• Tristan Chan
• On September 11, 2012
• http://porchdrinking.com
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One of the most important factors to consider when searching for a new home, or at least somewhere new to live, is the availability of a quality neighborhood bar. Seriously, forget the school district and don’t pull your hair out over the distance to the nearest grocery store. It’s all about whether your neighborhood bar has:

1. A solid beer collection
2. A great staff/great service
3. Reasonable prices
4. Great atmosphere
5. Solid food
6. Is close by
7. Non-douchey clientele.

After moving to Congress Park in Denver, I kinda lucked into living a block away from one of the best neighborhood bars I’ll ever encounter. Meet Atomic Cowboy, or is it Fat Sully’s … perhaps Denver Biscuit Company?

This trio has no weak links, and in the not-so-rare situations where one of our crew hits all three in one weekend, I’ve begun dubbing it “hitting for the cycle”. But I digress as I’ve never digressed before.

Atomic Cowboy boasts a fairly decent beer collection. It houses, Left Hand’s Milk Stout, Dale’s Pale Ale, Mama’s Lil Yella Pils, a bevy of Breckenridge beers and also a slew of domestics. However, what really set it apart from the rest was the fact that they carried Deschutes’ Chainbreaker White IPA approximately three months before anyone else did.

Yes that’s right, a White IPA… it seemed like last year’s beer fad was the Black IPA but it’s beginning to look like this year’s trend will be the inverse.  Chainbreaker in particular uses wheat and pilsner malts along with Bravo, Citra, Centennial, and Cascade hops.  What results, in layman’s terms, is an Avery’s White Rascal-esque light crisp, somewhat silky, and slightly hoppy summer favorite.

Chainbreaker has been my go-to all summer long and I have had my friends at Atomic Cowboy to thank for it, as it wasn’t actually made available to the general Colorado market until about a two months ago.  Look to Deschutes’ newest sampling to help you ease into the night after an active day outdoors or just unwinding at your neighborhood bar after a long day of work.  Heck, stop by Atomic Cowboy and sidle up to me.  It’s located on the corner of Adams and Colfax.  I’ll assuredly be downing a Chainbreaker while stuffing my face with pizza.