Clubs: Denver Beer Company creates beer garden that will grow on you

Just when you think you need a break from Denver’s brewpubs and breweries and general culture of beer-obsession, a place like the Denver Beer Company (1695 Platte St.) comes along.

Opened in August, it’s a no-nonsense beer-lover’s dream come true: Beers brewed seasonally on the premises. A wide-open setup with plenty of seating. An outdoor beer garden complete with heat lamps. Pretzels.

The beer garden is a real treat. Sitting at a big picnic table with good beer and good friends is one of life’s simple pleasures. Given Coloradans’ love of the outdoors, it’s slightly surprising that there aren’t more beer gardens like this one. It’s fairly rudimentary, as beer gardens go — just an outdoor area with picnic tables — but it works fine. Denver needs more places like this.

Oh, yeah: The beer. One of the other great things about the Denver Beer Company is their sampler. For $5, suds-sippers can get a tray of five sample-size beers. The drinker gets to choose their own adventure from the ever-changing tap list; on a recent visit, selections included a tangerine hefeweizen, pumpkin porter and a dry-hopped pale ale. Their Great American Beer Festival medal-winning Graham Cracker Porter was on tap, too.

The sample pours are generous, especially for the $5 price tag. The friendly bar staff will arrange the little glasses sequentially on a tray and then send the happy drinker off to wherever they choose to sit and ponder the brews. It’s extremely relaxing, especially on the beer garden/patio, watching the world — and lots of dogs — pass by.

On Monday, Denver Beer Company hosts its first “Beer Feast,” a fall dinner with food by Mikes2 Kitchen. The four-course meal will be paired with beers, naturally. The meal is $50 per person, and reservations are required. Call 303-433-2739 to save a seat.

It seems like just a few months ago that eternally cool dance party Lipgloss celebrated its 10-year anniversary at La Rumba (99 W. 9th Ave.), in June. Now it’s La Rumba’s time to shine with a 14th birthday blowout. Tonight it’s an extra-special edition of Lipgloss, featuring a DJ set by electro-dance prodigy Le Castle Vania. Lipgloss co-founder DJ boyhollow will be spinning as well, plus Lipgloss resident Option4. The cover charge is $9.

On Saturday, La Rumba goes back to its roots with an all-night salsa dance party. $10 gets you admission to the club and a dance lesson — or just pay $7 if instruction is unnecessary. Watch special dance performances, too, and enter a dance competition to win a one-week vacation to Hawaii. Visit larumba-denver.com for more information.

Connect with Denver’s arts scene at the “RAWards” semifinals, presented by arts organization RAW: Natural Born Artists. On Thursday at the Jet Hotel (1612 Wazee St.), the contest brings together local artists working in a variety of media categories: makeup, performing art, photography, film, music, fashion and fine art.

Guests at the RAWards can sip cocktails and listen to music as they explore the artists’ works, and then vote for their favorites. Winners will move on to a nationwide contest, with an awards ceremony planned for January 2012. Tickets are $10 in advance, $15 the week of the show and $20 at the door. Buy tickets at rawartists.org/denver.

Shows:
Beta’s (1909 Blake St.) Bassic Friday party brings in dubstep wonder MRK1 tonight. On Saturday, Beta welcomes Chicago house legent Green Velvet for a groove-heavy set. Tickets for both shows are $10 each at fla.vor.us.

Hip-hop virtuoso Madlib arrives at City Hall (1144 Broadway) Saturday with his “Medicine Show,” an eclectic amalgam of beats, genres and mixtape mastery. He’ll be joined by turntablist J. Rocc and Denver’s own DJ MU$A. Tickets are $15 in advance at coclubs.com, or $20 at the door.

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