2026 Winter/Spring Puzzle Season


JANUARY - Doggie Fashion Week Puzzle

NIGHT #1: The new season of puzzles on tap official kicked off on January 13th, 2026. We decided to return to 500 piece puzzles and keep the actual puzzles a secret to level the playing field. It was returning team Puzzling Prodigies that absolutely blasted through the January puzzle in 37:29 for the first night.  Could it have been their team gear (including shirts and sweatshirts)? We’ll never know.  It was a very close finish between 2nd and 3rd with less than a minute separating newcomers Jigsaw Geniuses and returning team Puzzlers and Guzzlers (also sporting team gear) finishing in 58:01 and 58:57 respectively.  Then just 10 minutes the next team finished with just 3 seconds separating 4th and 5th with 6th.

NIGHT #2: On the second night of the January puzzle, a fresh set of 8 teams competed in the super cute “Doggie Fashion Week” puzzle including 6 returning teams and 2 rookie teams.  Veteran team ‘Fit It To Win It’ took top honors for the month in a blazing fast 31 minutes and change followed by ‘Dance A Fine Jig(saw)’ and ‘Getting Jiggy With It’ finishing seconds apart in 45 minutes.  ‘Puzz Lightyear’ was next at 47:30. 

This means this weeks winner ‘Fit It To Win It’ and last weeks winner ‘Puzzling Prodigies’ have punched their tickets to Champions Night while the rest will have to just try again. 

FEBRUARY - Traveling to Italy Puzzle

NIGHT #1: This month’s puzzle seemed a little harder; half the field finished in under 1 hour, and all teams under 1 hour 30 minutes.  It was nice to see several new teams join in the fun and bring even more creative names to the table, like “Jig and Tonic”!  While our newbies battled hard, in the end it was a returning team with a new name “Come Together” that knocked out this 500 piece panoramic puzzle in just 40:30.  Coming in second, and earning their possible spot in Champions Night, was returning team “Puzz Lightyear!.”

NIGHT #2: Eight fresh teams became tourists in Italy and competed in Round 2 of our “Traveling to Italy” puzzle, including 5 returning teams and 3 rookie teams.  Returning team ‘Puzzling Prodigies’ improved on their 2nd Place Puzzle #1 placement by taking the overall win in just 38:11.  Newbie team ‘Eat Our Puzzle Dust’ was 2nd in 41:45 but fell short of earning their ticket to Champions Night as Team ‘Come Together’ which finished 1st in Round 1 had a time of 40:30.  This means Round 1 veteran team ‘Puzz Lightyear’ was pushed off the podium (and actually fell down to 5th) as ‘Getting Jiggy with It’ took 4th in 45:30. 

MARCH - Fluffy Team Puzzle

NIGHT #1 - Teams really seemed to enjoy Puzzle 3 of our 4-puzzle season this week and cranked it out as usual, with almost all teams finishing in under an hour, but maybe that was partially because all teams had puzzled with us before? Who knows! Team “Puzzling Prodigies” set a high bar for the round 2 teams by turning in a blazing time of 26:59.  2nd place was almost as close as the LA Marathon finish, but for the 3rd month in a row, team “Getting Jiggy With It” was edged out by just a few seconds, this time by team “Puzz Lightyear,” who finished in 33:12.   

NIGHT #2 - On Tuesday night, our next set of 8 teams took on the ‘Fluffy Team’ puzzle in Round 2 of our March puzzle.  We had 3 very enthusiastic newbie teams (Team names: I See Hot People, Puzzkill, and Interlocking Legends) and 5 returning teams. Newbies ‘I See Hot People’ came with their game faces on (and team shirts) and took the title for the evening in 30:42, which in turn knocked ‘Puzz Lightyear’ off the podium and out of Champions Night (at least for now).    Round 1 team ‘Puzzling Prodigies’ retained their overall title for March and due to their fantastic time of 26:59 caused a ripple effect on Champions Night for February, resulting in team ‘Eat Our Puzzle Dust’ earning a Champions Night spot!

APRIL - Manarola at Sunset Puzzle

NIGHT #1 - The final puzzle of this season! Once again, team “Puzzling Prodigies” exerted their dominance over the rest of the competitors with a blazing fast 38:23 to earn their 3rd top finish (plus 1 second place) of the season. 

NIGHT #2 - Competition was fierce as the last set of teams for the 2026 Season battled for the final champions night spots. Team ‘Our Cat Ate Your Last Puzzle Piece’ brought their A-game and missed knocking the odds-on favorite for winning champions night by just 20 seconds, finishing in 38:43!   

The other teams that will be joining them and Puzzling Prodigies to compete on the 1000-piece ‘TBA’ puzzle will be ‘Fit it to Win it’, ‘Dance a Fine Jig(saw)’, ‘Come Together’, ‘Eat our Puzzle Dust’, ‘I See Hot People’ and ‘The Piece Keepers’. 

CHAMPIONS NIGHT - SWEET DELIGHTS PUZZLE

Teams were hyped and ready for the 2026 Puzzle Season Champions Night.  We stuck with the ‘panorama’ puzzle format but selected the 1000-piece Sweet Delights puzzle to provide a little more challenge.  The top 3 teams of ‘Fit it to Win it’, ‘Puzzling Prodigies’ and ‘Come Together’ were separated by just 3 ½ minutes, but it was ‘Fit it to Win it’ that come out on top in 1:29:12, beating out the season leader ‘Puzzling Prodigies’ and claiming their spot on the Wall of Champions plaque for a second straight season. They also took home exclusive tap house pint glasses and the $30 prize.

Thank you to all our Champions Night teams and all teams that competed throughout the season.  We look forward to seeing you again when we start our 2026 Fall Puzzle mini-season in September (just a heads up that we will be mixing it up a bit!).  Signup is now open (reach out to Erik on erik@coloradotaphouse.com or 303-358-3208) and will start at 6:00pm to allow just a little more time for teams to gather.   

All the Pieces Fit: Fall 2025 Puzzle Nights Season Recap

We kicked off our 2025 Fall Puzzles on Tap Season on Tuesday, September 9th with the “camping trip” puzzle. We decided to go with 750 piece shaped puzzles as last season a number of teams absolutely blasted through the 500 piece puzzles.  It was returning team “Fit it to Win it” that put the smack down on the other teams finishing in a swift 1:07.  Team “Puzzlers and Guzzlers” edged out (by less than 2 minutes) team “Getting Jiggy With It” finishing in 1:36 to also qualify for Champions Night!

The 2nd night of the season had teams trying to put together the “Harvest Barn” puzzle. We had several new teams join in the fun, but in the end it was returning team “Jigsawwy Mom” that finished first in 1:24 edging out returning team “Piece Seekers” that finished just a few minutes behind. Both these teams advanced to the Champions Night!

The 3rd round of our 2025 Fall Puzzle Season featured the 750 piece shaped “Rocket Drive-in” puzzle which proved to be a little more challenging for most teams than the prior rounds.  With that said, returning team “Puzzling Prodigies” nearly broke the 1 hour mark finishing in 1:01 to take the title.  Returning team “Not Our First Rodeo” came in 2nd in 1:21 followed by a new “Puzz Lightyear” team.  With “Puzzling Prodigies” unable to attend Champions Night, the other two teams advanced to Champions Night.

The 4th and final qualifying round of our 2025 Fall Puzzle Season featured a great mix of new and returning teams.  The teams battled the 750 piece shaped “Lighthouse Garden” puzzle! It was team “Dance a Fine Jig(saw)” that crushed the puzzle in a seasons best of 44 minutes followed by “Our Cat Ate Your Last Puzzle Piece” in 1:19.   These 2 teams joined the six other qualifiers to compete on a mystery puzzle on Champions Night.

Champions Night did not disappoint as the 8 top teams battled for a spot on the Colorado Tap House Wall of Champions plaque!  As the “Roswell This Way” puzzle was not announced ahead of time, teams had to strategize and get started quickly.  At the 45 minute mark the teams were all making good and steady progress and then all of sudden the pieces fell into place (pun intended) for team “Fit it to Win It” and they closed out the puzzle (and the competition) in 1:09 with team “Our Cat Ate Your Last Puzzle Piece” coming in second. 

Thank you to all the teams that competed throughout the season.  We look forward to seeing you again when we start our 2026 Spring Puzzle Season in January.  Signup is now open for our Spring Season and will feature 500 piece puzzles. This is our longer season with 2 rounds of each of the 4 qualifier puzzles. The top two teams of each puzzle moving on to Champions Night in May.  Qualifier Nights will be the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays each month (Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr) and will start at 5:30pm.  Be sure to practice over the holidays and we will see you in January!   

Mahalo for the Memories: Luau & Pig Roast Recap

On Saturday, July 19, 2025, we brought the island vibes straight to the tap house—and you brought the energy! Our first-ever Luau & Pig Roast was a full-on tropical escape packed with sunshine, music, dancing, and some serious flavor. Huge thank you to everyone who showed up, wore their Hawaiian shirts, and helped us turn this summer celebration into a party we won’t forget.

🌺 Tiki Drinks & Island Eats

We kicked things off at noon with the tiki bar going full throttle—serving delicious Painkillers, Mai Tais, and Piña Coladas crafted just for the day. Whether you were sipping in the sun or cooling off in the shade, these tropical classics set the tone perfectly.

At 1:30 PM, the pig roast opened to a hungry (and excited) crowd. Served with BBQ beans, Hawaiian slaw, a sweet roll, and watermelon, these plates flew fast—first come, first served until we sold out! Shoutout to everyone who showed up early and got their hands on this island feast.

🎶 Live Music, Polynesian Dance & Silent Disco

The music started flowing at 1 PM with live performances from Tribal Dantz that kept spirits high and hips moving.

At 3 PM, stunning Polynesian dancers from Hālau Kalama wowed the crowd with an energetic and vibrant performance that transported us all straight to the islands. With a fire display to close out the performace, you don’t want to miss this next year!

But the real surprise hit? Our first-ever Silent Disco kicked off at 5:45 PM—and it was a game-changer. With headphones on and three channels to choose from, everyone created their own dance party under the open sky. If you’ve never danced like nobody’s listening (because literally no one is), trust us—this was something special.

📸 The Vibes Were Immaculate

To all those that got dressed for the occasion, you all understood the assignment! Our patio was packed with Hawaiian flair, chilled drinks, and great company. We loved seeing the community come together, from first-timers to longtime regulars, all sharing the dance floor and toasting to summer.

And of course, a big mahalo to Bear Creek Distillery for the samples and swag that added even more flavor to the day.

🙌 Thank You & What’s Next

Thank you to everyone who helped make this event a success—our team, the performers, our partners, and YOU. If you have photos or stories to share, tag us on Instagram or drop a comment—we’d love to see your favorite moments!

Didn’t make it? Don’t worry—we’re just getting started. Follow us on Instagram @ColoradoTapHouse or subscribe to our newsletter so you never miss a party like this again.

Until next time… Aloha! 🌴

Introducing Jigsaw Puzzles on Tap!

Coming Wed 02/28 5:30pm. Check our events calendar page for all dates!

HOW IT WORKS

Gather your Team of any size

Come up with an Awesome Team Name

Sign up by contacting Erik on 303-358-3208 or erik@ColoradoTapHouse.com. (only 8 teams each night - waitlist available)

Hold your Spot (your $20 deposit is returned as a gift card at the event)

Be fast to win Prizes and qualify for Championship Night on Tues 06/13

Win it all and be added to the Wall of Champions plaque

Local Support on Tap - Our Fundraising Program

Here at the Colorado Tap House we feel strongly about supporting local.

We know fundraising can be a challenge for school teams, clubs and other organizations so we put together a simple fundraising program called “Local Support on Tap”.

We partner with many different types of local organizations for fundraisers.

·       K–12 Schools (Sports, PTAs/PTOs, STEM Clubs, Music/Marching Band, Senior Prom)

·       Youth Sports Teams (Little League, Soccer, etc.)

·       Agriculture and Equestrian Groups (Future Farmers, Community Gardens, 4-H, Westernaires)

Please see our Local Support on Tap Program page for full program details.

Ready to get started?
Email us at fundraising@ColoradoTapHouse.com and we will do our best to accommodate your group.

Online Shopping Anyone?

Some say to focus on what you can control. So we are happy to announce that we’ve launched our online store so you can grab some merch and represent, while we patiently wait for the Tap House to open.

So back to the topic of control … while we have much more control over the online store than the Tap House build-out, we certainly don’t have 100% control. The virus has impacted the supply chain and we are encountering production delays on many items, but decided to launch with what we have. We will soon be adding more apparel items along with our signature ‘my other coffee is a beer’ coffee mug and a sweet dog collar. You can visit the store via the Shop tab on the website.

Subscribe to our newsletter and you’ll be in the know (plus receive special insider information and offers).

Adopting a Trail

Ever see those those ‘Adopt-a-this’ or an ‘Adopt-a-that’ sign around town? Yep, it turns out you can adopt sections of Colorado Highways, Jefferson County Roads, Arvada Streets, but also Arvada Trails.

We thought, what a great way to give back to community … let’s adopt the section of Ralston Creek Trail that runs through the Tap House property! Little did we know that adopting a trail in Arvada isn’t so easy. No, it’s not that the process itself is hard (unlike getting through the building approval process!), but it is actually very hard to find an available section of trail in Arvada, especially one near the Tap House.

But as further validation that we live in a pretty great community, City Forester Craig Hillegass who manages the program was willing to see what he could do for us. While already adopted for many years, it turned out the section of trail that runs through the Tap House property was very long compared to most. Craig said he’d reach out to see if the current sponsor would be willing to give up the section between Indiana and Joyce and allow us to care for it. As you can see from the picture below they did!

We hope you can join us for our quarterly clean-up events, but in the meantime keep your eyes open for those blue Adopt-a-Trail signs.

Click on the image below to find out more about the program.

City Council approved! but…

So on Monday March 2nd 2020 we received unanimous
City Council approval of our Colorado Tap House project. 

Click on voting results to view the highlight reel.

Arvada City Council.jpg

Click above for a short video recap of the Colorado Tap House at the City of Arvada Council meeting on March 2nd, 2020.

Cool right?  But what does that really mean?

It means we spent over a year …

  • finding property and negotiating the purchase agreement

  • meeting with the city planning staff and reworking the design

  • hiring architects, engineers, landscape designers

  • having surveys, soil tests, arborist reports, traffic studies completed

  • holding a neighborhood meeting and reworking the design

  • reworking the design with city planning staff until they were happy

  • starting up marketing and social media efforts

  • obtaining unanimous approval of the Planning Commission

  • obtaining unanimous approval of City Council

In means we now get to …

  • complete the land purchase

  • continue work with the architects, engineers, landscapers on the design

  • start work with structural, mechanical, electrical engineers, interior designers on construction drawing

  • revise the final design until the city planning staff approve

  • engage the general contractor to confirm costs and timelines

  • revise the construction drawings until the city grants our permits

  • break ground???

And then after that … well I’ll save that for another time. 

So I’ll close with a shout out to all those people that supported us in the meetings and on social media.  You are appreciated!

Napkin to CAD

They say great ideas sometimes start on the back of a napkin, and the Colorado Tap House wasn’t much different. The thing is, while we had our napkin we needed help bringing it to life.

We took our napkin to my cousin Ryan Chessmore (an architect who also loves his beer), and he thought the concept was awesome! Ryan quickly worked some magic and turned our napkin into an initial design. We then handed the design to my good friend Paul Battista and his team at Battista Design Group who have carried things forward over the past several months.

Huge thanks goes out to both of these guys for helping us bring the Colorado Tap House to West Arvada — coming late Fall 2020.

Check out both the original napkin as well as the CAD mock-up below!

Colorado Tap House Sketch to Rendering.png

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