Great Suds!

As promised, here is my brief introduction to the best reason to live, ah scratch that, visit the Centennial State. (Tourists, especially Californians and Texans, please just leave your money by the door as you leave. It’s easier for everyone.)

Colorado, more specifically Denver, has self-appointed itself the “Napa Valley” of beer. See, it’s on the interwebs, it must be true! Presumably the state tourism board took one look at all of our micro-breweries, big label breweries, brew festivals, brewery restaurants, brew houses, et al, and thought they had a gold mine flowing from the taps. Rightly so. Denver ranks #1 in the nation in beer production, thanks to Coors, Anheuser-Busch and Budweiser. (We’re also #1 in contraceptive use and have the skinniest population. Coincidence?) Before you go gagging over the thought of drinking these fine American waters, there’s more. In addition to the Big Three, there are nearly 100 breweries statewide, most of them concentrated on the Front Range.

This weekend was festivalpolooza with Saturday being a trip to the Blues and Brews Festival on Old S. Pearl Street in Denver with my BFF. Sunday took us to the Ranch for the Scottish Highland Games (separate post on that one to be sure).

This festival was tiny compared with the Great American Brew Festival in October. I'd consider the Pearl Street event to be more of a warm up for the GABF.

Breweries on Saturday included, but were not limited to:
Breckenridge Brewery
Coors
Deschutes Brewery
Ft. Collins Brewery
Great Divide Brewing Co.
Left Hand Brewing Company
New Belgium Brewing Company
Oskar Blues Brewery

I enjoyed Left Hand’s Haystack Wheat and some other brewer’s hefeweizen before I called it quits. Drink tix were $5 each and I was saving my pennies for the next festival. (It was also a million degrees and humid as hell, which is odd for Denver. The people watching was, in a word, awwwwwwesome.)

Next Friday, I’m attending the Art & Ale fundraiser at my friend J’s work. It’s bottomless food and drink all for the low, low price of free (for me - $40 for others). I know people who know people. Alright, J’s taking me as her date. I may have to put out to pay her back. There are supposed to be 40 different breweries. I’ll report back, however, seeing as it's bottomless drink... don't hold me to it.