Maddie's Big Celebration!

When Maddie's Biergarten opened up a year ago on a quiet street in old town Castle Rock, we had an inkling this was a real find. We loved the little side garden and the picnic tables that reminded us of an authentic German Oktoberfest. And the concept was a solid winner - get taps from the best beers brewed by the best Colorado breweries, and rotate them periodically. And then throw in some live music on weekends, a trivia night mid-week, and make it family friendly for a sweet atmosphere. Everything about it reads, "Someone cares." Well, on their 1st anniversary it was obvious a LOT of people care, and big crowds turned out for the great music, the well-crafted microbrews, and the lovely late summer weather. Thank you for a great year, Maddie and company, and many, many more!

7 Hermits Brewery

7 Hermits brewery is in the town of Eagle,just west of Vail off of I-70, and surrounded by the beautiful mountain peaks for which it's named. We had a wonderful camping trip to Sylvan Lake state park, and happened upon this great stop on the Colorado Brewery Trail. 7 Hermits is light and bright with high ceilings and an open feel, and we were happy to take a break on a blustery afternoon and duck in to sample some stellar brews. We noticed right off how many choices there were in IPA's and pales to pick from. Bob was in beer heaven! I'm not so enamored of the hoppier brews, but loved the Paulette Grapefruit IPA. (And we don't just mean grapefruit-y flavor, we mean significant amounts of actual grapefruit in the brew recipe)! Very refreshing. I liked the smokey depth of the porter, but then was really knocked out by the milk stout - a batch tended over and tweaked by the head brewer until it's satisfying and right on a few different levels. Two thumbs up as well for the Bruiser IPA - malt forward and very balanced. If I like an IPA, it's a great one because I'm a harder sell. -Rose The staff was friendly, the brews eminently quaffable. I enjoyed Haystacker amber and their Pale Ale, found them to have a real selection of IPA's, my favorite was The Bruiser, just enough malt balance for me to complement the hops. Eagle is a very nice small mountain town and this brewery is well worth a stop if you're in the area. -Bob

Downtown Day/Jagged Mountain

After a trip on the light rail to watch the Broncos scrimmage at Sports Authority field on a warm summer day, we wound up at Jagged Mountain Brewery on 20th and Lawrence. We liked the no nonsense approach to their beers, and although they specialize in high alcohol standards like Belgians, they still have some lighter options for the easily drunk (like me). Try their Saisons - Zero Gravity is light but with a dry finish. Spearhead is everything I love about a Saison. For those who enjoy IPAs, Imlay has grapefruity hops that give it a grassy, herbal aroma. Dreamweaver, a double IPA, has a hoppy essense of pine. The Wolf Black Saison has extra color from deeply roasting the grains, and is beautifully malt forward and robust. I gave 3 out of 3 stars to the Belgian Strong Stout with its taffy aroma and candy-like flavor.-Rose I was pleasantly surprised by Valecito Belgian Dark,the malts seemed to bring out other flavors like caramel, really like it. Imlay American IPA stood out as well, New Zealand hops make it quite palatable. Gave Voodoo Goat barleywine a roll, didn't seem as sweet as lot of them, but refreshingly hoppy adds to it. Autumn, our server, not the season, was friendly and helpful. Also got lined up with some fine fish tacos from the food truck right outside (Cheyfus.com) to spend a fine summer afternoon downtown!-Bob