It’s Colorado Craft Beer Week!
How can we possibly be so lucky as to live in the most beautiful place (ok, native bias MAY play a part in that statement, but come on,) AND have so many amazing craft breweries to enjoy too?
There are a wealth of Colorado beer-centric events happening this week, and I encourage you to let your fingers do the walking and Google away to get the best of those – as tastings, tappings, pairings, and full-on multi-course dinners abound.
YAY, Beer!
OR (or actually maybe and, because it is Craft Beer WEEK, and that leaves plenty of time to mix it up and get in on lots of fun,) you can point your navigation system toward Wheatridge and the Colorado Beer-a-poolza that is Colorado Plus Brew Pub.
56 taps adorn the bar of this large pub, and from every last one flows goodness that is brewed right here in Colorful Colorado. Even with the choice to build-your-own flight (3 oz of 5 beers for 9.00,) option anxiety is a gloriously unavoidable issue here.
They have all our front range favorites well-represented, but it is also an opportunity to see what breweries from other areas in the state are up to (and there is so much goodness to be explored.)
Additionally (because all of those alternatives just aren’t enough,) Colorado Plus brews its own beers, with head brewer Adam Draeger keeping things very creative.
Oh, and FOOD!! Let’s face it, beer is good, but for Keri FOOD IS KING!
I have kind of a pork belly problem (well, the problem is how much I love the pork belly, actually,) so any place with “Pork Belly Fries” on the menu is going to get a visit from Keri.
Again, option anxiety is a delicious inevitability here. I know I will leave with to-go boxes every time, because I can’t pick just one thing from the mouth-watering menu (or 2 for that matter. Shameless!)
The afore-mentioned Pork Belly Fries are an “always order” for me – chunks of pork belly fried along with the fries get crunchy-crisp on the outside, but stay buttery and salty on the inside. Have them with the Chipotle Roasted Garlic Mayo for fry dipping.
Other highlights include the Bison and Pretzel Skewers , anchored to the plate with a spoonful of the German Potato Salad, which it is imperative that you fight your table-mates for, just FYI. (Ok, or just order a side, but where is the sport in that?)
The Beer Battered Fish and Chips are somewhat of a no-brainer here, because they have a glorious wall of beer options to experiment with in pursuit of the perfect golden crispy batter . (Also, the Chipotle Roasted Garlic Mayo for chip dipping. Possibly for finger dipping, or spoon eating, or anything else you can get down into the condiment cup to get the last bits of that goodness out.)
Parental sidenote for those toting the toddlers – the kids menu here is (giant sigh of relief,) very “typical kid” friendly. Chicken Fingers, Mac and Cheese, and other easily accepted alternatives mean that a meal out for the fam won’t be a fight. (Since Jr is 3, we are experiencing a bit of food stubbornness that hit by surprise, temporarily replacing my tiny culinary adventurer with someone eating only jello and chicken that doesn’t look like chicken. Sigh.)
There is no better way to buy local then to buy local beer, so go put together a flight of Colorado goodness and start finding some new faves while raising a glass to Colorado Craft Beer Week.
:::raising pint:::
Here’s to Sun, Blue Skies, Mountains, and Great Beer! (Seriously, how spoiled are we?)
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Colorado Plus Brew Pub
6995 West 38th Ave, Wheatridge 80033
720-353-4853
Reluctantly Suburban 