The Colorado Beer Experience
Beer isn’t just a drink in Denver. It’s a way of life. We asked some of our favorite beer writers and bloggers to share their most memorable Colorado beer experiences – here are their responses.
Dave Butler, www.FermentedlyChallenged.com
I had the opportunity to attend the Denver Rare Beer Tasting inaugural event and the Great American Beer Fest in 2009 in downtown Denver. I was simply blown away at the enormous variety of rare and exquisite beers that were available in the state of Colorado. Denver, to me, was then and still is the center of the craft beer universe with its vast selection of festivals, breweries and craft beer varieties.
Natasha Gardner, associate editor, www.5280.com
I could say that my favorite Colorado craft brew memory was when I discovered growlers at Wynkoop Brewing Company or when I first sipped an Odell brew at the Cruise Room. But, really, my no-pint-will-ever-be-the-same moment came when I discovered that I could plan all of my hiking trips around brewery tours. Lion Gulch Trail and Oskar Blues. Horsetooth Mountain Park and Odell Brewing Company. Golden Gate State Park and Golden City Brewery. And so on. Knowing that a cold pint is at the end of the trail gives me a little extra “motivation.”
Jonathan Shikes, managing editor, www.westword.com
I graduated from college in 1991 and moved back to Colorado to spend the winter working at Keystone Resort, living with friends and brewing beer with recipes based on Charlie Papazian's “The Complete Joy of Homebrewing.” But since we didn't have much money or access to a homebrew shop that sold bottles, a group of us drove to the one-year-old Breckenridge Brewery nearby, had a few beers and then began asking patrons if we could take their empties when they were done. The funny looks were worth it, and by the end of the night, we had a couple of garbage bags full of empty bottles that we bleached and used for at least three batches.
Geoff Van Dyke, deputy editor, www.5280.com
My truly formative “Denver/Colorado” beer experience actually came in, of all places, Miami, Florida. I was living in Miami in 2005, and one of my best friends, who incidentally lives in New York City, sent me a little “care pack” because the beer selections in South Florida were a little slim – Corona, Presidente, Red Stripe, and the like. In the care pack were three Colorado beers, all from Oskar Blues: Dale’s Pale Ale, Old Chub, and Gordon (now known as G’Knight Imperial Red). I had never seen a microbrew in a can, which was the first cool thing about these beers. Then I tasted them, and I had never tasted beers that were quite so bold while still being balanced and drinkable and just flat-out good. I was an immediate convert to Oskar Blues’ stable of beers, and, even though I didn't move to Denver for the brewing scene, I feel fortunate to now live in a place with such a rich, creative, boundary-pushing craft-brewing community.
Billy Broas, www.BillyBrew.com
The first ever beer bloggers conference held in Boulder is my most memorable Colorado Beer Experience. I (of course) knew about the quality of Colorado beer, but being able to share our local gems with these critical palates from all over the country made me proud. They knew we had something special going on here.
Adrienne Rinaldi, www.beersnobchick.com
Coloradans make the beer, but the beer makes Coloradans. For Coloradans, beer is a lifestyle, we take special pride in our micro-brews, which outnumber macro-brews in every pub or restaurant. From Upslope Brown Ale boating on the Reservoir, to Left Hand growlers sitting in a river next to the campsite, to Breckenridge's Lucky You IPA after hiking a 14er or live local music at Renegade. I especially love that I can walk in to my "Cheers," aka Great Divide, where everyone knows my name. Have I mentioned the copious amount of beer festivals?
John Turk, www.coloradocraftbeerradio.com
Until the Fall of ’93, my craft beer experience was the occasional Sierra Nevada Pale Ale or and Anchor Steam. Being a freshman at Fort Lewis College in Durango, money was hard to come by, but soon began drinking Bombers of Avery’s Out of Bounds Stout and Breckenridge Avalanche. Then came the Durango micro brew experience -- Filling jugs at Carver’s and Durango Brewing! The guys from Ska broke on the scene shortly after and there literally wasn’t a party where you didn’t see a Pinstripe Red or a Ten Pin Porter. Steamworks was next in town in 1996 and I was always amazed at all the choices available in what I thought was a relatively small town. In 2000 just over 12,000 people lived in Durango. Wonder how new breweries are able to pop up and thrive? Just ask all the guys that created the revolution in Durango and follow their mold! So grab yourself a can of Modus and Steam Engine Lager and float down the Animas River through Downtown Durango and soak it all in! Lip Up Fatty!
