Summer in Pubs VIII - Big Choices as we Nose into the Night

Work Before Play

As I write this latest entry, I sit in a brewpub called M. Special in Goleta, CA, thousands of miles removed from my time in Colorado. Nestled amongst a flight of four brews, it is perhaps time to reflect on my process of writing about this journey. My tools are simple: I post iPad notes on Untappd, which I refer back to in order to write these entries and then I compose on my laptop. The former is a much needed tool when you're sampling hundreds of beers. And it's pretty obvious that I have gotten behind on my efforts. No wonder. Driving thousands of miles, visiting friends, making time with them a priority... all of these go into making daily blogging nigh impossible. But as I recall the latter days of my visit to Colorado, I feel compelled to discuss this process, not to make excuses for my tardiness but to give you some idea of how many miles I've clocked on this trip. No easy feat, I assure you. Which reminds me...

My route, July 1 to August 5, 2016

Did I mention that Carl is a taskmaster? July 8th it was 5 miles; July 9th it was nearly 6 and by the time we ended our treks through the backwaters of Thornton, it was topping 90 degrees.  Despite resembling a heavy metal sponge afterwards, a shopping run followed to pick up supplies for BBQing that night and apparently some binging of the show Orphan Black. I disappeared short thereafter to kill a bit of time before once again meeting up with Kevin to finish off our run of all the remaining breweries in Broomfield. This is a favorite activity of mine, driving back roads to explore unusual locations and perhaps find a geocache or two, such as the one nestled in the fallen tree below.

A geocaching lies here!

And Now the Pubs

At the risk of getting repetitive, I'll keep my discussion of the remaining three Broomfield pubs short and sweet suffice to say that Kevin once again mercifully threw himself in front of the beers and lapped up the flights that I would only sample. Naturally, I drove.

Big Choice Taproom

First on the docket today was Big Choice Brewing Company, one that had been recommended to us both the folks at Wonderland and Kokopelli. General impressions: with the state of construction in Broomfield this summer, this place was nearly impossible to access, the main roads into the area closed for construction. We finally found a back way in and discovered the locals clearly know the secret route because the place was packed! The space is small inside, with a equally small space outside near the fermentation vessels. The beer? Mostly quite good, including the fabulous Pinhead Pilsner, a perfectly fruity antidote for the 98 degree temperatures outside. Equally refreshing but very different is their fantastic Lime Gose, a beer that tastes like key lime pie crossed with a wedge of salt. I grabbed a six pack of this one. But the most unusual beer was their "unbeer", the very appropriately named Chocolate Orange Cream Ale, an incongruously light beer that tastes like those chocolate orange wedges you get a Christmas. Amazing stuff, this one. Too bad it wasn't in bottles or cans. There were a few mingers too, most notably the undrinkable Poblano Stout (did I mention that I largely loathe chile beers?) but overall, the quality is high here and the craziest aspects of experimentation are left on the sketch pad and out of the mash tuns.

Next up was Nighthawk Brewery, a retro dark, Irish pub style taproom that is also hard to get to, a trend that I was starting to think would curse all of the pubs this day. Thankfully, their beers largely made up for it, chief among them being their fabulous Anvil Slammer American Pale Ale, an earthy and complex brew with just a hint of black tea on the palate. But on a day approaching the century mark, my favorite had to be the low alcohol, big taste Randy's Candy Berliner Weisse, a tart session drink (ABV3.8%) with notes of pear, pepper, and a hint of sweetness. It's also worth mentioning that everything here was at least palatable, even their wheat beer, and that's saying something coming from a diehard IPA and dark beer fan like me.

Our final stop of the day was also one for our four legged friends, Four Noses Brewing Company, a very crowded hipster establishment that allows people to bring their canine friends right into the taproom with them. In fact, I tripped over at least one dog bowl while finding my seat at the bar. As a dog owner, I appreciate their commitment to dogs but that doesn't forgive the fact that their beers are largely mediocre, with one notable exception. In fact, at least one of the brews, the Vier Neuzen Belgian Tripel, is completely undrinkable with the only prominent taste being an off putting alcohol fizz. Sadly, this was one of my lowest rated beers on my whole trip this summer. Thank goodness that the final beer I tried here was also the best, their fabulous Ritual Rivers Cocoa Coffee Porter, a near miracle in porters in that the chocolate actually genuinely shines in this brew. Despite this final exemplary brew, I'm not sure I would return for more, given the amazing number of beers one can find in the area. And their prices were higher than any other brewery we went to in Broomfield, another strike against it.

Next up, my final day in the area, where Kevin & I do a mini road trip to Brighton, Longmont, Niwot, and Boulder and sample brews from four different breweries, including two that are prominent names in the craft beer world. Stay tuned!

A magnificent parting shot for July 9th