Thirst Magazine September-October 2019 by The Publishing House

SERVING UP THE COLORADO EXPERIENCE

Vol. 4, No. 6 September-October 2019

HIT THE ROAD BUCKET-LIST DESTINATIONS FOR FALL CYCLING

9,300

WAYS TO FILL YOUR GLASS

GROOVIN’

CHECKING IN ON COLORADO’S FUNK PURVEYORS

SELF-PARK GARAGE Coming Soon We listened and parking is getting easier at Saratoga Casino! Park with ease so you can have more fun on your favorite slots and table games. www.saratogacasinobh.com Gambling problem? Call 1-800-522-4700.

LIBATIONS BEYOND

Eight reasons to hit the road and indulge in autumn’s splendor While some of us lament the end of summer, others are looking forward to knee-deep powder in the backcountry. But don’t sell short the annual change of season when the gold and red aspen leaves light up the hills. Here are eight reasons to gather with friends and family this fall and enjoy the incredible colors and moderate temps.

Carefree living is an expectation that most residents and visitors strive for when hanging out in our state. Grab a sixer of your favorite craft beverage and head up to the Blue River for some fly fishing.

Overnight experiences are optimal when deep in the high country. Those who have ventured

above 11,000 feet for a few clear nights understand the concept. The stars feel like a blanket resting over you.

Limitless landscapes can be found in the western part of the state. But if you are ready for

something different, drive southeast to the Commanche National Grasslands to learn more about our state’s history.

Old-fashioned fun is available to all those willing to dive a little deeper into the small towns

around the state. From the Yeti Fest in Gould to the Colorado Mountain Winefest in Palisade, we have many reasons to gather and celebrate.

River rafting is one way to chill out in fall. Explore the change in sunlight that comes deep from the southern skies while floating the Colorado River near the Utah border.

Adventure is the name of the game for anyone who has the desire to look into Colorado’s

cultural scene. From food and drinks to short hikes or extreme sports, grab your gear and enjoy.

Daybreak is the best time to experience the true essence of the outdoors. For those lucky

enough to wake up in a tent deep in the backcountry, you’ll know what Henry David Thoreau meant when he wrote: “Every morning was a cheerful invitation to make my life of equal simplicity, and I may say innocence, with Nature herself.”

Obsessed with getting outdoors? There’s no better time to scuffle in the leaves, shoot a

photograph in the aspen forest and take full advantage of what many consider to be the best time of year in Colorado!

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, Steve Graham, Kyle Kirves, Kristin Owens, Monica Parpal Stockbridge, Gabe Toth 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

Remember, live your passion and thirst responsibly!

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

Paul Johnson Publisher & Tasting Guru facebook.com/thirstcolorado twitter.com/thirstcolorado @thirstcolorado

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September-October 2019

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. 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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Left to right: Front row, Johnny Prato (Bartender), Tanner Landon (Bartender), Back row, Chris Delmedico (Bartender), Will Curtin (Owner), Chris Kirk (Owner/Head Brewer), and Julia Lunde (Bartender).

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THIRST COLORADO | September-October 2019

INTERSECTIONS

20 Strange Brew

Grab some Hawaiian vibes in a Colorado can from Odd13

22 Destination Kremmling

Plan to spend some time enjoying craft beer, spirits and food

32 Untapped

Fests, foodie events and other fall fun for your calendar

38 Embracing the Spirits 42 Jukebox 46 Art of Brewing

Escape from the norm at Deviation

Give us a lil’ mo of the Motet

Telluride Brewing simply embraces their backyard to create an artful look

52 Brewers Favorites

What do the pros think – and what do they drink?

Tales from the Lying Log Stories from the man, the myth, the legend: Bufford T. Clapsaddle

On the cover: Hitting the road in Red Rocks Park is a favorite among Denver cyclists.

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

ADVENTURES

Photo: Joe Ross

8 Fall Cycling

Explore the state’s roads on two wheels this fall

September-October 2019

GABF Madness

What’s new at the Great American Beer Festival?

Animal Yoga

Natural Vino

34 Stranger Things 50 Geeks Who Drink

Hit the Drive-In

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Get your bend on under the watchful eye of a shark or kangaroo

Here to stay, natural wine is a healthier alternative

Your favorite pastime is still kicking it old school

UFOs keep the San Luis Valley bizarre

How about a little trivia with the game’s creator?

Brewing with Purpose

Founder Peter Bouckaert’s plans are proudly microscopic

GET ON YOUR BIKE AND

RIDE

Colorado’s scenic fall trails are paradise for cyclists By Neill Pieper

ho needs the Tour de France when some of the world’s most scenic and challenging rides are right here in our backyard? Although summer is waning, many cyclists believe fall is the best time to ride. Colors are changing in the high country, and brisk mornings and evenings help keep you cool while you crush some of Colorado’s steeper roads. So, what’s holding you back? Here is a list of Colorado favorites perfect for fall riding, arranged from easiest to most challenging. Pedal on!

8 ThirstColorado.com ThirstColorado.com September-October September-October 2019 2019

Photo: ©Satori / AdobeStock

DENVER PATHS The worst of the summer heat is behind us. It’s time to jump back in the saddle, and for Denverites, it doesn’t get any easier than jumping on the city’s expansive trail system. One of the more popular paths winds around the metro area along the South Platte, Bear Creek, C-470 and Clear Creek trails. Roughly 55 miles of mostly flat riding connects you with water, scenic golf courses, skyscrapers and Front Range views.

SUMMIT COUNTY Summit County may be known for its ski areas, but in non-winter months, it’s one of the most bikeable areas of the state. The Summit County Paved Recreational Pathways System connects Frisco, Silverthorne, Breckenridge, Dillon and nearby areas of Keystone, Copper and Vail. Pick a direction, any direction, and you can ride on paved paths for miles. And in the fall, aspen trees are aglow, making the views spectacular. Rides can range from an easy cruise from Frisco to Breckenridge to strenuous challenges longer than 100 miles. Photo: ©

Double B

rain / Adob

eStock

Photo: Chuck Haney September-October 2019

ThirstColorado.com 9

COLORADO NATIONAL MONUMENT While the Grand Junction area is known for its mountain biking, just a little further west, the Colorado National Monument provides a spectacular 33-mile road ride. With a Moabesque setting, the monument will make you feel like you’re pedaling Utah or maybe the moon. Arches, sandstone formations and 2-billion-yearold rock layers can be viewed in the park. After a day out on the monument, take a short drive to Palisade and cool off by the Colorado River, or check out Palisade Brewing and Peach Street Distillers, just a short walk from each other.

Photo: Chuck Haney

TRAIL RIDGE ROAD

MCCLURE & KEBLER PASS

Head over the nation’s highest continuous paved road for a taxing, yet rewarding ride. Trail Ridge Road is on many cycling bucket lists for good reason. The road spans 48 miles and reaches an elevation of 12,183 feet. A grueling ride from Estes Park to the summit puts riders at almost 4,000 feet of elevation gain. After reaching the top you are rewarded with a 15-mile roller coaster of a ride down to Grand Lake. The experience is more enjoyable if a friend shuttles you back to your vehicle. Slow down and watch the out-of-state license plates roll past because the views are most rewarding on two wheels.

Take a long weekend and drive to the Crested Butte, Paonia and Carbondale areas. If you’re fortunate enough to have a gravel bike, definitely bring it for Kebler Pass. Both McClure and Kebler turn bright gold in the fall and sport stunning mountain views. All three adjacent towns showcase the best of Colorado’s small town living, so definitely take some time to tool around these communities. Plan accordingly: Kebler Pass is mostly gravel, while McClure Pass is paved.

Photo: Chuck Haney

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September-October 2019

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

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NAMASTE WITH FINS, PAWS, HOOVES, TAILS AND SNOUTS Coloradans are wild for animal yoga By Natasha Lovato

here’s nothing like shavasana, downward dog or chaturanga alongside cats, dogs, goats, pigs, sharks or kangaroos. You can support your animal friends while opening up your chakras, furthering your knowledge on conservation and maybe adopting an animal yogi of your own. We’ve compiled a variety of yoga options to try.

KANGAROO YOGA AT ZOO CHATEAU GOLDEN You’ll find yourself in down-under dog as you practice yoga alongside Bindi and Rooney, the kangaroos of Zoo Chateau. This vacation rental in Golden strives to give guests a once-in-a-lifetime experience interacting with animals while also teaching awareness of animal care and the importance of rescuing and responsibility.

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“We are USDA licensed as an exhibitor, we want to make sure we aren’t a roadside zoo, so we limit the interactions and strive on being a passion project by educating our visitors,” said Keaton Campbell, Zoo Chateau manager. “If you’re going to get animals, the best thing to do is rescue, but if you’re going to get one from a breeder, the best thing is to make sure you have the financial means and the space.” So, what is yoga with kangaroos like? These curious and furry friends will approach you for the occasional chest rub and hop around in search of granola snacks. “They’ll come up and sniff people. Sometimes they’ll get in a shavasana pose or lick people because they like the salt in the sweat. If you’re in bare feet they will lick your feet, so we get lots of giggles,” Campbell said.

PUPPY, KITTEN AND GOAT YOGA WITH OMKAI YOGA - NORTHERN COLORADO There will be a lot of cuddles, a lot of laughs and a lot of fun with OmKai alongside puppies, kittens and goats. Puppy yoga is hosted at Maxline Brewing where each attendee gets a beer or kombucha for attending. Kitten yoga is held at multiple Northern Colorado locations in partnership with the Fort Collins Cat Rescue. Barnyard Buddies happily hosts OmKai for goat yoga sessions where you can expect a baby goat to jump on your back as you find yourself in Marjariasana pose. For Kaitlin Mueller, owner of OmKai Yoga, it’s a great way to help the community, spread awareness about a non-profit and practice yoga. “The rescues I work with bring animals from other states that are on the euthanasia list and we give them new hope in finding a perfect family. It’s also a great way to bring awareness to yoga,” Mueller said. “It brings instant joy the moment the animals are released into the space. It makes you fully present in the space by focusing on the animals and the postures. You can’t help but smile and laugh throughout class and it’s a great experience for the animals to interact with the humans and learn social skills.”

Upper left, Yoga with Sharks. Photo courtesy of the Downtown Aquarium Lower right, Kangaroo Yoga in Golden. Photo: Natasha Lovato

Pig Yoga. Photos courtesy of YogaRitas

You can flow alongside the sharks at Denver’s Downtown Aquarium. Classes begin at 8 a.m. before the Aquarium opens to the public to allow for an intimate morning with the sharks. You’ll appreciate the integral part these giants play in the ocean, from the other side of the glass of course. Bring a yoga mat, water and be sure to book your reservation online.

work for treats.” Fontaine shares her love for pigs with her guests and also makes sure they know the commitment required for adopting one. “You never know what you are getting when you rescue or buy a pig. I made a commitment that no matter how big Tequila Barbie and Elvis get, I will provide a loving home for them. I encourage everyone to have the same attitude toward any animal they rescue or purchase,” she said.

PIG YOGA WITH YOGARITAS METRO AREA

CATS ON MATS THE DENVER ANIMAL SHELTER

YOGA WITH SHARKS DOWNTOWN AQUARIUM

Elvis and Tequila Barbie trot around yogis, picking up Cheerios and carrot snacks while getting a lot of pets from their adoring fans. For yoga instructor Sydney Fontaine, it only made sense to let her service pigs join in the fun. Many of the classes are held in Albuquerque, but Fontaine makes her way up to Colorado for pig yoga classes at places like Resolute Brewing Company and Vinue Food and Wine Bar in Cherry Creek. Once the tutus and headbands go on, Elvis and Tequila Barbie know it’s show time and Fontaine makes sure the guests leave with a memorable experience. “Tequila Barbie and Elvis create awareness on how smart and sensitive pigs can be,” she said. “After all, they have an IQ of a 2-3 year old. They are very emotional, love to work and most importantly they love to

Stretch off all your cares in the world and support the Denver Animal Shelter in a “yoga with cats” experience. This professionally instructed yoga class is made even more fun and relaxing thanks to roaming and adoptable kittens and cats. Bring your mat and enjoy an hour of kitten cuddles and if you connect with a special cat, consider beginning the adoption process that day.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN GOAT YOGA THROUGHOUT COLORADO Although Rocky Mountain Goat Yoga’s primary locations have been Longmont, Golden, Denver, Littleton and Colorado Springs, you can find them across the state. RMGY owner Jim Naron started goat yoga in 2017 to bring a physically, mentally and spiritually healthy practice to Coloradans.

“Interaction with animals has proven to decrease levels of the stress hormone cortisol in the body. Our goal is to cultivate happiness and smiles,” Naron said. “This is also very good for our goats. The goats we exhibit in the lessons are all bucks rejected by dairy or show farms, sometimes even rejected by their mothers. We give them jobs which provide for a great life.” The goats are natural snugglers, climbers and are trained to love and interact with humans. Naron explains just how excited the goats get for yoga as the guests play a part in surrogate motherhood. Guests give the goats a back to jump on just as they’d do with their goat mothers, thus encouraging the behavior they are already instinctually drawn to.

YOGA WITH RESCUED PIGS THROUGHOUT COLORADO Get your stretch on with Hog Haven Farm’s rescued pigs and maybe even enjoy an aprés beer or food from a food truck as Hog Haven takes their piggy friends out for yoga at places like Diebolt Brewing Company and Seedstock Brewing Company. Hog Haven has about 100 pigs that have been recovered from homes, shelters or farms. Native Natasha Lovato celebrates the Colorado lifestyle through hiking, biking or playing bingo while enjoying a sour ale or two.

September-October 2019

ThirstColorado.com 13

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Wine, Naturally In Colorado and beyond, natural wine is here to stay By Monica Parpal Stockbridge

Photo: ©Jag_cz / AdobeStock

s I was planning a trip to Paris last fall, a friend told me to hit up a geeky wine bar that natural wine lovers “go nuts over.” I smiled and imitated her excitement before quietly typing into my phone: “what is natural wine?” Troy Bowen, one of the owners of Noble Riot Wine Bar in Denver, gets this question a lot. “Natural wine, at its core, is wine made as minimally as possible. I like to say it’s wine that is grown, not made,” he said.

Photos courtesy of Balestreri Vineyards

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That is, natural wine is grown in the vineyard rather than manipulated in a winery. It is grown with fewer chemicals or pesticides and made with fewer, if any, additives. To him, natural wine is low-intervention wine — or, as he calls it, honest wine. Natural wine isn’t just a French thing, I learned. It can be made all over the world — even in Colorado. Still, natural wine can be tricky to define. It’s more than an organic or biodynamic designation. The distinction lies somewhere between a philosophy and a personality. It has a lot to do with the relationship between the land, the winemaker and the drinker. The wines themselves can be clear or cloudy, funky or fresh. Natural wine is a combination of transparency and mystique, and this blend is what makes it so desirable — and, lately, so trendy. That said, natural wine is nothing new. Just ask the winemaking family at Balistreri Vineyards in North Denver. This commercial winery opened in 1998, with winemaker and patriarch John Balistreri making wine the way his Sicilian family has for generations. John’s daughter Julie emphasizes the importance of making natural wine with no additives or adjustments. “We truly let the grapes express what the vineyard has to offer and where the grapes are from,” she says. At Balistreri, 98 percent of the grapes come from the Western Slope of Colorado. “There are no additives at all in any step of the process,” adds Mason Balistreri, Julie’s nephew. This means no sulfites, which is a rarity in winemaking although not necessarily required of natural winemaking. “These aren’t natural wines we’re making because it’s a hip category. These

are the types of wines my family has always made,” Mason says. Many in the industry, including the Balistreris, are inspired by Isabelle Legeron, France’s only female Master of Wine and just one of 354 people in the world to carry the title. She created the independent wine fair known as RAW WINE and literally wrote the book on natural wine. Mary Allison Wright, owner of RiNo Yacht Club and wine director at The Proper Pour

Photo: ©Mariyana M / AdobeStock

away by it,” he says. “Because of that, there’s a demand for it.” Bowen believes the rise of natural wine’s popularity has to do with our growing awareness of food products and the agriculture chemicals associated with them, as well as an interest in the people and stories behind the wine. More than anything, it’s about the wine’s story and character, and about the experience of drinking it. “How is this wine made in a way that is interesting?” he asks. “What story does this wine have to tell me, either in who made it, or how funky it is?” Ultimately, Bowen says, natural wine is just fun. “It makes us happy and gives us a chance to meet up with our friends and discuss our lives and the lives of the wine with a little bit of a buzz,” he said. Wright echoes this sentiment. “I want people to come in and know that they don’t have to be on the natural wine train,” Wright says. But she’s there to take them on that journey if they so choose. “I want to take away the expectation of the guests having to know certain words or certain things to enjoy something.” The next time I have the opportunity to drink natural wine, I’m all in — even if I’m not exactly sure how to pronounce the name or the process. After all, drinking wine should feel fun … and, well, natural.

Photo: ©Jag_cz / AdobeStock

located in The Source, also draws from Legeron’s definition. She sees natural wine as “sustainable, at the very least organic or biodynamic farming, [with] nothing added and nothing taken away except maybe a little sulfur at bottling.” Natural wine tends to deliver “an experience” on the palate — something people may have never tasted or felt before. It might be a tingling of the tastebuds, or a white wine turned orange due to longer contact with grape skins. The first time Wright tasted a natural wine — a Lapierre Morgon from Beaujolais — it rocked her world, as she put it. “If natural wine is a thing and natural winemaking is a thing … then what else is there?” she remembers thinking. Wright went on to forge a career in the wine world, most recently taking on the role of wine director at Morin, a restaurant in Denver where nearly every wine on the menu is natural. This attention to natural wine is not only a philosophy, but a reality. Mason Balistreri works at Joy Wine & Spirits in Denver, and says customers are coming in and asking specifically for natural wine. “People are trying [natural wine] and are completely blown

Photo courtesy of Noble Riot

Monica Parpal Stockbridge writes about food, travel and technology in Colorado and beyond. Read more of her work at monicastockbridge.com.

Mary Allison Wright, owner of RiNo Yacht Club. Photo: Jennifer Olson Photography

Photo: Ben Wolven September-October 2019

ThirstColorado.com 17

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BREWING THE ODD HAWAIIAN SMOOTHIE BEER Lafayette’s Odd13 cans creamy sour brew By Steve Graham

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can be a little bit funky and esoteric, and the beer nerds are really into them, but not necessarily as approachable by a broad audience,” Ryan said. Odd13 has been brewing smoothiestyle sours for several years, starting with the Chainsaw Princess of Karate, a collaboration with Big Choice Brewing in Brighton. It is a passion fruit and dragon fruit beer, which has evolved into a smoothiestyle sour over the past few years. The Big Choice website describes the

beer as “pink goodness that will feel like a swift karate kick to your taste buds.” Last year, Ryan made the Hawaiian Bartender, a pineapple mango sour. It was a hit in the taproom and on liquor store shelves, but he decided to tweak the recipe for this year’s version. “We wanted to reimagine the beer a little bit,” Ryan said. His wife, and Odd13 co-owner Kristin Scott, said sour beers in general are becoming kinder and gentler on the palate. “They are definitely more approachable than they used to be,” she said. “They used to be the puckering Warhead sour, and now they are trending to more approachable and fruit-forward beers.” Ryan and Kristin are all about making intense and unusual beers more palatable. They opened Odd13 in 2013, after Ryan had been home brewing for several years back in Illinois and after moving to Colorado for Ryan’s tech job. They were both impressed with the Front Range brewery scene, if not the beer. “Quite honestly, I felt like Ryan was making better beer than a lot of the breweries around us,” Kristin said.

Photo: Neill Pieper

yan Scott isn’t very interested in standard beer styles. So when he was looking for something “approachable” to produce and can at Odd13 Brewing in Lafayette, he settled on a smoothie-style sour flavored with passion fruit, blood orange and guava. The Haole Bartender is named after a derogatory slur in Hawaii for mainlanders, and inspired by POG, a popular Hawaiian mix of passion fruit (P), orange (O) and guava (G) juices. “This is an adult reinterpretation of the sugary kids’ drink from Hawaii,” Ryan said. The smoothie part comes from the addition of lactose and vanilla, creating a smoother and creamier experience than a more traditional sour. “The smoothie-style sour creates a pretty approachable beer that is interesting to a variety of audiences,” Ryan said. “We’re using fruits in combination with kettle souring and wild yeasts. It has a fair amount of complexity for a quick sour.” He admits the more traditional sours in his taproom have a limited clientele. “Some of the more extended barrel-aged sours

She decided to use her business background to launch a new brewery. “I just thought it would be a fun thing to do as a couple to start something from the ground up,” Kristin said. For two years, they produced up to 1,000 barrels in a small brew house that still houses their taproom. In 2015, they opened a new production facility with a busy canning line. “Once we started canning, we could not keep up with demand,” she said of the original space. Odd13 expanded into California this year, and is currently available throughout Colorado and Arizona. The brewery name is a very personal area code reference. Kristin grew up in the Ohio 513 area code, and Ryan grew up in the 313 area code of Michigan. Coincidentally, they also lived in house number 913. All are odd digits followed by the number 13. It also fits the unusual nature of some of their beers. But Odd13 will only push the envelope so far. Kristin wants the smoothie sour to really pour like a smoothie, but hasn’t won that argument yet. “I want to see it in a slushy machine somewhere,” Kristin said. “Ryan is antislushy machine. He wants the beer to be presented like a beer should be presented, and says it shouldn’t be in a slushy machine.” The Haole Bartender may only be on shelves (but not in slushy machines) for a few weeks, but Ryan expects to keep making smoothie-style sours. “It’s a direction we are planning to continue for a while,” Ryan said. 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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CRAFTING QUALITY BEER, FOOD AND SPIRITS IN KREMMLING By Joe Ross

ick Reliford realizes that sometimes you have to crawl before you run but it’s taken less than two years for the Kremmling brewer to reach his stride. Reliford launched Grand Adventure Brewing Co. in 2017 and began brewing in March of 2018. With a nice selection of beer and a small kitchen, he found himself working around the clock to keep customers in the small northwest Colorado town happy. It was then that he set his sights on forming partnerships to enhance his business that serves the community. With more adventurers finding their way to the area, Kremmling has become a great place

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to set up a base. Nearby Woolford Mountain Reservoir and Williams Fork Reservoir attract large numbers of fishing enthusiasts and others who plunge deep into water sports. Throw in rafting, hiking, biking and campers filling up the backcountry and Kremmling begins to shine as a tourist destination. Reliford’s brewery is located just a block off the town’s main drag in an old building that was recently remodeled. His brews range from a refreshing pilsner dubbed the River Ranger to some heavier hitters, such as Mary’s Wall Blackout, an imperial stout with a hint of whiskey and chocolate that registers 10 percent ABV.

With plenty of space outdoors for live music, corn hole and fresh-air dining, Reliford decided it was a great time to form a partnership and expand. Enter chef Jon Harvey. Harvey took over the kitchen at Grand Adventure, named it The Dean West, and came up with a menu that is creative and pleasing to the wide mix of guests living in and visiting Grand County. In addition to soups, salads and burgers, Harvey is producing bison short ribs, a rack of lamb and other tasty entrees. Harvey’s expertise in the kitchen was key, Reliford said. “We have hit the level of food

Upper right: Grand Adventure Brewing Co. founder and brewer Rick Reliford, left, poses with The Dean West restaurant’s Jon Harvey. They have combined efforts with distiller Red Waldron to provide craft brew, food and spirits under one roof in Kremmling. Photos: Paul Johnson

service and guest experience that we have always strived for.” To round out the food and drink package in the town that was founded in 1881, a distiller named Red Waldron was brought on board and launched Blue Valley Spirits adjacent to the brewery and restaurant. With his eyes set on bourbon and whiskey down the road, Waldron is currently distilling vodka, gin, rum and moonshine, which has recently become available. Blue Valley Spirits celebrated its softopening early in September with a party featuring live music. Reliford’s small-town brewery has suddenly become a big-time attraction with great food and promising spirits. He said the trio has dubbed it Colorado’s first Brewstillery. “The three of us have created a very unique establishment and guest experience and this is only the beginning,” he said. As for working around the clock? Although last spring’s remodel made it impossible to take a day off, things have improved for the young brewer who learned the ropes at Dillon Dam Brewery.

“After making such a huge push during the remodel, putting in so many hours, it felt very strange to take a day off,” he said. “I would literally be anxious after about six hours of not being on site.” And now? “It is funny that you ask that,” he said. “Prior to bringing on The Dean West, days off were several months apart, but now I am able to take one day a week off.” When he gets a break, you might find Reliford hunting or fishing – living the grand adventure that he fell in love with when he moved to the area several years ago. Joe Ross is editor and associate publisher of Thirst Colorado Media.

IF YOU GO:

Grand Adventure Brewing The Dean West Blue Valley Spirits grandadventure.us 207 Central Ave. Kremmling September-October 2019

ThirstColorado.com 23

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AT THE DRIVE-IN

A handful of screens are keeping a classic tradition alive By Steve Graham

Photo: Courtesy of the 88 Drive In Theatre

26 ThirstColorado.com

September-October 2019

showing family-friendly new releases every week from Friday to Tuesday. The Comanche is also on the National Historic Registry. Some upgrades in the concession stand were complted this summer but “we want to keep it how it was,” Barb said. The Comanche sits three miles west of Buena Vista and offers vistas of the Collegiate Peaks. “It has a beautiful view,” she said. “We’re not in the middle of the city, with lights and

everything. … A lot of people comment on how pretty it is out there.” And the weather is often mild well into the fall in Buena Vista. With warm nights and the new digital projector pushing demand for new movies, the Comanche stayed open until Dec. 2 last year — a record for the theater. For more information about current movies, visit comanchedrivein.com or call 719-395-2766.

Photo: ©Terry / Adobe Stock

ome families have a tradition of going to drive-in movie theaters. The Groy family has a tradition of running them. “It’s a fun-filled evening and it’s a fun place to work,” said Barb Groy of the Comanche Drive In Theater near Buena Vista. “Everyone is happy about the movie and about being out there.” Barb and her husband John took over the one-screen cinema from his parents, who originally built the Chaffee County landmark in 1966. In turn, John’s grandparents owned the Ute Theatre in Saguache and the Unique Theatre in Salida. Old-fashioned movie theaters run deep in the family. Speaking of old-fashioned, the Comanche is one of a handful of drive-in movie theaters keeping alive a tradition from before high-definition home theaters and 3-D multiplexes. “I think the draw with the drive-in is that it’s something from the past that they can go experience and have their families go to,” Barb said. But even drive-ins are moving into modernity. After a few years of focusing on classics because new movies were not even distributed on 35-mm film, the Comanche upgraded to digital projection and is now

HERE ARE A FEW OTHER DRIVE-INS AROUND THE STATE THE DENVER MART DRIVE IN

The only other drive-in theater in the Denver area is at 58th Avenue and Interstate 25. It is open weekends through Labor Day, showing two movies per night for $10 per person (children under 6 are free). In addition to parking for 275 vehicles, there is also a small patio for patrons who bike or walk to the theater. The Denver Mart also sells beer and wine at the Mart Café, but they must be consumed at the building. For information and advance tickets, visit denvermartdrivein.com or call 720-833-5717.

HOLIDAY TWIN

For multiplex-style options, check out the two screens at this Fort Collins drivein. It used to be on the edge of town when it opened in 1979, but it is becoming surrounded by new housing in this fastgrowing city. Each screen shows a double feature every night through the first weekend in September. Tickets are $8 per person, with discounts for children and seniors. For more information and tickets, visit holidaytwin.com.

TRU VU DRIVE IN

The small Western Slope town of Delta, off U.S. Highway 50 between Montrose and Grand Junction, is home to a popular theater. The Tru Vu Drive In theater shows two new release movies for $8.50 every weekend (children under 12 are free). For more information, visit mydeltamovies.com.

THE STAR DRIVE-IN THEATRE

Down the road in Montrose, the Star is celebrating its 70th year of continuous family ownership. Adult tickets for each double feature of new releases cost $8.50 (children under 12 are free). The Star also claims to serve world-famous cheeseburgers and homemade fries. For more information, visit stardrivein.com.

THE 88 DRIVE-IN THEATRE

The 88 in Commerce City has been open since 1972, and shows three movies per night for $9 per person (children under 12 are free). For more information, visit 88drivein.net or call 303-287-7717.

MESA DRIVE-IN

In Pueblo, the Mesa boasts three screens. Each shows a double feature every night, and adult tickets cost $10 (cash only). Senior discounts and free children’s tickets are also available, as well as a variety of snacks, burgers and other comfort food. For more information, visit mesadrive-in.com or call 719-542-3345.

BLUE STARLITE DRIVE-IN

Finally, Minturn in the Vail Valley has one of the smallest drive-ins in the country, with space for just 50 cars (as well as an open area for cyclists and pedestrians — bring your own chairs) and a classic movie series. Conde Nast called it one of “the coolest movie theaters in the world.” Tickets are available now for all movies. Visit bluestarlitedrivein.com for tickets and information. 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.

Photo: Courtesy of the 88 Drive-In Theatre September-October 2019

ThirstColorado.com 27

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AMERICA’S GREATEST BEER FESTIVAL IS BACK AND BETTER THAN EVER By Emily Moyer

Photo: Neill Pieper

bucket list item for many beer enthusiasts, the Great American Beer Festival brings together thousands of people from all over the country to sample and compare beers from a mindboggling number of breweries. This year’s GABF, Oct. 3-5, will offer new experiences for festival-goers to enjoy beyond just sampling beer. The Boulderbased Brewers Association, which lobbies on behalf of breweries across the U.S., produces the annual gathering. Brewers Association Marketing Director Ann Obenchain says, “More than 9,300 beers from approximately 2,300 brewers will vie for the coveted gold, silver and bronze medals in 107 beer style categories.” With 321 medals available, the odds of taking home a medal this year are slim and the competition will be stiff. This year’s new spin is the Ikon Pass Stage presented by WinterWonderGrass and

held in The Backyard, GABF’s playground inside the fest. Three sets of live music are scheduled during each session from performers like Telluride Bluegrass winners, Wood Belly. The Backyard will also host lawn games, a tasting booth with 50 previously awarded beers and a karaoke stage. There will be a silent disco, collaboration beer competition booth and designated driver lounge with non-alcoholic beverages and massage chairs. Marissa Bejarano and her husband, Tyler, enjoy going to the GABF every other year, which offers them a chance to see what new breweries from all over the country are concocting. Bejarano says what makes GABF a fun event is having a chance to sample so many beers and be surrounded by beer lovers who are equally as enthusiastic about the craft scene. Bejarano is part of the American Homebrewers Association, a not-for-profit

dedicated to empowering and educating homebrewers. While having an AHA membership shows support for keeping the art of craft brewing alive and continuing to educate home brewers, it also offers exclusive GABF benefits, like early access to tickets for Saturday’s members-only session. “People travel far and wide to attend the GABF. It’s awesome that it’s right in our own backyard,” Bejarano says. “A huge benefit of being an AHA member is having access to those tickets because this session is usually a little more relaxed and attendees usually consist of more knowledgeable beer enthusiasts.” Emily Moyer enjoys skiing, photography and all things outdoors. She will soon graduate from Metropolitan State University of Denver with a degree in convergent journalism with a focus in mass communications.

TOUR OF COLORADO SET FOR OCT. 1 Benefit raises funds for Walk to End Alzheimer’s ’s Tour of

Colorado

hirst Colorado has again partnered with breweries and distilleries across the state to bring the freshest, newest twists in libations to sample at Tap Fourteen in Denver’s Ballpark Neighborhood. Each year, Thirst works with partners to collaborate on new brews and cocktails in an effort to fight Alzheimer’s. Fabulous prizes, such as a snowboard, entertainment packages and booze packages will be given away in a raffle that will take place during the gathering. Participants simply spend a few bucks on tickets and enter the raffle with the opportunity to win more than a dozen prizes. This year’s collaborating breweries and distilleries are expected to include Holidaily Brewing Co., Bristol Brewing Co., High Hops Brewery, Elevation Beer Co., Bruz Beers, Boulder Beer Co., State 38 Distilling, Wiley Roots Brewing Co., Meridiem Spirits, Upslope Brewing Co., Fossil Craft Beer Co., Black Project Spontaneous and Wild Ales, Strange Craft Beer Co., and others to be announced. September-October 2019

ThirstColorado.com 29

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FRUITA FALL FESTIVAL SEPTEMBER 27-29 Fruita

Hosted by Alpine Bank, this fest features food, arts and craft vendors, a parade and a cornhole tournament. Come enjoy the fall colors, live music and other Colorado traditions in this small mountain town. fruitachamber.org

EXPECTO BAR CRAWL SEPTEMBER 28 Denver

Harry Potter fans will unite to enjoy a night of cosplay and games paired with booze and food for a magical adventure. Grab your robes and wands to bar crawl with your fellow Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors and storm the streets of Denver like a bunch of dementors. eventbrite.com

Photo: Colorado Mountian WineFest

COLORADO WINE FEST SEPTEMEBER 12-22 PALISADE

Named the best wine festival in the nation by USA Today, the fest is the largest in the state.

SEPTEMBER

coloradowinefest.com

WALK TO END ALZHEIMERS SEPTEMBER 14 Denver

OKTOBERFEST SEPTEMBER 6-8 Breckenridge

A Colorado tradition since 1994, Oktoberfest is the largest street party in the Rocky Mountains, taking place on historic Main Street where mountain views meet brews, yummy food, live music and more. gobreck.com

THE SPRINGS SIGNATURE COCKTAIL TOUR SEPTEMBER 13 Colorado Springs

This luxe cocktail event features the best regional mixologists showcasing their art for happy hour. The event features educational demonstrations, food pairings and a history lesson on prohibition in the Wild West. You might even be surprised with dessert. rockymountainfoodtours.com

SUAVE FEST SEPTEMEBER 14 Denver

Suave Fest is the first Latino craft beer festival in Colorado featuring 30-plus beers from all over the state, live music and amazing Latino gastronomy and art. eventbrite.com

32 ThirstColorado.com

Celebrate the 28th anniversary with wine samplings from over 60 wineries, live music, a grape-stomp, chef demonstrations and educational seminars.

September-October 2019

The Walk to End Alzheimer’s raises awareness and funds for care, support and research of the disease. Held annually in more than 600 different communities, Denver’s walk is one of the largest in the nation and it takes place in City Park. alz.org/co

BRECKENRIDGE FILM FEST SEPTEMBER 19-22 Breckenridge

Hosted by the Summit Film Society, the fest offers a unique film experience featuring 90-plus independent films, premiers and parties amidst the changing, autumn leaves of the Rocky Mountains. breckfilmfest.org

BOULDER VALLEY DOGGIE DASH SEPTEMBER 22 Boulder

Enjoy a fun 5K walk/run around the Boulder Reservoir with your furry, four-legged friend to raise money for the Boulder Valley Humane Society. Proceeds go toward funding medical and behavior treatments for animals and it is a great opportunity to find adoptable dogs. boulderhumane.org

OCTOBER

GREAT AMERICAN BEER FESTIVAL OCTOBER 3-5 Denver

The greatest collection of beer ever served in a tasting, the festival is the premier U.S. beer fest for hop lovers and brewmasters alike. The GABF also presents Paired, an event that features small brewers and chefs that team up. greatamericanbeerfestival.com

10TH ANNUAL TELLURIDE HORROR SHOW OCTOBER 11-13 TELLURIDE

Experience a diverse mix of films ranging from horror, suspense, thriller, dark fantasy, sci-fi and dark comedy

DENVER ODDITIES & CURIOSITIES EXPO OCTOBER 5 Denver

This expo features vendors with strange and interesting antiques, specimens, bones, jewelry, taxidermy and tons of artwork for the dark and spooky collector. Check out this bizarre collection as well as live performances including a Live Human Suspension. odditiesandcuriositiesexpo.com

COLORADO SPRINGS SKY LANTERN FESTIVAL OCTOBER 5 Colorado Springs

The sky lantern festival kicks off with food, live music and shopping. It’s an event that can be enjoyed by the whole family. After the sun goes down, attendees will light up the night by releasing lanterns and watching them fade away into the night sky. nightlightsevent.com

LAKEWOOD CIDER DAYS OCTOBER 5-6 Lakewood

This harvest festival at the Lakewood Heritage Center is a fun time for the whole family to enjoy. Outdoor activities include apple cider pressing, tractor pulls and vintage power displays along with train rides and a baking contest. lakewood.org in Telluride’s theaters. Many of the films will be shown for the first time in the U.S. If you love genre films, then you shouldn’t miss this festival.

telluridehorrorshow.com

Photo: Howl-ow-ween, Denver Beer Co.

HOWL-O-WEEN PARTY OCTOBER 31 DENVER

Bring your furry, four-legged friends and head out to the Denver Beer Co. for a dog-friendly Halloween party. It is a great chance for you and

2ND ANNUAL MAC AND CHEESE FEST OCTOBER 12 Denver

Be an adult, but always remain a kid at heart and enjoy modern, chef-inspired twists on your favorite noodle dish as well as an open bar. The festival is held downtown at the McNichols Building with two different sessions of all-you-caneat macaroni to gorge on. Chefs and restaurants will compete for the best twist on the classic dish. denvermacandcheese.com

ZOMBIE CRAWL OCTOBER 18 Loveland

The living dead plan to take over the city of Loveland! Dress up in your favorite zombie costume, add a ton of blood and crawl all over restaurants and bars with your fellow undead companions to feast on the food of the living. visitlovelandco.org

STILL ON THE HILL OCTOBER 18-20 Breckenridge

This craft spirits festival includes fall activities in Breckenridge such as a haunted tombstone tour and a spirited cooking class. It also includes a mix-off competition against the bars in town, dinner and food pairings, as well as a bloody mary brunch. breckenridgecraftspiritsfestival.com Photo: Telluride Horror, Aurélie Slegers

- Compiled by Emily Moyer

your pup to meet other dog lovers and make new furry friends while competing for the best costumes.

denverbeerco.com

BLOODY MARY FESTIVAL OCTOBER 20 Denver

The fest features the best bloodys picked from restaurants all over the state of Colorado, using their own innovative recipes to spice things up. Devour endless food samples that pair perfectly with your drinks. thebloodymaryfest.com

COLORADO SKI AND SNOWBOARD EXPO OCTOBER 25 Denver

The 28th annual expo features demonstrations, live acts and giveaways of all your favorite gear. Peruse through your favorite winter brands for a bargain while you enjoy food and beverages at this family-friendly event. skisnowexpo.com

ROCKY MOUNTAIN CRAFT SPIRITS FEST OCTOBER 26 Estes Park

This festival celebrates high-quality, hand-crafted spirits in the beautiful fall scenery of the mountain town of Estes Park. The fest attracts distillers from all over the state of Colorado for exciting complimentary tastings, live music and bar games. epspirits.com

September-October 2019

ThirstColorado.com 33

UFO WATCHTOWER EYES UP FOR

Seeing is believing when you arrive in the hills near Hooper By Gabe Toth

UFO-C

34 ThirstColorado.com

September-October 2019

COL ORA DO

14 Illustration by Michele Garner

or the hopeful, the true believers, and those who look up at the sky and wonder, the message at the UFO Watchtower in the San Luis Valley is clear. “Keep your eyes open.” That’s the advice from Candace Knowlan, who was working the tower last summer while owner Judy Messoline nursed a broken leg. “There have been documented sightings in this country since the 1560s,” Knowlan said. “The conquistadors wrote in their journals about strange lights they saw. We know back then it wasn’t satellites or airplanes.” Some 20 years ago, after Messoline learned the hard way that Highland cattle don’t fare well in the scrub and sand, she was thinking about what to do next. “This is known as the mysterious valley. Judy moved down here in ’94, and she’d hear all these stories about the sightings,” Knowlan said. “She wasn’t sure what to do and she had casually remarked at one point that she should open a UFO watchtower. One of the farmers reminded her what she said. Why here? Intuition.” The tower itself — a cozy dome plastered with newspaper articles and other UFOrelated materials — and a metal platform one story off the ground, aren’t imposing structures. Except for the signage, one could drive by on Colorado Hwy. 17, a couple miles north of Hooper, without a second glance. “The tower is only 10-feet tall because we’re already above 7,600 feet,” Knowlan said. “There’s very little ambient light here. So, at night, 10 feet above the highway lights, the sky here is phenomenal, from horizon to horizon you just have the entire Milky Way.” Perhaps the most touching, personal aspect of the watchtower is the garden.

“Since Judy opened, we’ve had over 25 different psychics come by and tell us the same thing. There’s two major vortexes out there, the vortexes are portals to parallel universes,” Knowlan said. “Each one is filled with energy that spins and each one has a guardian. This is a healing garden. It is filled with healing energy. As you walk through the garden be aware of your body because you can feel the energies.” She added that the guardians are here for the earthbound as well. “If you have any issues you’re working on — physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual — and you want help and you’re open to receive, you can ask the guardians for assistance,” Knowlan said. “We have had reports of really miraculous healings at all levels here in the garden. Judy has invited people to leave a little of their own energies here. So, we have trinkets from around the world.” Visitors are encouraged to log their visits to the watchtower, as well as their sightings. “Judy opened this in 2000 and since then we’ve had 166 documented sightings,” Knowlan said. “That’s not counting sightings that have not been written in the book. Judy’s seen 27, I’ve seen 14. Each of us has seen three different ships.” The majority occur at night, but that’s not the case for everyone. “Most of my sightings have been during the day.” Watchtower admission for terrestrial visitors is $2 each, or $5 per carload. Primitive camping sites also are available for $10 per night, and GG’s Bed and Breakfast is adjacent. 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.

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DEVIATION DISTILLING PROUDLY GOING AGAINST THE GRAIN IN DENVERâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S BAKER NEIGHBORHOOD By Katie Coakley

38 ThirstColorado.com

September-October 2019

Photos: Katie Coakley

ome of the most exciting advances in civilization were created by going against the grain. One of the newest is taking place at Deviation Distilling, the latest player in the Denver distilling scene, where the spirits embody the idea of deviating from the norm. “We like to say we’re rooted in tradition but different by design,” said Cindi Wiley, co-owner of Deviation Distilling. Wiley, with husband Bob Wiley and business partner Dave Gade, opened the distillery and planned to make three different types of whiskey. They started creating these spirits in December 2017, after purchasing space in The Yard development near the Santa Fe Arts District. These three whiskeys — a four-grain bourbon made with all Coloradogrown grains, a rye whiskey with 100-percent malted rye and an American single malt made with 100-percent malted barley — will be released when they’re ready. Instead of simply waiting for the bourbon to age, the Wileys and Gade decided to create gin, too. But instead of simply starting with a common, neutral base ethanol, Deviation Distilling starts with clear whiskey bases, creating two sister spirits. “(Gade) had this crazy idea like, hey, what if we filter out some of the grains (from the whiskey base), leave a little bit of the grain in there for taste and then add botanicals that complement those grains,” Wiley explained. “So that’s how our three gins were born.” Each whiskey has a sister gin, and Gade uses his culinary background to determine the botanicals that best complement the grain profile. For example, the Spice Trade gin shares the same base as the rye whiskey. Because the rye gives off baking notes, Gade decided to add cardamom, ginger, star anise, Thai basil, peppercorns and other warming botanicals to highlight the flavor from the rye. The Citrus Rosé is a lighter, brighter tasting version (it’s actually pink in color) with grapefruit, tangerine and lemon, along with juniper, tarragon and other botanicals to complement the barley of the American single malt. The Mountain Herb is perhaps the most traditional offering, with wild foraged Rocky Mountain botanicals added to enhance the earthy flavors of the grains. “It’s a unique way of doing it, which tells our story, but it’s also just efficient, as a

process,” Wiley said. “When it comes out of the still, we can either decide to barrel it and age it (for whiskey) or turn it into gin.” But the process is not the only thing that sets Deviation apart. You can’t judge a book by its cover, but take one look at Deviation’s bottles and you know that you’re tasting something a little different. These tall, rectangular, clear glass bottles sourced from Italy are unique and eye-catching. Each label, inspired by Washi paper designs, hints at the flavors found within the bottle. The design is so successful that the American Distilling Institute awarded Deviation Distilling the 2019 Gold Medal for Excellence in Packaging Brand Identity, as well as individual medals for each variety of gin. Deviation Distilling’s gins are available in more than 80 Colorado liquor stores, as well as some Denver restaurants and bars, but we suggest visiting the brand-new cocktail lounge to sip from the source and look longingly at the barrels of aging whiskey. The industrial chic décor is both inviting and interesting, giving a nod to the history of the area. The LUMBER sign over the fermenters is original from The Yard’s first life as the Stark Lumber Yard, and the bar top is made from reclaimed boxcar floor planks, tipping a hat to the nearby railroad tracks. Though refinished, the marks, scuffs and original numbered nail heads remain, giving the bar plenty of character for you to admire as you sample a tasting flight or choose a cocktail. The cocktail menu is a mix of seasonal concoctions and twists on classics. The Salty Mimi is a favorite, a gin version of a Salty Dog with a family connection, and the Mountain Refresher is a take on the Tom Collins. Perhaps the most striking is the gin and tonic — packed with herbs and fruit. Wiley calls them a “salad in a glass.” And if drinking a cocktail and calling it a salad is deviant behavior, then this is the type of deviation for which we should all strive. 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.

IF YOU GO:

Deviation Distilling is located in The Yard at 900 W. 1st Ave, Suite #150, in Denver and is open Thursday from 4-9 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays from 4-10 p.m. and Sundays from 2-6 p.m. Visit deviationdistilling.com for more information.

September-October 2019

ThirstColorado.com 39

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ADDING‘MO’ ‘MO’ TO THE SCENE The Motet keeps Colorado dancing with funk, soul jams By Steve Graham

yle Divinsky compares performing in The Motet to construction work, even if the heaviest tool he lifts is typically a microphone stand. “It’s almost the immediate gratification of manual labor,” he said in a phone interview. “You build a staircase and you can look at the end of the day and say ‘I did that today.’ It’s the same thing when you’re on stage and you’re feeling the incredible vibe of a once-in-alifetime thing. You think ‘this is being built right now by all of us.’” Fittingly, his band now has an annual musical construction project in an amphitheater famously built over a 12-year span by the Civilian Conservation Corps. “Red Rocks is without a doubt, the pinnacle of all venues to me,” Divinsky said. “The fact that it’s half an hour west of where I live is insane.” The band is celebrating its 21st

42 ThirstColorado.com

September-October 2019

anniversary and its ninth full-length album, the deeply funky and soulful “Death or Devotion,” released earlier this year. The album, while not explicitly political, was partially inspired by the band’s voter registration drives last year. It comes out in the urgency of the music, if the lyrics are still focused on the groove.

“Music has such an amazing way of connecting people” - Lyle Divinsky “My only medicine is you and a dance floor,” sings Divinsky on the disco-flavored track “Contagious.” It is the first album with Parris Fleming on trumpet, and the second record with

Divinsky’s lyrics and Drew Sayers’ saxophone work. The new seven-piece lineup takes The Motet into new musical territory while maintaining an inescapable and irresistible funk groove. But the band has always been growing and evolving. In fact, the band name comes from the founder’s inability to keep up with his growing collective. He first formed the Dave Watts Quartet, then the Dave Watts Quintet, and kept bringing on more players. “He got tired of changing the name and so he called it The Motet,” Divinsky said. The Motet has dabbled in electronic jazz, afrobeat and other styles, but has become focused on funk and soul music. “It’s always been a genre-bending group, but leading up to the self-titled record they decided that funk and soul was the way to go,” Divinsky said.

Photo: Shervin Lainez

Red Rocks July 12, 2019 Photo: Jenise Jensen

Like the jam band Phish, The Motet is famous for cover-heavy Halloween gigs. After having a blast and getting roaring crowd feedback for their renditions of funk and soul classics from Michael Jackson and Earth, Wind & Fire, they decided to refine the sound. Divinsky said he brought more lyrical depth and rhythm and blues sounds to the group when he joined in 2016. “I always came up with soul and R&B,” he said. “I’m never going to take away from the party but I want to make it more than a party.” Speaking of partying, The Motet also collaborated with The Clinic this year on a marijuana strain, StarMatter303. “As a band, we represent and take part in the beauties of Colorado in a plentiful form,” Divinsky said. “I try to protect the voice a little bit more but these guys are masters. Parris is a weed sommelier at this point.”

He said most of the band preps for a show with some marijuana, so they developed a strain that will get them in the right mindset — and they invite fans to partake as well. “They are always searching for the thing that represents how they want to feel when they get into it,” Divinsky said. “This is exactly the kind of energy that we want you to have. It’s only going to make us sound so much better.” Divinsky said the recreational weed keeps them in Colorado, but the crowds are an even better part of the Mile High culture. “The moment you feel the energy of funk music and the energy of soul music you can’t turn away, you’re just going to be brought right in,” he said. “Colorado is filled with adrenaline junkies, people who want to go up into the mountains all day and come down and dance all night.”

He said he hopes crowds in Colorado, and all over the country, can relax, unwind and bond at a Motet show. “Music has such an amazing way of connecting people,” Divinsky said. “It doesn’t matter what you look like or how you dress, you’re sitting there with the same goal of having a damn good time.” After this year’s Red Rocks gig and some successful summer festivals, Divinsky plans to return to the studio to record this fall. “We’ve got to get back in the shed and build more staircases,” he said. 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.

September-October 2019

ThirstColorado.com 43

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ART OF BREWING

TELLURIDE HARNESSES THE LANDSCAPE

Art reflects common ground of brewers and artists By Kyle Kirves

olorado communities have a funny way of making a local fourteener virtually synonymous with a town’s identity. Colorado Springs has Pikes Peak. Towns along the northern Front Range have shared custody of Long’s Peak. And Chaffee County? Well, it has an embarrassment of riches in the better-than-fourteen-thousandfeet category, doesn’t it? And it claims them all. Why choose? The same goes for Coloradans who live in the shadow of Mount Wilson down Tellurideway. The mountain, which is almost Egyptian in its pyramidic symmetry, is an instantly recognizable local symbol and a natural choice for Telluride Brewing Company’s logo. “Wilson is truly iconic for our area,” says John Lehman, art director at Telluride and one of the creative forces behind the identity. “And from there, I just kind of came up with the sunrays behind it. It’s a theme that is part of the scene behind all of our other imagery.” It works. It’s a logo that equally evokes both the mythic past and the modern promise of the American west and Telluride itself. Not surprisingly, the flagship logo is the most popular element of Telluride Brewing’s merch and remains a fan favorite for Colorado beer enthusiasts worldwide. Anyone who’s held a can of Telluride will tell you that those rays of sunshine are a common element on all the beer’s art. But each beer has its own

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individual identity as well. Chris Fish, founder and brewmaster at Telluride, credits the local landscape for inspiring their can art. “Everything we love about Telluride goes into the branding. The outdoors, music festivals, everything,” he says. “It’s a shared experience coming together in the images. We wanted to incorporate that because it’s such a beautiful area that really calls people to outdoor adventure.” The art is also reminiscent of the energy and jumping-off-the-page aesthetic associated with classic concert posters from the Bill Grahamera. Fishwater at the Fillmore East? It’s maybe not as far-fetched as it sounds. Fishwater Double IPA is named for a Widespread Panic song of the same name. When asked to name favorites, both Chris and John quickly turn to Russell Kelly Pale Ale, a tribute to the wellknown Telluride resident and kayaking celebrity who died tragically in 2004 in a car accident in Yellowstone. He is fittingly memorialized on the can, in full gear, doing what he did best and loved most — making the magic happen in whitewater — in colors that evoke Evel Knievel in his heyday. A notable departure from Telluride’s established themes is a recently released Kölsch called simply, yet appropriately

southwestern Colorado deliciousness. Mountain Beer itself, and the process behind the naming and branding, are emblematic of the way they creatively collaborate. “We batted around names on Mountain Beer for weeks,” John says. “For Face Down Brown, I had the name and images in a couple of hours. Other times for other beers,

“We tell John what the beer is going to be like and then he takes that away and comes up with something that works, with maybe a tweak here or there,” he says. Chris and John also both love the town they call home. It’s a place that is infused into everything they do, and that’s not changing. “Telluride Brewing Company is rooted here. We wouldn’t want to be anyplace else,” Chris says, describing a recent expansion and affirming that there won’t be a brewing outpost or production facility elsewhere anytime soon. “The town will dictate how big we can get.” And that’s ok – as long as they continue to export that love in 12-ounce installments. 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.

enough, Mountain Beer. It has a classic, clean look that is less splashy than the other family brands. When I ask if the design is rooted in the post-war beers that dad might have fished from the icy bottom of a steel-belted Coleman cooler, both Chris and John agree that kind of thinking certainly went into the design process. “We wanted to make a quintessential Telluride summer beer, something drinkable and sessionable and we wanted to go a different direction with the branding,” Chris says. “It’s a big departure for us. Something kind of retro.” “It is in kind of the same vein as some of those old beers,” says John. “I remember stealing beers out of my granddad’s garage fridge when I was a teenager. Those oldschool, Milwaukee-made cans were part of the design considerations.” To be clear, we’re talking image only here, people – what’s in the can is 100 percent

the names have come first. The process is creative and fulfilling and not formulaic. It’s rewarding when it really comes to fruition.” Chris described the unspoken understanding between the brewers and the branders.

September-October 2019

ThirstColorado.com 47

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“The rise of craft beer makes what we do a bit more viable,” Dicker said, adding that the pub quiz format doesn’t work in dive bars where patrons are slamming $2 PBRs all night.

HOW DO YOU CONVINCE BAR PATRONS TO PUT DOWN THEIR PHONES? By “having a voice.”

Photo: Natasha Lovato

REVENGE OF THE GEEKS Denver company creates national pub trivia empire By Steve Graham

ust like Geeks Who Drink trivia rounds, there are eight questions in this quiz, and the theme is Successful Denver Companies.

WHAT DID JOHN DICKER DO AFTER AN “AWFUL” TRIVIA OUTING?

He started his own trivia company. John Dicker moved from Colorado Springs to Denver in 2004, and was looking for new friends and some after-work entertainment.

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“I went to play trivia night and it was awful,” Dicker said. “I thought I could do better.” He soon met Joel Peach, a serial entrepreneur. They took over the trivia night in one lower downtown bar. With some aggressive marketing and a creative format, they generated some buzz and expanded into other Denver venues. Pretty soon, they launched Geeks Who Drink (GWD), with Dicker as quizmaster in chief and Peach as chief financial officer.

ARE ALL 50 STATES LISTED UNDER THE “QUIZZES BY STATE?”

No, but there are 50 two-letter postal codes. GWD is now in more than 1,000 venues across 48 states, plus Ontario and the District of Columbia. It is the biggest wholly-owned pub trivia company in the nation. Dicker notes that a competitor with a franchise model is in a similar number of venues. Dicker declined to say how much GWD earned last year, or even how much venues pay to host the quizzes, but the company is clearly very successful, paying more than 40 full-time staffers to write and edit the quiz, and manage the company. The company has grown alongside highend brewing.

Dicker said anybody could read Trivial Pursuit cards or ask about sports stats, but Geeks Who Drink added some personality to the quiz that still really covers the traditional categories, such as geography, history and pop culture. Will Herdrick, owner and brewer at Intersect Brewing in Fort Collins, started hosting Geeks Who Drink for some Wednesday entertainment. “We saw a need for a nice humpday break to the weekly grind for our neighborhood and CSU taproom regulars,” he said. “Plus you’re not allowed to use your phone for Geeks, so it’s nice to see people disconnected from technology and hanging out together.” Herdrick said he knew GWD would run a more entertaining quiz than his own staff. “I think the key to running a successful business is to know what you are good at, and finding the right people for things you are not good at, or don’t have the time for,” he said.

HOW IS SPORTS LIKE THE ABORTION ISSUE? Ask John Dicker.

He said GWD largely avoids sports, because it is so divisive. “It’s the abortion issue of pub trivia,” he said. “People either want lots of it or none of it.” GWD may add one or two sports questions to the final “random knowledge” round, but usually avoids full rounds about athletes and statistics.

HOW MANY TRIVIA QUESTIONS ARE THERE PER WEEK? At least 448.

The GWD team writes a full quiz for each night of the week, with eight rounds, and eight questions per round (plus a few bonus questions each night). “We write more original content each week than Jeopardy,” said Dicker. Six-time “Jeopardy” champion Christopher Short runs the GWD editorial team that writes all those questions.

WHICH HASBRO DICE GAME WAS INVENTED BY A RICH COUPLE WHO WANTED A DIVERSION ON THEIR PLEASURE BOAT? Yahtzee.

That’s one of Short’s favorite “duh” questions — the type of question that will have you blurting out the answer to impress your friends, or smacking your head and going “duh” if you get it wrong. “A good trivia question should teach you something even if you get it right, and if you get it wrong, you think you almost got it right,” he said. “It shouldn’t make you feel dumb. We’re an entertainment company. We’re not scolding you.” Short, a former Colorado Springs Gazette copy editor, said he is constantly discovering new facts to add to the trivia mix. “When I stop learning things in this job, that will be time for me to pack it in,” he said.

WOULD ANYONE FLY TO LAS VEGAS TO PLAY PUB TRIVIA? Yes.

The 13th annual Geek Bowl, held in Sin City in March, was basically sold out last December. Dicker said shortly after launching the company, he decided to host a national trivia contest. The first edition did not go as planned. “I’m amazed anyone bought tickets to Geek Bowl Two after Geek Bowl One,” he said. After those initial growing pains, it has become a successful event, with musical guests and substantial cash prizes. GWD also hosts regular theme nights, with upcoming quizzes dedicated to “Game of Thrones,” “Golden Girls” and “Futurama.”

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IS PUB TRIVIA EDUCATION OR ENTERTAINMENT? Both, but mostly entertainment.

Short insists that his writing crew thinks of pub trivia as entertainment first, but educational second. “There aren’t a lot of cultural forces right now that want to make knowledge cool,” Short said. To be successful at Geeks Who Drink, you have to know stuff. But Short said rattling off encyclopedic facts is just boring. “We are really just entertaining drunks but doing it in the smartest way we know how,” Short said. 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. September-October 2019

ThirstColorado.com 51

BREWERS’ FAVORITES

WHERE INSIDERS SHARE OPINIONS ON FAVORITE LIBATIONS

Alternate Present German Schwarzbier, 5.2% ABV, Fiction Beer Co.

This dark lager is everything we look for in the style. It’s full bodied, on the drier side, and wonderfully balanced, with notes of French roast coffee, semisweet chocolate and very low bitterness. Fiction has nailed the Schwarz and we’d recommend it to anyone seeking an extremely well-built, roasty dark lager.

Codename: Superfan American IPA, 6.5% ABV, Odd13 Brewing

Oh gosh, how do you pick? I think if I had to it would be Codename: Superfan by Odd13. It hits my taste buds just right. They did a really good job with the hazy style. Eric Blythe, co-owner and brewer, Collision Brewing

David Sakolsky, head brewer, and Meghan Howes, director of communications, Black Shirt Brewing Co.

Colorado IPA, 6% ABV, River North Brewery

My favorite beer I’ve had lately is River North’s IPA. It has a strong bitterness and plenty of fun hops for aroma and flavor to make it interesting. The beer finishes dry like an IPA should. We use all of the hops in this beer (Columbus, Cascade, Azacca, Amarillo, Citra) in many of our own IPAs, so I like the direction they went with it. It’s a big, bright and flavorful IPA that finishes dry with lots of citrus. Nice work, guys! Nick Wilson, general manager and brewer, Twisted Pine Brewing

Alpine Start Semi-Sweet Hard Cider, 6% ABV, Talbott’s Hard Cider Co.

I mostly drink the Kannah Creek and Edgewater beers but being in Grand Junction, I do love the ciders. I specifically like Talbott’s Alpine Start. It’s dry, but sweet and overall very good. But, I’ll drink anything. Ross Adair, head brewer, Kannah Creek Brewing Co.

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Golden Haze New England IPA, 6.8% ABV, New Terrain Brewing Co.

My pick is Golden Haze from New Terrain Brewing. While there are plenty of good hazy IPAs available in the market today, I feel Golden Haze is one of Colorado’s best. It’s very well executed in all regards with enough protein-packed malt for a soft, silky-smooth base and hazy (not overly done murky) appearance. This provides the perfect platform for lots of juicy/fruity hop aroma and flavor to shine. It’s not over-hopped, like some, which produces that unpleasant hopburn characteristic. But rather, it finishes with a pleasant, mild bitterness and overall fruitforward balance that ultimately sets it apart.

I was at Upslope yesterday afternoon, and I really enjoyed their Experimental #04190 Hop Lager they had on tap. Great beer stylistically, easily crushable. And I love crushing lagers. Upslope’s taproom is always fun. It’s a good vibe and their company and employees have a great culture they’ve built. Shout out to Sam, their head brewer, and Chad, the taproom manager!

Bard Nielson, head brewer, El Rancho Brewing Co.

Danny Oberle, production coordinator/brewer, Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project

Experimental #04190 Hop Pale Lager, 5.3% ABV, Upslope Brewing Co.

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SMALL,

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By Kristin Owens

fter winning prestigious international awards and working at one of the country’s largest craft beer producers, what accomplishments remain for a renowned masterbrewer? Not what you think. Think small … even nano-sized. Peter Bouckaert took on a new challenge since leaving his 21-year tenure at New Belgium Brewing Co., one that doesn’t follow a traditional business model. His latest project, Purpose Brewing & Cellars, is tucked into an unsexy Fort Collins strip mall and open four days a week with limited hours. No flagship beers and the handful of taps change weekly. Yet, it’s crowded. Always. What’s Bouckaert up to? From giant corporate beer producers to boutique artisans, it turns out there’s room for all in the crowded beer market. Bouckaert has created a niche beer experience. All of his beers are originals, like works of art. Most

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Photos: Kristen Owens

breweries try to match a particular beer style but he focuses on creating a moment. This wouldn’t happen anywhere but in beer-savvy Colorado. Although Bouckaert says there’s only three ingredients in beer, “experience, knowledge, and creativity,” his ingredients read like a five-diamond international gastronomy tasting menu. For instance, the Pa Amb Tomàquet is infused with Aleppo pepper and dried Roma tomatoes. Or the Nacht, dark as night, brewed with 100 percent Troubadour malt and aged with Brazilian Amburana wood. These beers are anything but simple. The harmonious flavors combined with thoughtful processes produce unexpected creations. And as big as the world is to source interesting elements, he loves local collaborations and partnerships, like using Chenin Blanc Chardonnay barrels from Infinite Monkey Theorem and exotic spices from the Old Town Spice Shop. Purpose beer flights are pricey, around $15 for four. Yet customers understand his concepts and are willing to pay. Bouckaert knows which creations work by how they sell. High popularity doesn’t mean a particular brew will return on tap; he doesn’t want to

passions. The biggest compliment customers can give are specifics: too fruity or too carbonated. This helps plan the next batch. Bouckaert explains he is “blessed with great customers who have tasting skills.” And he loves elevating the boundaries of their expectations. So why the limited hours? Like everything else Bouckaert does, it’s all about the beer. Since the barrel room is kept constant at 65 degrees, paying customers warrant raising the temperature – the tasting room IS the barrel room. And since barrel temps shouldn’t fluctuate for long periods, limited hours are necessary. get stuck. He has no interest in distributing. Bouckaert believes larger breweries are suffering and smaller craft taprooms are getting crowded, so beermakers need to continually push forward with ingenuity. That’s his favorite space. If you want to know Bouckaert’s views on how the beer industry continually evolves, just ask him. He’s usually pouring at the taps twice a week to get customer’s immediate feedback. He wants to create passions, and clarifies both, “love and hate,” are

Contributor Kristin Owens passed the Court of Master Sommeliers’ Introductory Examination and travels the world looking for a good $10 bottle of wine. She’s a full-time writer based in Fort Collins.

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TRUE TALES FROM THE LYING LOG By Bufford T. Clapsaddle

isiting relatives from Illinois had purchased their Colorado fishing licenses from Dave Cook’s Sporting Goods Store. Anticipated activity: camping and casting for robust cutthroat trout at Shephard Lake (elevation 10,000 plus ft.) after an overnight stay at Sweetwater Ranch. Apart from one brief encounter with altitude sickness, it was a smooth and exhilarating September 1984 horseback ride into the Flat Tops Wilderness area. Oh &$@*! The mood spiraled abruptly. Clappsaddle had witnessed the marvel previously.

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The lake was in the process of “turning over.” The water had a green tint across its surface. Normally, “turnover” can upset your fishing plans for a day or two, or even a week. We established camp that evening a quarter mile from the stained tarn, cooked spaghetti in the big skillet and welcomed a backpacking biologist from the Colorado Division of Wildlife. He declined our offer to share dinner, noting that he was yet on duty, and disappeared into the forest. As daylight evaporated, he returned with an “off duty” shrug and a well-earned appetite. We re-heated the leftover spaghetti and conclaved for a very unanticipated first hand education about “turning over” lakes.

An Uncle of Clapsaddle once suggested there are five rules to follow when a high mountain lake is “turning over.” Put your rod back in its case! Sort your fishing gear bag! Read a good book! Enjoy a long hike! Take another nap! (The bite is on sabbatical)

Variables that Control “Turnovers”

There are a multitude of variables that contribute to (or restrict) the activity of a mountain lake “turning over” suggests Bill Atkinson, Colorado Parks and Wildlife Aquatics Biologist. • Insufficient or excessive wind patterns affecting some high mountain lakes. • Lengthy cloudy periods diminishing sunlight needed to augment the process. • Cold rain and/or early September snow, bringing a sudden drop in temperature. • Depth of the lake. • Extended drought such as Colorado experienced in 2018. • Abnormal heavy snowpack (still lingering in 2019.) • Excessive accumulated vegetation in a lake.

Green hue of water on Island Lake near Silverton suggests “turnover” is in process.

Disregarding the technical terms for the three layers that comprise water in a lake, the biologist painted a simple picture: Lake “turnover” is a phenomenon that normally happens twice each year. In September, or sometimes October in Rocky Mountain lakes and reservoirs, “turnover” originates when colder temperatures cool the water at the surface of the lake and molecules condense. That heavier, cooler water layer displaces warmer water at the bottom of the lake. The deeper water is pushed upward by the heavier top water, which goes to the bottom. The “turnover” mix of water, algae and plankton restores oxygen in the lower depths of the lakes, providing fish additional sustenance for the winter. Catching fish during a “turnover” is thwarted because oxygen fluctuation causes fish to become lethargic. A horse packing sidekick of Clapsaddle’s who was also an ardent angler, regularly asserted that should a high country lake not

“turnover” in the fall its fish population would winter kill. Not necessarily the case, says Adam Hansen, Aquatic Research Scientist, who performs his duties for Colorado Parks and Wildlife from its Fort Collins office. Mother Nature affirms command and produces frequent reports of mountain lakes exchanging water top to bottom and bottom to top, and winter kill may still occur, notes Hansen. A prime is the depth of the lake. Regardless of “turnover” activity, winter kill can take place when early snow and/or extreme cold weather arrives ahead of usual time in the high country, and overstays its welcome in spring. From an angler’s perspective, winter kill can nullify fishing in a high-mountain Colorado lake or reservoir for two to four years, Hansen quickly calculates – a year or two to get on the state’s re-stocking schedule and additional seasons for the fish to grow into catchable size.

Atkinson’s career as a Colorado Parks and Wildlife biologist is reaching 21 years, the past 14 of those headquartered in the Steamboat Springs office where his domain includes Stagecoach Reservoir, Steamboat Lake and dozens of smaller water containments.

Hansen suggests there can indeed be an equation to fall lake “turnover.” Soon after the thermal destratification process is completed, fish in the now oxygen-rich water can commence feeding voraciously in preparation for the winter months under ice. They will likely be more easily enticed by your Double Renegade or a squirming crawler. So, if you are planning a lengthy mid-tolate September horseback ride or hike into a favorite Rocky Mountain lake, Clapsaddle advises (tongue-in-cheek of course) to send a drone ahead to check the status. Likely, things will still end up: Mother Nature 1, Drone 0. 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. September-October 2019

ThirstColorado.com 57

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BREWERIES ARVADA Denver Beer Co Grand Lake Brewing Tavern ● ● New Image Brewing ● Odyssey Beerwerks ● ● Someplace Else Brewery Spice Trade Brewing Co ● AURORA Bent Barley Brewing Co BJ’s ● Cheluna Brewing Co Dad and Dudes Breweria ● Dry Dock Brewing Co North Dock ● Dry Dock Brewing Co South Dock ● Launch Pad Brewery Peak to Peak Tap & Brew ● Pilothouse Brewing Co Two22 Brew ● Ursula Brewing Co BAILEY Mad Jack’s Mountain Brewery ● ● ● BOULDER AREA 12Degree Brewing ● Adamant Brewing Co Asher Brewing Co Avery Brewing ● Beyond the Mountain Brewing Co BJ’s ● Bootstrap Brewing ● ●

Boulder Beer ● ● boulderbeer.com 303.444.8448 2880 Wilderness Pl Boulder

BRU Handbuilt Ales ● Cellar-West Artisan Ales ● Crystal Springs Brewing Co Endo Brewing Co Finkel & Garf Brewing Co Front Range Brewing Co ● ● Gravity Brewing ● ● Gunbarrel Brewing Co Industrial Revolution Brewing Co James Peak Brewery & Smokehouse ● Kettle and Spoke Brewery Knotted Root Brewing Co Liquid Mechanics Brewing Co ● ● Mountain Sun Pub & Brewery ● Odd 13 Brewing Inc ● ● Oskar Blues Brewery ● ● The Post Brewing Co ● ● Redgarden Restaurant & Brewery ● Sanitas Brewing Co ● ● Southern Sun ● Stein Brewing Co Twisted Pine Brewing ● ● Unnamed Beer Co

60 ThirstColorado.com

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 Floodstage Ale Works ● Gorilla Alchemy Brewing Mirror Image Brewing Co 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 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 ●

September-October 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 ● ● skabrewing.com 970.247.5792 225 Girard St Durango

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 ●

TILLERY & CIDERY LINEUP Coopersmith’s Pub & Brewing ● DC Oakes Brewhouse & Eatery ● Envy Brewing Equinox Brewing ● Freedonia Brewing 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 ● ● Highlandlake Brewing Co Left Hand Brewing Co ● Oskar Blues Brewing ● Outworld Brewing Primitive Beer Pumphouse Brewery ● Shoes and Brews Wibby Brewing ● ● LOVELAND/BERTHOUD 5030 Local ● Berthoud 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 & Wine 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 ● ● Reservoir 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 WALSENBURG Crafty Canary Brewery WINTER PARK AREA Camber Brewing Co Fraser River Beer Co 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 facebook.com\ meridiemspiritsco 720.998.7435 372 N Banner St Elizabeth

Mystic Mountain Distillery - Larkspur Sand Creek Distillery - Hugo Sangre Distilleries - Westcliffe Spirits of the Rockies - Pueblo Wood’s High Mountain Distillery Salida

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WESTERN SLOPE 10th Mountain Whiskey & Spirit Co - Vail 39 North Spirits - Eagle 808 Distillery - Eagle Coal Creek Distillery - Crested Butte Durango Craft Spirits - Durango 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 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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