In Boulder for one day and Denver for three next week. Coming from Montana so I've had plenty of experience with Upslope, Avery, Great Divide, Epic, Weldworks, Odell, etc. Trying to enjoy breweries I can't regularly access. I guess this is one of those "deep cuts" requests. Big fan of English, Belgian, saison, weissbier, and west coast IPA, so it looks like Hogshead and Bruz may be solid options in Denver. Not a big fan of the haze craze, pastry beers, or sours although I'll never turn down a strong recommendation. Who is crafting great Boulder and Denver beer these days? Thanks so much for your help.
Comrade for the west coast IPAs. Cannonball Creek as well, it can be on the way depending on which way you go to Boulder from Denver.
Gonna second Comrade for west coast ipa. Gonna throw TRVE and baere out there as well, both do many things well. Grab some cans of Outer Range saison if you see em.
When you're in Boulder, make the short trip to Lafayette for Cellar West which has IMO the best saisons in the state. You can also stop by the Post which occasionally has some English beer options and very solid fried chicken. Check their taplist before you go. In Denver, I second Baere and TRVE (which are across the street from one another) and Comrade or Station 26 for IPAs. Hogshead is a good call.
I highly second the Cannonball visit Dauss recommended. It lengthens the drive from Boulder to Denver a bit (unless you’ll be staying south of Downtown), driving 93 along the foothills is nice and Cannonball not only produces some of the best WC IPA’s in the state, they have an excellent Belgian ale (solid gold) and occasionally have a saison or two on tap. They also always have a food truck.
Another recommendation in Niwot, Fritz Family Brewers. Only about 4 miles away from Avery, great lagers and clean & clear IPAs
Most of your bases are covered. You mentioned Hogshead and I'd give them a resounding "yes." They make some of the best English-style beers I've had stateside. They're pretty easy to reach off I70 and there are a few other breweries (+ Hops and Pie) near that area, too.
We’re leaving Bozeman, MT, around 5:00 tomorrow morning and if I have my way our first stop in Colorado on the way to Boulder will be Fritz Family Brewers. Looks great!
Getting settled back in Montana and just want to give a thanks for the TRVE and Baere suggestions. Especially enjoyed TRVE but both were great. The chicken made it even more enjoyable.
Glad you enjoyed them. Baere has good beers, my favorite is their saison. TRVE, well I'm an unabashed fanboi of TRVE. Any beers in particular stand out to you?
Baere’s saison Chene Oververt was enjoyable and the favorite of the few I had from them. I only had about an hour at TRVE so I didn’t get to dive into the list nearly as deep as I wanted. Really enjoyed Cold, the kellerpils. It was real hot that day for a Montanan so I’m sure that helped. Steady Now was good. Kicking myself for not getting into their farmhouse options. My wife had Bloodaxe and I’m a fan. My wife’s friend doesn’t drink much beer so they poured her Turning, Turning. Not usually what I go for but that ended up being one of the standout beers of my trip. Just beautiful and balanced and unique. Actually, not sure I’ve ever had a beer where the spearmint. No doubt that I’ll be visiting TRVE for a longer session next time I’m in town. Gees, maybe I’m a visit or two away from TRVE fanboi…
There is something unique to their beers that I haven't tasted at any other brewery. I can't put my finger on it quite yet. And yeah, Cold is my shower beer. It's phenomenal.
I feel like what makes TRVE unique is their ability to coax unusual flavors out of "familiar" ingredients. Hop and malt combinations I expect to taste a certain way often deviate (in a good way) that I appreciate. Ditto with their mixed fermentation items. I'll read the description and expect something akin to something I've had from Crooked Stave only to have things go in a different direction. It's rare that I try something new from TRVE and predict what it's going to taste like. Beyond that, I'm a fan of the heavier end of the metal spectrum and their taproom aesthetic, too.
TRVE will be a good reminder for me to keep trying mixed fermentation options. I’ve become a little lazy because outside of the my local Bozeman Brewing’a Underground Sour Series, most everything here just tastes sour or tastes like a fruit pie. Loved the atmosphere. Metal isn’t my favorite genre but I’ll gladly take it over another brewery playing dental office lobby top 40. It’s was such a nice change from just about every brewery interior in Montana. Here I am almost complaining about well lit, rustic wood interior with opened garage doors that allow in fresh air! What a great problem! Next time I visit I’ll have to belly up at the bar to get the full effect of the music.
