When you’re feeling peckish and craving a quality beer, BRU Handbuilt Ales and Eats has you covered. Still one of the newer-comers on the craft beer scene, BRU has built an excellent reputation for both its food and beer since its inception in 2012. They’re known for their unfiltered, naturally carbonated ales and made-from-scratch sourdough. I have to admit to some favoritism among those ales. My number one from BRU is the Solus Patersbier. This easy-drinking beer packs a spiced flavor, with bitter orange and coriander used during the brewing process. It owes its hazy golden color to being... Read More

Don’t forget, Father’s Day is this weekend! There might still be enough time to get that card in the mail if you’re like me and procrastinated, right? Maybe. But, if you’re lucky enough to have your dad in Boulder with you this Father’s Day, there’s definitely still time to make some fun plans. My recommendation? Boulder Beer’s Father’s Day Pig Roast! You read that right, starting at 1 PM this Sunday, Boulder Beer is going to be smoking pork and feeding families BBQ style. It sounds like it’ll be best to come hungry too because one $14 plate comes with smoked pork, BBQ black beans,... Read More

Hiking and beer. Pilates and beer. Macaroni and cheese and beer. These are some of my favorite beer pairings this time of year (though mac and cheese with beer is more of a year-round delight). But there is one more pairing that I just can’t get enough of when the patios are open and corn hole is on the yard. That is live music and beer, particularly a little jazz, folk-rock, and bluegrass. Well, lucky for me and for you, Mountain Sun Pub & Brewery has a live band lined up for every Sunday night this summer as well as Monday nights at their Southern Sun location and Wednesday night open bluegrass... Read More

Even in a saturated craft beer market, there are still niches to be filled. Cellar West Artisan Ales found one for themselves in creating oak barrel fermented ales using a particular blend of wild yeast—Brettanomyces. This particular yeast can be intimidating to work with, as it can be aggressive and overpowering, but Cellar West has made an art of the challenge. Each beer is forged in a small batch and released in 500 ml bottles. That’s right, no six packs from this experimental little brewery. That doesn’t mean you’ll be left wanting, though because these brews pack smooth, fulfilling... Read More

Summer is just around the corner even if mother nature threw some cold, wet weather at us this week and it’s shaping up to be a busy season for the folks over at Avery Brewing Company! Starting the summer off right (even if the ground is still wet from the late season snow day yesterday), the Real Peel IPA is being released today. Promising to be a crisp, refreshing twist on the classic IPA, tangerine peels used during the brewing process will add some citrus and zest. Sounds perfect for warm evenings grilling out on the patio! For those of you who are as excited as me about all of the new sour... Read More

A well-loved brewpub in downtown Boulder, Walnut Brewery, announced Thursday that they will be closing their doors on June 4th after 27 years of business. Where Boulder Beer Co. gets to claim its place as Boulder’s first brewery, Walnut Brewery was Boulder’s first brewpub; a contribution that I, for one, greatly appreciate. If you haven’t (or even if you have) had their chicken friend chicken n’ waffles, I highly suggest giving it a try with the Buffalo Gold ale. The current owners of Walnut Brewery report that ownership of the brewery will transfer to Frank Day, owner of the Boulderado... Read More

Warmer temperatures finally brought us a rainstorm instead of snow and that makes me think summer must be right around the corner. And what does summer bring with it? The chance to get outside for long day hikes, rides, climbs, and camping trips. Now, I know that some people are into snowshoeing or cross-country skiing into the mountains and bearing the low temperatures for winter camping trips but I am not one of those people. Summer is my season and I don’t consider a camping trip complete without a small growler of seasonal craft beer to wash down a mediocre freeze-dried meal. Luckily for... Read More

Be it pizza or burgers or mac and cheese, we all have our favorite foods to eat with our beer. A number of breweries around town have also taken to trivia nights and the ever-popular lawn games (cornhole, anyone?). But what else pairs well with beer? The brewers at Finkel & Garf think hosting a flea market is a pretty good bet. This Saturday, April 22nd, will be the first ever Finkel’s Flea market, presenting wares from local artists, clothing boutiques, food vendors, and more. And don’t forget about the beer! One of the amazing things about Boulder is the breadth of quality craft goods... Read More

Sure, there’s consistent warm weather now and people are no longer “skiing” but rather “spring skiing” on the slopes these days. But haven’t those of us in the foothills been enjoying spring-like temperatures and abundant sunshine since about mid-February? So, I’ve been waiting for a sign that the seasons are really changing and just two short days ago, we got that sign. Boulder Beer Company announced that their seasonal beer, the Good Trip Tripel, is about to come back into our lives again. This, to me, officially means that spring has sprung. While we may look forward to another... Read More

Happy National Beer Day, you beer lover, you! We in Boulder couldn’t ask for more beautiful weather to celebrate this most beloved of national holidays. If you ask me, when the temperature starts inching up near the 70’s but stays well below the 80’s, that is the perfect time to crack open an IPA. It’s not so cold that you want to curl up inside with a smoky stout or chocolate porter but not so hot you need to cool down with an easy-drinking saison or light lager. The IPA has been steadily growing as a classic as well as experimental form in the Colorado craft beer scene for a number of... Read More

A staple of the Boulder craft beer scene since 1995, Twisted Pine Brewing Company has been winning awards for their amazing beers since 1996 at national and international festivals and competitions. Yet, I have been remiss in having not visited their brewery and ale house. That is, until today. As I like to do when I visit a new brewery, I opted for a taster flight. Twisted Pine lets you choose any 5 of the 25 beers on tap. To get my variety, I selected the Basil Instinct saison, Alternative Facts Imperial Brown Ale, Secret Handshake wheat-based pale ale, Agaveras IPA, and Ghost Face Killah dry-peppered... Read More

It’s been an exciting week of events and deals in the craft brewing community here in Boulder and Colorado Craft Beer Week 2017 will be closing with a bang tomorrow at Collaboration Fest in Denver. To be sure, many of our favorite Boulder breweries will have unique brews made in collaboration with breweries from all over the state being tapped at Collaboration Fest. But if you won’t be able to attend, that doesn’t mean you have to miss out on all of the Craft Beer Week goodness going on tonight and tomorrow. While there is an array of events and specials in honor of Colorado Craft Beer Week,... Read More

The day has finally arrived! The day that we beer drinkers look forward to all year long. The day that everyone can come together in a sea of green and sing odes to the old country (even if they have only seen pictures of the Cliffs of Moher). This St. Patrick’s Day, don your most festive Irish green getup and, after finishing your annual green Coors Light, check out one of the many events happening today featuring beers from local breweries all over Boulder. To give us an idea of where to start, I looked in a few of them. To start the evening off, head over the Avery Brewing for their St. Paddy’s... Read More

The other day, I was strolling along in the liquor store, gazing through the doors of the beer fridge, and taking on the task of deciding which beer I wanted to sip on. With all of the new options that seem to pop up every week, I was drawn to the Upslope selection for their classic Pale Ale. Yet, those white cans with their maroon stripes and label were nowhere to be found. In their place was Upslope’s newest addition to their year-round offerings: the Citra Pale Ale. To earn that place in the Upslope family of beers, I figured it had to be worth a try. I was not disappointed. Self-described... Read More

Just down the street from the larger Avery Brewing Company sits Asher Brewing Company, a company that focuses not only on making excellent craft beer but on implementing a model of sustainability that reflects the brewery’s environmentally friendly mission. This microbrewery uses 100% wind power to create their organic certified beers using locally sourced ingredients when possible. When I visited just this past week, the overhead lights were off since there was plenty sunshine coming through the floor to ceiling windows, helping keep the taproom energy efficient. If all of that weren’t enough,... Read More

Variety is the spice of life! Certainly at FATE Brewing Company, that seems to be the case. This Boulder brewery offers up 30 different beers on tap, 23 of which are made by FATE. The other 7 are brought in all the way from Belgium and round out the tap list with an international flare. In addition, they carry a number of bottled gluten reduced beers and hard ciders. With all those options and decisions to make, it can be tough to determine just what pint you want to commit to. Lucky for us, the core beer flight gives you a 5 oz pour of each of the five beers that FATE always has on tap. These... Read More

With a name like Infinite Velocity Spirit Hound Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout, it’s easy to understand why this beer was worthy of its very own release party this week. Just this last Thursday Feb. 9th, West Flanders Brewing Co. and Spirit Hound Distilleries released their unique, limited time stout at West Flanders’ brewpub on Pearl Street. The event was even complete with pan-fried frog legs from chef Chris Cunningham and live music by the Thursday Night Pickers. Spirit Hound, the partner that helped bring us this brew, is located just north in Lyons. The owners of the distillery were... Read More

When the February weather turns cold and icy, dark beer lovers rejoice. February sees the return of Stout Month at each of the five Mountain Sun locations in Boulder, Denver, and Longmont. This Boulder-born brewery offers a rotating tap of over 25 stouts brewed in house as well as over 25 guest stouts, each day offering a new mix of stouts on tap. For the in-house brews, I found myself most excited about the Addition Imperial Coffee Stout. Coming in at a high 9.5% ABV, I took my time enjoying this heavy, smooth beer. The Nederland roasted coffee used in the brewing process imbues this beverage... Read More

There is just something about drinking beer fresh from the tap in the building in which it’s made. This week I visited Sanitas Brewing Co. and enjoyed an evening of that unique something. Let’s start off with what everyone is most excited about: the beer. I confess, I was “that person” this time and tried every beer they currently have on tap. The standouts were the Black IPA and Cinnilla Stout. The profile of the Black IPA sounded somewhat off-putting on paper with fresh pine, grapefruit, roasted malt, and citrus. In practice, though, the combination is excellent. Standard carbonation... Read More