Grand Lake Brewing Co.

Last Friday found us in the mountain community of Grand Lake in the beautiful summer weather. Grand Lake Brewery is right next to Hwy 34, between Granby and the town of Grand Lake. It's a cozy, comfortable feeling place to duck in, where you're just as likely to see tourists from out of state as you are to see locals who come back again and again for the great choices from the tap. Our fellow tasters at the bar were from Westminster, and Albuquerque. Among the beers we found to love were the seasonal brew Passionfruit Wheat, which had a sweet and slightly salty taste and reminded me of a chardonnay. Lovely!!! Also worthy of mention was the Plaid Bastard Strong Scotch Ale which had a slight essence of prune I found interesting. Another favorite was the Amber Lager "Mud Season" beer. Clean and mellow, perfectly balanced, and a pleasure.-Rose I liked the Pumphouse Lager, a German style helles,a nice smooth blend of German hops and yeast and European malts. Another fine beer with a complex blend of American and European malt was the Stumpjumper IPA, stays with you without being too hoppy. We had a great time both in town (see pix!)and at the taphouse, friendly staff too. -Bob

Meetup at Wynkoop

This day found us taking light rail to downtown Denver to Wynkoop Brewery, Colorado's oldest brewpub, very near beautiful Coors Field (home to Colo. Rockies baseball). Wynkoop has an old-town feel, it's a perfect place to stop in for a cool one on a hot summer day. Monday afternoon I had the pleasure of meeting 3 cousins from far-off places - John from Northern British Columbia, Ginny from Tuscon AZ, and Cathy from Paulbo, MT. I already know my cousin Frank from Issaquah WA, who was also in attendance. And of course, my husband Bob was there! We started with the unfiltered Belgian style Weiss - did not disappoint - plenty of banana and clove essence. Patty's chili beer was a delight, with the green chili punch I love - not too much heat. And the Black Lager was different and wonderful - some real heft and character to go with the crisp lager base.-Rose For my taste the best sure bet here is the classic Railyard Ale, an amber that pleases the taste bud, nothing fancy, just right. --Bob

Dillon Dam Brewery

We were up in Summit County CO, enjoying some of the best ski towns in the country - during summer (!) The lovely scenery, the cooler temps, great breweries make for an excellent getaway. We'll get right to the punchline here - the best of five microbreweries is probably Dillon Dam Brewery; named for the dam right nearby. The standout to me was the exquisite Supermoon Saison. Like a heavenly wildflower meadow, it had a breath of honey at the front, and interesting herbals at the end. Another winner was the Zuma Zen lager, an amber lager actually. _Rose We have been to this place several times in past years when we lived in the central Colo. mountains, and I have to say the brown ale -Sweet George's Brown- is possibly one of the best anywhere-doesn't bite, lightly smoky,and a little caramel, a real favorite.-Bob

Family Trip to Dry Dock

It felt so nice, we had to do it twice! Dry Dock is a sure fire crowd pleaser. They've gotten it down pat in the fifteen years they have been open, and even if you've been there before, they're sure to have a seasonal beer (or three) you haven't tried. Among our favorites as a group: the Vanilla Porter (best I've had - with intense vanilla, subtler notes of cocoa - but not overly sweet), Breakwater Pale Ale (not bitter with only 40 IBU's). Maythen Voyage(which we nicknamed Mayhem Voyage) was rich and complex. It had me so intrigued, I had a hard time putting it down. Also worthy of mention was the U-Boat Hefe - banana-y and brisk, and Brad's favorite, the Imperial Stout.--Rose Got a kick out of trying Maythen Voyage, a seasonal traditional ale with a creative twist,then settled on a pint of Breakwater Pale Ale, very satisfying indeed. So much fun once your kids are grown adults and you can party with them! Doesn't happen very often anymore but we were glad to have son Darren and fiancee Andra, NC residents (see posting about Asheville), son Brad and girlfriend Shannon, visiting from Montana and sister Cathy, San Diego denizen.--Bob

Side Trip to North Carolina

Saint Paddy's Day in Asheville was rowdy, good fun! The band served up some enthusiastic sea chantys to the delight of the all-ages, crowded bar in this artsy Blue Ridge mountain town. We ordered a sampler of beers brewed at Green Man Ales, starting with a Pilsner. It was sweet, crisp, with a finish of butterscotch-lemon at the end. Another favorite was the ESB. Malty smooth, but caramelly; a light touch of roast-y flavor at the end. I LOVED the Belgian white - a perfect meld of sweet plus light hops, with a flower-y clove finish. None were a disappointment, but for the sheer number of microbrews and limitless choices from great to greater, Rocky Mountain beers still win!-Rose --NOTHING like a real Irish bar this day......my youngest son Darren and his Peace Corps buddy,Chris from Asheville, guided us across the state to our emerald destination, where St Patrick awaited us at Jack-in-the-Wood. Naturally we drank our fair share of honey ales--also don't want to leave out the Green Mtn. IPA, same moderate herb-y hops upfront without lingering bitterness. Simply a great time!--Bob

Sunday Afternoon at Lone Tree Brewing

A late winter day (sunshine on snow) brought us to Lone Tree near C-470 and Quebec. Note to reader: they're in a strip mall on Park Meadows Drive close to Furniture Row. Their sign is very small but don't give up - it's worth the trip. We walked in at mid afternoon, and it was crowded with families and bar patrons. The ambiance is no-frills and laid back, with the vats in view. After our sampler, I ended up with the Hoptree IPA. It penetrates the tongue, has a beautiful balance, lemon-y, industrial-strength but not at all bitter at the end. Although eleven different hops are used in this fine beer, they don't linger in the mouth.-Bob I started off with the Belgian Blonde - I gave it three stars (out of three)! It has a heavenly coriander essence good enough to defrock a Trappist monk. Next, go to Helles; refreshing, crisp, a hint of vanilla. The Trippel has a big charge of malt at the start, creamy texture, and a fizzy sparkle at the end. Jason, the head brewer came over to talk to us about Lone Tree's brewing philosophy. He told us they brew true to style, rather than go crazy with the special effects. If a person is looking for a characteristic brew such as a Belgian or a pale ale, they'll find great ones here. -Rose

Dry Dock Brewing Co., Great Find

Judging by the lively Sunday afternoon crowd, we found a place in Aurora that's well-established and known to locals. These guys obviously know what they are doing. They had a large selection including seasonals such as 3 Wee Heavy (sweet and with a barley wine flavor), Enterprise IPA, just plain delicious, and HMS Bounty, more of an English old style dark. Loved the Victory Amber as well. This place is really fun, a great place to hang out with friends.--Bob We had known about Dry Dock for awhile and had tried their very seductive Apricot Blonde, with it's lovely fruit aftertaste. They had so many great picks, it was hard to settle on just 6 beers for a sampler, so we focused on the sure winners. HMS Victory Amber, which was soft with a honey overtone, a slight crisp touch of hops, and an indefinable essence of something herbal at the end. A gold medal winner, and deservedly so. Their U-Boat hefenweisen has a bright, refreshing note of marshmallow that sets it apart from other wheat beers. It's a marvel. The Black Saison is a seamless, complex, melding of malts, caramel, and spice - and is my favorite among Dry Dock's great offerings. Our friends Maury and Mary who accompanied us are regulars, and big fans of the Breakwater Pale Ale.-Rose