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CRAFTING A NATION DOCUMENTARY
Featuring Black Shirt Brewing Co.
Want to learn more about our history? Black Shirt Brewing Co. is featured in "Crafting A Nation," a documentary that focuses on the state of the local and national craft beer scene. The film highlights the struggles and successes inherent to running a brewery, with interviews from big-time industry players as well as up-and-comers, all uniting together to drive an industry that cares about shaping and supporting the communities they serve. Black Shirt Brewing Co. is honored to have been selected as the centerpiece for this film, and we welcomed the opportunity to provide a behind-the-scenes look at our brewery's transformation from the ground up. Available in the iTunes store and on Amazon Video, "Crafting A Nation" is a must-see for anyone interested in the art of craft beer and its ability to amaze, delight and transcend what's on tap.
THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO DENVER'S BREWERY SCENE
BLACK SHIRT BREWING HAS SOLD TO NEW OWNERS WHO LOVE IT'S ROCK AND ROLL!
Entering The New Year With A Bang - Black Shirt Brewing Named A "Brewery To Watch In 2020"
"It has been a big year of change for one of the River North Art District’s elder breweries. Beginning with the departure of co-founder Branden Miller, who has since gone on to work for Irwin Brewing in Crested Butte, Black Shirt also announced in November 2018, the introduction of David Sakolsky, who previously helmed and helped launch Deciduous Brewing in New Hampshire. Sakolsky’s arrival has signaled a departure from the brewery’s previous approach of only producing Red Ales.
With a desire to focus on Farmhouse-inspired Mixed Culture Saisons, Sakolsky has recently introduced three impressive entries already in A Bright Hello, Pleasure to Meet You, a dry-hopped version of that base Saison and Until We Meet Again, a version refermented with raw Oregon honey. These debut Saisons have displayed such a complexity of flavors while still yielding a delicately balanced profile reminiscent of the great producers like Sante Adairius, Holy Mountain and Transient Artisan Ales.
If Black Shirt continues to release more of these thoughtful and inventive Mixed Culture Saisons in the coming year, we expect great things for Sakolsky and owners Chad and Carissa Miller." - "Breweries To Watch in 2020" (Porch Drinking.com, January 2, 2020).
A Bright Hello bottle conditioned mixed culture Saison named among "Favorite Beers of the Year" (Porch Drinking.com, January 2, 2020.)
Link to full article.
Black Shirt Brewing Co Officially Launches Bottle Conditioned Program, Situation Of Measures (SOM)
The first bottle released under the Situation of Measures umbrella, A Bright Hello (mixed culture Saison). Two more followed: Pleasure to Meet You (dry hopped mixed culture Saison); and Until We Meet Again (mixed culture saison with raw honey).
DENVER - November 14, 2019—Black Shirt Brewing Co is exceptionally proud to officially announce its bottle conditioned program, Situation of Measures (or SOM, as it’s affectionately referred to in-house).
To date, the brewery has released SOM’s first three bottles: A Bright Hello (mixed culture Saison); Pleasure to Meet You (dry hopped mixed culture Saison); and Until We Meet Again (mixed culture Saison with raw honey). Fermented with a house culture blend, these Saisons are built to be bottle conditioned to allow the beer to develop greater complexity.
"Our house culture is a blend that I have been building since my homebrew days," said David Sakolsky, Black Shirt’s head brewer. He goes on to explain how two of the acid producing bacterial strains and one of the Brettanomycesstrains came from good old-fashioned yeast-and-bacterial wrangling at his family’s cattle farm in New Hampshire. ne of the acid producers was caught in the southwest corner of the apple orchard; the Brettanomyces, along with the other acid producer, was captured near the pear tree and wild berry bushes.
"We had a good little selection, including raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, and the occasional wild strawberry or two,” adds Sakolsky. “I was pretty ecstatic when both locations yielded viable results with minimal coaxing. The Brett is strangely aggressive when compared to the commercial pitches I’ve tried, but the whole blend has served me really well over the years."
Sourcing high-quality ingredients from small farms around the world - New England, Indonesia, Vietnam, among others - puts a distinct spin on the SOM program, which includes curated oak-aged blends and single barrels alongside the aforementioned mixed culture offerings. The barrel-aged arm of SOM was conceived as a way for Black Shirt to “showcase vibrant tastes interlacing with artfully-nuanced bases,” said Sakolsky. A majority of the beers will be packaged in 500mL bottles, with a limited number of magnums released for special occasions. All bottles are available exclusively at Black Shirt’s taproom at 3719 Walnut Street.
Black Shirt’s decided pivot from its previous distribution model to one that’s more brewpub-centric - complete with a full kitchen, smaller production footprint, and greater variety of beer styles - continues to evolve, and thus far has proven to be a winning combination for the seven-year young brewery. "The Situation of Measures bottle program is a natural progression for us," says Meghan Howes, director of communications. "Utilizing David’s expertise and skill, we’re able to offer our guests beer that’s compelling and noteworthy. And in a market full of too much sameness, that’s what truly matters."
For more information on the SOM program, please contact Meghan Howes.
BEST BREWPUB WITH MUSIC - 2018
"The folks at Black Shirt Brewing clearly take their beer seriously, but when they built a stage out of pallets on their patio a few years ago, they showed they were passionate about music as well."
- WESTWORD MAGAZINE
OFF THEIR OWN BACKS
"More than just a unique and compelling story, Black Shirt stands apart from the rest of the Denver brewing scene in some important ways."
- GOOD BEER HUNTING
THE BEST THINGS WE ATE IN 2017
"Black Shirt's beer tastes great straight from the glass or mixed into the sausage that tops the pizza."
- WESTWORD MAGAZINE
BEST BREWERY TAPROOM - PATIO - 2017
"Sometimes less is more, and Black Shirt Brewing has done the most with the least, turning what could have been a gritty blacktop into a hidden oasis out back."
- WESTWORD MAGAZINE
ONE BEER'S STORY
"Drinking it on a day with just a hint of fall was like a brief flirtation with a beautiful girl at a wedding. I was smitten."
- THE DENVER POST
THE WORLD'S BEST BREWERY CRAWL
"You'll have fun here, trust us. Must try: Colorado Red Ale, possibly the world's most perfect red ale!"
- MEN'S JOURNAL
TOP 10 CRAFT BEER BARS IN DENVER
"Is there a better match than live music and craft beer? Black Shirt Brewing Co. doesn't think so."
- THE GUARDIAN
BEGINNING TO HAPPY HOUR MADNESS
"There is a high standard at BSB and I wish it was the same everywhere.
- DENVER HOPPER
25 BEST COLORADO BREWERIES
"Their cozy, nicely decorated, music-themed tap room with lots of recycled wood and warm colors is a popular gathering place, either indoors, on their front patio, or in the beer garden in the back..."
- VACATION IDEA MAGAZINE
THE 38 ESSENTIAL BREWERIES IN COLORADO - 2018
"This RiNo brewery focuses on red ales and offers year-round beers in six-packs as well as Happy Leaf Kombucha on tap. Drinkers should ask about ‘underground cocktails.’ Live music and a fun food selection are a nice bonus."
- EATER DENVER
STRINGBENDER SAISON RANKS AMONGST THE 157 BEST SAISONS - 2018
“An interesting and evolving beer that gives a super-peachy initial impression but becomes fairly dry and spicy in both aroma and flavor.” -