans, the owner of Bruz Beers, spent his college years in Durango, Colorado attending and ultimately graduating from Ft. Lewis College. He was enjoying the delicious beers Ska was serving up in the late 90’s, and always had a fondness for their beers as well as their edgy attitude.  

Bruz Beers has been hugely successful on the Front Range, with two tasting rooms in the Denver area as well as a growing wholesale distribution network. Looking to continue the growth, Evans states “I always wanted to bring our beers back to my old romping grounds of Southwest Colorado! It’s too far away to properly service on our own from Denver. With that being said, our partnership with Ska Distributing allows us to bring our brand full circle and return to the area. Working with friends is a bonus as well.”

For more information about Ska Distributing, Bruz Beers, or the distribution partnership between these companies, contact Emily Hutto at hutto@radcraftbeer.com. 

ABOUT BRUZ BEERS

The acclaimed Bruz Beers was named “Top 25 Craft Breweries in Colorado” by Yelp, has won countless awards and medals, and it 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.

Bruz Beers takes their customers to Belgium on a yearly beer tour - that’s how serious these guys are about the style!  Looks like their next trip is this September. More details at bruzbeers.com/events.

ABOUT SKA DISTRIBUTING

Ska Distributing Company is the premiere craft distributor for Southwestern Colorado, committed to serving independently owned companies. In addition to Ska Brewing’s award-winning beers, The Hard Seltzer, and non-alcoholic Skagua, they distribute other beers from Telluride Brewing, Left Hand Brewing Co., Bristol Brewing, Stone Brewing, La Cumbre Brewing Co. Ska services on and off-premise accounts in Durango, Telluride, Ridgway, and Ouray. Find Ska online at skabrewing.com.

Bruz Beers Releases 2021 Brut La Grande

DENVER, CO— Bruz Brut La Grande is back! Since 2016, Bruz Beers has crafted a signature rendition of the Belgian originating Bière Brut style, with subtle differences from batch to batch. As one of the only breweries on the globe crafting this style of beer, Bruz is excited to share it with friends and family this season.

Brut La Grande is a pale golden color with a dense off-white head. Its perfumy aroma yields notes of lemons, apricots, allspice, and black pepper. Its complex flavor profile hints at tart apples, peaches, citrus, vanilla and exotic spices. 10.5 percent in ABV, Brut La Grande is light and airy with a silky mouthfeel, creamy pinpoint carbonation and a tart, bone-dry finish. Every sip is a celebration!

In 2002, Bière Brut (sometimes referred to as Champagne beer) hit the market for the first time. It was met with much critical acclaim as an extraordinary new beer style. Bière Brut is a very pale beer with delicate aromas and flavors (fresh apples, pears, ginger, mint, thyme, lemon and allspice), alcohol in the 11.5 percent range, a silky texture and a spectacular creamy, moussey white head with lots of "Belgian lace". While it resembles Champagne in many respects, many aficionados find it considerably more interesting than the French bubbly. Bière Brut brewers did not set out to make a Champagne substitute; they set out to make a great beer with unique character. Read more on the Bruz blog about this style.

Bruz Owner Ryan Evans says, “the Bière Brut style has always fascinated me. It is a beautifully delicate beer that is amazingly smooth and drinkable. The layers of flavor make it an experience to drink. Coupled with high natural carbonation, Brut La Grande is truly a special experience. In a world dominated by IPA's, it's nice to have such an experience.”

This nine month labor of love will be available today in both tasting rooms on draft and in 750mL bottles to-go. Each pour is accompanied with a piece of Belgian chocolate. Brut La Grande is released just once a year, and only available while supplies last.

For more information about Brut La Grande, contact info@bruzbeers.com

ABOUT BRUZ BEERS

The acclaimed Bruz Beers was named “Top 25 Craft Breweries in Colorado” by Yelp, and it 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 www.bruzbeers.com.

Bruz Beers Collaborates with Omer Vander Ghinste for Limited Belgian-Style Beer Series

North Denver's artisanal Belgian-style brewery partners with world-renowned Belgian brewer for limited series collaboration.

DENVER, CO – Bruz Beers of Denver, Colorado has partnered with world-renowned brewer Omer Vander Ghinste of Bellegem, Belgium to bring Colorado beer enthusiasts a special limited series Belgian-style beer collaboration. Bière de Mars is the first beer in the series and is now available for purchase on draft and in 12-ounce bottles exclusively at its two north Denver locations: Bruz Beers Brewery and Taproom and Bruz Off Fax.

Bière de Mars is a blend of Omer Vander Ghinste's legendary Cuvée des Jacobins Prestige Flanders red ale and Bruz's specially formulated Petite Saison. After much experimentation, the blend of these two classic Belgian-style beers resulted in a smooth, delicate and complex light amber sour ale. Dave Olson, head brewer of Bruz Beers, says, "The beer was refermented in the bottle to produce a soft natural carbonation, pillowy head and the potential to age long-term."

Bruz Beers co-founders Ryan Evans and Charlie Gottenkieny add, "We have always wanted to do a collaboration with a traditional Belgian brewer, and we are thrilled to be working with the legendary Omer Vander Ghinste. The original plan was to brew the beer in Belgium, but the coronavirus got in the way, so the two breweries came up with the idea of brewing transatlantic."

Omer Vander Ghinste is renowned for its award-winning Belgian-style beers such as Bockor, Cuvée des Jacobins Flemish ales, LeFort* and Tripel LeFort*, OMER. Traditional Blond and VanderGhinste Oud Bruin. These beers are made available nationwide exclusively by Artisanal Imports. *Not available in the United States. 

Two more collaboration beers are planned for this limited series in the coming months and will be announced on the Bruz Beers website and its social media accounts at Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Be sure to follow Bruz Beers so as to not miss these releases. 

For interview opportunities with Bruz Beers or Omer Vander Ghinste, or for more information about Bière de Mars or the collaboration series, please contact Crystal Bunger at +1 (512) 440-0811 or by email at media@artisanalimports.com.

Download Artisanal Imports’ press release and assets from Bruz Beers here.

Pilot Brewers to Brew Freshest Fresh Hop Beer on the Front Range

Flying hops from the western slope to raise awareness about aviation

DENVER, CO— On August 25th, five local breweries will depart from Rocky Mountain Metro Airport (BJC) early in the morning on a mission to create the freshest fresh hop beer on the front range. Owners and brewers from FlyteCo Brewing, Bruz Beers, Locavore Beer Works, Long Table Brewhouse, and Uhl’s Brewing Company will fly to Paonia, CO in five small airplanes, pick up freshly harvested hops from High Wire Hops, fly back to Denver, and immediately brew a collaboration beer with the freshest hops possible. The beer will be called ‘Hop Is My Co-Pilot’. Each of the breweries will be brewing additional fresh hop collaboration beers the following day. 

Fresh hop beers are only available once a year – right after the fall hop harvest. Rather than using pelletized hops or hop extract, brewers get excited for the annual chance to use fresh hop flowers in their beer. Using fresh hops creates a unique and delicious aroma and flavor. 

Hop Is My Co-Pilot will be an IPA, brewed with all Colorado-grown ingredients, and will be released on September 14th at each of the five breweries. By teaming up, these five brewers will not only make the freshest beer around but also hope to draw attention and support for the aviation industry – one that has been hit especially hard by the pandemic. As a founding principle, FlyteCo Brewing donates 10% of their profits to the future of aviation, including scholarships and youth engagement programs. 

Local beer lovers will be able to try five unique fresh hop collaboration beers at each of the five participating breweries. A passport will be available at each brewery starting on September 14th. Participants receive stamps for visiting each brewery in Denver, Boulder, and Littleton. Prizes for completing the passport include free and discounted glider rides from Mile High Gliding in Boulder.