Thirst Magazine July-August 2019

SERVING UP THE COLORADO EXPERIENCE

Vol. 4, No. 5 July-August 2019

HANG TIGHT

ROCKING COLORADO’S CRAGS

CRESTED BUTTE

MOUNTAIN BIKERS PAY IT FORWARD

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BALLOON FESTIVALS THAT’LL TAKE YOU HIGHER

WINNING IS

Getting Away From It All Get away to Saratoga Casino, where you can play your favorite games, enjoy great food, and with our new self-park garage coming soon, you can park with ease. www.saratogacasinobh.com Gambling problem? Call 1-800-522-4700.

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LIBATIONS BEYOND

Plan on visiting these summer fests Festival season is peaking in the greatest state in the nation! So, we asked a few staff members gathered around the beer … oops, water cooler about their favorites. The following is a sampling.

Surrounded by stunningly beautiful mountains, Ridgway is home to one of the most groovy concert series in Colorado. Every Thursday in July, they host a concert in the park with great bands, cold craft beer and amazing vibes. Best of all, it’s free!

Neill Pieper, Marketing & Digital Manager

My favorite summer festival is the Cherry Creek Arts Festival. I really enjoy seeing the variety of works presented and they usually have some great children’s activities as well.

You can enjoy great food and music too.

Stacey Krull, Art Director

My family and I always look forward to the Golden Super Cruise. It’s the first Saturday of the month, May-October. I grew up watching my brother work on classic cars and spending time at Bandimere Speedway. It’s fun to see them still cruising around.

Michele Garner, Graphic Designer

My favorite summer event is the Red Rocks Beer Festival. It’s the quintessential summer festival because it mixes local beer, great music and a FABULOUS outdoor venue!

Rebel Hunter, Account Executive

I’ll admit my bias upfront. I’m a volunteer for the Blues & BBQ for Better Housing Festival.

It’s held in Edgewater each July with great bands, food and drinks. And most importantly, the proceeds go to Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver.

Joe Ross, Editor

Currently, I think that Hops in the Hangar at Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum is my favorite. You get to experience the flight museum, and July just happens to be the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing.

ADVISORY BOARD Jean Ditslear Owner, 300 Suns Brewing

Sean Smiley Owner, State 38 Distilling

Bess Dougherty Head Brewer, Grateful Gnome Sandwich Shoppe and Brewery

Alan Laws Owner, Laws Whiskey House Charlie Sturdavant Owner, Golden City Brewery

Publisher Paul Johnson paul@thirstcolorado.com Associate Publisher & Editor Joe Ross joe@thirstcolorado.com Vice President of Sales Tod Cavey tod@thirstcolorado.com Design & Layout Michele Garner President & Founder Wilbur E. Flachman Marketing & Distribution Neill Pieper Editorial Assistant Natasha Lovato Editorial Interns Tomas Bernal, Emily Moyer Contributors Katie Coakley, Kim Fuller, Steve Graham, Kyle Kirves, Jordyn MacDonald, Monica Parpal Stockbridge, Gabe Toth, Angie Wright For advertising and editorial information, please contact Joe Ross at 303.428.9529 Ext. 227 or email joe@thirstcolorado.com Proud member of the Brewers Association and the Colorado Brewers Guild Thirst Colorado is produced by The Publishing House, a division of Colorado Word Works, Inc. The Publishing House also produces Colorado’s Performing Arts Publications, serving arts venues along the Front Range.

7380 Lowell Blvd., Westminster, Colorado 80030 303.428.9529

Tod Cavey, Director of Advertising

Drink up life in large amounts, but restrict your alcohol consumption. We do not endorse or support excessive drinking.

Thirst Colorado is published six times a year by The Publishing House, 7380 Lowell Blvd., Westminster, CO 80030. © The Publishing House, 2019. All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A.

facebook.com/thirstcolorado twitter.com/thirstcolorado @thirstcolorado

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July-August 2019

Except where noted, the content of Thirst Colorado is the property of the magazine and should only be reprinted with permission. Thirst Colorado is not responsible for false or misleading claims made in advertising or editorial materials published herein. Thirst Colorado Magazine is distributed in part by DJM Distribution, Inc., and Community Racks Distribution, LLC.

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THIRST COLORADO | July-August 2019

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INTERSECTIONS

21 Strange Brew

Ratcheting up the flavors at Longmont’s Collision Brewing

32 Untapped

These must-attend events from around the state will keep your social calendar full

38

26

Art of Brewing

Get the low down on powerhouse Avery Brewing’s rebrand in Boulder

22

52 Elevated Liquid

Find a wee bit of Irish creativity and spirit in a Colorado bottle

56 Tales from the Lying Log Digging deep into Colorado’s back country trails and lakes with all of the necessities

On the cover: A hot air balloon takes flight near the Sneffels Range not far from Ridgway.

18

60 Brewery, Distillery, Winery, Cidery and Meadery Guide Find great craft beverages wherever you end up in Colorado

Photo: © Chuck Carstensen / AdobeStock

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ADVENTURES

8 Harness Up

Climbing opportunities are available to every skill set

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July-August 2019

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Hot Air

18

Charitable Biker Gang

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Provincial Tunes

Float up, up and away at local balloon fests this summer

Crested Butte’s trail club continues to be a force for good

Local country twang that’ll grab you by the heart strings

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Abstract Portrayals

34

Siren Call

42 46

An Education in Suds

50

Holy Brews

Inspiring paintings from a Denver artist

RiNo’s Beckon entices taste buds with scintillating cuisine

Metro State taps into brewing degrees

Family Flavor

Small town serves up big flavor

Breweries residing in places of worship

®

®

LET 'S ROCK THIS

CLIMBING OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE TO THOSE WHO WANT TO HANG OUT

By Gabe Toth

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July-August 2019

W

ith endless crags, crevices and cliffs, Colorado offers plenty of terrain for novice rock climbers and pros alike.

Clear Creek Canyon and Boulder Canyon each offer a variety of routes a stone’s throw from Denver. Just a little further north, the Colorado rock climbing community has effectively “annexed” Vedauwoo, Wyoming, according to Ben Coryell, owner and guide at Golden Mountain Guides.

“All of these areas are within an hour and a half drive from Denver and have many beginner accessible routes,” he said.

Would-be adventurers have a few options for getting started. For the completely uninitiated, Coryell recommends hiring a guide or taking a class, sometimes offered at local gyms or stores such as REI. Another approach is to learn from a local expert.

“It’s not so common anymore, (but) it used to be the way that everybody learned to climb was actually finding some sort of mentor and just following them around outdoors for a long time until you felt comfortable with all the different systems that you’re using,” he said.

Doing the necessary research is essential to climbers in a new area, to ensure they’re not getting in over their head.

MountainProject.com is a major clearinghouse for routes and area information, with climbs listed in every corner of the world.

“It’s a cool resource, because a lot of times people will post pictures of where the routes begin,” Coryell said. “You know if there’s any safety hazards on the route, say, for example, a loose rock halfway up.”

Another good resource is a local guidebook.“For every location, there’s going to be a different guidebook,” he said. These handy books list approaches and explain whether or not crags are in the sun at certain times of day. Of course, people who sell climbing equipment are also good resources.

“Another good idea is going into a local gear shop and just talking to the folks there,” he said. “They call it local data.”

Naturally, safety is a major concern for rock climbers. Coryell’s number-one safety item is to make sure climbers are using a closed system by knotting both ends of the rope. For top-rope climbing, that means the climber is tied on, and there’s a knot on the belay end.

“The biggest thing that we see, especially in Clear Creek nowadays, is people lowering their partner off the end of the rope, just because it’s not long enough,” he said.

Left and above, climbers scale the walls of Clear Creek Canyon west of Golden. Photos: Gabe Toth

Being part of the climbing community means being part of the greater outdoors community. A top priority is to take care of the climbing area and leave it in the same condition, or better, at the end of the day.

Climbers should be sure to keep their gear collected at the base of the wall to minimize the area being impacted and to keep from obstructing other climbers or hikers in the area. Coryell also recommends volunteering with an organization that works to maintain and fix the bases of crags.

“There are a lot of great organizations around, like the Boulder Climbing Community, the Front Range Climbing Stewards, and the Access Fund,” he said.

“A lot of people don’t really understand that those rocks need to be placed in a certain way to keep the base of that crag safe or to keep people from literally sliding down the hill. I think volunteering would be a great way to increase awareness as to how to

keep the base of a crag cleaned up and well maintained.”

Following are a few recommended climbing areas. Keep in mind that the routes at each location are numerous.

Clear Creek Canyon East Colfax Route - an abundance of 5.0 to 5.9 routes with a five-minute approach.

Catslab Route - a great beginner area with lots of 5.10 and below. A 70-meter rope is highly recommended, as is tying a knot in the end of your rope. Lots of lowering and rappelling accidents occur at this crag.

Boulder Canyon The Sport Park Route - lots of tightly bolted routes up to 5.11s.

Animal World Route - 5.7 and up.

• •

• •

A former newspaper journalist, Gabe Toth is the head distiller at The Family Jones Spirit House, as well as an avid snowboarder and outdoors enthusiast.

July-August 2019

ThirstColorado.com 9

CLIMB ON! FOR COACH & CLIMBER MIKE KIMMEL, IT’S ALL ABOUT MULTITASKING

By Kim Fuller

Mike Kimmel tests his bouldering skills. Photo: Meghan Kimmel

M

ike Kimmel started climbing when he was 15, and immediately fell in love with the sport. He eventually worked as a route setter and climbing coach to support himself through college and graduate school. Now, as the youth program director for Grand Valley Climbing, Kimmel also works as a high school teacher and an instructional technology specialist who supports teachers.

“Helping people learn new skills has been a driving force in my career path,” Kimmel says. “Coaching climbing is almost the perfect balance for me because I can take all I know about teaching theory and what I know about how people climb and combine them.”

Climbing is addictive, he says, because it’s physically and mentally challenging, fosters a great community, and allows people to experience nature and travel.

To balance training and performance, Kimmel says it takes diligent effort and planning.

“I work full time for the school district, run the youth programs and competition team for Grand Valley Climbing, and have a six-month old child and two dogs — so I really have to design my training schedule well in advance,” he shares. “Picking a career that allows for time off throughout the year (and summer) is important to allow for longer climbing trips.”

Kimmel admits the lifestyle requires sacrifices.

“So, for me, it’s meant less sleep and learning to get better at multitasking,” Kimmel says. “I’ll get my cardio work in by running the dogs or working while on a stationary bike,

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July-August 2019

and I do my flexibility work while I play with my daughter. It helps that my wife also climbs and is very understanding of how much it matters to me, and I plan my training schedule to peak around climbing trips.”

Kimmel climbs four days a week and does supplemental training on the off days.

“At least two days a week I will be up at 4:30 a.m. to train from 5-7 a.m. before school, and I try to do longer sessions on the weekends,” he says. “Depending on where I’m at in my long-term training cycle, I’ll either be focusing on bouldering and building power, or roped climbing and building up endurance.”

For bouldering, Kimmel says he focuses on maximum power and complexity of movement — finding the hardest moves he can complete and refining them to feel consistent.

For ropes, he has been working on repeats — picking five long routes and doing each one three times back-to-back.

“This is a great exercise to learn to push through both physical and mental fatigue, which are common barriers to climbing well,” he shares. “I’ve worked extensively with sports meds and physical therapists to develop specialized training plans. Zack DiCristino, the team PT for the USA Climbing Team, was instrumental in helping me develop an injury prevention training protocol that has helped me get stronger without getting hurt.”

Kimmel says he is always searching for the next best boulder in Unaweep Canyon

outside of Whitewater. Longer term goals include at least one trip for some sport climbing at Wild Iris in Lander, Wyoming, an area famous for powerful climbing on small pockets.

“Knowing this, I’ve been doing a lot of specific finger strength training,” he says.

“It involves a lot of hanging from different two-finger combinations and using very small edges, down to about 6 millimeters.”

Contributor Kim Fuller is a magazine editor and writer based in Vail.

Mike Kimmel’s Pre- and Post-Climbing Fuel

Pre-Climbing: Coffee, water and some fruit or an energy bar. “This is dependent on the type of climbing, and trying hard on long climbs requires attentive nutrition so you don’t have a sudden crash in energy,” Kimmel says. “This is something I’m constantly working on. I like feeling a little hungry when I climb, but not eating enough is definitely detrimental to performance.”

Post-Climbing: “High protein and fat to help muscles heal, and staying well hydrated is also very important to preventing injury,” he says. “I really like imperial IPAs and trippels, which are probably not the best for physical recovery, but can feel really rewarding after a hard session!”

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July-August2019 2019 July-August

Balloons take flight at Chatfield State Park.

Photo: Tom Cooper

AWAY

AND

Sky becomes a canvas at hot air balloon festivals

By Natasha Lovato

T

he sun rises and the sky fills with a sonata of color. Flames ignite within baskets as pilots take off in a cacophony of hot air balloons. Across Colorado, throughout the year, hot air balloon festivals are organized featuring food, drinks, games, music, balloon glows and early morning ascents.

Whether you are a spectator at a festival or you choose to fly, you won’t want to miss the experience when hot air balloons fill the morning skies.

Balloon pilot Jeff Ashworth made his way to the Colorado Springs Labor Day Lift Off for a high-flying weekend last fall.

Between altitude and weather, many factors go into successfully floating through the sky. Ashworth said the record altitude of a hot air balloon is more than 69,000 feet, although 2,000 to 5,000 feet is the usual height for proper steerage. The weather must be nearly perfect for the balloons to take off, with wind speeds no more than 10 miles per hour.

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ThirstColorado.com 13

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“The morning weather report is the ultimate deciding factor for a safe ride,” he said.

With technology constantly updating, the balloon rides today are not like those from the fabled movie “Around the World in 80 Days.”

Hot air ballooning is a sport comprised of incredible technique and accuracy. Although the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is the world’s largest gathering, pilots travel from all over the world to celebrate the beauty of the sport in colorful Colorado.

“I have been a pilot since the early ’70s,” Needa Courtney said.

“We go to festivals in Colorado all the time even though we’re from Albuquerque. It’s a great family sport. I raised my kids ballooning and now my kid’s kids are learning.”

From Pagosa Springs to Telluride to Longmont, there is always a balloon festival around the corner. Visit coloradoballoonclub.net for a full list of festivals in Colorado and its surrounding areas, and check out colorado.com/colorado-balloon-ride-companies to take the adventure to the next level by riding in one.

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Native Natasha Lovato celebrates the Colorado lifestyle through hiking, biking or playing bingo while enjoying a sour ale or two.

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July-August2019 2019 July-August

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Ballooning highlights the town of Windsor’s annual Picture The Sky Balloon Rally at the Harvest Fest. Photo: Courtesy No Worries!! Ballooning

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Crowds gather to admire the hot air balloons near Durango in the Animas Valley. Photo: Courtesy Animas Valley Balloon Rally

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A balloon ascends at the Fredrick in Flight Annual Hot Air Balloon Festival. Photo: Courtesy Fredrick in Flight

July-August 2019

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Only the locals have the nest Colorado Kool-Aid (psst, Kool-Aid means beer!!)

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PART OF THE SPIRIT IN CRESTED BUTTE’S MTB CULTURE

By Neill Pieper

M

aybe you’re familiar with Crested Butte’s legendary status as a mountain biking paradise. Trail 401, Teocalli, Doctor Park, Snodgrass/ Lupine Loop … the list of trails that take your breath away in the Crested Butte area are as numerous as they are varied. Since the 1970s, the area has become synonymous with the beginnings of mountain biking (a distinction it shares with Marin County, California) and features 150-plus trails covering more than 750 miles.

Less celebrated is the group of free riders and enthusiasts that has been shaping the network of trails around Crested Butte since the beginning.

The Crested Butte Mountain Biking Association, known locally as CBMBA (pronounced simba), is the oldest mountain biking club in the world. Founded in 1983, the club consists of volunteers, a mixed-

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bag of passionate mountain bikers, hippies and local advocates. Their goals are united in crafting a better place to ride. As the organization puts it, “CBMBA has been creating, maintaining, advocating for, and putting mad love into 450-plus miles of single track around Crested Butte (since ‘83).”

According to the Gunnison/Crested Butte Tourism Association, Crested Butte’s mountain biking (often dubbed MTB) culture began when residents started adapting bikes that could navigate the towns pot-hole-strewn roads. This then led to Crested Butte’s first biking enthusiasts, who began riding the old mining roads that spider-web their way into the mountains above town. Crested Butte residents would piece together “klunkers” (a mix of road, dirt and cruiser bikes) and ride the passes high above town. Soon after, a group of like-minded riders came together and formed CBMBA in ’83.

As the word got out about Crested Butte’s thrilling rides, more and more people flooded into the area to try their hand at the new extreme sport. The need to create, maintain and lobby for the trails surrounding town continued to grow.

Campout and Work Weekend

The spirit of this volunteer group is most evident during their signature event, held each year in July.

The Annual Campout and Work Weekend has become one of the most popular events of the year. The goal is to gather members and enthusiasts for a weekend of trail building and maintenance, camping and community building. Some years, up to 200 volunteers (including aspiring MTB offspring) arrive on location to volunteer.

Last summer, the Thirst Colorado team was lucky enough to experience the camaraderie firsthand.

At left: Volunteers work near Crested Butte on the Washington Gulch Trail No. 403 reroute during the 2018 Annual Campout and Work Weekend.

Photos: Neill Pieper

It’s not your run-of-the-mill volunteer gig. The 2018 goal was to relocate 1.3 miles of trail from private to public land.

Pickaxes, industrial size trowels, saws and shovels were piled high at the trailhead.

About 30 full-suspension bikes lay among the wildflowers on the grassy hillside that glistened from a recent shower.

As we labored up the trail, the work was in full swing. Young men and women swung mattocks (a cousin to the pickax), shaping a two-foot wide trail. Further up the newly formed trail, kids laughed, worked and played in the dirt. Yet further up the trail, a group of older volunteers (possibly from the original ’83 group) worked on a narrow shale-laden switchback.

There was something for every age group to contribute, and you could see the generational wisdom being passed among everyone from one switchback to the next.

But the event is not only about getting blisters from a hard day’s work. When the group takes an afternoon break, sponsor Upslope Brewing stepped up with adult refreshments. “Bikes and brews go great together,” said CBMBA deputy director Laura Puckett Daniels, singing Upslope Brewing’s praises as a great sponsor.

I caught up with Daniels as she scouted terrain higher up the ridge where the volunteers toiled. The weather was quintessential Colorado: sunny with intermittent pouring rain. Yet, along the trail, dozens of grinning volunteers worked through it all.

Daniels was quick to point out the self-serving, yet noble logic for the group’s success. “As riders we want a beautiful place to ride through,” she said. She explained the diverse attendance. “It’s about stewardship.

CBMBA members aim to pass on to future generations the same quality of riding and pristine environment that they have become accustomed to.”

So, if getting a little dirt on your hands while improving world-class MTB trails sounds like a fun day, check out crestedbuttemountainbike.com for upcoming volunteer opportunities.

Neill Pieper uses his considerable thirst for the craft beer scene to provide editorial, marketing and photography at Thirst Colorado.

July-August 2019

ThirstColorado.com 19

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STRANGE BREW

HEY, LET’S GO GET SOME BLINKER FLUID

Tea-infused Collision beer may look outrageous, but it’s no prank

R

eaders of a certain age may remember challenging friends to drink a soda “suicide” in middle school. Despite the grim name, it presented absolutely no danger beyond a sugar rush and some caffeinated tweens. It was simply a mix of all the soda flavors.

Pour fizzy brown, clear, neon yellow and orange drinks into one cup and you have a mix that tastes like sugar water but is probably a less-than-appetizing greenish purple color.

I hadn’t been asked to drink something that color for decades, until head brewer Jason Blythe poured me a Blinker Fluid at Collision Brewing in Longmont. Fittingly, he named the indescribably hued drink for another teenage prank — the old joke of sending newbie drivers to the auto parts store to ask for blinker fluid just to watch them get laughed out of the shop.

Thankfully, Collision’s Blinker Fluid is not a joke and it tastes a lot better than the classic soda suicide. It’s a refreshing kolsch with distinct herbal and floral notes, thanks largely to an unusual ingredient.

Butterfly tea, also known as butterfly pea flower tea, is made with a Southeast Asian flower. The tea has a vibrant blue color, but a subtle flavor similar to green tea. It has a variety of specialized culinary uses for both coloring and flavoring foods and drinks, which is how Jason learned about the flower. “This goes back to weird cooking shows I watch,” he said.

Celestial Seasonings uses the flowers in a tea blend, but the flowers are not widely available or widely used in this country.

“I brewed with a lot of teas when I was home brewing, and they always bring nice flavors to the beer,” Jason said.

Another tea blend -- the passion fruit iced tea English ale, called the Tea Party -may show up again this summer.

The funky butterfly tea took some more experimentation than the passion fruit blend.

“I got this really nice bright blue neon wort, and after it started fermenting, it turned this gray mop-water color, and I’m thinking, I can’t sell this at all,” Jason said. “It tasted phenomenal but it didn’t look appetizing.”

Over time and with some added juniper berries, the beer became clear and took on its indescribable hue. The color seems to change in different light, and changes drastically with added ingredients. Lemon juice can turn the beer purple or pink, and soda water can turn it milky and opaque.

Customers enjoy the subtle fruitiness of the juniper berries in the light, refreshing kolsch.

“The piney finish you get from the blue juniper would accompany the herbal sense really well,” Jason said.

Jason and his brother Eric Blythe opened Collision last fall as a way to expand on a glorified home-brewing operation that Jason had set up for the family restaurant, Nicolo’s Pizza, also in Longmont. The Blythe family has run the pizzeria for 15 years, and the whole family is still involved.

Jason wanted to experiment with more creative beers and a larger brewing operation, and Eric wanted to launch a new business with fun thematic homages to his automotive hobby.

“You don’t see a lot of themed restaurants and breweries around anymore, so we’re a car-themed restaurant and it’s more than just a theme,” Eric said.

Both Blythe boys, as well as their father and their kids, all tinker with cars and have done some drag racing. A retired junior dragster hangs above the entrance to the Collision “shop,” an airy and sunlit pub with big glass garage-bay doors, a relaxed diner atmosphere and plenty of auto-themed murals and décor.

Some beer names also reflect the automotive theme, while the flavors reflect Jason’s bold creativity. The Clutch is an English Strong Ale finished with star anise, and the mild licorice flavor is surprisingly welcome.

My other personal favorite is the Pineapples in Paradise, a deceptively drinkable Belgian Trippel brewed with lactose and pineapple juice.

“At 8 percent, it goes down way too smooth,” Jason said.

His brewery has a Longmont address, but is in Weld County closer to Interstate 25 and Firestone.

“We’re in the middle of nowhere, but we’re in the middle of everything,” Eric said.

Find it out in the middle of everything and order a Blinker Fluid. You won’t get laughed out of the shop this time.

Steve Graham is a freelance writer and former newspaper editor who likes taking his two young boys biking, hiking and brewery-hopping in northern Colorado.

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Photo: Angie Wright

By Steve Graham

BONNIE AND THE

CLYDES A SOULFUL COUNTRY MIX THAT TAPS INTO THE HEARTS OF FANS

Photo: Courtesy Bonnie and the Clydes

By Kyle Kirves

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I

t’s a bright Saturday morning when Bonnie and Taylor Sims, the creative force behind Front Range favorites Bonnie and the Clydes, push through the Main Street entrance to Longmont’s La Vita Bella.

It’s not the time or day you’d expect to have a conversation over coffee with two of the busiest musicians in Colorado. Yet Bonnie, lead vocalist and multi-instrumentalist, is full of the same exuberance and enthusiasm she brings to live performances.

With a mix of verbal velocity and endearing confidence, she says, “I’m uncomfortable telling venues that we’re ‘great’ live. But I’m honest when I say we put on a crazy high-energy show, dynamically and consistently night after night.” And it’s true.

Bonnie is a charged and charging performer, fronting a driven and driving band whose style of soulful country brings audiences to their feet, and sometimes to tears.

“We want people to tap into their emotions at our shows. Music gives us a place where it is completely socially acceptable to stand there and cry. Or jump up and down and scream. Whatever you want to feel, you get to do it to a soundtrack,” she says. “That’s what our shows are about. Sing along or feel along. They can join us in that space.”

Guitarist and collaborator Taylor credits the dedication of the entire band and their musical constitution for that reputation. “At the core we are all committed to the song,” he says. “We have a group of people who aren’t ego driven. They’re always asking how they can make the song better. How can they use their talents to showcase the song rather than the song to showcase their talents.”

Married in 2006, Bonnie and Taylor complement each other, in life and art. Both share a dedication to the craft of music: Bonnie has been onstage since childhood at the encouragement of her bluegrass-devoted father, career musician Mike Cruciger. And Taylor’s distinguished resume includes years of touring as a musician and leading awardwinning band Spring Creek.

Since joining forces under the Bonnie and the Clydes banner, the creative output

amounts to more than the sum of the parts.

Bonnie and Taylor co-write songs for the band but each tune evolves in its own unique way. Sometimes they write independently and sometimes together, but they are each other’s first audience for the song from inception through to presentation to the band.

Each brings a special and complementary skill set to that creative process. Taylor

“Music gives us a place where it is completely socially acceptable to stand there and cry.”

says Bonnie has a great ear for melody and framing, while Bonnie credits Taylor with applying chord theory, structure, and perspective to the songs. Bonnie will work here and there on songs in addition to her role as band promoter and manager, while Taylor writes nearly every day.

But that doesn’t mean songs come easy.

Describing the process behind Taylor’s song “Mockingbird,” the two talk about spending more than a year ruminating before finally crafting a fully-baked song. “Taylor was thinking that the chorus was too simple. But it was actually sounding done and ready to go.”

“Bonnie is the finisher,” Taylor says.

“When she says it’s done, it’s done.”

That process paid off. The song, released by Spring Creek originally, took home Americana Song of the Year at the Independent Music Awards in 2011.

With Bonnie and the Clydes’ songs, the band weighs in on early efforts, too, especially pedal steel guitar player Glenn Taylor. “Glenn is a kind of music director for us and provides a lot of great insight,” Taylor says. Bonnie agrees, crediting Glenn with bringing a lot of ideas to songs in order to shape and mold them into a band song. She smiles saying “Glenn will say ‘I like your song, but I’m going to fix it.’”

Both also make sure to show a little love to the rhythm section. Of bassist Ben Berg Wilson and drummer Todd “Peeler” Moore, Bonnie says, “You can see and hear (the lead musicians), but the bass and drums is what you feel.” The last word hangs in the air like an “amen.”

It all comes together in a style of music they brand as “Rocky Mountain Country Soul.” It’s an original blend, equal parts vintage Texas country and classic rock and roll, a healthy dose of bluegrass, and more than just a little crowd-amping theatricality and visual spectacle.

Fans along the Front Range and beyond seek out their performances everywhere, and the duo mentions many venues by name as favorites. The Gold Hill Inn outside Boulder ranks high for the rustic atmosphere and the crowds that fill up the joint at holiday shows on Halloween and New Year’s Eve. “It’s electric. The floor disappears and the whole place just shakes,” Bonnie and Taylor agree.

Shakin’, though, is portable, it turns out – where Bonnie and the Clydes go, so goes the shakin’. With energy, authenticity, originality, and a sense of pride and purpose in being part of the Rocky Mountain music scene, Bonnie and the Clydes bring it with them every single night.

Kyle Kirves drinks beer, plays guitar, runs trails, and manages projects – all with varying degrees of success. While not a craftsman himself, he is quite content writing about the Colorado artisans who create such wonderful things and memorable experiences.

Bonnie & the Clydes are in post-production for two new videos for songs “Hold on Me” and “Came and Went,” with the aid of Scott McCormick and Merne Judson. Their fifth album of music -- recorded at Swing Fingers in Fort Collins -- will be releasing soon digitally and on a limited release vinyl pressing.

July-August 2019

ThirstColorado.com 23

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A PICTURE OF

Empathy How a Denver painter creates art for healing and hope

By Monica Parpal Stockbridge

D

enver artist Angela Craven once wanted to be a lounge singer.

“I told my mom that I wanted to wear a red sequined dress and play the piano,” Craven says, laughing at the memory.

But when she turned seven, she set her sights on being an artist. Today, Craven creates abstract expressionist paintings to help others find strength and hope while celebrating meaningful moments in their lives.

Craven was born in Colorado and graduated from Colorado State University.

While studying abroad in Italy, she met instructor, abstract painter and future mentor Franca Marini. The artist invited students into

26 ThirstColorado.com

July-August 2019

her studio and shared her process of painting subconscious thoughts — her “interior landscapes” — as a means of communication.

Craven remembers this as “a lightning rod moment.” After returning to Colorado, she immediately declared her major, committing to a bachelor’s of fine art in painting.

After graduating, Craven moved to New York and started doing user experience (UX) design to support her abstract expressionist painting career. Part of her work was to interview people to get a better idea of how software designs affected them.

“I learned so many incredible, personal, powerful things from interviews around

software,” she laughs. “I think people just really want to be heard.”

Craven and her husband — also an artist — eventually returned to their home state of Colorado with plans to start a family. Yet their move was followed by devastating pregnancy losses and a later diagnosis of infertility.

“I felt so frustrated and isolated,” Craven says. She turned to painting as a way of expressing her grief. Eventually, she began to talk about it.

“The more I talked about it, the more people were like, I’m going through this, too, or I know someone who’s going through this,” she says.

Photos: Rebecca Tillett

Miscarriage and stillbirth are more common than most people know. Studies show that 10 to 15 percent of pregnancies end in miscarriage, though many more may go unrecorded. Upon connecting with other women and men and learning about their losses, Craven was struck by the idea to create paintings based on those stories. She wanted to help transform grief and loss into something that didn’t feel so isolating, to have “human connection and more empathy and support for each other.”

Over time, Craven’s work has become focused around themes of reflection, strength and connection. While she receives frequent

commissions from people coping with loss, she also creates paintings for people who want to capture significant milestones and celebratory moments. Craven uses brushes, pastry bags and squeeze bottles to apply paint and pastels in sweeping strokes and fine lines, achieving vivid mixed-media paintings inspired by stories and memories.

Unlike a photograph, the meaning and images people find in the finished works are very personal, evolving over time like clouds in a changing sky.

“There’s something about an abstract piece of art that I think not only gives something more tangible to something

intangible, but there’s the feeling that’s evoked through the colors and the marks on the canvas,” Craven says.

She also acknowledges the challenge of abstract art. “So many people are intimidated or maybe even dismissive of abstract work because they feel like it doesn’t have direct meaning,” she says. But she said this quality can actually create an entry point and a peaceful realization that there’s not one right answer. The key with abstract art in general, she says, “is to recognize first that you don’t have to get it.”

One of Craven’s ongoing projects is centered around stories of infertility,

July-August 2019

ThirstColorado.com 27

miscarriage or other infant loss. People share their stories with her, primarily over social media, and she honors each one by making new marks on the same canvas. Over two years she’s collected 72 stories from all over the world, including the United States, Europe, Australia and Hong Kong. At the end of 100 stories, she plans to cut the canvas

View More Works Visit Angela Craven by appointment at her studio at GRACe (Globeville Riverfront Art Center) Studios, or at these upcoming events: Studio Demo - July 13-14 and 20-21 at the Denver Art Museum.

Craven will bring her studio practice to the DAM, and will demonstrate her process live from 12 to 3 p.m. each day.

Find more of Angela Craven’s work at angelacravenart.com.

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July-August 2019

into 100 pieces and send one to everyone who contributed.

Craven is decidedly not an art therapist.

Yet, she offers people the space to share what they’ve been through. “I think hearing someone’s story and learning about them and creating something based on their life, or something celebratory they experienced, can

be just as important,” she says.

By being open with her own journey, she creates experiences that she hopes are therapeutic — both for her viewers and for herself.

Monica Parpal Stockbridge writes about food, travel and technology in Colorado and beyond.

Read more of her work at monicastockbridge.com.

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HISTORIC STYLES BREWFEST JULY 20 Denver

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THE RIDE MUSIC FESTIVAL JULY 12-14 TELLURIDE

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PETER AND THE STAR CATCHER THROUGH AUGUST 25 Creede

In the high-altitude theater capitol of Colorado, you’ll see magic, pirates and adventure around every turn as this family-friendly musical uses the magic of the stage to create a stunning world. creederep.org

EVERGREEN MUSIC FESTIVAL JULY 4 Evergreen

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BRECKENRIDGE BEER FESTIVAL JULY 13 Breckenridge

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This is a festival you’ll definitely want to add to your high-country summer agenda. breckenridgebeerfestival.com

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July-August 2019

Big Head Todd and the Monsters, Widespread Panic, The Yawpers, Big Something and many more.

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Celebrate cats, beer and food at the Quebec Street Shelter with the Dumb Friends League.

The Catwalk is a 21-and-older beer fest for feline fanatics, including beer tastings from local breweries where guests can learn about DFL’s various cat programs and adoptable cats. ddfl.org

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The 719 Day Brewfest returns with local beer, spirits, food and live music. Everything is from Colorado Springs and the surrounding 719 area code during this summer celebration for Southern Colorado.

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CASTLE ROCK WINEFEST JULY 20 Castle Rock

The 16th annual Castle Rock WineFest includes more than two dozen wineries and more than 180 varieties of the finest Colorado wine, with tastings, live music, artisan vendors and entertainment for everyone. Work up your appetite at the grape stomp and corn hole tournament, or relax in the beer garden. castlerockchamber.com

ELIXER OF LOVE AT GRAND JUNCTION SYMPHONY JULY 27 & 28 Grand Junction

The Grand Junction Symphony Orchestra presents Donizetti’s bel canto comedy, “The Elixir of Love.” Fully staged with a live orchestra, costumes, sets and a stellar cast, it will be presented in Italian with English subtitles. tickets.vendini.com

BOULDER TACO FEST JULY 27 BOULDER

The 3rd annual Boulder Taco Fest brings five breweries, 10 taco vendors, live lucha libre wrestling

CHEESMAN PARK ARTFEST JULY 27 & 28 Denver

The free, two-day festival takes place on the southwest side of Cheesman Park, where patrons will hear live music and check out the works of potters, painters, jewelers, sculptors, glass artists and more. denver.org

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ARISE MUSIC FESTIVAL AUGUST 2-4 Loveland

This three-day music, yoga, activism and camping festival features musical artists, thought-provoking films, dynamic speakers, art installations, yoga classes, interactive workshops and performance artists. arisefestival.com

KEYSTONE BLUEGRASS AND BEER FESTIVAL AUGUST 3 & 4 Keystone

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matches, live bands, piñatas and more to the foothills.

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RAFTOBERFEST AUGUST 24 GLENWOOD SPRINGS

The second annual Raftoberfest starts by floating down the river with White Water Rafting, then relaxing at an afternoon brewery tasting at the

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TELLURIDE JAZZ FESTIVAL AUGUST 8 Telluride

BOULDER CRAFT BEER FESTIVAL AUGUST 24 Boulder

BLUES AND BREWS AUGUST 10 Denver

ARTS AND ALES AUGUST 24 Arvada

The 43rd annual celebration showcases three days and nights of world-class jazz, funk, soul, rock, folk and gospel. telluridejazz.org

Swallow Hill invites you to have some fun while groovin’ to funky music and cold craft beers. Chill and authentic, you’ll want to savor every moment. swallowhillmusic.org

FORT COLLINS PEACH FESTIVAL AUGUST 17 Fort Collins

This day of peach-themed activities includes a 5-kilometer run in the morning, and entertainment and food all day long. fortcollinspeachfestival.com

PARKER BREWFEST AUGUST 17 Parker

Food trucks, lawn games, live music, and Colorado craft breweries and cideries will converge in O’Brien Memorial Park for a fun-inthe-sun event. All proceeds go to charities. parkerbrewfest.com Photo: Courtesy Adventure Fit

company’s boathouse. All proceeds benefit Epic Experience, which offers community programs and adventure camps for adults with cancer.

- Compiled by Natasha Lovato

The sixth annual festival brings together the best craft breweries from Boulder County and beyond for tastings. The event includes live music. boulderdowntown.com

Handmade arts, handcrafted beer, food trucks, homegrown entertainment, and family fun - what more is there to ask for? How about a dose of live music and more at the Arvada Center festival? arvadacenter.org

BRUISES AND BREWS AUGUST 24-25 Glendale

If a weekend festival featuring rugby and beer sounds like your idea of fun, check out this late summer party at Infinity Park in Glendale. glendalebeerfest.com

BRUNCHFEST AUGUST 25 Denver

Get ready to brunch till you drop with bottomless mimosas, bloody marys and food from dozens of restaurants on the Denver brunch scene. denverbrunchclub.com July-August 2019

ThirstColorado.com 33

BECK N’S

O HEED THE CALL OF UNIQUE DINING EXPERIENCE

By Katie Coakley

Photos: Courtesy Beckon

I

t has all the hallmarks of a great evening: a nondescript entrance that requires a proper address to locate; a cozy firepit around which one can sip a cocktail, and a closed-curtain entrance that hints at the upcoming show. By the time you’re seated at the U-shaped communal chef’s counter, your sense of anticipation is bound to be as elevated as your curiosity. And at Beckon, that’s part of the fun.

Beckon, located next to its sister restaurant Call on Larimer Street in RiNo, opened in November 2018 with a unique concept. It’s open four nights a week and the multi-course menu is a mystery.

Oh, and there are only 18 seats at the table. Thus, with two seatings an evening, a maximum of 36 lucky diners are treated to the

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July-August 2019

multi-sensory show that is dinner at Beckon.

After enjoying the warmth of the firepit on cool evenings, diners are ushered inside and seated at the communal table that encloses the open prep area that is bustling with activity: chopping, stirring, plating.

Dietary restrictions (details about which are requested when the reservation is made) are discussed with the waitstaff, the opportunity to add a beverage pairing of either wine or beer is offered and, when all of the fine print is completed, the first of eight or nine dinner courses is presented.

Pay attention to the description of the dishes as they’re delivered. Each is a surprise because guests receive a menu only after the meal is concluded. But try not to get caught up in words like aebelskiver, juniper

soda, sweetbread, squab or chicory. Instead of attempting to puzzle out the ingredients, simply wait until the first bite. That way, the dish is experienced as an entire cosmos of flavor before individual planets and stars are identified. The result is truly out of this world.

It’s possible to dine at Beckon weekly and have a different experience each time. The menu changes monthly with some dishes disappearing, while some ingredients may make encore appearances. For sommelier Zachary Byers, this is part of the fun.

Byers creates the beverage pairing experience, allowing guests to marvel at the way the perfect wine adds even more nuance to a dish, or how unexpected pairings can provide an incredible marriage of flavor. The wine might change even more frequently

of the staff is incredibly knowledgeable about ingredients, techniques and the reasoning behind various dishes and pairings.

“It’s about the experience that (the guests) want to have. There are some people who are fine having little to no information about what the wines are and what the food is. They just want to come and have a good time,” Byers said. “And others are really interested about everything that’s coming by and where is this coming from and why is this here. We just love to talk about all that stuff and we just kind of light up. If somebody asks questions, we’re like, oh great, this is what we’re here for.”

In addition to the wine pairing, Byers also offers a beer and cider pairing, though he admits that it’s not quite as popular as the wine offerings, with one beer pairing served for every 10 or 15 wine pairings.

But he said that it’s something that they’re having fun with and it’s a nice option for those who are looking for something a bit different.

Dining at Beckon is more than just dinner – it’s the opportunity to sit back, relax and put yourself in the chef’s hands, knowing that the end result is going to be spectacular. For two and a half hours, your only responsibility is to enjoy. It’s a heady experience.

“I think the fun thing about a menu format like this is that as long as there’s not like an allergy or a really severe dislike, it’s just kind of fun to be like, okay, sit down and we’re going to take care of you,” Byers said. “It’s really, really fun.”

than the cuisine does, allowing Byers and his team to consistently offer up a new tasting experience.

“It might be the case where we can only get one case of (a particular wine) and that lasts us about a week on a pairing menu,” Byers explained. “I would rather pick something really special like that and play with it for a week and then find something different.

It’s more exciting for us and hopefully more exciting for the guest getting to experience that as well.”

Perhaps one of the most enticing elements of the dinner is the level of interaction and customization that’s possible.

Not only are guests sitting just a few feet from the chefs prepping various courses, whirling around in practiced precision, but all

If you go: Beckon is located at 2843 Larimer Street, Denver. Tickets are $95 per person for dinner only (beverage pairings are an additional charge) and reservations open on the first of each month for dates through the following month. For more information or to book, visit beckon-denver.com Katie Coakley is a Denver-based freelance writer who focuses on craft beer and spirits, travel and outdoor adventures — the best stories combine all three. You can see more of her work at katiecoakley.com.

July-August 2019

ThirstColorado.com 35

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ART OF BREWING

ART INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF AVERY CANS

By Kyle Kirves

“W

e wanted a beacon calling from the shelf. Something iconic. Crisper and more mature,” says Adam Avery of the new branding initiative launched in 2018 at his namesake Boulder brewery.

The urban-inspired images by artist Neil Shigley alternate from the literal to the abstract depending on the beer, all popping off a stark white can.

Or maybe canvas is a better word.

How white? Wedding cake white. Alpine snow white. All that whiteness and brightness has the desired effect: Avery beers leap out from the dark stacks of colors, names, and labels in an increasingly crowded beer aisle.

But there’s more to it than just standing out — it’s also showcasing the culture of Avery Brewing.

“We’re scientists, but we’re also artists,” explains Adam, founder of Avery.

“It’s a major shift in image, but we wanted the branding to stay true to ourselves and the liquid.

Something impactful and powerful.”

The whiteness, the clean lines, the high-contrast font, and simple three-word descriptors speak to the scientist, Adam explains. The individual art — like the hyper-detailed candy skull that adorns Avery’s El Gose — expresses the creative and imaginative side.

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El Gose is a personal favorite of Neil’s, who cites the striking and intricate Day of the Dead imagery as attention-grabbing. Neil lives in San Diego and is perhaps best recognized in the fine art community for his portraits of homeless people in Southern California. He praised the entire Avery staff and the creative process behind the new branding catalog.

“Adam is really passionate about the beer and the art that goes on it and that’s true of everyone I’ve worked with at Avery. They have really been open and positive, creatively,” Neil says. “At the end of the day, your art’s on beer. What’s cooler than that? I would have done this job for nothing.”

The transition marks a progression from Avery’s original home-cooked images and phase 2’s badge-shaped label art and images. Phase 3’s new white label art is a dynamic and startling switch for Avery, but one that makes the presentation vehicle as great as the beer inside it. Readily identifying an Avery beer is important to both Avery and to the craft beer enthusiast who trusts the brand to deliver exceptional ales and lagers.

Nowhere is the artistic evolution more apparent than in the flagship White Rascal.

The classic art borrows from the Belgian tradition of devilish logos with a sinister undertone. Adam says they wanted to preserve the intent, but bring a gentler aspect to the titular character.

“We spoke with some of the women who work here about what they thought about (the character),” Adam says, “and they responded that he was a little creepy. They said, ‘Yes, I’d party with him – but not alone.’”

Neil’s mandate was to revise the White Rascal and, in a word, to make him more “fun.” After more than two dozen backand-forth design iterations, the new image preserves the coloration of the original, but softens him up a bit. Rascal 2.0 is a little less Dante’s “Inferno” and a little more Fat Tuesday.

When asked if he has a favorite among the new images, Adam demurs and says it changes day to day. “Right now, I’d say it’s the art Neil did for Hazyish,” he said. The art is an abstraction of a hop flower that Neil got right on the first take, according to Adam.

“He did it and I was like, ‘That’s it.’ End of design session,” he says. Shrugging, he adds, “Most people don’t know what a hop looks like. So to them, this is just a great piece of abstract art.”

Neil also lists the abstraction among his favorites.

Other refreshes include the new take on the Labrador retriever on old-school fave Ellie’s Brown and the Hawaiian idol on the Liliko’I Kepolo. New brands showcasing Neil’s woodcut style include a tribute to brewing director Fred Rizzo’s partially missing finger on Double Digit hazy IPA. Adam suggests that perhaps the most personal of the new beers and images is the Avery Lager.

“Our brewers wanted to just make a crisp, clean-drinking traditional lager beer and they sold me on it,” Adam explains.

“They owned that beer concept. So when it came time to pick an image to associate with it, I needed something that spoke to that.”

He ultimately arrived at an inside reference – literally – to the tile pattern on the production floor of the brewery. Neil took the pattern and made a stylized image for the can art that looks tartan in effect, but is actually, uh, grounded in

Avery’s makeup. No Avery beer exemplifies the brewery’s teamwork and creativity from inception through to packaging more than Avery Lager.

Eventually, all the legacy branding will be supplanted by the new look. The “Tap Room Rarities” series already boasts the white sleeve. Future releases from Avery will naturally sport the new wrapper, including experimental and seasonal offerings.

Avery fans can also look forward to new, flavorful, satisfying products that just happen to be low-calorie and low-carb, easily finding them in white cans, shoulder to shoulder with their Avery brethren.

Bright white has always figured in Avery’s branding, from the signature flagship “A” logo on a white ring to the stark white architecture of the headquarters. With the new imagery, Avery Brewing is achieving a thematic unity between the product and the production facility. Each can is a postcard from the brewery, and a tangible expression of Avery Brewing’s commitment to making better beer in better ways.

Kyle Kirves drinks beer, plays guitar, runs trails, and manages projects – all with varying degrees of success. While not a craftsman himself, he is quite content writing about the Colorado artisans who create such wonderful things and memorable experiences.

July-August 2019

ThirstColorado.com 39

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DEGREES ON

TAP

Metro State is Crafting the Next Generation of Libations and Food Experts

By Natasha Lovato

42 ThirstColorado.com

July-August 2019

T

he aromas of honey, barley and spices waft through the doorway of a Metropolitan State University of Denver classroom.

Rows of taps replace rows of desks, and towering fermentation tanks replace a chalkboard. Students feverishly brainstorm in groups, preparing for their final project — creating new spirits and beers.

With more than 7,000 breweries and 1,500 distilleries in the United States alone, the alcohol industry is booming. Job prospects are ample, but there’s also need for a thorough understanding of the science, analytics and art of brewing and distilling.

As whimsical as it might seem to start a full-blown business from a

homebrew kit received as a Christmas present, program administrator Scott Kerkmans said the days of self-taught homebrewing are over.

“The industry is just too competitive now,” Kerkmans said. “You have to make good beer to be able to stand out. To put quality as one of the primary goals of your brewery, you need an education.”

The three-year-old MSU program covers all aspects of the beer industry to make sure students leave with solid job prospects. The program unites fermentation science and business enterprise through multiple degree offerings, such as Brewery Operations or Craft Brewing and Pub Operations.

With classes in hospitality, engineering,

First Page: Students prepare food and drink at the end of the semester in order to debut their work. Above: Some of the finished projects are displayed.

Photos: Natasha Lovato

chemistry, biology and business, every major, minor and certificate program is broad and comprehensive.

MSU seniors Melanie Barnier and Alec Vail both praised the hands-on projects at the on-campus beer lab.

“You can’t find that experience online or anywhere else. It’s very interesting and very helpful,” Barnier said. Although Barnier and Vail share an interest in brewing and distilling their own libations, their career goals couldn’t be more different.

“I’m actually in the individualized degree program, so I made my own wine degree, but beer and spirits was also an important component to what I wanted to do,” Barnier said. “I’ve studied the science behind it in chemistry classes, as well as brew science, and to see the way it comes together is really interesting.”

Barnier wants to travel the world making wine and spirits. On the other hand, Vail wants to specialize in the business aspect of the liquor industry, but he knows he needs to see the full picture.

“Being a business student in marketing, one of the things that better helps me understand the product being created is to understand the other side of the process,” Vail said.

The beer production and quality analysis lab are among the newest additions to MSU, situated where the Tivoli Student Union pool

hall used to be. The thirst for knowledge spans beyond campus, however. Strange Craft Brewing and Rising Sun Distillery are neighboring businesses that teamed up with MSU Denver for an expansion of the learning experience. Strange Craft owner Tim Myers and Rising Sun owner Dawn Richardson help students produce and release beers and spirits of their own. The classes are split into groups as they rotate between Rising Sun and Strange Craft, learning from working professionals about developing a quality business and quality products.

Richardson details her business model while students circle around sampling gin they helped bottle.

“I wanted to make good, quality products from the beginning, and the image for Rising Sun to be known as organic. It’s a lot of hurdles but it’s a much smoother product and that’s what I want to show the students. Supporting local farmers, not using chemicals, it helps and I believe that,” she said. “You can’t change the world, but you can change a sliver of it.”

Next door at Strange Craft, Myers led a group around the facility while discussing hops, fruit and barley. “You can’t start brewing without tasting your barley,” Myers said, sprinkling grains into each student’s hand to snack on like Grape Nuts.

Students then mulled over the infinite possibilities for beer and spirit creations to

present for the grand finale of the semester.

The libations accompany dishes from culinary students for a delectable soiree of final projects.

Students crowded the entire second floor of Metro’s hospitality building in a festive finale to the semester. Culinary students presented shrimp and grits, green chile, mango salsa with chips, chicken pot pie and more, while also pairing the food with a beer of their choosing.

Other students created craft cocktails with flavors ranging from peppermint-berry vodka to jasmine gin. Strange Craft debuted the beers they helped produce with the class while guests were invited to indulge in the entire experience.

Younger students also attended, eager to preview the creations in their upper-division courses. New York native and second-year brewing operations student Kevin Van Dyne traveled across the country for the program.

“I knew this is what I wanted to do, and I knew Denver was the best place to be for it,” Van Dyne said. “I can’t wait to get into brewing my own stuff. Right now I’m learning the business and science behind it all. Once I’m done with school, I want to start up my own brewery in New York, but I love Colorado.

Who knows, I might not want to leave.”

Native Natasha Lovato celebrates the Colorado lifestyle through hiking, biking or playing bingo while enjoying a sour ale or two.

July-August 2019

ThirstColorado.com 43

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FAMILY AFFAIR HELPS DRAW PATRONS TO ANTLERS CAFE & BAR IN YAMPA

By Joe Ross

Hazel, left, Spencer and Kari create the magic that attracts patrons to Yampa.

Photos: Paul Johnson

46 ThirstColorado.com

July-August 2019

W

hen you’re running a restaurant in a remote Colorado town, you’d better deliver food and an atmosphere that attracts attention.

Welcome to the world of Spencer and Kari Harden, owners of the Antlers Cafe & Bar. The couple realized that owning and operating a restaurant in Yampa, would be a challenge. The town’s population isn’t much more than a large wedding (430). The big city – Steamboat Springs – is 40 minutes away with a population of about 13,000.

Yampa serves as base camp to The Flat Tops, the nation’s third largest wilderness area, featuring more than 235,000 acres of lakes, streams and pristine backcountry.

Summer visitors flock to the area to hunt, fish, hike, bike, ski and explore The Flat Tops.

So, how do you attract patrons to the seasonal restaurant that is open (roughly) from May through November each year?

Spencer said you start with a solid menu that will please the taste buds of the folks in town, as well as area ranchers and tourists.

Popular items include steak, seafood, lamb potpie and other homemade dishes, including desserts. The menu, which features a few Cajun twists, is tweaked a few times each summer.

His experience in the kitchen was tuned up in the South. Spencer said he never dreamed that when he was gaining experience cooking in New Orleans that he would end up in a mountain paradise like Yampa, preparing food he loves in his own restaurant.

Like most chefs, Spencer said he enjoys cooking for 100 people, rather than 1,000.

“It’s nice to come out here and kind of do my own thing,” he said.

There are other perks, such as his buddy Todd Park Mohr of Big Head Todd and the Monsters fame, who plays fund-raising concerts each summer adjacent to the restaurant. Even more importantly, Spencer married Kari. She grew up in the area, and they have a beautiful little girl, Hazel, who is a hit among frequent flyers and employees in

the restaurant. “We had a baby shower and everybody came,” he said.

Spencer loves life in Routt County – a far cry from the bustle of NOLA and the East Coast where he grew up. Raised in Connecticut, Spencer eventually attended culinary school in Vermont. From there, he moved to New Orleans and spent 13 years at several restaurants, including a large hotel chain.

While there, he met Kari, who had moved to the Big Easy to volunteer after Hurricane Katrina devastated the area. With a journalism degree from the University of Oregon, Kari also worked for The Times-Picayune, The Advocate and other New Orleans papers.

Once they made the decision to move west, they pulled the trigger on buying the 113-year-old Yampa restaurant, which demands most of their time in summer.

Although tourists enjoy the area during warm weather, it’s the locals that keep things hopping.

“The support of the Routt County people has been amazing,” Spencer said. “It’s amazing to see the restaurant business we can conjure up here.”

For Carl Ray, a 68-year-old local who retired a few years back, the Antlers represents a gathering place for cowboys and Spandex-clad adventurers alike. Although he

said he’s never heard of anyone spreading avocado on their toast, he isn’t opposed to tourists coming and going. With a chuckle, he pointed out that the town had “been gradually increasing our population from 430 to 435 over the past 30 years.”

Carl often joins a group of regulars for a late afternoon beer and some friendly conversation at The Antlers. The invitation to join them is open to anyone who might venture to the middle of nowhere this

summer. Don’t wait too long because when the snow gets deep, the Hardens will close up shop until spring.

But if fate lands you in Yampa early in August, Todd Park Mohr is scheduled to perform at 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 3 at the Antlers, 40 Moffat Ave., in Yampa. The concert will benefit the South Routt Education Endowment Fund.

Joe Ross is editor and associate publisher of Thirst Colorado Media.

July-August 2019

ThirstColorado.com 47

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FROM PEWS TO PUB Previous places of worship now producing quality beer

By Natasha Lovato and Jordyn MacDonald

Above and Below: Local Relic made the most of this former church in Colorado Springs.

Photos: Natasha Lovato

B

reweries around Colorado are found in an array of creative spaces from warehouses and fire stations to garages and previous places of worship.

The challenge is adapting a brewery to a historical space. The following former churches and temples are now well suited to pouring a different kind of holy water.

Local Relic This Colorado Springs brewery began wholesaling beer before opening a tasting room.

“It’s a good way to test and see if you have a following, and we did,” co-owner Melissa Howard said.

When it became time to open the brewery, acquiring a structure seemed to involve a string of perfect coincidences, she said. The building, once known as The Carter Payne Chapel, stood in downtown Colorado Springs. With a bit of research, Howard discovered the owner lived near her hometown in Texas.

On a whim, Howard and her husband drove down to meet with the owner, who loved the vision the couple had for the old church’s future. In October 2017, they took possession of the building and began writing the Local Relic story.

50 ThirstColorado.com

July-August 2019

“The universe is a fickle beast. We couldn’t believe it,” Howard said. “We finally had the beer and a place to sell it – and so, by golly, we did.”

Before it was Local Relic, the chapel once served as the Payne Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church, the first AfricanAmerican congregation in Colorado Springs.

It was built in 1897 with stone collected and hand-carved from along the Front Range.

“I don’t feel like I own this building. I feel like we got chosen to be the stewards of it,” Howard said. “People always have lovely suggestions and I totally appreciate it but I think sometimes people miss that we are trying really hard to maintain the integrity of the fact it was a church. We want to respect what this space was created for.”

The church served as a gathering place filled with friends and family, which became the vision for Local Relic. “We wanted to restore it as a community hub and take out the

religion and race pieces. We don’t care who you are. Everyone is welcome,” Howard said.

“I hope we are achieving that. People keep coming back, so that’s a good sign.”

© agsandrew / Adobe Stock

Big Choice Brewing Co.

Big Choice Brewing Co. wasn’t born in a Buddhist temple. Rather, it was an idea cooked up by Nathaniel Miller in 2008.

Miller and partner Tyler Ruse found a building in Broomfield, roped in Miller’s wife,

Photo: Courtesy John Brisnehan Photography

Oasis Brewing Co. Oasis Brewing Co. was one of Colorado’s early microbreweries, opening in 1991.

The company was revamped in 2015 after production halted in the late 1990s, and owner George Hanna scoured the market for a new space. Wishing to be in the Highlands Square area, the choices were limited. But a historically protected church was sitting vacant and awaiting a new owner.

“In all honesty, I have always looked at churches for very different things because they are really neat buildings,” Hanna said.

The church seemed perfect, with enough square footage for both brewery and taproom.

Because the former Beth Eden Baptist Church was listed as a historical building,

Andrea, and launched Big Choice Brewing in 2012.

But the success of the brewery called for a bigger space.

“Our old location was being sold, so we knew that we needed to move,” Andrea said.

“We were in the process for two years with multiple locations falling through. We found this space in Brighton and fell in love with it.”

Big Choice moved into a vacant building that used to be a Buddhist temple. The couple had support from the Buddhist community to move into the space because it had been standing vacant for 10 years.

“The community’s response was all positive. People think that it is neat to do because it is a historical building and has been around since 1940,” Andrea said.

After re-opening in 2017, the owners found the space a bit nerve-racking because it was so much larger than the previous digs.

But after acquiring a seven-barrel system with a maximum capacity of 2,500 barrels, they grew into the brewery, which features 17 to 20 beers on tap, and a pizza kitchen.

Acknowledging the Buddhist roots and Japanese influence, Big Choice created a New England IPA named Kabuki.

it legally could not be demolished, and the façade could not be altered.

Hanna reworked the insides by installing an HVAC system and plumbing, and removing the plastered walls, bringing forth the brick underneath.

“I think that everybody comes in with a question mark on how does it feel in there? Is it spiritual or is anyone buried in the basement?” Hanna joked. “I think what we have done with it has brought more people in. We have had a lot of people who attended church, got married or had babies christened here. People are intrigued by the building itself.”

Hanna and his team also worked together to create a beer that hints at the history of the brewery, St. Bernard’s French Saison. Hanna’s head brewer is also named Bernard (Tonning), so it is a tribute to him as well.

Native Natasha Lovato celebrates the Colorado lifestyle through hiking, biking or playing bingo while enjoying a sour ale or two. Jordyn MacDonald recently graduated from Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa.

Photo: Natasha Lovato

July-August 2019

ThirstColorado.com 51

Photo: Natasha Lovato

ELEVATED LIQUID

TALNUA BRINGS IRISH-STYLE SINGLE POT STILL WHISKEY TO COLORADO

By Katie Coakley

T © christophe BOISSON/Adobe Stock

ake a look around: These are not the green fields of Ireland.

However, a new distillery in Arvada is bringing a uniquely Irish style of whiskey production to Colorado. Since opening on St. Patrick’s Day weekend, Patrick and Meagan Miller of Talnua Distillery have been creating triple-distilled Irishstyle single pot still whiskey —

52 ThirstColorado.com

July-August 2019

reportedly the first outside of Ireland.

This particular style of whiskey, like many bursts of genius, was born from necessity, explained Patrick, founder and head distiller at Talnua. In 1682, the British Crown passed a malt tax. Because you need malt to make both whiskey and beer, it was a successful revenue stream. But the canny Irish found a workaround.

By mixing unmalted (and therefore untaxed) barley with malted (and taxed) barley, they could create a pretty tasty

whiskey at a lower cost. The addition of unmalted barley also changed the complexity, mouth feel and density of the spirit, Miller said.

This recipe, and the use of the pot still (a copper apparatus that distills whiskey in single batches), continued for hundreds of years in Ireland, becoming the basis of traditional Irish single pot still whiskey.

By the 1960s, the single pot still process had almost disappeared due to the proliferation and ease of the continuous still (allowing continuous distillation, rather than separate batches). Irish independence led to a loss of British trade, and Ireland lost its biggest market during American prohibition.

At one time, there were only two single pot still whiskey distilleries left in Ireland.

However, rather than disappearing, Irish single pot still whiskey has seen a renaissance in the past five years.

Bringing Ireland to Colorado There are a few elements necessary to call a spirit “single pot still whiskey.” It is also known in Ireland as pure pot still whiskey, and “pure” or “single” refer to the fact that it comes from a single distillery, as with a single malt whiskey.

“Currently in Ireland, legally, it needs to be 30 percent unmalted barley to be single pot still, also 30 percent malted barley, minimum,” Miller said. “Then you can adjust the barley any way that you want to create your mash bill. You can only use up to five percent other unmalted cereals in the mash bill … so it’s very barley heavy. We are 100 percent barley here.”

In addition to this specific, traditional recipe, Talnua’s whiskey is also tripledistilled. While most Scottish whiskeys are conventionally double distilled, the Irish are known for adding another step to the process. Every time the spirit is distilled, it becomes stronger in character and more alcoholic.

Though the grain bill and the distillation process are identical to those found in Ireland, Talnua’s whiskey is uniquely Coloradan.

“We want to bring American terroir to this Irish style of whiskey,” Miller said. “More specifically, the Colorado terroir.”

Climate, water, soil quality and other factors influence the taste of the finished product, as do the ingredients. By sourcing barley from Root Shoot Malting and using Rocky Mountain water from Eldorado Springs, Talnua’s whiskey is truly unlike anything else in the world.

Pouring now Talnua opened its doors with four single pot still spirits: a blended whiskey, a year-old whiskey, a gin and a barrel-finished gin.

The Inishan (Gaelic for “old island”) is a blended whiskey. A three-year-old corn and wheat-based whiskey imported from the Cooley distillery in County Louth, Ireland, is blended with Talnua’s single pot still whiskey that’s been aged for a year in charred American White Oak new kilderkin barrels.

With a smooth caramel finish, it’s a solid, enjoyable offering.

Talnua’s Carrowdair is the distillery’s yearold, single pot still whiskey. It’s quite spicy and young, but Miller has plans for this spirit.

“Right now, it’s a shotgun blast,” Miller said. “We’ve got a bunch of different sizes, a bunch of different char and wine toast levels, some port casks, some rum casks … a bunch of different styles that we’re honing into exactly what oak speaks best to the spirit.

Eventually we’ll start weeding little ones out as they go into product lines. And then that product line will become more and more consistent once the oak tells us what it likes best and what we like best on the oak.”

Talnua is also offering a triple-distilled single pot gin: the Finglas, a Dutch-style gin, and the Finglas Dubdair, which is aged six to nine months in new American oak barrels.

“It’s been one of those awesome things from the gin standpoint, to be able to make this just like a single pot still whiskey would be made, but then add the botanicals to it and add the oak profile to it as well,” Miller said.

Talnua is the newest player in Colorado’s whiskey scene, but they’re bringing something new and unique to the table. So visit the tasting room, grab a dram and go for the tour — there are centuries of stories to be shared.

Katie Coakley is a Denver-based freelance writer who focuses on craft beer and spirits, travel and outdoor adventures — the best stories combine all three. You can see more of her work at katiecoakley.com.

THE TALNUA TASTING ROOM IS OPEN FROM 5-9 P.M. THURSDAY TO SATURDAY 5405 W. 56TH AVE, UNIT C, ARVADA Photo: Natasha Lovato

July-August 2019

ThirstColorado.com 53

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ThirstColorado.com 55

TRUE TALES FROM THE LYING LOG

By Bufford T. Clapsaddle

O

l’ Clapsaddle had already introduced himself to Shorty Shovel before he met its owner.

As per standard, Clapsaddle strolled a goodly distance from our Flat Tops Wilderness Camp in search of a secluded location for an outdoor outhouse, when he spotted Shorty Shovel hidden under the ground-touching branches of a Colorado spruce tree.

Within the hour a sturdy backpacker arrived to locate Shorty Shovel and give him a job. Owner Cliff introduced himself then excused to “dig up dinner.” More than a quarter of a mile hike away from the meadow camp, Cliff put Shorty Shovel to work.

With curious Clapsaddle close at hand, Cliff and Shorty Shovel excavated a tiny skillet and lid-covered 5 gallon bucket. Its contents: can of coffee and miniature pot; jerky of every origin; cans of beans and pints of every kind of flavored Schnapps that Applejack stocked.

Cliff’s backpack looked easy to schlepp, later revealed to contain only a rain poncho, one-person tent, sleeping bag, matches, tooth brush, water bottle, folding wood saw, and most important essentials: an Eagle Claw rod, casting bubbles, spinners and flies, flies and spinners and more spinners and flies.

Later that night, humored by a soothing campfire and a giant bottle of Hot Damn, Cliff divulged he owned and operated an autobody shop in a Denver suburb. Every Fourth of July he rented two horses, one to ride and one to pack, and, with the assistance of Shorty Shovel, buried four 5-gallon buckets near his favorite angling lakes in the Flat Tops.

Nearly every weekend throughout the summer he would hike into the lakes, often nine miles or more. A zealous fisherperson, Cliff subsided primarily on Cutthroat, Rainbow and an occasional Brookie.

Clapsaddle suspected his plan encompassed more than hooking and landing trout. And it was obviously greater than escaping hours of hassles with insurance companies.

Cliff had discovered a personal solace

56 ThirstColorado.com

July-August 2019

that many pursue and it emanated from a special wilderness ordained for that exact purpose.

Six weeks later a Clapsaddle posse was encamped at adjacent Flat Tops lakes and sure enough, in hiked Cliff and Shorty Shovel.

They had depleted the buckets at the location five miles away and ran out of coffee, and sought new fishing waters.

Roosted on the Lying Log that evening Cliff and Clapsaddle swapped multiple fishing yarns.

Cliff recalled Rainbows striking his yellow and black Mepps nearly every cast late in the day and he possessed far too many keepers on his stringer to clean before nightfall darkened. So, he located a long piece of rope and was able to toss the fish into the center of the lake anchoring the rope to the base of a tree. The following morning he awoke to find only skeletons of the Bows, the pretty pink flesh providing an overnight banquet for ferrets, martens or other carnivorous critters.

Clapsaddle told about sharing dinner one Friday night in the 1970s with the regional game warden following a day of work at the weekly newspaper Clapsaddle owned in Eagle. In those times high country lakes were stocked with fingerling trout packed in canvas bags on the backs of

horses. Augmented by his third Whiskey Sour, the Fish & Game steward confessed that rain storms or downed timber or a lame horse did not always permit him to reach prescribed waters… and the fish found a new home in a body of water that was not included on a U.S. Forest Service map and did not contain suitable campsites. After our waitress brought his fourth Whiskey Sour, he pinpointed those ponds for Clapsaddle.

There were lunkers in many of the substitute waters by the time Clapsaddle located them, and sharing this information on the Lying Log made Cliff one thrilled dentdestroying dude.

We did not encounter Cliff again until mid-September of the following year. A Clapsaddle posse was riding an up-river trail and Cliff was hiking out down-river.

His backpack was stuffed. In his right hand he carried four empty 5-gallon buckets nested inside each other. In his left hand was his companion Eagle Claw pole.

And protruding from the top of his backpack was the handle of Shorty Shovel.

An absolute requisite for any wilderness camp is Shorty Shovel.

This is one of the Clapsaddle’s choice outdoor outhouses, constructed by a posse guest, who is a corporate president ... and an engineer. The plywood oval rides in on the back of a pack horse. The three legs are sawed from downed timber, and will be firewood for the next camp users. Shorty Shovel assissts with the excavation(s) and coverup(s).

Continued on next page ...

Cliff had discovered a personal solace that many pursue and it emanated from a special wilderness ordained for that exact purpose.

Photo: © aquamarine4 / AdobeStock

Vodka stops aplenty

While pondering Cliff’s Lying Log narrations about concealing his many nightcaps of Schnapps, Clapsaddle reflected on a similar enterprising initiative in a high country setting.

Invited for a day of skiing with two dentists and a liquor store proprietor, our foursome had barely exited the lift at Mary Jane when Harrison, the booze merchant, after a quarter of the downhill’s first run, stopped at the base of a stand of trees.

He removed one ski and began digging deep in the snow, soon joining his waiting companions with a pint of lemon vodka in hand.

However, none of his drinking buddies were quite ready to imbibe.

Clapsaddle was unaware that there were so many flavors of vodka, but Harrison surely fancied them all. A couple of hours later, after uncovering a pint of grape vodka in another snow hole, he placed what remained of the lemon bottle in its place, and after a snort placed the new flavor in his jacket pocket.

It went that way the rest of the day, his only tribulation from time-totime was locating a secret tree or two. Harrison, extremely sluggish on the 4 o’clock run, made it safely off the mountain.

One of the dentists, though, got behind the wheel on the drive back to Denver.

Bufford T. Clapsaddle (aka Wilbur Flachman) is a retired newspaper and magazine publisher who has guided hundreds of horse pack trips into the Rocky Mountains for family, friends and business associates during the past 45 years. (Logging more than 10,000 miles in the saddle). Majority of his tales are revealed only at timberline.

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Upslope Brewing Co ● ● Very Nice Brewing ● Vision Quest Brewing Co West Flanders Brewing Co ● ● White Labs Tasting Room Wild Woods Brewery

BRIGHTON/FREDERICK/ERIE/ FORT LUPTON Big Choice Brewing Echo Brewing Co Floodstage Ale Works ● Gorilla Alchemy Brewing Mountain Cowboy Brewing Co Something Brewery BROOMFIELD/WESTMINSTER 4 Noses Brewing Co ● BJ’s ● C.B. & Potts Westminster ● Frolic Brewing Co ● Gordon Biersch ● Kokopelli Beer Co ● ● Rails End Beer Co Rock Bottom Orchard Town Center ● Rock Bottom Westminster Promenade ● Westminster Brewing Co Wonderland Brewing Co ● ● CAÑON CITY AREA Florence Brewing Royal Gorge Brewing Co ● World’s End Brewing Co CASTLE ROCK AREA 105 West Brewing Co ● Burly Brewing The Elizabeth Brewing Co Iron Mule Brewery Rockyard Brewing Co ● Wild Blue Yonder Brewing Co ● CENTENNIAL/LONE TREE/ HIGHLANDS RANCH 3 Freaks Brewery ● Blue Spruce Brewing Co ● ● C.B. & Potts Highlands Ranch ● Grist Brewing Co ● Halfpenny Brewing Co Lone Tree Brewing Co Resolute Brewing Co Rock Bottom Park Meadows ● COLORADO SPRINGS AREA 1876 Aleworks Atrevida Brewing ● BierWerks Brewery ● ● Black Forest Brewing Brass Brewing Co Bristol Brewing ● Cerberus Brewing Co Cogstone Brewing Co ● Colorado Mountain Brewery ● Dueces Wild Brewery ● FH Beerworks ● Fossil Craft Beer Co ● Goat Patch Brewing Co Gold Camp Brewing Co Iron Bird Brewery ●

July-August 2019

JAKs Brewing Co Local Relic Lost Friend Brewing Manitou Brewing Co ● Metric Brewing Nano 108 Paradox Beer Co ● Peaks N Pines Brewing Co Phantom Canyon ● ● Red Leg Brewing Rock Bottom Colorado Springs ● Rocky Mountain Brewery Smiling Toad Brewery Storybook Brewing Trinity Brewing ● Whistle Pig Brewing Co

DENVER BAKER/SOUTH BROADWAY Alternation Brewing Baere Brewing Co Banded Oak Brewing Co Black Project Spontaneous & Wild Ales Declaration Brewing Co ● ● Dos Luces Grandma’s House Lowdown Brewery + Kitchen ● Novel Strand Brewing Co Platt Park Brewing Co ● TRVE Brewing Co CAPITOL HILL/E COLFAX/ PARK HILL Alpine Dog Brewery Cerebral Brewing ● ● CO-Brew Counter Culture Brewery & Grille ● Fiction Beer Co ● Long Table Brewhouse Pints Pub ● Station 26 Brewing Co ●

Thirsty Monk ● ● monkpub.com 828.254.5450

MILE HI/AURARIA Briar Common Brewery + Eatery ● Burns Family Artisan Ales Cervecería Colorado ● ● Denver Beer Co ● ● Little Machine Beer ● Seedstock Brewery ● ● Strange Craft Beer Co ● ● Tivoli Brewing ● Wit’s End Brewing Co Zuni St. Brewing Co ● NORTHEAST DENVER

Blue Tile Brewing bluetilebrewing.com 720.242.8384

1609 E 58th Ave Unit G Denver

Brewability Lab J. Moe’s Brew Pub ●

NORTHWEST DENVER Amalgam Brewing

Bruz Beers ● bruzbeers.com 303.650.2337 1675 W 67th Ave Denver

Call to Arms Brewing Co ● De Steeg Brewing Diebolt Brewing Co ● ● The Empourium Brewing Co Factotum Brewhouse FlyteCo Brewing Goldspot Brewing Co ● ● Grateful Gnome Sandwich Shoppe + Brewery ● Hogshead Brewery ● Lady Justice Brewing Oasis Brewing Co

Prost Brewing Co ● prostbrewing.com 303.729.1175 2540 19th St Denver

1604 E 17th Ave Denver

Vine Street Pub & Brewery ●

DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT Tom’s Urban Diner and Tivoli Brewing ● FIVE POINTS Liberati Osteria and Oenobeers ● Spangalang Brewery Woods Boss Brewing LODO Denver Chophouse ● Great Divide Brewing Co ● ● Jagged Mountain Craft Brewery ● Rock Bottom Denver ● Sandlot Brewery Wynkoop Brewing Co ●

RINO

10 Barrel Brewing ● ● 10barrel.com/pub/denver 720.573.8992 2620 Walnut St Denver

14er Brewing Bierstadt Lagerhaus ● Black Shirt Brewing Co ● ● Blue Moon Brewing Co ● ● Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project Epic Brewing Co ● Great Divide Brewing Co ● ● Mockery Brewing ● New Belgium - The Woods at the Source Odell Brewing Co Our Mutual Friend Ratio Beerworks ● ● River North Brewery

SOUTHEAST DENVER Bull and Bush Brewery ● ●

Comrade Brewing ● comradebrewing.com 720.748.0700 7677 E Iliff Ave Denver

®

Copper Kettle Brewing Co ● Jade Mountain Brewing ●

SOUTHWEST DENVER Black Sky Brewery ● ● Chain Reaction Brewing Co ● Crazy Mountain Brewing Co ● ● The Intrepid Sojourner Beer Project ● Renegade Brewing Co WHEAT RIDGE/EDGEWATER/ LAKEWOOD Brewery Rickoli ● Colorado Plus Brew Pub ● ● Great Frontier Brewing Co Green Mountain Beer Co Joyride Brewing Co ● Landlocked Ales Old 121 Brewhouse Westfax Brewing Co DURANGO AREA Animas Brewing Co ● Bottom Shelf Brewery ● Carver Brewing Co ● Chainless Brewing Dolores River Brewery ● ● J. Fargo’s Family Dining & Micro Brewery ● Main Street Brewery & Restaurant ● Mancos Brewing Co ● Ska Brewing Co ● ● Steamworks Brewing Co ● WildEdge Brewing Collective EAGLE COUNTY 7 Hermits Brewing Co ● Bonfire Brewing ● Gore Range Brewery ● Vail Brewing Co ● ● ENGLEWOOD AREA The Brew on Broadway ● ● C.B. & Potts Denver Tech ● Dead Hippie Brewing Peak View Brewing Co ESTES PARK Avant Garde Aleworks Estes Park Brewery ● Lumpy Ridge Brewing Co Rock Cut Brewing Co FAIRPLAY South Park Brewing Co ● FORT COLLINS AREA Anheuser-Busch BJ’s ● Black Bottle Brewery ● Coopersmith’s Pub & Brewing ● DC Oakes Brewhouse & Eatery ● Envy Brewing Equinox Brewing ● Freedonia Brewing

TILLERY & CIDERY LINEUP Funkwerks Gilded Goat Brewing Co Horse & Dragon Brewing Co Intersect Brewing Jessup Farm Barrel House ● Mash Lab Brewing Maxline Brewing McClellan’s Brewing Co ● ● New Belgium Brewing Co ● ● Odell Brewing Co ● ● Old Colorado Brewing Co Pitchers Brewery ●

Prost Brewing Co prostbrewing.com 970.484.2421

321 Old Firehouse Alley Fort Collins

Purpose Brewing Rally King Brewing Ramskeller Brewery ● Red Truck Beer Snowbank Brewing Soul Squared Brewing Co Sparge Brewing Timnath Beerwerks Zwei Brewing Co ● ●

FRUITA Copper Club Brewing Co ● Suds Brothers Brewery ● ● GLENWOOD SPRINGS/ CARBONDALE/ASPEN Aspen Brewing Co ● Capitol Creek Brewery ● Carbondale Beer Works ● Casey Brewing and Blending Glenwood Canyon Brew Pub ● Roaring Fork Beer Co ● GOLDEN Barrels and Bottles Brewery ● Cannonball Creek Brewing Co ● Coda Brewing Coors Brewing Co Golden City Brewery ●

Holidaily Brewing Co Holidailybrewing.com 303.278.BEER 801 Brickyard Cir., Golden

Mountain Toad Brewing ● New Terrain Brewing Ohm Brewing

GRAND JUNCTION AREA Dented Face Brewing Co Edgewater Brewery ● Kannah Creek Brewing Co ● Mad Russian Brewing Co Palisade Brewing Co ● ● The Rockslide Restaurant and Brewery ● GREELEY AREA Brix Taphouse and Brewery ● ● Broken Plow Brewery ● Crabtree Brewing ● ● G5 Brew Pub ● Green Earth Brewing

High Hops Brewery ● ● Lonesome Buck Brewing Co Mighty River Brewing Co Rocky Mountain Taphouse ● WeldWerks Brewing Co Wiley Roots Brewing Co ●

IDAHO SPRINGS/EVERGREEN/ CENTRAL CITY/GEORGETOWN Dostal Alley Saloon & Gambling Emporium ● El Rancho Brewing Co ● Evergreen Taphouse & Brewery ● Guanella Pass Brewing Co Lariat Lodge Brewing Co ● ● Tommyknocker Brewery & Pub ● Westbound & Down Brewing Co ● KREMMLING Grand Adventure Brewing Co LA JUNTA Dean & Co Brewing LAKE CITY Lake City Brewing LITTLETON AREA Blue Spruce Brewing Co Boggy Draw Brewery Breckenridge Brewery ● Coal Mine Ave. Brewing Co Jackass Hill Brewery ● Living the Dream Brewing Co Locavore Beer Works Saint Patricks Brewing Co LONGMONT 300 Suns Brewing ● Bootstrap Brewing Brewmented Collision Brewing Grossen Bart Brewery ● ● Highland Lake Brewing Co Left Hand Brewing Co ● Oskar Blues Brewing ● Outworld Brewing Primitive Beer Pumphouse Brewery ● Shoes and Brews Wibby Brewing ● ● LOVELAND/BERTHOUD 5030 LocalBerthoud Brewing Co Big Beaver Brewing Co ● Big Thompson Brewery Buckhorn Brewers City Star Brewing ● Crow Hop Brewing Drätz Brewing Co Grimm Brothers Brewhouse Loveland Aleworks Rock Bottom ● Rock Coast Brewery Tilted Barrel Brewpub Verboten Brewing Co Veteran Brothers Brewing Co ● MONUMENT Pikes Peak Brewing Co ● ●

NORTHEAST COLORADO Parts & Labor Brewing Co Tumbleweed Brewing Co NORTHGLENN/THORNTON Mother Tucker Brewery ● ● Periodic Brewing ● Satire Brewing Co ● PAGOSA SPRINGS/ DEL NORTE/ALAMOSA The Colorado Farm Brewery Pagosa Brewing Co ● Riff Raff Brewing ● ● San Luis Valley Brewing ● Square Peg Brewerks Three Barrel Brewing Co ● PAONIA Chrysalis Barrel Aged Beer Paonia United Brewing Co PARKER Barnett and Son Brewing Co ● ● Downhill Brewing Co ● Los Dos Potrillos Mexican Restaurant y Cerveceria ● Welcome Home Brewing PUEBLO AREA Brues Alehouse Brewing Co ● ● PDub Brewing Co Shamrock Brewing ● Walter’s Brewery & Taproom SALIDA/BUENA VISTA/ CRESTONE/LEADVILLE Crestone Brewing Co ● Eddyline Restaurant and Brewing Co ● Elevation Beer Co ● Moonlight Pizza and Brewpub ● Periodic Brewing Soulcraft Brewing GUNNISON/CRESTED BUTTE Elk Ave Brewing Co ● ● High Alpine Brewing Co ● Irwin Brewing Co SOUTHWEST COLORADO Avalanche Brewing Co ● Colorado Boy Pizzeria & Brewery● Colorado Boy Pub & Brewery ● Golden Block Brewery ● Horsefly Brewing Co ● ● Ouray Brewery ● Ourayle House Brewery Red Mountain Brewing ● Smuggler’s Brewpub ● Telluride Brewing Co Two Rascals Brewing Co STEAMBOAT SPRINGS Butcherknife Brewing Co Mahogany Ridge Brewery & Grill ● Mountain Tap Brewery ● Storm Peak Brewing Co Yampa Valley Brewing Co

SUMMIT COUNTY Angry James Brewing Co The Baker’s Brewery ● Breckenridge Brewery & Pub ● Broken Compass Brewing Dillon Dam Brewery ● ● HighSide Brewing ● ● Outer Range Brewing Co ● Pug Ryan’s Brewery ● Syndicate Brewing Co TRINIDAD/WALSENBURG Crafty Canary Brewery Dodgeton Creek Brewing Co WINTER PARK AREA Camber Brewing Co Fraser River Beerco Hideaway Park Brewery Never Summer Brewing Co The Peak Bistro & Brewery ● DISTRIBUTION ONLY AC Golden Brewing Co Acidulous Brewing Co Amalgam Brewing Atom Brewing Co Black Sheep Brewery Burgundian Brewing Divebar Brewing Co Donovan Brewing Co Gemini Beer Co Good River Beer Idylwilde Brewing New Planet Beer Sleeping Giant Brewing Uhl’s Brewing Co

DISTILLERIES DENVER/BOULDER 12 Point Distillery - Lafayette Altitude Spirits, Inc. - Boulder Anders’ Vodka - Parker Archetype Distillery - Denver Arta Tequila - Englewood Art of the Spirits Colorado Whiskey - Denver Bear Creek Distillery - Denver The Block Distilling Co - Denver Broken Arrow Spirits - Centennial Denver Distillery - Denver Deviant Spirits - Boulder Deviation Distilling - Denver Devil’s Head Distillery - Englewood Downslope Distilling - Englewood Elwood Distilling - Boulder The Family Jones Spirit House Denver ● Geek Spirits - Boulder Golden Moon Distillery - Golden Hogback Distillery - Wheat Ridge J & L Distilling Co - Boulder Ironton Distillery - Denver Laws Whiskey House - Denver Leopold Bros - Northeast Denver Local Distilling - Golden Mad Rabbit Distillery - Westminster Mile High Spirits - Lodo Mythology Distillery - Denver ●

Rising Sun Distillery - Denver Rocker Spirits - Littleton Santa Fe Spirits - Littleton Ski Bum Rum Distillery - Golden Spirit Hound Distillers - Lyons State 38 Distilling - Golden Stranahan’s - South Denver Strongwater Spirits & Botanicals - Denver Talnua Distillery - Arvada Tighe Brothers Distillery - Denver Vapor Distillery - Boulder Weaver’s Spirits - Parker Whistling Hare - Westminster ●

NORTHERN COLORADO Anvil Distillery - Longmont Big Fat Pastor - Loveland Black Canyon Distillery - Longmont Bouck Brothers Whiskey - Idaho Springs Coyote Gold Margaritas - Fort Collins Coppermuse Distillery - Fort Collins Dry Land Distillers - Longmont Elevation 5003 Distillery - Fort Collins Elkins Distilling Co - Estes Park Feisty Spirits - Fort Collins The Heart Distillery - Windsor Longtucky Spirits - Longmont Mobb Mountain Distillers - Fort Collins NOCO Distillery - Fort Collins Old Elk Distillery - Fort Collins Old Town Distilling - Fort Collins Still Cellars - Longmont Spring 44 Distilling - Loveland

Steamboat Whiskey Co ● steamboatwhiskeyco.com 970.846.3534 55 11th St, Steamboat Springs

Syntax Spirits - Greeley Tower 56 Distillery - Greeley

SOUTHERN COLORADO 3 Hundred Days of Shine - Monument 1350 Distilling - Colo. Springs Axe and the Oak - Colo. Springs Black Bear Distillery - Green Mountain Falls Cockpit Craft Distillery - Colo.

Springs Colorado Gold - Colorado Springs Deerhammer Distilling Co - Buena Vista Distillery 291 - Colo. Springs Lee Spirits - Colo. Springs Meridiem Spirits - Elizabeth Mystic Mountain Distillery - Larkspur Sand Creek Distillery - Hugo Sangre Distilleries - Westcliffe Spirits of the Rockies - Pueblo Wood’s High Mountain Distillery Salida WESTERN SLOPE 10th Mountain Whiskey & Spirit Co - Vail 39 North Spirits - Eagle 808 Distillery - Eagle Coal Creek Distillery - Crested Butte Durango Craft Spirits - Durango

July-August 2019

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Highlands Distillery - Grand Junction Honey House Distillery - Durango Idlewild Spirits - Winter Park KJ Wood Distillers - Ouray Marble Distilling Co - Carbondale ● Montanya Distillers - Crested Butte Peach Street Distillers - Palisade Peak Spirits - Hotchkiss Stoneyard Distillery - Dotsero Storm King Distilling - Montrose Telluride Distilling Co - Telluride Woodshed Distilling - Pagosa Springs Woody Creek Distillers - Basalt

WINERIES GRAND JUNCTION AREA Avant Vineyards - Palisade Carlson Vineyards - Palisade Colorado Cellars Winery - Palisade Colterris Winery - Palisade DeBeque Canyon Winery - Palisade Desert Sun Vineyards - Grand Junction Garfield Estates Vineyard & Winery - Palisade Grande River Vineyards - Palisade Graystone Winery - Clifton Gubbini Winery - Palisade Hermosa Vineyards - Palisade Maison la Belle Vie Winery & Amy’s Courtyard - Palisade

Mesa Park Vineyards - Palisade Peachfork Orchards and Vineyards - Palisade Plum Creek Cellars - Palisade Ptarmigan Vineyards - Grand Junction Ram’s Point Winery - Grand Junction Red Fox Cellars - Palisade Reeder Mesa Vineyards - Whitewater St. Kathryn Cellars Winery & Gift Shop - Palisade Summit Cellars - Palisade Talon Winery - Palisade Two Rivers Winery - Grand Junction Two Swedes Glögg - Grand Junction Varaison Vineyards and Winery Palisade Whitewater Hill Vineyards - Grand Junction

CENTRAL WEST AREA 5680′ - Paonia Alfred Eames Cellars at Puesta del Sol Vineyards - Paonia Azura Cellars - Paonia Black Bridge Winery - Paonia Evening Grace Vineyards - Hotchkiss Leroux Creek Vineyards - Hotchkiss Mesa Winds Farm and Winery Hotchkiss Stone Cottage Cellars - Paonia DELTA & MONTROSE COUNTIES Chill Switch Wine - Cedaredge Cottonwood Cellars/The Olathe

Winery - Olathe Garrett Estates Cellars - Olathe Jack Rabbit Hill - Hotchkiss Mountain View Winery - Olathe Stoney Mesa Winery - Cedaredge Winery at Cedars Farm - Cedaredge

SOUTH FRONT RANGE Byers Cellars - Cripple Creek D’Vine Wine - Manitou Springs Evergood Elixirs - Palmer Lake Le Fuselier Winery at Spring Creek Vineyards - Canon City Legatum Cellars - Canon City Mountain Spirit Winery, Ltd. - Salida Sette Dolori - Black Forest Songbird Cellars - Beulah The Winery at Holy Cross Abbey Canon City The Winery at Pikes Peak - Cascade Vino Colorado Winery - Colorado Springs Vino Salida Wine Cellars - Poncha Springs CENTRAL FRONT RANGE Allis Ranch Winery - Sedalia Aspen Peak Cellars - Bailey Balistreri Vineyards - Denver Bigsby’s Folly - Denver Black Arts Cellars - Littleton Bonacquisti Wine Company - Denver Carboy Winery - Littleton Creekside Cellars - Evergreen

HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING INSTALLATION & SERVICE

Gaijin 24886 Sake - Denver Golden City Winery - Golden Golden Valley Winery - Denver InVINtions, A Creative Winery Greenwood Village Kingman Estates Winery - Denver Ladrón Cellars - Englewood Leap of Faith Winery - Wheat Ridge Point Blank Winery - Centennial Purgatory Cellars Winery - Parker Ryker’s Cellars - Denver Silver Vines Winery - Arvada Spero Winery - Denver The Infinite Monkey Theorem Denver The Wine Barrel - Parker Vino Passarelli - Lakewood Water 2 Wine - Centennial Waters Edge Winery - Centennial What We Love, The Winery - Boulder Wild Women Winery - Denver Wine & Whey - Denver

NORTHERN FRONT RANGE Augustina’s Winery - Nederland Bad Bitch Cellars - Eaton Blue Mountain Vineyards - Berthoud Blue Skies Winery - Fort Collins BookCliff Vineyards - Boulder Decadent Saint - Boulder River Garden Winery - Fort Lupton Settembre Cellars - Boulder Snowy Peaks Winery - Estes Park Stonebridge Farm Winery - Longmont Sweet Heart Winery - Loveland Ten Bears Winery - Laporte Turquoise Mesa Winery - Broomfield Viewpoint Wines - Boulder Vintage Handcrafted Wines - Fort Collins CENTRAL MOUNTAIN Buckel Family Wine - Crested Butte Continental Divide Winery Breckenridge Monkshood Cellars - Minturn Vines at Vail Winery - Wolcott Winter Park Winery - Fraser PLAINS Claremont Inn & Winery - Stratton Mummy Hill Winery - Holyoke Reds Wine Boutique - Sterling FOUR CORNERS Flying T Wine - Cortez Four Leaves Winery - Durango

Fox Fire Farms - Ignacio Guy Drew Vineyards - Cortez Pleasant View Vineyards - Pleasant View Sutcliffe Vineyards - Cortez

CIDERIES Apple Valley Cider Co Artisan Craft Cellars - Westminster Big B’s Juices and Hard Cider Hotchkiss Boco Cider - Boulder Branch Out Cider - Fort Collins C Squared Ciders - Denver ● Clear Fork Cider - Denver Climb Hard Cider Co - Loveland Colorado Cider Co - Denver Colorado Common Cider - Colo.

Springs Colorado Plus Cidery - Golden Golden City Winery - Golden Haykin Family Cider - Aurora The Ice Cave Cider House Monument Locust Cider - Boulder Old Mine Cidery & Brewpub - Erie Scrumpy’s Hard Cider - Fort Collins Snow Capped Cider - Cedaredge St. Vrain Cidery - Longmont Stem Ciders - Denver ● ● Stem Ciders Acreage- Lafayette ● ● Summit Hard Cider - Fort Collins Talbott’s Cider Co - Palisade Teal Cider - Dolores Waldschänke Ciders - Denver Wild Cider - Firestone

MEADERIES Black Forest Meadery - Colorado Springs Colorado Honey Wine - Distribution Only Dragon Meadery - Aurora Honnibrook Meadery - Castle Rock Meadery of the Rockies - Palisade Medovina - Niwot Miracle Stag Meadery - Loveland Queen Bee Brews - Denver Redstone Meadery - Boulder

If your favorite Colorado craft producer is not listed, please let us know. joe@thirstcolorado.com

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July-August 2019

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