Recent Denver events caught our attention as they provide fun and tasty ways to bring local experiences to group gatherings, offering alternatives to popular wine, beer and spirit tastings.
Grand Coffee Bazaar
grandcoffeebazaar.com; twoparts.com
Two Parts, a Denver-based events and promotions company, hosted the fourth annual Grand Coffee Bazaar on Oct. 14, 2017 on OZ Architecture Grounds in Denver. Unlimited tastings from 18 local coffee roasters and The Sophisticate’s Tea, roaster-led seminars, brunch bites and a mug were part of the $40 ticket price. Also included were one breakfast cocktail, a coffee beer from Epic Brewing, coffee, cider and beer samples from Stem Cider and 14er Brewing, and brunch cocktail samples from Bear Creek Distillery and Diageo.
“We know that Denver has an incredible craft coffee scene, so we wanted to make sure this event gave coffee lovers an opportunity to experience the creativity and passion of their favorite local roasters as well as discover new companies entering the scene,” says Two Parts Relationships Director Sarah Wells.
Cheese Block Party
cheesesociety.org; cheeseandprovisions.com
The American Cheese Society (ACS) held its 2017 annual conference “Cheese with Altitude” last July at Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel. Attendees and the public were invited to Denver’s first Cheese Block Party organized by Cheese+Provisions, a Denver specialty and artisan cheese shop, in partnership with the Oldways Cheese Coalition. A dozen local and national cheesemakers, charcuterie makers and small-batch food producers set up to offer tastings in the courtyard at Cobbler’s Square, where Cheese+Provisions is located.
“Having the American Cheese Society’s conference in Denver presented us with a unique opportunity to live up to our motto of ‘Celebrating the Artisans’,” says Kim Duty, Cheese+Provisions owner and 2017 national co-chair of the ACS Conference. “The best American artisan cheesemakers were convening in our city, and the Block Party was a fun way to let our customers meet some of them in person.”
