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City Star site of three winter chili cook-off events

 150 150 City Star Brewing
February 20, 2025


The 12 samples are from the competing chili recipes for the 2024 City Star Chili Cook-Off. The cook-off this year will be March 27. (Courtesy photo)

By Shelley Widhalm

The Surveyor

City Star Brewing is home this winter to three chili cook-offs in keeping with the tradition of combining good food with friendly competition and supporting charitable causes.

“It’s a good excuse to get together and raise some funds for a good cause,” said Whitney Way, owner of City Star Brewing, 321 Mountain Ave. “When it’s cold outside, chili is a warm, comforting option. People get very passionate about their chili recipes.”

The three cook-offs will be in City Star’s taproom, the Zoller Barrel House, which can be reserved for free for parties, personal gatherings, benefits and other public events. The Barrel House is in a separate room with extra space and long tables, plus there are several outlets, necessary for bringing in lots of Crock-Pots.

“Every year, these three chili cook-offs happen at City Star,” Way said. “They know these spaces are set up well.”

First in the lineup is the Berthoud Veterans Club Presents Chili Cook-Off at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 20. The sixth annual event will be headed up by American Legion Auxiliary Unit 67 and sponsored by American Legion Post 67, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 12189 and VFW Auxiliary Unit 12189, all of which are part of the Berthoud Veterans Club.

“We use it for comradery amongst not only the veterans in the club, but among all veterans,” said Carly Stephen, president of American Legion Auxiliary Unit 67.

Veterans and community members can enter their chili for free to compete for prizes for the top three recipes. Those wanting to judge are asked to pay a $1 donation per tasting or $10 for 12, and they usually have 15 to 20 options.

“Chili is probably one of the most popular cook-offs because everyone has their own take or spin on it when it’s red, green or white chili,” Stephen said. “We make it lighthearted and fun. It’s a good time at City Star. They always can have a beer while they have their chili.”

The second chili cook-off is the seventh annual Colorado Facial Hair Chili Cook-Off, which will be 5-7 p.m. Feb. 22 and is a fundraiser for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. The event is hosted by Sean Clark, a member of the Rocky Mountain Beard and Mustache Club, which has 63 coin-holding members.

The encouraged donation to taste and rank chili entries is $5. Tasters will get a judging slip to determine the best red, green and hottest and the best overall chili recipes. Typically, there are 10 to 13 entries submitted by members of the different facial clubs in Colorado from the Denver and Northern Colorado areas.

“We’re very generous people. We’re a fun-loving group of people,” said Clark, who started the event to honor his brother, who succumbed to Muscular Dystrophy 30 years ago. “It’s a good family event of hanging out with people who like chili and are facial hair supporters. It’s just a good hang-out time.”

The final cook-off is the seventh annual City Star Chili Cook-Off and will be from 5-8 p.m. March 27 to benefit RAFT, Rural Alternative for Transportation. The cost is $20 a ticket to be able to taste and vote for the Best Chili in Berthoud.

“That particular chili cook-off, we take more of an organizational role to determine the Best Chili in Berthoud,” Way said.

Each year, there are more than 12 chili entries by local businesses and community members for the cook-off. The winner last year was Rise Artisan Bread Bakery & Café in Berthoud.

Annie DeCoteau, co-owner of Rise Artisan Bread Bakery & Café, was the 2024 winner of the City Star Chili Cook-Off. This year’s event will be March 27, plus there will be two more chili cook-offs in February at City Star Brewing. (Courtesy photo)

“It’s usually a mix of chilis, white, green and red chili,” Way said. “It’s fun for residents and businesses to showcase their culinary skills.”

City Star donates $1 per beer sold to the City Star Chili Cook-Off to raise additional funds for RAFT, which provides transportation for adults living in rural Berthoud who are 60 years and older or have disabilities.

“It’s a fun event to showcase some of our other local businesses as well,” Way said.

Advice From The Trail: Alex Sage on Video Content Marketing

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Each volume of Craft Marketing showcases a Featured RadCrafter – a craft marketing professional who is crafting content, telling stories, and curating resources about the beer industry. RadCrafters are helping to shape and share the culture that is craft beer.

This go-around, meet Alex Sage who manages marketing and graphic design for City Star Brewing. We’re unabashed about declaring that City Star runs some of our favorite social media feeds, in particular because of their trendy and hilarious videos.

Tell us about your background before City Star, and your evolution into your current role.

My job title at City Star is Marketing/Graphic Design. I have been in the craft beer industry for 13 years and have done everything from beer tending to brand ambassador to taproom manager. I started out at City Star beer-tending and moved into social media and marketing.

Seems like several years back at this point y’all got into the groove of creating engaging, trending, and on-brand video content on TikTok/IG and haven’t stopped since.

We started experimenting with videos in 2021. City Star owner Whitney Way and I try to stay on top of researching what is pushed out most through social media algorithms, and at that time everything was telling us videos, videos, videos. Instagram was beginning to ramp up using reels, and I had done a deep dive into TikTok watching people learn fun dances, laughing at funny skits and saw how audios would trend. I wanted to bring that same spirit to City Star so we threw our hat in the game!

It seems like your audience loves it, and is growing!

Videos have been huge in growing our audience. With the algorithm prioritizing pushing videos, we were able to gain access and engage with new people who our pages did not previously reach. Berthoud is a small town which surprisingly some people have never even heard of and some don’t know there is a brewery. Doing videos has put our brewery AND Berthoud on the map for a [destination] place to come stop in for a beer. We constantly have people coming into the taproom telling us they love our videos and asking when the next one will be. It’s helped us be able to further engage with our audience both though the internet and in person.

Do you notice any engagement trends for your audience?

Figuring out the algorithm is half the battle and the other half is knowing your audience and what your goals are for using videos. When we first started out on TikTok we were getting tons of new followers but when we looked at the data, these followers were from other states and even other countries. We had to hone in our goals for what we wanted to be using videos for. Yeah it’s cool that someone in England watched our little brewery video…but did anyone in Loveland see it and come visit us? This is where our “let’s just show em’ a good time” spirit for videos began. Our fun, comedic, silly videos create brand awareness near and far while also encouraging our local neighbors to pop in. We try to make content that if you’re a craft beer drinker you can relate and if you’re close by you’ll want to come see us.

How do you choose which trends to participate in while still staying true to the City Star brand?

When it comes to videos I try to take the Red Bull marketing approach which is to show the experience rather than the product. Sell the experience not the beer. Yes, we could list what beers are on tap, we could talk about the hops and geek out over craft beer, we could feature our new beers that come out every Friday…but I want someone to watch our videos and think “They’re having so much fun at City Star, let’s go to THAT brewery!”

City Star strives to produce delicious craft beer that brings our community together so the goal is for people to see our videos and then call up a friend to come visit us for a beer. Our brewery’s audience is aged 21-60 with the majority resting in the 25-45 age range. We want to use audios that are going to be most relatable to this age range as well as pop culture references. (It’s no fun if someone misses the joke!) If it makes us laugh at ourselves, then we post it!

Is using both TikTok and Instagram more time consuming?

Doing videos in general is a bit time consuming. We try to be mindful of which platform we use for which audience. Our TikTok audience is mostly people from out of state so we make TikTok videos about relatable craft beer things for all. For Instagram, our audience is more local and more probable to come in and visit us— so we do those videos that are more geared towards that. Unfortunately synching them up can be a pain for matching audio and platform guidelines, I have yet to find a great app for that.

If anyone reading has a suggested app, please jump into the comments or slide into our DMs!

What video equipment and apps do you use and recommend, especially for tight budgets?

Keep it cheap and easy! I just use my iPhone to record through TikTok, Instagram or Capcut. Luckily these free apps are pretty user friendly for filming and editing your videos. We step our game up with a ring light every once in a while but mostly we just try to show off our space in its authentic state – no cinematics here!

Any last pieces of advice on using video as a brewery marketing tactic?

It can be intimidating making videos but there are lots of ways to have fun and show off your business without using your face if you’re camera shy. Don’t get discouraged. We have spent an hour creating a video that got 200 views and 15 seconds on a video that got 660,000 views – you just never know! It’s a great tool to bring together your staff and guests. JUST HAVE FUN!

Batter up: Flapjack Day returns to Berthoud with free pancakes, community connection

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LeeAnne Sanders flips a pancake ahead of the 2024 Flapjack Day event in Berthoud Monday. City Star Brewing brought the historic event back in 2015 and has continued to serve up free pancakes for the community on Labor Day each year. (Austin Fleskes / Loveland Reporter-Herald)

Berthoud residents lined Mountain Avenue Monday morning with eager smiles as they awaited free flapjacks given out with the return of a historic tradition revived almost 10 years ago.

City Star Brewing held its annual Flapjack Day throughout Monday morning into the early afternoon, offering residents free pancakes and sausage, beer flights, classic cars, ’50s music and community connection.

“Our community has embraced the event with open arms,” said Whitney Way, co-owner of City Star Brewing. “We have a pretty rich history in Berthoud and a very active Berthoud Historical Society.”

The event was first held in the late 1940s, coming to The Garden Spot in 1948 to celebrate Labor Day and “bring neighbors together and visitors from afar to enjoy one of the simple pleasures in life … flapjacks,” according to City Star’s website. The local Lions Club and Chamber of Commerce went on to host the event until 1959, serving up thousands of pancakes for people from all across the town and even the state to enjoy. The event ended in 1959, however, when the chamber decided to cancel it due to the high cost of putting it on.

For more than 50 years, the town went without the event until City Star brought it back. The revival of the event was held in 2015 with the brewery and event volunteers giving away 1,000 pancakes and raising $1,000 for the Berthoud Historical Society. This has continued since then, with volunteers gathering to make pancakes for the masses and raise money for the society.

“We are really honored that the community and the historical society … support us in bringing this event back, which I think speaks to the type of event we host and who we are in the community,” Way said. “When you bring back a historical event there is a lot of expectation that comes with that, and we want to honor what has happened in the past and in town in our community.”

“We, as a society, are so grateful for the partnerships with local businesses who appreciate history,” said Diane Levy, a former historical society board member and current events volunteer with the society, as well as the event’s “Batter Queen.”

As the festivities drew closer, the line for free pancakes stretched down the block as volunteers prepared sweltering skillets with batter pulled from large bowls. With a hearty “yeehaw” as the clock hit 11 a.m., residents were finally able to stack their plates with freshly made flapjacks. Just nearby, those waiting or finishing their free food could enjoy a line of classic cars, varying in make, model and color from across the years.

Diane Levy, left, puts a pancake on Tracy Briggs' plate during the 2024 Flapjack Day event in Berthoud Sept. 2, 2024. Residents lined Mountain Avenue throughout the morning, eagerly waiting to get a free stack of pancakes before spending time among other community members (Austin Fleskes / Loveland Reporter-Herald)
Diane Levy, left, puts a pancake on Tracy Briggs’ plate during the 2024 Flapjack Day event in Berthoud Monday. Residents lined Mountain Avenue throughout the morning, eagerly waiting to get a free stack of pancakes before spending time among other community members. (Austin Fleskes / Loveland Reporter-Herald)

Tracy Briggs, a Berthoud resident and former museum director, was one of the first people in line to get a short stack and spoke highly of the event.

“I love the pancakes and sausages (and) I love the tradition and sense of community,” she said. “We come here, we see friends and get to look at great old cars. It is a great event.”

“We like the pancakes and it’s a good time,” said Meagan James, who came with several members of her family.

Ruth Fletcher-Carter was raised in Berthoud and recently moved back after having moved away. She said she remembers going to the original Flapjack Day in the 1950s, adding that, as a child back then, she remembers being drawn in by the pancakes, saying her sister even dressed her up to look like a pancake one year.

She added that when the event came back in 2015 she was “absolutely delighted.”I love the people, I love the pancakes,” she said. “I just love the sprit of camaraderie that it brings.” For those involved on the back side of the event, being able to have another Flapjack Day and support the Berthoud Historical Society is important.

Way said the event follows the philosophy that City Star lives by every day, that it is more than just the thing being served, be that beer or pancakes. “People are very important to us, so the people who walk in our door, the people we work with and of course our people, our staff,” she said. “This is another great opportunity to bring people together and have a celebration, have a party within our community”

‘“Berthoud has a wonderful, awesome community and a business community that really understands the importance of the history of Berthoud and wants to preserve that history,” said Andrew Wayland, museum manager for the historical society. “It is wonderful they are raising funds for us because people can spend their money on many things nowadays, but to have people come and support us at an event like Flapjack Day really shows we have an important (place) in our community.”

Levy said that the history of the event and what it meant to Berthoud when it started nearly 80 years ago is something important to remember and continue in the modern era.

“History is happening in the present,” she said. “So what we are doing now will be looked back on decades from now as we do today to the (’50s).”

Originally Published: 

Tune In With City Star

 150 150 City Star Brewing
October 23, 2023

Tune In With City Star

We live in a world that our ways of connecting with each other is ever evolving, City Star Brewing has created a new way to connect with their audience. Since August of 2022 they have asked their patrons to “tune in” to their Hazy IPA radio series. With every Hazy IPA beer they release comes a new Spotify playlist. The brewery playlists are built off of what the brewers were listening to while brewing that particular Hazy IPA recipe. The song playlists have different themes with matching vibes for the can art. The music varies from 2000’s pop, grunge rock, Indie, country and more. This month City Star will be releasing their 6th beer in the radio line up, Hazy IPA 80’s New Wave Radio. The funky 80’s neon cans will release in the taproom 11/27. This music station includes songs from Ah-ha, Talking Heads, Soft Cell and more. To listen to the music beer drinkers can simply scan the QR code on the City Star can of beer to be connected with it’s matching playlist.

City Star Brewing isn’t just about the beer but also the experience. The small town Berthoud, Colorado taproom prides themselves on their hometown feel and community. The Hazy IPA radio music series is a way to “tune-in” to the taproom and feel a part of their community even when you’re enjoying their craft beer to-go. Their goal is to create a little more connection, and a lot more great craft beer! Come in Friday, November 27th for the release of the newest Hazy IPA with food truck and live music.

Berthoud Flips Over Flapjack Day

 150 150 City Star Brewing
September 4, 2023
Reporter Herald
By Will Costello
Originally Reporter Herald

Flapjack Day, a Labor Day tradition that began in Berthoud in the 1940s and was renewed by Star City Brewing in 2015, returned to Berthoud Monday.

The celebration, originally the domain of the local Chamber of Commerce, was eventually discontinued in 1958 because it became too large to maintain. That changed in 2015 when Star City Brewing bartender Ian Phillips noticed an old photograph on the wall of the brewery depicting the event, and he became determined to bring it back.

Since then the event has ballooned, even overcoming an unexpected two-year hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic, to establish itself as a community tradition once again.

Berthoud Flapjack Day, a tradition from the mid-20th century that was revived by City Star Brewing in 2015, offers free pancakes to visitors. (Will Costello / Loveland Reporter Herald).

“I think that it has,” said Diane Levy, director of the Berthoud Historical Society and one of the main organizers and flapjack flippers during the festivities. “For an example, several people have said ‘I missed it last year, I couldn’t make it. So I changed my travel plans to be here this time.’”

Donations at Flapjack Day benefit the Historical Society, especially important, said Levy, now that they are no longer running annual galas, one of the society’s main fundraisers.

For the first time, donations could also be made online or with credit cards, as opposed to past years when they were limited to cash stuffed into jars by grateful attendees.

“As the person handing out the pancakes most of the morning, I just kept saying ‘The Historical Society thanks you!’” Levy said.

Pancakes are not the only attraction to Flapjack Day though.

Taking place at a brewery in the late morning and early afternoon, flights of breakfast beers are on sale at City Star Brewing, with part of the proceeds benefiting the Historical Society. A classic car show allows collectors and others to peek under the hood of old Model T’s, Corvette’s, and other classics stretched down First Street in Berthoud, and live music, this year provided by the Vern Neeley Vibe, was presented in the late afternoon.

The Flapjack Queen Contest, a women-only eating competition where contestants race to house five flapjacks faster than the rest, had a few changes this year.

The most notable was an absence. Reigning Flapjack Queen Lynsey Morgan, who has emerged victorious by considerable margins in the last five Flapjack Queen contests, chose to retire this year, although she did bring her family to the event in order to crown the winner and to eat pancakes at a more modest pace.

Her successor, Lexy Seeley, licked her plate clean at the 2:10 mark.

“I got some pointers from the queen herself,” she said, gesturing at Morgan who was standing nearby. “It definitely helps to have somebody who has battle experience.”

Phillips, the bartender who renewed the tradition in 2015, has shifted careers from “slinging beers to slinging houses,” but still hosts the event and the eating competition.

“The generosity of everyone who shows up and donates, as well as the sponsors, is what keeps this alive,” Phillips said. “And we’re hoping to keep doing it. Because it is just a real community event where everybody gets together to do something cool.”

City Star Brews For Ursa Major

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While City Star slings craft beer in downtown Berthoud, Ursa Major slings innovative propulsion systems for space launch, hypersonics, and national security. Ursa asked City Star to come together to craft an employee appreciation beer. The two wanted to create a palatable and approachable beer to all, choosing to brew a pale ale. The hops for this brew were chosen based on their “space” names. This brew features Comet, Strata and Galaxy hops. The beer was dry hopped twice early during fermentation to achieve bio transformation of the hop compounds. City Star chose to use local Root Shoot Malting’s award winning English Pale Ale Malt. Ursa visited City Star on the day of brewing to learn about the brewing process and tour the local Berthoud brewery.

1000 cans of Full Duration Juicy Pale Ale will be sent over to Ursa for their employees to enjoy while a few kegs will be available on tap at City Star. The public can come enjoy this juicy pale ale starting Friday, May 19th at the downtown Berthoud City Star taproom.

16 Of The Best Northern Colorado Breweries

 150 150 City Star Brewing

July 26, 2022
5280 Magazine
By Sarah Kuta
Originally published in 5280 Magazine 

City Star Beer Garden

From Greeley to Fort Collins to Loveland, venture up north to sip some of Colorado’s best craft beers. Home to some of the Centennial State’s longest-standing—and most innovative—craft breweries, northern Colorado is worth exploring, whether you’re a self-described beer lover or someone who just loves a good taproom ambiance. From funky spontaneous ferments to trusty lagers and dank IPAs, here are some of our favorite places to grab a beer north of Denver in Boulder, Longmont, Boulder, and beyond.

City Star Brewing
Berthoud
With food trucks, live music, a relaxing beer garden with a wall covered in hops, and a central location on Berthoud’s main street, City Star is a welcoming hub for Berthoud’s 8,500 tight-knit residents and visitors alike. Founded in 2012 by John and Whitney Way, the downtown brewery and taproom has grown and expanded over the years, but has managed to hold onto its small-town feel, too. That local vibe even extends to ingredients: City Star often partners with Root Shoot Malting, one of Colorado’s best craft maltsters, located just up the road in rural Loveland. Sip classics like Bandit Brown or Night Watchman, or try some of their fruitier, funkier brews, like Berthoud Barb or Squeeze. 321 Mountain Ave., Berthoud.

Continue reading at 5280 Magazine

Margarita-inspired Colorado beers for kicking off patio season

 150 150 City Star Brewing

May 5, 2022
Thirst Magazine
By Kristen Kuchar


Warmer temperatures and sunny days mean it’s the ever-so cherished patio season for Colorado. If this time of year has you craving a margarita but you don’t want to stray from beloved local beer, you’re in luck. These beers have a classic margarita flair or are inspired by the popular cocktail.

Lowrider Lime | Berthoud Brewing
Lowrider Lime is inspired by south-of-the-border imports and designed to be a “crushable thirst quencher.” Limes are hand-zested to add to the brew, along with Celtic Sea salt. Coming in at 4.8 percent ABV, Berthoud Brewing’s lager is light, citrusy and balanced.

Uber La Luna Margarita Gose | Cheluna
This Cheluna beer is brewed in collaboration with their friends at Uberbrew in Billings, Montana. The Gose gets an extra kick from lime and orange essence. Uber La Luna Gose also comes in a tequila barrel-aged variant, and the team suggests trying them side by side.

Tres Amigos | Elevation Beer Co.
The idea for Tres Amigos was sparked during regular bike rides between three friends who wanted a refreshing beer with electrolytes. Elevation’s canned brew is a lager that gets a balanced sourness from lime puree and sea salt. This beer, coming in at 5% ABV, is also brewed with Tettnanger and Magnum hops.

Salted Lime Kölsch | City Star Brewing
A taproom favorite, Squeeze is a Kolsch brewed with sea salt and finished with lime juice before conditioning. It was originally brewed for barrel aging, but when City Star released what didn’t fit in the tequila barrels, the beer was a hit. There will also be three variants of this brew – Strawberry Squeeze, Peach Squeeze and Mango Squeeze, available to sample side-by-side in a flight in the taproom.

El Pop Saison | Cerveceria Colorado
For tequila lovers, El Pop Saison ages in tequila barrels for five months, lending a flavor of agave and tequila, as well as oakiness. The beer is a collaboration between Cerveceria Colorado, the Escollo brewery and Warped Wing Brewing Co. For lime lovers, the brewery’s Cocolimon Sour is brewed with fresh zested lime and shredded coconut.

Los Locos | Epic Brewing
Los Locos is said to be a perfect summer afternoon in a glass. The Mexican-style golden lager is brewed with lime juice and sea salt, in addition to Amarillo hops. Described as refreshing with a hint of malt sweetness, Los Locos won a bronze medal for Epic Brewing at the North American Brewers Association.

Margarita Gose | Great Divide Brewing Company
Great Divide’s Margarita Gose combines a traditional sour German Ale with all the tart, zestiness of a margarita. The beer is partially aged in tequila barrels and enhanced with lime puree, Himalayan pink salt and market lime leaf. Ideal for enjoying during warmer temperatures, it’s only available from April through June.

City Star Brewing Trades Beer for Trash this Earth Day

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City Star Brewing is hosting an Adopt YOUR Town campaign this Earth Day. The Berthoud, Colorado brewery is sponsoring this littler clean-up by offering free beer in exchange for a bag of trash. Participants can earn a beer by showing their City Star beer slinger a photo with their bag of trash. Alternatively community members can drop off at City Star’s roll-off dumpster rented just for the campaign. A red City Star tent will be setup with the dumpster, located in the parking lot on the SE corner of 3rd and Mountain Ave. Litter will be traded for free beer coupons at the tent Sunday 4/24 (note: date changed to windy Friday forecast). Families are encouraged to participate with their kids. There will also be root beer on hand at the City Star tent to trade for trash!

Bin There Dump That is an event sponsor. The Northern Colorado company helped make the roll-off dumpster a possibility. City Star asks community members to help make the event a success by not dumping any prohibited items: electronics, appliances, hazardous waste or tires. This isn’t a Town clean-up day accepting any and all trash. The Town of Berthoud will actually be sponsoring a Town Clean-Up Week in May so residents should hold out for that event to schlep old mattresses away. The intention of City Star’s Adopt YOUR Town campaign event is to clean-up litter around the area, not from personal property. Unfortunately after a spring of W-I-N-D there is a lot of roadside litter.

City Star strives, not only on Earth Day but every day, to be earth conscious with their business decisions. They practice this by recapturing brewing water, sending their spent grain to Long Shadow Farm, offering recycling in their taproom, using biodegradable plastic cups when needed, re-using 4-pack holders and sourcing local ingredients. Earth Day is a day to celebrate our planet and recognize what changes we can make to better it. When it comes to environmental stewardship there is always space to improve, but the small town brewery is proud to do its part, recognize what can be improved upon, and work to do more. City Star holds great value in bettering their Berthoud community in all ways and can’t wait to come together to clean up this weekend!

City Star Ladies Brew Together on International Women’s Day

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City Star Ladies Brew Together on International Women’s Day
Calamity Jane, Experimental Sour Pale Ale 

On International Womens Day, Tuesday March 8th, City Star staff came together to brew an annual ladies collaboration, Calamity Jane. The tradition of brewing a unique female led beer each year began back in 2015. Past year’s brews include collaborations with Root Shoot Malting, Spirit Hound Distillers (2016 and 2017), and Grimm Brothers Brewhouse (2018). City Star’s 2022 Women Day brew was an in-house collaboration. The female brew day is an opportunity to have fun and highlight empowered women at City Star, within our community, and in the beer industry.

The beer brewed this year is an Experimental Sour Pale Ale: a blend of sour barrel aged golden ale with a citrus pale ale. City Star ladies brewed the pale ale together on IWD with fresh lime and sumo tangerine zest. The brew was then dry hopped with the Pink Boots 2021 Hop Blend (HBC 630, Idaho Gem®, Loral®, Talus® and Triumph). Yakima Hopsdonates $3 per pound sold of the blend to the Pink Boots Society scholarship fund. Calamity Jane is scheduled for release Friday, April 1st along with Calamity Jane “Be a Legend” T-Shirts. The release event will also feature female owned Italian food truck Ting’s Things and local musician Andrea Deepe of 10 Year Echo.

The annual event of Calamity Jane is valued by City Star because it highlights the celebration of women in craft beer. In 2021 male brewery owners outnumbered women brewery owners 3-to-1. City Star staff brew this beer in solidarity with their female co-workers and in support of 50% female ownership. It important to offer a welcoming environment for all and honor the work that women contribute to the beer industry. This beer is admiringly named after Calamity Jane herself, a woman of the Wild West known for her sharp shooting, whisky-swilling and kindness towards others. And as she so famously quotes, “I figure if a girl wants to be a legend, she should just go ahead and be one.”