Where to Find Pliny the Younger in Denver (2015 Edition)
February is the month when everyone’s favorite cult beer—Russian River’s Pliny the Younger—shows up around Colorado. The beer—billed as a triple IPA—is made only once a year by Russian River and shipped to select accounts of the venerable craft brewery from its home base in Santa Rosa, Calif. Colorado is lucky—getting into a tapping isn’t very difficult. You just need to know where to go.
The Falling Rock Tap House will host a pouring of Pliny the Younger on February 21. Get in line two hours before ticket distribution begins at 11 AM, and you shouldn’t have a problem getting a beer. Pliny starts flowing at 1 PM. The Falling Rock has already blown through two tappings, so this is your last shot to sample Pliny the Younger at the King of Denver Tap Houses.
Euclid Hall—also the best place for poutine in Denver—will have a tapping at 3 PM on February 22. Check Euclid Hall’s Facebook page for details.
Hops & Pie in Denver will tap their Pliny supply a 1 PM on February 24. Tickets will be handed out at 11:30 AM. Anyone who gets a ticket is guaranteed a 10-oz. pour. Check the Hops & Pie Facebook page for more details.
Freshcraft, the craft beer and food powerhouse, will serve their Pliny at 2 PM on February 22. They're using a line-and-ticket system, so be sure to check the Facebook page for all the details.
Most bars often tap more of Russian River’s excellent roster of beers, which includes Pliny the Elder, Blind Pig IPA, Consecration, Temptation, Damnation, Supplication and more, so don’t get too peeved if you miss out—there’s plenty more great Russian River beers to try.
I sampled this year’s Pliny the Younger this past weekend. You might find it slightly more bitter than in years past. But it’s still worth the wait if you’re a Pliny newbie or a seasoned sipper.
