Central City brewery to show off wares at Great American Beer Fest

Central City’s own Dostal Alley Brewery and Casino is breaking out the brews during Denver’s annual national celebration of all things beery at the 30th Great American Beer Festival Sept. 29 through Oct. 1 in the Colorado Convention Center.

Dostal is a past medal winner in two categories and will be bringing a minimum of five varieties to the brew bash.

Samples of the beers they are entering in this year’s competition – Gilpin Gold, Jacob Mack, American City, Shaft House Stout and Summer Ale – are now on tap at the brewery in Central City.

Gilpin County Commissioner and Dostal owner Buddy Schmalz and head brewer emeritus from Coors, Dave Thomas, are Dostal’s brew crew. Head over to Dostal, raise a glass of mighty brew and toast a bottom’s up to Schamlz, Thomas and the Dostal gang.

Things that go bump in the night. Central City, a historical mining town known for its residents who are long gone yet refuse to leave, brings back the ever-popular Creepy Crawl Saturday evenings in October.

Get your freak on with these haunted walks, which are seriously spooky and historically correct fun for the not too faint of heart.

Tickets are available at all King Soopers and through ticketswest.com. Tours run every 20 minutes and last approximately 60 minutes – if you make it that long…bwahhhhahahaha!

The Creepy Crawl is limited to 200 people per Saturday night. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for children. Reservations required: 303-582-5283.

Asian taste temptation. Looking for a respite from the clatter of the casino? Want an alternative from the culinary lineup at the buffet?

Step into Orchid Garden, the Isle in Black Hawk’s newest restaurant, for a tastebud trip to the China and Vietnam.

Gal pal and I took the new eatery for a tasty test drive recently where we indulged in menu items including a dim sum sampler with three varieties of dumplings; Orchid lettuce wrap with stir-fried chicken, walnuts and veggies; pad Thai noodles with shrimp and chicken and boneless striped bass deep-fried or steamed.

Other menu delights include several varieties of Pho, the Vietnamese noodle soup dish; chicken with lemongrass; whole Dungeness crab stir-fried; stir-fried or sautéed mussels and whole live Maine lobster.

A great alternative to more conventional casino fare.

- Penny Parker is a columnist for The Denver Post. She’s always on the prowl for tidbits and tips from Colorado’s gaming communities. Call her at 303-619-5209 or e-mail pparker@denverpost.com.