Colorado Springs + Denver

I was going to say Comrade, but their ipas are crystal clear, but probably the best on the front range.

 

Comrade Koffee Kream Extra Coffee Milk Stout is on tap year round

 

Vine Street Pub is a must stop in Denver during the month of Feb. if you like stouts. It's "Stout Month" so they'll have 25+ stouts on tap covering their own excellent stuff as well as top choices from across the state. Its close to Cerebral as well.

Vine Street also makes excellent hoppy ales in addition.

 

I wouldn't necessarily go to Colorado Springs for beer, but if you are already here than Cerberus is what you seek.

 

If you are looking for Hazy IPAs, Sours, and Stouts, you should put Crooked Stave on your shortlist. They are primarily known for sour beers (and excellent ones at that) but they recently have branched out and are making a strong case with their hazy IPA and DIPA offerings. Oh, and they recently released a tasty coffee Baltic porter.

Black Project is another good one for "sour beers". And they sometimes do a hazy IPA as well.

Epic Brewing primarily known for Big Bad Baptist generally has a huge taplist and some great coffee stouts.

River North is my dark horse pick, they make excellent stouts, do Belgian styles, have some sour beers, and some good IPAs as well.

 

I am making my first ever trip to Denver the first week of Feb. Any recommendations on what part of the city to stay in?

 

LoDo is probably the hottest area right now. Pretty central to the best Denver Breweries, really dynamic food scene and tons of entertainment options. You will be close to Crooked Stave, Epic, Great Divide, Denver Beer, Wynkoop, Tivoli, Bierstadt Lagerhouse and a whole slew of excellent Taprooms.

 

Yeah, sadly Cerberus is about it for Colorado Springs...for local beer-making that could "kind of" keep up with Denver (but not really). Goat Patch brewing is kinda cute, too, but not fully dialed in yet.
We need more demanding hipsters and men with beards down here. :l

 

I still like Bristol.

 

Well, OK then man. Don't know what to say. Maybe I give them yet another try, but they just never have dialed in the new brewhouse for their "old beer" style for me at least. I like everything that Bristol does for this community, so don't get me wrong - but their beer is completely generic to me with little taste or character. :l

 

Winter warlock is an amazing beer, I like it better than velvet merlin, and honestly I really enjoy laughing lab.

 

OK ok... been a while since I had a warlock. Will give it another try.

 

I think it's hard not to fall into a "new is better" mindset with beer these days. Breweries like New Belgium and Bristol seem passé, however going back and trying some beers from older breweries I am usually surprised how good their beers are. Somehow old imports and Sierra Nevada are immune to these trends, but every time I pick up a fat tire, levity, or laughing lab I'm happy I did.

 

The BA Winter Warlock is really good (gotta find it in 12ozers). Want to try their Impy Stout; a day trip south might be in the works...

 

Winter Warlock is great... haven’t tried the BA though. Either way it makes southern tiers warlock look like an idiot.

 

For the OP - if you get down to COS - A shot from Goat Patch brewing (last night). Like the space... some interesting beers in here, with enough 'promise' on the ones that i wasn't crazy about to see their future direction and evolution. Had the session, the hazy ipa, and the triple IPA. Go with the hazy (their most spot-on beer for style, even if not really "hazy").

 

....and the XXX Warlock is still drinking mighty fine

 

At one time I liked Bristol nearly as much as the best places in Denver and FoCo. Yellow Kite and Cheyenne Canyon were my jam. But roughly 4'ish years ago I ran into some pretty major issues with several beers. We're talking heavy diacetyl (think Shipyard) in Laughing Lab and oxidation in fresh Cheyenne Canyon. I shot 'em a note and got crickets. That was right around the time they swapped over to their current branding. Since then, I've mostly had good beers from them, but every now and then I'll get a total stinker again. In the late 00's they were bulletproof. I'm almost scared to buy from them now. Anyone have similar or contrary experiences?

 

We have two hazy IPAs and a legit coffee stout on tap right now at LandLocked Ales in Lakewood.
You may be seeing these beers in a certain store in the south part of town soon...