March 9, 2015
Evan Musick
[email protected]
Mountains and beer are two words that could sum up Colorado. This state is one of the nation’s most recognized for the quantity and quality of beer that is produced.
Colorado was ranked as the third best state for beer in a list by Thrillist.com. According to the Denver Post, there are upwards of 200 breweries in Colorado. Here is a list of several worth trying:
Lugene’s Chocolate Milk Stout (Odell): 8.5 percent alcohol by volume. Compared to other beer, this is as sweet and smooth as chocolate milk itself.
Claymore Scotch Ale (Great Divide Brewing Company): 7.7 percent alcohol by volume. A little more hoppy or fruity than the others, this is still a hardy beer with a lot of sweet flavor.
Avalanche Ale (Breckenridge Brewery): 4.4 percent alcohol by volume. This is the easiest beer out of the list to drink being slightly sweet and not very bitter.
Old Chub Scottish Style Ale (Oskar Blues): 8 percent alcohol by volume. A thick beer in a can that has a bit of a mocha flavor. Might go well with whipped cream.
Apricot Blonde (Dry Dock): 5.1 percent alcohol by volume. Apricot is exactly what this beer tastes like. A little bitter at times, but the sweet fruit makes it an easy drinker.
The smaller breweries such as Trinity Brewing Company and Red Leg Brewing Company are a few of the breweries that are scattered throughout the Springs area.
Here is a quick overview of a few more breweries in town:
Bristol Brewing Company: This is located in the Ivywild School House at 1604 S. Cascade Ave. With a moderately large amount of room that gives off a new, shiny vibe, Bristol Brewing Company also serves food.
The beer is served on multiple taps and includes a lineup of their flagship beers, including Laughing Lab and Compass IPA.
Bristol currently has their winter seasonal Winter Warlock Oatmeal Stout on nitrous oxide tap. When the first sip of the creamy head that is provided by the nitrous oxide mixes with the dark, but not bitter, oat taste of the stout, it’s as if the beer was magic itself.
Fieldhouse Brewing Company: Located at 521 S. Tejon St. is this little brewery. The brewery portion of the building is visible from the front windows before you enter the tap room portion. The tiny room has several taps lined behind the bar and what looks like could eventually be more.
Their primary beer, Sticky Paws Honey Wheat, is sweet and smooth all the way to the bottom of the glass. Gluten free beer is also part of their tap lineup.
In terms of food, the menu is always changing as the grub is provided by the growing community of food trucks downtown. One day, Treehouse BBQ may be serving and the next may be another truck. Food from McCabe’s Tavern across the street is available to order as well.
Now that you have a starting point, go explore, and cheers!