Thirst Colorado, September-October 2018

SERVING UP THE COLORADO EXPERIENCE

Vol. 3, No. 6 September-October 2018

OUTDOOR CENTRAL

BIKING, BOATING, HIKING AND MORE IN GUNNISON

SPIRITED HOUSE

DELECTABLE BITES & BEVERAGES IN LOHI

21

WINNING BREWS TO SEEK OUT

UPTOWN 19th & Logan

70 Colorado Craa Beers

BALLPARK 1920 Blake Street

100 Colorado Spirits

70 Colorado Beers

100 Colorado Spirits

American Alpine Fare

Two Denver Locations

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&

LIBATIONS BEYOND

Fall Into Some Fun Fall in Colorado is one of the most beautiful times to enjoy the outdoors. With that in mind, we asked some of our contributors to share their favorite fall activities. In the true spirit of the West, the responses wander all over the open range.

I love going to Rocky Mountain National Park in the fall. The park is full of beautiful golden and bright orange aspens. If you are lucky, you get to see some huge bull elk and hear them bugle.

Angie Wright, photographer

My favorite fall activity would be paragliding. The view is quite spectacular from up above!

Petar Dopchev, photographer

Hands down, my favorite fall activity is hiking to and through our state’s many aspen groves. The beautiful shades of yellow the leaves turn is something I look forward to all year!

Mary Anderson, designer, writer

My favorite fall activity is early-season skiing. Sure, runs might be limited and rocks might stick out of the thin snow, but there’s no feeling like being back on snow again, when the season is young and my legs are shaky and all things are possible.

R. Scott Rappold, writer and photographer

I love to mountain bike on singletrack trails through the golden aspen leaves. And of course, there’s nothing better after an epic autumn ride than a cold beer on the deck.

Kim Fuller, writer and photographer

Once fall comes in and snow is around the corner, I love to head up into the high country and spend a week hunting elk. There’s nothing like waking up with frost on your tent, staking out a spot, and listening patiently for 600-pound ghosts in the predawn light.

ADVISORY BOARD Jean Ditslear Owner, 300 Suns Brewing

Sean Smiley 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 Assistants Dylan Hochstedler, Natasha Lovato Editorial Intern Gabrielle Olejniczak Contributors Jack Brauer, Steve Graham, Kyle Kirves, Kailyn Lamb, Adam Larkey, Dionne Roberts, Angie Wright For advertising and editorial information, please contact Joe Ross at 303.428.9529 Ext. 227 or email joe@thirstcolorado.com Proud member of the Brewers Association and the Colorado Brewers Guild Thirst Colorado is produced by The Publishing House, a division of Colorado Word Works, Inc. The Publishing House also produces Colorado’s Performing Arts Publications, serving arts venues along the Front Range.

7380 Lowell Blvd., Westminster, Colorado 80030 303.428.9529

Gabe Toth, writer and photographer

Halloween is the absolute best part of fall and I love to create “punny” costumes just for the occasion. Last year I was She Sells Sea Shells by the Sea Shore, the year before that I was Taco Belle, and the year before that I was Little Red Riding from the Hood.

Natasha Lovato, Thirst Colorado editorial assistant

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

Thirst Colorado is published six times a year by The Publishing House, 7380 Lowell Blvd., Westminster, CO 80030. © The Publishing House, 2018. All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A.

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

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September-October 2018

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.

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Karen Hertz of Holidaily Brewing Company

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THIRST COLORADO | September-October 2018

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INTERSECTIONS

12 Strange Brew

High Alpine’s leafy brew has just enough zest to kick your palate into overdrive

30 Art of Brewing

Rockyard’s artwork is as distinctive as the characters who enjoy their brews

8

32 Untapped 36

Find fall’s hottest festivals, shows and other gatherings

14

Q&A

Oskar Blues has an obsession besides beer: music

44 Prime Pairings

Delectable bites created by local chefs and paired with great drinks

46 Brewers’ Favorites 57

Find out what the brewers are drinking

True Tales from the Lying Log

Back country yarns born deep in the Rockies

On the cover: Deep thoughts from the Black Canyon of the Gunnison Photo: ©pabrady63/Adobestock

30

© Jack Brauer

60 Brewery, Cidery & Distillery Guide

We’ll help you find great drinks wherever you end up in Colorado

ADVENTURES

8 Gunnison Valley

Sightseeing, biking, boating, hiking ... explore the possibilities

Family Business

The Family Jones Spirit House serves up quality bites and beverages in LoHi

Stay up Late!

48 Bastions of Booze

18

Cruise into Fall

52

Colorado’s night sky is vibrant and filled with wonder

Cruiser, chopper, crotch rocket. Whatever you ride, seek out these paths to paradise

These breweries not only brew delicious beer but have taprooms that keep you coming back

September-October 2018

40

14

24 In Their Element 6 ThirstColorado.com

52

Check out some of the metro area’s best purveyors of craft libations

GABF Strikes Again

Get the lowdown on this year’s fest and what to look for around town

Courtesy Marshall Fogel

See classic baseball artifacts–from Babe Ruth to the Blake Street Bombers.

Play Ball! features the Marshall Fogel Collection, one of the greatest sets of baseball artifacts assembled outside the Hall of Fame.

Museum Open Daily HistoryColorado.org

FALL FOR GUNNISON Get awestruck in Colorado’s central playground

By Steve Graham

F

all may be past the peak time for camping and there’s not enough snow yet for skiing, but there’s still plenty to do in the Gunnison Valley.

Visit Colorado’s largest body of water, see one of the world’s largest aspen groves or enjoy 750 miles of mountain bike trails. It’s a huge outdoor playground in all seasons.

“It’s all about access. There’s over 2 million acres of public land in the Gunnison Valley,” said Andrew Sandstrom, public relations manager for the Gunnison-Crested Butte Tourism Association.

PA I N T E D WA L L Photo: Neill Pieper

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September-October 2018

BLACK CANYON OF THE GUNNISON

VIEW FROM DRAGON POINT Photo: Neill Pieper

Gunnison is an easy drive west on U.S. Highway 50 from anywhere on the Front Range. If you’re using Gunnison as a base camp, Sandstrom recommends the Inn at Tomichi Village on the east end of town, or the Wuanita Hot Springs Ranch between Monarch and Gunnison in the Gunnison National Forest. The former dude ranch is a destination event site and bed-and-breakfast hotel with a large pool fed by a natural hot spring.

Either way, get some rest because fall in the Gunnison Valley is all about playing in the great outdoors.

“If you’re adventurous, it’s one of the best times for mountain biking,” Sandstrom said.

“The summer crowds have subsided. You’re past the afternoon thunderstorms and you kind of have the trails to yourself.”

Just west of Gunnison is the Hartman Rocks, a “mecca of Bureau of Land Management land that feels like Moab,” according to Scott Cline, brewmaster at Gunnison’s High Alpine Brewing Co.

When he’s not crafting creative beers, he is often riding on the 73 miles of bike trails in the 2,500-acre wilderness. A favorite is the Hartman Rocks loop, 12 miles of mostly singletrack on steep sculpted granite, with 1,500 feet of climbing.

There is also an abundance of road biking in the Gunnison area. Ohio Creek Road winds uphill from Gunnison toward Kebler Pass, home to one of the world’s largest aspen groves, which of course will be showing its fall colors.

Plenty of aspen are also reflected in the waters of Blue Mesa Reservoir in the Curecanti National Recreation Area. With 100 miles of beachfront, it is Colorado’s largest body of water, and the nation’s largest lake trout and Kokanee salmon fishery.

“Fall is definitely one of the most popular times to fish,” said Sandstrom, adding that salmon run up the Gunnison River from Blue Mesa in October, trying to reach the East River. Brown trout are also spawning around the same time, he said.

Cline also loves the fall fishing season.

“We have some of the most incredible fishing in the country,” Cline said.

He started to describe his favorite spot along Mill Creek, but stopped before sharing too many details.

“I don’t even know if I want to tell people about that,” he said.

Much of the Blue Mesa Reservoir is accessible along U.S. 50, but some remote tributaries are only accessible by boat or unpaved roads, allowing for some rare solitude on the water.

Further west is another piece of the Colorado River Storage Project (CRSP), Morrow Point Reservoir. It’s technically not in the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, but the National Park Service runs a leisurely 90-minute boat tour around the reservoir and into the canyon. The tours run through mid-September.

SOUTH RIM RAINBOW Photo: NPS\Zach Schierl

September-October 2018

ThirstColorado.com 9

BLACK CANYON OF THE GUNNISON

CROSS FISSURES OVERLOOK Photo: NPS\Zach Schierl

The final piece of the CRSP is the remote Crystal Reservoir, which is in the national park.

The south rim of the Black Canyon offers a large visitors’ center and full services. The north rim is more rugged, and more intense.

“There are a few spots where you can hike down into the canyon, but you go down quickly and it’s very steep,” Sandstrom said.

He said one of the best drives in the area is on Colorado Highway 92 over the Blue Mesa dam.

“You go through aspen groves and shrub oak,” he said. “Then you can see down into the canyon and down in the San Juans.”

Continue past the national park and the

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September-October 2018

road heads toward Hotchkiss and Paonia, with plenty of wineries and apple orchards in full autumn bloom.

If some of these areas remain too crowded for your tastes, even in the fall, Sandstrom recommends the Fossil Ridge Wilderness Area. Its 32,000 acres remain largely underutilized, but it has 26 miles of trails, climbing opportunities and a chance to hunt for namesake fossils.

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.

CHASM VIEW Photo: NPS\Lisa Lynch

STRANGE BREW

HERBAL REMEDY

Gunnison brewery pairs pizzas with basil brew

By Steve Graham

W

hen Scott Cline needed a beer to complement the Italian fare on his brewery menu, he added one of the core ingredients in pizza sauce and Italian salads — basil.

Cline is the co-founder and brewmaster at High Alpine Brewing Co. in Gunnison, and he likes good food as much as good beer.

“I am very much a foodie,” he said. “I love to experiment in the kitchen, and I experiment in the brewery.”

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September-October 2018

said. “It’s more balanced on the front with a beautiful basil finish.”

Cline said customers tend to agree with Kelley.

“I think for the most part people are pleasantly surprised,” Cline said. “The refreshing nature of it makes people want to drink more.”

Of course, not everyone in the bar appreciates the pungent plant in their brew.

“It’s really interesting that people who don’t like basil will order a basil beer,” said

Cline, adding that they will then complain that it tastes like basil.

After 24 years of brewing, he knows better than to take the critiques personally. A couple of years ago, he was home brewing and working in Crested Butte and moved to Gunnison for his wife’s job. Four weeks later, the old Gunnison Brewery shut down.

He had planned to launch a real estate business. Instead, he was inspired to buy a building with his business partner, and to open a replacement brewery for the town.

He gutted and rebuilt the site, about five storefronts away from the old brewery.

“It’s been my passion for such a long time, so why not make your avocation your vocation?” Cline asked.

He has since built a “brain trust of top scientists” to help him brew creative and consistent beers, isolating their own yeast strains and experimenting with basil and other ingredients.

Bartender and manager Abigail Williams has a recommendation for a food and basil ale combination.

“It’s a taste treat on your palate,” she said. “I love pairing this beer with our Burrata (cheese) appetizer.”

On the other hand, a mushroom pizza might pair well with Cline’s next experiment, a chanterelle mushroom beer. However, that brew is dependent on end-of-summer drought conditions in the Gunnison Valley, allowing for enough local chanterelles to hunt.

In the meantime, there is still enough water to brew beer — and grow basil.

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.

Italian Mountain Basil Ale Style: Basil-infused Blonde Ale Brewery: High Alpine Brewing Co. Location: Gunnison ABV: 5.5 IBU: 21

Photo: Neill Pieper

One of his most successful experiments is a basil-infused blonde ale.

“It kind of spoke to me when I had a piece of basil in my hand and did a little rub in my hand and was drinking a kolsch,” Cline said.

He decided to treat the herb like dry hops, adding a pound and a half of fresh, organic basil per barrel to the fermenter after primary fermentation. He said after settling on a recipe, he didn’t even need a test run.

“We didn’t even pilot it,” Cline said.

“We went ahead and made 10 barrels.”

The seasonal favorite was on tap all summer in both 2017 and 2018. High Alpine has sold 100 barrels of the beer, which Cline described as a “beautifully light, fresh, drinkable, patio crusher.”

Assistant brewer Marshal Kelley said the result is less intense than might be expected.

“It doesn’t punch you in the face with basil,” he

Swing by the pub and show us your Colorado ID for $3 pints all Monday long!

10BARREL.COM/pub/Denver

2620 WALNUT STREET DENVER, CO. 80205

720.573.8992

DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF LIGHT

W

hen the sun begins to dip and brilliant red, yellow and purple hues signal the end of the day, most people head indoors for warming food, drink and sleep.

Yet beneath the cover of darkness, for those who venture out, Colorado scenes can unfold into a three-dimensional tapestry of a small town, a constellation or a sunset. The cosmic views are among the most breathtaking sights around.

Photographer Jack Brauer of Ridgway has captured the nightscape in different parts of the state by focusing on light that interrupts the darkness.

“

ABOVE The lights of Ouray illuminate the snow-smothered mountains of the Uncompahgre Gorge after a heavy winter snowstorm in February.

LEFT Mt. Sneffels can be seen below the Milky Way on a new moon night in June. The green color behind Sneffels is airglow, a common phenomenon of natural chemical reactions in the atmosphere.

RIGHT Moonlit mountains and the last colors of sunset, as seen from the summit of Mt. Elbert, 14,440 feet.

Photo: © Jack Brauer

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September-October 2018

- JACK BRAUER

”

For those adventurous enough to brave the darkness, wondrous sights are awaiting.

For others, Brauer provides images to ignite imaginations.

Photo: © Jack Brauer

Photo: © Jack Brauer September-October 2018

ThirstColorado.com 15

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CARVE UP OLORADO ON TWO WHEELS A motorcyclist’s guide to cruising the state

By Steve Graham

Colorado Highway 12 provides a scenic tour for viewing fall colors. ©SNEHIT / AdobeStock.com

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The East Portal near Blue Mesa Reservoir is a great place to ride.

Photo: NPS/Lisa Lynch

K

en Bingenheimer lives in south Denver, but Gunnison is home base for many of his favorite motorcycle rides around Colorado.

“It doesn’t matter which direction you go, you are going to good stuff in any direction,” he said.

Bingenheimer has been documenting his three decades of Centennial State cruising on his comprehensive motorcyclecolorado.com blog. The site includes route information, as well as motorcycle-friendly hotels, campgrounds, rental outfits, dealers, mechanics and more.

“There’s nowhere better to ride than Colorado,” he said, adding that the mountains and canyons make for great riding and beautiful views, but he also enjoys exploring Colorado’s small towns.

“What can be better than taking a terrific ride over some high mountain passes and then stopping for the night in a rustic mountain town with architecture from the 19th century and brew pubs and excellent food?” he said. “And tomorrow you can do it again over different roads and end up in a different town. And again the next day.”

So where to start? He enjoys some well-known rides, including the Peak to Peak Highway through Black Hawk and Nederland, and Trail Ridge Road through Rocky Mountain National Park.

However, he said three of the best rides in the state are little traveled, but well worth the trip to their starting point in Gunnison.

Gunnison to Hotchkiss Loop

Bingenheimer suggests three one-day loops out of Gunnison, starting by heading north on Colorado Highway 135 to Crested Butte. The 28-mile run is just a warm-up for one of the best-kept secrets in Colorado.

Colorado Highway 12 is a seasonal, gravel road, but Bingenheimer said it shouldn’t scare off experienced riders. “It’s not paved but they put so much mag chloride on it that it’s basically like concrete,” he said. “A lot of people don’t like taking gravel roads, but it’s practically paved.”

He said the ride up to Kebler Pass is beautiful. Then drop back down to Colorado Highway 133 and head west to Hotchkiss.

Stop and refuel on the way into tiny Paonia.

From Hotchkiss, head due south on Colorado Highway 92 through the gorgeous Black Canyon of the Gunnison. Then it’s an easy riverside cruise on U.S. Highway 50 back to Gunnison.

Gunnison to Buena Vista Loop

Another ride out of Gunnison includes another insider tip — a newly paved highway to one of the best views in the state.

Like the first ride, head north on U.S. 135, but after 10 miles, turn onto CR 742 to ride up from Almont to Taylor Park Reservoir, known for some of the biggest trout in the lower 48. This area is also a base camp for bagging 14ers in the Collegiate Peaks, but it has typically been hard to access — until now.

TRAVEL SAFELY

Tips for safe, enjoyable motorcycling

• Wear layers. It may be 90 degrees

at a lower altitude but can easily dip into the 40s the higher you go.

• Wear a helmet, boots, gloves and, at the very least, a good riding jacket.

• Always travel with rain gear.

• Always carry a cell phone, credit card and water.

• If you’re riding with a group

make sure everyone knows the final destination in case you get separated.

• Make sure your tires and

mechanicals are in good condition.

September-October 2018

ThirstColorado.com 19

ANOTHER

Photo: Ken Bingenheimer

Bingenheimer travels the area enough to know that construction is underway, and CR 209 from Taylor Park up to the continental divide at Cottonwood Pass should be paved for the first time by late summer.

The rest of the ride has long been paved, though seasonally closed. Drop down the east side of the Collegiates into Buena Vista, home of Eddyline Brewery’s Crank Yanker IPA. Just sayin’.

From Buena Vista, take U.S. Highway 285 down to Poncha Springs, then head west on U.S. Highway 50 over Monarch Pass and back to Gunnison.

Gunnison to Del Norte Loop

The third Gunnison loop is all on larger roads, so you should be able to keep riding at top speed, although you’ll trade off some of the seclusion of the other rides.

Head east on U.S. 50 about eight miles, then head south on Colorado Highway 114. This follows part of the Old Spanish Trail through Cochetopa Canyon and over Cochetopa Pass on your way to Saguache and the San Luis Valley. From there, take U.S. 285 and Colorado Highway 112 south to Del Norte (where you’ll also find Three Barrel Brewing Company).

Then follow the Rio Grande up U.S. Highway 160 and Colorado Highway 149 through Creede, home of Colorado’s last silver boom and the World’s Largest Fork. The highway then winds through Lake City and Powderhorn on the way back to Gunnison.

At this point, you’ve probably earned a High Stoke Scotch Ale (or any other beer) at High Alpine Brewing. At the bar, you might meet another biker and plan your next twowheeled adventure.

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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BRITISH INVASION ROCKS THE ROCKIES

By Steve Graham

W

hen you have been playing music together for 27 years, it’s almost hard not to play concerts — even when you are on a motorcycle tour halfway around the world.

Thunder is a British hard rock band that has been performing for nearly three decades, since their similar-sounding countrymen in Def Leppard and Whitesnake were originally packing arenas.

The band came to Colorado this spring for a two-wheel tour with Todd Wyant and A Time To Ride, his motorcycle touring company. It wasn’t really a concert tour, but it still included a couple of gigs.

“We took them on what we now call the Thunder Tour,” Wyant said.

The ride started on the Peak to Peak Highway with the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park as the destination.

Wander around the expansive Stanley property and you never know what you’ll find. But instead of visiting haunted rooms or seeing ghosts, they found a concert hall and a piano.

“A short time later a guitar showed up and the impromptu concert began,” Wyant said. “It was shut down after several songs by management but it was truly wonderful.”

It wasn’t a total bust, though. Wyant said the management let the band play a short number on a century-old Steinway piano.

The next day, the tour cruised over Trail Ridge Road and through Rocky Mountain National Park. Past Grand Lake on Berthoud Pass, Thunder met its first Colorado snow.

The band also hit Frisco, Steamboat Springs, Vail, Leadville and Manitou Springs, with a ride up Pikes Peak to test that altitude acclimation.

After seeing the Royal Gorge, they ended up in Crested Butte for another impromptu concert.

In Carbondale, the band got into some rockstar hijinks when they were pulled over for “blastin’ by a school bus.” Wyant said the cop let them off with a warning.

The rest of the tour included Independence Pass, Granby, Mount Evans and a closing night concert at the Hotel Boulderado.

The Colorado ride was also a warm-up for Thunder’s annual fundraising ride in the U.K. that assists Childline, a hotline and chat service for children and teens facing any kind of problem. Thunder has organized eight Childline Rocks benefits, and serves as the house band for the ride.

September-October 2018

ThirstColorado.com 21

1 2 3 4 5-6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15–16 17 18 19 20 22–24 25 26 27 28 29–30 1 2 3 4 5–7 8 9 10 12 13–14 15 16 17 18 19 20–22 23 24 25 26 27

JUNE

Michael Franti & Spearhead The Motet / Boombox Marshmello Film on the Rocks: 10 Things I Hate About You Ween Brit Floyd "The World's Greatest Pink Floyd Show" Lettuce and the Floozies Big Head Todd and the Monsters John Butler Trio Film on the Rocks: The Grand Budapest Hotel Bryan Adams Turnpike Troubadours Ryan Adams Odesza Dispatch Film on the Rocks: Heathers Barenaked Ladies Kaleo Widespread Panic Lady Antebellum Dirty Heads Third Day Chromeo / The Glitch Mob The Avett Brothers

J U LY

The Avett Brothers Zeds Dead Zeds Dead w/ Rusko Blues Traveler Umphrey's McGee Dark Star Orchestra Film on the Rocks: The Big Lebowski Ray LaMontagne moe.

GRiZ Seal with the Colorado Symphony Imagine Dragons Jackson Browne Sylvan Esso Trampled by Turtles The String Cheese Incident Film on the Rocks: Happy Gilmore Paramore Killer Queen Sarah McLachlan with the Colorado Symphony Beats Antique / The Polish Ambassador & The Diplomatic Scandal 28–29 Tedeschi Trucks Band 30 Halsey 31 NAS X Black Star 1 2 3 4 5

AU G U ST

Colorado Symphony Presents: Yo-Yo Ma performs Bach HARD Red Rocks Lucero + Frank Turner & the Sleeping Souls Yonder Mountain String Band & The Infamous Stringdusters Joe Bonamassa

AU G U ST (CO N T I N U E D)

6 7 8 9 10–11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22–23 24 25–26 27–28 29 30 31

Steve Martin and Martin Short Film on the Rocks: The Goonies Portugal. The Man Leon Bridges Pretty Lights Brandi Carlile Film on the Rocks: Black Panther LSD Tour: Lucinda Williams, Steve Earle, Dwight Yoakam Father John Misty Joe Russo's Almost Dead Old Crow Medicine Show Railroad Earth Inaugural Red Rocks Beer Festival Niall Horan Rodrigo y Gabriela Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats "1964" The Tribute – The #1 Beatles Show in the World Reggae on the Rocks David Byrne Illenium Shakey Graves w/ José González & The Brite Lites Atmosphere

1 2 3 4 5 6 7–8 9 10 11 12 13 15 16 17 18–19 20 21 22–23 24–25 26 27 28–29 30

Gramatik Jason Mraz Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit Lyle Lovett and His Large Band Gary Clark Jr. Lake Street Dive STS9 O.A.R. Mac DeMarco Rascal Flatts NEEDTOBREATHE The Revivalists Rise Against Trapfest ft. NGHTMRE and Slander Punch Brothers & Gillian Welch Nine Inch Nails Little Big Town Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue + Galactic Greensky Bluegrass Beck Ms. Lauryn Hill Get the Led Out – "The American Led Zeppelin" Big Gigantic Gregory Alan Isakov

1 5 8 9 11 13 19 20 22 26

SEPTEMBER

O C TO B E R

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20 PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED LIVE RECORDINGS FROM THE STAGE FULL TRACK LIST 1. CAKE - "LOVE YOU MADLY" (7/28/12)

11. LEONARD COHEN - "SO LONG MARIANNE" (6/4/09)

2. SHARON JONES AND THE DAP KINGS - "YOU'LL BE LONELY" (6/13/15)

12. PETER GABRIEL - "FAMILY SNAPSHOT" (9/30/12)

3. SHAKEY GRAVES - "ROLL THE BONES" (7/13/09)

13. U2 - "NEW YEAR'S DAY" (6/5/83)

4. JOHN PRINE - "ANGEL FROM MONTGOMERY" (7/12/15)

14. THIEVERY CORPORATION - "LEBANESE BLONDE" (6/19/15)

5. THE LUMINEERS - "CLEOPATRA" (6/8/16)

15. MACKLEMORE - "SAME LOVE" (9/29/12)

6. FLORENCE + THE MACHINE - "DOG DAYS ARE OVER" (8/3/15)

16. PARAMORE - "AIN'T IT FUN" (8/12/14)

7. IMAGINE DRAGONS - "RADIOACTIVE" (5/16/13)

17. WIDESPREAD PANIC - "AINT LIFE GRAND" (6/24/16)

8. INGRID MICHAELSON - "GIRLS CHASE BOYS" (6/21/15)

18. STRING CHEESE INCIDENT - "BLACK CLOUDS" (9/6/03)

9. DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE - "GRAPEVINE FIRES" (7/15/15)

19. BARENAKED LADIES - "THE OLD APARTMENT" (6/5/16)

10. THE GRATEFUL DEAD - "SHIP OF FOOLS" (7/8/78)

20. THE FRAY - "HOW TO SAVE A LIFE" (5/11/12)

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TAKING THE AMBIENT TEMPERATURE Seeking the best brewery ambience in Colorado

By Kailyn Lamb

I

n the exploding Colorado brewery scene, beer lovers sometimes need more than a hearty list of taps to pick their go-to spot.

Breweries are adding patio space, food, games and live music to their resume to keep the customers and the beer flowing. To round out the experience, many offer tours of the brew space.

If you’re looking for a great place to enjoy a beer, we’ve compiled a list of Colorado breweries with excellent ambiance.

NORTHERN COLORADO Horse & Dragon Brewing Co.

124 Racquette Drive, Fort Collins Located near brewery row, Horse & Dragon features an open ceiling with green accent walls. The brewery is an open love letter to the northern city, one of Colorado’s brewery hot spots. Brew signs hang from ceiling beams and a giant dragon is featured in the bar top design. Horse & Dragon frequently participates in community events, including family-friendly visits with Santa, weekend brewery tours and special dinners.

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September-October 2018

Odell Brewing Co.

800 E. Lincoln Ave., Fort Collins One of the state’s top 10 craft beer producers by volume, Odell is also one of the oldest. Odell first opened in 1989, with Golden Ale and 90 Shilling in its early repertoire. The large taproom has a barn aesthetic and hosts a local food truck every day in the spacious and comfortable backyard. Think luxury, well-appointed yard with extensive, multi-level landscaping. The brewery also doubles as a music venue, hosting bands year-round.

Odell recently added a second brewery and taproom in Denver’s River North neighborhood. Both taprooms have a collection of the brewery’s staples as well as unique beers brewed on location.

Oskar Blues Brewery/Tasty Weasel

1800 Pike Road Unit B, Longmont The Oskar Blues Longmont taproom, known as the Tasty Weasel, puts the brewing space center stage right behind the bar. Large

Photos: Adam Larkey

sliding doors open the space up to the patio.

The taproom opened in 2008 after Oskar Blues outgrew its original brewpub in Lyons.

The Tasty Weasel carries on the live music legacy from the original, with bands Friday through Monday.

SOUTHERN COLORADO Bristol Brewing Co.

1604 S. Cascade Ave., Colorado Springs Bristol Brewing is housed in a centuryold elementary school building. Ivywild School has been converted into an urban marketplace with a bakery, cocktail bar, distillery, a handcrafted shopping area and, of course, beer. The brewery was founded in 1994, and moved into the Ivywild space in 2013. Bristol has 16 beers on tap and a full restaurant menu. While the halls, brick walls and chalkboards in the brewery are still reminiscent of a school, Bristol has made the space its own with suspened bikes, artwork and a patio space.

Elevation Beer Co.

Ouray Brewery Ouray

Photo: Neill Pieper

Woods Boss Brewing Denver

115 Pahlone Parkway, Poncha Springs It’s nice to arrive in a truly Colorado location that features free-for-all dirt parking and a great opportunity to wet one’s whistle

inside. Hiking, biking, rafting and fishing are available nearby. Repurposed tractor seats line the bar and the windows offer great views of distant hills. There’s plenty of space to enjoy Elevation’s big-beer offerings both inside and out.

Ouray Brewery

607 Main St., Ouray Have beer, will travel. Located in the heart of the San Juan Mountains, Ouray is the perfect place to stop after a day of hiking, ice climbing or enjoying the hot springs. The rooftop dining area provides all the views a mountain lover could desire. Warm lighting inside helps provide a cozy break from the cold in winter months. Play some pool or sit in the hanging bar chairs and live the mountain life.

DENVER-METRO AREA Wynkoop Brewing Co.

1634 18th St., Denver Located near Union Station, Wynkoop helped to launch the beer boom in Denver. In 1989, four friends, including current governor John Hickenlooper, opened shop in an old warehouse. The multi-level building is a restaurant on the main floor, with the beer hall upstairs. The upstairs level has 22 pool tables, as well as darts. As for its beers, Wynkoop experiments with Colorado culinary favorites like Hatch chiles.

They’re also probably the only brewery to use Rocky Mountain Oysters as an ingredient.

Looking for something similar in Colorado Springs? Phantom Canyon, Wynkoop’s sister brewery, is located downtown with the same pool hall and restaurant setup.

Cerveceria Colorado

1635 Platte St., Denver While driving down Platte Street, you’d be hard pressed to miss this building. The exterior is painted with a blue, purple and red mural. The inside is just as colorful, with more wall art, as well as bright chairs and tables. Cerveceria was launched earlier this year by the owners of Denver Beer Co. and has a regional focus on Mexican beers.

Brewer Jason Buehler has been traveling to Mexico not only to find inspiration, but Photo: Dylan Hochstedler September-October 2018

ThirstColorado.com 25

to build partnerships with brewers there. The brewery is located next door to the original Denver Beer Company taphouse.

Bierstadt Lagerhaus

2875 Blake St., Denver River North has quickly become Denver’s new beer district. Bierstadt Lagerhaus is in a giant warehouse with an upstairs restaurant.

It shares space with C Squared Cider. The restaurant offers the full selection of taps for both companies. Equipment from a former print shop was kept in-house to enhance the aesthetic.

Downstairs, the open Cerveceria Colorado floor of the warehouse Denver includes production space as well as lawn

Bierstadt Lagerhaus Denver

Photos: Dylan Hochstedler

Breckenridge Brewery Littleton

2920 Brewery Lane, Littleton Sitting on a 12-acre plot next to the Platte River, Breckenridge Brewery was built on what used to be farmland. The brewery embraced the theme with its Farm House restaurant, which serves a selection of Breck’s staples and nitro beers. The space also has room for live music and lawn games like corn hole and horseshoes. In nice weather, a separate beer garden area is also available. The brewery itself is in its own building. Breckenridge Brewery offers tours Thursday through Monday.

Coal Mine Ave Brewing Co.

9719 W. Coal Mine Ave., Littleton

games. Cornhole, beer pong with basketballs, and the now classic giant Jenga are just a few of the options. The lower level offers a few of the tap options for both breweries. River North also has a handful of breweries within walking distance of each other.

Declaration Brewing Co.

2030 S. Cherokee St., Denver What do you get when two former chemical engineers start making beer?

Declaration Brewing. The production space includes a lab for cultivating yeast strains.

But the crown jewel of Declaration is the 8,000-square-foot beer garden with a dogfriendly patio area. The beer garden has room

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September-October 2018

for a food truck to park inside, as well as lawn games and live music.

Woods Boss Brewing

2210 California St., Denver Woods Boss is a small woodland retreat in the heart of Denver. Co-owner Jordan Fink spent time working in the forests of Oregon, which inspired the name and the décor. A 21-foot-long piece of redwood serves as the bar and a matching table. Behind the taps is a large cut-out piece of metal made to look like a forest. In addition to a speaker system for live music, Woods Boss has board games and a collection of books left behind in the building by its former owner.

One word: dogs. After two years of planning and construction, this Littleton brewery opened in early July. While dogs are still not allowed in the tap room, Coal Mine has an off-leash area with room for 20 dogs. The website includes rules for the off-leash area.

Coal Mine currently has five beers on tap, but is hoping to build up to 12. The brewery has the staple pale ale and New England style IPA, as well as a cream ale, saison and porter available now. Manuel and Erica Baca estimated that they poured more than 1,000 beers at their grand opening on July 6.

Metropolitan State University of Denver graduate Kailyn Lamb is a Colorado native who has been writing about the beer scene since 2017.

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ThirstColorado.com 29

ART OF BREWING

ROCKYARD BREWING

Rockin’ DougCo with creativity in (and on) the cans

By Kyle Kirves

S

ay what you want about “canyons grand” and mountains of a violet hue, the flat-topped mesas of the American southwest are as picturesque as it gets. Mesa Verde is virtually synonymous with the cliff dwelling culture of the ancestral Puebloans.

To cite the artistic tributes to Monument Valley and Shiprock in Arizona would require volumes. Pass the mashed potatoes and tell me if there’s a more iconic rock formation than Devil’s Tower in Sundance, Wyoming.

(Thanks, “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.”)

Even the Colorado Front Range boasts at least one iconic mesa. Maybe it’s not as highprofile as some of its more famous cousins, but don’t tell the residents of a town south of Denver that takes its name from a castle-like butte outside the city limits, nor the brewery that does the same: Castle Rock’s Rockyard Brewing. The city’s defining tower-like formation features prominently in Rockyard’s identity, serving as their flagship logo.

Self-described as Douglas County’s “longest running brewery,” Rockyard has been around a while. Longevity can be an accident of location, though, and not necessarily the hallmark of the best product.

“Local support has always been great,” says Zac Rismiller, manager of brewery

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September-October 2018

operations at Rockyard. “But we’ve also heard from clientele that they’d like to see and taste more out of us. And we’ve known for a while that we’re capable of more.”

Credit that to a thriving beer scene in Colorado and a more educated and literate beer drinker.

“We took that to heart and we’ve effectively redone everything about Rockyard from the ground up,” Rismiller says.

The new Rockyard identity started forming along two parallel paths, he says. First, Rockyard scrapped its existing formulas, looking to create bolder and tastier beer.

“We redid all the recipes. That really was the biggest part of it. For our new canning operation, we wanted better beer in a can than we ever had in bottles,” he says.

Secondly, they launched a new branding initiative to create a distinct Rockyard presence on their canned beers. The new cans have instantly identifiable characters, all composed by artist Drew Button.

“When we contracted with Drew, we essentially tasked him with the notion of ‘hey, we have all of these great new beers coming online. We already taste better, but we want to

look better, too.’” Rismiller says. “We asked him to help us get this effort off the ground and he came through in a big way with really awesome designs. We’re all really proud of them.”

While there is perhaps no unifying theme, there is a style and tone that is distinctly Rockyard, mostly defined by characters drawn in a certain way. Early artistic favorites include the dirndlsporting fraulein on Primadonna Pilsner (gold at World Beer Cup 2018) and the squat Mayan chieftain on Hopalypto tropical IPA. It would be difficult to find two more thematically different images, but they are clearly crafted by the same artist.

That creativity, Rismiller says, is something of a credo at Rockyard.

“The idea behind Rockyard is that everyone is an artist and everyone has an artform that they create,” says Rismiller,

who is an avid, conservatory-trained multiinstrumentalist and avid musician when not running operations at the brewery.

“Drew was given free rein to create the characters for the new beers. Even before we’d really named them. Once we saw the characters, the names just kind of flowed. It’s a collaborative effort between marketing and the brewers and the artist.”

The response has been overwhelmingly positive.

“We’ve quadrupled sales in the past few months,” Rismiller says. “And we’re getting more and more recognition on the local and regional stage. We have awards that speak to that.”

Citing awards gleaned at the Great American Beer Festival and the World Beer Cup, Rismiller says such recognition validates the decision to reformulate and brand – and that it’s paying dividends in brewery growth and exposure. There’s still quite a ways to go before Rockyard is where they want to be.

Rismiller laughs and says, “We have the best beer that you’ve maybe never heard of.”

But that won’t be true for long. The maturity of year-round offerings is matched by seasonals and special event brews, including new summertime offering Buoyant (a boysenberry blonde) and Slightly Sessionable IPA (made for Colorado-based band Slightly Stoopid). The latter has even made an appearance on stage.

“It was great to see a band drinking our beer while performing at Red Rocks,” Rismiller says.

Rockyard is clearly heading in new brewtastic directions both creatively and formulaically. Not content with being “just another craft brewer,” you might even say they are moving mountains – and mesas – to stand out on the craft beer landscape and cast their own long shadow.

Kyle Kirves is a solid dude who believes drinking beer should be a five-senses experience.

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GREAT AMERICAN BEER FESTIVAL SEPTEMBER 20-22 Denver

The festival is the premier U.S. beer festival and competition. Each year, GABF represents the largest collection of U.S. beer ever served in a public tasting. The Festival also presents Paired, an event featuring celebrated chefs and small brewers who team up. greatamericanbeerfestival.com

DENVER OKTOBERFEST SEPTEMBER 21-23 & 28-30 Denver

The 49th Annual Denver Oktoberfest will take place throughout two weekends. It’s been recognized by USA today as “The Best Oktoberfest” in the United States and “one of the country’s longest running traditions.” thedenveroktoberfest.com

Photo: Neill Pieper

TELLURIDE BLUES AND BREWS FESTIVAL SEPTEMBER 14-16 TELLURIDE

Blues and Brews is a three-day celebration of blues, funk, jam bands, indie, rock, gospel and

SEPTEMBER

43RD BRECKENRIDGE GATHERING AT THE GREAT DIVIDE SEPTEMBER 1-3 Breckenridge

The Gathering at the Great Divide is a festival that continues to garnish national attention. The tradition continues over Labor Day Weekend and will feature more than 100 artists and all mediums of art including photography, wood, glass, jewelry and more. mountainartfestivals.com

GRANDOOZY MUSIC FESTIVAL SEPTEMBER 14-16 Denver

The inaugural Grandoozy will be a festival you won’t want to miss. Put on by Superfly, the same organization who organizes Bonnaroo and Outside Lands, the Grandoozy features national headliners such as Kendrick Lamar, Stevie Wonder, Florence + the Machine and many more. grandoozy.com

CRAFTED SEPTEMBER 15 Denver

CRAFTED is a local mercantile, which showcases Colorado-based nonprofits that are changing the world. Treat your senses to a carefully curated selection of artisan foods and cocktails while

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soul performances. It’s accompanied by some of the best craft breweries in the country, all in the beautiful and world-famous mountain town.

tellurideblues.com

immersing yourself in the vision of Colorado’s nonprofit organizations. eatdrinkforgood.com

DENVER 2018 WALK TO END ALZHEIMER’S SEPTEMBER 15 Denver

Held annually in more than 600 communities nationwide, the Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s is the world’s largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s care, support and research. This inspiring Denver event, held at City Park, calls on participants of all ages and abilities to join the fight against the disease. alz.org/co

TOUR OF COLORADO SEPTEMBER 18 Denver

Thirst Colorado is proud to present the Tour of Colorado, a tap takeover of epic proportions during the week of the Great American Beer Festival. Join the Thirst crew alongside brewery and distillery friends at Tap Fourteen’s Ballpark location to sample exclusive collaborations from a few of our favorite artisans around the state. In addition to one-of-a-kind brews and spirits, there will be a raffle featuring some amazing prizes from Colorado companies. Proceeds will go to the Alzheimer’s Colorado Chapter. thirstcolorado.com

FRUITA FALL FESTIVAL SEPTEMBER 21-23 Fruita

The festival is presented by Alpine Bank. The three-day extravaganza features more than 125 vendors of food, art and crafts and they are expecting a crowd of more than 50,000 for the weekend. There will be live music on two stages. fruitafallfestival.com

STILL ON THE HILL BRECKENRIDGE CRAFT SPIRITS FESTIVAL OCTOBER 19-21 BRECKENRIDGE

Still on the Hill is a distilled spirits festival that takes place over three days. Head to Breckenridge on Friday for an American single-malt workshop, a

TELLURIDE FESTIVAL OF CARS AND COLORS SEPTEMBER 27-30 Telluride

Telluride is world-renowned for its beauty. The fourth annual Telluride Festival of Cars & Colors will continue the time-honored tradition of the Concours d’Elegance, and gather the world’s finest automobiles at one of America’s most beautiful destinations. The town and the rugged San Jan Mountains will be the backdrop for the event, as it introduces million-dollar automobiles into its spectacular palette of autumn colors. carsandcolors.com

WESTMINSTER LEGACY FOUNDATION BEER, WINE & SPIRITS TASTING SEPTEMBER 29 Westminster

Enjoy unlimited pours of beer, wine and spirits, and sample tasty treats from the best local restaurants. Thirst Colorado is the presenting sponsor for this evening of fun and entertainment. westyfoundation.org

OCTOBER

PUNKIN CHUNKIN COLORADO OCTOBER 6-7 Aurora

You may have carved a pumpkin and eaten pumpkin seeds, but have you ever launched a pumpkin off a catapult? This messy tribute to fall

historic saloon tour or a party at Ollie’s Pub. Saturday is filled with all kinds of distilled spirits workshops, followed by the Grand Tasting at 4 p.m. Sunday will feature a Bloody Sunday Hangover Brunch and a History of the American Cocktail workshop.

breckenridgecraftspiritsfestival.com

Photo, Courtesy of Visit Colorado

PUEBLO CHILE AND FRIJOLES FESTIVAL SEPTEMBER 21-23 PUEBLO

This annual festival averages more than 100,000 attendees and it features Pueblo’s most popular fruit takes place at Arapahoe Park from 10 a.m.5 p.m. on October 6, and 10 a.m.- 3 p.m. on October 7. auroragov.org

LAKEWOOD CIDER DAYS OCTOBER 6-7 Lakewood

Celebrate Lakewood’s agricultural heritage with all kinds of activities, performances, tasty treats, hard cider and a beer garden. This family event is staged by the city of Lakewood. lakewood.org

WHISKEY SUMMIT OCTOBER 7 Estes Park

Experience more than 150 different offerings from more than 40 distillers from Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming. This event runs from 4-7p.m., and with bottles for sale, the Whiskey Summit will be one of Colorado’s largest retail outlets for distilled spirits. whiskeysummit.org

THE FESTIVAL 2018, PRESENTED BY THE SHELTON BROTHERS OCTOBER 19-20 Denver

You’d have to spend months and countless dollars for a chance to meet this many worldclass brewers. The Shelton Brothers saved Photo: Denver Burger Battle

- Compiled by Dylan Hochstedler

vendors and farmers. Last year, farmers sold as much as $50,000 worth of peppers.

festival.pueblochamber.org

you the trouble and the expense. The brewers will be on hand at the Denver Rock Drill to talk about their work and to pour beer. Many will be creating special brews specifically for the event. sheltonbrothers.com

ROCKY MOUNTAIN CRAFT SPIRITS FESTIVAL OCTOBER 27 Estes Park

A public celebration of the industry’s extraordinary products will commence at the Rocky Mountain Craft Spirits Festival, featuring the products of more than 40 distillers and bottlers of whiskey, rum, vodka, and other distilled spirits from Colorado and the region.

The festival will feature live music, finger food, a “Whiskey 101” presentation, and special events still being planned. estesparkeventscomplex.com

NOVEMBER

DENVER INTERNATIONAL WINE FESTIVAL NOVEMBER 1-3 Westminster

The 14th Annual Denver International Wine Festival is the premier Rocky Mountain wine fest.

More than 80 wineries and distilleries will be pouring at the event and there will be a fine food and wine pairing dinner. denverwinefest.com

September-October 2018

ThirstColorado.com 33

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QA and

SINGING THE BLUES

Why is live music so important at Oskar Blues?

Y

es, the company is at the vanguard – make that canguard – of the craftbeer-in-a-can revolution. But there’s also a reason America’s original roots music is part of the Oskar Blues name: for more than 20 years, Oskar Blues locations have been showcases for musicians of all types and talents. Beginning with the original location in Lyons, great live, local (and not-so-local) musical performances have been part of a successful OB recipe.

Folk, rock, folk rock, bluegrass, and blues performers too numerous to name have at one time or another played to enthusiastic crowds hoisting Dale’s Pale Ale or Old Chub.

In fact, it’s a rarity to go there any evening and find an empty stage.

Chad Melis, longtime marketing director at Oskar Blues, spoke with Thirst Colorado about the company tradition of hosting homegrown music. Read on to find out how, even as the OB footprint grows to include restaurants across the country (hello, North Carolina!), music remains an integral part of the brewery’s culture.

Q & A by Kyle Kirves

who share the same enthusiasms. The roots of Oskar Blues owes a lot to the drive of Dave McIntyre of the Colorado Blues Society. The partnership between Dale and Dave and their authentic appreciation of blues music was instrumental.

Q A

All of the locations have some capacity for live performance.

How did that get started?

Originally, Dale opened Oskar Blues Grill & Brew in Lyons. With a population of 1,500, and an economy heavily reliant on Rocky Mountain National Park traffic, it can be very slow in the winter. From the beginning, our thinking

A

If you look at everything that Dale (Katechis, owner and founder of Oskar Blues) has gotten involved in over the years, you see him following his passions. He’s built a collective of people

36 ThirstColorado.com

September-October 2018

Q

That enthusiasm for music has carried forward to all locations, including the new one in Denver.

A

The newest restaurant is called the Oskar Blues Grill & Brew, and then the downstairs is called the Black Buzzard. It’s the largest concert venue in LoDo. It is a big initiative for us. The downstairs was originally Brendan’s Blues Bar but we reclaimed it. It speaks to our culture and history of reviving things.

Q

Music, one could argue, is one of – if not the – original “Colorado Craft” product. Do you have a favorite story as it pertains to music and Oskar Blues?

A

Q

Oskar Blues has been around for more than 20 years. Music has always been part and parcel of your culture and identity. Talk a bit about what it means to have music so closely tied to OB.

to the social fabric of the community. Sharing beers, sharing music and meeting people.

was (that) we need to make Oskar Blues and Lyons a destination in and of itself. Lyons needed that economic input from outside.

From conception, we knew music was an authentic, exciting way to bring people to Lyons. Oskar Blues was the only business in downtown Lyons open year-round. Every day.

More broadly, it speaks to Dale’s commitment

Yeah, man. One way to explain it is that it was great to hang out with Dave McIntyre and Dale when we celebrated the 20th anniversary party and see and hear people come up and say, “This is where I got my start. This is where I got my chance to play in front of people.” Just hearing those stories about being truly at the ground level and creating opportunities for these local performers was one of the coolest things I’ve been involved in in the music venue side of things.

Q

Every venue has its favorites, or people that have called that venue home. Are there any acts

Playing at Oskar Blues Grill & Brew Lyons. Above: John Lee Hooker Jr, photo courtesy of Oskar Blues.

Middle right: Slim Cessna, photo courtesy of Eddie Clark Media/ Oskar Blues Brewery. Lower right: Halden Wofford and the Hi*Beams, photo courtesy of Eddie Clark Media/ Oskar Blues Brewery

who come to OB all the time? Regulars or favorites who call OB home base?

A

There’s a lot, and I don’t want to leave anybody out, but since I’ve been there, a few regulars are Halden Wofford and the Hi*Beams, Bonnie and the Clydes, Boa and the Constrictors, and Erica Brown. Just a ton of great performers. Too many to count.

Q A

What do you wish people knew about OB and music that maybe they don’t?

It’s tough to host music as often as Oskar’s does. Recognizing the work of people like Dale, and Dave McIntyre, Anita Gray, Jason Rogers. All of them. And it doesn’t always pay for itself.

Sometimes we have to have a cover charge.

It’s an important piece of guaranteeing that music is there every time you come. That commitment is something I’m proud of.

Q

What else does Oskar Blues do to support music beyond being a great place to play and promote?

A

The Can’d Aid foundation has a focus area called Tunes. They do fundraising and engage with different musicians all over the country to provide musical instruments and mentorship. They partner with Anders Osborne on the “Send Me a Friend” network. They send sober artists to support other artists in recovery. Folks going through a rough time. That’s important.

Q

The music scene along the Front Range is vibrant. There is a host of music venues for acts of all genres and levels of expertise.

How do you feel Oskar Blues has contributed to that reputation?

A

We are thrilled to be one of the standard bearers for all the great venues along the Front Range.

To contribute to that culture statewide is very cool. It’s part of making sure that we’re contributing to the vitality of the state. We select places for Oskar Blues restaurants not just based on their capacity to brew beer but also as venues for live performance. That’s what Dale is passionate about.

Q A

And that includes the North Carolina location as well. What went into that selection?

We opened the North Carolina location in the small town of Brevard because it is a very musically rich city. The Ashville area is great.

The Mountain Song Festival (John Felty’s music festival) is there. Our commitment to music, though, plays a huge contributing factor in our culture. It’s what people think when you say Oskar Blues. That vibe is real.

Kyle Kirves is a solid dude who believes drinking beer should be a five-senses experience.

September-October 2018

ThirstColorado.com 37

GATHER with friends for drinks

LEARN about Archetype’s history and distilling process Book a TOUR and TASTE our grape-based Gin & Vodka Host your EVENT in our unique space STATE-OF-THE-ART DISTILLERY | TASTING ROOM | PREMIERE EVENT SPACE Located in Baker, this beautifully renovated, century-old building has been transformed to preserve its iconic history as the former Webber Theater.

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38 ThirstColorado.com

September-October 2018

More Beethoven.

More Brews.

More Blue Moon.

All tickets include: passed appetizers, 2 pints of beer from Blue Moon’s extensive tap lineup, and standing room for performances by your Colorado Symphony musicians.

Upgrade to VIP and receive: Behind-the-scenes tour with Brewmaster, VIP bar specialty tasting, custom Blue Moon glassware for take-home, and VIP seating area for the performance.

Doors open: 6:30 Concert begins: 7:30

General Admission: $50 VIP: $80

Colorado Symphony Brett Mitchell, conductor Judith McIntyre, cello BEETHOVEN ELGAR FALLA BEETHOVEN KODALY

Overture from Egmont Sospiri Suite No. 1 from The Three-Cornered Hat Leonore Overture No. 1 Dances of Galanta

September-October 2018

ThirstColorado.com 39

CULINARY DELIGHTS

(RE)CREATING COMMUNITY

Distillery reworks beloved neighborhood market into artisanal Colorado-centric gathering place

By Dionne Roberts

T

he Family Jones, one of Colorado’s newest craft distilleries, occupies a historic building nestled into a quaint section of LoHi. The owners are on a mission to bring back a somewhat familiar gathering place for the local community.

Just 10 months after opening the company’s main facility in Loveland, head distiller and partner Rob Masters set up a secondary location and tasting room in the historic Denver neighborhood in November 2017 for research and development.

“This is for making one-off barrels of lots of fun stuff, whether it’s whiskey or brandy or grappa or aged rum,” Masters says.

The testing ground occupies the former home of Mancinelli’s Italian Market, 3245 Osage St., and hosts a modern but comfortable dining section. The repurposed building has a small “(bar) + (kitchen) = bitchen,” which creates a synergistic atmosphere for specialty cocktails and contemporary cuisine to coexist within three of the original cinder-block walls.

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September-October 2018

Photos: Adam Larkey

“It was really a hub for the neighborhood where all the locals came to get their meat, cheese, pasta, bread and milk,” Masters says. “We just want to continue that and turn it into somewhere where people can come, hang out and enjoy themselves.”

True to the roots of the area, The Family Jones focuses on creations by hand. The notion even adorns their bottles — images of unique sets of hands are matched to each spirit. The current lineup consists of two vodkas, two gins, a rum and two whiskeys, made with wild yeast strains and open, extended fermentation.

“That’s where we like to get creative,” says Masters, who compares his methods to the process of brewing sour beers. “Things are just growing in the cracks and crevices of the wood that contribute to the flavors of our product that you won’t be able to get anywhere else.”

Masters has been honing his distilling chops for 10 years, operating as a consultant “to really play around and learn how to make different things.” He says in Colorado he’s “best known for making gin,” and is responsible for the three variations available from Spring44 Distillery.

“Gin has always been my thing,” says Masters, who enjoys altering consumers’ preconceived notions. He likes to change minds “when people say, ‘oh, I hate gin’ or ‘my grandpa drank gin.’”

Inside The Family Jones, the mezzanine is the undisputed focal point of the room, housing a bright, shiny, copper still that commands attention. Behind it lives Masters’ impressive library of more than 100 different botanicals, a variety of spices from Savory Spice Co., and a full inventory of distillates.

“If somebody has an idea for something, whether it be a bartender, distiller or a chef,

they can come up here and grab the tools they need to create that new thing,” Masters says. “This is really about creating flavored vodkas, gins, amaris, digestifs, aperitifs, all that fun stuff.”

Although Masters’ passion thrives in his preferred clear spirit, he admits that in addition to gin, “I also love to make whiskey.”

“In the production of whiskey, no two batches are the same,” explains Masters.

“There’s always so many factors, things are always changing. You can make a small tweak in one part of the process and make a totally different product than you had before.”

The Family Jones currently sells Stopgap Jones bourbon and rye sourced from distilleries in Ohio and Tennessee, until their whiskeys are ready to bottle in 2019.

“We call it Stopgap because it’s the stopgap measure until our stuff is ready,” says Masters, whose personal philosophy mandates that all of their whiskeys age in standard-sized barrels for at least two to three years.

Their imaginative and resourceful nature is equally visible inside the kitchen, with former TAG Restaurant Group chef Tim Dodson, who hesitates to categorize his food.

“It’s funky,” says Dodson. “We try to be creative and do whatever we can to maximize

what we put out. We try to pull some stuff from the spirits world and determine things that go together well.”

Masters also prefers not to pigeonhole the food. He brushes aside terms like tapas or small plates before settling on the idea of “before and after food” with “a down-home influence.” He invites guests to visit before a meal for shareable appetizers and cocktails, or follow up after dinner for dessert and a nightcap.

“People ask me all the time what style of food we have and I just say, ‘it’s good,’” says Masters.

The Family Jones brings forth a commitment to Colorado in many ways: adding Colorado spring water to Jones House Vodka, sourcing grains and malts from single-family farms on Colorado’s eastern plains, and elevating a “Western New World style” with Masters’ adventurous Juniper Gin. They also nurture partnerships with their neighbors at Little Man Ice Cream, utilize edible flowers, greens and herbs from The Growhaus and Living Local in Denver, and use steeped products from Tekoe Tea. Through their Colorado-centric distilling methods and relationships, an inventive take on communal dining and their intentionally metrical aesthetics, The Family Jones captures a harmonious essence. No spirit runs too hot, their portion sizes are Goldilocks approved, and the elegant and sleek furniture and design accents are only humbled by the modest, industrial origins they opt to keep.

Masters aptly summarizes the entire Family Jones’ handprint in what he hopes to taste in his gin: “To me, it’s about balance.”

Dionne Roberts is the editor of the Rocky Mountain Food Report, rockymountainfoodreport.com September-October 2018

ThirstColorado.com 41

At Kent Cellars we pride ourselves on offering a vast selection of classic and unique products. We carry wines from all over the world, in a multitude of varietals and for every palate. We offer the BEST $10 wine selections in Denver!

Kent Cellars proudly caters to the local community of Englewood. We have become a destination to those who enjoy rare/hard to find craft beers, spirits, and wine.

Our boutique-like atmosphere and quality selection allow for a pleasant, unpretentious shopping experience.

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Cheers!

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September-October 2018

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Prime Pairings Skirt Steak in Adobo with Chimichurri Kachina Cantina, located in downtown Denver’s Dairy Block, provides a flavorful grilled skirt steak recipe with an herbforward chimichurri sauce. Paired with New Belgium Citradelic, this scintillating combo is perfect for summertime.

Ingredients

Chimichurri Sauce

Steak 1 lb skirt steak Cotija cheese crumbled (optional)

Adobo Marinade Makes two quarts. Will hold in fridge for up to a week.

Freeze for up to three months.

1 ½ qts blended oil

Makes one pint. Will hold in fridge for five days before discoloring. Bring to room temperature before serving.

3 tbsp parsley ½ tsp oregano 2 tbsp garlic, minced 2 tbsp lime juice ¾ cup blended oil

5 tbsp garlic

1 tsp chili flakes

½ cup green onion

2 tbsp shallots, minced

½ cup lime juice

2 tsp kosher salt

½ cup chili powder

2 tbsp pepper

2 tsp black pepper

6 tbsp red wine vinegar

2 tsp dry thyme 1 tsp dry oregano 4 tbsp cilantro 3 tbsp kosher salt

Directions

Adobo Marinade Mix all of the ingredients in blender.

Pair with New Belgium Brewing’s Citradelic A delightful summertime IPA offering from New Belgium, Citradelic starts smooth on the palate with a somewhat dry and clean finish and pairs well with this dish. A blend of citrus, tropical fruit and pine aromas hit your nose up front, followed with herbal and caramel notes. Citra hops and tangerine peel are showcased in this refreshing, yet substantial summertime IPA.

Chimichurri Sauce Finely hand chop parsley, oregano, garlic and shallot. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix thoroughly.

Skirt Steak Trim excess fat from skirt steak and marinate in adobo for a minimum of two hours, preferably overnight.

Season the skirt steak liberally with salt and pepper and grill on medium to medium-high heat, depending on the thickness of the steak.

Allow steak to rest. A good rule of thumb is to let it rest as long as it cooked.

Slice steak against the grain.

Top with chimichurri, and optionally, with crumbled cotija, right before serving.

44 ThirstColorado.com

September-October 2018

Chef Denis Zvekic celebrated a decade of service with Sage Restaurant Group (SRG) by joining Kachina Cantina in Denver as its executive chef. With a propensity for fiery cooking and local ingredients, he guides the kitchen that explores Baja Mexico and America’s Southwestern cuisine with fresh, authentic flavors. “Food should be approachable, simple, and showcase the quality of the ingredients as well as a chef’s skill in working with those elements,” Zvekic says. “And, cooking should not be ego-driven—we find balance in what our guests are looking for and present the product without pretension.”

Western Bacon Burger Tommyknocker Brewery has provided beer to folks in Idaho Springs for more than 20 years. Constantly adapting recipes for food, beer and soda, the frequent stop for mountain trekkers has tallied more than 100 medals in brewing competitions. All year long, Tommyknocker will provide a great start or finish to your mountain experience.

Ingredients 8 oz Angus burger patties 1 bottle Kansas City hot BBQ sauce One slice cheddar cheese per burger 2 strips cooked bacon per burger Fried onion straws Brioche buns to match burger count

Directions Cook burgers to order while applying barbecue sauce.

Add the cheese, bacon and onion straws and serve on the brioche bun. Enhance the burger with fries or tortilla chips.

Pair with Tommyknocker’s Palisade Peachwood Cream Ale Aged on Palisade Peachwood, this light and refreshing cream ale is a great companion to the Western Bacon Burger. The brew is mildly sweet, yet crisp, which balances the rich flavors from the burger.

Jalapeño Poppers Ingredients One 8 oz tub of cream cheese 10 jalapeños cut in half and de-seeded 20 strips of bacon 1 bottle of your favorite ranch dressing 1 bottle of your favorite spicy raspberry dipping sauce A few shakes of cinnamon and black pepper

Pair with Directions Season the cream cheese with cinnamon and black pepper and then fill jalapeños with cream cheese mixture. Wrap each pepper with a strip of bacon and bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Serve with ranch and spicy raspberry dipping sauce.

Tommyknocker’s Blood Orange IPA Enthusiasts will remind you that hoppy bitterness and spicy heat go well together.

What makes that combo even better is the sweet and tangy flavor of a blood orange.

This Blood Orange IPA works with the rich and spicy heat of the savory Jalapeño Poppers and finishes smooth and sweet.

September-October 2018

ThirstColorado.com 45

BREWERS’ FAVORITES

WHERE INSIDERS SHARE THEIR OPINIONS

1

Hemperor HPA, 7% ABV, New Belgium Brewing Co.

The beer that has totally blown my mind recently is the Hemperor HPA from New Belgium. I had seen some marketing and did a bit of an eye roll because there is a fine line between gimmick and real deal innovation.

New Belgium didn’t have to make this beer, but they obviously believed in it. I admire the risk they are taking pushing a beer that can be so polarizing before anyone has even taken a sip of it, but let me tell you, it’s the real deal.

The aroma is stunningly dank and weedy, but in a pleasant way. The flavor is balanced and so clearly New Belgium. It’s a solid IPA with a twist, and I will definitely be drinking it and singing its praises in the future.

Brandon Proff, Managing Partner, Our Mutual Friend Brewing Co.

2

Myrcenary Double IPA, 9.3% ABV, Odell Brewing Co.

After countless late nights of “research” on many of the excellent breweries in Colorado, my favorite brewery would have to be Odell Brewing Co. out of Fort Collins. One of their beers that stands out to me is the Myrcenary Double IPA. First and foremost, I do not consider myself a hop head, but this is by far my favorite DIPA. The brewers specifically focused on the compound myrcene, an earthy essential oil naturally found in hops.

They use hops with high levels of myrcene, and various other hops varieties that give it a fantastic tropical fruit flavor without leaving residual bitterness. And it has a very clean and refreshing finish. The creativity and ingenuity in in a large variety of styles puts them on my top five list of favorites in Colorado.

3

Rock The F*ck On Forever IPA, 6.5% ABV, Mockery Brewing Co.

It’s easy for brewers to overcomplicate sampling beer, in part due to the knowledge of the process and the pursuit of bringing flavors from brain to glass. Now and then though, the taste of a beer turns the intellect down and lets the visceral experience in the glass take hold. For me, that beer is Rock The F*ck On Forever IPA from Mockery Brewing in Denver.

This beer is truly enjoyable and balanced, with eccentric hop character true to the brewery’s style while still being approachable. Get some.

Sam Townsend, Brewer, Old Colorado Brewing Co.

Justin Burditt, Head Brewer, Drätz Brewing Company

4

The Reverend Belgian-style Quadrupel Ale, 10% ABV, Avery Brewing Co

Both of us have always enjoyed The Reverend.

Now that it is available in cans, it’s even easier to enjoy around a campfire or on a trip. The caramel and dark cherry notes give the beer a smooth mouthfeel and help mask the high ABV. It’s malt-forward, but still lets the yeast sing. It’s a classic Belgian style with a Colorado twist. In an IPA-centric world, we welcome a good malty alternative like The Reverend.

Ryan Evans and Charlie Gottenkieny Founders, Bruz Beers

46 ThirstColorado.com

September-October 2018

5

Slow Pour Pils, 5.1% ABV, Bierstadt Lagerhaus

One of my favorite beers in Colorado is Slow Pour Pils from Bierstadt Lagerhaus. It is one of the best lagers I have ever had and I am quite a big fan of the style. It is easily drinkable but also nuanced and refreshing.

James Howat, Owner and Brewer, Black Project Spontaneous & Wild Ales

6

Ninja Donkey IPA, 8.2% ABV, Jagged Mountain Craft Brewery

The first thing about Ninja Donkey from Jagged Mountain that caught my eye was its name.

I ordered a crowler and realized that Ninja Donkey drinks much easier than the 8.2 percent ABV suggests. It has a great balance of hops, including the underutilized Falconer’s Flight, and it finishes dry. Stop by to grab one of these beers and ask Adam for the story.

Jamie Williams, Owner and Head Brewer, CO Brew - Compiled by Dylan Hochstedler

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September-October 2018

ThirstColorado.com 47

H

uge liquor stores traditionally were great places to find selections that met the needs of the masses.

However, in the last few decades, the giants have joined with neighborhood liquor stores in also providing locally produced craft products. Yes, it’s tricky considering the lack of shelf space and the plethora of breweries, distilleries, wineries and meaderies in Colorado.

We’ve compiled a list of go-to locations that often produce a “wow” from even the geekiest of libations geeks.

While our list of bottle shops range in size from giant to pint-sized, the one thing they have in common is their commitment to being purveyors of craft. These bastions of booze carry Colorado’s finest adult refreshments.

No matter where you find yourself in the metro area, you can find a shop that fits your palate. Arranged from north to south, the adjacent map can help point you in the right direction for a great selection. Cheers!

1. Hazel’s Beverage World 1955 28th St. Boulder

11. Argonaut Wine & Liquor 760 E. Colfax Ave. Denver

2. Superior Liquor 100 Superior Plaza Way Superior

12. J oy Wine & Spirits 1302 E. 6th Ave. Denver

3. Daveco Liquors 16434 Washington St. Thornton

13. C raft Alley 455 S. Pearl St. Denver

4. Westy’s Wine & Spirits 6871 Lowell Blvd.

Westminster

14. L ittle’s Liquor 2390 S Downing St., # A Denver

5. Applejack Wine & Spirits 3320 Youngfield St. Wheat Ridge

15. G ateway Liquor 3751 N. Tower Road, E Aurora

6. Molly’s Spirits 5809 W. 44th Ave. Denver

16. C hambers Wine & Liquor 15260 E. Iliff Ave. Aurora

7. S mall Batch Liquors 4340 Tennyson St. Denver

17. Tipsy’s Liquor World 5869 S. Alkire St. Littleton

8. Cask and Craft Artisan Libations 3744 Tejon St. Denver

18. L ukas Liquor Superstore 8457 S. Yosemite St. Lone Tree

9. Bogey’s Beer & Wine 3911 Fox St. Denver

What matters most is one’s ability to find the best that Colorado has to offer. So, if you have a favorite that wasn’t listed, please let us know and we’ll include it when we post this story on ThirstColorado.com.

48 ThirstColorado.com

September-October 2018

10. M r. B’s Wine & Spirits 2101 Market St. #112 Denver

19. D avidsons Liquors 5555 Boatworks Drive Highlands Ranch

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ThirstColorado.com 49

Denver, Colorado Award-winning Belgian-Rooted Modern Ales and Expertly Paired Food Flights.

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September-October 2018

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Contact our Westminster, CO-based media company ThirstColorado.com 303-428-9529

September-October 2018

ThirstColorado.com 51

GABF

Before, During and After

I

t’s that time of year when an ocean of brew washes through the city of Denver.

For beer hounds lucky enough to be in town during the week of the Great American Beer Festival, the experience is unmatched. During their GABF experience, they can expect 4,000-plus beers and over 800 breweries. Last year, when roughly 60,000 people attended, 7,138 kegs of beer were distributed throughout the Colorado Convention Center. That’s the equivalent of

1,744 barrels, 54,060 gallons, or 576,640 12-ounce bottles.

However, there is more to the 36-year-old festival than a three-hour tasting pass to nirvana.

Breweries, bars and restaurants throughout the city will feature award-winning Colorado brews during the fest and during the week leading up to GABF. Although some of the award winners can be found at the GABF Heavy Medal Booth while attendees are

inside the Convention Center, make sure to seek out brews all over the city. To expedite the search, Thirst Colorado staffers have compiled gold-medal winners from the 2017 Great American Beer Festival and the 2018 World Beer Cup. The Brewers Association, which runs the festival and lobbies nationally on behalf of craft breweries, is always looking for a fresh angle at GABF. The festival runs Sept. 20-22, and after 36 years, it’s good to know that

Avery Brewing Co.’s booth was hopping during last year’s festival.

Photo: Neill Pieper

52 ThirstColorado.com

September-October 2018

Great American Beer Festival 2017 Winners GOLD

Copper Club Brewing Co., F-Town Amber, AmericanStyle Amber/Red Ale

Little Machine Beer, Razz Against the Machine, American- Style Fruit Beer

Lone Tree Brewing Co., Mexican Lager, AmericanStyle Lager of Malt Liquor

Jessup Farm Barrel House, Fancy Pants, Brett Beer Funkwerks, Saison, Classic Saison CooperSmith’s Pub & Brewing, Punjabi, English Style India Pale Ale

Square Peg Brewerks, Waverly Tulip, Historical Beer Wiley Roots Brewing Co., Galaxy Dry Hopped Funk Yo The Holidaily Brewing Co. crew took time out for a photo during the 2017 GABF. Photo: Neill Pieper

Couch, Mixed-culture Brett Beer

Denver Beer Co., Just Another Pretty Face, Pro-Am The Sandlot Brewery at Coors Field, So long and thank’s for all the (smoked) fish!, Smoke Beer

Finkel and Garf Brewing Co., Oatmeal Milk Stout, in addition to great new beers there will be a few other twists. Don’t miss the Jameson Caskmates Barrel Aged Beer Garden, adjacent to the tasting floor. Breweries around the U.S. have used the Dublin-based Jameson barrels to age their beer. The results are worth checking out.

In addition, the GABF Collaboration competition will feature beers that top breweries have worked together to produce.

Some of the collabs will be available for tasting at the Collaboration Booth. To catch a break from the tasting floor, check out the Buffalo Wild Wings Sports Bar, where TVs will broadcast anything and everything to do with sports.

According to the Brewers Association, “There’s more space to hang out with brewers and fellow beer lovers, discovering new breweries, learning more about beer at educational and experiential programs, playing games, and just having fun.”

With an additional 100,000-square-feet of space (up 17 percent over last year), there should be room for an epic adventure.

Sweet Stout or Cream Stout

Rockyard American Grill and Brewing Co., Plum Creek Sour, Wood and Barrel aged Sour Beer

WeldWerks Brewing Co., Medianoche, Wood and Barrel Aged Strong Stout

World Beer Cup 2018 Winners GOLD

Diebolt Brewing Co., Vladislav, Aged Beer Funkwerks, Oud Bruin, Belgian-Style Flanders Oud Bruin or Oud Red Ale

Our Mutual Friend Brewing, Saison Trystero, Brett Beer

Steamworks Brewing Co., Night Train, Dark Lager Bull & Bush Brewery, Big Ben Brown Ale, English-Style Brown Ale

Call To Arms Brewing Co., More Like Bore-O-Phyll, Fresh or Wet Hop Ale

Rockyard American Grill & Brewing Co., Primadonna Pilsner, German-Style Pilsener

Cannonball Creek Brewing Co., Trump Hands, Session India Pale Ale

September-October 2018

ThirstColorado.com 53

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September-October 2018

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56 ThirstColorado.com

September-October 2018

UPTOWN

BALLPARK

TRUE TALES FROM THE LYING LOG

By Bufford T. Clapsaddle

T

here are a plethora of important items on ol’ Clapsaddle’s list when loading up for a horsepack experience into the Rocky Mountain backcountry.

Right at the top is a 20-plus inch iron skillet that has been utilized to prepare breakfast and dinner for hundreds of equine riding companions for nearly five decades.

Certainly it is not the original skillet, because after eight to 10 years the heat from an open campfire (or in recent years a propane stove) warps its bottom.

Clapsaddle ordered the first one in the early 1970s from a maker in Arkansas. In the 1980s, McGuckin Hardware had the same stocked in Boulder, and later special ordered for us.

For years the jumbo utensil was fired up for every five-day breakfast and dinner.

(Sandwiches were the lunch fare.)

Former college and high school friends, relatives from the Midwest, fellow workers, business and journalism associates, Rotarians and ranchers often forgot the name of the horse they were riding, or the wilderness lake where they camped. But reminiscing years later, they all recall the “huge skillet.”

Without question, possessing pack horses to transport groceries and sufficient beer, wine and after-dinner spirits into a wilderness camp augments the great outdoors.

Over the years, Clapsaddle menus have primarily included: buffalo and elk steak simmered in Jim Beam sauce; fried tators; shrimp fajitas; bacon; beer raised blueberry pancakes; fresh caught trout; orange marmalade/Grand Marnier French toast; and always spaghetti with a half dozen other ingredients (finished in the skillet).

Two of the all-time favorites that have been Clapsaddle staples year-after-year were merged into the menu by what could be termed a “circumstance of necessity.”

Packing out from deep in the Flattops

Wilderness area in the 1970s, we were about four miles on the trail when an unexpected September blizzard suddenly slammed us head on. We tied up and hunkered down in a previous campsite, but the blowing snow accelerated. With 12 miles to go the vote was to start a campfire, crowd under a tarp and spend the night.

Pre big skillet times, one of the guests volunteered to prepare and cook the meals.

Leftover, he possessed several cans of green beans, canned corn, some sliced summer sausage and cheddar cheese. It all went in a big kettle, adding melted snow for water. We dipped and ate with plastic cups.

The very next pack-in, Clapsaddle brought fresh green beans, corn, carrots, potatoes, onions and plenty more summer sausage for flavoring.

Cooking became an all-day process, first snapping and starting the green

beans boiling over an open fire, then adding, depending on cooking time, other ingredients until finally the shredded cheddar stirred and melted the entire pot into a delicious stew.

A year later, packed into Mystic Isle Lake (Sawatch Range) with eight college friends, most of us prepared to tease the trout around the lake. Christian volunteered to tend the stew. Mid-afternoon a nap took over and the water had cooked off the vegetables. Upon awakening, Christian solved the problem quickly. Rather than set the stew aside and walk a half mile to the lake for water, he poured in a handy quart of Scotch. The addition fortified and promoted the recipe for dozens of high elevation meals. (Epicurean below 10,000 feet as well.)

The all-time preferred Clapsaddle recipe, still consumed on every pack and camp sojourn, was concocted at Camp Dick,

Thirst Colorado Magazine publisher Paul Johnson, right, and long-time Colorado newspaperman Bob Cox, prepare “Eggs Melange” for nine people in the mega skillet, circa 1990.

September-October 2018

ThirstColorado.com 57

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58 ThirstColorado.com

September-October 2018

TRUE TALES

adjacent to the Peak to Peak High north of Nederland.

We were headed for a 1980s ride over Buchanan Pass, flanking Grand Lake, climbing across Arapahoe Pass and unsaddling at Eldora Ski area.

While most of us were tending animals and erecting tents for the night, two left for Eldora, one in a pickup truck and one in the auto. Logistics called for leaving the car at Eldora and at the conclusion of the ride, motoring additional drivers back to Camp Dick to fetch the horse trailers.

By lantern light, it was soon discovered that most of the food and cook gear was in the truck that went to Eldora.

We did, however, have in another truck, the big skillet.

And in a cooler we had eight, half-inchthick butterfly pork chops. One of the group had in her horsepack a quart of cherry brandy and another had a bottle of brown mustard in her car.

It was nearing 11 p.m. and two had not yet returned from Eldora. The two ladies borrowed paper plates and steak knives from neighboring campers, broke out the big skillet, poured in the cherry brandy for sauce, and cooked the chops in the big utensil, then spread on some mustard. The result was an immediate success.

The following pack-in, brown mustard was spread on the butterflies, and they were marinated overnight in a quart of cherry brandy and cooked in the skillet in the brandy sauce.

They have been the most popular breakfast trail dish for more than 30 years.

The transferring auto pair (prior to cell phones) fessed up later to stopping at a bar for a “couple beers.”

And ol’ Clapsaddle and hundreds of his packed-in guests have repeatedly thanked the thirsty duo for the outcome of their dalliance.

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. Majority of his tales are revealed only at timberline.

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BAILEY Mad Jack’s Mountain Brewery ● ● ● BOULDER AREA 12Degree Brewing ● 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 Fate Brewing Co ● Finkel & Garf Brewing Co Front Range Brewing Co ● ● Gravity Brewing ● ● Gunbarrel Brewing Co Industrial Revolution Brewing Co J Wells Brewery James Peak Brewery & Smokehouse ● Kettle and Spoke Brewery 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 ● Twisted Pine Brewing ● ●

60 ThirstColorado.com

BRIGHTON/FREDERICK/ERIE/ FORT LUPTON Big Choice Brewing Echo Brewing Co Floodstage Ale Works ● Gorilla Alchemy Brewing Mountain Cowboy Brewing Co Something Brewery BROOMFIELD/WESTMINSTER 4 Noses Brewing Co ● BJ’s ● C.B. & Potts Westminster ● Frolic Brewing Co ● Gordon Biersch ● Kokopelli Beer Co ● ● Rails End Beer Co Rock Bottom Orchard Town Center ● Rock Bottom Westminster Promenade ● Westminster Brewing Co ● ● Wonderland Brewing Co ● ● CAÑON CITY AREA Florence Brewing Royal Gorge Brewing Co ● CASTLE ROCK 105 West Brewing Co ● Burly Brewing Castle Rock Beer Co Rockyard 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 Lost Highway 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 ● Iron Tree Table & Tap ● JAKs Brewing

September-October 2018

Lost Friend Brewing Co Local Relic Manitou Brewing Co ● Metric Brewing Nano 108 Paradox Beer Co ● Peaks N Pines Brewing Co

Phantom Canyon ● ● phantomcanyon.com 719.635.2800 2 E Pikes Peak Ave Colorado Springs

Red Leg Brewing Rock Bottom Colorado Springs ● Rocky Mountain Brewery Smiling Toad Brewery Storybook Brewing Trinity Brewing ● Ute Pass Brewing Co ● 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 dosluces.com

1236 S Broadway Denver

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 Fiction Beer Co ● Long Table Brewhouse Pints Pub ●

Station 26 Brewing Co ● station26brewing.co 303.333.1825 7045 E 38th Ave Denver

Thirsty Monk ● ● monkpub.com 828.254.5450 1604 E 17th Ave Denver

Vine Street Pub & Brewery ●

FIVE POINTS Spangalang Brewery Woods Boss Brewing LODO Denver Chophouse ● Great Divide Brewing Co ● ● Jagged Mountain Craft Brewery ● Rock Bottom Denver ●

Sandlot Brewery

Wynkoop Brewing Co ● wynkoop.com 303.297.2700 1634 18th St Denver

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 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 ● ● Factotum Brewhouse Goldspot Brewing Co ● ● Grateful Gnome Sandwich Shoppe + Brewery ● Hogshead Brewery ● Lady Justice Brewing Oasis Brewing Co Prost Brewing Co ●

RINO

10 Barrel Brewing Co ● ● 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 ● Fermaentra ●

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 Ironworks Brewery & Pub ● Joyride Brewing Co ● Landlocked Ales Westfax Brewing Co DURANGO AREA Animas Brewing Co ● Bottom Shelf Brewery ● BREW Pub & Kitchen ● Carver Brewing Co ● Dolores River Brewery ● ● Durango Brewing Co ● ● J. Fargo’s Family Dining & Micro Brewery ● Main Street Brewery & Restaurant ● Mancos Brewing Co ●

Ska Brewing ● ● 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 ESTES PARK Estes Park Brewery ● Lumpy Ridge Brewing Co Rock Cut Brewing Co FAIRPLAY South Park Brewing Co ● FORT COLLINS AREA Anheuser-Busch BJ’s ● Black Bottle Brewery ● Coopersmith’s Pub & Brewing ● DC Oakes Brewhouse & Eatery ● Equinox Brewing ●

TILLERY & CIDERY LINEUP 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 Purpose Brewing Rally King Brewing Ramskeller Brewery ● Red Truck Beer Snowbank Brewing Soul Squared Brewing Co 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

GRAND JUNCTION AREA 4 B’s Brewery ● ● Dented Face Brewing Co Edgewater Brewery ● Kannah Creek Brewing Co ● Palisade Brewing Co ● ● The Rockslide Restaurant and Brewery ● GREELEY AREA Brix Taphouse and Brewery ● ● Broken Plow Brewery ● Crabtree Brewing ● ● G5 Brew Pub ● Grand Lake’s 16th Street Tavern ● ● Green Earth Brewing

High Hops Brewery ● ● highhopsbrewery.com 970.674.2841 6461 Hwy 392 Windsor

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 ● tommyknocker.com 303.567.2688 1401 Miner St. Idaho Springs

Westbound & Down Brewing Co ●

KREMMLING

Grand Adventure Brewing Co ● grandadventure.us 970.724.9219 207 Central Ave Kremmling

LAKE CITY Lake City Brewing LITTLETON AREA 38 State Brewing ● ● Blue Spruce Brewing Co Boggy Draw Brewery Breckenridge Brewery ● Coal Mine Ave. Brewing Co Living the Dream Brewing Co Locavore Beer Works Saint Patricks Brewing Co LONGMONT 300 Suns Brewing ● Bootstrap Brewing Brewmented Collision Brewing Grossen Bart Brewery ● ● Left Hand Brewing Co ● Oskar Blues Brewing ● Outworld Brewing Primitive Beer Pumphouse Brewery ● Shoes and Brews Wibby Brewing ● ● LOVELAND/BERTHOUD 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 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 ● ● Elk Mountain Brewing Co ● Welcome Home Brewing PUEBLO AREA Brues Alehouse Brewing Co ● ● PDub Brewing Co Shamrock Brewing ● Walter’s Brewery & Taproom SALIDA/BUENA VISTA/ CRESTONE/LEADVILLE Crestone Brewing Co ● Eddyline Restaurant and Brewing Co ● Elevation Beer Co ● Moonlight Pizza and Brewpub ● Periodic Brewing Soulcraft Brewing GUNNISON/CRESTED BUTTE Elk Ave Brewing Co ● ● High Alpine Brewing Co ● Irwin Brewing Co SOUTHWEST COLORADO Avalanche Brewing Co ● Colorado Boy Pizzeria & Brewery● Colorado Boy Pub & Brewery ● Golden Block Brewery ● Horsefly Brewing Co ● ● Ouray Brewery ● Ourayle House Brewery Red Mountain Brewing ● Smuggler’s Brewpub ● Telluride Brewing Co Two Rascals Brewing Co STEAMBOAT SPRINGS Butcherknife Brewing Co Mahogany Ridge Brewery & Grill ● Mountain Tap Brewery ● Storm Peak Brewing Co Yampa Valley Brewing Co SUMMIT COUNTY Angry James Brewing Co The Baker’s Brewery ●

Breckenridge Brewery & Pub ● Broken Compass Brewing Dillon Dam Brewery ● ● HighSide Brewing ● ● Outer Range Brewing Co ● Pug Ryan’s Brewery ●

TRINIDAD Dodgeton Creek Brewing Co WINTER PARK AREA 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 Centennial Beer Co Gemini Beer Co Good River Beer Idylwilde Brewing New Planet Beer Sleeping Giant Brewing

SPIRITS DENVER/BOULDER 12 Point Distillery - Lafayette Altitude Spirits, Inc. - Boulder Anders’ Vodka - Parker

Archetype Distillery archetypedistillery.com 303.999.0105 119 S Broadway Denver

Arta Tequila - Englewood Bear Creek Distillery - Denver The Block Distilling Co - Denver Broken Arrow Spirits - Centennial Colorado Sun ‘Shine - Englewood

Denver Distillery denverdistillery.com 720.381.3226 244 S Broadway 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 goldenmoondistillery.com 303.993.7174 412 Violet St. Golden

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 Rising Sun Distillery - Denver Rocker Spirits - Littleton Ski Bum Rum Distillery - Golden

Spirit Hound Distillers spirithounds.com 303.823.5696 4196 Ute Hwy Lyons

Squeal Rum - Aurora State 38 Distilling - Golden Stranahan’s - South Denver Strongwater Spirits & Botanicals - Denver Tighe Brothers Distillery - Denver Vapor Distillery - Boulder Weaver’s Spirits - Parker Western Gael Distillery - Arvada Whistling Hare - Westminster ●

NORTHERN COLORADO Anvil Distillery - Longmont Art of the Spirits Colorado Whiskey Idaho Springs Big Fat Pastor - Loveland Black Canyon Distillery - Longmont Bouck Brothers Whiskey - Idaho Springs Coppermuse Distillery - Fort Collins Dancing Pines Distillery - Loveland Elevation 5003 Distillery - Fort Collins Elkins Distilling Co - Estes Park Feisty Spirits - Fort Collins

The Heart Distillery 970.674.6841 6461 Hwy 392 Windsor

Longtucky Spirits - Longmont Mobb Mountain Distillers - Fort Collins NOCO Distillery - Fort Collins

Old Elk Distillery oldelk.com 970.498.2266 315 W Oak St Ste 700 Fort Collins

Old Town Distilling - Fort Collins Still Cellars - Longmont Spring 44 Distilling - Loveland Steamboat Whiskey Co - Steamboat Springs ● Syntax Spirits - Greeley Tower 56 Distillery - Greeley

SOUTHERN COLORADO 3 Hundred Days of Shine - Monument

Golden Moon Speakeasy goldenmoonspeak.com 720.638.1155 1111 Miner’s Alley Golden

Hogback Distillery - Wheat Ridge

Axe and the Oak axeandtheoak.com 719.660.1624 1604 S Cascade Ave Colorado Springs

Black Bear Distillery - Green Mountain Falls

September-October 2018

ThirstColorado.com 61

BREWING COMPANY

Chart Y Your Chart our Own OwnCourse…

Course…

NOW OPEN! OPEN! NOW UP TO UP TO

32 Beers on Tap 32 Beers on Tap Large Patio

Large Patio Family Family Friendly Friendly Rotating Food Truck

Rotating Food Truck

Now Serving in Aurora, CO

Now Serving in Aurora, CO

PilothouseBrewCo.com PilothouseBrewCo.com

$5.99 6 PAC K S

AVA I L A B LE AT M O L LY ’ S S P I R I T S

CRUSHABLE CRAFT BEER 5809 W. 44TH AVE. | LAKESIDE, CO | 80212 MOLLYSSPIRITS.COM | 303-955-5174

62 ThirstColorado.com

September-October 2018

Blue Fish Distillery bluefishdistillery.com 719.574.2038 5745 Industrial Place Ste A Colorado Springs

Boathouse Distillery - Salida Cockpit Craft Distillery - Colo. Springs Deerhammer Distilling Co - Buena Vista Distillery 291 - Colo. Springs Lee Spirits - Colo. Springs Mystic Mountain Distillery - Larkspur Sand Creek Distillery - Hugo Sangre Distilleries - Westcliffe Spirits of the Rockies - Pueblo Wood’s High Mountain Distillery - Salida

WESTERN SLOPE 10th Mountain Whiskey & Spirit Co - Vail 39 North Spirits - Eagle 808 Distillery - Eagle Breckenridge Distillery - Breckenridge ● Coal Creek Distillery - Crested Butte Colorado Gold - Cedaredge 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 - Mountain Village Woodshed Distilling - Pagosa Springs Woody Creek Distillers - Basalt

CIDER Apple Valley Cider Co applevalleycider.com 103 Broadway #13 Penrose

Big B’s Juices and Hard Cider - Hotchkiss 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 Compass Cider - Fort Collins Golden City Winery - Golden Haykin Family Cider - Aurora The Ice Cave Cider House - Monument Old Mine Cidery & Brewpub - Erie Red Fox Cellars - Palisade 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 Talisman Farm Cidery - Hygiene Wild Cider - Firestone

NOW OPEN The Reserve BYBY Old Elk

Tasting Tasting Room Room || Cocktail Cocktail Bar Bar || Eatery Eatery 253 Linden St. Fort Collins CO 253 Linden St. Fort Collins CO Enjoy Responsibly.

Enjoy Responsibly.

Old Elk Distillery | Fort Collins, CO Old Elk Distillery | Fort Collins, CO

September-October 2018

ThirstColorado.com 63