New Colorado Breweries

Damn, going to need to break that 20 into ones so we can make it rain.

 

5PM...hmmm. The odds of me still being present and vertical at that point aren't very good. Maybe we'll hold off until 2'ish before heading over. If we miss out on a couple items, so be it.

 

Oh, don't wait just to see me. You can see me in your dreams
I'll probably be there a wee bit early to imbibe a bit

 

I like Alpine Dog a lot, would place them a little above Lost Highway and Lowdown in the "breweries in my neighborhood" category. Comrade seems like the place to be this weekend though. Not sure grandpa duty is gonna allow me the opportunity though...

 

Bring 'em by, that's what I'm doing for a few minutes with my son!

 

Comrade was super busy for most of the day. I think they only ran out of one beer, but not sure. Hard to say which beer I prefered...Honeyman 3 was delish, so was SMaSH Melon. BA Man Oar-Board smelled like heaven, without the guilt. So many on tap, I didn't even have a Superpower.

 

We tried just about everything...thank God for Lyft. BA Man Oar-Board was my fave, but I actually have a major soft spot for Bond Girl, which was a jalapeno version of Moneypenny. Whew. My liver isn't happy with me today and I stopped drinking at 5.

 

My birfday was this weekend and had planned on doing this bike tour:



But the rain forced us off our bicycle and onto our feet so we just stuck around River North and did this tour instead:



My impressions at their most brief:

Definitely Will Return
Ratio
Mockery
Crooked Stave

Enjoyable
Epic (Starting to get insanely crowded)
Stem
OMF (improved since last time I was there, still all over the board though)
Black Shirt

I'm Good Thanks
Beryls
Zephyr

 

1 - quite a little trek you had there!
2 - Epic is just starting to get insane?!? Unless it's noon that place is a madhouse on the weekend....
3 - OMF was really that much better?!? I'll go to Ratio 1000 times before I go back....
4 - No River North?

 

Epic - I guess it has BEEN insane but seemed much more. It was the worst weather possible on a Sunday at 3 and it was still packed. I think the size of the place has made it the go to brewery in the area. Also I feel like they have been having a high turnover of bartenders there, which has led to longer wait times.
OMF- I'd probably never recommend a avid craft enthusiast to go there but damn if I don't love the vibe and the people that work there. It's very welcoming.
River North - Wanted to start at Noon and RN didn't open until 1 which threw a wrench in the route. Also RN isn't technically in River North which is what I deemed this tour to be.

 

I've always felt River North was divisive. I've never had any bad or poorly made beers from them, but their "house" flavor isn't for everyone. I think their BA stuff tends to be a bit hot out of the gate, too. Just my opinion of course. I don't think either is by accident as I know people that like both.

 

I was with @Powell014 for the OMF-Ratio-Epic stretch and agree.
I know that OMF around here is generally shat-upon, and I can totally agree with the "all-over-the-map" assessment but damned if I just don't like those guys. When they hit they're pretty damn good and when they miss they miss FUCKING HUUUUUGE for sure. I had the Chinook Red and thought it was pretty solid.
Ratio was awesome and I can't wait to go back. Their saison was dry and legit.
And Epic was delicious as always and the bartender gave me more $ back then he should have so yay I guess.

 

Oh Zephyr....

 

I agree with this assessment.

I will also that I think River North imparts barrel flavor about as well as any brewery in the state. In other words, a RiNo beer of aged in Scotch barrels tastes like Scotch, red wine barrel means the beer has serious red wine flavors, etc.

It doesn't always make for the best beer, but if you want a beer that tastes like the barrel in which it sat, RiNo is your jam.

Also agree with those who say that OMF isn't that bad. I don't love the place, but I've had worse, and the vibe is nice.

 

I have only had beers at one local brewery that were so bad that I drank an ounce or two and dumped the rest

 

I must have hit OMF at a good time awhile back cause I was reluctant to go based on what everyone said but all the beers I had there were solid... When I went. Maybe I should go back

 

I haven't been back to OMF in roughly a year and I'm not opposed to it. The issue is that with so many other places down there, I'm more motivated to go somewhere new that has a better reputation. That's one catch with being in one of those areas with a dozen breweries. If you don't "wow" someone, you might not ever see them again. My experience a year ago mirrored what other people have reported. A couple hits and a couple misses...but the misses were colossal misses.

 

ouch...poor guys

 

If yall like quads, be sure to try ratios quad. It's real solid and I don't think it'll be around much longer per their Instagram post. Great beer!

 

What would you recommend from a new brewery standpoint around Glendale? I'll be in that area on Sunday.