Well, folks, I have found my calling in life. I want to be a groupie for a rock band. It’s a weird thing for a 30-year-old man to see as his destiny, but hear me out. I won’t be a titty showing, daddy-issue-carrying, hairspray-wearing-type-of-groupie. No, I will be the kind of raving fan gets drunk at a fun Denver brewery called Declaration Brewing with a local band called One Way Ride. My friends and I end up at Herman’s Hideaway watching these good ol’ boys bite hard into the Denver (and soon National) music scene. Then I can say I saw them on their rise to fame. I was there when it all began.
That’s what I am called to do with my days on this planet, but let me tell you about the set and setting of my groupie life. Declaration Brewing is nestled few blocks off of South Broadway. They have a large patio with lawn games strewn about and ample seating arrangements to relax in. During my visit, the live music was bumping and I am told that happens every Friday and Saturday evening. On Thursdays, Declaration even has an open mic at 7 pm where you can bring whatever talent you please.
After I met their marketing manager and told her what I do for The Denver Hopper, she insisted I include those things. This happens on the knife’s edge that is the bar review/wishful groupie life.
I gladly obliged because she was genuine in her desire for the group activities to be made an extension of excellent beer. And I think Declaration on to something. There was an overwhelming sense of community at Declaration Brewing. If there is anything an aspiring groupie wants in life it’s to belong.
Community and fellowship are two of the founding tenets of The Denver Hopper. In the ever-growing and vibrant city of Denver, there is a serious lack of established identity. And brewery and marijuana cultures seem to be the two taking hold and I like it. Declaration Brewing understands craft beer end of this.
We drank good beer and sat with the band in the center of the taproom of Declaration Brewing for a few hours prior to the show. I want to name all the drinks I consumed. But I put away about six and my already shameful journalism skills dissolved into the ether before I could recap. I can say the first one I had was the Cuthbert Double IPA and the next was Hardtack Copper Ale without coffee. Both beers sat easy-on-the soul and high in alcohol content. To me, that is all one needs in a good beer and a fresh experience.
We all shuttled on down to Herman’s Hideaway and One Way Ride crushed it. Lyle and Laura’s melodies echoed through my soul and Tony played his guitar with a crunch and growl that defied the very idea of being tamed. Their bluesy sound resonated with the audience while people danced and jived. It was wonderful because of the freedom in the music and tone in the air.
My groupie life is well on the way to fruition. A sense of community can be found at a sweet little spot on Broadway. My new found journey of spontaneity and wholehearted embracing of community roots lay comfortably with my soul. So, do yourself a favor and take a trip down Broadway and enjoy the forming nucleus of culture that is Declaration Brewing. And learn to love Colorado a little bit more.
Declaration Brewing
Website: declarationbrewing.com
Address: 2030 S. Cherokee St. Denver, CO 80223