This brewery and taco truck keep it real in the Vail Valley
Editor's note: This is part of The Know's series, Staff Favorites. Each week, we offer our opinions on the best that Colorado has to offer for dining, shopping, entertainment, outdoor activities and more. ( We'll also let you in on some hidden gems).
Across the interstate from the gaudy glitz of the Ritz and the five stars of the Four Seasons is an industrial strip of the Vail Valley where a lot of the real work gets done. There are auto repair shops here, a paint store, wholesale kitchen supplies, the newspaper, pot shops and storage.
But tucked in amid the trucks and traffic on U. S. 6, which acts as a frontage road for Interstate 70 here in the community of Eagle/ Vail, is a no- frills oasis where you can relax and enjoy some of the best- tasting, locally made beer and Mexican food between Vail and Beaver Creek.
Founded in 2015 by Garrett Scahill, Derek Whiting and brothers Scott and Brian Harrison, Vail Brewing Co. operates a hole- in- the- wall taproom and patio at 41290 U. S. 6. ( They also run a taproom in the heart of Vail Village.)
It’s far from fancy, which makes it the perfect antidote to many of the expensive eating and drinking establishments nearby.
Vail Brewing makes just about every style of beer you can imagine, but one of its primary focuses is on hazy IPAS. Although the brewery doesn't get the same recognition — and doesn't have the wide distribution footprint — as some of the other hazy IPA producers in the state, its beers stand up to them. Vail Brewing’s
f lagship hazy pale ale, Pete’s Stash, is made with Mosaic and Simcoe hops and named for a backcountry run at Vail Resort;
the beer also has medals from the World Beer Cup and Great American Beer Festival.
The patio is open year- round and consists of a few benches, barrels and other seats ( including a former chairlift). It is also home to a permanent food truck called Rocky Mountain Taco, which slings Mexican food at the brewery from 11 a. m. to 8 p. m. every day of the week.
Rocky Mountain Taco is a much- loved and lowkey Vail Valley staple, with a brick- and- mortar location in Minturn and two other trucks, one in Beaver Creek and one in Gypsum.
At the brewery, you can order burritos, tacos, nachos, tortas and quesadillas, with carnitas, carne asada and other fillings.
But the one that keeps me coming back is the Alambre taco, marinated sirloin steak grilled with bacon, cheese, chorizo, onions and red, yellow and green bell peppers. Pair that with a Pete’s Stash and you’ll be puttin’ on the ritz.