Trip to Golden Recommendations

Sounds like you nailed it!

Can confirm that Smokin' Yards is a great little spot in Idaho Springs. And I'm pretty stoked you stumbled across Golden City Brewery. While the beers are fine to good and the consistency can be lackluster, it was the only brewery in town when I moved here and the scene there was a big reason I was drawn to Golden. I'd always meet up with friends after a bike ride or a ski day there, the patio was awesome, and generally just a good vibe. It will always have a place in my heart, even though there are far better breweries in Golden now.

 

Before all my local money moved to Cannonball, used to go to GCB with our kids. It was before they did the first revamp of their patio, and everytime we left, our kids looked like they spent 14hrs in a coal mine.

 

It's too bad that the Wynkoop didn't cut the mustard. They're a Denver institution, but they've had a shitload of ups and downs over the years. I have some really fond memories going back 20'ish years, though. Can't say I've been inside in forever, though. It's one of those places that I hope hangs on, but wouldn't shock me if they didn't.

 

Yeah I could see the Wynkoop closing up shop in the next few years. I too have spent a ton of time there over the years. The beer is always hit or miss and the food has never done anything for me. Wouldn't miss it much. Although I will say I'll miss our annual tradition of drinking Wynkoop's chili beer as the first beer at GABF.

The place I do miss dearly is the Wazee Supper Club. Always had a good beer list, bartenders were great, I dug the pizza. First started going there as a kid with my parents in the 80s. The renovation kinda ruined it and then of course it closed.

 

With the announcement of the Falling Rock closing up shop, I especially wonder what's up with the 'Koop. Even beyond their role in the resurgence of downtown Denver, they're one of only a handful of brewpub concepts left from that era. Coopersmith's is another and (I think) Phantom Canyon is, too. The thing with the Wynkoop is that they were very forward thinking for a few years. All within a couple of years (around 2010) they had a gruit, smoked porter, hand-pull ESB, herb-accented tripel, BA strong ale, barelywine, aged sour, and a braggot. That's in addition to the normal stuff like the chili beer and weiss. After they were absorbed by Breck, that's when most of their adventurous stuff went out the window. The beers have still been okay on later visits, but they kinda never knew what they wanted to be brewery-wise.