Prost Brewing Company – Denver, CO.

Posted on May 20, 2013 by educyber

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’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.

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.

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

AC Golden Brewing – Golden, CO

Posted on May 8, 2013 by educyber

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!
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 was 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.

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

Posted on April 26, 2013 by educyber

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!

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.

South Denver Beer Festival – May 6-7, 2013
Epic Beer Festival – June 28-29, 2013
Central City Beer Festival – August 24, 2013

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

Posted on April 21, 2013 by educyber

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

Posted on April 14, 2013 by educyber

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!

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

Posted on April 7, 2013 by educyber

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). If 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

Our Mutual Friend Malt & Brew – Denver, CO

Posted on March 16, 2013 by educyber

Our Mutual Friend Malt & Brew is a brewery and taproom located in the Five Points neighborhood of Denver. The area around Our Mutual Friend includes a mix of older industrial buildings and newly renovated businesses and residential buildings. The Five Points area has seen a rejuvination over the last few years, and companies like Our Mutual Friend have helped create a neighborhood feel. Our Mutual Friend is a popular gathering place for residents of the 5 points neighborhood, and is also within walking distance from Coors Field and LoDo. We had the opportunity to sit down with Brandon Proff and Bryan Leavelle of Our Mutual Friend. They shared some excellent beers, as well as the story behind the brewery and taproom.

Our Mutual Friend Malt & Brew was started by a group of friends that were connected by two things; mutual friends, and a love of beer. To make a long story short, some of the founders of Our Mutual Friend had mutual friends with other founders. In a roundabout way the group got to know each other, and their love of beer turned into a brewery and taproom. The founders of Our Mutual Friend had experience in homebrewing. However, it was not always a goal to start a brewing business. In February 2012, the group of founders wanted to start a business together, but were not quite sure what that business would be. In May 2012, when the building Our Mutual Friend is located in became available for rent, the group decided they would get into the brewery business, and began making plans for the brewery and taproom.

There is some disagreement as to when Our Mutual Friend officially opened, but it was agreed that in December 2012, the brewery was open, and the taproom was selling beer from the tap. Our Mutual Friend started with a small budget. Some of the funds needed to officially open the tap room were generated from first brewing and selling beer -hence the disagreement as to when exactly the company began. The owners of Our Mutual Friend started out with the idea that they simply wanted to provide a great place to get a fresh beer. The taproom does not provide a ton of frills, but it is a great place to have a fresh beer, engage in conversation, or simply listen to good music.

A really cool aspect to the brewery at Our Mutual Friend, is that nearly all grains and malts come from within Colorado. Only one malt is not from Colorado – the Munich Malt – and it is only used in about 5% of the beer that is brewed. The goal of Our Mutual Friend is to eventually source all ingredients from Colorado. Bryan Leavelle was proud to mention that he uses Colorado Malting Company as the provider of Our Mutual Friend’s malts and grains. By using Colorado sourced malts and grains, Our Mutual Friend believes they have better flavor in their beers than breweries that use malts and grains that are shipped over long distances, and sit in storage for long periods of time.

Another unique part of the brewing process at Our Mutual Friend is the fact that they prefer to roast their own grain. Many brewers view roasting in-house as an unnecessary step in their brewing process. Bryan Leavelle and Brandon Proff both feel that by roasting in-house they are creating beers with the freshest flavors possible. It was noted how smooth each and every beer we tried was. From the Proletariat to the IPA, all of the beers at Our Mutual Friend had a great finish and without a great deal of bitterness.

Beer List: Our Mutual Friend provides a great lineup of beers, with styles to fit beer drinkers of all kinds. The Brown Ale was our favorite, and has an outstanding flavor with subtle hints of chocolate. The Winter Seasonal ‘Winter Warmer’ (not listed below) was our second favorite. The Winter Warmer has a rich flavor, but is not overly bitter, and has a nice finish.

Proletariat Session Ale: The lightest beer at Our Mutual Friend. The Proletariat is for the no frills beer drinker who wants a crisp, clean refreshing ale. It’s the only beer named, dubbed in reference to the working class of our capitalist society, the common men and women who are always welcome at OMF. Proletariat highlights the subtle, sophisticated flavors and aromas of the Colorado grown two-row malt and aromatic Gold malt. Pacific Northwest hops create an extremely balanced beer with a beautiful straw color. 4.5% ABV
Saison: The Saison is crafted in the style that originated from beers brewed during the cooler and less active months in Wallonia, the French-speaking region of Belgium, and then stored for drinking by the farm workers during the summer months. Beginning with a surge of fruity aromatics and grapefruit hoppy notes, the flavor of this complex ale tapers off to a peppery, dry finish. 5.6% ABV
Pale Ale: The Pale is the Queen Ale and what started it all for Our Mutual Friend, back in the days of brewing in Bryan’s kitchen. It is English style leaning in color and mouthfeel, with medium body and a sweet finish accented by American hops. It’s the beer we’d sip on all day if we could. 5.6% ABV
IPA: Dedicated to the Cottonwood, Juniper, and Ponderosa pines of Colorado, the India Pale Ale is a step up from the Pale Ale bitter and more bold. OMF uses all Columbus hops in a nod to their love of pine trees, giving the IPA a fundamental piney-floral kick, with hints of caramel and other earthy toastiness. There’s enough bitter for the hophead, but good malt balance for the novice IPA drinker. 7.1% ABV
Brown Ale: OMF’s Brown Ale is crafted with patience and chance in honor of the game played on sand diamonds every summer. OMF roasts their brown malt to the same standards found in mid-1800s England, with a rich base that gives hints of chocolate. The beer is then finished with dry hopping to give it a nose as crisp as the pop of a called third strike in the catcher’s mitt. 6.3% ABV
Huckleberry Roasters Coffee Stout: OMF collaborated with their neighbors Huckleberry Roasters to craft their stout. OMF starts with a humble American stout and adds Huckleberry’s small batch Mexican roast during secondary fermentation for an earthy, light roasted kick. It’s a stout as quiet and comforting as a starless night in the country with enough mystery to keep you company for a while. 5% ABV

OMF is planning to hold the Winter Warmer Bomber Party on March 22nd. The Winter Warmer seasonal is being bottled now, and will be available to buy in bombers (22 oz bottles), or growlers. This is a great tasting beer, and the limited quantities of it will sell out quickly. Colorado Craft Brews thoroughly enjoyed this beer, and will undoubtedly head down to OMF for the Winter Warmer Bomber Party. We hope to see you there!

We had a great visit with Bryan and Brandon at OMF. We appreciate them sitting down to tell us more about them, and of course, for sharing their beers. OMF is a great place to hang out and enjoy a good beer made with fresh ingredients, and brewed by guys with a passion for what they do. The atmosphere at OMF is fun and laid-back. With a relatively close proximity to Coors Field there will soon be the buzz of baseball season starting at Our Mutual Friend. On April 5th (Opening Day) OMF will be making available their Spring Seasonal the IPA 2. We recommend heading down to take in the great atmosphere, and of course, a great beer!

Our Mutual Friend Malt & Brew
2810 Larimer Street
Denver, CO. 80205
www.omfmb.com
hello@omfmb.com

Arvada Beer Company – Arvada, CO

Posted on March 9, 2013 by educyber

Arvada Beer Company is located in Arvada, CO. in the historic Olde Town district. The building Arvada Beer is located in was originally built in 1916, and has changed quite a bit over the years. The building was divided into smaller units that originally included a drug store, a car shop and most recently, a printing shop. Arvada Beer decided to move into the building in November 2010, and finally opened up the brewery in October 2011 after a massive renovation that included replacing all electrical and plumbing throughout the building. The owners of Arvada Beer Company are proud of the building, and enjoy taking visitors on tours of the facility.

Arvada Beer Company was started by Cary & Kelly Floyd. The husband and wife brewing duo have a really interesting story that is deeply rooted in a mutual love of homebrewing. Cary started homebrewing in 1988 and learned a great deal through trial and error. In 2002, Cary won his first medal for homebrewing. In 2004 he started dating Kelly (this is where the story gets interesting!). Kelly watched Cary brew one of his favorite recipes, and told him it looked really easy. Cary took that as a challenge, and told Kelly they should both brew the same recipe, and enter their individual beers into a homebrewing contest at the Colorado State Fair. Kelly won the gold medal! Cary won silver…this was when he knew he needed to make Kelly his wife!

With over 400 homebrewing medals (including 50 multi-award winning recipes), Cary and Kelly Floyd have learned a thing or two about experimenting with their recipes. They have created great beers that are always available, but they’re constantly tweaking recipes, or adding flavors for special occasions. Arvada Beer offers their ‘Brewers Limited Release’ on Thursday nights. The limited release is usually a regular beer with an extra flavor, or a twist on the original recipe. A recent beer featured in the ‘Brewers Limited Release’ was the Butter Pecan Gold. This unique beer was made with the Olde Town Brown and butter pecan flavoring from the ice cream shop next door. While Cary Floyd wouldn’t personally drink a full pint of the Butter Pecan Gold, he said the beer was a big hit among bar patrons.

Dennis O’Harrow is the brewer for Arvada Beer Company. He also has a strong brewing background, and brings a great deal of talent to the team. Dennis has won 49 professional brewing medals. His Coffee Porter won a Gold Medal at the Great American Beer Festival, and the World Beer Cup. Dennis previously brewed for CB & Potts before joining Arvada Beer. With a mix of experiences and techniques from years of practicing, the team at Arvada Beer Company brews excellent beers in many different styles. They are not afraid to push the limits, or to try something that sounds completely off the wall. Many breweries stick very close to their recipes, and try not to differ from batch to batch. Arvada Beer on the other hand, is contantly looking for a new way to add a crazy twist to what they do.

Beer List:

Water Tower Wheat: This true to style Bavarian Wheat beer is cloudy from the yeast, and includes notes of banana and clove. 4.5% ABV
Ralston’s Golden Ale: A crisp, refreshing beer. Easy drinking, malt oriented American ale.This beer is lighter and not too hoppy. This beer would be a great choice for someone that is looking for a good intro craft beer. 4.8% ABV
Goldline IPA: Smooth, not bitter with great citrus and floral tones. Goldline is hopped with 5 different hops, and then dry hopped with 3 different hops. 5.8% ABV
Flanigan’s Irish Red: With a deep red hue and subtle maltiness this Irish Red Ale is a sure fire easy drinking brew, with just enough hop for balance and the lower alcohol level of a traditional English ale. 4.8% ABV
Arvada Pride Double IPA: American Hops and extra malt for a classic American Style Double IPA. With the high alcohol content, this DIPA still has as a great taste, and finishes smooth. 8.8% ABV
PoolHall Porter: A cross between a brown Porter and a Robust Porter, with all the taste of a robust porter and with some of the subtle flavors of a brown porter. 5.1% ABV
Lemon Shandy: This is a unique brew that starts as the Water Tower Wheat. Lemonade is added and it creates a lighter, sweeter flavor, and decreases the alcohol content. 3.8% ABV

We enjoyed tasting Arvada Beer Company’s beers. Our favorite was the Goldline IPA! Anyone that enjoys an IPA should definitely try out this beer. Arvada Beer is planning on canning in the near future, and the IPA will be one of the beers that is canned. Check back to find out when the IPA is available in cans, or you can always pick up a growler at the bar. Arvada Beer Company has a constantly changing beer list so check out their website for the latest: http://www.arvadabeer.com/our-beers/.

The atmosphere at Arvada Beer Company is very laid-back and has a great vibe. Olde Town offers a cool historic feel but with updated modern interiors in the buildings. There is a great neighborhood feel, and in our experience everyone was very friendly. While food is not provided by Arvada Beer, a cool option they have is to order from a number of closeby restaurants. Not only will these restaurants deliver your food, they will bring it right to your table! You can have Italian, Chinese, Indian, or many other options delivered in just a few minutes.

Arvada Beer Company has become an important part of the Arvada area. They participate in many city festivals and activities, and are a main part of many Olde Town gatherings. On March 16th Arvada Beer will be participating in the St. Patrick’s Day Festival. This festival will close off traffic in Olde Town, and will include activities for kids and adults. Arvada Beer will be providing green beer, and their Irish red as well.

Other Activities:

Brew Class: For $25 per person, you get your first pint of beer and a 6 pack of the beer made that day when it is ready ( limited to the first 10 people who sign up). If you want to just come watch and ask questions, our classes cost $10 each person, which includes your first beer. All Classes start at 9 am with mash in and should end around 3 pm. Must be over 21 to attend class.
Pro-Am Competition: We will be holding a competition again this year to determine our GABF Pro-Am entry. All entrants must be a member of the AHA at the time of judging and on 10/15/13 to be able to participate in the GABF Pro-Am.
National Homebrew Association Competition: Arvada Beer Company will be hosting some of the competition.
Arvada Oktoberfest: check the Arvada Beer website for more details as the event gets closer.
Beer Dinner: April 3rd at the Golden Hotel in Golden, CO.

We want to thank Cary Floyd for sitting down with us and sharing both the history and the beers of Arvada Beer Company! We had a great time, and look forward to visiting again. Anyone that wants to try great beer in a great environment, should head over and try out Arvada Beer for themselves. If you’re looking to try something different, and maybe a little outside of the box, look no further. With unique beers, and creative twists on everyday recipes, Arvada Beer Company is doing things most other breweries don’t. We hope you will take a trip to Arvada and see for yourself!

Arvada Beer Company
5600 Olde Wadsworth Blvd.
Arvada, CO 80002
Phone: (303) 467-BEER
E-mail: info@arvadabeer.com

Renegade Brewing Company – Denver, CO

Posted on March 5, 2013 by educyber

Renegade Brewing Company is located in Denver, CO. near the intersection of Sante Fe Dr. and 9th Ave. The area surrounding Renegade Brewing is an eclectic mix of industrial and residential buildings. Denver’s Art District on Sante Fe is around the corner, and creativity seems to be in the air in and around the brewery.

Renegade Brewing Company was started in 2011 by Brian and Khara O’Connell. Brian was a full-time statistician, and a part-time a homebrewer that loved to make beer. He started learning how to make homebrews after his wife Khara bought him a homebrewing kit. Khara thought Brian’s love of beer would simply be a hobby. She had no idea that after about three years of experimenting and training, Brian would decide to turn his hobby into a business.

Brian’s scientific mind and experience with statistics had an effect on the types of beers he brewed. Brian analyzed the ingredients he used and played with recipes a great deal. He developed brewing strategies from studying, researching, and even interning at another brewery. Once Brian developed his beers in his backyard, he brought his offensively delicious brews, developed in his backyard, to Denverites to encourage social interaction and friendship. Renegade Brewing Company’s slogan is ‘offensively delicious’, as they strive to brew beers that are creative, packed with flavor, and don’t necessarily align with traditional styles or trends.

We had the pleasure of sitting down with Laura Vande Zande, Ambassador of Enjoyment for Renegade Brewing. Laura explained how Renegade has created a neighborhood pub atmosphere that encourages visitors to have genuine conversations. Ultimately, Renegade strives to be a relational brewery – they want to foster a sense of community, and to provide a place for friends to meet, or for strangers to engage in a conversation. The taproom at Renegade Brewing Company does not include a single TV. Instead, you will hear good music playing in the background, and see people sitting together, enjoying conservation.

Many visitors at Renegade Brewing appeared to be stopping in on their way home from work. Most patrons knew their way around the taproom, and were farmiliar with either friends or neighbors that were enjoying beers. The sense of community really stuck out, and the crowd at Renegade was a happy bunch (the beer may have had something to do with that)! The success of Renegade’s ‘relational brewery’ atmosphere is evident as they are planning to open a second location in 4-6 weeks. The new location will be located at University & Evans in Denver.

Beer List:

5:00 (Afternoon Ale): We did not try the 5:00, but will next time. 5% ABV
Ryteous (Rye IPA): This was the original beer for Renegade, and was originally a homebrew recipe for Brian O’Connell. He brought the recipe to the masses when he decided to open up Renegade Brewing. 7% ABV
Elevation (Triple IPA): Don’t let the high alcohol content scare you away. This beer has a really unique, excellent flavor. The taste includes a grape-fruity flavor with a sort of piney finish. Elevation is very smooth, and great tasting! 11.2% ABV
Silas (White Stout): Beer drinkers may be confused by this one. How can a stout be white? Not sure, but this one is outstanding. It’s light in color, but has a taste similar to Guiness. Definitely one to try while at Renegade. 6% ABV
Midnight in Bruges (Belgium Black IPA) We did not try the Midnight in Bruges, but will next time. 8% ABV
Hammer and Sickle (Russian Imperial Stout) We did not try the Hammer and Sickle, but will next time. 9% ABV
Sunday Morning (Coffee Infused Strong Ale) This is a tasty ale with a coffee finish. The coffee smell is stronger than the taste. Overall the beer is smooth and the hint of coffee is a great touch. 6% ABV

If you want to find a place that sells Renegade’s beers, check out their beer locator: http://renegadebrewing.com/find-us/. Renedage’s beers are available in 4-packs of pint cans. To read Renegade’s blog about why they use cans, click here: http://renegadebrewing.com/we-can-can/

Awards:

Best New Brewery – 5280 Top of the Town
Best Neighborhood Brewery – Westword
#2 Best Bar in Denver – Westword
Elevation Triple IPA – #2 Best Beer in Colorado – Denver Off the Wagon

Renegade Brewing Company has created many great tasting beers that are far from typical. Renegade bucked the traditional beer do’s and don’ts in order to brace creativity and to push the envelope of what craft beers can be. We enjoyed all the beers we sampled, but the Silas White Stout, and the Elevation Triple IPA were the favorites. Both will surprise you with their flavor and smooth finish. We encourage you to visit Renegade Brewing Company to try out some really unique beers. Thanks to Laura for a great visit! We enjoyed sampling Renegade’s beers, and finding out more about the company.

To find out more about Renegade Brewing Company, check out their website: http://renegadebrewing.com

Renegade Brewing Company
925 W 9th Ave / Denver, CO
720-401-4089
info@renegadebrewing.com

Golden City Brewery – Golden, CO

Posted on February 23, 2013 by educyber

Golden City Brewery is located in Golden, CO. next to the Colorado School of Mines campus. We had the pleasure of visiting the brewpub and sitting down with Sales & Marketing Manager, Derek Gilmore, and part owner, Andy Taylor. It was really fun finding out more about Golden City Brewery — “The 2nd Largest Brewery in Golden!” Anyone that is looking for a neighborhood brewpub with a friendly atmosphere and great beer, needs to visit Golden City Brewery.

Golden City Brewery was founded in 1993 by two geologists, Charlie & Janine Sturdavant. They filled the old machine shop behind their historic Golden home with used dairy tanks, and Charlie began brewing German-style ales. The tasting room was originally located in the sunroom of their house, and provided Red Ale and Pale Ale to the local community in 1/2 gallon growlers and kegs. The brewery started out with the help of investments made by many of Charlie & Janine’s friends. Andy Taylor was one of the original investors and thought that he would most likely lose money on the brewery. It took nearly ten years, but the investors started making money on their investment, and to this day there are still 23 part owners. One of the main factors that helped the brewpub take off was the addition of a beer garden. Customers started sitting in the grassy area next to the brewpub… eventually this area became the official beer garden at GCB.

When Golden City Brewery first started out, the craft beer industry was much different than it is now. It was difficult to get started, as demand for craft beers was not like it is today. In 1993, most Americans simply made their choice for beer between one of the two or three major U.S. beer producers. This was referred to as “BMB”, or “Before Microbreweries”, in our talk with Golden City Brewery. Things have really changed for the craft beer industry, especially in the last 10 years.

Over the years, Golden City Brewery has expanded at the same location (still the Sturdavant’s home). The carriage house became the tasting room, and the backyard is now the beer garden. The brewery is still in the machine shop, but a second level was added inside. All of the old equipment has been replaced with real beer fermenters and a slightly used gas-fired kettle. The Golden City Brewery now produces the legendary Red Ale & Pale Ale, in addition to a few other brews, which are listed below. Each beer has it’s own logo, which are very creative and unique to the taste of the beer. Here’s the logo for Clear Creek Pale Ale, which was a very good beer, one of our favorites!

Beer List:

Clear Creek Pale Ale: Ale might not be what miners were looking for in nearby Clear Creek, but Clear Creek Gold can always be found at GCB. This is a traditional German Kolschbier that is hopped with Czech Saaz for a pleasant floral finish. 4.8% ABV
Evolution India Pale Ale: Evolution IPA has become one of our most popular brews. It’s stronger, hoppier character was designed to survive the arduous overseas journey from Britain to its colonies in India. Today, brewers continue to alter the formula and produce bigger, even hoppier renditions like smooth, aromatic Evolution. 7.3% ABV
Legendary Red Ale: Legendary Red was the first beer ever brewed at GCB. Its award winning flavor is derived from a large portion of Munich malt, a touch of crystal malts, and just a pinch of black malt. A healthy dose of German hops balances this altbier of epic proportions. 5.2% ABV
Mad Molly’s Brown Ale: Our award-winning English Northern Brown Ale is inspired by the infamous brewery wench, Mad Molly. You’d be mad too if you served ale all day without a single drop for yourself. Hence the origin of the age-old adage: “Tip your wench well, lest she go mad. For rest nor ale has the sweet girl had.” Molly’s Brown is light and malty with a nice chocolate quality. 4.5% ABV
Lookout Stout: Named after Lookout Mountain, which overlooks Golden. This oatmeal stout is characterized by a dose of chocolate malt and balanced out with oats for body. It is dark, chocolatey, coffee-like, and smooth. 5.0% ABV

Golden City Brewery mainly sells beer from the brewpub, and is not sold in many retail locations. This is not due to a lack of demand for the beer, it is because the owners prefer to sell from their pub. You can purchase 22 oz. bottles of all the the beer types, except for the IPA. GCB beers can also be found at My Brother’s Bar in Denver, and Woody’s Pizza in Golden. Liquor stores that carry GCB beers include: Foss Building Wine & Spirits in Golden, Clear Creek Wine & Spirits in Golden, Canyon Point Liquors in Golden, and Union Wine & Spirits in Lakewood.

We really enjoyed our visit to Golden City Brewery. GCB offers a fun environment and great beer! We enjoyed all the beers, but our favorites were the Clear Creek Pale Ale and the Evolution IPA. We highly recommend stopping by this fun brewpub, especially in the spring/summer. The beer garden is located in the back of the brewpub and is a popular place when the weather is nice. We’re looking forward to a return visit when we can sit outside and enjoy a breat beer at GCB.

Golden City Brewery
920 12th Street
Golden, CO. 80401
303-279-8092
http://www.gcbrewery.com/

Colorado Craft Brews

We love Colorado Craft Beer!

Category Archives: Colorado Breweries