For the second in my series of "Ten on Tuesday," I present the Top Ten Breweries in Colorado with guest blogger, Danny.
First came the beer map, which is published annually, and details each brewery in the State of Colorado (see picture below). After finding this map on one of my first trips to Denver, it xbecame my mission to visit all the breweries throughout the state with my faithful sidekick, Laurie (read: designated driver); although my friend Matt has become a worthy companion because he also actually drinks/enjoys the beer. This quest has taken us all over the state to such towns as Cortez, Durango, Estes Park, Lyons, Palisades (Laurie liked the fudge), Parker, Salida, even Moab, Utah, and many, many more. Since I have been visiting such a large number of breweries (at the time of publication, 70+) there had to be a way to distinguish the between them - so I started purchasing pint glasses from only the best breweries with a few exceptions (such as Rifle - because it's Rifle, Colorado or Oskar Blues because the glass was free). A whole cabinet in our kitchen is dedicated to pint glasses and Starbucks mugs, but the latter is ending as Starbucks changed their design. Just as Laurie does, I digress. Laurie and I recently had an explanation of the hashtag (#) phenomenon from Instagram and Twitter, so I tried it out a few times throughout my post in an attempt to be funny, hopefully I succeeded.
I now present to you my "Top Ten Breweries in Colorado" with three honorable mentions including two from our home state of Indiana...
10. Amicas, Salida
A brewery with wood-fired pizza as good as their beer. The food and beer combination was almost good enough to help heal my bruised ego as Laurie kicked my butt at miniature golf, no really it was embarrassing how badly she beat me that day.
9. Palisade Brewing Company, Palisade
This brewery's tag line is, "Beer that makes you smile," and it sure did make all of us smile. This is where I introduced my then future-brother-in-law to the growler. We brought a growler of their "dirty hippie" beer back to the hotel room as if we had not consumed enough that day after stopping at nearly every brewery between Denver and our destination of Fruita, Colorado (outside Grand Junction).
8. Carver Restaurant and Brewery, Durango
Nothing says happy birthday quite like a beer from Carver Restaurant and Brewery (or was it one from the six other breweries I dragged Laurie to that day). Don't worry folks, Laurie is my constant DD (designated driver). All the breweries are within a few miles of each other as Durango is not a big place, but Carver rose to the top, #punintended.
7. Black Shirt Brewing, Denver
Finally a Colorado brewery that specializes in one (good) style of beer - the red ale (as opposed to Funkwerks Brewery in Fort Collins that only produces variations of Saison - which is not good). The glasses are among the best I have seen; sadly I have not brought one home yet, purchase pending.
6. Elk Mountain Brewery, Parker
Of the Denver-metro breweries this one is the furthest away, borderline boonies territory, #Kansas. I really enjoy the red/amber ale, but the purest in me says there is a difference between the two even though the term is often used interchangeably. Let it be known that it is worth the trip, but understand that it will be a trip in and of itself.
5. Phantom Canyon Brewing Company, Colorado Springs
Per the strong recommendation of Dan and Karen Lehtonen, who know quite a lot about Colorado breweries for living in Ohio, Phantom is located in downtown Colorado Springs. The food is so-so, other than the dipping sauce that comes with the soft pretzels, but the beer makes the brewery glass-worthy.
4. Avery Brewing Company, Boulder
While Boulder may be the closer of the two college towns on the list, Avery is one of the only ones that I have visited there to date. They have the best brown ale (Ellie's) that I have found in Colorado. Although difficult to find, it is worth the phone call to find out their actual location - #GarminFail!
3. Dry Dock Brewing, Aurora
One of the few repeat breweries that Laurie has not visited. The selection is expansive and ever-changing. They also host a home-brewers competition a few times each year. I am contemplating taking up home-brewing, but I am waiting until after the Iron Man to broach this topic with Laurie. There is even a brewing supply store adjacent to the brewery. Dry Dock is now distributing to local liquor stores in cans, and making their beer more accessible to the masses.
2. Rockslide Restaurant and Brewery, Grand Junction
Two words: Cream Ale. By far the best cream ale that I have found in Colorado.
1. Equinox Brewing, Fort Collins
The best beer I have ever had, the Red Dwarf Ale, which is indicative of the fact that all the beers are named after astronomical bodies. This speaks to a whole other level of dorkiness that Laurie does her best to ignore. The downtown area of Fort Collins has features that remind us of Bloomington, and just off the main street is Equinox Brewery - a must go if you are ever in the area. This is also Laurie's favorite brewery as it has the best logo - hey she has to find something on in it for her too.
Honorable Mention (in and out of Colorado)
Rifle Brewing Company, Rifle, Colorado
The beer was not all that great, but a city that embraces its name as Rifle does was worth remembering with a glass. As with many brewery stops it led us somewhere else, the Rifle Falls State Park; which we visited on the trip back to Denver.
Upland Brewery, Bloomington, Indiana
The brewery that started it all... Now if they would just start exporting further than just the bordering states. I remain bitter that they started selling their beer in Dayton, only after I moved away. I know this would not have kept me in Ohio, but it would have made my time there all that much better.
Sun King Brewery, Indianapolis, Indiana
Best cream ale, EVER. I read reports of their domination at Great American Beer Fest a couple years ago; so on a trip home I made sure to visit the brewery as they also do not export. Each time my parents visit they are obligated to bring multiple four packs before I let them in the door. After the hug, where's the beer?
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