Brewery Snapshot: Colorado Plus Brew Pub

After visiting Colorado Plus Brew Pub I developed a keen sense of envy of folks living in Northwest Denver. Colorado Plus combines a solid brewing operation of their own with a well-curated menu of Colorado beers, plus a full kitchen, all presented in a comfortable taproom.

BEER LINEUP: Colorado Plus has a limited menu of their own beers plus dozens of guest beers and cider from across Colorado. Colorado Choice’s brews are all on the lighter side (Cream Ale, IPAs, Saison) but the guest beer collection appears to be thoughtfully put together with some of the usual suspects and many truly unique one-offs. There’s something for every taste. Finally, this is one of the rare craft breweries that offers Happy Hour!

ATMOSPHERE: The taproom feels like it used to be a local hole-in-the-wall bar that’s had a quick makeover.  The interior is dark and comfortable, with the low-key vibe of a neighborhood joint populated by diverse groups of all ages and numerous families. There’s also a small patio out front.

SERVICE: Colorado Plus is one of the few breweries with table service, and in our case it was a mixed blessing. Our server was super-friendly, knowledgeable about the beers, enthusiastic, and on top of our orders . . . when we could find him. The bar seemed to have a abundance of equally friendly and efficient servers so perhaps we  just had bad timing when needing a refill.

LOCATION: Tucked off 38th Ave in Wheat Ridge, Colorado Plus fits nicely into the working-class neighborhood of main street small business and small homes on side streets. While there may not be many reasons to linger in the immediate area, 38th Ave features numerous restaurants and other business if you want to hang or need to run errands. Parking is ample, both onsite and on the street.

STANDOUT BEER: Skalds, Colorado Plus’ saison, displayed a golden-orange color and the first sip offered a full-bodied  beer with light farmhouse notes and spicy/savory flavors as well. While not as adventurous as some of the guest beers, Skalds proved an interesting and pleasant offering.

 

Fall Festival Season

Tis the season for fall beerfests & Oktoberfests and a great time to get out of Denver to check out the aspens in the mountains or have a weekend getaway in another part of the state. It seems like almost every little town has its own beer festival in the fall and some of the ones coming up in the next couple weeks include:

Telluride Blues & Brews – Sept 15 – 17

Steamboat OktoberWest – Sept 16

Loveland Oktoberfest – Sept 16 & 17 at Grimm Brothers Brewhouse

Louisville Red White & Brew – Sept 16

Colorado Springs Pawtoberfest – Sept 16

Longmont Oktoberfest – Sept 22 & 23

Fort Collins Fall Harvest Brewfest – Sept 23

Manitou Springs Heritage Beer Festival – Sept 23

Monument Bines and Brews – Sept 23

Canon City Bikes and Brews – Sept 23

Denver Micro Brew Fest – Sept 23 (yeah this one’s not out of Denver but looks really promising!)

 

Brewery Snapshot: River North Brewery

When you get the urge for some serious Belgian beer, it’s time to head north and catch River North Brewery at their sorta-new location near I25 and 58th. While the neighborhood won’t win any curb-appeal points, the inside of the brewery feels friendly and comfortable despite the minimalist design. The huge stacks of cans and kegs make it apparent that River North focuses primarily on distribution, but fortunately not at the expense of the taproom. River North rewards the journey up there and by providing a great place to hang out for an afternoon or evening – but watch the ABV on some of those delicious Belgian brews!

BEER LINEUP: River North is justifiably known for Belgians and their new facility has allowed them to branch out into IPAs and occasionally other styles. The taplist mixes about 65% Belgians with 30% IPAs and a little bit of “other”. The takeaway: come for Belgians and IPAs.

ATMOSPHERE: Although the taproom is really just a corner of a warehouse, the interaction between the patrons and the bartender makes for a relaxed and comfortable experience and encourages lingering for yet another beer. The back of the taproom opens to the brewery and warehouse and the front features a small patio and often a food truck.

 

SERVICE: Our bartender was very friendly and helpful in describing and recommending beers. He clearly knew all of their beers in detail and was able to compare and contrast them when providing suggestions based on our previous selections.

LOCATION: Really, seriously, in the middle of nowhere. Surrounded by railroad tracks and storage yards there’s little reason why you’d happen upon River North unless it’s your destination. However, as a destination, it’s fairly easy-access from highways and downtown plus easy parking. Be sure to keep an eye out for the building as it is set back from the road with subtle signage.

STANDOUT BEER: White. Combining traditional Wit flavors with the same Belgian yeast used in their Farmhouse, River North created a truly interesting beer that has a lot going on. Ultimately the farmhouse yeast wins and provides the primary flavor, while the Wit provides subtle spicy notes and tones down some of the more intense farmhouse flavors. The medium-bodied White doesn’t provide the same hot-day refreshment that a Wit would, but is still light enough to quench your thirst.