Colorado bills itself as the "Napa Valley of Beer." With over 100 microbreweries and a couple of major ones...including the massive Coors complex in Golden...the nickname is apt.
Kind of like Munich, you're never going to hit all the spots you want but we'll make an effort all the same. We did hit enough bars and breweries that we'll have to split this into two parts with the finale coming next week.
Watch the Video!
Our first stop was actually not a planned stop.We couldn't find the first one (we rectify that with next week's episode) and the second, Pint's Pub, has no wheelchair access.
Walking along 16th Street Mall, we step into the first bar we see that doesn't look like a chain. That's how we ended up at the Paramount Cafe, the bar and restaurant attached to the Paramount Theater.
It's dark with a lot of red lighting inside. It's also Happy Hour so we're able to get a little break on the price. Letty has the house beer, a Big Nose Brewery Wheat ale that is brewed next door. Tim and I have the New Belgium Trippel. You might be more familiar with this Boulder, Colorado's other beer brand, Fat Tire Ale.
Both are very good and as a bonus, we get to meet Denver Robo Mike, a fixture on the 16th Street roster of street performers. He's taking a break and we get to have a beer with him and chat about the NBA.
Next, we walk over to the Brown Palace Hotel, an absolutely beautiful, century old hotel that features a stained glass roof, its own artesian well, wrought iron railing, and the clubby Ship Tavern tucked into a corner off of the lobby.
In this dark little wood-paneled room, we try a Warsteiner from Germany that tasted a little skunky, the Avalanche Ale from local Breckenridge Brewery, and a glass of 10 year old port from Graham's. See the video above for some more from the hotel, which is an amazing place.
Our last stop this day is another Happy Hour at the Apaloosa Grill back on 16th Street. Here, all Colorado brews are only $3 a pint during Happy Hour, so I try a New Belgium Blue Paddle Ale, Letty gets the house merlot, and we share a shot of Casa Noble Crystal tequila. All very good.
That's it for today, be sure to watch the video above for much more detail about the pubs we visited and come back next week as we dig a little deeper into the local beer scene here in Denver.
-Darryl
No comments:
Post a Comment