Follow Sean Inman to the best in craft beer
I missed trying Little Man ice cream when I was in Denver but Weldwerks Brewing has made it easier to get your frozen treats with their Salted Oreo Stout. And since L.A. gets the occasional Weldwerks, there just might be a chance we can try it.
After walking through Sloan Lake Park, I emerged in the Edgewater District and on the corner was Joyride Brewing. Opened in 2014, this local is kitty corner to the park. I went with two IPAs, a fresh hop and an experimental IPA. Their 35th one. Both tasted super fresh.
Also near the lake is the pilot brewery of Odell Brewing. Earlier in the trip, I had the flagship IPA and the flagship 90 Shilling and neither were on the menu here. I opted for a flight. Where I went all over the map from table beer to fruited lager to pumpkin beer. The five beers got better as I moved along with the pumpkin, double IPA and sweet stout being the best of the bunch.
For the third point in the beer triangle, head to Toast – Wine and Spirits a truly lovely little curated neighborhood shop. I got a sixer of Lady Justice Sandra Day IPA but man, if money and airport security were no object, I would have bought more. Leopold Brothers and Laws Whiskey and a whole pumpkin beer section.
In a week of ticking beer bucket list items, heading to Hops & Pie was a coupe de grace. A real “peach” of a final hurrah as I got to taste the Peach version of Weldwerks Brewing’s Juicy Bits IPA. I did not order the hoppy fries but the pumpkin soup and roasted pear salad were great.
To conclude, a special shout out to Chip and Erika for shuttle service and helpful tips.
Took a Lyft from LoDo to Novel Strand Brewing for a first visit to a truly neighborhood spot. Houses on the other three corners. Looks like a typical pub or coffee house, which it also is in the AM. Had the Ninja Shit and Green Showers on the beertenders recommendation. Both were easy drinkers.
After a Vieux Carre cocktail night, it was time to hit a really good brewery triangle centered on Larimer Street. First point was Our Mutual Friend Brewing where I taster tray-ed a few beers from their selection that held quite a few Belgian and funky choices like their two time GABF winner Biere Ovale. Which was quite a tart burst. I also quite enjoyed the Industry Appreciation IPA. You can’t miss the space as it is brightly colored outside.
Ratio BeerWorks is the punk brewery and again, Denver surprises with an eclectic beer list including a scotch ale and multiple saisons such as the carrot and elderflower that I chose. Bigger footprint than OMF but familiar garage door, indoor-outdoor set-up just one block up from OMF.
A slightly longer walk of three blocks led me to the very large industrial space of Bierstadt Lagerhaus where I had to notch the beer bucket list item of a slow pour pils at the source. The presentation, after the requisite time had elapsed, was spot on with the fancy gold embossed glass and the little paper doily and the parfait of foam is something to see. And of course to taste.
Left Burbank International Airport early in the AM and despite a little turbulence into Denver, everything went smoothly and by early afternoon, I was in Colorado Springs sipping beer at Ivywild an old school converted into food and drink with a brewery (Bristol Brewing) and distillery on site.
Over a bacon and bleu burger, I tasted four beers. A pale ale, a fresh hop IPA, a nitro IPA and for a change a pumpkin ale too. All four were above average which is not bad for a brewery that I had never researched at all. So good that I got a big ol’ bottle of their saison, which also rang true. A good start to the trip.
Next up was a drive south to the Cristo de Sangre mountain range town of Westclifffe, where the beer choices were a tad slim but luckily the stovepipe cans are around and I found a reliable Colorado choice in 90 Shilling Ale and flagship IPA from Odell Brewing and also a not so mini whiskey from Laws Whiskey House.
Our third and final stop for September and Colorado breweries is Public Offering Brewing. The name sounds like it belongs on Wall Street but the brewery is on South Broadway in Denver.
Time to grab a taster flight….
Brilliant Disguise West Coast Pilsner – “Delicate passionfruit, orange, guava and grapefruit rind aromas and flavors rest on a light pilsner base.”
Le Spritz Italian Pilsner – “Light bread malt, a touch of honey sweetness and notes of elderflower, lemongrass and quince with a crisp, dry and slightly bitter finish.”
Quite the Pear Fruited Sour – “Our collaboration with Monolith Brewing – a light, refreshing, and slightly tart beer with a hint of pear.”
The Green Mile Hazy IPA – “Bold tropical pineapple, sweet mango and shaved coconut combine with peach, key lime & Valencia oranges on a smooth, creamy, and slightly sweet finish.”
Our second stop in GABF Colorado this October is Monolith Brewing. I noticed them because they have great beer names and also because they donate 1% of their revenue to the Brew Like a Girl Scholarship Fund.
Let’s taste some beers then…
Czech it Out – “Ahroy! Come walk down the prlank of a broat, alrighty, maybe more kryak than broat, with Captains Kat and Stephen (of Monolith Brewing) for the delightful Czech Pilsner collab. RootShoot Pilsner malt + Saaz hops = looks ok to me!”
Bavarian Contrarian – ” A traditional Bavarian Hefeweizen for those who choose to defy conventionalism”
Baguette About It – “A Collaboration with Body by Beer Podcast and Dry Storage, this beer is brewed with 100% Rouge de Bordeaux wheat, and fermented with 3lbs/bbl of Sweet Cherries and Apricots”
Tau Neutrino – “Crafted with a stellar blend of hops, this hazy IPA delivers a juicy burst of 1 lb/bbl of Amarillo and 4 lbs/bbl of Citra, Mosaic, and El Dorado. Experience a tropical supernova of citrus, mango, and stone fruit, all swirling together in a nebulous cloud of hop-induced bliss.”
So nice that they have two locations now. The Very Nice Brewing Company is based in Nederland, Colorado with a second location in Gilpin now.
Let’s get tasting, starting with….
Calmer Than You Are IPA – “Light bodied and light on alcohol. Generous late additions of Citra and Mosaic Hops and then dry hopped with Motueka, Mosaic, and Citra make for a huge hop forward character in a very easy drinker. Lots of citrus in the form of grapefruit and orange followed up with tones of mango, passion fruit and kiwi.”
Logical Fallacy Black Ale – “This beer challenges the Logical Fallacy that says if a beer is a stout, it can’t be hoppy. With 4 generous hop additions of Summit and Northern Brewer, this beer has a technical IBU (International Bittering Unit) of almost 70. However, this hops bill is challenged with the deep smokiness of black patent malt, coffee tones of chocolate malt, and the sweetness of 4lbs/BBL of wild Colorado honey.This is a unique stout that will make you look deep into this beer, and lose yourself in the intricate taste of its oil like blackness.”
Monk’s Phunk – “Strong ale named after a strong woman! Our brewer’s dear mother! This recipe is crafted as a tribute to the tradition the Monk’s started in Belgium over a thousand years ago. It includes lots of Munich and dark crystal malt with a shot of chocolate malt, giving it a deep burgundy color and a heavenly rich caramel taste that literally would bring people to God, or at least to his cathedrals in Europe. It has enlightening fruity esters from the Belgian yeast as well as divine sweetness from 4lbs/BBL of wild Colorado honey.”
Fans of South Park know of the famous Casa Bonita. Heaven to one Eric Cartman. Now comes Casa Beer, created by Denver’s Ratio Beerworks, a Mexican-style lager with lime. The very sessiony 4.8% ABV beer is available on draft at bars (yes, plural) throughout the restaurant.
Craft beer has seasonal beers, most notably in winter but there are certainly beets for spring, summer and fall too. When obe thinks of gin, you may not think that way but Leopold’s Distilling in Colorado does and their summer gin is out now for 2023.
“This gin draws on the warm climates from which its exceptional ingredients are harvested by hand: Spanish Blood Oranges for a rich sweetness, French Immortal Flowers and Juniper Berries for a cool and clean flavor, and Australian Lemon Myrtle for a fresh, citrus finish. Each ingredient is distilled individually to honor its distinctive flavors.”
It may have been past time for New Belgium Brewing to update the Fat Tire recipe. The VooDoo Ranger series of IPAs has been ahead of the iconic Amber ale for some time now.
And the inside and outside are now new for 2023.
“Today, Fat Tire blends a subtle malt presence with a slightly fruity hop profile and crisp finish, to create a bright and balanced beer that drinks easy, anywhere.”
I might have gone with seasonal versions and used this lighter one for summer and gone with something maltier in Winter.