Denver Beer Company

I've often driven along Platte Street and watched enviously as the beer-sipping patrons at Denver Beer Company lounged outside and enjoyed beer at long tables on the brewery's patio. 

Denver Beer Company could serve the worst beer in the world, and Denverites would probably still flock to their sprawling outdoor seating to drink brews, soak up the Colorado sun, and people-watch along Platte Street.

Fortunately, as I discovered last weekend, their beer is pretty good. 

I have no idea why it took me so long to check out Denver Beer Company, and even my inaugural visit last weekend was unplanned.

On our way to House of Commons but needing to kill 30 minutes ahead of our reservation time, my husband and I couldn't pass up the allure of Denver Beer Company on a beautiful Sunday afternoon in Denver.

The Denver Beer Company apparently used to be some sort of garage, or it certainly looks like one. Good weather brings the opening of the large doors and use of the patio along Platte Street in downtown Denver.

On the Sunday of our visit, we arrived at 12:30 pm to a moderately busy brewery filled with beer drinkers and plenty of sunbathing dogs. 

Beer List at Denver Beer Company (5/20/12)

For only $8, we enjoyed a beer flight with all seven of the brews listed in the photo above.

I loved the Kaffir Lime Wheat. The lime taste was wonderfully intense. Every plate of Mexican food I eat now will feel like it's missing the proper fermented beverage accompaniment without the Kaffir Lime Wheat to wash it down.

Mr. Oyster went crazy for the very unique Misseur Flaneur, a saison flavored sharply with basil and lavender. According to him: "this tastes like a meadow." However, I wasn't crazy about the meadow taste or smell, and I felt the seasonings were overwhelming in the beer.

The other brews were decent but not nearly as memorable as the Kaffir Lime Wheat or Misseur Flaneur.

We had to get going - it was time to meet up with my mom for afternoon tea - so there was no time to sip anything beyond the small volumes in our flight.

Nonetheless, my husband loved the Misseur Flaneur so much, he picked up a growler on our way back from House of Commons.

Growler of Denver Beer Company Misseur Flaneur (Saison)

The Denver Beer Company appears to rotate through beers regularly, so I'm glad we were able to try the Kaffir Lime and Misseur Flaneur while they were available.


Denver Beer Company doesn't brew up the best beer in Denver, but it offers excellent patio seating and unique local beers that are worth a try.

Website:
http://denverbeerco.com/

Breckenridge Ball Park Pub

Heading to a Rockies game downtown last Friday night, we popped into the Breckenridge Ball Park Pub for some pre-game beer and food.

Originating in the Summit County ski town that bears the same name, Breckenridge is mostly known for its brewing operations, but the company is also creating a small empire of beer-centric restaurants.

The Ball Park Pub has been operating at its current location since 1992, or essentially since the birth of LoDo. Breckenridge recently opened the Ale House at Amato's in the Highlands, and they also operate an Ale House in Grand Junction.

If you're interested in seeing where they actually brew, you'll have to head to their original location in Breckenridge, or their tasting room in Denver's Golden Triangle.

We showed up around 5:30 pm - about an hour before the Rockies game - and met up with a couple of our friends.

Walking into the newly renovated Breckenridge Ball Park Pub, I was shocked at how large the space was. It's at a great location by Coors Field, but I'm skeptical that the restaurant can consistently stay anywhere near busy most nights. Even at the pre-Rockies-game time of our visit, there were still a few empty tables.

Since the Ball Park Pub is operated by Breckenridge Brewing Company, we expected an ample Breckenridge beer selection. We were disappointed to find they were sold out of probably their two most popular beers, the Vanilla Porter and the Ball Park Brown. They also don't provide sampler flights during Rockies games.

Thwarted on his top two beer choices, my husband settled for a Lucky U IPA, which he found to have an unbearably bland hop profile, followed by a much more palatable Oatmeal Stout.

Living in Colorado, we are spoiled with numerous amazing local microbrews, and we've become very picky about our beer. That being said, the beer at Breckenridge is nothing special. It certainly doesn't stand out in a local market saturated with Colorado-based craft beers.

Of course, the Ball Park Pub has consistently stayed busy for nearly 20 years now, so obviously some people disagree with me on that matter.

Anyway, getting to our food, Mr. Oyster ordered the Adobo Chicken Sandwich ($8.75).

Adobo Chicken Sandwich

I ordered the Bison Burger with pepperjack cheese ($9.95).

Bison Burger

Both dishes arrived with a side of "seasoned brew fries" and a pickle. The food was decent but nothing extraordinary; it tasted like standard bar food. My husband's chicken sandwich had a hint of heat from a roasted green chile. My bison burger was pretty standard; it was cooked properly to medium and served with the usual accompaniments.

The Ball Park Pub appeared to have growing pains associated with their new renovations. Our server seemed to have entirely too many tables. She couldn't bring us all waters at once because they were "out of glasses." We waited long stretches for our water to be refilled and our empty plates to be cleared.

The average food wasn't good enough to compensate for mediocre beer selection and clunky service.

Breckenridge Ball Park Pub has an outstanding location near Coors Field, and offers a typical bar menu and beer selection that seem to have mass appeal. But with so many other excellent beer and food options nearby, it's certainly not at the top of my list for a return visit.


Casual Dining

(5 of 10)

Pros: Easy to get a table, great location
Cons: Food and beer are forgettable, clunky service (maybe due to recent renovations)

Website:
http://www.breckbrew.com/food/breckenridge-ball-park-pub

Left Hand Brewing Company

Left Hand Brewing Company brews up some fantastic local Colorado beer, and that should be evident by the fact that we drove all the way up from the south Denver suburbs to Longmont to check out their tasting room.

Most breweries and their respective tasting rooms are in giant, ugly industrial buildings. So I was thrown off to find Left Hand's tasting room was in this quaint, house-like abode:

Left Hand Tasting Room

We arrived just after the tasting room opened at 12 noon on a Friday. With wood paneling, a large bar area, and plenty of tables, it felt a lot like a neighborhood bar. Except for the gift shop, of course. 

It was a low-key, quiet afternoon at the tasting room. The staff filled us in on the details of the day's tap beers while we nibbled on pretzels at the bar. 

We ordered their sampler of eight beers:

Left to Right: Polestar Pilsner / Nitro Sawtooth Ale / Stranger Pale Ale / 400 Pound Monkey

Left to Right: Biere de Garde / Black Jack Cask Ale / Fade to Black / Nitro Milk Stout

Left Hand's Nitro Milk Stout is undoubtedly their most famous and well received beer, and it's one of my husband's favorites. The Sawtooth on nitro was unique to their tasting room, and Mr. Oyster loved the smooth nitrogen effervescence in Sawtooth just as much as with the Milk Stout. 

Nitro Sawtooth Amber

Left Hand's tasting room had a really laid-back, friendly vibe. We got to sample all their standard beers, plus a few gems unique to the tasting room. Coupled with Oskar Blues right down the road, it made our long trip to Longmont worthwhile. 

Website:

http://www.lefthandbrewing.com/blog/contact/#tasting-room