Black Friday is a beer holiday. Here's what to know
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Goose Island's 2023 Bourbon County Brand Stout lineup. Photo courtesy of Goose Island
The weather is turning colder and the days shorter, making it the perfect time for a rich stout.
What to know: Black Friday is a great day to sip one as local and national breweries release special beers.
- Here is a look at a handful of the release events:
Fiction Beer's annual Black Friday celebration is one not to miss. Eight stouts, including six adjunct variants, will take over the taps starting at noon, including raspberry habanero, Cherry Garcia and hazelnut vanilla latte versions.
- On Saturday, Fiction is hosting Pictures with Santa from 3-6pm, including for pets on the patio.
Station 26 is releasing four variants of its Russian Imperial stout with flavors ranging from Affogato to Pistachio Truffle.
- The event runs 11am-11pm and includes a holiday gift market, music and food trucks.
River North is releasing two special editions of its beers, a Double Barrel-Aged Mr. Sandman conditioned in Colorado bourbon and whiskey barrels that lands at 16.44%, and Christmas Quandary, brewed with a blend of cinnamon, orange peel, clove and allspice.
Wiley Roots in Greeley releases variants of Midnight on the Run — named for the brewery's cat — starting at noon Friday.
Dry Dock releases a Chocolate Orange Stout at its South Dock location with an Ugly Sweater Dance Party from 6-9pm.
4 Noses in Broomfield is releasing a handful of special beers in bottles, including imperial stouts aged in Laws Whiskey barrels, sherry-finished bourbon barrels with cherries and variants of its decadent and dark El Jefe.
The big picture: At the national level, Goose Island's Bourbon County stouts are the standouts.
What to know: The newest edition is the Angel's Envy 2-Year Cask Finish Stout — aged in Angel's Envy bourbon barrels and Ruby Port wine barrels for a year each, lending a flavor of cherry and spice.
- The Eagle Rare edition also is aged two years and showcases hints of vanilla and American oak.
- The standard Bourbon County is aged in Buffalo Trace, Heaven Hill, Four Roses and Wild Turkey barrels.
The intrigue: For the second consecutive year, bananas are the featured ingredient in one edition. The Bananas Foster Stout was first released in 2017 as a Proprietors Stout only available in Chicago, but now it's going national.
💭 My thought bubble: My favorite sip is the Backyard Stout, which is finished with a blend of mulberries, boysenberries and marionberries.
- The tartness of the fruit blends nicely with the barrel tannins and cocoa sweetness of the beer.