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, they also recycle, compost, or re-use all of their waste, including that from food vendors, donate their spent grain to be used as livestock feed, use environmentally friendly cleaning products, and donate kegs to help raise money for local environmental non-profits.

Whew! That’s a lot of effort and planning towards their commitment to sustainability.

“But, Krista,” you may be saying, “what about the beer?” An excellent question. I’m pleased to report that they put just as much effort and planning into each brew as they do sustainability practices. Of the eight drafts included in the full flight, I was most impressed with the Greenade Double IPA (9% ABV) and the Kiss on my List Sour Stout (6% ABV). Both beers had bold, distinctive tastes that helped them stand out.

The Greenade Double IPA is, as you might expect, the most bitter of the IPA’s with an IBU of 60. While not for the faint of heart, the complexity of this beer came through with a surprising smoothness and refreshing citrus and floral hop aroma. The Kiss on my List Sour Stout is, as my drinking companion astutely put it, “pleasantly tart”. Your nose will pick up on the sourness as you raise the glass but there is a happy sweetness that pairs on the tongue.

If you are looking for something fun to do while you drink, there are a number of board games available and a large indoor game room, complete with corn hole and foosball. Monday nights offer a weekly darts tournament called “Bulls-Eyes and Beers” while Tuesday nights bring “Trivia Tuesdays”.

Games and tastey beer that you can feel good about drinking? Yes, please!

Cheers!

Krista Davis

Krista is a native of Nebraska who left all that corn behind for the Rocky Mountain lifestyle. She graduated from the University of Denver with BAs in English and Anthropology and is currently pursuing an MFA in Creative Writing from CU. In the ceaseless search for inspiration, her passions for writing and culture led her to another great love: Colorado microbreweries. When she’s not trying the new IPA on tap, Krista can be found hiking Chautauqua, running the Boulder Creek Path, or curled up with a good book