BigBeerCrawl May Recap
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This month we did the original BigBeerCrawl and it was a huge success!
Dave from New Orleans and Jen!
We planned on using the Denver Pedal Bar but that fell through on their end so we made the best of our feet. Everyone met up at Star Bar the usual place at 6pm ish and we had a special guest show up; Dave from New Orleans. Everyone was very excited to hear that he had heard about the BigBeerCrawl from our favorite blog site denveroffthewagon.com! We all hung out for a while enjoying Jolly Pumpkin’s ESBam Biere and the surprisingly good Batch 19 Pre-Prohibition beer from Coors. After that everyone was exceedingly thirsty for more beer and as tradition goes we changed the route and headed to Falling Rock Tap House. The day was waning but it was still just warm enough for us to hang out on the patio and drink our beers before heading off to Freshcraft. At Freshcraft everyone fully explored their extensive tap and bottle list.
A Beer and Half of "The Empire"
I personally liked the Dry Dock Farmhouse Ale and the Great Divide Dry Hopped Colette on tap and shared a large bottle of Lost Abby Avant Garde with everyone. A few people got lucky at Freshcraft and were left behind as we headed to Euclid Hall.
Original member of the BigBeerCrawl and beer cocktail maker extraordinaire, Ryan Conklin offered up some great drinks to the group. He made a concoction with Avery New World Porter and various liquors that tasted great. We also enjoyed the Crabtree Brewery’s Berliner Weisse that was brewed just for Euclid Hall with a little bit of raspberry or woodruff syrup added. Do yourself a favor and get one of these beers from Euclid as it may never show up again! The few of us that were left headed back to Star Bar for one last beer and to visit Dina before heading home. It was another successful crawl and we are looking forward to the next one as the weather just keeps getting better and better!
Beers on Wheels
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We’re bringing together so of the most amazing things in Denver for the next BigBeerCrawl: four of the best beer spots in denver, the Pedal Bar, and some pretty rocking craft beer people. Don’t miss it! RSVP below and follow us on Twitter!
Stops include:
Downtown BigBeer Lowdown
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Photo courtesy of @kawiracer14
Hello there beer world! The first BigBeerCrawl event of the spring was a great success. We had some great new faces there as well as most of the OG crowd. The itinerary for the night was Great Divide Tap Room, Breckenridge Brewery, and Falling Rock Tap House. In true BigBeerCrawl fashion a few of us decided to call an audible and start off @StarBar_Denver to visit one of our favorite bartenders, @dinaindenver. Great seeing @Jim there and @jlfeisty for my first brew: Modus Hoperandi. Also, big thanks to my girl Dina (@dinaindenver) for reminding me that whiskey would not be the ideal starter for BigBeerCrawl.
Photo courtesy of Kristin Penny
Next stop: Great Divide Brewery. We got the whole crew together here including @Aleinfidel, @MlleBess, @cwashenberger, @chelseats, @jim, @kawiracer14, @ccvandell and @jlfeisty. Also great to pick up some more new faces at our first stop, friends of crawlers are always welcome! One of Denver’s finest craft beer divas, Jen was pouring behind the bar.
Photo courtesy of Kristin Penny
Great Divide Good Times: @chelseats and @MlleBess rocking some gorgeous hair accessories, @jlfeisty and @DtownL making random bar guy’s day (thanks @Aleinfidel), angry picture taking by @kawiracer 14, seeing some of the newbies trying and loving some awesome local brews.
In the glass:
17th Anniversary Wood Aged Double IPA – this is a phenomenal beer. Vanilla, citrus, and some wood and very mellow hops to the finish. This brew goes down almost too easily and was a big surprise in the flavor if a Double Pale Ale.
Photo courtesy of @kawiracer14
Colette Farmhouse Ale – another one on the list of my favorite brews. This is a long list, but this incredibly drinkable Saison style ale is very close to the top. Colette is not only an incredibly enjoyable beer for the well conditioned palate, but it’s also a great beer for anyone new to the style. It’s has a fairly mellow nose for a Saison, with lots of citrus and malt and very subtle grain and grass notes that are traditional for the style. The flavor is very approachable as well with lots of citrus and spice. It finishes slightly bitter which makes it perfectly drinkable on even the hottest summer day.
A few more beer peeps showed up at Great Divide and we decided to divide and conquer for a bit at this point, since there were some of the crew that wanted to stay and keep enjoying GD brews. Since we were splitting up, in the interest of time and re-combining the group we headed straight to Falling Rock Tap House. I’m just going to assume that you’ve been here and know that this is probably the best tap room in the city with over 75 rotating tap handles , 130+ bottles and great pub food. The staff is knowledgeable and known for being feisty. Read the suggestions on the back of the menu, you’ll have a great time with some of the best craft beer servers and bartenders in Denver.
Photo courtesy of Kristin Penny
Photo courtesy of @kawiracer14
We picked a couple of the tables in the back of the first floor and eventually re-grouped with the whole crew and got a few new faces added too. @jesshunter made it after her GMAT class for a brew. Trooper! We ordered some great beers and snacked on the 420 wings, fries, and onion rings. We were lucky enough to be there for some really special beers. Russian River had a fine showing including Blind Pig, Pliny the Elder, Consecration, Santification, Temptation, and Supplication. We also got to have some Lost Abbey Angel’s Share.
I’m a huge fan of sours so I was in 7th heaven with the Russian River line up.
Angel’s Share is the epitome of big beer. This strong ale is aged in bourbon oak barrels for a full year. It has a thick mouth feel with lots of vanilla, caramel, and some chocolate with a little coffee bitterness. There’s a lot of bourbon alcohol to the nose once it warms. If you approach this brew like you would an after-dinner bourbon or brandy you’ll have a very enjoyable experience.
Our last stop of the night was of course Star Bar, where I finished up my night with a little 
whiskey and a few blurry photos.
Hope to see you all at the next BigBeerCrawl…good times practically guaranteed!
Photo courtesy of Kristin Penny
Photo courtesy of Kristin Penny
Photo courtesy of Kristin Penny
Photo courtesy of @kawiracer14
Photo courtesy of @kawiracer14
Oh yes, it’s Big Beer Crawl time in Downtown Denver!!
By · CommentsIt’s here! The first BigBeerCrawl of the spring! So fingers crossed it’s shorts weather, but we could also be looking at a foot of snow. Good thing Denver kids know how to enjoy great beer in any weather!
Next Tuesday, April 12th is the big day! Here’s our itinerary (click links for the website and directions):
Those of us that are still standing/don’t have to worry about getting in trouble at work the next day/are will to sacrifice a few hours of sleep for great beer will be heading to Star Bar to visit some of our favorite bartenders and drink even more great beers on tap and in the house specialty mini kegs (cans).
Don’t miss it and be sure to RSVP to the Facebook Event and keep an eye on our twitter feed and hashtag for pics, stories, and where we’re at so you can meet up!
