After another great year of beer in Colorado, the CBL team wanted to recap our thoughts and experiences in this year-end retrospective. You can read more about the team here.
We all answered these three questions:
1. What was your favorite beer this year?
2. What was your favorite beer event or experience this year?
3. What are you looking forward to this coming year in beer?
Ryan Steadman, Founder and CEO of Colorado Brewery List
What was your favorite beer this year?
I visited a few different states this year, and was again reminded how good we have it in Colorado. I feel like the “average” beer here is higher quality than the average in many other places. With so many options in the state, I usually don’t drink the same beer more than once, (at least on the same day) so it is hard for me to really declare a favorite. And unfortunately, I don’t faithfully check in all my beers to Untappd, so I don’t have a full chronicle of my beer tasting.
But one of the standouts for me this year was the Double Barrel Dark Sorceress from River North Brewery. It is a strong beer at 19.17% so you can’t drink much in a single sitting even if you wanted to, but I found myself having it on multiple visits to their tap rooms.
What was your favorite beer event or experience this year?
First of all, my wife and I finally completed the quest to visit every open Colorado Brewery in July of this year. This has been a long term goal since we started Colorado Brewery List, but only with the help of Stephen (The Colorado Beer Geek) were we able to finally achieve that goal. You can read more about that journey in our article.
Ashley and Ryan at their brewery finish line, Rocks and Hops Brewing
Otherwise, another big highlight was attending the Belgian Beer Fest hosted by Bruz Beers. In 2022, we were fortunate enough to visit Belgium on a beer tour co-hosted by Bruz. So it was a great excuse for many of the attendees to have a reunion at a fitting beer fest. A couple of them traveled here from Tennessee specifically for the reunion!
Getting the band back together at Bruz Belgian Beer Fest
What are you looking forward to this coming year in beer?
Overall, I’m cautiously optimistic about the coming year in beer festivals.
I enjoyed attending some beer festivals that felt closer to “normal” after years of weirdness from the pandemic. While none of the fests quite felt the same as pre-pandemic, I think some of the changes and shrinkage were a necessary correction. For a while, every organization was hosting a beer fest and that seemed to dilute the value of fests, burned out attendees, and wore down brewers. I’m looking forward to Collab Fest this spring, and hoping we see these main popular fests return to their former greatness.
Ashley Steadman, Co-Founder and Head of Data Management for Colorado Brewery List
What was your favorite beer this year?
Probably one of the most memorable beers I had this year was Kākou, a collab beer from Mountain Merman in La Veta and Platt Park in Denver. It was a golden stout brewed with Hawaiian coffee, coconut & pineapple. Unfortunately because it was a nitro beer, I couldn’t get a can to-go… ;-(
Mountain Merman Brewing in La Veta
Flight at Mountain Merman
What was your favorite beer event or experience this year?
This year was our first time attending the Lake Dillon Beer Festival and it was a fun fest! Luckily, we were able to stay right across the street from the festival venue. There were great views of the lake from the fest… until the doom clouds rolled in and it started to hail. Oh, Colorado. We also got to visit Pug Ryan’s tiki bar, which is right on the lake’s marina.
The view at Lake Dillon Beer Fest
Pug Ryan’s Tiki Bar
The view from the tiki bar’s patio
What are you looking forward to this coming year in beer?
I’m looking forward to seeing more breweries open and thrive this year. It seems like more than usual closed their doors in 2023, good ones too! It’s disheartening to see and I hope the trend doesn’t continue.
Stephen Adams, Colorado Beer Geek and COO of Colorado Brewery List
What was your favorite beer this year?
It’s no surprise to anyone who knows me, I’m picking a beer from Burns Family Artisan Ales. This year’s Faery Wall Solar Eclipse was my favorite. Their Untappd description says it all…
A continuation of the Solar Eclipse beers Wayne Burns has been making for twenty-one years. Faery Walls Solar Eclipse is aged in stainless steel for several months before being aged for a half-year in Laws Four Grain Bourbon barrels and then transferred for more months of aging in Fraser Valley Single Malt Whiskey barrels. Unique, complex, no-adjunct, phenomenal barrel-aged Russian Imperial Stout with gentle warming presence, designed for slow sipping.”
Faery Wall Solar Eclipse from Burns
A couple more beers that I had this year that blew me away…
Luxe from 4 Noses Brewing, (Park Hill location) which is an Imperial Stout aged in sherry finished bourbon casks with Luxardo Maraschino cherries.
Anniversary 10 1/2 from River North Brewing – A delicious 21% Imperial Stout. (Can you guess my favorite style of the year? LOL)
What was your favorite beer event or experience this year?
There were so many great memories made this year it was impossible to pick one. Here are a few of my favorites…
Many fabulous gatherings with the Denver Beer Queers, an LBGTQ+ (to include allies!) MeetUp group that I’m a proud organizer for. We had 31 get-togethers at 34 different breweries, (including a couple tours!).
This year seven new people completed their Quests to visit every single Colorado brewery to gain the title of Colorado Brewery Master! I really love getting to know them and especially enjoy it when we are able to gather.
Part of that group of new Masters is Ryan & Ashley Steadman, the founders of Colorado Brewery List. It was a joy traveling throughout the state with them, helping them to complete their Quest. This year we did a South-Central CO tour (with highlights at Mountain Merman, Colorado Farm, Spare Keg, & T Road) and a Northwest tour (to include Storm Peak, Mountain Tap, Yampa Valley, and Worlds End Brewpub) but I particularly enjoyed our trip to the Western Slope, (to such places as the new spot for Gemini Beer, Trail Life, Pomona, and Eagle River on the way back). On this tour we were on equal footing as I was getting caught back up to 100% with all the new breweries in the area. This shared experience of newness made it extra special.
Ashley, Ryan, & Stephen along with the owners of Eagle River Brewing
What are you looking forward to this coming year in beer?
Dave Sorenson, Lead Software Developer for Colorado Brewery List
What was your favorite beer this year?
My favorite beer this year was one brewed for my 50th birthday by Wayne Burns. It was a fresh hopped barleywine called “Dave’s #BIL at 50.” And it’s true, barleywine IS life. 7 of my top 20 beers this year were barleywines, including another 2 highlights from Burns Family and a pair of double barrel aged variants from Moksa in Northern California.
Dave’s #BIL 50th Birthday beer brewed by Burns
What was your favorite beer event or experience this year?
It’s hard to pick a favorite event. With the reduction of major festivals, it’s becoming the small events that take the spotlight. The Lake Dillon fest in the summer was fun, especially huddling under the shelter to avoid the hailstorm partway through. I always enjoy the creative and edgy tastes of the Collaboration Fest. There’s always something super fun to try there.
CO Beer Media at Collaboration Fest 2023
Dave with Paul Myhill, the Colorado Beer Guy
What are you looking forward to this coming year in beer?
The main thing I’m hoping to do this year is take a beer trip or two. I’d really like to go to a new festival like Great Taste of the Midwest. I’m also hoping to squeeze in a trip to the northeast. Maine, Vermont, and Delaware are all high on my lists of brewery areas to visit. I also need to take another trip to the western slopes to catch up on a few new Colorado openings that I haven’t tried yet.
Jeff Parker, Contributor for Colorado Brewery List
What was your favorite beer this year?
The Next Beer is always my favorite beer, but for ones that I have already had, I have to say the Double Double Double Double IPA with Mosaic, Idaho 7 and Galaxy from New Image is the most recent amazing beer I have had.
I was also amazed with the beers from Tom Hail at Eagle River Brewing.
But for me, the Fresh Hop Close to Home IPA at Paonia United Brewing that completed my Colorado Brewery Master’s Tour was the absolute best.
Jeff at Paonia United Brewpub
What was your favorite beer event or experience this year?
Hard not to pick GABF, again, this year was another step toward recovery from COVID. The brewery participation on the floor was light, and only a few guilds were there, but we could see glimpses of GABF past. Looking forward to next year!
Jeff and crew at GABF
What are you looking forward to this coming year in beer?
The Colorado Brew Dog is at the top of my list, I have been a fan for years, and can’t wait to see their outpost in the Centennial State. I am interested in seeing how some of the mergers will impact it and if the trend of one open to one closure continues.
Dev Adams, aka Miss Lupulin, Consultant for Colorado Brewery List
What was your favorite beer this year?
As always, Colorado had a glut of fantastic beers to taste this past year.
For individual beers that come to mind, Spare Keg‘s peach farmhouse had a wonderful balance of farmhouse funk and refreshing, bright acidity. Brewery Rickoli has been having fun with their chili beer series, and their Mango Hop Session chili beer was a great balance of sweet and spice with the hops enhancing the heat just enough. Joyride‘s Mexican lager was the perfect beer for enjoying the incredible beer from their rooftop patio. The Fed Rez at Landlocked Ales was a beer I judged at the Denver International Beer Awards and really enjoyed as a light, drinkable lager. Empourium‘s Power Player German Pilsner reads a bit more of a Bo pils to me, but is the perfect Saturday session. Finally, the Czech Lager from Bull & Bush is a beautifully crafted pilsner with a delicate balance that is extremely difficult to achieve.
Owner and head brewer Rick Abitbol with The Beerd Wrangler, Josh Norton, on a “brew with the brewer” day at Brewery Rickoli
The Power Player Pils at Empourium Brewing
There are several breweries that make a range of excellent beers where it’s hard to pick out individual brews, so I’d like to highlight their entire catalog, if you will. New brewers have taken over the brewhouses at Two22, Soulcraft and Blue Spruce, so, in addition to the fine beers they have already released, I expect great things out of these breweries in the near future. Amongst newer breweries, I was also very impressed with Public Offering, Stodgy, Hello, and Howlin’ Wind. And not to sleep on some of the breweries who have been around for a minute, but are still brewing great beers while pushing themselves to constantly improve with Verboten, Comrade, Elevation and the incomparable Cannonball Creek being in my favorites.
A half and half at Two22
The Czech Pils at Howlin’ Wind
Hello has a minimalist vibe, which is echoed in their well-made beers
What was your favorite beer event or experience this year?
Salida Brewers Rendezvous will always be in my top beer festivals. You just can’t beat hanging out next to the Arkansas River with 2,000 of your closest friends drinking some of the best beers in the US.
Stopping by Elevation is a requirement any time in the Arkansas River Valley, but especially during Brewers Rendezvous weekend
Witnessing Colorado take so many medals at GABF was an incredible experience, but nothing can top being present in Nashville when Verboten took two golds and a silver at World Beer Cup. Such a deserving team and a great experience!
Josh, Angie, Hunter, and Tomas celebrate their new bling at World Beer Cup
Alpine Dog‘s Christmas day party was a less formal event that brought a cozy, familial vibe to us holiday orphans. From the excellent servers to the potluck to the well-balanced beers, it was everything I needed to feel the Christmas spirit.
What are you looking forward to this coming year in beer?
I’m hoping for a renewed focus on quality and atmosphere. Quality when it comes to the beer with owners and brewers setting their egos aside and providing education to their staff and performing rigorous sensory (at a minimum) on their beers. Atmosphere includes having educated, enthusiastic staff who are treated with dignity and respect by both owners and customers, and a comfortable environment that encourages people to stay a while.
Enjoying Trump Hands at Cannonball Creek
Alex Consolver, Staff Writer for Colorado Brewery List
What was your favorite beer this year?
Ubae from Jade Mountain was my favorite beer this year. I was lucky enough to have fresh Ube in Guam last year and Ubae was a Coffee Stout that, when held up to the light, had that telltale purple hue and tasted like I was back on the beach where America’s day begins.
What was your favorite beer event or experience this year?
Day of the Darks at Wynkoop Brewing took me by surprise this year. As I get older, I enjoy the smaller beer festivals. I also really started to enjoy bigger, heavier, dark beers this year and Day of the Darks gave me an avenue to really explore that genre.
Day of Darks 2023
What are you looking forward to this coming year in beer?
I, as always, am looking forward to Collaboration Fest 2024. It is my favorite beer festival and this year it actually falls on my birthday! The best of the best get together to create art in a glass and then you get to enjoy it with friends and a pretzel necklace. What more could a gal ask for?
Beachy vibes at Collab Fest 2023
Best of Colorado Brewery List User Check ins
Users of Colorado Brewery List can “check in” to breweries as they visit them and optionally rate them for personal reference. We never aim to rank or rate breweries based on rating since personal preferences can vary. However, as an interesting recap to the year, these are the top five breweries in each category based on check in ratings this year.
To keep track of your own brewery visits, register an account and click the Check In to Brewery button on each brewery page.
