Named after Sweetbriar, a town just outside Portland, OR near Kent and Greg Dawson’s grandparents’ family farm, Briar Common Brewery and Eatery is anything but common. When they first thought of the idea for opening a brewery in 2013, Kent and his brother Greg wanted to be more than just a tasting room. In 2016, when the brewery opened, Kent emphasized the importance of wanting to be able to provide something for everyone who walks into the place. Great and interesting beer for the beer lovers, but also hand-crafted cocktails and wine for the non-beer enthusiasts, as well as delicious food. The moment you walk in to Briar Common, you feel like family. It’s warmly lit with beautiful wrought iron light fixtures and ceiling tiles paired with the exposed brick walls. The décor evokes a classic feel, while also being homey and welcoming. Briar Common is a neighborhood go to spot for families and friends looking to feel comfortable and enjoy great beer and food. As Kent puts it, they aim to bring “an element of hospitality” to the beer and brewery world. And boy, do they.
You can tell how dedicated Kent and Greg are about their craft just by looking at the menu. They not only provide the ABV and IBU measurements on their menu, but also the Plato degree, measuring the amount of dissolved solids in the beer’s wort, and the Standard Reference Method to measure the color intensity of the beer. It is clear that Kent and Greg are passionate about beer and are determined to make their beer stand out, and it does. They have several core beers that are always on offer, and a few specialties that rotate, utilizing almost all Colorado grown hops. While the brothers like to stick to standard styles with a twist in their core menu, the rotating menu allows them to try new recipes and get creative with their brew combinations.
The Felicity, defined as Extreme Happiness, presents hints of chocolate but is brewed as a sour. Brewed with Guanabana, or soursop fruit, this is one of the more interesting beers I’ve tasted. At first glance, it appears to be a dark beer given its deep brown color. However, on first taste, your lips start to pucker and your brain starts re-thinking its initial assumption. Is it dark and sweet chocolate beer, or is it a light and tart sour? The answer is, it’s a brilliant combination of both, making it rightfully described by the owner as a ‘mind bender’. The Sour Seoul is an interesting mix of sour and spicy. Aged on habaneros for 2-3 days after fermentation, this beer gives just the right amount of spice to make the back of your throat tingle. Asian pear flavors up front, fruity and juicy, with spice on the back that builds just enough to make you want to go back for more. Neither of these beers has any hops in it, which makes the sour and fruity flavors come through strongly.
The Joyce+Brett was another of my favorites on the specialty menu. Named after the brothers’ aunt Joyce, this is a Belgian fermented with Brettanomyces, or Brett style yeast. While Brett yeast is wild and can be unpredictable, it makes all the difference in this beer, wonderfully combining bits of funk and spice that work beautifully with the Belgian style. The golden color and the smell are both reminiscent of a traditional Belgian, while the yeast makes the taste a bit more bitter and slightly bubblier than the average Belgian. This is certainly a specialty that you don’t want to miss.
Although the specialty beer list was particularly enticing during my visit, I was also lucky enough to try many of the standard beers on offer. Many of the standards are named after family members and other locations that remind the owners of both their old and current homes. The Jefferson, a session IPA named after the park next to the brewery, is everything you could ask for on a hot day. It’s juicy and fresh, with a low ABV that makes for an easy drinking day on the Briar Common rooftop. On the other side of the flavor chart is the Rochus, named after the brothers’ grandfather, which, as described by Kent himself, is a gentle porter. It’s dark and malty as a porter should be, but doesn’t feel heavy in the mouth and provides a bit more bitterness than most porters. Lastly, the Hobart, one of the cross streets of the Oregon family farm, is a Belgian Trippel that also uses the power of yeast to kick it up a notch. This was one of my favorites on the menu. The yeast strain in this beer brings out a peppery flavor in what would normally be a fairly sweet beer. Though some may be wary of the Belgian beer style, the Hobart provides a balance that you would be hard-pressed not to enjoy.
Not only does Briar Common have an excellent beer selection, they also serve food, which I had the pleasure of tasting. The buffalo cauliflower is hard to beat, particularly paired with the freshness of the beer on offer. I also sampled the rosemary fries and fried brussel sprouts. You really can’t go wrong with crispy, nutty friend sprouts, and the fries had just the right hint of rosemary with a truffle aioli for dipping. It’s not every day you find a food friendly brewery that does both crafts so well. In fact, the folks at Briar Common put on seasonal beer pairing dinners where they treat their guests to a five-course meal each carefully paired with one of their exquisite brews.
I’m a sucker for establishments that are built around family, and Briar Common is no exception. This brewery is charmingly understated, which seems to be a reflection of the owners. After talking with Kent, and briefly meeting Greg, it’s clear that they both love what they do and their ultimate goal is to make sure their customers have a great time. There is a subtle beauty to both the brewery itself and to the beer but without any boasting or pretention. It takes something special to create and serve beer with such humility in a time when the craft beer scene is growing exponentially, but the Dawson brothers have it mastered.
The Denver Hopper Notes:
Briar Common Brewery and Eatery does food and beer pairings seasonally and has event space. For check them out on Facebook!
Social Media!
Give them a follow on IG: @briarcommonbrewery.eatery, Twitter: @briarcommon, FB: @briarcommon
Briar Common Brewery and Eatery
Website: briarcommon.com
Address: 2298 Clay St, Denver, CO 80211