Over the course of twenty plus years living in Denver, I have come to realize that this is not just a city of transplants as one might expect but it’s also a place of refuge for wayward travelers. The writer Jack Kerouac would stop in Denver during his travels and get weird with his friends as if it was a bastion for the romantic and aesthetic values he held so dear. To this day, it remains an enclave of different ideas and progress that leaves room for free spirits of all types to partake in unique and interesting endeavors. Within this space, you find brewers like Andrew at The Intrepid Sojourner Beer Project finding the line sand and stepping over it again and again.
8th Avenue was packed with people from the swarm of worker bees leaving downtown Denver. As the city has grown, this main artery of traffic that runs right through the Art District on Sante Fe has turned into an even more vital yet increasingly congested street. Weary souls waited with me as I headed toward The Intrepid Sojourner Beer Project to talk beer and life and whatever was on the minds of Andrew and Ben.
The after-work crowd hadn’t quite arrived yet to fill the easy-on-the-eyes taproom. There were only 2 or 3 patrons talking to Joey, the chill and friendly bartender The first beer I tried was a new release called Peach Brett Belgian Session IPA (5.5% ABV) that brought a pinch of funkiness from the Brettanomyces yeast and a dash of peach (not overly sweet) and finished with hint Chardonnay. The complexity of the beer balanced like a gymnast between all the elements in this uncanny session IPA. And what I would come to learn is that Andrew’s style of mingling different and surprising elements combined with a wanderlust spirit is what sets them apart from the rest of the pack.
Ben and Andrew both grew up in Indiana. Life went on different paths for each of them but eventually, they would reconvene via their Mothers. Ben started business school while Andrew cruised along a path to become an archeologist. During Andrew’s travels to the Middle East, he fell in love with their food, drink, and spice. He homebrewed beer during these years and began to experiment with adjuncts and spices that you might not normally find in craft beer. In other words, he likes to get weird with it and we fully encourage that at The Denver Hopper.
I went through an array of tasters while I was talking with Ben and Andrew. The Turkish Coffee Stout (7.0 ABV) brought a full robust flavor with hints of orange but didn’t overwhelm. The Basil IPA (7.1% ABV) utilized a sweet basil to balance out the bitterness of the hops. It sounded weird to me at first but I fell in love as do some many people do and that is why it is their best seller. The Lavender Tripel that comes with a high ABV of (8.7%) is a cautiously drinkable beer the floral notes and touch of sweet on the tongue that you could convince non-craft-beer-drinkers to get down with. All of these were impressive feats of clever brewing that you probably won’t find anywhere else in town.
The combination of drinking beer and eating food that pairs well together is a priority at Intrepid Sojourner. When Andrew traveled he became enamored with local foods and he wants to bring those tastes to the beer he brews. Starting July 3rd, 2018 they will be hosting a series of dinners with premier chefs from around town creating dishes to go with Intrepid Sojourner’s beers. Global themes characterize almost all they do including the events they hold like a Bastille Day Festival every year and a Day of the Dead Party. If you bring your passports on Thursdays you receive 25% off your tab.
The Finnish Sahti (7.4% ABV) stood out for its’ originality with a hint of juniper and chocolaty malty deliciousness. The beer was light and sessionable – a summertime porter. I was struck by a shimmering vision of patios and friends and blurry heart to hearts and Uber rides that culminated with me asleep at 6pm because of this majestic draft.
The world is an expansive and wonderfully wide open canvas meant to be explored and magic can be found at every place you go. Denver is certainly a special town. But there is more. Traditional beer styles and the comfort of what you know is also important. But still, there is more out there. The Intrepid Sojourner Beer Project will give you that flash of different, expansive beers but they come at it with balance and precision. They keep food and adjuncts in mind at this oasis of carefully thought out craft beer. I guess in a way it is exactly what Jack Keroauc would have wanted – odd, wonderful and free to see the world.
The Denver Hopper Notes:
The Intrepid Sojourner Beer Project will give you 25% off on Thursdays if you bring your passport with you.
Starting July 3rd 2018 they will be hosting beer and food pairing events with premier Denver based Chefs. The Modern Eater Summer Series
Give them a follow on IG: @sojournerbeers, FB: @sojournerbeers, Twitter: @sojournerbeers
The Intrepid Sojourner Beer Project
Website: sojournerbeers.com
Address: 925 W 8th Ave, Denver, CO 80204