Welcome to the Blog

Zymurgists and beer enthusiasts of all ilks,

Welcome to “Beer in Colorado,” one man’s attempt to capture the Centennial State’s thriving beer culture, keg it, and distribute it across the land.  I’m not a professional brewer and my knowledge on the subject is probably not as up-to-snuff as the next beer geek in line but, like the Sex Pistols, what I lack in talent I make up for in passion.  I’m simply a budding beer connoisseur enthralled with my state’s unholy ability to churn out quality ales and I want to bring you along for the ride.

Why should anybody have the notion to create and maintain a blog concerning beer?  Why, doesn’t every mesh-capped, aviator-bespectacled, American Eagle-wearing, John Mayer-listening fraternity brother belong to the fabricated and clichéd “Tappa Kegga Daya?”  Doesn’t the man in the sleeveless NASCAR shirt and Kentucky Waterfall haircut know the cool caress of Busch Light as it glides down his nicotine-stained gullet?  Yea, verily.  Beer is neither exotic nor expensive; it is a beverage most American adults have imbibed at least once before.  So, then, most people must be quite versed in the world of ales and lagers?  Nay I say to you! There is another dimension of beer that the casual drinker is unaware of and, honestly, the casual drinker probably doesn’t care about this less-advertised world anymore than the casual cinema-goer cares about the inner-workings of moviemaking.  I am that tiresome party-goer who will tell you more than you wanted to know about a seemingly pedestrian product. This blog is my way of spouting knowledge and opinions to a wider audience.  Luckily for you, if I start to annoy you, just click that little, red “x” in the upper right-hand section of your screen.          

Any given update will probably fall under one of these three categories:

Brewery Visits

Thanks to relaxed taxation on brewers, Colorado is home to a relatively large number of breweries.  While visiting one of the state’s most successful (Odell Brewing Company, Ft. Collins) with my girlfriend Nicole I happened across a map that pinpointed all the breweries in Colorado.  A little, drunken muse tapped me on the head and, with that, the idea to visit them all was born.  As of this writing, Nicole and I have been to about 60.  This might sound like we’ve conquered them all.  In fact, when we started, there were over 100 breweries in the state and new ones seem to pop up all the time.  The quest has scarcely begun.  Come along for the journey and discover these place with us.

Homebrewing

I have only been homebrewing for a little over a year but Nicole and I have already turned out 10 different types of beer including a Jalapeno blond, a S’mores porter, and a Chai porter.  Obviously, when I’m making beer I’m not looking to make something you can just grab at the local supermarket; my philosophy is “if you can buy it, I don’t make it.”  Eclectic and seemingly incongruent ingredients are my specialty.  Stay tuned for recipes, successes, and mistakes associated with homemade beer.

Beer Tastings

When you can’t make it to the brewery and when the homebrew is taking too long then you have to do it the old-fashioned way: go to the liquor store.  There are tons of beers yet to be sampled and, with curious taste buds, I aim to try as many as possible be they from Colorado or not.  Read about my thoughts and opinions and what I recommend and what I snub.

Of course, if something strikes me that’s beer related (other than a bottle) then I’ll include it here even if it doesn’t fit under one of the aforementioned categories.    

Please check in often and leave your comments. 

Prost!

Chris