Monday, August 12, 2019
7 Days, 7 Thoughts on the Fort Collins Area Beer Scene
Family vacations are family vacations first and foremost. But when said family vacation is to the Fort Collins area, well, one really has to dabble in the local beer scene to feel they've been there, right?
I took that trip in late July and early August this year, and I managed to hit eight breweries in seven days in Fort Collins, Loveland and Cheyenne. What follows, then, is a series of thoughts on what is happening in this elevated scene.
1) Purpose Brewing has become one of Colorado's star beer makers
Tucked into a shopping area on the south side of town, former New Belgium brewmaster Peter Bouckaert's now-2-year-old project isn't a natural stop on a brewery-row tour, like his old place is. But the limited range of beers he has on tap at any one time — there were five available on a recent Thursday — are as of high a quality as any in the state, laced with experimentation (and barrel aging) and unable to be defined by style. The Smoeltrekker #13 walked right up to the line of sourness but balanced it with a dark body and somewhat woody fell, making it a complex masterpiece.
2) Equinox Brewing is the overlooked genius in this town
Too often overlooked because of its taproom-focused model, downtown brewery Equinox is, at this point, a can't-miss on a trip to Fort Collins because of its mastery of a wide variety of styles. Nothing was more pleasing on this trip than its Liquid Fuel New England IPA, which brought out the tropical nature of the style with a more subtle smoothness that made you want to drink more and more. But from its classic Space Ghost IPA to its cookie-reminiscent Smorter Porter, everything was accessible and still eye-opening.
3) Intersect Brewing is not a lot of radars — but it should be
We went to this brewery in southwest Fort Collins at a friend's suggestion because of its family-friendliness. (That play area you see my daughter in is in the brewery's taproom.)
But our diverse crowd — see the range of ages and sexes in the picture at the top of this page — found a ton to be pleased with there, from a fruity and tart blackberry gose to a rich milk chocolate stout. And if you need conversation starters, all of the beers are named after songs.
4) Do not forget about the excellent work Grimm Brothers Brewhouse is doing
Twenty minutes south of Fort Collins in Loveland, the traditional German brewery has earned a reputation for its spot-on pilsners, dunkels and alt biers, and it deservedly has the longest-running streak of Great American Beer Festival medals of any Colorado brewery. But its experimentation truly puts it in the top segment of Colorado brewers, from its sweet-but-wonderfully-constructed Hare's Bride imperial hefeweizen to Old Brown Shoe, a bourbon-barrel-aged brown ale that soaks up the whiskey flavor in surprising harmony with the big beer. It may have started all-German, but its range now is wide and impressive.
5) Accomplice Beer Co. shows good beer spreads across the border
Located in the Old Cheyenne Depot just 20 minutes across the Colorado-Wyoming border, Accomplice has some distinct merits. Its historic location is just a place that you want to sit and enjoy a beer, and it offers a pour-by-the-ounce system that lets you try whatever you'd like. While none of the beers jumped out as eye-opening, the range from IPAs to pilsners to a Belgium wit offered a variety of decent options, enough for everyone in your party to find something to enjoy.
6) Crooked Stave's Fort Collins taproom is a nice addition to downtown
The Exchange is a family-friendly enclosure downtown where your kids can run around and play cornhole while you enjoy offerings from restaurants, a winery, a distillery and Crooked Stave. The selection of beers is no less wide-ranging than what you will find at the brewery's showroom in The Source. And being able to slowly sip on an excellent Nightmare on Brett Sour Cherry while you wait in the long ice-cream line at Old Town Churn is a gift in itself.
7) Odell Brewing is best when it spreads its wings to a variety of flavors
No trip to town is complete without a stop at Odell for the chance to see what kinds of experiments and one-offs it's cooking up on its pilot system. Last Saturday, however, was two days after IPA Day, and the brewery took that holiday to heart in a big way, as almost everything it had on tap aside from its regular selections was a hazy, a brut, an imperial or some variety of a hop monster. None were as tasty, however, as a regular Odell IPA, and the lack of options made a visitor pine for the days when everything from a kolsch to a creme brulee stout could be found there boasting of the variety that has made this brewery deserving of the national accolades it receives.
I took that trip in late July and early August this year, and I managed to hit eight breweries in seven days in Fort Collins, Loveland and Cheyenne. What follows, then, is a series of thoughts on what is happening in this elevated scene.
1) Purpose Brewing has become one of Colorado's star beer makersTucked into a shopping area on the south side of town, former New Belgium brewmaster Peter Bouckaert's now-2-year-old project isn't a natural stop on a brewery-row tour, like his old place is. But the limited range of beers he has on tap at any one time — there were five available on a recent Thursday — are as of high a quality as any in the state, laced with experimentation (and barrel aging) and unable to be defined by style. The Smoeltrekker #13 walked right up to the line of sourness but balanced it with a dark body and somewhat woody fell, making it a complex masterpiece.
2) Equinox Brewing is the overlooked genius in this town
Too often overlooked because of its taproom-focused model, downtown brewery Equinox is, at this point, a can't-miss on a trip to Fort Collins because of its mastery of a wide variety of styles. Nothing was more pleasing on this trip than its Liquid Fuel New England IPA, which brought out the tropical nature of the style with a more subtle smoothness that made you want to drink more and more. But from its classic Space Ghost IPA to its cookie-reminiscent Smorter Porter, everything was accessible and still eye-opening.
3) Intersect Brewing is not a lot of radars — but it should be
We went to this brewery in southwest Fort Collins at a friend's suggestion because of its family-friendliness. (That play area you see my daughter in is in the brewery's taproom.)
4) Do not forget about the excellent work Grimm Brothers Brewhouse is doingTwenty minutes south of Fort Collins in Loveland, the traditional German brewery has earned a reputation for its spot-on pilsners, dunkels and alt biers, and it deservedly has the longest-running streak of Great American Beer Festival medals of any Colorado brewery. But its experimentation truly puts it in the top segment of Colorado brewers, from its sweet-but-wonderfully-constructed Hare's Bride imperial hefeweizen to Old Brown Shoe, a bourbon-barrel-aged brown ale that soaks up the whiskey flavor in surprising harmony with the big beer. It may have started all-German, but its range now is wide and impressive.
5) Accomplice Beer Co. shows good beer spreads across the border
Located in the Old Cheyenne Depot just 20 minutes across the Colorado-Wyoming border, Accomplice has some distinct merits. Its historic location is just a place that you want to sit and enjoy a beer, and it offers a pour-by-the-ounce system that lets you try whatever you'd like. While none of the beers jumped out as eye-opening, the range from IPAs to pilsners to a Belgium wit offered a variety of decent options, enough for everyone in your party to find something to enjoy.
6) Crooked Stave's Fort Collins taproom is a nice addition to downtown
7) Odell Brewing is best when it spreads its wings to a variety of flavors
Labels: Accomplice Brewing, Crooked Stave, Equinox Brewing, Fort Collins breweries, Grimm Brothers Brewhouse, Intersect Brewing, New Belgium Brewing, Odell Brewing, Purpose Brewing & Cellars
Tuesday, October 02, 2018
GABF Alphabetical Challenge Completed
Three beers into the Great American Beer Festival Alphabet challenge, I was doubting myself. A watered-down 2SP Brewing Antonym, a weak 8th Wonder Brewing Boss Beer and an Alaskan Brewing Cranberry Tart that was far less tart than advertised, and I asked, "Am I wasting time letting fate choose my beers at the world's greatest beer festival rather than going for known gold?"
But in just a matter of minutes, I was playing rock, paper, scissors with the bartender at Three Weavers Brewing to get a free hat, feeling better about my embarrassing loss only when I got to enjoy a Festbier that was the tastiest Oktoberfest I had all festival. Then I bent my rules when I got lassoed in by the folks at Beachwood BBQ & Brewing and enjoyed an Amalgamator West-Coast-style IPA (it counted as my "G" beer) that reminded me how well hops can shine in non-hazy beers. And by the time I stumbled onto the taste-bud-awakening Island Baby from Black Star Brewing Co-Op. - a rum-barrel-aged beer re-fermented with pineapple, passionfruit and pomegranate juice - I knew I was on a journey I wouldn't forget.
The GABF Alphabetical challenge, for those who didn't read my pre-festival blog, was a self-created way to end 18 years of run-to-the-hot-brewery routine and soak in everyone at the festival in a way that put every beer on display in a new way. I started at one end of the hall and drank the first beer I saw that began with "A," then "B" and then "C," and so on, to let me soak in the full range of breweries that made the trip to Denver, from the superstars to the little guys pouring two beers.
Throughout the night, I hit a variety of both the big names and those I'd never tried before. And though not every taste was pure bliss, I certainly discovered flavors I otherwise would not have known.
The most astounding find, for example, was Devil Wind Brewing Watermelon Goes of Xenia, Ohio - a brewery that brought just three beers and sat in the comparative shadow of next-door booth Deschutes Brewery, no line in sight. Very share and fruit-forward, this beer may have imbued more flavor from the often-shy watermelon than possibly any beer I've had, and it was a revelation that I never would have found on my own.
Not far away was the Pro-Am booth that I often skip; instead, I found Pillory, an American sour ale brewed with Lacto that not only cut just right but introduced me to Ghost Town Brewing. I knew Bosque Brewing a little but likely wouldn't have stopped to try Open Space Haze and its uber-pineapple flavor with the challenge. Ditto for Reuben's Brews, which offered a Gose that was as sharp and drinkable as just about any gose I found during the show.
Sometimes the excursion took me to places I knew. At Weldwerks, I happened to land on Extra Extra Juicy Bits, a huge, exotic-fruit-laced offering that was as good as any hazy being poured on the floor. At Cigar City, I was almost disappointed to have a beer as familiar as Jai Alai IPA, even as balanced as it was. Then again, at Destihl, the excursion led me away from the fruit beers I seek there so often and toward Dasvidanya, a 12.5 percent ABV Russian imperial stout (though in retrospect, I would have preferred a sour).
Twice I mixed things up. The first time was with the aforementioned Beachwood Amalgamator, and that was a gift. The second time, meanwhile, was when I entered Paired, the food/beer mash-up featuring nationwide knock-out chefs that required me to switch to getting a beer and plate with the next letter in the name of the food or beer rather than starting it.
Yeah, maybe I wouldn't have tried the sea urchin mousse from Big Grove Brewery in Iowa, which proved absolutely as un-pairable as it sounds. And I probably wouldn't have sought out the Oktoberfest from Accomplice Brewing, which was far too weak for the wagyu beef taco with which it was paired.
But I also may not have headed for Armadillo Ale Works' tropical sour, whose sweet notes accented the taste of a rockfish ceviche. And I, well, I probably would have headed anyway for the Barrel-Aged Mocha Snowed In that Copper Kettle Brewing matched up with a chocolate layer cake. And I surely would have gone for J. Wakefield Brewing's sour saison Aren't You a Peach, but, still, it was more than perfect with an olive-oil cake. (And in a note of irony, when I finally reach J. Wakefield on Saturday afternoon, it was tapped when I got there.)
To be sure, there was some bad stuff I found in my wanderings. Chapman's Brewing of Indiana had an IPA, Undaunted, that tasted so much of plastic that I had to take the rare step of dumping it out. Bold Missy Brewery of North Carolina had a honey blonde, 9 to 5, that actually inspired me to write the word "Ugh" in my notes.
(I also was in the right place at the right time to meet the Visit Santa Rosa hop mascot coming out of his changing booth, but that didn't fit into my alphabetical stylings. Still, see the photo above.)
I didn't make it across the entire floor with my adventures. as that is a task that's become increasingly impossible, no matter your pattern for the night. But I hit places I never dreamt I'd hit. And, truth be told, I am thankful that I had that chance.
Would I recommend the GABF Alphabetical Challenge for everyone? No. Most people come once every few years and have a certain amount of breweries they want to hit, and that is something that should bear no shame.
But I would recommend that next year when you're walking across the floor and you see that booth next to the big-name brewery that has no line, stop there. Ask someone about the brewery, if a representative is at the table. Try their beers. Make a new find. This, after all, is what the Great American Beer Festival is all about. And forcing yourself to find that spirit is a noble end.
Three beers into the Great American Beer Festival Alphabet challenge, I was doubting myself. A watered-down 2SP Brewing Antonym, a weak 8th Wonder Brewing Boss Beer and an Alaskan Brewing Cranberry Tart that was far less tart than advertised, and I asked, "Am I wasting time letting fate choose my beers at the world's greatest beer festival rather than going for known gold?"But in just a matter of minutes, I was playing rock, paper, scissors with the bartender at Three Weavers Brewing to get a free hat, feeling better about my embarrassing loss only when I got to enjoy a Festbier that was the tastiest Oktoberfest I had all festival. Then I bent my rules when I got lassoed in by the folks at Beachwood BBQ & Brewing and enjoyed an Amalgamator West-Coast-style IPA (it counted as my "G" beer) that reminded me how well hops can shine in non-hazy beers. And by the time I stumbled onto the taste-bud-awakening Island Baby from Black Star Brewing Co-Op. - a rum-barrel-aged beer re-fermented with pineapple, passionfruit and pomegranate juice - I knew I was on a journey I wouldn't forget.
The GABF Alphabetical challenge, for those who didn't read my pre-festival blog, was a self-created way to end 18 years of run-to-the-hot-brewery routine and soak in everyone at the festival in a way that put every beer on display in a new way. I started at one end of the hall and drank the first beer I saw that began with "A," then "B" and then "C," and so on, to let me soak in the full range of breweries that made the trip to Denver, from the superstars to the little guys pouring two beers.
Throughout the night, I hit a variety of both the big names and those I'd never tried before. And though not every taste was pure bliss, I certainly discovered flavors I otherwise would not have known.
Not far away was the Pro-Am booth that I often skip; instead, I found Pillory, an American sour ale brewed with Lacto that not only cut just right but introduced me to Ghost Town Brewing. I knew Bosque Brewing a little but likely wouldn't have stopped to try Open Space Haze and its uber-pineapple flavor with the challenge. Ditto for Reuben's Brews, which offered a Gose that was as sharp and drinkable as just about any gose I found during the show.
Twice I mixed things up. The first time was with the aforementioned Beachwood Amalgamator, and that was a gift. The second time, meanwhile, was when I entered Paired, the food/beer mash-up featuring nationwide knock-out chefs that required me to switch to getting a beer and plate with the next letter in the name of the food or beer rather than starting it.
Yeah, maybe I wouldn't have tried the sea urchin mousse from Big Grove Brewery in Iowa, which proved absolutely as un-pairable as it sounds. And I probably wouldn't have sought out the Oktoberfest from Accomplice Brewing, which was far too weak for the wagyu beef taco with which it was paired.
To be sure, there was some bad stuff I found in my wanderings. Chapman's Brewing of Indiana had an IPA, Undaunted, that tasted so much of plastic that I had to take the rare step of dumping it out. Bold Missy Brewery of North Carolina had a honey blonde, 9 to 5, that actually inspired me to write the word "Ugh" in my notes.(I also was in the right place at the right time to meet the Visit Santa Rosa hop mascot coming out of his changing booth, but that didn't fit into my alphabetical stylings. Still, see the photo above.)
I didn't make it across the entire floor with my adventures. as that is a task that's become increasingly impossible, no matter your pattern for the night. But I hit places I never dreamt I'd hit. And, truth be told, I am thankful that I had that chance.
Would I recommend the GABF Alphabetical Challenge for everyone? No. Most people come once every few years and have a certain amount of breweries they want to hit, and that is something that should bear no shame.
But I would recommend that next year when you're walking across the floor and you see that booth next to the big-name brewery that has no line, stop there. Ask someone about the brewery, if a representative is at the table. Try their beers. Make a new find. This, after all, is what the Great American Beer Festival is all about. And forcing yourself to find that spirit is a noble end.
Labels: Accomplice Brewing, Beachwood BBQ & Brewing, Black Star Brewing Co-Op, Bosque Brewing, Copper Kettle Brewing, Devil Wind Brewing, Great American Beer Festival, J. Wakefield Brewing, Weldwerks Brewing
