Florida boy heading to Pueblo for a week in July. Any breweries in Pueblo or Colorado Springs worth hitting?
Can't speak for springs, but I will copy my response from an earlier thread. Grew up in Pueblo and have to say its not a terrible place to be, although craft beer could be better. Over the past year or so there has been a lot of improvement and it will continue to get better. The Shamrock is pretty good and the food is delicious. Their standards aren't the best, but they do big porters/stouts well and occasionally DIPAs. They also carry guest taps now. Last time I was in their they had Chasin Freshies and Ninkasi Oatis on tap. Walter's just opened up within the last year and although nothing is incredibly exciting they do lagers well. I didn't have any off flavors and their Bock was pretty enjoyable. No food, but you are welcome to bring in whatever you like and there are plenty of options in the downtown area. Brues Alehouse should has been an awesome addition to the craft beer scene and just the town in general. It is a restaurant, music venue, bakery, coffee shop, and brewery. I personally know the family who started it and they have done a great job with the place. Here is the website: http://bruesalehouse.com/. Not a lot of stuff that will blow you away, but most everything they brew is solid, my personal favorite so far has been their Wit. They also have killer guest taps and the food is great. Easily the best option for craft beer/food combo in town. It is right on the Riverwalk so hanging out on the patio/balcony space will be great during the Summer as it often hits triple digits down there. Also, all three breweries are within 3-5 minutes of each other so it is easy to walk to them or ride a bike. Big Bear is the best place for craft beer. They have a mix six selection, a big walk-in cooler and plenty of six packs to choose from. Nice liquor and wine selection, as well as, an attentive staff. Other notes. Pueblo has an awesome reservoir so try and utilize that. Check out the Riverwalk area, eat mexican food, eat italian food and enjoy how cheap everything is down there. The Pantry is a Pueblo Staple for breakfast and comfort food. Jorge's and the Cactus Flower are town favorites for Mexican food. A Pass Key sausage sandwich is a a must, as is, a Slopper at Coors Tavern. Like I said, its not the greatest for craft beer, but it could be a lot worse. Feel free to message me if you have any questions or want more information. Cheers!
Definitely, but I didn't want anyone thinking they would go in there and get Heater Allen. They are clean and well-made, but not something to write home about.
In Colorado Springs the best brewery is probably Pikes Peak Brewing, which is in Monument, about 20 minutes north of downtown Colorado Springs area- but well worth the drive. Nice area. Great Storm is possibly the best brewery in Colorado Springs overall. Normally I advise to skip Bristol but World Peace Death Ray is a killer DIPA from them now and is easily the best IPA currently available. Manitou Brewing Co. recently won some awards and I've heard a bit of buzz about their brews. I've also gotten some good feedback about Fieldhouse Brewing. Trinity has a dubious reputation but they crank out some good sour/funky stuff. Red Leg is solid, but I'm not a huge fan of Storybook or Whistle Pig. Rocky Mountain Brewery makes a fantastic cherry beer but I find the rest of their stuff isn't that exciting. Nano 108 is kind of a wildcard, I've had some good stuff and not so good, they do small batches and they always have something new brewing.
I'm going to go out on a limb and say these guys stock several CS Beers. Has D.C. not gotten The Google yet? http://liquorstorepueblo.com/brave-the-cave.
Correct. Big Bear has a ton of CS stuff, amongst other items in the CSA portfolio. A lot of stuff sits down there, as well, so you will probably see some things that you can no longer get here in Denver.
