Elk Mountain Brewing

This great microbrew is right in our own backyard; Parker CO. Maybe it was the frigid weather, but when we walked in it reminded me of one of the wonderful breweries we've loved in Montana. The rough pine walls, the great country music, and everybody knows everybody. Warmth and friendliness on a cold day! Well, the first beer I tasted was a revelation - the Barrel Aged Kolsh - with a heavenly essence of chardonnay. The Wapati Wheat was a cut above, with the banana and clove taste. The brewing process for this wheat combines German and Belgian processes,winning it a Silver in the Craft Beer competition. I also found the Shayton Strong Ale a surprise with the sparkling essence of root beer and seductive honey. -Rose I liked the Rock Slide Amber, better than most, which are average around here. It had a slight taste of brown sugar upfront and an herbal note at the end. And I LOVED their Ute Bill Pale ! Just rolls across the tongue with some lemon/grapefruit hint. Also worth a mention is Elkhorn Stout. It was smoky, satisfying and full-bodied. We had fun talking to the staff; they were friendly and informative about the process. Great way to spend my 66th birthday. --Bob

Trinity Brewing

Near the glory of Garden of the Gods, west of Colorado Springs,hidden in a nondescript strip mall, lies a real find.......Trinity Brewing... if you have seen the movie "Office Space",you'll love and appreciate all the references posted on the chalkboard. e.g. "Case of the Mondays","Oh Face","Red Swingline", etc., yeah, you get it. These guys specialize in Saisons and Farmhouse ales. Masterpieces. Farmhouse Soleil brings it home, must try.--Bob I LOVED the Chi Belgian Pilsner - it gets five stars from me - it has a taste of honey and a lightly crisp ending. Farmhouse Fantome has a summer harvest taste of subtle strawberry at the end. We also appreciated the cheese cubes that came with the sampler, (nice touch) and the friendly helpful waitstaff. They have 20 (!) guest beers on tap, so you're sure to find something you'll like. This visit to Trinity capped off a lovely drive through Garden of the Gods on a late summer day. Do visit them!--Rose

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