The Quest for 100 Pt. 1

Don’t let our friendly, laid-back, mountain lifestyle or our regrettable history with Tim Tebow fool you, Coloradoans are actually quite competitive.  We’re not blowhards, though; we won’t boast for hours on our accomplishments.  Nonetheless, those with an interesting story will be heard and they will be surrounded by a faint air of self-satisfaction.  And why not?  If you’ve climbed all 55 14ers, you’ve earned the right to brag.  If you got the first chair on opening day at a ski resort, you deserve major props.  If you ran a 100-mile race in Leadville, my hat is off to you, good sir.

Indeed, many people in this state have a tale of triumph.  These endeavors come in different forms but they’re all, in their own way, impressive and I’m proud to say that Nicole and I now belong in those illustrious ranks of conquering Coloradoans: we have visited 100 Colorado breweries.

Long-time readers know of our quest to visit every brewery in the state but any sane person will tell you that’s a fool’s errand; there are simply too many breweries opening at too fast a pace to keep up.  However, as the cliché goes, it’s about the journey, not the destination and said journey is chock-full of milestones.  100 breweries is, I think, the first major milestone that’s remarkable enough that one has the right to crow about it to friends, family, and any willing ear at the bar.  Or, to the readers of this blog.

The quest for 100 began this past Monday with #97: Brewery Rickoli.  Oddly enough, even though Brewery Rickoli—open for a few months now—is the closest brewery to where I live (just 5.14 miles away), it took Nicole and I an inordinate amount of time to actually visit the damn place.  There’s no real explanation for that, sometimes the easiest tasks are the ones we put off for the longest time.  But no more—we made a point to meet our friends Robin and Justin there for a few post-work brews.

Robin, Nicole, and Justin ruining this interior shot of Rickoli's

Brewery Rickoli is perhaps the very definition of unassuming.  Located in a retail strip on a suburban thoroughfare, there’s hardly any indication that a brewery resides there.  It’s just an inconspicuous, pink-and-earth-tone plaster building.

The interior is not unlike the façade: white ceiling tiles, white walls with a smattering of decorations ranging from merchandise to sports memorabilia, and simple wooden chairs are the essential components of the Brewery Rickoli’s feng shui.  If you’re looking for a brewery with pizzazz, look elsewhere; the focus here is on the beer, not interior design. 

But what beer it is!  I started with samplers of Hop Session IPA (5% ABV), The Black Pline (9.8% ABV), and Thrilla In Vanilla (7% ABV).

 

Left to right: Thrilla In Vanilla, The Black Pline, Hop Session

Hop Session is just what the name implies: a sessionable IPA.  Go ahead and knock back a few pints of this cloudy, amber-yellow beer, the low ABV will keep you from getting completely sloshed.  While low in alcohol, it is still, nonetheless, high is flavor and bitterness with a fruity, piney bite up front that’s washed away by a mild but present malt backbone.

If there was any beer that was recommended to me as a must-try at Brewery Rickoli, it was The Black Pline which, as I understand it, is a dark version of that very famous and much-sought-after beer from Russian River Brewing Company.  This mahogany (not black) brew’s aroma intermingles piney hops with a touch of chocolate and the flavor is upfront about the chocolate while a mild hop sting finishes it off.  People both on the internet and in my personal life have raved about The Black Pline and, yes, it’s quite nice but it’s definitely not my favorite Brewery Rickoli offering.

My favorite of that night, instead, was Thrilla In Vanilla—a rye stout brewed with the titular flavor.  Want to talk about decadence?  This black-with-red-highlights beer is all vanilla with a light roast finish.  There are a lot of vanilla beers on the market but few have the chutzpah to go all-out and smack the drinker around with a face-full of ice cream-like flavor.  Dry Dock Brewing Co.’s Vanilla Porter is an example of a vanilla beer that isn’t afraid to amps it up and I’d say Thrilla In Vanilla is the only other beer I’ve had that could possibly give Dry Dock a run for its money. 

 

Social Lubricant

After I put away the samplers I ordered a ten ounce pour of Social Lubricant (8% ABV), a Scotch ale that’s almost clear with a reddish brown/copper color and a malty, caramel, toffee flavor.  I also had M.E.H. (Most Excellent Homebrew) Cream Ale (4.3% ABV).  M.E.H. is pretty, well, meh, but I think that’s the point; it’s a simple, easy-drinking light beer perfect for unwinding after a hard day’s work.

After much group discussion involving the cuteness level of capybaras (I said "high") and whether or not The Sound of Music is considered one of those movies everybody must see before they die (I said "not for guys"), we paid our tabs and went on our merry ways.  Brewery Rickoli isn’t blowing anybody away with avant-garde design but the beer’s tasty and I’m proud to have it reppin’ my ‘hood.

 

M.E.H.

We said our goodbyes to Robin and Justin and headed home but our big push to 100 was only on a short hiatus; the very next morning we were on our way to Nederland and brewery #98.

This was the first time I’d ever been to Nederland and that’s due to the fact that it’s somewhat isolated—about 30 minutes west of Boulder—and one wouldn’t necessarily say it’s a bustling hub of activity, either.  Still, it achieves a certain mountain town charm—with its mining-era architecture and proximity to the wilderness—while remaining within spitting distance of Boulder’s urban comforts.

We pulled down a muddy, snow-packed road and parked in front of a neo-rustic cabin with a large front porch, metal roof, and a Dia de los Muertos skull made of plastic beads: Wild Mountain Smokehouse & Brewery.

Having matriculated in Gunnison, a town which mixes mountain culture and hippie culture quite expertly, I found myself right at home in Wild Mountain.  The walls are a mix of ski art, Grateful Dead posters, hop and grape stained glass pieces, photo mosaics, and Green Bay Packers gear; it’s an eclectic hodge-podge reminiscent of many a college friends’ dorm rooms.

First, I’d like to expound a bit on the “Smokehouse” portion of Wild Mountain.  I have been to Kansas City and I have eaten at Arthur Bryant’s and I have eaten at Oklahoma Joe’s—two of the top-ranked BBQ joints in the world—and both of them met or exceeded my expectations.  However, not all the great BBQ is in KC.  Maybe you’d expect a restaurant with flower child vibes to know their way around hummus and granola but  not something quite so anti-vegan as pig but you, friend, would be wrong.  Hot damn, these people make a mean pulled-pork sandwich!  And the spicy XXX sauce?  Well, all due respect to the classic BBQ sauce recipes but nothing beats the kick of Serrano, Habanero, and Cayenne peppers.  Keep that molasses-y and mustard-y stuff to yourself; I wanna feel the heat!  They do have “normal” BBQ sauce there, too, for the traditionalists i.e. boring people.

Inside Wild Mountain

But enough food talk, this is a beer blog.  We ordered a sample platter that, appropriate enough for Colorado, was served on an old ski.  We had 6 Feet Under ESB (5.8% ABV), Consummation Belgian Golden (6.9% ABV), Otis Pale Ale (ABV N/A), Hop Diggity IPA (ABV N/A), and Around + Round Brown (5.7% ABV).

Left to right: Around + Round, Hop Diggity, Otis, Consummation, 6 Feet Under

6 Feet Under, with its hazy, golden yellow body and yeasty, Belgian-y aroma sure doesn’t seem like an ESB.  My understanding is that ESBs are supposed to be coppery in color with flavors of caramel and light hops.  I’m not entirely sure this should be classified as an ESB but it’s a pretty decent brew regardless of what you call it.  I thought that maybe the waitress had mistakenly mislabeled this particular beer but everything else on the ski fit their respective category.  So, if you love ESB, be prepared to be disappointed by 6 Feet Under.  If you like Belgian-style beers, however, you’re in for a pleasant surprise.

Consummation is a lemon yellow beer with a touch of haze.  It smells of sweet fruits—namely strawberries—and it tastes decidedly yeasty as many a Belgian beer should.

 

Neat mosaic at Wild Mountain

A clear, copper beer with a caramel backbone and hop bite, Otis is more an ESB than 6 Feet Under.  It still fulfills its duties at pale ale, though.  Hop heads will find enough to love with Otis.

Hop Diggity is very cloudy and brown-rust in color.  Piney hop scents waft to the nose and bitter, spicy, peppery flavors attack the back of the throat.

Around + Round is inversely proportionate to 6 Feet Under in terms of fitting into style guidelines.  This brown ale is a dark, ruby-mahogany with a tan head.  It’s lightly toasted with a creamy, chocolate milk aroma that carries over into the flavor.  This is a great beer if one wants cream stout taste without cream stout fullness.   

With a great meal and several great beers inside us, we left Wild Mountain and continued on our way to Colorado craft beer distinction.  100 was within our grasp and, by George!, we were going to hunt down that milestone if it was the last thing we did!  But that will have to wait until my next post because this one is already too long.  Until then,

Prost!

Chris

As an almost Colorado native (born in Seattle, moved here when I was a year old), I have traveled all over the state but never to Nederland despite the allure of their Frozen Dead Guy Days which I hear about on the news every year. It was on our quest to visit more breweries that Chris and I finally decided to visit Nederland and, after our visit to Wild Mountain, I wish we lived closer. I'm actually not a fan of smoked meat and I was skeptical as to whether or not I would find something I could enjoy but, lucky for me, their menu extends beyond smoked products and other BBQ fare. I decided on the Caprese grilled cheese and tomato basil soup and, after already deciding that, I realized there was a back-side to the menu I hadn’t even noticed. Next time…

Readers may recall our visit to Cannonball Creek where we chatted with The Cookie Brewer. Chris follows her on Twitter but I did not realize her delicious cookies were actually made with beer. Our friends raved about the snickerdoodle at Rickoli so, having the sweet tooth that I do, I had to give it a try along with the chocolate chip/pretzel cookie. I am glad I did and I must say envy her cookie baking skills. If you visit a brewery that has cookies from the Cookie Brewery, get them; I promise you won’t regret it.

Nicole

Momentarily Conquering Denver

Ah, the satisfaction acquired through finishing the last item on a to-do list.  The sense of completion!  The pride in a job well done!  One can take a step back, look at what’s been accomplished, and bask in the glory.  When one has visited every brewery in a city, it is that conquering feeling which wells up a beer geek’s ego.  It’s the feeling Nicole and I have right now.

The bigger the city the bigger the immodesty one feels.  Nicole and I have been to every brewery in Gunnison, Crested Butte, Del Norte, Niwot, Lone Tree, Alamosa, Frisco, Buena Vista, Poncha Springs, Salida, Broomfield, and many more but, in the end, who cares?  You could fit the collective population of those towns in a 10 barrel fermenter; it doesn’t take Genghis Khan to conquer those towns.  If talking about a town like Boulder or Ft. Collins, then we’re getting somewhere—they’ve got enough breweries where visiting all of them is an actual challenge.  Trust me, we’ve done it; we have been to every brewery in both Ft. Collins and Boulder.  However, due to the rapid growth of the craft beer industry, more breweries have since opened and Nicole and I can no longer make that claim.  We can, however, claim for a short time that we’ve been to every brewery in Denver. 

I stress that I do mean every brewery.  Longtime readers will know that Nicole and I have stipulations as to which breweries “count” when visiting every brewery in the state.  One such stipulation is that secondary, tertiary…etc. locations are to be ignored meaning that Breckenridge Brewery on Kalamath and Vine Street Pub & Brewery are not  represented in our overall, state-wide record (which is currently at 96).  Still, we’ve been to those no-count places anyway and, as such, have drank at every single brewery in Denver.

Our journey of completion began with a meal at El Camino Community Tavern in Highlands Square where I tried the house beer, a Dunkel called “Germexicman” from Prost Brewing.  I was sure it was a misspelling and that the beer was actually called “Germexican” but, when the server brought it to me, she pronounced it the first way—with the second “m.”  I’m not sure what that other “m” is doing there, to tell you the truth; I like it better without.

After snarfing my breakfast burrito (because I like breakfast anytime), we paid and drove a few blocks west to the service station-cum-brewery known as Hogshead Brewery.

The taproom itself is lively and bright with communal tables and floor-to-ceiling walls of windows which contradict the mahogany-clad, dimly-lit, stereotypical English pub many Americans have built in their minds.  However, if you live in the bright, cheery Colorado sun then you have to take advantage of the situation (although it was far from sunny the day we visited).

Eurotrash settling

We saddled up to the bar and I ordered Eurotrash Black Lager, dry-hopped with Saaz and served on a beer engine.  Eurotrash is mighty tasty; it’s creamy, citrusy, roasted, and it finishes dry.  While sipping on our beer, Nicole and I chatted up another customer about the current state of craft beer in Denver and the minutiae separating Scottish ales and Scotch ales.  It’s a friendly, neighborhood-centric crowd in Hogshead.

Eurotrash

After Hogshead we headed to Denver’s newest (as of the time of this writing) brewery: DeSteeg Brewing.  “De Steeg” is Dutch for “the alley” and it doesn’t take Sherlock Holmes to figure out the inspiration for that appellation: the entrance is in the middle of an alley.  While DeSteeg enjoys a prime location in the Tennyson Arts District, it can’t benefit from foot traffic due to the fact that beer geeks have to walk around the block and halfway down an alley before they see any sign indicating they’re near a brewery.  And that’s awesome!  It lends DeSteeg an aura not unlike that of a Prohibition-era speakeasy; one almost expects a tiny peephole in the door to slide open and hear a gruff voice ask for the password.  

The interior of DeSteeg is barren: white walls, no artwork, and just a few, small alley-facing windows but, due to it being such a young brewery, one expects some decorations to be put up eventually.  The most notable feature of the taproom is the bar top which was of special interest to me because it involves the only geeky passion in my life that might rival my love of beer.  The bar top is made of old bowling alley lanes.  I couldn’t care less about that pseudo-sport but I do have a deeply-ingrained love for amusement parks and amusement park history and it just so happens that these lanes were in us at old Elitch Gardens.  The original location, before it moved downtown.  As both a beer geek and a coaster freak, I couldn’t tell you how much I enjoyed the marriage of my two biggest hobbies.    

There's a brewery just around that corner

Just down that alley, I swear

Seriously, we're getting close

There it is!

At the time of our visit, DeSteeg had three beers on tap: Pomegranate Açai Wheat (5.5% ABV), Imperial Pumpkin (11% ABV), and English Mild (5.5% ABV).

Pomegranate Açai is a cloudy, pale yellow with a tart and sweet aroma with that tartness accompanied by the spiciness of wheat defining the flavor.  With an American-style wheat foundation, one won’t find any clove or coriander in this beer.

The Imperial Pumpkin is amazingly drinkable considering its high ABV.  This hazy, orange beer tastes of lightly-buttered pie crust with sweet pumpkin and spices following soon after.  The aftertaste imparts a little alcoholic warmth as a reminder of the beer’s potency. 

Pitch black with an almost pure white foam, English Mild looks like a priest’s collar and it smells of tobacco, smoke, and vanilla.  It’s chocolate-y but it doesn’t have the bitterness of, say, cocoa nibs.  It’s more of a sweet, savory, brownie-like chocolate-ness.

Left to right: Pomegranate Açai, Imperial Pumpkin, and English Mild

With that, Nicole and I have crossed everything off our Denver beer list.  We have no delusions that our record will stand forever; there’s always a new brewery ready to pop up in a month or two.  Nevertheless, we think it’s a mighty fine accomplishment and we’re not going to let anybody forget how awesome we are until the next brewery forces us to reassemble and re-conquer the Mile High City.

Prost!

Chris   

After months and months of trying to forget our first visitation attempt [click here], we finally made it to Hogshead. First impressions are important and Hogshead did not make a good one but they’ve made improvements. The beer was enjoyable, the tasting room was full of happy beer drinkers, and the snow falling outside was picturesque.

We ventured out into said snow to visit DeSteeg.  Walking through the alley, we saw a perspective of the Tennyson Art District we’re not used to seeing.  We reached a sign with a beer glass on it; I had to assume we were in the right place.

We walked in, found a table, and Chris made his way to the bar. Remember when I said that first impressions are important?  DeSteeg did not make a good one, either.  Chris waited to give his drink order as the bartender sifted through tap receipts, walked to the other side of the bar, and then walked right past Chris to another couple waiting to order. Apparently, standing front-and-center with credit card in hand was not an indication that he was ready to order.  They’re a new brewery, DeSteeg, and they just need to iron out a few kinks in their service.

As Chris mentioned, the décor is stark; it isn’t exactly homey or welcoming. But, they are redeemed through their beer. It’s delicious!  The wheat did not have the typical coriander notes on which many wheat beers focus. It was, instead, tart and fruity and quite pleasant. I will certainly visit DeSteeg again because I have no doubt their tap list will provide even more interesting treats in the future.

Nicole          

Inside Hogshead

Inside DeSteeg

Inside DeSteeg

Bowling lane bar top at DeSteeg

Strange Days are Here Again

The Colorado beer geek is the human equivalent of the mother grizzly bear.  One would likely find either milling about the mountains, minding their own respective businesses, enjoying the outdoors, frolicking in streams, eating berries, and crapping in the woods (Coloradoans do a lot of camping; they have to do it somewhere).  And, if you’ve seen the impressive, bushy beards hanging on many a taproom patron’s chin, you know neither is lacking in the fluff factor, either.  For the most part, the Colorado beer geek and the mother grizzly are just affable, shaggy lugs hanging out in the wilderness. 

Unless, of course, they feel threatened. 

If, for example, you feel it necessary to lob a bear cub around like a volleyball, you may find that loveable, huggable ball of fur bearing down on you in a frenzy of teeth, screams, and blood.  Beer geeks, while slightly less murderous, are nonetheless protective of the people and places they love and, in the absence of fangs and talons, use social media to tear their enemies asunder.  I allude, of course, to the public outcry in support of a beloved Denver brewery, Strange Brewing Company, who has been on the defensive end of a months-long legal tussle with a somewhat-similarly named homebrew shop in Massachusetts over trademark infringement.  Now, bitchin’ and moanin’ on Facebook is one way to combat the powers of evil but, to truly fight for justice, allies must assemble.  And assemble they did last Sunday at Rackhouse Pub for Strange Days, the legal fundraiser for our brewery under attack.

With the event slated for 3pm, Nicole and I arrived at the Rackhouse parking lot at 2:30 and, even then, the line for admittance was curling all the way around the lot and past the street.  I don’t care how made-of-stone you think you are, many a beer geek “had something in their eyes” when they saw the outpouring of support for their local suds-slingers.

While it is obvious that everybody in attendance was a fan of Strange, it’s not as if we were all straight-up donating to the cause; we were getting plenty in return like unlimited samples from 33 Colorado breweries, skull-rattling Celtic rock courtesy of Indigent Row, and the camaraderie of fellow Strange supporters.  Beer geeks got their fun, participating breweries got their advertising, and Strange got some money to help battle those relentless jerkwads in Massachusetts.  It was a win-win situation for all involved (except for those relentless jerkwads). 

Appropriately, of all the breweries in attendance, Strange was placed prominently at the end of the bar, closest to the entrance. It just wouldn’t be right not to start the event off with beer from the brewery of honor, now would it?  Nicole and I got our pours of Cherry Kriek and drifted off into the melee of brews, tunes, and merriment.

Tim from Strange pours Cherry Kriek

Of all the beers in attendance, I would place my top five as such: Hippity Hops from CAUTION: Brewing Co., The Logical Fallacy from Very Nice Brewing Company, Wilford from Wit’s End Brewing Company, Apre Shred Winter Ale from Big Choice Brewing, and Ten FIDY from Oskar Blues Brewery (a classic that cannot be denied).  Although I’m pretty sure Dry Dock Brewing Co.’s Seven Cease & Desist Double IPA is just their Double IPA re-renamed for the event, it’s still a great beer and the appellation is appropriate seeing as both Strange and Dry Dock have had similar experiences in the realm of trademark infringement.

Nicole was awfully fond of Snowy River Vanilla Porter from Pateros Creek Brewing Co., the same winter ale from Big Choice, Rumba from Boulder Beer, Pome Mel from Colorado Cider Company, and the latest Fade to Black from Left Hand Brewing Co.

We mingled with familiar faces such as Danny from CAUTION, John from Gravity Brewing, and our pals Travis and Angela with Travis’s dad in tow.  I feel I drank a decent amount of beer at Srange Days (I did, after all, unlock the “Take it Easy” badge on Untappd; 12 beers in one day) but Travis’s dad, on the other hand, was systematically marking every beer off the list—that’s at least 38 beers!  Granted, they were all sample sizes but we’re talking about two-to-three times the amount as a typical Great American Beer Festival pour and most of the beers in attendance were high in alcohol.  My hat is off to that fine gentleman.

Indigent Row

What a great event and what a great cause!  The last I heard, we raised $6,000 which is, eh, a bit lacking when considering how much lawyer fees can add up to but, you know what, it’s something and that’s a whole lot better than nothing.  Besides, the money is only a small part of the picture; the ardent support put forth by the local beer community is worth more than all the hops in Bohemia.  Should the worst happen, should the judge presiding over the case happen to be the uncle of those Massachusetts jerkwads, should evil prevail in the courtroom, Strange will survive (albeit under a different name) thanks to our undying support.  No matter what happens, it isn’t the end of the world (or of Strange’s business).

When it was time to leave, I gave Tim of Strange the awkward high five/fist bump hybrid, I hopped in the passenger seat of Nicole’s car, and I mused on all the fun I had just experienced.  Hey, other Denver breweries, I got a great idea; you, too, can get yourself into a legal dispute and we can have another great party like this one to help bail you out!  Look, it’s just something to think about.

Make sure to “Like” the Strange support group on Facebook.

Prost!

Chris      

Cannonball Creek Makes a Splash

The cool wind whizzing past your ears, a satisfying splash, a shore-soaking column of water, gleeful giggles, the refreshing and rapid transition from sweltering heat to invigorating chillness, and the cheers of approval elicited from witnesses of the dramatic event: as a kid, there’s hardly a better feeling than performing the perfectly-executed cannonball at the local swimming hole. 

One can “cannonball” in a more metaphorical sense, too.  Say, for example, we replace the body of water with Golden, Colorado (AKA Coors Country) and replace the flying, tuck-positioned child with Cannonball Creek Brewing Company, the latest—and only second—craft brewery to splashdown in the mega-brewery’s backyard.  That, too, can cause waves.

Named for Clear Creek’s original appellation, Cannonball Creek held its grand opening last Saturday, January 19^th, so Nicole and I, after working up a thirst hiking local landmark Castle Rock, thought it best to replenish ourselves with new, local craft beer.  Fortunately for Cannonball Creek but unfortunately for anybody trying to get a hassle-free beer, everybody else in town had the same idea.

Set to open at 3pm, Nicole and I arrived at Cannonball Creek at 2:45 and, by that time, the line of anticipating beer geeks curled around the corner.  What can one infer from this situation?  There’s no right answer to the question but I choose to see it as such: Golden locals are sick of their beer scene being exclusively linked to Coors.  They know that on a state-wide level their home is the craft beer capital but, on a municipal level, there is but a corporate Goliath and a single, miniscule David (i.e. Golden City Brewery).  Certainly, the locals can thank Coors for being a job creator and for bringing loads of tourist dollars into an otherwise sleepy, foothills burg but it must be frustrating to be in the midst of the craft beer revolution and yet have so few craft breweries to show for it.  This, I believe, is the reason for the fanfare surrounding Cannonball Creek. It is a show of appreciation; a “thank you” to a business with locals in mind—another David brewery for beer-savvy Goldenites to enjoy as out-of-staters and School of Mines undergrads horde Coors.

The doors opened and the taproom was rushed like water flowing through a burst dam.  Patrons snatched seats as if they were doomsday preppers stockpiling last minute canned goods.  Eventually, the smoke cleared and Nicole and I were able to eke out standing room by the windows for our imbibing pleasure.  Being situated by the windows, we noticed the line outside kept advancing yet never became shorter (more people came to refill it) and that nobody seemed to be leaving the taproom; I’m pretty sure there’s a black hole in Cannonball Creek—how else does one cram people into a room lacking available space?  I don’t know what the zoning laws say but there’s definitely an area in front big enough to fit a patio and I hope the brewery seriously considers installing such an outdoor space; if the massive support for this brewery lasts, they’ll need the extra seating.

Nicole wiggled her way to the bar and managed to procure a Parbuckle Pale Ale (4.5% ABV) and a Mindbender IPA (4.5% ABV).  Parbuckle is a hybrid American/English pale ale with a cloudy, pale yellow body and a cherry-like aroma.  The flavor is mildly hoppy and quite yeast-forward.  Mindbender is essentially the same color as Parbuckle but with more clarity.  It smells and tastes piney, woody; it’s a sensible American-style IPA—not too biting.

Left to right: Parbuckle & Mindbender

As we sipped the beers we fought so hard to acquire, we engaged in a bit of people-watching.  I noticed somebody in line wearing a shirt reading “The Cookie Brewer” and, having my memory sparked, I checked my Twitter followers.  Sure enough, there was The Cookie Brewer.  I started typing and the conversation went like so:

Me: @TheCookieBrewer is that you right outside Cannonball Creek right now?

TCB: @BeerInColorado Yep!!! Come say hi!

Me: @TheCookieBrewer look behind you

A bit creepy?  Yes, but the situation lent itself well to this mischievous exchange and, hopefully, the presence of my girlfriend tempered the creep-factor; it would have been a different story had I been alone.  At any rate, it’s always nice to meet cyber friends in the corporal world.  Give her a follow on Twitter while you’re thinking about it.

Nicole enjoys having her picture taken

We finished our beers, made our way through the jungle of limbs and pints, and finally found ourselves outside.  While the crowds will surely wane over time, I’m willing to bet Cannonball Creek will always be a popular destination for beer geeks and especially Golden beer geeks who are desperate for more craft options.  They won’t be desperate for long, though, as three more craft breweries will be opening in Golden this year! 

Soon, Golden will have five small breweries firing cannons at the citadels of Coors.  Those walls are steadfast and will never crumble but artillery strikes, nonetheless, will cause cracks and dents—cracks and dents just big enough for local beer geeks to take hold.  And that’s all the damage that needs to be done to allow craft beer culture to flourish in the shadow of the giant.

Follow Beer in Colorado on Twitter and “Like” us on Facebook.

Prost!

Chris     

Golden from atop Castle Rock

Espying Coors from Castle Rock

This person (I assume a brewer at Echo Brewing Company) really likes double IPAs

Being the Proper English Gentleman at Denver Beer Co.'s New Barrel Room Annex

A misty moor, whale-oil lanterns flickering in a dim room, curls of ethereal smoke flowing from a Sherlock Holmes-esque pipe.  A boar’s head stuffed and mounted on a mahogany-clad wall, bookshelves lined with dusty, leather-bound tomes, and a regal portrait of a country gentleman accompanied by his faithful hound.  Despite a toxic River Thames, rampant disease, and the fact that people just threw their bodily waste out the window, the Victorian Era retains a great deal of romanticism for those who, like me, are easily suckered-in by nostalgia for a time before their birth.  We long for the “Good Old Days” conveniently ignoring the fact that only about 1% of the “Good Old Days” were actually good but that is the ingrained talent of the idealist.     

But where can the modern-day American indulge this nostalgia?  Where can the contemporary Denver beer geek fantasize about a hypothetical foxhunt, treat the palate to finely-crafted ales, and harrumph satisfyingly in an intimate, wood-paneled setting?  Bull & Bush Brewery certainly has the manor-on-the-moors décor down pat but that’s but one option and, for me, it’s a bit of a drive being on the opposite side of the metro area.  I suppose Pint’s Pub calls to mind Merry Old England, too, but, in my opinion, the space is too open and too well lit for patrons to experience an adequate-level of snugness.  Plus, with all the Old World tchotchkes nailed to the wall, the place looks like a British T.G.I. Friday’s (I guess across the pond it would more accurately be known as P.O.E.T. Saturday’s).  Woe is me!  Where can I enjoy the charms of the British Isles?  The new Denver Beer Co. Barrel Room annex, that’s where!

Adorned with antler chandeliers, exposed rock and brick walls, the eponymous barrels lining the walls, and reclaimed barn wood (which, I learned, needs to be baked before being screwed into the wall lest you wish it to be infested with bugs, mold, and cow dung) wafting a pleasing, rustic aroma into the space, the Barrel Room is the dark, intimate, and quiet Yin to the main taproom’s bright, open, and flamboyant Yang.  It’s a place to bring a date or host a small party.  A place to kick back, relax, and sip on “a unique beer menu…[of] limited edition IPAs, wood-aged beers and…sour beers.”  A place to enjoy your beer, close your eyes, and think of England. 

I was fortunate enough to attend the media soft opening which consisted only of the owners of Denver Beer Co., their friends and family, and a select few media representatives.  Four beers were available at the time of the event: Prelude, Saison Du Fou, Oak Aged Graham Cracker Porter, and Rwanda Abakundakawa Coffee Stout.

To the uninformed, Prelude, made with fresh-pressed apples, is hard apple cider.  It looks the part: clear, light yellow, and juice-like.  It smells the part: tart and apple-y.  And it tastes the part: dry, fruity, and with just a hint of something spicy in the aftertaste.  But Prelude is, in fact, brewed with the grain sorghum and is technically a gluten-free, hop-less beer.  Actually, I'm pretty hazy on the delineation between cider and beer.  Maybe it's a little bit of both.

Saison Du Fou is Denver Beer Co.’s foray into brett beers.  Aged in Chardonnay barrels for eight months, this saison is a cloudy orange color with a thick, creamy head.  The aroma is dominated by orange citrus wafts with a candy-like quality.  Likewise, the flavor is very orange-y but not quite like simply biting into an orange; it’s more like a complex, foreign-made orange-flavored candy.  You know those dehydrated orange chunks that shrivel and concentrate the flavor and sugar into a single bite?  That’s what this beer tastes like.

The Oak Aged Graham Cracker porter is just like Denver Beer Co.’s Great American Beer Festival-medaling Graham Cracker Porter but with the decadent addition of vanilla flavors imparted by the oak.  This one is dessert in a glass.

The coffee stout is very similar to others of the style but I would wager to say that, while roasted, it isn’t overly roasted; this beer features no black coffee bitterness, just a light and pleasant toasty quality.       

The new Barrel Room—once the gift shop next door—connects to the main taproom via the newly expanded (by 1,700 square feet) brew space.  Denver Beer Co. now boasts a 125% increase in capacity allowing for 3,500 barrels per year and the ability to fill more draft accounts around Denver.

For now, the Barrel Room will be reserved for special events, beer dinners, private parties, and general taproom overflow (the Barrel Room can handle an additional 55 people as well as 35 people on the new patio).  If you’d like to enjoy the ambiance of the Barrel Room, Denver Beer Co. is hosting a grand public opening on Friday, January 18^th at 7pm.  For $60 (plus tax and gratuity), beer geeks can enjoy a beer dinner catered by Mikes2Kitchen in the cozy, new setting.  Make your reservations at 303-433-2739.

The festive atmosphere beer creates will never go away and we, as beer drinkers, will always enjoy a boisterous good time but it’s also beneficial to the soul to escape the hurried world, let one’s body sink into a chair, and languidly sip a good brew.  Toast to Old World charm and quietly enjoy your beer in Denver Beer Co.’s new Barrel Room.

Prost!

Chris

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Be "That Guy" with Craft Brewed Clothing Co.

“That Guy.”

You know “That Guy.”

He’s that guy at the concert wearing the t-shirt of the headlining band.  Oh, wow, that really helps distinguish you from the crowd!  I never would have known you liked Social Distortion had you been donned in some other apparel. Simply paying $40 to get crammed into a sweaty, overcrowded venue next to speakers so booming you can’t discern the current song just to worship your musical idols is for posers; true fans brandish their hero’s logo on the chest for all to see. 

For all those beer geeks out there nodding their heads in agreement, allow me to blow your mind: you are “That Guy” (or, perhaps, “That Chick”)!  You may know proper concert protocol but think back to the last beer festival you attended; I’m willing to bet you were emblazoned with images of your favorite beer, brewery, or beer-related organization.  Is that so different from “That Guy” at the concert?  We know you like beer because you’re here—no need to impress the fact upon us.

Here’s another bombshell: I, too, am “That Guy.”  As a matter of fact, I’m among the most prolific “That Guy” offender.  I can hardly help it—probably a solid half of my t-shirt selection is beer-related thus it’s a matter of statistics that the shirt I wear to a beer festival features something boozy.  Hell, so ingrained is “That Guy,” that if I only had three beer shirts it would be those three shirts I’d cycle through over and over again for each festival; I want people to know just how much a craft beer cheerleader I really am. 

You know something?  I’m okay with that.  I’m an ardent craft beer supporter and I don’t care if I go beyond the call of duty in spreading the gospel of beer.  If my shirt brings awareness of a brewery or beer organization to even one new person then I’m helping the industry as a whole because, in the craft beer community, success for one means success for all.  Of course, it’s a bummer if no new people see my shirt but I really buy beer shirts because I like them so who cares how well I’m advertising?  I’m still getting joy from it and that’s what matters most. 

Which brings me to my point: Craft Brewed Clothing Co., the company running the Craft Brewery T-shirt of the Month Club (which supports American craft brewers), has asked me to help get the word out on them so they can help get the word out on your favorite brewery.  You help Craft Brewed Clothing by joining the club, they help brewers get their name out there, brewers make great beer, and then you enjoy said beer while wearing a new shirt—it comes full circle!

Sign-up for three, six, or twelve month memberships and, each month, “receive a new, top quality T-shirt with a design or logo representing a favorite Craft Brewery, Brew Pub or Brewers Guild from around the country.”  Who knows what you’ll get?  It could be the neighborhood nanobrewery down the street or some far-flung brewers guild from the other side of the country!  The surprise is half the fun. 

Brewers and brewers guild representatives who would like to participate in the program and advertise their business on a nationwide scale can do so for free.  Actually, it’s better than free: “CraftBrewedClothing.com is not only FREE to all Craft Brewers, Breweries, Brew Pubs and Brewers’ Guilds but more importantly, it is a revenue source.”

Embrace your “That Guy”-ness!  Wear your beer shirts proudly be it at home or in public.  The misinformed among us may say these actions make you, like “That Guy” at a concert, a tool but, on the scale of all things toolish, wearing your beer shirt to a beer festival is pretty socially acceptable.  It’s not like you’re talking on a Bluetooth device while driving an H2 on your way to Beaver Creek to ski in jeans—now that’s being a tool.  Wearing your beer shirt is a simple action that makes a simple statement: I like and support craft beer.  So, if supporting small, homegrown, American businesses makes you a tool then consider me Ryan Seacrest.  

Visit CraftBrewedClothing.com or check them out on Facebook, Twitter, or at the next beer festival—they get around the festival circuit.

Prost!

Chris