Colorado has four area codes, but only 303 can lay claim to being the first (it was put into place in 1947), the oldest by far and the most palindromic. That OG vibe also gives it the most cachet, which is why people in Denver and its suburbs, which is where most of the 303 numbers are distributed, like to name their restaurants, auto shops, stores, publications and products after those magic digits.
When it comes to beer, Station 26 Brewing scored a major victory two years ago for all things local when it secured the trademark statement of use rights to 303 for beer and brewery-related products.
In advance of Inauguration Day in 2017, two Denver brewers decided that they needed to take action in order to support the people (and places) who were most at risk of being persecuted under the new administration. So Bess Dougherty and Kelissa Hieber did what they do best: They brewed beer. They were joined by a host of like-minded breweries who all made beer that was sold in order to raise money for nonprofits and charities. The effort, called Makin Noise, raised more than $40,000 over the next few years.
Although Makin Noise is on hiatus now as a new administration comes to Washington, D.C., its spirit continues among the breweries that participated. One of those breweries was Lady Justice, which was founded with the goal of donating profits to groups that benefit Colorado women and girls. As a community-service brewery, Lady Justice sells annual memberships, with the proceeds going to a charity at the end of the year.
Like a lot of older craft breweries, Great Divide Brewing has occasionally updated its recipes to better reflect changing consumer beer tastes. The latest beer to undergo a little modernization is Titan IPA and Great Divide is having some fun with the process by hosting Titan Tuesdays in January and February, when it looks at the story behind this iconic beer and what you can expect from the new Titan, the brewery says.
First brewed in 2004, Titan remains one of our most popular and best-selling beers, Great Divide adds, pointing out that the recipes remained largely unchanged until now. The brand-new version is beginning to hit taps and liquor stores, but will receive a full rollout in February.