Tag Archives: Arvada

Taste of the West: June 11, 2015

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PrintTaste of the West is the premier culinary event in Jefferson County. The “Taste” will feature award-winning cuisine from many of Jeffco’s best restaurants and caterers. In addition to food sampling, the festival will feature an assortment of beer from local breweries, wine, culinary exhibitors, a silent auction benefiting Youth Leadership Jefferson County, music, and networking with 1,000 attendees. New for 2015, Taste of The West will include a beer garden to highlight the great local craft beer from Jefferson County.

The Beer Garden is sponsored by World of Beer – Belmar, and will include Arvada Beer Company, Barrels & Bottles, Brewery Rickoli, Caution Brewing, Colorado Native, Golden City Brewery, Joyride Brewing, and select beer from World of Beer.

Beer-Garden-Sponsor-Banner-WebWHEN: Thursday, June 11, 2015
TIME: 5:00 P.M. to 8:30 P.M.
WHERE: Lakewood Heritage Center – 801 S. Yarrow St., Lakewood, CO 80226
TICKETS: $20 for unlimited food samples + 5 beer samples. To purchase Click Here!
WHO ARE THE VENDORS?: Many of the best restaurants & breweries from Jeffco
WHO WILL ATTEND?: Families, foodies, and local beer & wine enthusiasts

Celebrating more than 20 years of “Great Tastes,” this is an event enjoyed by families, young professionals, retirees, couples, individuals and of course, foodies! It is brought to the community each year by The West Chamber in June at the Lakewood Heritage Center in Lakewood, Colorado.

To purchase tickets to Taste of the West, Click Here.

Odyssey Beerwerks Brewery & Taproom – Arvada, CO

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Odyssey Beerwerks logoOdyssey 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.

IMG_0545(1)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

Yak & Yeti Restaurant & Brewpub – Arvada, CO

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Yak and Yeti Logo

The Yak & Yeti Restaurant & Brewpub is located in Arvada a few blocks from Olde Town. Yak & Yeti operates from within what was once a historic Victorian Mansion, and has been transformed into one of the most unique places in Colorado to enjoy a freshly brewed craft beer. On top of the fresh craft beer served up at Yak & Yeti, visitors can also enjoy Indian and Nepalese Cuisine that is among the best in the State of Colorado.

The original structure at the present day Yak & Yeti Restaurant and Brewpub was built in 1864 by a man named Eli Allen. Allen was the second postmaster in Arvada, having taken over for Benjamin Wadsworth, who was the first postmaster in Arvada (Wadsworth is also where the name for Wadsworth Blvd came from). Eli Allen lived and worked out of the home until his son moved in and added onto the original home in 1891. The story of the home is quite interesting and includes stories of being haunted. For more information on all the history of the Yak & Yeti mansion, visit the About Us page on Yak & Yeti’s website.

The story of Yak & Yeti Brewpub is much more recent than the building it is located in. Yak & Yeti celebrated its 5 year anniversary as a brewery in 2013. Prior to being Yak & Yeti, an English brewpub called the “Cheshire Cat” operated out of the building. When Yak & Yeti first took over the building, they were not a brewery and the Owner, Dol Bhattarai, nearly sold all of the brewing equipment that came with the purchase of the building. Yak & Yeti had been operating a successful restaurant in Westminster, and was simply looking for a second restaurant location. After considering the possibilities of running a brewery, Dol decided to keep the brewing equipment, and to hire a brewer. Many people wonder how an Indian restaurant got into brewing – now you know.

Adam Draeger has been the head brewer for the Yak & Yeti Brewpub since 2011.  A Wisconsin native, he did his undergraduate work in Engineering Physics.  After a decade of engineering and homebrewing, he took the plunge to change careers. adam draeger Adam studied at Siebel Institute in Chicago, IL and the Doemens Academy in Munich, Germany where he received his International Diploma from the World Brewing Academy.

When Adam took over the brewing operations, Yak & Yeti only had 3 beers on tap, and Adam made it his goal to change that. Adam is a fan of craft lager beers, but has done a great job of having a mix of different types of beers. I spent a couple hours taking the tour of the historic mansion, and getting a taste of many of the fresh beers Adam has created. It was evident in my visit with Adam that he’s a guy that loves beer, and he loves to talk about beer (he’s also very good at brewing beer). Yak & Yeti offers a well-diversified portfolio of beers on tap ranging from Belgian-style beers, German lagers, American ales, English ales and several specialty and seasonal offerings.

  • Wheat Beer Series – Brewed in the summer, a new beer is tapped weekly with fresh fruit served right in the keg.
  • Porter Series – a new beer is tapped weekly, but focuses on fruits, adjuncts and spices that compliment porters.
  • The Haunted Beer Series – Adam’s stage for debuting small experiment pilot batches that range from Russian Imperial Stouts to White IPA’s to spruce beers and many other. The series gets its name from the stories of Yak & Yeti being haunted.

Beer List: Yak & Yeti offers 6 standard beers, which are available all year. They also offer some great seasonals (including the Oktoberfest, which was awesome). Below is a list of the standard beers you will find at Yak & Yeti. To view the entire beer list, visit their Crafted Beer Page. Yak & Yeti won’t be found in liquor stores, but can be found around Denver at many taphouses that specialize in craft beer. If you want to take some fresh Yak & Yeti beer home with you, they have growlers available for any of their standard beers, and whatever seasonals they have on tap. 

  • Namaste Pilsner – 5.1% ABV. ~ 34 IBUs (available year round)
    Our Pilsner is a Northern German style hopped with German Tettnanger hops. Third Place winner at 2011 Colorado State Fair.

  • Himalayan IPA – 6.3% ABV. ~ 70 IBUs (available year round)
    Our 2010 GABF-winning India Pale Ale is dry-hopped with Columbus and Cascade hops right before being transferred into the serving vessel. This isn’t East-coast or West-coast style IPA but rather pure Rocky Mountain gold.

  • Chai Milk Stout(*has lactose) – 5.2% ABV.~30 IBUs (available year-round)
    This stout is our flavored version of the milk stout. The Chai tea spices are the Yak and Yeti’s own blend. A perfect dessert drink.

  • Jalapeño Lena – 5.1% ABV. ~ 34 IBUs (available year round)
    A light-colored but full flavored Jalapeño pepper beer. Huge fresh aroma from the pepper served right inside the keg! Some say it isn’t that hot, others can’t handle it. You decide. We also make red beers called Bloody Lena’s!

  • GF Apple Ale – 4.9% ABV. ~ 0 IBUs (available year round)
    GF stands for gluten-free as this ale is made iwht cider and sorghum. Looks like a cider, tastes likes a cider but is still technically an ale. (a hop pellet for good measure)

  • West-Coast Glutton (DIPA)- 9.5%ABV.~150 IBUs (available year round)You like them RED, BIG & Hoppy?! This Double Red/DIPA is a Centennial and Cascade-hopped behemoth that gives some unique citrus and resiny flavors/aromas.

Beer Festivals: Yak & Yeti is an active participant in beer festivals across the state. Here are a few places you will most likely find them:

  • GABF (Great American Beer Festival) – Denver, CO
  • Vail Big Beer Festival – Vail, CO
  • Brewers’ Rendezvous – Salida, CO
  • Epic Beer Festival – Denver, CO

Awards: For a small brewery, Yak & Yeti has picked up some big awards. Here’s a list of what they’ve won, and where the won it.

  • 2010: Gold Medal for the Himalayan IPA (American Style Extra Pale Ale, GABF)
  • 2011: Bronze Medal for the Namaste Pilsner (Pilsner category, Colorado State Fair)
  • 2012: Bronze Medal for the Honey Ginger Soda (Soda category, Colorado State Fair)
  • 2013: Bronze Medal for the Honey Ginger Soda (Soda category, Colorado State Fair)
  • 2013: Silver Medal for the Chai Milk Stout (Urban Spiced, GABF)
  • 2013: Bronze Medal for the Himalayan IPA (Fresh Ales/IPA/DIPA), Colorado State Fair)

I had a great visit with Adam and learned a lot about Yak & Yeti, and the awesome beer they brew. I would highly recommend a visit for the food, and of course for their beer. The atmosphere at Yak & Yeti is truly unique, and one that will impress anyone that has an interest in history. Even those that don’t drink beer will have the ability to enjoy a fresh brew – the Honey Ginger Soda is very good. The Chai Milk Stout is one of the most unique beers I’ve ever tried, and has won awards for good reason. If you love craft beer made in Colorado, a trip to Yak & Yeti is a must! Thanks Adam for the tour, and of course for sharing your fresh craft beer.

Yak & Yeti Restaurant & Brewpub
7803 Ralston Road
Arvada, CO 80002
(303) 431-9000
www.theyakandyeti.com

 

Arvada Beer Company – Arvada, CO

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Arvada Beer Company LogoArvada 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