A round-up of can’t-miss events this month:
• Wednesday Wine Tasting: Wines of Chile: A taste of four Chilean wines with small bites. Held in the Wine Cellar. $15. Wednesday, February 1, 6-8 p.m. The Blue Star, 1645 S. Tejon St.
• Flagship: A Best of Beer Event: A one-day-only menu featuring paired dishes with Phantom’s four flagship beers: Dos Lunas Mexican Lager, Streamliner IPA, Boxcar Amber Ale, and Alpenglow Hefeweizen. Call 635-2800 for reservations. $40. Thursday, Feb. 2, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Phantom Canyon Brewing Company, 2 E. Pikes Peak Ave.
• Moments in History Wine Dinner: The Cold War Era: A seven-course paired dinner with courses that include: blini with smoked caviar, Chicken Kiev “Cuban” style, and more. Call 598-8667 for reservations. $65, plus tax and tip. Thursday, February 2, 6:30 p.m. Margarita at PineCreek, 7350 Pine Creek Road.
• Haute Chocolate Hop: A 13-stop progressive gourmet chocolate tasting. Go online for a full list of the stops — which include shops, restaurants and art galleries — and what’s on the menu. $10. Friday, February 3, 5-8 p.m. Downtown.
• National Soup Day with The Rooster and The Hawk: A joint celebration from Sparrow Hawk and Mark Henry’s soon-to-open restaurant, Rooster’s House of Ramen. Chef will be serving up samples of his pork belly ramen and talking “soup, noodles, Le Creuset soup pots and knives.” Saturday, February 4, 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sparrow Hawk Gourmet Cookwear, 120 N. Tejon St.
• National 2 x 4 Day 2017: A celebration by Melvin Brewing serving up its signature beers. Saturday, February 4, 9 a.m. to midnight. Brewer’s Republic, 112 N. Nevada Ave.
• Cacao Chemistry Chocolate Brown Tapping: A Valentine’s Day prelude, with free beer samples, flights of fruit-infused chocolate beer for $10, best-dressed couples costume contest and more. Tuesday, February 7, 6-9 p.m. Rock Bottom, 3316 Cinema Point.
• Early Valentine’s Piedmont Wine Dinner: A five-course paired menu from Chef Jay Gust with Piedmont wines, and experts on hand to discuss them. Go online for the full menu. Reserve tickets at Coaltrain at 475-9700. $59, plus tax and tip. Tuesday, February 7. Pizzeria Rustica, 2527 W. Colorado Ave.
• The Curious Palate Wine Tasting Class: A fun, 90-minute class focused on learning more about wine. Paid reservations required. $30, $25 for FAC members. Wednesday, February 8, 6-7:30 p.m. Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, 30 W. Dale St.
• Pikes Peak Hill Shine Release Party: Axe and the Oak’s release party, with live music. Wednesday, February 8, 7-10 p.m. Axe and the Oak Whiskey House, 1604 S. Cascade Ave., #80.
• Beer Dinners are Back, Baby!: A five-course beer dinner from Local Relic and Common Cause Catering. $60. Friday, February 10, 5:30-10 p.m. Marian House Soup Kitchen, 14 W. Bijou St.
• 291 Whiskey & Chocolate Pairing: Whiskey flights paired with chocolate from Radiantly Raw. Available for two nights: February 10 and 11, 5-9 p.m. Distillery 291, 1647 S. Tejon St.
• Fifty Shades of Chocolate Dinner: A night of “intoxicating food, wine, and chocolate. … a journey filled with aphrodisiacs and sensory stimulants.” Seating limited to 40 guests. Call 434-2741 to reserve a space. Tuesday, February 14, 6:30-9 p.m. Brother Luck Street Eats, 1005 W. Colorado Ave.
Also on Valentine’s Day, specialty dinners at The Famous, Margarita at PineCreek, Tapateria, and The Blue Star.
• Test Tap Wednesday: Imperial Mocha Stout: A tasting of this coffee-chocolate brew from Fieldhouse. Wednesday, February 15, 5-9 p.m. Fieldhouse Brewing Company, 521 S. Tejon St.
• 13th Annual Firkin Rendezvous at Bristol Brewing Co.: Bristol’s celebrated annual cask ale party with over 40 Colorado brewers on site sharing their cask-conditioned ales. $45 general admission, $65 VIP, $15 for DDs, includes lunch. Saturday, February 18, 1-5 p.m. Bristol Brewing Co., 1604 S. Cascade Ave.
• Test Tap Wednesday: Bourbon Barrel Aged Fist Pump: To cap off Fieldhouse’s observance of stout month, a retooled Fist Pump, this time aged two months in local bourbon barrels. Wednesday, February 22, 5-9 p.m. Fieldhouse Brewing Company, 521 S. Tejon St.
• Mumbo Jumbo Gumbo Cook-off: Manitou’s annual gumbo contest, with public tastings available for $1. Stick around for the Mardi Gras Parade beginning at 1. Saturday, February 25, 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Soda Springs Park, 1000 Manitou Ave., Manitou Springs.
• Mardi Gras Brunch: A three-course meal with options including: chicken and andouille gumbo; fried green tomato and eggs Benedict with Creole Hollandaise; crawfish and tasso Etouffee with eggs; Beignets and more. Call 598-8667 for reservations. $28, $16 for kids. Sunday, February 26, 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Margarita at PineCreek, 7350 Pine Creek Road.
[Image: Facebook]
