Green Mountain Beer Company Opening in Lakewood

Posted on December 27, 2015 by educyber

Green Mountain Beer Co- Coming Soon

Green Mountain Beer Company has been in the works for about five years and the owners are excited to open in Lakewood at the corner of Kipling Pkwy and Morrison Road. Their goal is to open the brewery in April or May of 2016; however, construction and building upgrades need to be completed for the brewery to open on time. The owners of Green Mountain Beer Company are asking locals for help completing the project on GoFundMe.com. Those that support the brewery can get some cool schwag, beer, and other items from the brewery.

About Green Mountain Beer Company:
Green mountain beer company combines new and innovative ingredients with classic brewing techniques to create original brews with a professional brewer’s enthusiasm for experimentation! We’ll be pouring quality beer, and offering friendly, knowledgeable service and a spacious patio, in a comfortable neighborhood with a family-friendly vibe. Count on Colorado’s best food trucks and great BBQ all the time. Our beer will be an eclectic mix of sessionable staples, classic styles from across the pond, and seasonal treats.

Note from the owners about their GoFundMe campaign:
After almost five years of diligent planning, our dream of being able to share our love and enthusiasm in crafting quality German and Belgian-style beer is finally coming to fruition. We have recently signed a lease in the quaint community of Green Mountain in Lakewood, CO. This ideal setting is right on a bike path and nestled among several beautiful golf courses. In addition, we are a mere five miles away from the legendary Red Rocks Amphitheater. Our building plans are currently in the works and we are continuing to perfect our beer recipes at an off site pilot brewery. Our goal is to open in April or May 2016.

This is where you come in!

The cost needed to finalize our building plans have exceeded what we have been able to secure thus far. To create an efficient, vibrant brewery with a comfortable tap room worthy of the most discerning clientele we expect to serve, we need your help! We invite you to come aboard on this exciting new venture.

Your financial support will help us create an extraordinary tasting environment that will provide our Green Mountain community and surrounding beer lovers with an outdoor patio, allowing guests to take in the splendor of the beautiful surrounding foothills and will help us fund a larger walk-in cooler to allow us to produce and store more beer on site.

Every dollar donated helps us reach our goal to provide you our high quality, specialty beer. Become part of something special by donating today. We anticipate becoming a welcome addition to this beautiful community and need your help to get us to the final stages.

Since we will be forever grateful for whatever amount you can afford, every contribution of $15 or more will include a free beer, your name posted as a funder and a huge thank you!! If you have any questions or would like to make your donation a gift to someone else, please send us a message and we will make sure that happens!!

We invite you to be part of the exciting future of Green Mountain: outrageously great beer served in an warm, friendly neighborhood tap room!

Joyride Brewing Company – Edgewater, CO

Posted on May 4, 2015 by educyber

Joyride Brewing Company is located in Edgewater, CO across the street from Sloan’s Lake, a popular Denver park for walking, biking and even boating. Due to their location, Joyride has become a hot spot for visitors of the lake. If you’ve never heard of Edgewater, it’s because the city is less than one square mile in size. The area has a unique history that Joyride embraced in many aspects of their operation. From the logo, to the names of the beer, there are some really cool facts about the area that have been integrated into the brewery and taproom.

History of the Brewery:
Joyride Brewing Company opened for business on July 16, 2014 to great fanfare. There was a great deal of excitement for the opening because the building had been vacant for a couple of years, and Joyride would become the first brewery in Edgewater. The first day was crazy as group after group kept coming and the staff realized they were not quite ready for the amount of people that showed up. Thanks to great support, and the amount of people that visited the brewery early on, Joyride streamlined their processes and can now handle large crowds.

I had the opportunity to sit down with Dave Bergen, Brewmaster and Owner of Joyride Brewing. Dave went to college for management of business computers, but it wasn’t something he was really excited about. He ended up going into sales, but felt like he wanted to do something different. Dave bought his dad a Mr. Beer homebrew kit, but his dad wasn’t really into it. He got the kit back from his dad and started getting really excited about brewing, and the science behind it. He then got a second Mr. Beer kit and started brewing more and more. In late 2008, Dave reached the point that Mr. Beer was too limiting, and he got into all-grain brewing so he could try new things, and of course, brew better beer. Eventually he joined a homebrew club, Foam on the Range, and began gaining notoriety for brewing good beer.

After a few years of learning, and gaining experience brewing quality beer, Dave and two friends, Grant Babb and Brent Smith, decided they wanted to partner up and open a brewery. The trio decided to treat their goal like being in a band, and they dedicated regular time to brewing, much like a band having regular practices. After about three years they started writing a business plan, looking for investors, and searching for properties for the brewery. They found the location in Edgewater after walking about fifty buildings. They signed a long-term lease on an abandoned pawn shop that had been vacant for about two years. The building Joyride Brewing occupies had been various businesses, including a pawn shop, a record store, and Edgewater’s first grocery store and meat market. The building was built in 1910 and operated as Knoll’s Meat Market.

Sloan’s Lake also has an interesting history. Thomas Sloan, a cattle rancher, was digging on his land in 1861 and hit an underground aquifer, creating Sloan’s Lake (which people dubbed Sloan’s Leak when it first happen). Sloan would cut ice blocks from the lake in the winter and sell it to breweries. This fact inspired Joyride to name a beer “Ice Cutter Kolsch” in honor of the German breweries that were prevalent when Sloan was supplying them with ice blocks. Manhattan Beach opened in 1881 on the shore of Sloan’s Lake and was the first amusement park west of the Mississippi River. Roger the Elephant was the first elephant that P.T. Barnum (founder of Barnum & Bailey Circus) purchased, and he spent time at the Manhattan Beach Amusement Park at Sloan’s Lake. Roger had a woven basket on his back, and gave kids rides around the park. There was an accident and Roger was put down, then buried nearby at 20th and Depew. Joyride Brewing really embraced the great history of the area, and this why they have an elephant in their logo. Dave is very knowledgeable about the local history, and says that it’s a good reminder that life’s about the journey instead of the destination. Another historic aspect of the Joyride story, is that their building had a mural detailing the history of Edgewater. Unfortunately, they had to tear off the mural to meet the city regulations for having windows for a minimum transparency from the outside looking in. Where the garage doors are now located, there used to be a mural detailing much of the history of Edgewater, and Sloan’s Lake. Joyride’s ownership was really bummed about taking down the mural, but they were happy to have helped bring more people to the area, which has helped many of the local businesses. I’m very impressed with the level of knowledge of local history, and the amount of history that Joyride incorporated into their operation.

The Beer:
Joyride boasts a diverse mix of beer, with options for people that like all different beer styles. They embrace having people visit that may not have a lot of experience with craft beer, and educating them on different beer styles. Dave loves the discovery aspect of craft beer, where he can try new beers. He even plans his vacations around being able to check out new breweries and brewing styles. The brewers at Joyride (Dave + three assistant brewers) brew six regular beers, but they try new styles, and are constantly looking to evolve their skills. They use a wide variety of hops in their beers, where some breweries use the same hops for many of their beers.
Regular Beers (descriptions from the Joyride menu):

Ice Cutter Kolsch – 5.5% ABV, 25 IBUs: In the winter after Thomas Sloan flooded his farm, he would cut ice from the lake and sell it to local breweries. As most brewers in the day were of German decent, a Kolsch style beer could have been produced. Joyride’s Kolsch is a classic interpretation of the style, very smooth and drinkable like a lager with a light fruit flavor from ale fermentation. It has moderate levels of bitterness and noble hop flavor and a crisp, dry finish. Nothing pairs better with our Lakeside view than our Kolsch.
Bear Paw Oatmeal Milk Stout – 7.2% ABV, 45 IBUs: The Bear Paw is a deliciously decadent Sweet Stout that is robust and silky smooth. Seven different malts create chocolate, roast, caramel and coffee flavors, while five pounds of lactose sugar per barrel balance it out with a velvety sweetness. The flaked oats contribute to a luscious mouthfeel that will leave you wanting another glass. It may seem cute and cuddly, but at over 7%, this one’s got some claws.
Cougar Pale Ale – 5.1% ABV, 40 IBUs: Cougar Pale Ale is west coast inspired with English character. We use a method known as “hop bursting” and add all of the hops after the boil during our whirlpool. This gives the beer an extremely soft and pleasant bitterness while maximizing hop flavor and aroma. We also add Maris Otter malt as about 20% of the grist to provide a more toasty and bready malt backbone. The result is a very balanced American Pale Ale without the hops or malt being over the top. Take a Cougar home tonight!
Dry Hopped Antelope Amber – 5.3% ABV, 50 IBUs: Antelope is a bold rich and hoppy American Amber that leaps across your tongue. Antelope weaves caramel, nutty and dark fruit flavors from six premium malts with the citrus characteristics from four types of American hops to create a delicious Amber Ale. For this batch, we dry hopped with Amarillo hops to increase the grapefruit and floral aromas. Let this one run wild.
Edgewater IPA – 6.5% ABV, 70 IBUs: Edgewater IPA is a west coast style IPA that bursts out of the glass. We use obscene amounts of Apollo and Chinook with a touch of Amarillo hops to layer citrus, piney, resiny and floral characteristics across your palate. The hop explosion and dry finish make this extremely drinkable and enjoyable. Edgewater. This is our town. This is our IPA. Take it for a ride.
Joyride Double IPA – 9.3% ABV, 100+ IBUs: Intended to be seasonal but the response was strong it’s now always on tap. Calling all hop heads, this beer is for you! We used three pounds of hops per barrel to give our Double IPA an aggressive and delicious hop profile. We used 4 different types of American and German malts, but the hops are definitely the star here. We did 7 different additions of Simcoe and Citra hops to layer piney, citrus, tropical fruit and melon flavors into this dangerously drinkable ale.

Seasonal/Rotating Beers:

Black Razz Blonde
Give Peach a Chance Berliner Weisse
Sloan’s Pale Ale
Emerald Irish Stout
Batch 69 Hoppy Wheat Ale

As described above, Joyride offers a diverse mix of beer to fit nearly any taste. I was impressed by a few of the beers, but my absolute favorite is the Antelope Amber. I’m not normally a huge fan of Ambers, but the dry hopping makes this one unique and flavorful. My next favorite is a tie between the Ice Cutter Kolsch and the Batch 69 Hoppy Wheat Ale. Both are simply easy drinking, complex, tasty beers. Joyride switches out their beer menu about once per week, so the list above may not be exactly what they will have when you stop in. They’re looking at doing limited canning through a mobile canning provider, but that has not been finalized. For now you can only get Joyride’s beer at the brewery. You can purchase a 64oz glass growler for $20, or a 64 oz stainless steel growler for $60. The cost to fill a 64oz growler is $12. You can also purchase a 32oz growler for $8.

I would like to thank Dave Bergen for sitting down and talking craft beer with me. The team at Joyride is extremely knowledgeable, and create a fun environment for beer lovers to enjoy a fresh local brew. I definitely recommend a trip to Joyride for anyone that is looking to try a new brewery. The taproom is a fun, open room that is normally full of people enjoying a beer and a conversation. Denver Westword recently awarded Joyride as the “Best New Brewery Taproom” and the “Best Brewery Taproom Ambiance”. So get some friends together and take a trip down to Joyride Brewing, you won’t be disappointed!

Joyride Brewing Company
2501 Sheridan Blvd
Edgewater, CO 80214
(720) 432-7560

Odyssey Beerwerks Brewery & Taproom – Arvada, CO

Posted on May 1, 2015 by educyber

Odyssey Beerwerks Brewery & Taproom is located in Arvada, CO near I-76 and Sheridan Blvd. Odyssey is known as a happening brewery with live music, great food trucks, and a fun atmosphere. The brewery is in close proximity to the Clear Creek Bike Trail, and has great access to a few of the major metro area highways. Whether on a bike or in a car, Odyssey is a popular place to stop in for a fresh Colorado craft beer.

History of the Brewery:
Odyssey Beerwerks opened for business on May 25, 2013. Owners, and Colorado Natives, Chris Hill and Josh Van Riper are longtime friends and homebrewing partners that had a dream of opening their own brewery someday. Chris and Josh had extensive homebrewing experience dating back to the mid-90s. Chris grew up in Fort Collins, a town widely known for it’s amazing craft beer. Josh grew up in Montrose, on the Western Slope of Colorado. The two met in Fort Collins, and developed a friendship that ultimately led to the creation of Odyssey Beerwerks. Over the years they honed their craft with help of a friend that brewed for, and helped open some of the CB & Potts locations in Colorado.

Initially, Chris and Josh wanted to open up a brewery in Fort Collins. After doing some research they decided it was best to look elsewhere – due to the high density of breweries in Fort Collins. Since Fort Collins was out, they began looking on the north side of the Denver metro area, and landed in a newly built industrial park on the eastern edge of Arvada. Odyssey Beerwerks is a great example of a team coming together with different skills to create an excellent product. Chris brought experience in marketing, while Josh brought engineering experience. Together the two designed, and built an impressive brewing setup at Odyssey. Josh was actually responsible for much of the wiring and setup of the controls for the fermenters. It should be noted that the wives of both owners have also played an important role in running the brewery, helping with bookkeeping and scheduling.

About the Brewery:
While many new breweries simply open up with the intent of selling beer inside their facility, some like Odyssey open with bigger plans in mind. When Chris and Josh opened Odyssey Beerwerks, their business plan included distributing their beer to local liquor stores and taprooms. Odyssey’s brewery includes a canning line, a 15 barrel brewhouse, four 15-barrel fermenters, and two 30-barrel fermenters. The brewery has the capacity to have 120 barrels fermenting at one time. Josh has done a great deal of testing and tweaking the brewing equipment in order to maximize production, and ultimately distribution of Odyssey Beerwerks’ beer.

Beer List: Odyssey has a beer locator that can be viewed here. I’ve seen Odyssey’s beer in many local liquor stores around the Denver area, so it should not be difficult to find their beer somewhere close to home. While they will try many different styles of beer, Odyssey tends to stick mostly with ales. They do some season lagers – it just depends on the time of year for exactly which options will be available. You will always find a diverse menu at Odyssey, thanks to Josh Van Riper’s experience traveling, and learning about different beer styles along the way.

Psycho Penguin Vanilla Porter: ABV 5.4%, IBUs 36 – Dark, silky maltiness will slide down the throat but not before the nose and tongue have picked up the smooth and smoky flavor of Mexican vanilla beans lurking within. It’s an easy drinker and hard to put down.
Heliocentric Hefeweizen: ABV 5.5%, IBUs 12 – Very good, light, crisp, banana hints from the Belgian yeast strain. This was one of my two favorite beers at Odyssey.
Ghost Drifter Pale Ale: ABV 5.8%, IBUs 36 – Smooth flavor, hop forward, northwestern hops.This is a classic American Pale Ale, and was my favorite beer at Odyssey!
Clan Warrior Scotch Ale: ABV 8.7%, IBUs 29 – A rich and sweet, and malty ale that showcases a blend of specialty malts. There is also a nice smokiness to this awesome scotch ale.
Eye of Ra Belgian Strong Ale: ABV 8.9%, IBUs 39 – Malty, yet not strong tasting for a higher alcohol volume beer, very smooth. Has a deep, crisp, and seductive fruit and spice notes. The Eye of Ra is worthy of devotion.
Seasonals: Rum Barrel Aged Olde Ale, *Hop Shot IPA, Lazy Gopher Dry Stout, Dubbel Down Abbey Ale,, Belgian Black Ale (always have stout and IPA), Seething Stout, Palm Tree Caribbean Pilsner Lager (hop note with peppery note).

Odyssey just came out with 12-pack mix packs, which you can purchased at the brewery, or in select stores. If you would prefer to purchase a growler, you can pick up a 64oz glass growler for $7. The core beers are $14 to fill, seasonals are more expensive depending on the style of beer. For the outdoorsy types, you can purchase 64 oz Hydro Flask Growlers, which will keep beer cold for 24 hours!

I had a good time discussing Colorado craft beer with Chris Hill at Odyssey Beerwerks. I would recommend a trip to the brewery for anyone that enjoys a fresh, locally brewed beer. You will find a wide variety of beer styles so everyone in a group should be able to find one that fits their taste. Bring a bike and check out the Clear Creek Bike trail, or simply stop in and hang out on the patio, you’ll enjoy visiting Odyssey Beerwerks!

Odyssey Beerwerks Brewery & Taproom
5535 W 56th Ave, Suite 107
Arvada, CO 80002
(303) 421-0772

The Post Brewing Company Taproom Grand Opening: March 19th

Posted on March 17, 2015 by educyber

On Thursday, March 19, The Post Brewing Company is throwing a party for the official grand opening of its Taproom in Lafayette, CO. Brewmaster Bryan Selders will serve up fresh cask beer from The Post’s spankin’ new beer engine, and all guests will get their FIRST BEER FREE as well as FREE HOUSE BITES. Doors open at 5pm and Grant Farm Acoustic Trio featuring Tyler Grant, Jordan Ramsey, and Meathook will perform from 5 – 8pm.

The Taproom will be a welcoming place for guests age 21+ to go to relax and enjoy fresh brewed beer, great music, and snacks. It will feature 12 lines of Post beer, including fan fav and GABF silver medal winner Howdy Pilsner. The special release, Taproom-exclusive cask beers will be tapped every Thursday, known as “Firkin Friday on a Thursday.” Casks will be prepared with beers already fermenting in The Post’s brewery and will almost always be ales rather than lagers. First up is Meathooks Dark Mild Ale specially dry-hopped with Azacca. Guests will also enjoy Fun & Games and can pair their brews with some delicious bites from GoodBird Kitchen which will include:

Chicken Poutine – house fries, brown gravy, cheese curd – $6
Pig in a Pretzel – house mustard sauce – $5
Howdy Beer Cheese – spent grain flatbread, carrots, celery – $7
Wood Oven Potato Skins – bacon, cheddar, poblano, chives – $7

The Taproom will be open at 5pm Monday – Thursday and at 3pm Friday – Sunday.

About Cask Beer: Cask beer is the traditional method of beer dispense originating in the UK. Often called real ale, cask beer is unfiltered beer which is naturally carbonated and conditioned in it’s final dispense vessel, the cask. This is accomplished by adding a small amount of sugar to the beer in the cask. The yeast in the beer converts the sugar into carbon dioxide and since the cask is sealed, the pressure build up causes the CO2 to go into solution thus carbonating the beer. The carbonation level is low compared to more mainstream draft beer leading to a softer mouthfeel. The Post’s cask beer is served cool, not cold and not warm, at 52°F. This allows full enjoyment of all of the beer’s flavor and aroma.

About Beer Engines: A beer engine is the proper way to dispense cask beer. It basically pumps beer from the cask into the glass. As the beer is pumped into the glass, it’s forced through a cap with tiny holes called a sparkler. This expresses the CO2 creating a thick durable head of foam which is important to deliver full aroma from the beer and it makes the beer look beautiful. Nitro beer was invented to mimic this desirable aspect of properly served cask beer.

About The Post Brewing Company: A Big Red F Restaurant Group restaurant, The Post Brewing Company & GoodBird Kitchen brings family style dining and sessionable brews to Lafayette, Colorado and beyond. The Post brews beers that are gosh darn delicious. Bryan Selders, Brewmaster, designs each beer to pair perfectly with the food of GoodBird Kitchen. Chef Brett Smith serves comfort food cooked with the love of your grandma and the skill of passionately trained chefs that is meant to be shared like a family supper.

Barrels & Bottles Brewery – Golden, CO

Posted on March 16, 2015 by educyber

Barrels & Bottles is a unique craft brewery located just south of the Coors facility in downtown Golden, CO (literally across the street). While most of the country knows about Golden because Coors is located there, the small city with a population under 20,000 has become a hot spot for craft beer enthusiasts. Golden is a short 15-20 minute drive to Downtown Denver, but it has the feel of a small Colorado mountain town. Barrels & Bottles is one of a handful of craft breweries in Golden, and they bring a unique flavor to the local craft beer scene.

History of Barrels & Bottles
Zach and Abby George opened Barrels & Bottles in September, 2013. The idea to open a brewery came when the couple backpacked through Europe and fell in love with the beer and food. Zach was in the Marines, while Abby worked for the government. They thought it would be fun to work for themselves, and originally the couple planned to look into a 5-year plan on starting a brewery.

The original 5-year plan changed and Zach and Abby decided they wanted to open a bottle shop. The intent was to supply a wide selection of bottled craft beer that could be purchased and consumed on site. Due to some of the state laws, they could not do that. With the laws in place that would prevent the bottle shop from being a viable option, Zach and Abby’s 5-year brewery plan became their immediate plan.

They wanted to find a niche that made them unique to the beer scene. The motto at Barrels & Bottles is “why not” when thinking of ideas to make them different than some of the other breweries. One idea was to allow people to bring food in, or buy food from their own kitchen. This approach led to families bringing dinner so they can enjoy a family dinner while having a fresh local beer. They also include a selection of wine, and a really unique feature – wine slushies. I didn’t try a wine slushy, but I have heard great things from friends that have enjoyed a wine slushy at Barrels & Bottles. The selection of wine is pretty impressive for anyone that prefers wine over beer. While I didn’t try any wine, I did try a roast beef sandwich from the kitchen, and it was the perfect compliment to the beer samples.

Due to the open nature of their taproom, many people can come and have good time, even if they don’t like beer. They can enjoy wine, or there are many options for non-alcoholic drinks. The tables are European style where it encourages visitors to interact and have discussions, rather than sit by themselves. Guests range from ages 21-60s, and sometimes even 70s. Weekends can get pretty full with groups on bikes, so don’t be surprised to see a full house. There is some good news – as of last week, Barrels & Bottles is now open 7 days a week.

Barrels & Bottles Taproom - Golden, CO

Head Brewer Kim Collins
Having a woman as Head Brewer is another aspect of Barrels & Bottles that makes them unique to the Colorado craft beer scene. Kim Collins is the head brewer, and a very talented one at that. Kim enjoys brewing many different styles of beer, and is always looking to try something new. She relocated to Colorado from Indiana for the opportunity to be in the beer industry. Tommyknocker Brewery took her in as an apprentice, and eventually Kim was brought on full-time. After that she worked for Boulder Beer full-time for about 5 months, but it was a long commute. Next Kim got an opportunity to join Epic Brewing, where she brewed for about 8 months. Zach & Abby George attend Epic’s soft opening, where they met Kim. The trio formed a friendship, and Kim began helping Zach & Abby when they needed help with their beer. Kim loved the people, and the opportunity to brew at Epic, but she couldn’t pass up the opportunity to work full-time with Barrels & Bottles. It was a difficult decision to leave Epic, but Barrels & Bottles offered the opportunity to be a head brewer, and work close to home. Below is a picture of Kim holding a growler.

Kim Collins, Headbrewer, Barrels & Bottles

The Beer
Barrels & Bottles, and Head Brewer Kim Collins embrace creativity and the idea of pushing the boundaries of traditional beer styles. While they enjoy trying new beers, they also have seasonal beers that are popular that time of year. The taps are set so the styles are balanced to fit beer drinkers that enjoy different types of beer. A cool thing about Barrels & Bottles is they include guest taps. If Barrels & Bottles doesn’t have their own IPA or Pale Ale on tap, they will normally have an IPA or Pale Ale from another local brewery available. They rotate through their taps frequently so that each visit you’ll have different options to try something new. Barrels & Bottles normally has 6-8 taps of their own beer and 10-12 guest taps. If you would like to purchase their beer, you can do so with a 32 or 64 ounce growler. The only way to enjoy Barrels & Bottles beer is to visit the taproom – they don’t sell their beer anywhere else. Below are the beers that were available for my visit. Keep in mind this list will change often.

Sinful Coffee Stout: Malty, balanced hoppy flavor, hints dried fruit. Made with coffee from local coffee roaster, Pangea Roasters.
Sure Thing IPA: Citrusy taste with hint of grapefruit. I was not able to try the IPA, but it is a favorite of the Barrels & Bottles visitors.
Big Lebeerskie: Rich, Chocolaty with creaminess from milk sugar.
Pixie’s Stout: Named after the family dog. Full body aged with oak chips for two months. Has a subtle oakey flavor, but is lighter than most aged beers.
Billy Branch Brown Ale: Brown Ale with a Cider Blend. It has the taste of a cider with some maltyness from a brown ale.
Tequila Serendip Saisan: This one is really unique, as Kim used a tequila barrel. The beer has the taste of a margarita. The original beer went from a 6% to an 8% saison after barrel aging.

I had a great time visiting with Zach, Abby and Kim. Barrels & Bottles Brewery is a fun place to visit, and offers a unique experience to anyone that enjoys local craft beer, wine, or simply having a conversation in a laid-back atmosphere. I was really impressed with the level of creativity of the beer, and the open nature of the taproom. Barrels & Bottles offers an opportunity to bring together a diverse group because they have so many options for beverages, as well as a full kitchen for the lunch or dinner crowd. If you have not been to Barrels & Bottles, I would highly recommend making your first trip soon.

Barrels & Bottles Brewery
600 12th St #160
Golden, CO 80401
(720) 328-3643

Colorado Brewery For Sale – Foothills West of Denver

Posted on February 28, 2015 by educyber

Interested in buying a Colorado Brewery-Restaurant? There is an opportunity in the foothills about 30 minutes from Denver! Colorado Craft Brews was contacted by the party involved in selling the business, and possibly the property. Here are more details:

Brewery-restaurant in highly desirable foothills mountain community. The facility was planned and constructed for the brewery and restaurant. Established clientele and stable income stream with many opportunities to grow the business. This is a rare opportunity to step into an established and desirable business. Brewery is acclaimed for its variety of beer offerings and the restaurant for its tasty food prepared on-site in the custom built smokehouse. There is a wide variety of indoor and outdoor dining, bar and entertainment spaces within the facility and on the expansive deck overlooking the surrounding mountain terrain. Craft beer is brewed on-site and is not yet but could be distributed throughout the metro area. Facility is available for purchase as well.

Asking Price:     $350,000
Annual Sales:     $1,000,000
Cash Flow:         $93,000
Inventory:           $30,000*
FF&E:                  $200,000*
Real Estate:        Lease $6,000/mo. NNN
Employees:        2 FT Owners, 2FT/18PT
Location:            Denver-Boulder Foothills

For more information, Contact: Henry Tiberi 303.271.1010 or Click Here

Estes Park Brewery – Estes Park, CO

Posted on February 22, 2015 by educyber

History of the Brewery:
The Estes Park Brewery is located in Estes Park, CO minutes from Rocky Mountain National Park, The Stanley Hotel, and many other tourist attractions. I had to opportunity to visit Estes Park Brewery after a day of hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park, and was impressed with the selection, and quality of the beer. The location of the brewery makes it a perfect destination for anyone that enjoys a beer after hiking, biking, or simply taking in the scenery in the area.

In 1993 Gordon Knight started High Country Brewery in Boulder, Co. That same year Ed Grueff opened the Event Center in Estes Park. In 1994 Ed and Gordon decided to combine the two businesses and the Estes Park Brewery was born. The original Brewing equipment which consisted of a 4 1/4 Barrel Brewhouse was moved to Estes. For the first summer the Event Center kept the main floor as a stage and dance floor. For the first summer the Estes Park Brewery offered four beers: Estes Park Porter, Estes Park Renegade, Longs Peak Raspberry Wheat and Estes Park Pale Ale.

In the fall of 1994, Gordon Knight decided to sell his half of the business. When Gordon left, Eric Bratrud took over as the head Brewer. The Brewery also expanded to a 14 BBL Brewhouse and moved out onto the main floor where is now located.

In 1995 the Estes Park brewery started packaging their beers in 12 oz bottles, which expanded their market. By this time they added a number of beers including Trail Ridge Red, Estes Park Gold, Stinger Wild Honey Wheat and Samson Stout. 1995 was also the first year of the Best of the West Brewfest held in the Brewery parking lot. Since ’95 we’ve continued to evolve both in our restaurant and with our brewing operations.

About the Brewery:
In 2003 Tyler Lemirande and Eric Bratrud took over as owners. I had the pleasure of sitting down with Tyler and talking craft beer during my visit to the brewery. Tyler is a very nice guy that enjoys providing fresh craft beer to tourists, and locals alike. The atmosphere at Estes Park Brewery is unique compared to many of the breweries I’ve been to in the Denver area. Unlike many of the breweries around Denver, Estes Park Brewery has a restaurant with a pub-style food menu, a full bar, arcade games, and tons of seating. Due to its unique setup, Estes Park Brewery is a great place for the whole family to visit and enjoy a meal, or a fun gathering place for those only interested in getting a locally brewed beer.

The beer at Estes Park Brewery is comprised of quite a few different styles. There’s definitely a beer for all different types of beer drinkers available at the brewery. One of the really great things about the brewery is that visitors can try samples of different beers on the main floor before they head upstairs and order a beer. I’ve never been to another brewery that advertised free samples to visitors. Estes Park Brewery’s approach to samples allows visitors to try new styles of beer without buying a beer they don’t like. While I was trying a few samples, I overheard a lady say “she never tried anything like that, and it was really good!” As someone that’s grown to love beer in all different styles, I think it’s awesome to have a brewery promote trying different beers until you find one you like (up to 4 samples are free).

Beer List:
The list pictured below is the list of regular beers you will typically find at Estes Park Brewery. My favorite beer at the brewery was actually a seasonal, and one that can be found at The Stanley Hotel, the The Shining Pale Ale (in honor of Stephen King’s The Shining). From EPBrewery.com, “The Shining Pale Ale is brewed with rare British All-Star pale malt to give the beer a full body and unique flavor. We hop with Amarillo and Cascade hops. Of course this beer is named after the book “The Shining” by Stephen King. We don’t guarantee clairvoyance after after a pint or two we just hope you enjoy the experience.” I really enjoyed the pale ale, and look forward to the next chance I get to drink it.

The two top sellers at Estes Park Brewery are the Stinger Honey Wheat, and Bear Lake Raspberry Wheat. Both of these are great beers for those that enjoy lighter beers without much hoppiness. Of the two, I really liked the Stinger Honey Wheat, which is brewed with local Colorado honey. The honey taste is subtle and the beer is a really smooth, drinkable beer that is not overly sweet.

I want to thank Tyler Lemirande for taking the time to sit down with me and talk craft beer. I had a great time visiting Estes Park Brewery, and look forward to my next visit. I highly recommend visiting the brewery to anyone that’s able to make it to Estes Park. There’s a lot to see and do around Estes Park, and stopping in at the brewery should be on your list!

Estes Park Brewery
470 Prospect Village Dr.
Estes Park, C0 80517
970.586.5421
www.epbrewery.com

Gunbarrel Brewing Company’s first release party: January 24, 2015

Posted on January 22, 2015 by educyber

Join Gunbarrel Brewing Company for their first tapping party at Grandma’s House on Broadway in Denver, Colorado on January 24 at 4:30. Gunbarrel Brewing will be pouring a limited release of Salt Lick Gose and Rosemerry Pale Ale. Salt Lick is our interpretation of Gose (pronounced “Gose-uh”), an ancient unfiltered wheat beer from Germany. With a cloudy yellow color and refreshing lemony twang, Salt Lick is brewed traditionally with coriander seeds, and has a pleasant sharpness from the addition of salt. The finish is dry, tangy, and effervescent. Rosemerry is Gunbarrel’s signature pale ale and boasts a flowery hop character, with hints of citrus and pine and a crisp finish. Dry hopped with fresh organic rosemary, this brew evokes memories of merriment.

The Tony Guacamole food truck will be there serving up tasty grub.

Grandma’s House
1710 South Broadway
Denver, CO 80210

About Gunbarrel Brewing Company
Gunbarrel Brewing Company is a gypsy brewery based in Boulder. Crafted with passion by brewer Jamie Fox and his wife Marie, Gunbarrel Brewing Company is to be located in Boulder County, Colorado. While we seek out the perfect home for our brewery, we are gypsy brewing at a partner brewery in Denver. This relationship provides the creative freedom and facilities to brew beers that we can share with you until we have a taproom of our own.

Jamie has been brewing for the past fifteen years, and earned a Ph.D in neuroscience along the way. Marie has a background in marketing, hospitality and web development. Together, they share a passion for exploring the nuances and endless possibilities of craft beer.

We chose the name Gunbarrel for our brewery to pay homage to the rugged independent freedom of the West, and to honor the little slice of it that we call home. We look forward to pouring you a pint!

FATE Brewing Company Reveals Plans For Expansion

Posted on November 16, 2014 by educyber

Project To Include New Barrel Aging Room, Improved Packaging Facilities and Nearly 100% Production Capacity Increase

The project, scheduled to break ground December 2014, is announced more than two months before the brewery’s second anniversary. FATE Brewing Company owner Mike Lawinski states, “We knew that increased production capacity would be a goal at some point down the road. Never did we imagine it could happen so quickly but we have hit capacity and we need more space to keep up.”

In addition to nearly doubling fermentation space the plans reveal FATE Brewing Company’s recent acquisition of 1600 38th Street, Unit 103 in Boulder, Colorado. The previous home of Boulder Light, this approximately 2500 square foot space will undergo a remodel resulting in a new barrel aging room and improved packaging facility all right next door to the brewery’s existing property.

The remodel project is currently in its design phase and construction should wrap early 2015. Lawinski states “The goal of the project started simply: brew more beer and get our beer into more people’s hands but we are excited because the space will really allow us to do much more than that.” Increasing production capacity, optimizing packaging processes, enhancing packaged goods product portfolio and driving product innovation will all be other beneficial outcomes of the expansion, according to the owner.

In addition to bourbon, tequila and fresh charred American oak barrels we look forward to housing wine and other spirit barrels in a variety of sizes. Look forward to new (and more) barrel aged products from the brewery in the near future. The plan lays out new bottling, canning and labeling facilities/equipment for the burgeoning brewery while the brew house investment includes the addition of two 30-barrel fermenters, one 10-barrel fermenter and two 3-barrel fermenters.

FATE Brewing Company has been named Colorado’s Best New Brewery (RateBeer.com, 2014), one of 10 New U.S. Breweries to Watch from D.C. to California (Bon Appétit, 2014), Boulder’s Best New Bar (Daily Camera, 2014) and Boulder’s Best New Restaurant (Daily Camera, 2013). The brewery was also recognized this year for having the nation’s best Kölsch style ale at the 2014 Great American Beer Festival®, taking home Gold in the German-Style Kölsch category for their Laimas Kölsch Style Ale.

Colorado Native Releases New IPL (India Pale Lager)

Posted on August 20, 2014 by educyber

AC Golden Brewing Company, the makers of Colorado Native Lager, announced this week they have a new addition to their Colorado beer lineup, Colorado Native IPL. IPL is an India Pale Lager, which is a newer style, and not seen very often. Colorado Native IPL is similar to an IPA (India Pale Ale) with a big hop flavor, and aroma. The main difference is the IPL is brewed with a lager yeast, which makes for an extremely smooth, balanced taste. You still get the hops you would in a typical IPA, but the bitterness is really toned down. I’m an IPA drinker, and found IPL to be a really good beer that is perfect for someone wanting to try something hoppy, but doesn’t like too much bitterness. Colorado Native IPL is a full bodied, hoppy, All-Colorado beer that I highly recommend trying.
There are many beer drinkers that say Colorado Native is simply a Coors product in flashy new packaging. I’ve been lucky enough to visit AC Golden twice – where I met the small staff, and brewers that brew the beer. Colorado Native is brewed in a small brewery within the Coors facility in Golden, however the production is on a very small scale in comparison. Colorado Native is unique in the fact that it’s brewed with only Colorado ingredients. Due to only being brewed with Colorado water, hops, barley, and the oldest yeast strain in the state, AC Golden can only produce a small amount of beer. Colorado does not have a big enough hop output to be able to produce Colorado Native in the large quantities of a Coors Light, or Coors Banquet. So for those of you that think Colorado Native is just another Coors product, I hope you realize that is not the case. While the beers are held to the same high quality standards as Coors, Colorado Native is produced by a small, passionate staff that puts a lot of love into what they do. For more of a background on AC Golden, check out the details from my first visit, here.

I visited with AC Golden’s President and Co-Founder, Glenn ‘Knip’ Knippenberg, Brewer, Jeff Nickel, and Marketing Consultant, Aimee Valdez. I spent a couple hours finding out about Colorado Native IPL, touring the brewery, and trying IPL at different stages in the brewing process. The team at AC Golden is as excited about their product as any brewery I’ve featured so far. From using only Colorado ingredients, to taking on a newer style of beer, the team at AC Golden impressed me with their genuine passion for what they do, and the commitment to making an excellent product that is only available in Colorado.

Colorado Native IPL Info:

Hops: Chinook, Centennial, Cascade, Nugget, Crystal
Malts: Moravian 2-row Pale and Munich
IBUs: 62
ABV: 6.5%
All ingredients are grown in Colorado
Bottles are manufactured in Wheat Ridge, CO
Colorado Native Lager and Colorado Native IPL are only sold in Colorado
Colorado Native provides incentives for Colorado farmers to produce hops. In doing so, they helped create a market for Colorado-grown hops and a new category of agriculture.

For more information, visit www.ColoradoNative.com

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