A big crowd of people from the Golden community came out and enjoyed their time together at the Barrels & Bottles Brewery on April 5. There were two reasons for the gathering — to taste Brian Q’s Pale Boy Ale Part Tres and support the Golden Civic Foundation.
This event “brings people in the community together to enjoy a beer for a good cause,” said Brian Quarnstrom, who sits on the board for the Golden Civic Foundation. Plus, he added, “they get to learn more about a long-standing nonprofit that has been vital to the rejuvenation of Golden.”
The late Frederick A. “Heinie” Foss and his wife Barbara started the foundation about 45 years ago to promote the vitality of downtown Golden, said the foundation’s executive director Heather Schneider.
“I think they would be proud to see how the people of Golden continue to embrace the community,” Schneider said, “and always building a better Golden.”
Quarnstrom has done a guest brew with the brewery’s owners Zach and Abby George, and head brewer Cory Carvatt, for the past three years. The purpose has always been to have the beer release party benefit a local nonprofit. This is the second year the Golden Civic Foundation has benefitted.
It’s a lot of fun, and the Georges like to support the community, Abby said. For every beer and wine purchase made during the tap release party, $1 went to the Golden Civic Foundation.
“Events like this are awesome because it’s an easy way to raise money,” Carvatt said. “And you know people will come.”
Golden is a wonderful community, said Brian Reed, the Golden Civic Foundation’s community relations director. It’s great that businesses such as Barrels & Bottles support the events of the nonprofits that exist for the benefit of the community.
“We live in a cool town,” Reed said. “We got a turnout of all ages and walks of life to support the Golden Civic Foundation.”
Quarnstrom’s business partner at The Golden Group Real Estate Advisors, Debbie Johnson, invited her neighbors The Sullivans — who were having a great time.
Linda Sullivan especially enjoyed the live music performed by local band Thunder & Rain, she said.
Michael Robinson, a Golden resident since 2009, decided to come to Barrels & Bottles to meet people and “see what’s going on.”
“What’s great about this town,” he said, “is people come together like this.”