At the heart of the matter, The Denver Hopper is a project to extract the good from the bad. It’s my exploration of a microcosm of this universe in hopes that people will find it useful or funny or whatever morsel of interest they find. And I hope you enjoy what you have found so far. What I have for you in this review is a place called Baere Brewing Company. My friend Jenny and I went there a while back on a day full of soul searching. We found ourselves mingling with folks at another small business with an old school and simple feel.
Colorado sunshine filled the barroom as we walked in. The patio garage doors were open and people were enjoying some unseasonal weather. It fluctuated between warm and cold that day and the sun shined through sporadic cloud cover and rain. That is Colorado in a nutshell, really – weird weather and great beer.
We sat down at the bar and the tenders were friendly and quick to bring adult beverages. I rounded up a GleeMONEX Session IPA. I felt the touch of the citrus gods in this delicious IPA. Jenny had The Saison and complimented the floral notes. Even as someone one who considers themselves a beer connoisseur I have a hard time knowing exactly what some of the lingo means. I know the basics but I keep it there.
Jenny struck up a conversation with some folks from the Seattle area. I buried myself inside my phone. They seemed like nice people but I felt disconnected. Life was not easy when I visited Baere Brewing Company. Things were falling apart. But that’s why it’s good to have positive friends with you to help carry you when you can’t.
As they talked more about the Pacific Northwest I slowly unwrapped my tired brain and ordered another beer and sunk into Baere Brewing Company’s chill vibe. The Billion $ Dollar Baby American IPA was tasty and my buzz crawled all over my skin. The taproom looked like my Uncle’s garage where the adults drank beer when I was a kid and I longed to be “grown-up”. The older barstools, board games and garage doors opening up to beautiful Colorado weather gave the bar a comfortable feel with good beer at fingers reach.
Their conversation carried on and I finally joined in. The tattooed bartenders continued to bring us beer and we all enjoyed ourselves. The demons that sat on my shoulders went away with the good discussion on all-things-Colorado and the great beer at Baere Brewing Company.
I think Jenny became Facebook friends with these Seattle patrons that were in Denver just to tour breweries. I gave them my “expert” recommendations and told them about The Denver Hopper. Soon DH will be a national phenomenon! After we left, my soul was a little lighter. The burdens I bear were less because of my visit to Baere Brewing Company and the good people that provided light banter. The lovely city of Denver surprises me even after living here for 20+ years. Now, give Baere Brewing Company a shot and enjoy your life and smile at the madness of it all! Cheers!
Baere Brewing Company
Website: baerebrewing.com
Address: 320 Broadway, Unit E Denver, Colorado 80203