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Neighborhood WHEAT RIDGE
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Gazette
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EDGEWATER
What’s Brewing in Wheat Ridge? Craft Beer and Craft Breweries BY CYNDY BEAL
G
o west young man—that’s where the good beer is. Craft breweries are expanding westward and settling into Wheat Ridge. With one brewery – Rickoli’s – open in Wheat Ridge and another – Colorado Plus Liquid Art Works Inc. (CPL) – on its way, it seems the wheat in the city’s name is developing an association with another grain, barley, one of the main ingredients in beer. Wheat Ridge is right in step with the rest of the state. One of the strongest growth industries nationwide and especially in Colorado has been and continues to be craft breweries, once called microbreweries. Colorado has more than 161 licensed craft breweries (97 brewpubs, 64 manufacturer breweries) and more than 60 breweries in planning, according to the Colorado Brewer’s Guild Fact Sheet from August 2012. These numbers all continue to rise. Craft beer is defined as small, annual production of 6 million barrels of beer or less, independent and traditional, per the Brewers Association.
Brewery Rickoli’s Rickoli’s is the first brewery known to have a Wheat Ridge locale. They opened their doors in November at 4335 Wadsworth Blvd., just south of 44th and Wadsworth, on the west side of the street. From the lease signing, it took about six months to open for customers. Rickoli’s has three co-owners: Rick Abitbol, his wife, Jaqua, and Deb Zanker. Rick is Rickoli’s brewmaster. His beers have won many awards, as evidenced by the ribbons on the wall in Rickoli’s. He won his first award with his cream ale, M.E.H., for “most excellent homebrew,” which won first place in its category at the Colorado State
Fair in 2001 and nearly won first place overall. “It’s not rocket science unless you want it to be,” said Abitbol of craft brewing. Abitbol brews one, 15-gallon keg at a time, using the same brewing system for five years. The process, from start to finish, takes two to three weeks for a ready-to-serve beer. Abitbol started brewing his own beer about 15 years-ago. A musician, his interest in brewing beer began when he was performing at the old Walnut Brewery, now known as Rock Bottom Brewery, on the 16th Street Mall. This interest, he said, quickly became an obsession. He purchased a home-brewing kit and the book The Complete Joy of Homebrewing. Abitbol and his wife smiled about his first homebrews. He called it “nasty stuff ” that he subsequently poured out. However, he continued to cultivate his brewing skills, and the end products improved. He lost interest in the Computer Rental Company he owned. For two years, he drove to Pueblo every weekend, learning the craft at Shamrock Brewing. His first paying job as a brewer was at Golden City Brewery in Golden. Abitbol has worked at some of the best-known local small breweries in the Denver area, such as the Denver Chophouse, Rock Bottom Brewery for close to eight years in Park Meadows, and briefly at Renegade Brewing. Rickoli’s has eight house beers on tap, with rotations of other beers that bring the total to around a dozen. All beers are gluten reduced, except wheat beers. The beers are all ales and range from 4.3 percent to nearly 10 percent ABV (alcohol by volume). There are two house-made sodas, root beer and black cherry. Rickoli’s is open seven days a week. They don’t have a full kitchen, but offer snacks such as pretzels by Baker Street. Rickoli’s co-owner Zanker makes mustards for the pretzels. Customers also may bring their own
LOVELY LIBATION: Rick Abitbol, co-owner and master brewer of Rickoli’s on Wadsworth, pours a glass of his award-winning cream ale fresh from the tap. Rickoli’s opened their doors for business in November, making history as the first-ever brewery in Wheat Ridge. Photo by Cyndy Beal.
WEST RAIL’S 6TH AVENUE BRIDGE LIGHTS UP as rtd counts down to the new light rail line’s April 26 opening. The rails run south of Wheat Ridge and Edgewater, but will affect bus service: Applewood Call-n-Ride will replace service on Route 32 west of Exempla Lutheran Hospital, and minor schedule adjustments are proposed for routes 38 and 44. Visit http://www. rtd-denver.com/proposedservicechanges-westrail.shtml for details. The Gold Line, an 11.2-mile commuter rail line that will connect Denver Union Station to Wheat Ridge, is under construction and expected to open in 2016. Photo by Sarah DiTullio. food in with them or have food delivered. Rickoli’s has agreements with ipie and Salsa’s (Salsa’s only in the morning for breakfast burritos). Well-behaved dogs are welcome. Glass 64-ounce “growlers” are available for purchase, to fill with beer or soda to take home and bring back to refill. Abitbol wants Rickoli’s to become a “brewers brewery,” a place where craft and home brewers gather. Abitbol’s future plans include starting a West Side beer tour and a beer festival this summer or fall.
Colorado Plus Liquid Art Works, Inc. A second Wheat Ridge brewpub, expected to open in March, is Colorado Plus Liquid Art Works. Like many craft brewers and breweries, the owners of Rickoli’s and CPL know and
support one another. Craft breweries often buy or trade barley, hops and yeast with one another. “It’s more of a brotherhood than competition,” said CPL co-owner Jesse Duplessis, regarding the mindset of craft brewers and breweries. CPL is expected to open by the end of March in the old Valente’s building at 6995 W. 38th Ave., on the north side of the street. There are four co-owners: Eugene Kahng, Duplessis, Adam Draeger and Doug Sattem. The owners’ backgrounds and experience are as diverse as the Colorado beer they will serve. Kahng is the former owner of Vern’s Liquors at 44th and Wadsworth. Duplessis’ experience is in heating and plumbing. Draeger is the head brewer at Yak and Yeti in Arvada. Sattem’s experience is in restaurants Continued on page 2
A FOAM-SOME FOURSOME: of craft brewer enthusiasts pose together at Right Coast Pizza (left to right): Doug Sattem, Adam Draeger, Eugene Kahng and Jesse Duplessis. The four coown Colorado Plus Liquid Art Works, Inc., a brewpub, brewery and restaurant scheduled to open in the old Valente’s building on 38th Avenue before the end of March. Photo by Cyndy Beal.