Five craft breweries weigh in on the year in beer in Colorado
To pick Colorado’s top craft beers and breweries in 2016, The Denver Post has surveyed more than two dozen brewers and experts to reflect on the year in beer and look forward to 2017.
Here’s what five of those brewers had to say about 2016 as a year in beer:
Ryan Scott, founder of Odd13 Brewing in Lafayette
Odd13 Brewing celebrated its third anniversary in 2016 and is establishing itself as a must-visit on the Colorado beer map for its hoppy, hazy wonders and fruity sour creations — not to mention the awesome graphic art on the brewery’s cans.
Here are Scott’s picks for 2016:
Favorite Colorado beer of the year: The Colorado beer I bought the most in 2016 was ’Bout Damn Time IPA
from 4 Noses Brewing. Despite Odd13’s recent focus on New England-style IPAs, I still love a good example of IPA regardless of regional designation. ‘Bout Damn Time has a definite lean toward the West Coast but is super balanced with a hop character perfectly executed for what I’m looking for in this interpretation of IPA. It’s bright and fruity with a firm bitterness that isn’t excessive. Favorite Colorado
brewery of the year: I have to go with Cerebral Brewing here. All of the beers I’ve had from them were fantastic, and they’re great people. Chris and Sean have a really good thing going down there off Colfax. If they were more available to me, either Rare Trait or chardonnay barrel-aged Dreamy Thing would probably have been my beer of the year. Rare Trait is a fantastic expression of hops and malt in perfect balance. Likewise, the chardonnay barrel character in Dreamy Thing is an excellent counterbalance to the brett funk and moderate hop presence. Cerebral doubled their fermentation capacity near the end of the year, so hopefully that means I will be able to get their beer somewhere closer to Lafayette in 2017.
Favorite new Colorado brewery:
While I didn’t have the opportunity to visit a ton of new breweries this year, it was clear that New Image in Arvada would have been a solid opening in any year. They execute really well on the styles they produce, and they happen to brew styles that I like. Do yourself a favor and go grab a taster flight. The East Coast Transplant double IPA and the Dyad Saison with Brett and Kombucha are two standouts. I think New Image technically started brewing at Funkwerks in late 2015, but they just got their taproom open and started brewing on their own system sometime around spring of this year.
Colorado brewery to watch in 2017:
Weldwerks did some great stuff in 2016, and they were my other choice for brewery of the year. As much as Weldwerks exploded this year, I think next year is going to be as huge for them. They’re constantly adding capacity, and with Sleeping Giant taking some of the pressure off of the taproom brewery, Colorado is going to start seeing a lot more of their beer in 2017. All of the “Bits” beers and their imperial stouts are amazing — plus more beer should be coming out of their sour program next year. To top it all off, Neil is one of the nicest people in the industry, so it’s cool to see such a great dude having so much success.
Most notable craft beer trend in 2016:
Lichtenhainer. Definitely Lichtenhainer. OK, just kidding. I’d be lying if I said anything other than the proliferation of New England-style (AKA “juicy”) IPAs. When we started brewing the style in 2015, no one else was doing much of it in the state. It’s gaining popularity in other areas outside of New England as well. In 2016, Colorado went from something like three brewers making the style to at least a dozen. It has been really interesting to see how abruptly the style has gained adoption among the general beer drinking population. When we first started brewing the style, I was concerned that the appearance would be a turn-off to anyone outside the beer-geek community. The amount of Codename:
Superfan we are selling would suggest to me that less indoctrinated craft beer drinkers are digging these beers as well. The style is certainly not without controversy, but people seem to be really thirsty for that type of hoppy offering right now. Craft beer trend to
watch in 2017: This is going to sound repetitive, but I think we are going to see even more brewers embrace the haze with New England-style IPAs. The difference for 2017 will be that I expect to see a bunch more of them in bottles and cans. Frankly, I’m surprised we managed to run for as long as we did as the only Colorado brewing packaging the style. Toward the end of the year, Liquid Mechanics started canning Hop Nectar and New Image started canning East Coast Transplant. I would be surprised if there aren’t four or five more Colorado breweries with six packs of juicy IPA for sale by the end of 2017. I would be remiss if I didn’t also mention mergers, acquisitions and closings. But I prefer to focus on the happy aspects of the industry.
Sarah Howat, of Black Project Spontaneous and Wild Ales in Denver
Once Denver’s secret brewery, Black Project made its formal debut in August, replacing Former Future Brewing on South Broadway. The new iteration — which recently expanded its space to make room for more barrel-aging beers — focuses on wild and sour creations but also offers a delicious hazy IPA and intricate saisons. The brewery also recently did a collaboration with North Carolina’s Wicked Weed Brewing. Here are Howat’s picks for 2016:
Favorite Colorado beer of the year:
This question is always tough because it’s nearly impossible to remember what stood out over the whole year. However, Wiley Roots Key Lime Express did stand out. The rose water took me by surprise in the very best way. I love brewers that take a flavor — familiar or not — and use it in a way that works uniquely.
Favorite Colorado brewery of the year:
Cerebral. They continue to offer a place to enjoy a pint as a neighborhood taproom with standard offerings, as well as offer something innovative and distinct. To do both, and do them well, is an accomplishment.
Favorite new Colorado brewery:
Bierstadt Lagerhaus. I could drink their beer every day.
Colorado brewery to watch in 2017:
Weldwerks is going to continue to do great things. I’m excited to see how their sour offerings evolve.
Most notable craft beer trend in 2016:
Foraged ingredients — both physical flora and microflora. Both hold the power to bring a sense of place to the beer. I love that more and more breweries are seeking ways to be truly unique and showcase their domain. It keeps things interesting and keeps drinkers engaged.
Craft beer trend to watch in 2017:
I think more and more small breweries will start to specialize in one area, rather than continuing to be a “catch-all” for any and every style.
Tommy Bibliowicz, owner of Four Noses Brewing in Broomfield
Four Noses is just a little more than two years old but making beers that are getting noticed — both from others in the Beer in Review series and top judges. The brewery won a gold medal at the 2016 Great American Beer Festival for its Pump Action Imperial Pumpkin Ale. Four Noses also debuted a new taproom-only can series this summer. Here are Bibliowicz’s picks for 2016:
Favorite Colorado beer of the year:
Slow Pour Pils from Bierstadt. Incredible balance, extremely refreshing and just perfect for a German style pils.
Favorite Colorado brewery of the year:
Avery. They are just true professionals. I am always impressed by their creativity, attention to detail and impeccable product.
Favorite new Colorado brewery:
New Image Brewing Co. in Arvada. They have managed to pump out amazing beer, great food and great cocktails right out of the gate. They approach seldomseen styles of beer and execute them all very well.
Colorado brewery to watch in 2017:
Wibby Brewing in Longmont. I think the lager scene is minimal in Colorado and these guys are really pushing the boundaries. Their beer is consistent and excellent. Nitro Double Dunkle was absolutely one of the most unique and delicious beers I had this year. I expect to see a lot more of their cans around town in the coming months.
Most notable craft beer trend in 2016:
Buy-outs and sell-outs, unfortunately. We saw several great brands fold under the iron curtain. The impact this had on the craft beer industry still has not fully revealed itself, but it does change the way breweries will do business in the future.
Craft beer trend to watch in 2017:
Collaboration and strength in numbers. I believe this industry is full of passionate people who truly love beer. There is nothing better than combining forces to push a brewer’s comfort zone. As the landscape of the market changes, I expect craft brewers to work more together and create incredible new products.
Ashleigh Carter, of Bierstadt Lagerhaus
Together with Bill Eye, Ashleigh Carter is making a mark with German-style lagers — emerging as a favorite to take new Colorado brewery of the year. The two brewers certainly know the style after their tenure at Prost Brewing. Bierstadt Lagerhaus opened in August in the River North district. Here are Carter’s picks for 2016:
Favorite Colorado beer of the year:
I’ve got to be a little bit of a homer here and say our Slow Pour Pils. We finally got to make and drink it after more than 2.5 years of working and waiting. Not only was it as clean and refreshing as I remember, it was also the culmination of a lot of work, a little bit of weight lifted off our shoulders.
Favorite Colorado brewery of the year:
This is a toughy. Comrade and Hogshead are always in the game with consistent, high-quality drinkable beer. But it has been a lot of fun hanging out at Zwei, Spangalang, Call to Arms and Little Machine and seeing what these new brewer/owners are coming out with now that they just answer to themselves and make what they want to.
Favorite new Colorado brewery:
Being a creature of habit and opening a brewery, I am ashamed to say I didn’t venture out much and barely got caught up on all the breweries that opened last year. Westbound and Down has been doing some really good things. A solid list of well made-to-style beers. You can pretty much pick anything off the list and be happy with your choice.
Colorado brewery to watch in 2017:
I’m most excited about Brewery Liberati and the Grateful Gnome. Alex Liberati is a smart guy with an interesting beer style, so I can’t wait to drink what he has planned. I’ve been saying Bess Dougherty (formerly of Wynkoop) should get out there and do her own thing for a while, so it is awesome to see her get the opportunity (at The Grateful Gnome) to use all of her awesome skills and passion to make something that is uniquely hers.
Most notable craft beer trend in 2016:
Local, local, local. I don’t think the rise in the number of small breweries is just due to the fact that people are now realizing that they prefer “full-flavored” beer. It’s about supporting what’s in your neighborhood and what’s close to you. Stone Brewing, for example, just laid off a number of people
partially due to “hyper-locality.” Their beer is still excellent and the quality hasn’t changed, but here in Colorado, why would I buy a six-pack of Stone when I can go pick up a couple of fresh growlers at Comrade? People want to know who is making their beer and want to support their community. Craft beer trend to
watch in 2017: Pale Lager. We are already seeing the increase of breweries trying their hand at it (both regional-sized and small). I think these breweries are realizing how many more consumers they can reach at the other end of the spectrum that isn’t sour, barrel-aged, ridiculously hoppy or 10% alcohol. Those styles aren’t going away any time soon — it’s just that there is a wide range of beer consumers out there and a lot of them still drink macro lager.
Jon Cross, Chris Bell and Jesse Brookstein of Call to Arms Brewing
Call to Arms landed on the 2015 list as the best new brewery and continues to build a large following from its location on Tennyson Street in northwest Denver. The three each named their favorite beer of the year and combined their answers in the other categories.
Here are their picks for 2016: Favorite Colorado beer of the year:
Bell picked Mila Rouge from Beryl’s Beer Co. Brookstein picked Dhumavati from TRVE Brewing Co. and Oak Theory from Casey Brewing & Blending. And Cross picked Slow Pour Pils from Bierstadt Lagerhaus.
Favorite Colorado brewery of the year:
Cannonball Creek Brewing. Yes, we’re biased, but the Cannonball team consistently knocks every single beer — hoppy or not — out of the park. They win a whole bunch of medals, they have hugely inflated egos and they never share their homemade pizza — and that’s exactly why we love them.
Favorite new Colorado brewery:
Without question, Bierstadt Lagerhaus. There was so much excitement surrounding their opening, and their beers are incredible. When you first wake up in the morning, you say to yourself: “I want to drink more Bierstadt today.” And then you take yourself up on it.
From the Slow Pour Pils that Jon listed as his favorite beer to their Oktoberfest and Baltic Porter, Ashleigh and Bill are delivering some of the most authentic, delicious lagers in the U.S.
Colorado brewery to watch in 2017: Beryl’s Beer Co. is the Denver beer scene’s hidden gem, and their head brewer, Eric Nichols, is constantly blurring the lines between traditional brewing practices, American inquisitiveness and the philosophies involved with brewing and blending craft beer. Beryl’s offers their visitors a vast array of beer options, from their core A-Line IPA to their obscure Dampfbier. And then they throw about a half dozen barrel-aged beers your way on a regular basis — all of which have a creativity and uniqueness that’s distinctly and boldly Beryl’s. Most notable craft beer
trend in 2016: The pitiful evolution of beer geeks to beer snobs to beer bullies. It’s really uncool to buy up as much of a brewery’s one-off release as possible so one can not only ruin the day for those behind them in line, but then turn around and sell the rare beer for a marked-up price.
It’s even more uncool, and somewhat pathetic, to follow beer delivery trucks from one liquor store location to another buying up all the Cantillon to not only ruin any other fan’s chances at buying these limited bottles, but also resell each bottle for an arbitrary, inflated amount.
And it’s really uncool, and oddly creepy, to waste one’s time filming oneself pouring beers down the drain that you — the beer bully — have decided didn’t meet your incredibly discerning palate. The Alstrom Brothers got it right: Respect Beer.
Craft beer trend to watch in 2017:
Most folks discuss beer quality as the reason we’ll see more and more Colorado breweries shut their doors in the coming years — as if it goes hand-in-hand. We don’t believe that to be the case. Breweries that make beer of poor quality continue to bustle while breweries that produce world-class beer sometimes sit empty. And strangely enough, one person’s opinion on a beer or brewery may vary wildly from another’s.
On the contrary, the greatest threat to craft beer over the next five years may be the very success of Denver (and Colorado) itself and its impact on businesses who rent their space. When we started scouting locations for Call to Arms, we could find rental rates for $10 per square foot. Those areas are sitting around $30 at this point, with no sign of slowing down. Not only will new startups deal with these rates, so too will the people who reside in the once-cheaper $10 persquare-foot areas. Their lease rates will likely grow each year with escalators, and many leases jump to current market rate at the end of each term — to a point where it may be hard for any small business, craft brewery or otherwise, to operate with such overwhelming overhead.