If we could sum up this week in two words, they would be cheese and culture. These Denver food-and-drink events will give you a taste of different cultures’ food traditions — from Puerto Rico to the Middle East. In addition to taking your taste buds on a trip, you can also indulge in diabolical amounts of dairy all week long. It’s only appropriate — last Sunday was National Cheese Day, after all.
Monday, June 5
Dog Happy Hour at Fort Greene Bar
Photo courtesy of Fort Greene Bar.
When: Monday, June 5, 5:30 – 8 p.m.
Where: Fort Greene Bar — 321 E. 45th Ave., Denver
Cost: Free admission
The Lowdown: Bring your pup down to Fort Greene Bar Monday for a doggone good happy hour. Enjoy $2 beers and $7 cocktails as you mix and mingle with fellow dog-lovers. Ivan’s All Natural Doggie Delights will be onsite to treat your furry friend to a little happy hour of their own too.
Negroni Week
Negroni at Via Perla. Photo courtesy of Via Perla by Tim Romano.
When: Monday, June 5 through Sunday, June 11
Where: 50+ participating Denver restaurants — list here
Cost: Free admission
The Lowdown: This year more than 50 Denver restaurants are participating in Imbibe Magazine‘s Negroni Week. Bars across the country are mixing classic or creative Negroni variations to raise money for one of Imbibe‘s listed charity partners all week long.
Tuesday, June 6
Preserve the Harvest with Slow Food Denver
Photo courtesy of Slow Food Denver
When: Tuesday, June 6, 6:30 – 8 p.m.
Where: Comal Heritage Food Incubator — 3455 Ringsby Ct. #105, Denver
Cost: $35 — tickets here
The Lowdown: Learn how to make fresh cheese at home with Slow Food Denver and The Guest House. The class will walk you through how to make three types of cheeses using raw dairy, and the team will help you build your own list of local dairy sources for future cheesy consumption. Bonus — all proceeds benefit Slow Food Denver.
Cider & Cheese Pairing with Stem Ciders and St. Kilian’s Cheese Shop
Photo Courtesy of Stem Cider Facebook.
When: Tuesday, June 6, 6 – 9 p.m.
Where: Stem Ciders — 2811 Walnut St., Unit 150, Denver
Cost: $20
The Lowdown: Back by popular demand, Stem Ciders has teamed up with St. Kilian’s Cheese Shop for another cider and cheese pairing. Just $20 will get you four different cider pours and its four cheesy companions.
Wednesday, June 7
Ramadan Iftar Dinner
Photo courtesy of Meet the Middle East
When: Wednesday, June 7, 8 – 10 p.m.
Where: Posner Center for International Development — 1031 33rd St., Denver
Cost: $25 — tickets here
The Lowdown: Every year, Muslims around the world observe Ramadan by abstaining from eating or drinking anything from sunrise to sunset for 30 days. Meet the Middle East invites non-Muslims to join them for a chance to break fast and learn about Ramadan while enjoying an authentic, regional meal.
Thursday, June 8
Food (In)security Through the Eyes of Refugee Children
When: Thursday, June 8, 6 – 8 p.m.
Where: EarthLinks — 2746 W. 13th Ave., Denver
Cost: $15 pre-sale, $20 at the door — tickets here
The Lowdown: Support Growing Colorado Kids by attending this youth-led cooking class and meal while learning about how refugee children are facing adversity and looking for strength through food and their community. Proceeds will be split between EarthLinks and Growing Colorado Kids.
Beer and Cheese Pairing with The Truffle Table and Copper Kettle Brewing Company
Photo courtesy of Copper Kettle Brewing Company
When: Thursday, June 8, 7 – 10 p.m.
Where: Copper Kettle Brewing Company — 1338 S. Valentia St., Suite 100, Denver
Cost: $20 — tickets here
The Lowdown: This month, Copper Kettle Brewing Company and the Truffle Cheese Shop have paired up to bring you a tasting of cream-enriched cheeses and craft beer samples. Oftentimes, the shop use these as a way to test out beers that haven’t been released yet, so get your tickets now before they’re gone.
Friday, June 9
New Kids on the Block Beer Festival
When: Friday, June 9, 7 – 10 p.m.
Where: The Lobby — 2191 Arapahoe St., Denver
Cost: $30 early bird, $35 at the door — tickets here
The Lowdown: Reconnect with the 1980s with a New Kids on the Block beer festival. There will be a live DJ, prizes for best costume and more than 20 Colorado breweries pouring unlimited samples. Bonus — all the breweries are two years old or younger, so you can get a glimpse of the best up-and-coming beers in the city.
Saturday, June 10
Snowmass Craft Beer Rendezvous
Photo courtesy of Snowmass Craft Beer Rendezvous
When: Saturday, June 10, 3 – 8 p.m.
Where: Snowmass Village
Cost: $30
The Lowdown: Feeling up for a road trip? Head to Snowmass for the second annual Snowmass Rendezvous Craft Beer Festival for an evening of live music from Hot Buttered Rum and more, along with unlimited pours of more than 30 breweries from all over the state.
New Wave Strawberry Berliner Weisse Release Party
Ratio Beerworks. Photo by Candace Peterson.
When: Saturday, June 10, 12 p.m. – midnight
Where: Ratio Beerworks — 2920 Larimer St., Denver
Cost: Free admission
The Lowdown: When the weather warms up, the Colorado beer scene fills with fruit-infused beer. Ratio Beerworks is unveiling its new seasonal New Wave this weekend. This Strawberry Berliner Weisse is a tart, fruit-forward summer sipper — each batch is fermented with more than 300 pounds of strawberries.
Dio Mio Bake Sale
Photo courtesy of Dio Mio
When: Saturday, June 10, 9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Where: Dio Mio — 3264 Larimer St., Denver
Cost: Free admission
The Lowdown: Do you crave all the carby things? Better head to Dio Mio this Saturday for its bake sale — with fresh baked sourdough, ciabatta, pastries and fresh pasta. The event goes until noon or until they run out of goods, and they did last time, so we suggest getting there early.
6th Annual “A Night to Remember” Beer Festival
Photo courtesy of Copper Kettle Brewing Company
When: Saturday, June 10, 5 – 9 p.m.
Where: Founders Green — 7601 E. 29th Ave., Denver
Cost: $35 — tickets here
The Lowdown: We will never forget the Aurora movie theater mass shooting that took many lives from our community. Copper Kettle Brewing Company is hosting its 6th Annual “A Night to Remember” to honor Alexander C. Teves — one of the men lost in the horrific incident. There will be live music, on-site dog training, food trucks and more than 30 Colorado-only breweries. All of the proceeds will go to the ACT Foundation that honors Teves by helping students with unique needs.
Sunday, June 11
Wings & Whiskey at Ace Eat Serve
Photo courtesy of Wings and Whiskey
When: Sunday, June 11, 3 – 7 p.m.
Where: Ace Eat Serve — 501 E. 17th Ave., Denver
Cost: $50 — tickets here
The Lowdown: Help crown Denver’s Wing King (or queen) at this year’s Wings and Whiskey event. There will be live music, a wing-eating competition and, of course, plenty of whiskey to go around with those wings.
A Taste of Puerto Rico Festival
Photo courtesy of Taste of Puerto Rico
When: Sunday, June 11, 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Where: Civic Center — 101 W. 14th Ave., Denver
Cost: Free admission
The Lowdown: This festival is the largest Caribbean Festival in the state, bringing more than 20,000 attendees last year. This free, family-friendly event hosts special attractions, musical acts, cultural offerings and— obviously — all the Puerto Rican cuisine you could ever dream of.
Mark Your Calendars
Top Taco
When: Thursday, June 22
Where: River North Festival Grounds — 3715 Chestnut Pl., Denver,
Cost: Starting at $74. Go here for tickets
Denver Taco Festival
When: Saturday, June 24 and Sunday, June 25
Where: The Compound — 725 W. 39th Ave., Denver
Cost: $35. Go here for tickets