Author Archives: educyber

New Belgium announces Asheville Brewery will be delayed

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New Belgium Brewing Company, the maker of Fat Tire, recently announced that plans for their new Asheville, NC. location have been pushed back. The news is not actually bad for New Belgium. The reason they pushed back opening the new Asheville facility, is that they recently added capacity to their Fort Collins brewery, and can meet their estimated projected sales through 2015. The change in plans for New Belgium will push the opening of the new facility back about 8 months.

According to the Fort Collins Coloradoan, earlier this month New Belgium was finishing up a 140,000-barrel expansion that will allow the company to keep expanding distribution. With 70,000 barrels of capacity recently added, the Fort Collins brewery can produce up to 920,000 barrels a year, which will take New Belgium through 2015 sales projections,  according to Jay Richardson, General Manager of the Asheville facility. Thanks to the increase in production in Fort Collins, New Belgium is now planning to open the Asheville, NC. location in late 2015, or early 2016.

While this news is surprising, it is not as big of a deal as originally thought. With the increased capacity in Fort Collins, New Belgium will not miss a beat in keeping up with growing sales. There will certainly be some dissapointed craft beer lovers on the east coast that have been waiting for the opportunity to get a fresh pour of Fat Tire.

Caution Brewing To Open 2nd Location In Lakewood, CO.

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Caution Brewing Company is currently located in Northeast Denver. They announced last week they will be opening a 2nd location, which will be in Lakewood, CO. This 2nd location will make Caution the 2nd craft brewery in the City of Lakewood. Currently Ironworks is the only craft brewery in Lakewood. This is surprising given the fact that Lakewood is Colorado’s 5th largest city.

According to their website, “CAUTION soon to be had with more CAUTION! We just announced the lease signing of our second location. Want more details? Come to our anniversary party on May 18th! You can’t say no to 16 beers on tap, live music, and big wheel races, right?”

The 2nd location for Caution Brewing will be at 1057 S. Wadsworth Blvd. Unit 60. The new location will have a larger taproom than the Denver location and will be more retail-oriented. Caution’s Owner Danny Wang says he plans on being “more hyperlocal,” working with area businesses, such as homebrewing shop Barley Haven. This Lakewood taproom is slated to open in October, and will have 12 taps with 4-6 regular, or “flagship” beers. Caution also plan to can and sell Lao Wang Lager in 4-packs of 16 oz cans.

Caution Brewing Company
12445 E 39th Ave #314 Denver, CO 80239
(970) 315-2739

Lakewood Location:
1057 S. Wadsworth Blvd. Unit 60
Lakewood, CO. 80226

 

Prost Brewing Company – Denver, CO.

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Prost Brewing Company is located in the Lower Highland Neighborhood (LoHi) in Denver, CO. The brewery is just west of I-25 on 20th Street, directly across the highway from Coors Field. Prost Brewing is near a handful of other breweries, but the types of beers they brew make them stand out from other brewers in the area. Prost specializes in German-style biers. Not only do they specialize in German-style biers, they brew in German equipment that was brought over from a historic German brewery.

Prost Brewing Company opened its doors on August 23rd, 2012. The name Prost, is a German word that translates to ‘To your health’, or ‘cheers’. Prost’s name, equipment, and ingredients all add up to a distinct all-German style that is quite unique in the growing Colorado craft beer scene. Prost adheres to what is called the ‘German Purity Laws’, which are a set of laws that German biers should be brewed with. These laws started in 1516, and were designed to ensure bier contained only high-quality ingredients. The laws protected the public from poor standards, and potentially lethal, beverages. Reinheitsgebot, as the laws are called in German, also brought about a standardization in production well ahead of its time. Foreign brewers who wanted to enter the local market also had to stick to the law and so its influence began to spread far and wide. The laws have changed over time, but they still keep brewers focused on creating quality biers with quality ingredients.

Prost Brewing Copper Kettles

Prost Brewing’s Kopper Kettles

Prost Brewing has a plan and sticks to that plan. They want to provide the best German-style biers that can be found locally. They don’t care to brew big beers, or beer that does not fit in the German-style. When you do something well, why not stick to it? That is exactly what Prost Brewing has done, and they have quickly made a big name for themselves with Colorado beer drinkers. Bill Eye is the Head Brewer at Prost, and is a veteran Colorado brewer, with 16 years of professional brewing experience. Prior to joining Prost, Bill was the Founding Brewer at Dry Dock Brewing Company. Bill studied brewing in Germany, and developed a love of German-style biers. Bill’s experience and education played a major part in forming the way Prost brews, and the way the run their taproom.

I had the pleasure of sitting down with David Boone (he goes by Boone), VP of Sales & Events for Prost Brewing. Boone was happy to share the story of Prost, and of course the reason why they have grown so fast. It’s the fresh, great-tasting beers they serve from the tap. Boone has 13+ years experience in the brewing industry, and as he describes it, he “has the best job in the world!” Boone is yet another story I’ve heard of someone that didn’t set out to be in the brewing industry, but once they experienced it, they couldn’t get enough. Boone was actually a high school science teacher for five years prior to returning to the craft beer industry. The last brewery Boone was involved with prior to joining Prost was a four year stint with Bristol Brewing Company in Colorado Springs, serving as the State Sales Manager. To say Boone is passionate about Prost’s German-style biers is a massive understatement. He is truly a great ambassador for the brand, and will go out of his way to share Prost’s story with you. I met Boone at the Breckenridge Beer Festival and he was happy to take a few minutes to talk about the brewery.

Prost Brewing Controls

The original control panel, still used today!

The story of the equipment Prost Brewing Company uses is really cool. Prost brought over brewing equipment from a city in Germany called Grafenau. The equipment was originally built in 1963 by Ziemann GmbH, and installed at the Bucher Brau, where it was used until 1984. In 1984, it was overhauled and sold to Brauerei Hummer of Breitengubach, Germany, a village in the Franconian region of Bavaria. Brauerei Hummer started brewing beer in the Franconian village of Breitengubach in 1642. The brewery served the town for over 350 years until the spring of 2011. At that point, the brewing equipment was purchased by Prost Brewing Company, and brought over to brew German-style biers for the people of Colorado. This sounds easier than it actually was, the process was a major undertaking. Bill Eye had to disassemble the equipment to package it for transport. He then had to reassemble it in order to be able to use it. It’s a good thing Bill studied brewing in Germany because in order to use the equipment, you have to be able to read German.

Prost brought in German equipment for brewing, then added massive fermenters and lager vessels to complete their brewery. The lager vessels are actually converted dairy tanks, and hold 4,000 gallons each! You really have to see them in person to understand how large they really are. Once Prost brews their biers, they will sit for between 4-8 weeks depending on the style. Ales go to the lager vessels for 24 days to complete the aging process. Prost is proud to brew with German equipment, and all German hops and malts.

Prost Brewing lager vessels

4,000 gallon lager vessels

Prost Brewing Company offers great biers, and do so in a way most brewers would never try. Prost distributes their biers only in 64 oz. growlers, and kegs. There are no 6-packs of bottles, cans or 22 oz. bombers. You can visit the Prost taproom and get a fresh pour from the tap, or you can visit many taprooms, restaurants and bars around the state. You can also buy a growler from a quickly growing number of stores around the state. You will not miss the site of a Prost growler in the beer case at a retailer. It is uncommon in most stores to see growlers, and this is a way Prost stands out from other brewers. The growlers include labels that incorporate the colors of the German flags from the regions of Germany the bier styles come from. Another unique aspect to Prost’s growlers, is they offer a recycling program. If you bring back a growler to the retailer, or directly to Prost, you will get $1 off your next purchase. Prost is able to distribute growlers because they use a method of packaging where they heat flash shrink-wrap the top, which creates a seal that can last 60-120 days, depending on the style of bier. Typically beer in growlers will lose freshness in less than a week.

Prost Brewing has a nice, clean taproom, and offers a fun family friendly environment. Something of note is that Prost has a program for Rockies fans. If a fan brings in a ticket stub for that day’s game, they can park for free, and get a 1/2 price beer before and after the game. Coors Field is a short walk, so if you plan to enjoy a Rockies game, be sure to head over to Prost first. Prost also offers live music on Thursdays for those that enjoy fresh beer and music. There is no kitchen at the taproom, but they do offer Baker Street soft pretzels. Tony P’s, a local Italian restaurant delivers exclusively to Prost. Patrons at Prost are also encouraged to bring in their own food to pair with a fresh German style bier.

Events – Here’s a list of events where you can find Prost Brewing:

  • Colorado Brewers’ Festival (Fort Collins, June 22-23)
  • Colorado Brewers Rendezvous (Salida, July 13th)
  • Evergreen Summer Brew Fest (Evergeen, July 20-21)
  • Mile High Station Brew Fest (Denver, CO, July 26th)
  • Keystone Bluegrass & Beer Festival (August 3-4)
  • Winter Park Brew Fest (Winter Park, August 10th)
  • Autumn Gold – A Festival of Bands, Brats and Beer (Estes Park September 21-22)
  • Prost Brewing Event Calendar: http://www.prostbrewing.com/Events.html

I want to thank David Boone, Bill Eye, and all of the other partners for having me at Prost Brewing, and for the tour of the brewery. They truly are a unique brewery, and brew some outstanding biers! I really enjoyed the Prost Pilsner, which honestly might be the smoothest beer I’ve ever tried. It is light, and refreshing, especially on a hot day. My favorite bier of the day was the Maibock, which is a light, crisp and clean Spring bier. The Maibock is a seasonal brew, so it is not always on tap at Prost. I would highly recommend heading down to try this awesome bier!

Beer List: There is an Altbier in the works, as well as a Kolsch seasonal, and the Maibock is currently available for a limited time. The Altbier may become another staple in addition to the three staple biers Prost currently has.  

  • Altfränkisches Dunkel Bier – Brewed with a 350 year old recipe! This is a dark amber lager made in the world famous brewing area around Bamberg, Germany. They are characterized by their smooth malty flavor. The Franconian version differs from the dark lagers of Bavaria by being slightly stronger and drier. Dunkels have a distinctive malty flavor that comes from a special brewing technique called decoction mashing. We are reviving the Altfränkisches Dunkel Bier from the Hümmer Brauerei in Breitengüßbach, the brewery whose brewhouse now resides in Denver, Colorado at Prost Brewing. 
  • Prost Pils – This is a northern German staple and our flagship beer. This is a crisp, pale and dry interpretation of the style. Well hopped with noble German varieties and a special strain of yeast from a German monastery. Prost Pils is pale gold in color and capped with a thick, brilliantly white, dense collar of foam. With the first sip spicy hop flavors come to the forefront. As the hop begins to fade, the wonderfully soft imported pilsner malt is revealed. The finish, with its herbal, pleasantly lingering hop note balanced by a rich malt counterpoint, demands another taste.   
  • Weißbier – With flavors of banana and clove this Bavarian specialty is well known within our market. Our head brewer has won a number of medals with Hefeweizen including: Silver in 2009 and 2010 and Gold in 2011 at the GABF in the Southern German Hefeweizen category. As well he won the best of show with Hefeweizen at the Colorado state fair in 2011.
  • Marzen – Oktoberfest (Seasonal) – Marzen is a lager, orange/reddish in color, the style is characterized by a medium to full body, malty flavor and clean dry finish. Typically served in a Maß. 5.6 ABV (alcohol by volume) 22 IBU (international bittering units).
  • Seasonals Include: Marzen (Oktoberfest Lager), Kolsch, Export Lager, DoppelBock, Eisbock, Bock, Maibock, and any other German bier Bill can pull out of his sleeve!

Prost Brewing Company
2540 19th Street
Denver, CO 80211
303.729.1175
                                                                                                                                                                       

Fate Brewing Company Collaboration Release Party: May 19th

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Fate Brewing Logo

FATE Brewing Company will release eleven of its twelve collaboration beers on Sunday, May 19th, 2013, just in time to toast American Craft Beer Week. Head brewer, Jeff Griffith, teamed up with many Boulder County breweries to stack hands on a variety of unique recipes. FATE will be offering the following collaboration brews: Echo Brewing Company (Eisbock), Crystal Springs Brewing Company (Wee Heavy Scotch Ale), Asher Brewing Company (100% Organic Cocoa Punk’n Porter), Wild Woods Brewing Company (Eastside Extra Pale Ale), Shine Restaurant and Gathering Place (Let Your Fate Shine Imperial IPA), Boulder Beer (English Brown Mild), Twisted Pine Brewing Company (Twist of FATE Rye Brown Ale), Mountain Sun/Southern Sun Pub & Brewery (Cherry FATE, Chocolate Cherry Foreign Stout), Big Choice Brewing Company (Biere de Garde), Lone Tree Brewing Company (Schwarzbier), Bru Handbuilt Ales and Eats (Trippel), and Twelve Degree Brewing (Hommelbier).

About the Brews

Echo Brewing Company Collaboration: Eisbock– A traditional German specialty beer style that originated accidentally at a brewery in Kulmbach. This is a malty lager with a rich, sweet flavor created by freezing a portion of the Doppelbock, removing the ice, and leaving a concentrated full-bodied beer. Eisbock is an extraordinary style that is perfect to make with the help of the snowy foothills of the Rocky Mountains. This brew is a high-octane treat and has a heavy, syrupy body with notes of dark fruit, raisins, plums and toffee. 13% ABV – Brewed with Dennis and Daniel Richards

Crystal Springs Brewing Company Collaboration: Wee Heavy Scotch Ale- This strong scotch style ale is rich in flavor with roasty, nutty, and golden honey notes. The beer has very low esters and hops, a moderately dark copper color, and a sweet and dry finish. It is slightly smoky, well balanced, and medium bodied. 10.3% – Brewed with Tom Horst

Asher Brewing Company: 100% Organic Cocoa Punk’n Porter- Pumpkins and cacao nibs are rich and nectarous and the body of the beer is full and dark. The pumpkins give a slight roasty quality as they were cooked on the wood fired ovens at our neighbors Pizzeria Basta. This beer is multifaceted and palatable with sweet, roasty, bitter dark chocolate and pumpkin flavor. 6% – Brewed with Chris Asher

Wild Woods Brewing Company: Eastside Extra Pale Ale- Refreshing pale ale with stimulating hop character and crisp finish. Fresh orange zest added during boil to enhance the citrus notes. 7% – Brewed with Jake Evans

Shine Restaurant and Gathering Place: Let Your FATE Shine Imperial IPA– Loaded with a very generous amount of delicious Amarillo, Eldorado, Columbus and Centennial hops, this imperial india pale ale features a tangerine-like hop profile supported by a well-balanced malt backbone. It is sure to be a hop lover’s new favorite. 10%, 100+IBU             – Brewed with Mike Kasian

Boulder Beer: English Brown Mild- This British session beer has mild hop character and a subtle toasty malt presence. 5% – Brewed with Chris Coyne

Twisted Pine Brewing Company: Twist of FATE Rye Brown Ale- Malty and spicy rye aroma and flavor with undertones of toast, nuts, and roast. 7% – Brewed with Reva Golden 

Mountain Sun/Southern Sun Pub and Brewery: Cherry FATE: Chocolate Cherry Foreign Stout- This decadent beer was originally released on Valentine’s Day. It has a creamy cocoa mouth feel and two kinds of cherries contributing a sweet and tart finish. 6% – Brewed with Anthony Laurig

Big Choice Brewing Company: Biere de Garde– Literal translation is “beer for keeping.” This deep copper colored ale is characterized by a toasted malt aroma, slight malt sweetness in flavor and mild hop bitterness. 7% – Brewed with Zach

Lone Tree Brewing Company: Schwarzbier- This German dark lager has an opaque, black color and full, chocolate and subtle coffee flavor. The hops allow for a bright finish. 5% – Brewed with Jason Wiedmaier

Bru Handbuilt Ales and Eats: Trippel- Opens with a bold blast of hops that slowly gives way to the fruity esters implied by the Belgian yeast strain. Brewed with lemongrass 9%      – Brewed with Ian Clark

Twelve Degree Brewing: Hommelbier- This Belgian IPA style beer is the most recent collaboration. While it will not be ready in time for the collaboration release party, we still wanted to give you a teaser. – Brewed with John Howland

About FATE Brewing Company

FATE Brewing Company opened its full-service restaurant and brewery at 1600 38th Street in Boulder, Colorado on February 4th, 2013. The full production brewery handcrafts five core beers, numerous special releases and partnered collaboration efforts. Head Brewer Jeff Griffith joins the FATE Brewing Company team from Golden City Brewery. Jeff’s unique blend of innovation and expertise in the craft beer world make him an ideal fit, he was the driving force behind Evolution IPA, Stand Up Double IPA, Imperial Stout, Javapeño Imperial Stout and more during his time at Golden City Brewery. Founder Mike Lawinski has wide-ranging knowledge in the restaurant and craft beer industry.

303.449.FATE | fatebrewingcompany.com | 1600 38th Street Boulder, CO 80301

AC Golden Brewing – Golden, CO

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AC Golden Copper Kettles

AC Golden’s Copper Kettles

AC Golden Brewing Company is located in Golden, CO, and operates out of a small section of the Coors facility. AC Golden brews in what was once the pilot brewery for Coors – which focused on trying new recipes and qualifying new varieties of barley and hops. AC Golden Brewing Company was founded by Pete Coors in 2007, and is run by President and Co-Founder, Glenn (Knip) Knippenberg. As Knip describes the company “At AC Golden all we care about is the customer. Our goal is to brew quality beer that our customers will enjoy.”

In 2007, Pete Coors was looking for a way to be able to create good new beers without breaking the bank to do it. Over the years, Coors, Miller and Anheiser Busch had attempted to market many new beers, and had seen their efforts add up to the loss of large amounts of money. Pete had the idea to start a small, separate company that would be able to focus on brewing new beers, selling them locally and using a smaller geography to determine whether or not to expand them. He also envisioned a separate sales force to avoid distracting the mainstream salesforce – who needed to keep their eye on the brands that paid the bills…Coors, Miller Lite, Blue Moon, etc. The new company would be able to focus efforts on the most important thing – the beer.

Glenn (Knip) Knippenberg originally starting working for Coors in 1983. He left the company and was living in Kentucky when he got the call from Pete. Pete invited Knip to come back to Colorado to run AC Golden, which was going to focus on small-batch beers. As Knip put it “Coming back was a no-brainer, it was a great idea and I knew it was what I wanted to do.” The opportunity to brew craft beers was too good for Knip to pass up. In April 2007, AC Golden Brewing Company officially began brewing in the old pilot brewery at Coors. They expanded the capacity from 1,000 barrels annually, to 8,000 barrels by adding a new fermentation cellar, commissioned in January 2010.

I had the great opportunity to spend time with the team at AC Golden last week. After sitting down with Knip for a few minutes, it is obvious he loves what he does, and he brings a passion to the team at AC Golden. Pete Coors definitely knew what he was doing when he asked Knip to run the company. Knip is happy to talk about AC Golden, and especially its most popular brand, Colorado Native Lager. On top of meeting with Knip, I was also able to meet with Head Brewer, Jeff Nickel and Brewers Steve (Fletch) Fletcher, Jason zumBrunnan and Ben Knutson. Everyone on the team was excited to discuss their role – and especially the beers they brew. They were all smiling quite a bit too – I’m guessing the beer might have had something to do with that! I know it definitely brought a smile to my face. I can’t explain how great it was to meet them all, and to find out about AC Golden Brewing Company.

AC Golden Brewing Company is best known for Colorado Native Lager, which is a very unique beer for a few reasons. Colorado Native is brewed with all Colorado ingredients. The barley, hops, yeast and water are all sourced from within the great state of Colorado. To take it a step further, Colorado Native Lager is only available for sale in Colorado. To say this is a unique beer is putting it lightly. AC Golden came up with a great idea, but they also did a ton of work to make it possible to actually brew this beer. To be able to source hops from Colorado, AC Golden actually got involved in the process of growing hops. They set out to find farmers that could grow for them. They also planted different hop varieties on the Coors farm in Center, CO. They started with 8 types of hops and eventually narrowed this down to 3 hops – the 3 that are currently used in Colorado Native Lager (Cascade, Centennial and Chinook). Once they figured out which hops to use, AC Golden found more farms in the San Juan Valley, and Western Slope that were able to grow those hops as well. Today, there are 11 Colorado farms that grow hops that are used in Colorado Native Lager!
Colorado Native Logo AC Golden Brewing Company is best known for Colorado Native Lager, but they brew other beers that are very good as well. Herman Joseph’s Private Reserve is a German style lager, and is also only available in 16 restaurants in Colorado. Born of German heritage dating back to 1868, Herman Joseph’s Private Reserve recipe combines the finest European and North American hops with prized Moravian two-row barley. Herman Joseph was Adolph Coors’ two middle names.

Winterfest is the third beer that AC Golden currently brews. Winterfest is a limited release beer, just for the holidays. It was originally brewed just for friends and family. 2013 will mark the 27th year for Winterfest. The more it was shared, the more popular it became, and the more of it was brewed. Winterfest is also brewed with Moravian two-row barley malt with choice hops from the Hallerrtau region of Germany.

The fourth beer brewed by AC Golden is a German Pilsner called Barmen. Barmen Pilsner Barmen German Pilsnerwas first brewed in what is now the AC Golden Brewing Company. It was initially offered on November 12, 1997. The brewing was later moved to the Sandlot Brewery at Coors Field. In February of 2012, Barmen brewing was moved back to AC Golden Brewing Company. Barmen was born of Pete Coors’ desire to brew a German Pilsner that tastes exactly like the great pilsners of northern Germany. The beer was named after Barmen, Germany; birthplace of Adolph Herman Joseph Coors. Barmen is offered in only a few bars and restaurants in and around Golden, CO. To ensure you enjoy the full Barmen experience, bars and restaurants offering Barmen are requested to honor the traditional “German Seven-Minute Pour” and to serve the beer in the  proper Barmen branded pilsner glass. When properly poured, it should look like this.

I was able to find out about some new things in the works at AC Golden. The brewers are working on some new beers that should be released later this year or possibly next year. I can’t provide too much info about that, but I’m looking forward to it! I was able to sample some sour beers the brewers are aging in oak barrels at the pilot brewery. These were a nice change of pace, and much different than any of the other beer offerings from AC Golden. The brewers were really excited to talk about the flexibility they have to work on new styles and recipes – and ultimately the next production beer they will be releasing.

AC Golden Barrels

Oak aging new recipes at AC Golden

My visit to AC Golden Brewing Company was great for many reasons. It was awesome to learn how the company works, and to be able to dispel some misconceptions about the brewery (which I believed myself). Many beer enthusiasts, and other brewers, think that AC Golden is just Coors coming up with new packaging and marketing campaigns. Well, that couldn’t be further from the truth. The team at AC Golden is small, and passionate about brewing great craft beer. They want their customers to get world-class beer, and they use the best ingredients in order to make this possible. In fact, AC Golden is so passionate about their hops, they have done a great deal to introduce the crop to many farmers in Colorado. I sat down with Brewer Steve (Fletch) Fletcher for a solid 20 minutes just talking about the selection of hops.

Another misconception about AC Golden is that they brew with the same equipment as Coors. This is not true. The equipment they use was part of the the pilot brewery, but is very small in comparison to the large brewery. The AC Golden brew kettle is 30 barrels while the Coors brew kettles are closer to 500 barrels. AC Golden operates in its own section of the brewery, has its own brewers, and operates completely separate from Coors. There is a separate sales team, marketing team, and leadership team. It was nice to see this first hand as I had heard a few theories as to how the company operated, and they were all pretty far off base.

I would like to thank everyone at AC Golden Brewing Company for a great visit. I thoroughly enjoyed talking, sampling beers, and touring the pilot brewery. If you are a craft beer drinker and want to try a great local beer, definitely try Colorado Native Lager. Colorado Native has a rich, full-flavor with slight fruitiness, and clean finish. Just make sure you are in Colorado, or you won’t be able to find it! Of course, you can always try Herman Joseph’s Private Reserve, Barmen, or Winterfest when they are available as well. I’ve added beer locators below:

AC Golden Brewing Company
1221 Ford St.
Golden, CO. 80401
https://www.coloradonative.com/

Brewery Rickoli – Wheat Ridge, CO

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Brewery Rickoli Logo

Brewery Rickoli is located in Wheat Ridge, CO. on the Southwest corner of Wadsworth Blvd. and 44th Ave., just west of Denver. Brewery Rickoli opened up in November 2012, becoming the first ever brewery in Wheat Ridge. The idea behind opening Brewery Rickoli was to provide the local neighborhood a place to enjoy a fresh pint close to home. While the brewery has only been open a short time, it has already made a big impression in the community.

Brewery Rickoli is the creation of Rick Abitbol, a seasoned brewer with 10+ years of professional brewing experience. Rick has a unique brewing story. He started out in homebrewing, and entered his first contest at the Colorado State Fair in Pueblo. His Cream Ale did very well and was highly regarded among judges at the fair, it was even a finalist for the “Best of Show” award. Rick decided to approach a local brewery to see if they would be interested in letting Rick brew his cream ale. He was able to convince the owner of Shamrock Brewing to give him a shot, and Rick was able to get his first experience brewing in a brewery.

Later on, Rick joined Hop, Barley & the Alers, a well known homebrew club in Boulder. This club happened to be the same club Charlie Sturdavant (Owner of Golden City Brewery, and Tommyknockers), was also in. Rick met Charlie and basically begged him to give him an opportunity to help out at GCB. Rick started out doing anything he could to help, and eventually began helping brew. After gaining more experience, and the departure of the head brewer, Rick took over as head brewer at GCB. Rick worked at GCB for two years, then gained additional experience brewing at Rock Bottom, Denver ChopHouse and finally Renegade Brewing.

Over the years, Rick learned a great deal from his time brewing in several types of breweries. He developed tastes and methods that grew his love of brewing, and he began dreaming of starting his own brewery. With a bankruptcy looming, Rick began to make plans to open his own brewery. Thanks to financing from Rick’s dad, and the Sam Adams Brewing the American Dream Program, Rick was able to realize his dream. Rick officially opened Brewery Rickoli on November 28, 2012. Since then, locals have been enjoying fresh pints – some have visited as many as 80 times in the roughly 150 days Brewery Rickoli has been open!

Rickoli Black and Tan

A Black & Tan served especially for us!

Beer List: For a small brewery, Brewery Rickoli offers a ton of beer choices! Not only are all of Brewery Rickoli’s beers Gluten Reduced, they are great tasting. There are beers for every taste, and all levels of beer geekdom. From the lighter Cream Ale, to the hoppy Double IPA, the beers at Brewery Rickoli are very good. My personal favorites are the Aldo Red and the Black Pline! Although, it was a tough call to pick any favorites. Rick said it best, “Brewery Rickoli brews big beers to compensate for their small equipment!” Of course this is in reference to their small homebrew setup, that produces outstanding, consistently flavorful beers. Rick is proud to be able to produce the beers he does with what he calls, “the smallest brewery setup in the state.”

  • M.E.H. (Most Excellent Homebrew) Cream Ale – This is a very refreshing and light ale that is very similar to Genesee Cream Ale. This beer is only 4.3% ABV, so you can relax and have a few after work and still get stuff done. A malty leaning beer that has just the right kiss of hops! 4.3% ABV, 20 IBU’S.
  • ALDO RED –  (Named after Rick’s Dad) This is a very flavorful derivation of a German style called ALTBIER. A little fuller boded than the German version, this beer has the depth of flavor of an Irish Red, but finishes cleaner.  This beer is 5.3% ABV and uses Munich, Vienna, and Pilsner malt with a little noble hop to give it character. 5.3% ABV, 30 IBU’S.
  • Totally EYE-P-A  –  Everybody has an IPA and we have a great one! Pale malt and a touch of Munich malt combine to provide a clean and sturdy base for the intense hop flavor and aroma in this beer. At 6.8% abv, This beer falls in line with the new wave of IPA beers on the market. 6.8%ABV, 65 IBU’S.
  • Rickoli’s Rye Stout – This is a hearty Rye Stout that satisfies the soul! Roast and coffee notes are combined with rye spiciness and the full body sweetness of malt to cradle the gentle American hop flavor that this beer takes advantage of.                 7% ABV, 45 IBU’s.
  • Social Lubricant – This is traditional Scotch ale.  Golden Promise malt with a touch of roast barley, boiled extensively to concentrate the caramel flavors with just the stingiest amount of English hops! 8% ABV, 30 IBU’S.
  • Disturbed Reflection Double IPA – This is our double version of Totally Eye-P-A! It reeks of pungent hops and alcohol and has a wonderful creamy mouth feel that lays the lupulin goodness across all of your senses.  9.7% ABV, 190 IBU’S – Whew!
  • The Black Pline – This is a very intense Imperial Black IPA! Extreme hop nose and flavor supported by just a kiss of dark malt that gives a subtle smoke in the profile. 9.8%ABV, 70 IBU’S.
  • Session IPA – Our second offering in our Single-hop Pale Ale Series.  We make a nominal Pale Ale recipe and change out the featured hop variety.  This month we combine Summit with 2 experimental hop varieties. 5% ABV, 65 IBU.
  • VannFaw Red Hefeweizen –  Inspired by the awesome folks in our homebrew club, the VannFaw Hefe uses a darker shade of caramel to compliment the banana-like esthers and reminds one of Bananas Foster on the palate while still light and refreshing! 4.55% ABV
  • Thrilla in Vanilla –  Rickoli’s Rye Stout spiked with vanilla!  The heartiness of this very approachable stout is balanced and softened by the subtle vanilla flavor.        7% ABV, 45 IBU’s.
  • Elke Brown – (Named after Rick’s Mom) An American-style brown ale, with an array of medium to dark caramel malts. Accented with English chocolate malt, which gives a full-bodied sweetness that cradles the Williamette hops used throughout this brew. 6.8% ABV, 45 IBU

Brewery Rickoli serves all of their beers from the tap. If you would like to purchase beer to take home, Growlers are available. I personally grabbed a growler of the Aldo Red, and can’t say enough about the great quality of the beer, and the freshness. Brewery Rickoli is working on distributing kegs to local restaurants and bars that specialize in providing quality craft beer from the great State of Colorado.

Events: Here are a few local events where you will be able to try Brewery Rickoli’s beers.

I had a great visit with Rick Abitbol at Brewery Rickoli. He’s created a nice local brewery and taproom, which is perfect for beer lovers in the Wheat Ridge area. Of course, Denver is only a few minutes away, so it is a short trip down to Brewery Rickoli from around the metro area. Rick brews awesome beers and the vibe in the taproom is positive and laid-back. Brewery Rickoli provides good music, fresh beer, and a simple, fun environment to relax and enjoy a pint. I highly recommend making a trip to see Rick and enjoy a beer at Brewery Rickoli. Keep an eye out as Rick has plans to add a beer garden area behind the taproom. His plans include a 4-tap system and live music! Thanks again for the hospitality, and keep up the good work Rick!

Brewery Rickoli
4335 Wadsworth Blvd
Wheat Ridge, CO. 80033
303-344-8988
www.BreweryRickoli.com

Top 50 Craft Breweries List Includes 6 From Colorado

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On April 10, 2013 the Brewers Association released it’s annual list of the Top 50 Craft Brewing Companies in the U.S. The list for 2013 is based on sales volume totals from 2012. Six Colorado breweries made the list including; New Belgium Brewing Co., Oskar Blues Brewing Co., Craftworks Restaurants & Breweries Inc., Odell Brewing, Breckenridge Brewery and Left Hand Brewing Co. New Belgium came in on top of the list for Colorado breweries, and came in 3rd overall on the top 50 U.S Craft Breweries list.

Colorado Brewery Rankings in the Top 50 U.S. Craft Breweries:

  • New Belgium #3
  • Oskar Blues #27
  • Craftworks Restaurants & Breweries #32
  • Odell Brewing #33
  • Breckenridge Brewery #41
  • Left Hand #43

While six Colorado Breweries finished in the top 50 U.S Craft Breweries list, four of those breweries also came in the Top 50 Overall U.S. Breweries List. The four Colorado breweries in the top 50 overall include: New Belgium, Oskar Blues, Craftworks Restaurants & Breweries and Odell Brewing.

Colorado Brewery Rankings in the Top 50 U.S. Overall Breweries:

  • New Belgium #8
  • Oskar Blues #36
  • Craftworks Restaurants & Breweries #43
  • Odell Brewing #44

Overall, craft beer sales totaled 6% of all beer sales in the U.S. According to Paul Gatza, Director, Brewers Association. “Increasingly, beer lovers are turning to craft brewed beer from small and independent producers to satisfy their thirst for bold, innovative and flavor-forward beers.” With the continued growth and popularity of craft beer, the percentage of craft beer in the overall beer sales should rise each year.

Other interesting facts about the craft beer industry:

  • Craft brewers currently provide an estimated 108,440 jobs in the U.S., including serving staff in brewpubs.
  • Growth of the craft brewing industry in 2012 was 15% by volume and 17% by dollars compared to growth in 2011 of 13% by volume and 15% by dollars.
  • Craft brewers sold an estimated 13,235,917 barrels* of beer in 2012, up from 11,467,337 in 2011.
  • The craft brewing sales share in 2012 was 6.5% by volume and 10.2% by dollars.
  • As of March 18, 2013, the Brewers Association is aware of 409 brewery openings in 2012 (310 microbreweries and 99 brewpubs) and 43 brewery closings (18 microbreweries and 25 brewpubs).
  • 2,347 craft breweries operated for some or all of 2012, comprised of 1,132 brewpubs, 1,118 microbreweries and 97 regional craft breweries.

To view more statistics and information from the Brewers Association follow these links:
1) Top 50 Breweries List
2) Craft Beer Facts

River North Brewery – Denver, CO

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River North Logo

River North Brewery & Taproom is located in Denver, CO. a few blocks north of Coors Field in the ballpark neighborhood. The area around River North is a fun, lively and popular area with many breweries, galleries and restaurants close by. This area, called RiNO (River North Art District) was once a rough, mostly abandoned part of Denver, but has been transformed with redevelopment. RiNO includes many 100+ year-old brick buildings that have been renovated, giving the area a historic look and feel.

River North was started by Matt Hess, a former Engineer for Lockheed Martin. Matt was tired of the “cyclical nature of the aerospace industry”, and wanted to do something different. He had experience in homebrewing, and decided that starting a brewery was his ticket to doing something different. Matt had been homebrewing in 5 gallon batches, then splitting up the 5 gallon batch into smaller 1 gallon batches to try new ideas. Each smaller 1 gallon batch gave Matt an opportunity to tweak his recipes, or to add something completely new. With 2-3 years of experimentation, Matt was able to create some great homebrew recipes that he would eventually use to brew beers at River North Brewery. Matt has not only been the driving force behind the beers at River North, he also designed the logo. He has done a great job in creating a clean, distinctive brand that is easily recognizable. When he’s not brewing, Matt also handles deliveries and sales, manages the taproom, and many other tasks that arise in the day-to-day process of running the business side of the brewery.

Patrick Annesty is the Director of Communications for River North, and was nice enough to give us a tour and share their excellent beers. Patrick joined the River North team just after they officially opened last year. He came to Denver from Ft. Laurderdale, FL., after graduating from the University of Florida. Patrick was looking to move to a fun place with a good beer culture, and Denver was a prime spot for that. After coming to Denver, Patrick visited local breweries hoping to use his journalism and homebrewing skills to help out a local brewer. A few weeks after Parick visited River North, Matt Hess called Patrick and asked for help — opening weekend was bigger and busier than Matt ever imagined! Since then, Patrick has taken on a jack of all trades role, and does a bit of everything. Patrick is Matt’s right hand man, and does everything from generating buzz on social media to brewing to making deliveries.

River North officially opened in February 2012. In their first year, River North produced 300 barrels, and made a big name in the Denver community. The business plan for River North was different than many breweries that simply start a taproom and hope to distribute someday. Matt Hess started the brewery with the plan to bottle and distribute immediately. The facility behind River North’s taproom is huge for a smaller brewery, and provides a great deal of room for expansion going forward. If you visit the taproom, you will see just how big River North plans to become. The plan for 2013 is to produce 900 barrels, or 3x the amount of beer River North produced in their first year! River North Taproom

Matt Hess enjoys brewing Belgian-style ales, and American style ales with a Belgian twist. River North brews exclusively in the Belgian style, and is dedicated to always brewing quality beers. Ingredients are brought in from the best sources around the country in order to consistently brew high quality, great tasting beers. River North has an eclectic beer list, and does not focus on having all the American style beers that are typical at most breweries. We really enjoyed all of the beers, but especially the BPR (Belgian-Style Pale Red), the Hello, Darkness (Black IPA) and the Unified Theory (Oaked Imperial Wit).

Beer List:

  • River North White White Ale / Belgian-Style Wit 5.0% ABV
  • Hello, Darkness Black IPA: 6.2% ABV
  • BPR Belgian-Style Pale Red Ale 6.4% ABV
  • J. Marie Saison / Farmhouse Ale 7.5% ABV
  • Hoppenberg Uncertainty Principle Belgian-Style Double IPA 9.0% ABV
  • Quandary Quadrupel 9.6% ABV
  • Unified Theory Oaked Imperial Wit:  8.5% ABV
  • Avarice Belgian-Style Imperial Stout 9.3% ABV

Barrel Series (Limited Availability):

    • Barrel Series No. 1 – J. Marie Aged in Whiskey Barrels
    • Barrel Series No. 2 – J. Marie Aged in White Wine Barrels
    • Barrel Series No. 3 – Quandary Aged in Whiskey Barrels
    • Barrel Series No. 4 – BPR Aged in Whiskey Barrels
    • Barrel Series No. 5 – River North White aged in white wine
    • Barrel Series No. 6 – River North White aged in whiskey
    • Barrel Series No. 7 – Avarice Imperial Stout aged in whiskey
    • Barrel Series No. 8 – Barrel Reserve 2013 (currently available).

In Bottles (22 oz. bombers) Click here to see the River North beer locator

    • J. Marie
    • Hoppenberg Uncertainty Principle
    • Quandary
    • Unified Theory
    • Avarice

River North has a membership program for anyone that would like to become part of their local club. The program will be announced in July, and the details for this year are not available yet. Last year, members paid $50 and received a member’s only glass, $4 beers all day/everyday and had access to a special member’s only barrel aged IPA. The program for members will be different this year, but there will be great opportunities to get exlusive access to some cool offerings from River North.

Festivals: This only includes a couple that are already booked. To find out about all of the festivals and activities River North will be part of, check out their Facebook, and Twitter pages.

  • South Denver Beer Festival (May 4-5 – Littleton)
  • Colorado Brewers’ Rendezvous (July 13 – Salida)

We had a great visit to River North, and look forward to seeing bigger and better things from them. They provide great beers, and a fun, laid-back atmosphere at their taproom. They recently opened up a patio which provides a nice place to enjoy fresh air and a little scenery. A great time to head to River North would be before a Rockies game. With the close proximity to Coors Field, it’s only a few minutes walk to enjoy a fresh beer. Thanks to Matt Hess and Patrick Annesty for their hospitality, and for sharing their story with us!

River North Brewery
2401 Blake St #1
Denver, CO. 80205
(On the corner of 24th & Blake)
303.296.2617

Wit’s End Brewing Company – Denver, CO

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Wits End Brewing logo

Wit’s End Brewing Company is located in Denver, CO, and is a self proclaimed “Impossibly small Denver nanobrewery fueled by dreams and inspired by the limitless potential of craft beer.” Wit’s End was started by Scott Witsoe, a transplant from Seattle, WA. After coming to Denver, Scott realized there was a beer culture similar to Seattle, and the dream of starting a brewery was born.

The moment the light bulb turned on for Scott Witsoe was when he first attended the Great American Beer Festival (GABF). Scott had seen the event on TV, but always thought it looked gimicky, basically like an informercial. There was no way this event was as great as advertised…well maybe it really was. Scott couldn’t believe the amount of brewers, the different types of beer, and all the people that were so passionate about craft beer! The wheels started turning, and Scott began dreaming about becoming a brewer.

As Scott became more familiar with Denver, he quickly found great local craft beers. Great Divide became his favorite craft brewery, and happened to be in Scott’s neighborhood. Avery, another local brewery, turned Scott onto Belgian style beers. After getting some ideas and trying different types of beers, Scott began tinkering with his own recipes via a homebrew kit he acquired from his father-in-law. The kit had been collecting dust, so Scott simply needed to dust it off and pick up ingredients to make his first homebrew. Scott’s hombrewing quickly got him excited about opening up his own brewery. As Scott describes it, “opening the first beer, hearing the sound, and smelling the first beer, I knew what I wanted to do.” By his 5th homebrew batch, Scott filled his first keg. Scott’s friends tried his beers and the response was great…it was time for Scott to realize his dreams. 

Scott was laidoff from his job in the MMA industry in March 2011. It was at this point that Scott, and his wife Heather decided it was time to pursue his dream full-time. They made the decision to go through the difficult process of starting a brewery with no back up employment to fall back on. As Scott put it “Without the support of my wife, I would not be doing what I am. She has supported me completely, and she deserves a ton of credit for that!” After months of paperwork, planning, inspections, licensing, painting, construction, and a lot of long days, Scott and Heather officially opened Wit’s End Brewing in September 2011! Immediately, Scott realized how much he enjoyed watching people build relationships at Wit’s End, and he knew he was finally doing what he was meant to do.

Wit’s End is a small taproom that offers up fresh beer, and a neighborhood feel that is hard to find these days. Scott has placed an emphasis on fostering conversation instead of sitting and staring at TVs like at a typical sports bar. Each person that came to Wit’s End during our visit was personally greeted by Scott, and made to feel at home. If you want to enjoy a beer at a fun, friendly taproom, Wit’s End is a great place to go.

Scott has creativity that shows in his beers. With names like “Jean Claude Van Blond” and “Mick Jaggery” the beers at Wit’s End offer options that are a little outside the box. Standards are not necessarily followed, and are not meant to be. Scott has made an effort to do things his way, and does not worry about following institutionalized “style” guidelines. It’s more fun to do something different, and to create a unique recipe.

Beer List: Our favorite beers were the Wilford, and the Green Man Ale! The Wilford won an Award at the Colorado State Fair. The Green Man Ale is Scott’s oldest recipe and was modeled after the 1st craft beer he had in Seattle (Redhook). Wits End 40sIf you head down to Wit’s End, you can try many different beers from the tap. Availability changes from time to time, but there are always some great options to choose from.

If you want to purchase beer to take home, Wit’s End has a really cool option. They have 40oz. stainless steel “40s” that are very popular. In fact, Westword awarded Wit’s End with the “best new beer to go idea” for their 40s. You can even find Wit’s End’s 40s in the A-Z exhibit at the Colorado History Museum in the beer section. Wit’s End will also fill any seal able container with the beers they have on tap, so bring in a growler, Nalgene, or any other seal able container.

  • Jean-Claude Van Blond: Inspired by the action hero in all of us. It features a Belgian yeast strain and is built on a lighter malt profile with just a touch of oats for a silky body and some additional depth. You will find this beer intriguing and hard to define—which is just the way we like it.
  • Wilford: Introducing the Belgian Oatmeal IPA! Flaked oats play a major role in this Belgian-American porridge. Pungent spicy noble hops, citrusy American hops, and a Belgian yeast all wrapped up in a silky blanket of oats–yes please! We will not make any claims as to the health benefits of using oatmeal in beer, but if there are any, then…it’s the right beer to drink, and the tasty way to do it!
  • Super FL I.P.A. : A no nonsense Black IPA—can you dig it? This bad-ass beer features nine different malts, as well as a combination of Columbus and Cascade hops. After the fermentation, it is then dry-hopped and rests on just a touch of real cedar wood chips. The game it plays it plays for keeps!
  • Green Man Ale: Inspired by the malty and hoppy beers of the Great Northwest, Green Man Ale is a rich and layered beer that lies somewhere between an IPA and a Red Ale—not exactly radical, but not quite the conformist, Green Man Ale just is.
  • Kitchen Sink Porter: What started out as a basic porter recipe evolved by adding a little bit of this and a little bit of that, using a wide variety of malts not typically seen in a porter. This includes various types of rye and a dash of smoked malt. The result—a roasty, spicy, chocolaty glass of goodness. We just threw in the Kitchen Sink moniker for good measure.
  • Experimental Beers: There are many of them…probably too many to list here! Check out the beer list or see what is available when you visit. The experimental beers are available from time to time. To view Wit’s End’s beer list, click here

We had a great visit to Wit’s End Brewing, and were impressed with the beers, and the passion behind the making of them. Scott Witsoe has created a great environment to enjoy a beer, or as he puts it “slow beers for fast times.” Wit’s End is all about personality, and making it enjoyable for people to visit. If you’re looking for an unpretentious environment, and are open to exploring new types of beers, Wit’s End would be a great taproom to visit. Thanks for the hospitality Scott!

Wit’s End Brewing Company
2505 W 2nd Ave. Unit 13
Denver, CO 80219
http://www.witsendbrewing.com/

Taproom Hours
Thursdays
4:00-8:00pm

Fridays and Saturdays
2:00-8:00pm

Sundays
2:00-6:00pm

The 2013 Breckenridge Spring Beer Festival was a great event!

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The 2013 Breckenridge Spring Beer Festival was held Saturday, April 6th in Downtown Breckenridge, CO. There was a lot of buzz as beer enthusiasts gathered to sample some of the best craft beer Colorado, and the United States has to offer. From big national brewers like Sam Adams and Sierra Nevada to smaller regional brewers like Palisade Brewery and San Luis Valley Brewing, the event provided visitors a chance to sample many different types of beer. Several Colorado favorites were available with AC Golden, Breckenridge Brewery, Great Divide, Left Hand, Odell and Oskar Blues providing their popular craft beers.

The atmosphere in Downtown Breckenridge was lively and fun as beer enthusiasts from all over gathered to sample a great mix of quality craft beers. The event catered to an audience of all ages, and many families came to enjoy the festival. Live music created a nice vibe as many participants danced in the street to the music of 7Horse, Mountain Standard Time, and Max Gomez. There is nothing quite like drinking a fresh beer, while listening to good music with the mountains above Breckenridge in the background!

 Breck Beer Fest (2) 4-6-13 Breck Beer Fest 4-6-13

Best Beers (in our opinion). Keep in mind that there were so many great beers available to taste, we didn’t even come close to trying all of them! To see a list of all brewers that participated in the event, click here.

  • Wheat: Pug Ryan’s Morningwood Wheat was outstanding. A smooth taste, with very subtle spiciness and a nice finish.
  • Stout: Left Hand’s Milk Stout was really tasty. The subtle taste of coffee, without being overpowering. The Milk Stout has a nice creamy/frosty finish and goes down really smooth.
  • Belgian: Avery’s White Rascal has a spicy, sweet and unique taste. As we overheard someone say “It tastes like Christmas!” While that is not how we would describe it, the saying actually works.
  • Lager: Colorado Native was our favorite lager of the day. A distinct malt flavor with some bitterness and an overall clean, crisp taste.
  • IPA: The Odell IPA was our first beer of the day, and just so happened to be our favorite IPA as well. Great hoppiness, with smooth, subtle hints of fruity finish.
  • Pilsner: The Oskar Blues Mama’s Little Yella Pils. This beer has a bit of a different flavor than most Pilsners. A rich, smooth and subtly hoppy beer with a nice finish.
  • Most Unique/Unusual: Breckeridge Brewery’s Roasted Habanero Lucky IPA. This crazy beer has a subtle kick from the habanero, but is not overpowering. It’s a creative twist on the IPA, and was unlike anything else we tried!   

We had a great time at the Breckenridge Spring Beer Festival! If you were unable to make it to the Spring edition, plan on making it to the Summer edition. The Breckenridge Summer Beer Festival will be held July 13, 2013. To find out more check out http://breckenridgebeerfestival.net/july/