Average Reading Time: 5 minutes

Beer geeks welcomed!

Wit’s End Brewing Co
2505 W 2nd Ave #13,
Denver, CO 80219
(303) 459-4379

Capacity:

7 Barrel Brewhouse, 1 Barrel pilot system

Open Date:

August 2011

Hours of Operation:

Monday:Closed
Tues-Thurs: 4 – 8pm
Friday: 2 – 8pm
Saturday: 12 – 8pm
Sunday: 2 – 6pm

Food Truck Schedule/Food Availability:

Try some amazing food from Denver’s local mobile eateries… check out Wit’s End Brewing’s food truck calendar for more in-the-moment information. You can also always bring in your own food. There are some of the best most authentic Asian and Mexican restaurants in the state less than a mile from the taproom!

To-Go options for beer:

Sorry, no cans or bottles. They do have 40 oz Stainless steel double walled insulated “growlers”. Want to be a cash in on buying a growler?! There is a great Beer Club option. Grab a 40 Club Punch Card, your 9^th “40” refill is free.

Patio:

Yes, weather permitting

Special events – Anything coming up?

GABF!!!!!

Type of music to expect:

Journey meets Public Enemy

The Etymology of Wit’s End:

Wit’s End Brewing is the crazy brilliant design dreamed up by founder Scott Witsoe (and tolerated by his super-cool wife Heather. Thanks, Heather!) that took fruition in August of 2011. Scott moved from his hometown of Seattle to Heather’s hometown of Denver just at the turn of the millennium. After a difficult time acclimating to that strange glowing thing called the Sun, Scott was elated to see there was such a thriving craft beer community in Denver much like in Seattle. What’s more was his discovery that the Great American Beer Festival was a real event, not some made up infomercial award he saw on TV from that famous brewer in Boston. After attending his first GABF, it was immediately in this moment that Scott called Denver his new home and the barley seed was fatefully planted. Scott started as the head brewer, managed the overall business operations (i.e. everything) and tended to get lost going down rabbit holes. Heather’s role was being awesome and helping where and when she could.

Just as Batman needed Robin, Scott soon realized he needed help in fighting the thirst of a growing number of craft beer fans coming through the door. Enter Pat McNerney, stage right. Pat came into the beercave one fine spring day with a smile and two mason jars to fill up with beer. After making that fateful mistake of volunteering to help out in the taproom, Wit’s End clubbed him, brainwashed him, and he has been drinking their Beer-Aid ever since. I addition to being an avid homebrewer, Pat has worked at such pioneering breweries as Boulder Beer and Breckenridge Brewing Company. Pat has been with Wit’s End since the beginning, and they hope he will be until, ahem, the end. In true sidekick form, Pat has taken on every role they can throw at him—from the taproom, back to production. He has recently taken on the role of Padawan brewer with the proud distinction of being the first person to brew beers outside of Scott. They knew from the beginning that the force was strong with this one… no cockamamie midi-chlorian tests needed!

Although the brewery is on a 7bbl system now, they started out brewing on a 1 barrel (31 gallon) system brewing one batch at a time on this system. This small scale allowed them time to be very intimate with the brewing process as well as flexible in trying out new recipes. Everything they have done has been intensely manual—so when they say handcrafted, there is no euphemism in that statement, it is literally hand-crafted. They self-distribute their beer to just a handful of beer-centric restaurants, and bars, as well as holding some limited tasting room hours at the brewery. Their goal has always been to create a sustainable business and grow at a comfortable pace that never compromises their quality, but will meet with the growing demand.

Now, on the 7bbl brewhouse and four years deep in the sarlacc pit of perpetual brewing, Pat McNerney is now Head Brewer, Matt Boehm is the Taproom Manager. Scott has brought on some part time guys that are pretty critical too—Tyler Bies and Craig Daigle. While their roles may be primarily beerslinging, with other random duties, it’s important to note that a brewery needs its people and every hand helping is an integral cog in the system.

To call Wit’s End Brewing a “must-visit-brewery” would be like calling the Beatles a “garage band”. They are the great imaginers of our time. There are words we can use to describe Wit’s End Brewing only until we invent new, more fitting adjectives. From inception to their current state of being, Wit’s End has been able to tell stories through their beer, creating the loveliest of pictures in the drinker’s mind.

Much like their attention span, their beer styles bounce all over the map; they love all brewing in all times and places. They make whimsical beers inspired by history, pop culture, and action heroes.

What’s On Tap?!:

Jean-Claude Van Blond (2014 World Beer Cup – Gold Medal) – What? Jean-Claude Van Blond is inspired by the action hero in all of us. It features a Belgian yeast strain and is built on a lighter malt profile with just a touch of oats for a silky body and some additional depth. You will find this beer intriguing and hard to define—which is just the way we like it. Why? The yeast provides some fresh dough, banana, pineapple and clove aromas to dazzle the senses. The lighter malts give this beer its color and soft grainy flavors. It is mashed longer and at lower temperatures to produce a dry yet complex beer. Although easy drinking, there is soft and surprising intensity just like the ancient Dim Mak technique!

Green Man Ale – What? Inspired by the malty and hoppy beers of the Great Northwest, Green Man Ale is a rich and layered beer that lies somewhere between an IPA and a Red Ale. It’s not exactly radical, but not quite the conformist, Green Man Ale just is. Why? An Eclectic blend of malts and plenty of northwest hops have come together, not worrying about fitting in, and simply being content in walking their own path of malty hoppiness (always need a good hop pun). Green Man is excellent when paired with wild salmon or as an inspirational elixir during your favorite pagan ceremony.

Wildford Belgian Oatmeal IPA – What? Introducing the Belgian Oatmeal IPA! Flaked oats play a major role in this Belgian-American porridge. Pungent spicy noble hops, citrusy American hops, and a Belgian yeast all wrapped up in a silky blanket of oats–yes please! They will not make any claims as to the health benefits of using oatmeal in beer, but if there are any, then…it’s the right beer to drink, and the tasty way to do it! Why? This beer gets its clove aromas and spicy flavors from the Belgian yeast. The combination of tettnang and cascade hops create a lemon-orange pith tartness which finds balance with the caramel malt sweetness. The large amount of flaked oats used in this beer helps tame all of these robust flavors creating a very unique flavor profile. Its frothy head will make a beer mustache that Mr. Brimley himself would be proud to wear!

Find yourself there in the summer . . .

Banana Hammock Amber Rye Hefeweizen (must-try summer seasonal) – What? Possessing those familiar European characteristics one might find, say, on a beach, Wit’s End added just a hint of American style and certainly more taste. This beer started out as an amber hefeweizen, but it sorta stopped there. Healthy doses of rye and a longer cold conditioning process produced a brilliantly burnished gold colored beer—and though it might be a close race, they prefer to gaze at this beer instead of the infamous thong that inspired the name (not that there would be anything wrong with that). Why? Yes, they have no bananas… but they added lots of wheat, rye, crystal malt, biscuit and a big banana ester producing German yeast, blended it (uh, fermented it) and they came up with a beer version of bananas foster. Huge banana aroma, rich malty toasty notes, and spicy rye finish. Although bulging with flavors, this beer is dry and extremely refreshing. Go ahead, you can do it… rock the Banana Hammock this summer!

Find yourself there in the winter…

Ugly Sweater Belgian Brown Holiday Ale (must-try winter seasonal) – What? Ugly Sweater is a random mixture of things that appear to be working together in some kind of plan. But instead of a catastrophic garment one pokes fun at, it is the unique holiday ale that can bring a bunch of people together to poke fun at said garment. Loosely based on an English brown ale recipe, Wit’s End throws in some knick-knacks like roasted pumpkin seeds, palm sugar and peace on earth. Why? This beer is not filtered (much like that relative we all see during the holidays) and has a slight ethereal haze. The appearance paired with its rich caramel maltiness is like drinking a Sugar Daddy®. The roasted pumpkin seeds create a creamy nutty texture, and thanks to a Belgian yeast strain, the huge cinnamon and clove notes come through and balance the sweetness. So bundle yourself up in an Ugly Sweater and have a happy holiday season!

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