I will be out in Colorado at the end of next week and had a question. It’s been a few years since I’ve been out there and I noticed a few new breweries since my last trek out there. I basically want to know which of these breweries would be a good addition to my regular stops. I’m a big IPA guy, but do like most everything else. The only thing I’m not really into is the sours. So if one of these places produces good beers or if the tap room has a great vibe, let me know, and I’ll try and add it to my list. In Fort Collins, my go to spots are Odell and Zwei, as far as breweries go. So what are your thoughts on the breweries listed below: Rally King, Intersect, Maxline, Gilded Goat, and Purpose. Is the Forge Publick House worth a stop? I usually go to The Mayor or Tap and Handle. In Boulder, I tend to enjoy Upslope and Mountain Sun, since it was the first brewery I ever went to in Colorado. So what would be your thoughts on these breweries: Kettle and Spoke, Vision Quest, and Cellar West And one last thing. When I was in Boulder last time, I tried both Fate and Sanitas. I thought both spaces were pretty well done, but I thought the beer was just ok. Is it worth giving them another shot? Any thoughts on the Bohemian Beirgarten? Thanks in advance!
In my opinion Fate and Sanitas are probably about the same as the last time you tried them. Can't speak to Kettle and Spoke or Vision Quest but I do know Cellar West makes some good stuff although they focus more on the sours which you indicated not liking as much. Bohemian Biergarten is ok if you like traditional German lagers and food and the space is pretty cool. I'd recommend looking into Backcountry Pizza & Tap House as an option if you're open to a non-brewery focused place. They have the best beer/tap list in Boulder and probably across a lot of the Front Range too.
Purpose is great, but there are only four beers, and one will probably be sour. The remaining three will be Belgian or Belgian-inspired, most likely. I quite like the place but it may not be up your alley if you're just looking for hops. Intersect has a nice NEIPA called Tramps Like Us. I would also go to Jessup Farm Barrel House instead of the others on your list. The Forge is great and worth a visit, but Tap and Handle is by far the best beer bar in town.
If you're an IPA guy, then you have to add Avery while in Boulder. They will give you the best array of all kinds of hoppy beers in town, including a few taproom only hoppy beers. Backcountry Pizza in Boulder always has a ton of world class IPAs on tap. Right now, on a random Tuesday in September, they have Melvin, Russian River, Breakside, and some of the best newer Colorado stuff from Comrade, Outer Range, Weldwerks, New Image, etc.
I strongly second the Tap and Handle. Big fan of the Tramps from Intersect. Their kolsch and Vienna Lager are quite tasty as well. Also a fan of Maxline, though they aren't known for their IPA. Their porter, ESB, and imperial brown are all really nice. Didn't care for anything at Gilded Goat. Rally King is okay. I need to get over to Purpose- have been hearing good things... Jessup Farm is definitely worth a visit as previously mentioned.
Oh, Backcountry is always on my list when it comes to beer bars. Plus the food is pretty solid too. I'll have to look into Jessup farms, since it seems to be worth it. I guess I shouldn't have said I'm not into all sours/Belgian. The one style I do like is Saisons. So I'll keep an open mind, especially if a place gets solid reviews. And I have been to Avery before, plus I can get that back here in PA. I do prefer trying to go to place that don't distribute back here. And I'm always on the lookout for Pliny or Blind Pig at one of the beer bars. Thanks for the feedback so far.
I'll piggyback on this thread as I'll be out in Boulder next Wednesday through Friday for work. I'll really only have a 4 hour window on Wednesday afternoon to do anything. Would Avery be the best option as far as an actual brewery. Backcountry looks to be pretty close to my hotel so I'll try to get there as well. Do they fill growlers or crowlers? Anything worthwhile tracking down to bring home that hasn't been recommended yet?
My friend and I will be in a car for as couple of breweries in the early period of the day, so maybe we will head up the diagonal. I've been to Asher and Vindication (back when it was Kettle and Stone), but never Gunbarrel and Powder Keg. So maybe I can make that an afternoon trip. Thanks for the opinions.
If you can only do one brewery, I still think it has to be Avery. Bars cannot fill growlers around these parts.
