Denver Beer Company.

            Located just on the west side of LoDo, sits Denver Beer Company; A medium sized warehouse bar with a reputation of having outstanding micro brews. I was joined by my favorite ice cream flavor, Melissa and her new main squeeze Justin.

            First push of door and an army of smells come out at you. The warm, mash smell of hops, dusty smell of wheat and barley being smoked, and the slight body odor smell of the place being fully packed, just to name a few. The first thing I noticed was how the barren brick walls are an ugly dark orange and a macaroni and cheese yellow. As were the chairs.  Personal opinion but I  hated the orange. However, I really enjoyed the rest of the lay out. They had a huge bar, many tables, and their walk in cooler was cleverly hidden by walls made of early 1900’s metal shelves, which were obviously left in the warehouse owned by Denver beer Company, located behind the main bar. I would have done more with those resources and made the bar more of a brewers warehouse. Even though you can see the stiles and mashing tanks and other various equipment, it just doesn’t feel like I’m sitting right in the middle of where they make their highly proclaimed beer. That would be the experience to me.

            One thing that I do enjoy is how the  entire east wall is made up of glass in tract doors which can be raised to open up their patio. Not something to use as we just got 10 inches of snow and it is 22°F outside but something to come back and experience. I’ll bet the place really gets going on a Friday night during the summer, not at 2pm on a Sunday afternoon.

            I had for my first beer their “Graham Cracker Porter” ($5 for a 16 oz.).  Me being someone who really enjoys beer but knowing that I do NOT like Indian Pale Ales, went for something new, and unique. To me, all IPA’s taste the same so it’s better if I just avoid them.  As described on the Denver Beer Co. website,

Like a campfire in a glass, this robust beauty has seductive notes of vanilla, smoked cedar, and mulling spices on the nose.  A dark pour with mild lacing, she is a rollercoaster of lush chocolate and fig fruits diving into a semi-dry finish of toast and biscuit.  5.6% ABV.

First off, I love that they refer to their beer as a female. For me, it makes this inanimate object into something I have to respect and get to know. Second, I really don’t like when beers and wines guide you with what it smells and tastes like. To me, it becomes misleading and you trick yourself into thinking that’s what you’re smelling and tasting.

            For me, it smelled like a mixture of smoke from our woodstove which we use to heat our house and water back home in Michigan. And also smelled like molasses. It looked like microwaved maple syrup and was pitch black, had no head and bubbled, in one spot in the entire glass. It had a thick, rich viscosity which danced on your taste buds the same that the smells did in your nose and stayed there for a long while.

            Now, Denver Beer Co. only had soft pretzels to order, which were $5. I read online that they often times had food trucks there. Bistro Colorado just happened to be there. One of the coolest things I saw was how it was a partnership between Denver Beer Co. and the food trucks that come in. They had an actual server working from the food truck to go outside to get your order, take your order, take your payment and clear your table. I had their BICO burger which in all honesty was one of the best burgers I have ever had. Not the best but close. The bun was the perfect mix of soft and sturdy while the meat was tender, juicy and greasy, and all flavors were balanced. I only wish it had pickles. The service was awesome for it being only one man serving the entire bar.

            Overall, the whole experience at DBC was simply amazing. I can’t remember when I went into a place with such moderate expectations and had them exceeded. I didn’t even mind that the band was playing way to loud and I could hardly talk to my friends though they did play some bitchen music. Very John Denver meets Fleetwood Mac and the Lumineers. Given the chance though, I will return to Bistro Colorado to sample more of their food.

2 Beers: $10

Burger: $10