Touching All the Bases: Denver's LoDo Neighborhood
There was a time when one word--Coors--summed up Denver's beer. To those living east of the Mississippi, Coors was magic; it turned law-abiding folks into petty smugglers.
Times have changed: Coors has long since
gone national; and nowadays, it has plenty of company in
its own backyard. Denver has blossomed into one of
America's great beer towns, with a small army of
homebrewers; one of the world's largest brewpubs; and,
of course, the Great American Beer
Festival.
Denver's biggest concentration of "hop spots" is in Lower Downtown, a neighborhood filled with offices, shops, and restaurants. Not only can you spend an entire evening there pub crawling, but you can do it on foot.
In the Eighties, few imagined that "LoDo" would become Denver's playground. Businesses had fled the area, leaving derelict warehouses behind; the economy was in the doldrums. But the city turned things around: it offered incentives to preserve LoDo's historic buildings; and, once it landed a major league franchise, built a beautiful new ballpark.
John Hickenlooper, a modern-day pioneer, saw opportunity in LoDo's empty warehouses. He lobbied Colorado 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 seller is Railyard Ale, brewed in the Oktoberfest style. It also serves Wixa Weiss, unfiltered, as it is in Bavaria; Splatz Porter, said to have been named for brewery's cat; Patty's Chile Beer, a light lager brewed with bagfuls of Anaheim chiles; and a rotating selection of cask-conditioned ales. If the weather is nice--a good bet this time of year--grab a seat on the outdoor patio. Few things go better with a pint than a view of the Rocky Mountains.
Success hasn't dulled Wynkoop's sense of
humor. The brewpub celebrates its anniversary (October
16) with the "Running of the Pigs"; and crowns a
"Beerdrinker of the Year," who must survive the scrutiny
of America's top beer writers, then pass an oral exam.
Entertainment at Wynkoop includes the Impulse Theater,
an improv company whose repertoire is best described as
"competitive comedy."
Breckenridge Brewery and Pub (2220 Blake Street; 303.297.3644) began life in Colorado's ski country, which explains its ski-lodge look and feel. Technically, it's not a brewpub; the beer is brewed across town and shipped here fresh. Breckenridge's flagship beer is Avalanche Ale, a good example of the amber style that swept the West during the Nineties. India Pale Ale and Oatmeal Stout are also available year-round. Seasonals include Pandora's Bock and Autumn Ale, a variation of an Old Ale, brewed with German yeast and hops.
The pub is catty-corner from Coors Field, which makes it an ideal gathering place before or after the game. Or during the game, if you haven't got a ticket; if the Rockies are winning, you can hear the roar of the crowd from the patio. The menu is Mexican-inspired, with generous portions and something for just about every taste.
One block south of the ballpark is 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 beer bar. Only six years old, it's one of the West's top multi-taps, a Mecca for visiting brewers as well as beer fans. Falling Rock lives up to its house slogan (and Internet domain name), "No Crap on Tap"; there's no macrobrew to be found. The wall behind the bar bristles with taps--69 in all--featuring a wide selection of Colorado craft beers. There's also a long list of bottled beers, many imported from Belgium.
A couple regional brewers also call LoDo home. Flying Dog Brewery (2401 Blake Street; 303.292.5027) started out in Aspen, but grew so popular its owners moved the brewing operations to larger quarters in Denver. Hunter S. ("Fear and Loathing") Thompson figures in Flying Dog's history. On a hot summer night in 1983, Thompson and brewery founders George Stranahan and Richard McIntyre had "induced" visions of the Flying Dog. What they were drinking that night was a pale ale called Doggie Style Ale, now the brewery's top-selling beer. The litter also includes K-9 Cruiser, an English-style strong ale; Road Dog Ale, described as a Scottish porter; Tire Biter Ale, a Kölsch-influenced golden ale; and newcomer In-Heat Wheat. Flying Dog's surreal labels are the handiwork of Ralph Steadman, who's illustrated the covers of Thompson's books.
Great Divide Brewing Company (2201
Arapahoe Street; 303.296.9460) converted a LoDo dairy
into a brewery whose beers are distributed throughout
much of the West. Its claim to brewing renown is
Hibernation Ale, an assertively-hopped English strong
ale which has won national and international
competitions--not to mention praise from writers. The
year-round beers include Denver Pale Ale, another
gold-medal winner; Wild Raspberry, a wheat beer
with plenty of black raspberries; Bee Sting, an
ale brewed with local orange-blossom honey; Arapahoe
Amber Ale; and St. Brigid's Porter. Tours are
available on weekdays.
And batting clean-up is the major leagues' first inside-the-park brewery, Sandlot Brewery at Coors Field (2145 Blake Street; 303.298.1587). It's owned by Unibev, Coors Brewing Company's craft-brewing division. On game days, you'll need a ticket to get into the pub, called Rounders, where you can catch the action while enjoying a pint along with something from the baseball-themed menu. Beers currently on the lineup card include Right Field Red Ale, which has won honors at the Great American Beer Festival; Squeeze Play Wheat; Slugger Stout; Power Alley ESB; and the current seasonal, Arbitrator Bock. During the off-season and on days the Rockies aren't playing, Rounders is open to the public.