WHISKEY-BARREL BEER

Flying Dog Brewery is poised to release a whiskey-barrel-aged version of its Gonzo Imperial Porter, part of the Denver craft brewer's "Wild Dog" series. The new version of Gonzo Imperial Porter was brewed and transferred into charred oak whiskey barrels to age for three months. The barrels came from Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey.

SODA NATION

600Number of 12-ounce servings of soft drinks consumed per person in the U.S. every year. The United States, with less than 5 percent of the world's population, is actually the largest soda consumer and accounted for one-third of total soda consumption in 2005, according to the National Soft Drink Association.

A-BASIN GOES UPSCALE

Arapahoe Basin, that rustic, stripped-down ski area on the Continental Divide, has gone upscale. Its just-opened Black Mountain Lodge at midmountain features such bistro fare as grilled salmon and Kobe beef burgers.