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Springtime Suds: Beer is the new (season) cocktail

Springtime Suds: Beer is the new (season) cocktail

 

Ok, gays. Here it is: your springtime beer breakdown. You see, unlike other high-falutin’ metropolises, Denver is one that can overwhelm your beer palate. Do you go with a hoppy red when you’re pretending the weather is nice, but really it’s 40 degrees and overcast? Or the other likely April scenario: What do you enjoy at the pool when the sun is out but the wind is kicking sub-50 temps in your face?

Put down the cock…tail. Pick up the pint. This is what springtime is all about.

At the bar:

Hats off to the gents at Wynkoop, our home-grown crop of CO beer. Oh sure, they’ve been around for a while, but that’s what we love: the hoppy hug of hometown brew. My season’s pick has to be the Colorojo. 80 IBUs isn’t too much of a kick to the tongue, but at 8.2% ABV, you might want to sip and savor over happy hour, paired with the Thai Chile Calamari and stories about that one co-worker who smells like hummus. wynkoop.com

If you’re tired of the drama of downtown, then take a trek along 36 to the quaint little town of Lafayette. You probably need no other reason to journey this far northwest than Post Brewing. Wood-studded and filled with studly waiters, this fried chicken haven is all your Southern soul could ever crave. And, yes, their beer is pretty awesome, too — Ol’ Zippy Pale Ale for the lightweights, Lovey Dovey Amber for the sweet tooths. Finish with Whoopie Pies and mosey on back down to Denver for the Golden Girls. postbrewing.com

Hardcore German? Or just like drinking hardcore with Germans? Boulder has a stop for you — and it’s likely filled with college beerophiles and resident brewmeisters who know their hops. Bohemian Biergarten is where it’s at, and though they don’t brew their own stuff, there’s no better hangout for a liter of sudsy heaven. Straddle a picnic bench, chomp on a juicy sausage with kraut, and down a Deutsche doppelbock. bohemianbiergarten.com 

At the pool:

V is for Vacation. Also, Victory. One of Victory Brewing’s most luscious beers, the Golden Monkey is for the wit-lover who also enjoy a bit more heft. It’s a Belgian-style tripel, which means it’s got a higher ABV, but you won’t feel it. Yes, it’s 9.5% and fruitier than I am, but why else would it be tops for poolside gazing and grazing? Get it wherever beer is sold, except probably not strip mall liquor stores. victorybeer.com

Untamed and unafraid, the Sierra Nevada Kellerweis is a surprisingly soft treat that goes down quick and easy. Yeah, you’ve got the clove and the banana bread kickin’ in five seconds after the first sip, but there’s no cloying, no bitter hit, no hoppy retaliation. Perfect for corn hole, before and after, and while meeting your girlfriend’s mother for the first time. Buy where they sell good beer. sierranevada.com 

Let’s assume you’re eccentric. You love neon colors for your hair. You teach people about the benefits of a Prince Albert. You have a wallet made of duct tape. Then contort your taste buds to this feast of crazy: Dogfish Head’s Birra Etrusca Bronze. Where does it come from? Oh, just from the molecular analysis of Etruscan tombs. Which means what exactly? A swarthy assembly of hazelnut flour, pomegranate, chestnut, and honey. If you drink it by yourself, cheers. If you drink it with friends, brave. If you drink it at all, pair with a spicy pickle or pasta bolognese. Buy it if you’re lucky, and don’t harbor expectations. dogfish.com 

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