TIDBITES | St. Julien will go dark

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St. Julien will go dark

The St. Julien Hotel & Spa will observe Earth Hour on Saturday, March 27, at 8:30 p.m., by turning off all nonessential lights and hosting a candlelight celebration. From 5 p.m. to close, the hotel will offer locally grown, sustainable food and beverages, and at 8:30 p.m. guests are invited to partake in a celebratory toast as the lights are switched off. The hotel, Jill’s Restaurant and the T-Zero Martini Bar will all “go dark,” and entertainment by local artist Phil Robinson will liven up the evening. It is estimated that if all Boulder households and businesses switched off their lights for one hour, carbon dioxide emissions would be reduced by 18 metric tons. The St. Julien pledges to turn off more than 1,150 lights throughout the establishment as part of the blackout.

Avery debuts barrel-aged ale

Avery Brewing Company will host a release tasting of its Depuceleuse Barrel-Aged Wild Ale, the fourth in its series of barrel-aged beers. The brew has spent one year in zinfandel wine barrels and has matured into pungent flavors of sour cherry, aromas of aged wood and gentle spice. The release tasting and bottle event will take place on Friday, April 2, from 5 to 8 p.m. in the Avery Tap Room. Guests will have the opportunity to purchase up to six bottles of Depuceleuse ale as well as sample up to 22 other Avery beers. Admission is free. For more information, visit www. averybrewing.com.

Biodynamic wine dinner at Arugula

Arugula Bar e Ristorante will host a five-course dinner paired with Colorado biodynamic wines on Wednesday, April 14, at 6:30 p.m. The menu will feature seasonal produce, Colorado lamb and Idaho sturgeon.

Wines will include Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and a red blend, and winemaker Lance Hanson will be present at the dinner to discuss his wines. Cost is $65 per person (not including tax and tip). Reservations are required; call 303-443-5100.

Transitioning to local

Boulder-based nonprofit organization Transition Colorado is making progress in its EAT LOCAL! campaign, aiming for a 10 percent shift into local food sourcing throughout Boulder County. The 10-year campaign is designed to draw closer connections between members of the community and local food producers. Since its inception in 2007, the campaign has made significant changes throughout the county: restaurants have increased their use of local ingredients, county government has formed the Food and Agriculture Policy Council, CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) shares have increased, and the Boulder County Farmers Market is now one of the top 10 in the nation. The overarching goal of the campaign is to put into place a more resilient local food system that is less dependent on fossil fuels. To obtain an EAT LOCAL! guide, visit www.eatlocalguide.com. For more information about Transition Colorado, visit http:// transitioncolorado.ning.com.

Local finalist in Cocktail World Cup

Mark Stoddard, a mixologist at The Bitter Bar, has been named one of three U.S. finalists to represent the United States in the New Zealand competition, the 42Below Cocktail World Cup. Stoddard is a previous first-place winner of the Colorado Bartenders Guild cocktail contest, and also was selected to compete in the national finals. The 42Below World Cup will take place March 23-28.