Denver: A Major League Beer Town
For a long time, Denver's beer could be summed up in one word: Coors. To those who lived east of the Mississippi, where it wasn't distributed, Coors was a magic potion. It transformed millions of otherwise law-abiding Easterners into petty smugglers.
Coors is very much alive; its plant in Golden pumps out 17 million barrels a year, more than any other brewery. But nowadays it has plenty of company. Denver has become one of America's liveliest beer towns. It boasts a small army of homebrewers, one of the world's biggest brewpubs, and the Great American Beer Festival.
Denver's biggest concentration of craft breweries is in Lower Downtown, a neighborhood filled with offices, shops, and restaurants. It's so compact that you can visit its micros and brewpubs on foot.
In the Eighties, few imagined that "LoDo" would become Denver's playground. Businesses had fled the area, leaving abandoned warehouses in their wake; the economy was in a recession. But the city turned things around: it offered incentives to preserve LoDo's historic buildings; and, once it landed a major league franchise, put up a ballpark in the neighborhood.
John Hickenlooper, a modern-day pioneer, saw opportunity in LoDo's empty warehouses. He persuaded state lawmakers to legalize brewpubs, then converted a century-old department store into the Wynkoop Brewing Company (1634 18th Street; 303-297-2700), which he named for Denver's first sheriff.
Wynkoop's best-selling beer is Railyard Ale, brewed in the Oktoberfest style. It also pours an unfiltered German wheat beer; a light lager brewed with Anaheim chiles; and three cask-conditioned ales. Whatever your choice, grab a seat on the outdoor patio. Few things go better with beer than a view of the Rocky Mountains.
Success hasn't dulled Wynkoop's sense of humor. It celebrates its anniversary with the "Running of the Pigs"; and crowns a Beer Drinker of the Year, who must survive the scrutiny of beer experts and then pass an oral exam. Wynkoop is also home to the Impulse Theater, whose repertoire is best described as "competitive comedy."
Flying Dog Brewery and Pub (2401 Blake Street; 303-292-5027) is America's only "gonzo brewery." According to legend, illustrator Ralph Steadman got his inspiration for those surreal Flying Dog labels after a night of drinking with author Hunter S. Thompson and one of the brewery's founders.
What Thompson and his buddies drank that night was the brewery's top-selling beer: Doggie Style Ale, an award-winning pale ale. Flying Dog's litter has grown to nine, led by Road Dog Ale, brewed in the Scottish style; Old Scratch Lager, a California common, or "steam," beer; an India pale ale called Snake Dog Ale; and Tire Biter Ale, a Kölsch-style beer.
Flying Dog got its start in Aspen, but grew so popular its owners moved the brewing operations to Denver. The brewery complex includes a local hangout run by bartender Freddie Fisher, whose hobbies include playing jazz clarinet and firing off letters to the editor.
Another watering hole with its roots in Colorado's ski country is Breckenridge Brewery and Pub (2220 Blake Street; 303-297-3644). Although it's no longer a brewpub--the beer is brewed across town--it serves the same Breckenridge beers you may have tried in bottles. The selection includes Avalanche Ale, an American amber ale; Oatmeal Stout; India Pale Ale; and a filtered Mountain Wheat.
The pub is catty-corner from Coors Field, which makes it an ideal gathering place before or after the game--or during it, if you don't have a ticket. If the Rockies have their hitting shoes on, you'll hear the roar of the crowd from the patio. There's something on the menu for everyone, and, in the summer, outdoor entertainment.
While it isn't a brewpub, Great Divide Brewing Company (2201 Arapahoe Street; 303-296-9460) offers tours and tastings on weekdays. Operating out of a former dairy, the brewery distributes its beers into 16 states. Its claim to brewing renown is Hibernation Ale, an assertively-hopped English strong ale that has won national and international competitions, as well as praise from writers. Great Divide's year-round beers include Denver Pale Ale, another gold-medal winner; two wheat beers, one made with wild raspberries; and an amber ale, a honey ale, and a porter.
Sandlot Brewery at Coors Field (2145 Blake Street; 303-298-1587) is literally part of the ballpark. It's owned by a subsidiary of Coors Brewing Company, perhaps the most innovative of America's big brewers. On game days, you'll need a ticket to get into the pub, called Rounders, where you can follow the game while sampling the beer. When the Rockies aren't playing, Rounders is open to the public.
One block south of the ballpark you'll find the Falling Rock Tap House (1919 Blake Street; 303-293-8338). Owners Chris and Steve Black turned what was once a loading dock into the final piece of the LoDo beer puzzle: a first-class alehouse. Only four years old, it has become one of the West's top multitaps, and a magnet for visiting brewers and beer fans. Falling Rock lives up to its house slogan (and Internet domain name), "No Crap on Tap," by refusing to pour macrobrews. The wall behind the bar bristles with taps--69 at last count--and features a wide selection of Colorado craft beers. In the unlikely event the draft choices don't appeal to you, there's a lengthy list of bottled beers, many imported from Belgium.