måndag 3 juni 2013

The best beercation yet

En text på engelska jag skrev efter mitt besök i Colorado hösten 2012


The best beercation yet


I set out to visit Rhia and Nick, a married couple living in Denver that I know more via my metal life than my beer life, they're both very beer interested though and had invited me for beer week and GABF.

So I started out Friday October 5 from home, grabbed my pack and walked to the tram, got on the airport coach, caught my first plane to London Heathrow. In Terminal 5 I found “The Crown Rivers” while waiting for my gate to be shown for the next flight, managed to rate two beers here.
Then for the long flight over to Denver, fairly uneventful and with crap beers. Landed, got through security, picked up my bag, and headed straight for the Boulder Beer Tap House in the DIA building. Ordered three samples of beer and was into rating them when Rhia showed up. Got in the car and went to her place for a fast dinner, then on to 3 Kings Tavern, where also Nick met up.
At 3 Kings we watched the first night of Denver Doom Fest II, and last the band which we really wanted, Novembers Doom. Also could rate six beers, one of them which was said to be made special for this bar from Breckenridge, but later turned out to be a re-label only. After the show it was bed time, tired little Swede.

Saturday was the first beer day in Denver, we first drove to Strange Brewing, which was a bit difficult due to constructions, but we made it. Sampled 9 beers and waited for the radio broadcast give away of tickets to GABF and other stuff, but alas, we didn’t win anything. Got to try some nice beers though, and got a short tour of the brewery too. After this the car took us to Renegade Brewing, where I sampled the 7 beers available. Got to step into the brewery and have a look, and chatted some with a photographer that liked my tasting setup and thought I sounded like I was from Ireland. Little gnoffi started feeling the beers already by now, so next stop was both for food and beers. At Breckenridge Brewery we got food, and I sampled the 12 beers available from the taps. Feeling even more beat we then went home, where we shared three bottles of beer before bed.

Sunday was also Denver day, we took the bus to town and headed to Wynkoop Brewing, had a green chili and sampled 13 beers. After this walked by Falling Rock Tap House for a quick chat with some brewers, before heading to Great Divide Brewing. Many that know me in the Gothenburg beer circle know my obsession with the Oak Aged Yeti from Great Divide. This was probably something like walking into the Vatican for a Catholic, I was there! Got me three new ratings, as well as a re-rate and the not so surprising glass of OAY! Also was lucky enough to go on the guided tour, yay! Only place I bought a shirt from too. When satisfied we walked back down to Falling Rock and had a beer before heading home for food, also one more bottle of beer was shared. The evening was later dedicated to metal, when we headed to The Gothic and watched Grave, Dark Funeral and Morbid Angel play. The two Swedish bands did great work, but man Morbid Angel played like I’ve never seen them before! Oh yes, had beers too, no rates, but they had a beer from Breckenridge that was very drinkable for the shows.

Monday 8 was the first Boulder day, me and Rhia took the bus there and walked around. Spotted by chance that BJ’s was no longer on Pearl Street, instead West Flanders Brewing was there, in we went! They had only been open 2 weeks, so lucky us. Sampled the 6 beers available. Headed next more or less across the street to the Old Chicago, sampled another 6 beers here. Next walked down to Mountain Sun for food and yes, more beer! Sampled our way through 13 beers before leaving. Next bus to Readstone Meadery, here we were treated to 11 free samples of mead, and bought the 2 that cost anything, so 13 meads later we could go on in the car, since Nick had shown up to meet us. I also bought one bottle of mead for home, to further increase my already crazy planned mead tasting. We swung by Avery so I could sample my way through 8 new beers or so. Stopped by Backcountry Pizza and Tap House on the way home too, one more beer, yay. Finished off with a final beer once home.

The 9th was road trip day, yay! I had wished to see the mountains, so we took a drive up there. Stopped by in Lyons to visit Oskar Blues, where I managed to score 4 new rates, and some re-rates. Continued up Estes Park where we first visited Estes Park Brewery, where I sampled 11 beers. We went back to town and Grub Steak, where we each had an elk burger, and I went for the occasional beer too. Continuing our drive through the rocky mountains we arrived in Fort Collins and our first stop Funkwerks, sampled my way through 6 beers. Mentioned to the girl working that we planned on going on to Fort Collins, Odells and New Belgium , but she told us all these places closed early and we should hit Equinox instead. Drove to Fort Collins, they were closing as we arrived. Luckily the next door restaurant was still open, called Gravity 1020. Sampled my Fort Collins beers here instead, 9 new and 1 re-rate. Also you could see part of the brewery through some glass windows. Next drove down to Equinox Brewing where I ordered one sampler of their regular beers and one of their seasonals, 11 beers in total. Next we headed home, gnoffi was getting a bit happy too, bed was called for.

On Wednesday I got a rare treat, Rhia was going for a hot air balloon ride in Longmont and I got to go with her! Early morning leaving before 6 am, to meet up with the crew around 7. We got in the van, drove to the launch site, got up in the ride, looked at the mountains and all the cool stuff you do when ballooning, had some cake and champagne after landing and then back to the car. Next we had lunch at Lucille’s in Longmont without beers, followed by a visit to Pumphouse Brewery pretty much across the street. Sampled 10 beers here. They also had free WiFi, though it was closed for sites related to alcohol, a brewery’s WiFi, I freaked out a bit about it. Anyhow, Rhia had found out that Left Hand Brewing had special hours for beer week, so we swung by this place and I tasted 5 new beers. One was so awesome I had to buy a bomber for back home too, to selfishly enjoy at a later date. When back in Denver swung by Hogshead Brewery where I got to sample 5 more beers. Next we drove to pick up Nick at work and on to the Rackhouse Pub and my treat for Rhia and Nick, the Colorado Rare Beer Tasting, got through close to 50 samples in the three hours we were there.

Thursday 11th was the first session for GABF, Rhia was lucky enough to get tickets before they sold out! Took the light rail into town, walked up the fairly long line that took us to the edge of the building and waited. Though when they actually opened the doors we were in fast, about 13 minutes! Very effective use of the staff helping us in! First show ID, they show ticket for scan, then get wrist band, then show wristband, then show ticket for sample glass. Now get on with the beers! I focused a lot on states I had never sampled beers from, chasing statistics as the nerd I am… Got through almost 60 samples before they closed for the night, we walked over to the Mellow Mushroom and had a pizza and a beer. That last beer was the only beer this trip that was very unnecessary, it was a new rating though…

Friday we didn’t have tickets for the GABF, instead we made it one more Denver day. So Rhia took me by bus to town and we first landed at Falling Rock again for a few beers. Later walked up to River North Brewery where I sampled 4 beers, including one that was about the only beer I poured out on this trip. Walked back a bit, then crossed the bridge and into the pretty new Prost Brewing, where I sampled the 4 beers available. Nick picked us up in the car after work, we swung by Pints Pub Brewery for some food and I could sample 3 more beers. Rhia wanted some rest, so dropped her off at home while me and Nick went to the close by TRVE brewing, where metal streamed from the speakers, yay! Got to sample 6 beers here before chilling with a few beers back at the house without rating (yes, I had had these beers before).

Saturday was going to be the nutty day! Rhia had originally invited me to go with her to the morning member's only session, since she had two tickets from volunteering the year before at GABF. Then she also won two tickets for the evening session in a raffle from Great Lakes Brewing! On top of this Strange Brewing was nice enough to leave a brewer’s pass so that Nick could go along to the evening session as well, what a day! Took the light rail in once more, the line was even longer, had to walk about two full lengths of the building this time. Didn’t take super long to get in though. Once there rated about 70 beers before the session was over. During the break swung by Rock Bottom in town for some food and shared a beer (probably a bit unnecessary), before getting back in line. This time they didn’t bother sending us around the building, we just took a left, then down that street, then right and halfway down that street too, it was a loooong line! Once they opened the doors took us some 30 to 40 minutes or so to get in. This session Rhia managed some karaoke, me I was chasing the same type of beers I did the first session of the day, recommended breweries from Rhia, as well as any that was close by or looked interesting or that was recognizable, finished up with close to 60 more ratings this session.

Sunday was my last full day, also we were all a bit beat. A relaxed day at home with some food, a walk, watching movies and shows, sharing a few beers. Had some awesome Pho take away from a Vietnamese place too. No bars or breweries this day, time to pack my bag and calm down.

But I did have almost a full day left Monday 15th. I went with Rhia in the car to Boulder where she works, we had breakfast and I hung out at that place for a while with a laptop crunching ratings, until she picked me up during her lunch break and dropped me off at Boulder Beer for 3 samples, then off to Avery once more where I waited while she did some more work, having time for 5 more samples. To beat the traffic Rhia finished work early and drove me back to Denver, we got to Lowry Beer Garden where we had a late lunch and I sampled 4 more beers. Now the fun was almost over, she dropped me off at the airport, I checked in and then snuck by the Boulder Beer Tap House at DIA again, for 3 last ratings. Or so I thought, close to my gate in Terminal A was Denver ChopHouse, managed to squeeze in 3 more ratings before leaving the country and going home.

In conclusion:
Wow...
Just ....
wow!
What a trip I've had, amazing times! How many friends would let me do all this on their time and money? I have amazing friends and I had the best beer time on this great journey!
This can not be the first and last time I visit Colorado, only first, I must return!

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