Besides enjoying our share of the outdoor activities Colorado has to offer, one of the other things that’s been an entertaining part of our relocation has been discovering a whole new assortment of local adult beverages.
Like most places over the past decade or so, Colorado has experienced a boom in independent local breweries. It seems like every town, no matter how small, has at least one. And while I will always have a warm spot in my heart for St. Arnolds, Karbach, 8th Wonder and all the rest of the Houston crew, we’re thoroughly enjoying exploring the new-to-us offerings from Colorado’s brewers. Après ski, après bike, après hike, here are my favorites so far.
New Belgium Brewing, Trippel – New Belgium WAS the largest independent brewery in Colorado. That is until, like so many others, it got bought out by a large conglomerate. At the end of 2019 the Japanese company Kirin purchased them so I guess technically they’re now a Japanese beer but dangit, it’s still made in Fort Collins so I’m claiming it for Colorado! New Belgian beers are widely available, even in the wilds of southeast Texas. I’ve enjoyed their Fat Tire and 1554 for years. My current favorite is their Belgian-style Trippel. Spicy and complex, it reminds me of the Belgian beers we used to get on tap at Café Brussels on Houston Avenue.
Oskar Blues, Old Chub – Funny thing, living in Texas I always thought Oskar Blues was an Austin thing. Sure enough, they have a brewery in Austin but they’re actually based in Longmont, Colorado. And while I’ve tasted some of their beers in Texas, I don’t remember seeing my current favorite from them, Old Chub. A Scotch Ale, Old Chub is malty, smokey and strong. Definitely a different kind of dark beer. Plus, you’ve got to love a brewery that also makes their own brand of bikes – Reeb, which is obviously ‘beer’ backwards – sold out of a cantina/bar/bike shop called Cyclhops in Longmont, because why not.
Avery Brewing Company, Ellies Brown Ale – Brewed in Boulder, home of my alma mater, the University of Colorado. Avery is another independent brewery that got bought out by a large beer conglomerate in the past few years. In this case, the Spanish company, Mahou San Miguel. Corporate structure be damned, I’ve been to their brewery in Boulder so like New Belgium, it’s still Colorado to me. From their long list of quality brews, Ellies Brown Ale is my current favorite. Smooth, malty, a little chocolatey and highly drinkable.
Soulcraft Brewing, All-Mountain Amber – Ok, now we’re talking local. No private equity company, no corporate structure, Soulcraft is a local Salida brewery. They offer beer on tap at their brew pub on highway 50 and in several local restaurants. Since we haven’t seen the inside of a restaurant for going on a year now, we’re enjoying their canned offerings at home. Their amber ale is my current favorite. Smooth, easy drinking with a slightly hoppy finish. No relation to Soulcraft the bike company, but it doesn’t hurt that I already like the pedal version!
Elevation Beer Company, Little Mo Porter – Just five miles up the road from Salida at the intersection of highway 50 and highway 285 is the town of Poncha Springs, home of Elevation Beer Co. Elevation makes some of the more interesting beers in the valley. I particularly like their Little Mo Porter, named after one of the runs up at Monarch. A classic porter with aromas of chocolate and coffee. Not too heavy, with a sweet malty finish, great on a winter evening after a day on the slopes.
Eddyline Brewery, Kick’n Back Amber – Living in a river town I’ve learned that in a river the eddyline is the line between the fast-flowing current and the calmer eddy near the shore where kayakers can rest, put in or take out of the water. Thirty miles up the road in Buena Vista is the Eddyline Brewery. Another purely local brewer, Eddyline was purchased from its founders by a couple of its employees in 2018. They make a full line of great beers, my current favorite is their Kick’n Back Amber. Slightly nutty with a hint of hops in their highly satisfying 16 oz cans.
Soulcraft Brewing, Sticky Pils – In case you haven’t noticed, my taste in beers tends toward the malt end of things. Nothing against hops, but in a lot of beers these days I find the hops overwhelms everything else going on. Not this one. Another offering from the good folks a Soulcraft, Sticky Pils is a light pilsner with a surprising but balanced hit of German noble hops. Refreshing and easy to drink, I discovered this one this winter but I’m thinking it will be outstanding on a hot summer day.
Woods High Mountain Distillery, Alpine Rye – For those REALLY good days in the mountains. Owned by the mayor of Salida, P.T. Wood, Woods makes small-batch whiskey, gin, vodka and liqueur in downtown Salida. I’ve been a fan of rye whiskey for years and Woods’ is a great one. Spicey, assertive, with hints of cinnamon and smoke. It makes one fine Manhattan, pictured here being enjoyed by me.
Salute!