I am not a man of faith or superstition but I believe that certain groups of people are called to keep traditions alive for the good of mankind. Hogshead Brewery is one of the gatekeepers of the oldest form of my favorite alcoholic beverage, beer. They have a GI Joe grip on keeping the past relevant in a world full of Limaritas and Jager Bombs. Thank God for that. I mean, I’ve had wild times and still do. But in more moments than not it is nice to turn it down a smidge and drink smooth cask beer made with love. And the older I get the more often I want to punch someone holding a Jager Bomb in the face.
Hogshead’s head brewer, Jake Gardner, was nice enough to sit down with me on a beautiful spring day not too long ago. Their patio stretches the entire length of the building and some brewery regulars were sprinkled at the tables. He talked excitedly about the brewery explaining the difference between Ferkins (Cask Beer) and kegs and all that it entails. Cask beer hits the pallet different from keg beer and he showed us different examples of beers that are better under cask than a keg and vice versa. His knowledge on beer shined with enthusiasm and a scary amount of knowledge.
Dogs roamed freely on the patio. If you have a dog, Hogshead Brewery is a great spot to bring your pooch. In fact, Jake encouraged it and talked openly about his distaste for Denver City and County cracking down on dogs in breweries. Hogshead Brewery obeys the laws but any open form of government descent makes me happy. And I thought to myself this is my kind of place!
I don’t know if I ever had cask beer before visiting Hogshead Brewery. But now I know two different aspects of this microcosm of the beer world that I didn’t know before: First, I learned that a primary difference from keg beer and cask beer is that the latter has natural carbonation and it takes two different fermentations to create the tranquil brew. They even let me pour my own beer from the draught. I was distastefully bad but Brittany has a natural talent and did quite well. Secondly, I am committed to making cask beer part of my alcohol drinking diet now. There is no going back.
—–After four months of soul searching, traveling and relaxing I finally got back to Hogshead Brewery and this is what I found.—–
Everything was the same as before except some of the beers. Dogs still strolled up to people and sniffed their legs as I sipped on a Mile High Rye on cask. The malty rye smoothness washed away a formerly sober weekend. My friend Brandon and I caught up on life and other nuggets of existence. The massive patio began to fill with younger folks grabbing post-work-beers.
I went with the English IPA on cask for a second draught. This hoppy delight made me want to order some bangers and mash and turn it up a notch on a Sunday where the days ahead looked bleak. Brandon ordered a Dr. B’s Oatmeal Stout as an elixir for anything that ailed him. I gave ‘er a sip too. I compare it to sex in oatmeal with less hair and pillow talk.
Hogshead Brewery reeks of tradition and fine aspects of glory. Embracing the past is a primal glance at the deepest desires of humans, or at least that’s what I hope. We should always appreciate the past and take care to understand the work that set precedent to our lives as we know it. I think it is easy to take for granted the things we enjoy in this hyper-speed touchscreen enamored age, especially in the United States. So, take your dog and friends down to Hogshead and enjoy your life in the absence of Jager Bombs.
The Denver Hopper Notes:
They have lots of goodies going on all the time. Check out the website below and follow them on social media to find out when. Cheers! FB: @hogsheadbrewery, Instagram: @hogshead54, Twitter: @hogsheadbrewery
Hogshead Brewery
Website: hogsheadbrewery.com
Address: 4460 W 29th Ave, Denver, CO 80212