Denver Beer Co. | Maui Express Coconut IPA

ABV: 6.6%

Welcome to Denver Beer Co.’s beach party in a can. Maui Express bills itself as a “tropical flavor eruption,” and this coconut IPA delivers in spades. If the brightly colored packaging that screams summer isn’t enough to get you to pick up a six-pack, I can assure you that what awaits inside definitely will. Read More

Denver Beer Co. | Chocolate Coconut Graham Cracker Porter

ABV: 8%

Denver Beer Co.’s Chocolate Coconut Graham Cracker Porter: the name is a mouthful and so is the beer itself. In celebration of DBC’s 5th anniversary, they brewed an amped-up version of one of their flagship beers. This fun twist on the Graham Cracker Porter is aged on vanilla beans with chocolate and coconut. Read More

Odd13 Brewing | Hawaiian Bartender

ABV: 6.7%

With the scorching temperatures and steamy days we’ve been having all summer, it’s time to cool off with a tropical treat—Hawaiian Bartender from Odd13 Brewing. This sour blonde with mango and pineapple added is nothing short of a luau in a can. Read More

Odell Brewing Co. | Drumroll American Pale Ale

ABV: 5.3% | IBU: 42

It’s been more than two years since Odell Brewing Co. has released a new year-round beer. I assume that’s because the brewery prefers to achieve near-perfection with a beer before putting it in customers’ hands. Having just tried their newest release, Drumroll American Pale Ale, I’m 100% on board with that strategy. Read More

4 Noses Brewing Co. | Bout Damn Time IPA

ABV: 7.1% | IBU: 65

If you’re like me, the very first thing that comes to mind with Bout Damn Time is, “Why the name?” So, I asked 4 Noses Brewing Co. this very question. And it turns out, the answer is pretty simple. Read More

Anderson Valley Brewing Co. | Briney Melon Gose

ABV: 4.2%

Last summer was my introduction to the gose style, and my first one was Anderson Valley’s Blood Orange Gose (also a beer I highly recommend). I immediately became a fan, and started seeking out others in the gose style. That soon led me to another from Anderson Valley, the Briney Melon Gose. At the time, it was only available in bombers, but this year they started distributing it in six-pack cans… and we’re all better off because of it. With a fun, easy-drinking summer beer like this, cans that you can throw in a cooler and take to a barbecue to share with friends are the only way to go.

Read More

Zipline Brewing | BA Chocolate Double Stout

Photo Courtesy of Zipline Brewing Co.

ABV: 11.5%

When Zipline Brewing Co. first opened its doors a few short years ago, I instantly became a fan. From the get-go, they were turning out solid beer in a number of styles, with many featuring a creative twist that made them unique and especially interesting for craft beer lovers. Like the sense of fun and adventure the brewery’s name suggests, these guys love to push the envelope without being reckless. The result? Some damn good beer from a place you wouldn’t expect—Lincoln, NE.

While I’m now a Denver resident surrounded by some of the country’s premiere breweries, it was still critical that I showcased the quality beer coming out of Zipline. I chose one of their latest creations, the Barrel-Aged Chocolate Double Stout, because, well, it’s amazing. Read More

Upslope Brewing Company | Wild Christmas Ale (Lee Hill Series, Vol. 6)

ABV: 9.2% | IBU: 11

Let me preface this showcase: Upslope’s standard Christmas Ale is a really solid holiday dubbel. The Abbey Ale Yeast adds pleasant notes of dried fruit to the beer’s expected holiday spice to create a unique flavor. By any measure, it’s a good holiday beer.

That said, the Upslope Wild Christmas Ale takes it to a new and unexpected level. Read More