Outlet Malls and Craft Beer - GABF Trip 08

The next stop on our roundabout trip to this year's Great American Beer Festival in Denver was the Silverthorne/Dillon area, where we took in some outlet shopping and a bit of medal winning craft beer.



Dillon Dam Brewery is located just north of Interstate 70, just past a packed jumble of strip malls and gas stations. Dam Brewery wasn't originally on my agenda - we had stopped in Silverthorne for some shopping - but one of the great things about Colorado is that a quick look at the area on beermapping.com usually turns up something.

In this case we were in for a brewpub that had walls covered with awards. I chose the Sweet George's Brown - a Gold Medal World Beer Cup 2002. This beer was a brownish red brew that left light lacing on the glass. No discernible nose came out, but a smooth and balanced brown that finished a little fizzy or lively on the tongue was a nice reward.


Gina went with their McLuhr's Irish Stout, a deep brown/black beer with a tan head and light lacing. A roasty caramel/malt nose and flavor and medium mouthfeel was true to style and quite tasty.

A quick look at the balcony level of Dillon Dam revealed a brewery overlook with labeled brew tanks and a walk through self-guided tour that explained how each piece of equipment was used in the brewing process.


While they're not doing anything unusual at Dam Brewing, it's the sort of place that serves great beer to an audience that wants a better brew with a nice meal. We left happy and full, and ready for a night of rest before a scenic Monday drive through Rocky Mountain National Park and stops at Oskar Blues in Lyons and Left Hand Brewing in Longmont.

Beer Springs Eternal - GABF Trip 08

After leaving Hays, Kansas and heading into eastern Colorado, we made a 58 mile out-of-our-way wrong turn. If our wrong-way course hadn't crossed paths with a sign labeled Colorado Springs (turn right), you might now be reading about our visit to the western tip of Oklahoma.

Our course corrected, we arrived in Colorado Springs in need of beer. Our first stop was The Warehouse Restaurant. You'll notice from the photo that the building says "Restaurant Brewery Gallery"; We were told that they had stopped brewing some time ago. Nevertheless we settled down at the bar and each tried a combo of soup and beer.


The Warehouse really seemed more wine bar than beer bar, but they still had a nice selection of beers from Colorado Springs' own Bristol Brewing Company to chose from. After looking at the tap handles for choices, I recognized the Mass Transit Ale label and picked it. Gina went with the Red Rocket Pale Ale, and we each ordered a soup.


The Mass Transit: A clear copper brew with a fruity nose that first reminded me of Runts candies. As I got deeper into the beer I picked up hints of grassy malt, and as the pint emptied big flavors of apple and apricot came through. A nice beer worth revisiting.

Gina's Red Rocket Pale Ale had a hoppy/candy nose (similar to what I picked up from the Mass Transit), had a hint of soap yet was easy to drink, and finished watery but smooth and agreeable.

Despite the disappointment of finding out that The Warehouse no longer brewed their own, the local beer hit the spot and was a nice intro to drinking in Colorado. After spending the evening in Colorado Springs we set our course for a scenic loop of Pikes Peak, Leadville, and eventually Dillon/Silverthorne, where we'll be drinking in our next update.

R bistro's Brugge Beer Dinner

It's been a while since we mentioned one of these, but we've got an upcoming beer dinner to tell you guys about. This one's a doozy: Regina Mehallick, chef of R bistro, is teaming up with Ted Miller to bring you a five course dinner paired with five Belgian beers from Brugge Beer. You'll see below that they're using the three standard Brugge beers with a pair of beers to be determined later.

R bistro's Brugge Beer Dinner
Tuesday, October 14th, 2008, 6:30 PM

~Amuse Bouche~
Potato Rosti with Crème Fraiche & Smoked Eel

with Brugge White

~First Course~
Mussel & Clam Soup with Oysters & Rouille

with Brugge Black

~Second Course~
Mixed Grill of Rabbit with Grilled Belgian Endive,
Roasted Figs & Hazelnuts

with a Brugge Beer (YTBD)

~Cheese Course~
Kirkham’s Lancashire Cow’s Milk Cheese
& Vermont Shepherd Goat Cheese

with Brugge Tripel de Ripple

~Dessert~
Dark Beer Ice Cream with an Apple Scone

with a Brugge Beer (YTBD)

Reservations are $65 (tax and gratuity included) and can be made by calling (317)423-0312. The announcement was made on Friday and mentions that they expect to fill up quickly, so call ASAP if you want to get in on this dinner. R bistro is located at 888 Massachusetts Ave.