On Havana Street
Collaboration Fest Returns For First Time Since 2019 With 7th Fest In Denver
by Mark Smiley
Collaboration Fest: The Fillmore Auditorium was the venue for the 7th Collaboration Fest on April 2, 2022.
After a two-year hiatus, Collaboration Fest returned on April 2, 2022, at the Fillmore Auditorium. Ticket holders who purchased tickets to the 2020 fest that was cancelled due to the pandemic enjoyed over 150 beers. Guild members teamed up with fellow local and national brewers to create unique and interesting beers that were brewed specifically for this event.
Dubbed as one of the most unique and creative beer festivals in the world, Collaboration Fest is an annual beer festival hosted by the Colorado Brewers Guild. The Colorado Brewers Guild is a non-profit trade association representing Colorado craft breweries and brewpubs founded in 1995. CBG sponsors various beer events each year, such as the Colorado Pint Day, Colorado Brewers Rendezvous, Colorado Strong, and the Collaboration Fest. All of these are designed to increase awareness and appreciation of Colorado brewed beer.
“The sheer number of collaboration beers tapped in one single day is phenomenal,” said Shawnee Adelson, CBG executive director before the festival. “Beer lovers will get to sample everything from tried-and-true styles to some off-the-wall creations. There will be something for everyone at Collaboration Fest.”
Mockery Brewing and Baere Brewing Company collaborated for the seventh time spanning the entire life of the festival. Their first collaboration was Mocking Baered Episode I: Lost On Lacto Island. It started as a joke but then became a story they have told over the course of seven years collaborating together.
“This year, it is an Imperial Red [MockingBaered Episode 7: Some like it Hot!] with a lot of spicy and hot peppers, carrots, ginger, and smoked pineapple,” said Zach Rabun, owner of Mockery Brewing. “We are dipping back into some old recipes for this one. Chile beers are already a pretty polarizing category so we definitely want people to know that they’re going to have a chile beer,” said Ryan Skeels, owner of Baere Brewing Company. “This year we decided to incorporate some elements from collaborations of years past and throw a scorching amount of heat into an otherwise malty, sweet, and fruity beer.”
Mockery & Baere: Back row, left to right: Zach Rabun, owner of Mockery Brewing; Ryan Skeels, owner of Baere Brewing Company; and Jason Woody, Head Brewer of Mockery Brewing. Front row, left to right: Mandie Hardison, Mockery Brewing; and Matt Schenck, Head Brewer of Baere Brewing Company.
Collaboration Fest is among the beer fests that attendees look forward to the most. Also, brewers enjoy this one and were excited to see it return. “I think it would be a universal, industry response that there would be nothing but good things said about it [Collaboration Fest],” said Rabun. “We all do a bunch of different festivals in different formats all throughout the year but collab fest stands out because of the format and while we see the same handful of people at all festivals, this one is unique because everyone is pouring something that was created purposely for this festival. So, it’s not their normal lineup of beers you see at every other festival. You can see the different identities of each brewery and it’s cool to see what they can come up with.”
“Mockery is known for putting unique ingredients in their beers in a thoughtful way and now this is the one time a year that everyone decides they should do that so it is pretty fun,” said Skeels.” “Collab beers tend to be more experimental.”
Other stand outs at the festival were Comrade Brewing Company and Cheluna Brewing Company who collaborated on Szech Juan IPA, an American IPA with Szechuan chiles/peppercorns and Tamarind pulp for a combination of sweet/ spicy/hoppy to hit all the bases. “It’s great to have the festival back after a 2-year hiatus,” said David Li, owner of Comrade Brewing. “It showcases the community and camaraderie the craft brewing industry has. The szechuan peppercorn tamarind IPA we brewed with Cheluna Brewing finally happened after we were talking about it in early 2020.”
Comrade Brewing also teamed up with Glenwood Canyon Brewing Company to brew an American Style Double IPA. They experimented with Thiol enhanced brewing techniques for this collab. Jake Lancaster (Glenwood Canyon), Mark Lanham and David Lin (Comrade) have known each other for some time, and each got the ball rolling on this project.
All collaboration beers can be found at each brewery while supplies last. Comrade Brewing is located at 7667 E. Iliff Ave. in Denver, Mockery Brewing is located at 3501 Delgany Street in Denver, and Baere Brew-ing Company is at 320 Broadway in Denver. For a complete list of beers, visit collaborationbeerfest.com. Follow the Colorado Brewers Guild on social media @coloradobrewers guild.
From Music To Monaco Inn Dinner, Make This Mother’s Day Memorable
by Glen Richardson
Mom’s Special Day: After all the love, care, and cooking, Mother’s Day 2022 is just around the corner. Things to do range from music concerts and special menus at restaurants to high tea and Mother’s Day runs.
There’s a saying: “Life doesn’t come with a manual; it comes with a mother.
A teacher and a friend, she also takes care of the needs of the entire family. After all the love, care, and cooking, mom’s special day is just around the corner on Sunday, May 8.
Here’s the Chronicle’s choice of ways to celebrate with music concerts and special menus at restaurants, plus more to make Mother’s Day memorable:
Moms & Music
Brunch With Beethoven: Make your mom feel special this year by taking her to the Mother’s Day Brunch with Beethoven at Grant-Humphrey’s Mansion on Pennsylvania St., 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Gourmet menu is from Chef Dane’s Kitchen on Gilpin St. Guests will enjoy Eggs Benedict, Tartines, Vegetable Quiche, Blueberry Rosemary Scones, Peach & Ginger Parfait, and Fruit Plate while listening to classical piano and a violinist. There will be a craft area for kids — ages 4 to 10 — to make a gift for mom. Information: 303-803-3727.
Mother’s Day Rock & Roll: Let mom and the kids move, play, and sing while listening to the music of the Beatles for kids. Bash is at the Bluebird Theater on E. Colfax Ave., 11:30 a.m. Information:303-377-1666.
Whitney Houston Tribute Brunch: Take mom to a musical tribute to Whitney Houston with singer Mary Louise Lee and her band in Centennial, 3 to 7 p.m. The event is at Piney Creek on E. Ida Dr. with brunch by Two Sistah’s Catering. Brunch includes Belgian Waffles, Scrambled Eggs, Potatoes O’Brien, Bacon, Turkey Sausage, Sweet Potato Coffee Cake, and Blackberry Cobbler. Information: 303-433-1000.
Brunch & Dinner
Valley restaurants are hoping mom’s holiday 2022 will be a turnaround milestone in the pandemic age of economic recovery. Typically, Mother’s Day is one of the busiest times of the year. Nationally, reservations are running nine times higher than last year.
Mother’s Day Magnet: The Monaco Inn Restaurant, a holiday hot spot for decades, is bringing back Mother’s Day. Serving from 3 to 9 p.m., specials include New York Steak and Fried Shrimp.
Monaco Inn Restaurant: Highlighting the turnaround is an announcement by this longstanding holiday hot spot that it will bring families together again for Mother’s Day, serving from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. A dining experience like no other featuring Lamb Shank, Lamb Chops & Grilled Shrimp, New York Steak & Fried Shrimp, and Grilled Trout. The regular dinner menu is also available. Information: 303-320-1104.
Bistro Vendome: Chef Ariana is creating specials to serve alongside full menus for brunch 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and dinner 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Information: 303-825-3232.
Capital Grille: Downtown eatery on Larimer St. is opening early and serving their full dinner menu, as well as three brunch features from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Brunch choices are a Lobster Frittata, a 14 oz. Bone-In NY Steak & Eggs, or an 8 oz. Center Cut Filet Mignon. Information: 303-539-2500.
Carmine’s On Penn: Share a family feast at an Italian eatery offering to feed Mom with a family of 4-6 people. Deal includes Chicken Parmigiana, Meatballs, and a magnum bottle of wine. Information: 303-777-6443.
Brunch With Beethoven: One of this year’s special events is a catered music brunch at Grant-Humphrey’s Mansion from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Citizen Rail: Restaurant in the Kimpton Hotel born on the 16th St. Mall has an all-you-can-eat brunch buffet with pastries, seafood, plus an omelet and prime rib station. Information: 303-323-0017.
Inga’s Alpine Tavern: Treat Mom at this hip holiday space in Glendale on Leetsdale Dr. offering full menu, 11 a.m. to midnight. The man of 1,000 songs Rob Wivchar entertains mom, kids & family. Information: 720-389-6203.
Jimmy’s Jersey St. Café: Eatery off of 9th Ave. & Colorado Blvd. is serving Roast Tenderloin & Fresh Seafood buffet. Choose from 10 a.m., noon, and 1:30 p.m. seating times. Information: 720-328-9481.
Ritz-Carlton: The Five Diamond hotel on Curtis St. is featuring an elaborate brunch buffet, a mimosa bar, plus a kids buffet. Families will receive a portrait to take home. Information: 303-312-3800.
Cooking Class
For Food Lovers: Consider treating moms that are connoisseurs of food to a Mother’s Day cooking class at Stir Cooking School.
Stir Cooking School: Take Mom to this Highlands neighborhood school for a Mother’s Day British Brunch Class, 1-4 p.m. A French Macaron Class is also offered. Information: 720-287-4823.
Tea Time
Mother’s Day Afternoon Tea: Babe’s Tea Room on 15th St. — next to Sushi Sasa — is offering Mother’s Day tea May 2-8. Featuring tea sandwiches, miniature scones, Scottish shortbread, French macarons, and a Bouquet of Pastry topped with a tier of Mother’s Day desserts. Information: 303-455-4832.
Tea At The Palace: Impress mom by taking her to the Brown Palace for afternoon tea, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. She’ll enjoy herbal teas, scones, and finger sandwiches to the soft sounds of a harpist or pianist in the luxury setting. Information: 303-297-3111.
Tea At Le Rêve: Take mom to this intimate Cap Hill space on E. Colfax — French for Sugar — for an afternoon of luxury teas, noon to 2 p.m. Serving sandwiches and desserts. Information: 303- 522-6886.
Yoga With Mom
Morning Yoga: Nui Mani Yoga is offering a Mother’s Day yoga class at the Kentucky Inn on S. Pearl St. taught by Davina Lochi. Moms will be treated to a complimentary mimosa or bloody mary following the class. Information: 303-777-7550.
Mother’s Day Runs
Run For MS: Join the MS Relay America in partnership with Boulder Running Co. at the Cherry Creek Shopping Center for the 5K or 10K run plus a post-run brunch, 9 a.m. Information: 303-847-4123.
City Park 5K: The starter’s gun goes off at 9 a.m. for this year’s Mother’s Day 5K. Flippin’ Flapjacks cooks pancake-sausage breakfast for participants. Information: runsignup.com.
Denver Water To Be Seized From South Platte
Nebraska Plans To Use Eminent Domain To Take Colorado Land, Build A Canal To Divert Denver Destined Water Into Husker State
by Glen Richardson
Deepening Drought: Eight western states are in severe drought conditions and Nebraska isn’t one of them. Map shows levels of drought, much of it severe (dark orange), extreme (red), or exceptional (dark red). Data is from the National Drought Mitigation Center.
Fishing Vs. Feedlots: With more cattle than people, Nebraska seeks more water for its 1.94 million head of cattle. It takes 1,847 gallons of water to produce a pound of beef. The South Platte is also a gold medal western trout river. Photo Courtesy of Danny Frank, Colorado Trout Hunters
Nebraska — with more miles of rivers than any other state — is planning to build a canal into Colorado to drain water from the South Platte River before it can be enjoyed or used by Denver.
Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts, the state’s attorney general, and the Nebraska legislature have given approval to divert water from the South Platte under a 1923 compact. Nebraska claims Colorado is planning to build projects to serve the Denver area and use the water before it gets to Nebraska.
Nebraska proposes to build more than 60 miles of canals and several reservoirs under a 1923 agreement between the two states. Cornhusker state news sources report, “the project would cost $500 million and be the biggest nonfederal project in decades.” The idea isn’t exactly new, Nebraska attempted to start a canal here before World War I, but ran out of funds and abandoned the project. Denverites can still see relics of the project from Interstate 76 near Julesburg. In the 1980s the state tried to restart the project, but it also failed.
No Set Water Volume
Water Wager: Nebraska is seeking to build a canal into Colorado and drain water from the South Platte River. Shown here as the river flows through Denver at Confluence Park, the plan would destroy outdoor activities in and around the city. Photo Credit: AP Photo/Brennan Linsley
Nebraska is seeking to build a canal into Colorado and drain water from the South Platte River. Shown here as the river flows through Denver at Confluence Park, the plan would destroy outdoor activities in and around the city.
“There is no set volume of water Colorado must allow to flow into Nebraska each year,” according to Kevin Rein, Director of the Colorado Division of Water Resources established in 1881. The Denver native, who is also the state’s engineer, adds, “Currently, the state is meeting all its water obligations to Nebraska.”
From April 1 to Oct. 15 — the irrigation season — the South Platte must flow at 120 cubic feet per second into Nebraska. The flow is measured at a water gate in Julesburg south of the Colorado border, Rein explains. During the non-irrigation season, there is no such requirement for the state and officials believe, “Colorado has uninterrupted water rights for the South Platte.”
Should flows drop below the threshold, the state must curtail water use to certain areas for water right holders whose rights were established after 1897.
Deals With Nine States
Snowmelt from the Rocky Mountains of Colorado is the prime source of water for the West. The state has signed nine compacts with other states over the years to define how much water each can use and the amount they must let flow downstream to neighboring states.
Nearly a century ago when Colorado River water was divvied up, it was a wetter period than normal. As a result, states vastly overestimated the river’s annual flow. Currently the river’s reserves are especially low, yet states are still claiming the same amount of water as they always have.
Presently eight western states are in severe drought conditions — California, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Montana — and Nebraska isn’t one of them. The most recent University of Nebraska Drought Monitor indicates that, “98% of the state is in at least a moderate drought.”
Mega-Drought
For all the warnings people in Denver get about turning off sprinklers and taking shorter showers, agriculture uses by far the most water. Ranching and farming uses more than 70% of the water that flows from the Colorado River to the seven river basin states.
Beauty Of The River: Beautiful and scenic, the South Platte offers splash-worthy adventures. It is amazing to walk along the river and enjoy the relaxing view, free from city distractions.
The West’s current mega-drought is the driest 22-year period since the year 800 C.E. The NOAA Spring Outlook predicts prolonged, persistent drought in the West with below average precipitation.
Intensifying drought and declining reservoir levels have prompted the first-ever cuts to Arizona from the Colorado River. Canals are empty and Arizona crops are weathering. Lake Powell’s massive Colorado River reservoir is at its lowest level on record. A hydroelectric plant on Lake Powell that feeds electricity to millions needs only to fall 35-ft. and it could no longer support power generation.
Cattle Vs. People
A major reason Nebraska requires so much water despite a moderate drought compared to other western states is the number of cattle. There are 1.94 million head of cattle in the state compared to just 1.8 million people.
Nebraska is the nation’s top cow/calf, cattle feeding, and beef processing state. It takes 1,847 gallons of water to produce one pound of beef.
Growing crops to feed animals consumes 56% of the water used, and in 2021 Nebraska planted 9.9 million acres to corn. More than 1.85 billion bushels were harvested last year, up 17% from 2020, making Nebraska the nation’s third largest corn producing state.
About The Platte
Fiddling With Flow: The Platte River begins high in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, then flows through central Denver at the confluence with Cherry Creek pictured here.
The river begins high in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, then flows through central Denver at its confluence with Cherry Creek. From Colorado’s Great Plains the river goes into Western Nebraska until it reaches the Missouri River at Plattsmouth, Neb.
In and around Denver it is popular for hiking, biking, and fishing. The South Platte is a gold medal western trout river. The river serves as an important part of the continental bird migration route, providing habitat for sandhill, whooping cranes, and millions of other migrating birds.
At the end of March, the federal government announced it was awarding Denver $350 million to pay for sweeping renovations to the South Platte. It will restore aquatic, wetland, and riparian wildlife habitats along the river. The project is expected to create 7,000 jobs and protect area homes and other structures from flood risk.
Nebraska Proposal Impact
Western states have been fighting over water since the start of the 20th century, and the latest Nebraska proposal suggests those fights will only intensify amid rising populations as climate change reduces snow-rainfall. The most obvious scenario is the two states will end up in court to determine whether Nebraska can use eminent domain to build the canal and whether it can take more water out of the South Platte if it’s built.
A few argue Nebraska is simply using the proposal as leverage to get Colorado to the negotiating table. However, water professionals believe Colorado’s hand is a “royal flush” and the state won’t consider a counteroffer.
Moreover, the 1923 compact allows Colorado to build a 35,000-acre-feet reservoir in the lower section of the South Platte River and make future appropriations in the upper section. Both uses take precedence over Nebraska’s claim.
Tootsie Opens to Sold Out Shows
Jared Grant in Tootsie Photo Credit: Teg Folks
Reinvents 40 year Old Movie with Fresh Perspective and Laugh Out Loud Moments
By Mark Smiley
Tootsie opened on March 29 2022 at the Buell Theater with laugh out loud funny moments and a modern twist on a classic Hollywood movie. Robert Horn’s book in particular tries to bring the film’s dated gender politics into the 21st century without necessarily rewriting the original film’s plot wholesale. Julie Nichols’s character was more confident than she was in the 1982 movie, Michael Dorsey’s character did not hit on every woman in sight, and say goodbye to gay panic. The musical is a fresh take on classic movie.
Tootsie is a musical comedy with music and lyrics by David Yazbek and a book by Robert Horn. The musical is based on the 1982 American comedy film of the same name written by Larry Gelbart, Barry Levinson (uncredited), Elaine May (uncredited) and Murray Schisgal from the story by Gelbart and Don McGuire. The musical made its world premiere try-out at the Cadillac Palace Theatre in Chicago in September 2018. Like the film, the musical tells the story of a talented but volatile actor, Michael Dorsey, whose reputation for being difficult forces him to adopt a new identity as a woman in order to land a job. The original movie revolved around a daytime soap opera, while the show involves a Broadway musical. His one show-stopping act of desperation lands him the role of a lifetime – as the star of a new Broadway musical.
TOOTSIE features an original score by 2018 Tony Award-winner David Yazbek (The Band’s Visit, The Full Monty, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels) and the book by Robert Horn (13; Dame Edna, Back with a Vengeance). The comedy in this musical flows smoothly
and the secret is more than the book; it’s the songs. Mr. Yazbek is one of the few composer-lyricists working today who can set jokes to music and make them pay.
The company is led by Drew Becker as Michael Dorsey, Ashley Alexandra as Julie Nichols, Tony Payton Reilly as Sandy Lester, Lukas James Miller as Max Van Horn, Jared David Michael Grant as Jeff Slater, Kathy Halenda as Rita Marshall, Steve Brustien as Stan Fields, and Adam Du Plessis as Ron Carlisle. The cast competently trekked through the musical numbers and kept the audience engaged. Jared David Michael Grant who played Dorsey’s roommate, Jeff Slater, has been with the production since September 2021. His training as a musical theater major in Chicago and his work on the Showtime series, The Chi, prepared him for this show stopping role. His acting, one liners, and facial expressions made an otherwise enjoyable show, a hit.
Tootsie runs through April 10 2022 at the Buell Theater. For tickets, visit www.dcpa.org.
