Denver Breweries

Sunday in Denver started out with breakfast and mimosas at Watercourse foods- the food was so amazing on Friday that we had to have it again on Sunday :) The mimosas were 2 for 1 and were very generously sized!

We headed straight to Tommyknocker Brewing and the drive from Denver to the brewery was incredibly scenic. As usual I could not stop from tearing up at the beauty of nature. Call me crazy but I am stunned every time I see such a beautiful view. The pictures barely sum up how amazing the sights are in Colorado

We planned to visit a few different breweries so at Tommyknocker we got the sampler platter instead of getting full size beers. My favorite was their cocoa porter ale which is seasonal and only available november-march.

 
After leaving Tommyknocker we headed to the Golden Gate Canyon State Park to hike the Blue Grouse Trail. The trail was only about 1.5 miles and was a very easy trail. We weren't sure how we would react to the altitude so this was the perfect start, I definitely could have done a longer trail though!

 

Next on the list was Avery Brewing which happened to be having a release party for their Tweak Beer which is a stout with coffee added and aged in bourbon barrells and is a whopping 17.01% alcohol. We had to try one but we split it and sipped it slowly, it was VERY intense but delicious. 

After leaving Avery Brewing we headed to Oskar Blues and accidentally ended up at the Oskar Blues restaurant not the actual brewery. We stayed for a beer but didn't hangout for long because we were at the wrong place! We skipped ahead to our next brewery on the list which was Left Hand Brewing. This was our favorite of the day because for anyone that's a fan of dark beers, they have a LOT of options. We got along great with the bartender and he gave us a ton of samples so we tried every beer they had on tap. The most interesting one was an IPA they had with jalapenos in it. 

After a full day of driving and sampling beers we headed back to the hotel to relax and eat leftovers. We were too tuckered out to go out Sunday night. After spending a day driving through the mountains, I wish I had done that every day while in Colorado. Its truly the best part about the entire state :)

Breweries in Birmingham, AL

One of my favorite hobbies besides traveling/hiking is tasting new craft beers. I have been spending a lot of time lately trying out new breweries in Birmingham, Alabama so I thought I would share some information about the different breweries that I have been to. 

Avondale Brewing Co: The inspiration for this brewery came from Miss Fancy the Elephant which is why you will see elephant symbols everywhere at the brewery and phrases like "Trunks Up". The atmosphere is perfect for a Saturday afternoon with some friends and your dog. When you enter from the front door you will find a very nice bar which is a great place to have a cold beer at night. On a nice day I urge you to explore their outdoor area where they frequently have live bands. On Saturdays you will find tons of people and dogs enjoying the weather and fenced in area for the dogs to run without leashes. My favorite of their beers is without competition the Vanillaphant Porter. It has the smooth, dark, and chocolatey characteristics of a porter but with a hint of vanilla. Its amazing. 

Back Forty Brewing Co: This brewery is located in Gadsden, Alabama and the space is much smaller  than that of Avondale. The environment is great and the bartenders are very friendly. They also have live music inside the taproom. They participate in a lot of local events and you can find a calendar of events on their website. My favorite beer at Back Forty is the Freckle Belly IPA. It has a bold hoppy finish that I love about IPAs. 

Cahaba Brewing: This brewery is relatively small compared to the others, producing only 3.5bbl (Barrel) at a time. The beer is tasty and the brewers and bartenders are friendly and will take the time to get to know their patrons. I love this about microbreweries! They have a few constant beers and then a few taps that rotate as the seasons change. I think the only thing they are missing at this point is a great stout, I wasn't crazy about their stout because it wasn't malty enough for my taste unfortunately. For others who don't like the deep malty characteristics of stouts- it may be perfect. I did like their IPA which is called the Oka Uba IPA. It is an easy to drink IPA because it has a low hop concentration at only 57 IBUs. I like the feel of their taproom because there are some games available and they open up the garage doors to make it feel very large and open. 

Good People: Good people has been around since 2008 and has developed some amazing beer recipes since that time. I loved hearing about how the brewery started because it was started by two friends who loved to brew in college and wanted to abandon their day jobs to pursue their brewing dreams. At the time they started brewing, they were not allowed to sell their beer in Alabama so they continued brewing and gave away their beer to friends for parties/weddings. Now that is dedication! Their location is prime because it is right across from Regions Park. If you are in the city for a game, stop by for a brew beforehand! My  beer of choice at Good People is the Coffee Oatmeal Stout. Oatmeal stouts aren't always easy to find, so when I see one I always try it. This stout is incredibly flavorful and you can definitely taste the coffee and malty flavors, alongside a bit of hoppy notes. 

If you aren't able to visit the taprooms while they are open- you can find most of the these beers at Whole Foods in Birmingham, Highland Package, Hop City, and sometimes even your local Publix.