Barrel-Aged Cocktails; Pickling Extremes in Ft. Collins

DOWNTOWN— Barrel-aged cocktails are all the rage, and Ghost Plate & Tap (800 18th St.) has joined in on the fun with a new barrel-aged cocktail program. With the help of Peach Street Distillers, Ghost Plate & Tap already has a few cocktails ready for sipping. [Thrillist]

BOULDER— Twisted Pine Brewing celebrates its 17th anniversary this week, and president Bob Baile chatted with The Daily Camera about expansion. He also offers up some wisdom about competition: "I tell my staff all the time that competition is not a bad thing. Don't get me wrong — I'd love to be the only kid on the block — but competition keeps you on your toes. It makes you better and the consumer wins." [DC]

FT. COLLINS— Silver Grill Cafe (218 Walnut Street) has gone to pickling extremes in an attempt to earn a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records for the World's Biggest Build-Your-Own Bloody Mary bar. The bar features over 50 pickled items, including "radishes, cauliflower, watermelon rind and habanero peppers. Even the pea pods growing on the restaurant’s back patio got a shot at cocktail history." [Coloradoan]

BRECKENRIDGE— Where are some of Denver's hottest restaurants getting their caviar? Breckenridge, believe it or not. Black River Caviar, a small caviar producer in Breckenridge, now distributes to The Kitchen Denver, Trillium and Frasca. [5280]