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Cheers to Reds, Whites and Brews in the Boat

The Reds, Whites and Brews in the Boat festival kicks off Saturday, June 22, at noon, featuring 30 breweries and a dozen wineries.
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STEAMBOAT SPRINGS — Raise a glass to the return of the Reds, Whites and Brews in the Boat festival.

In its third year, the event hosts 30 breweries and about a dozen wineries, which offer unlimited tastings to ticket-holders. A variety of food vendors and two bands throughout the festival make for an all-day celebration.

Several hours of the festival will overlap with the Main Street Steamboat Farmers Market, only steps away, which runs until 2 p.m.



“One of my favorite things about the festival is that two events come together,” said Main Street Steamboat Executive Director Lisa Popovich. “You can grab your beer or your wine and walk around the Farmers Market. It makes both events better.”

The fact that the festival offers more than exclusively craft beer makes it more friendly to potential samplers.



“Since we have wine, that accommodates more people,” said Lori McLean, Radiate Live Events/AlwaysMountainTime, LLC’s director of operations and marketing.

And even beyond beer and wine drinkers, the festival spirit is open to everyone. It’s family-friendly, and those who aren’t sampling beverages may stroll around the action without a wristband.

If you go

What: Reds Whites and Brews in the Boat
When: noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 22
Where: Yampa Street, between Fifth and Sixth streets
Tickets: Purchase at redswhitesandbrews.net (VIP: $65; unlimited tasting: $30; VIP designated driver: $30)

“It’s a public event, so anyone can walk through,” McLean said.

There will not be alcohol sold through the festival except for the tastings, which require a ticket. Ticket-holders also must bring their ID to the festival.

Companies participating in the festival come to Steamboat Springs from as far away as Japan (Sapporo Premium Beer), France (Minuty) and Ireland (Guinness) and as close as a stone’s throw from the festival, with Steamboat’s own Mountain Tap Brewery, Mahogany Ridge Brewery and Grill, Butcherknife Brewing Co. and Storm Peak Brewing Co., and Hayden’s Yampa Valley Brewing Co. Companies will also be representing Oregon, California, Hawaii, Missouri, Montana and several more cities across Colorado.

Expert Beer Tasting 101

Tips from Evan Claus, national accounts manager for Kona and Omission Breweries:

  • Pour your beer into a clear glass. See the color and the look of the beer.
  • Swirl it, letting the beer move around and release some aromas.
  • Smell it to start thinking about the flavor profile.
  • Sample it. Activate all tastebuds by swishing it around in your mouth. Every sample tastes different for every person.
  • Sit and think about what you’ve just tasted, about the flavor profiles and about what kind of food it would pair well with.

Providing tunes for the festival on the KFMU Radio Stage will be Hailey Steele, a South Dakota singer-songwriter, and headliner and jazz-blues-R&B group Hazel Biller Band.

The festival’s Mug Pickup Party, from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, June 21, kicks off the festival weekend at The Tap House. Here, attendees may purchase festival tickets without online fees, and ticket holders can pick up their tasting glasses and wristbands to skip Saturday’s check-in lines.

While the festival is set for noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, festival spirit will also runneth over into an after-party, hosted by Backdoor Grill along with Ska and Ballast Breweries. The after-party offers specials throughout the evening, starting at 5 p.m.

The festival is hosted by Radiate Live Events, LLC, and its official nonprofit partner is Main Street Steamboat. Find more information about the festival at redswhitesandbrews.net.

Full list of participating breweries and wineries
  • Boulevard Brewing Co. (Kansas City, Missouri)
  • Kona Brewing Co. (Kailua, Hawaii)
  • Mahogany Ridge Brewery and Grill (Steamboat Springs)
  • Funky Town Brewery (Florissant)
  • Colorado Native (Golden)
  • Boggy Draw Brewery (Sheridan)
  • Mountain Tap Brewery (Steamboat Springs)
  • Montucky Cold Snacks (Livingston, Montana)
  • Upslope Brewing Co. (Boulder)
  • Jagged Mountain Craft Brewery (Denver)
  • Crazy Mountain Brewing Co. (Denver)
  • 10 Barrel Brewing Co. (Denver)
  • Beringer Bros. — Bourbon Barrel Aged Wines (St. Helena, California)
  • Storm Peak Brewing Co. (Steamboat Springs)
  • Endo Brewing (Lafayette)
  • Lone Tree Brewing (Lone Tree)
  • B & Potts Restaurant and Taproom (Denver)
  • 4 Noses Brewing Co. (Broomfield)
  • Guinness (Ireland)
  • Yampa Valley Brewing Co. (Hayden)
  • Butcherknife Brewing Co. (Steamboat Springs)
  • Telluride Brewing Co. (Telluride)
  • Eddyline Brewing (Buena Vista)
  • Kyla Hard Kombucha (Hood River, Oregon)
  • Maison De Grand Esprit (Denver)
  • Sterling Vineyards (Napa Valley, California)
  • Renegade Brewing Co. (Denver)
  • Ska Brewing (Durango)
  • Main & Vine Wine Spritzers (Napa, California)
  • Sapporo Premium Beer (Japan)
  • Minuty (France)
  • Omission Brewing Co. (Portland, Oregon)

Julia Ben-Asher is a contributing writer for Steamboat Pilot & Today.


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