Along Park Avenue, in the metaphorical nerve plexus that is the Five Points Neighborhood, there resides a refuge from city life. The elements we forget about in this crowded place are brought back to our teeming existence. Woods Boss Brewing Company is where the forest intertwines our municipality through beer and community and culture and ultimately, conservation.
Woods Boss Brewing Company has only been open for 5 months but Jordan Fink and Chad Moore are both seasoned in their respective ends of the business. Jordan is the brewer. Chad is the front end and business manager. Their duo is balanced which fits with their name.
Before starting the brewery with Chad, Jordan worked with the Northwest Youth Corps and his position was referred to as the “Woods Boss”. His job was to find balance and productivity with the people, supplies and land the best he could while respecting the forest. Sounds like a small business owner to me. Someone found their calling.
Volunteering and non-profits are vital to their collective outlook on their business and life. Their love for giving back also shines through their work with non-profits in the area like the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless. Because conservation is about giving back. Mr. Fink and Mr. Moore are doing just that in the most Colorado way possible, through their beer.
As we talk, I peruse through their diverse beer list and decide on a succulent and accessible sour by the name of Fruity Flash (5.2%). Not overwhelmingly sweet or tart. The blackberry and mango puree emboldens my spirit and pucker hits my face and reveals a smile, a summertime grin in the dead of winter.
The aesthetics of the taproom mirror that of a lodge you might find deep in the Rocky Mountains. The top of the bar is made of hand-selected redwood. A line of comfortable couches has a redwood coffee-style table between them. Not a TV in the place. Chad tells me that they have a 150 inch TV hidden away for Broncos games and possible movie nights. But really they want people to focus on the beer and each other when they are at Woods Boss Brewing.
The crowd grows with new customers and regulars as we jabber on about how Woods Boss Brewing found its spark. And it started with a series of Phish concerts. Seemingly everything spirals out from Phish shows. Or at least a strong portion of craft beer culture and community does. Maybe I should go to one of their shows to meet beer writers or publishers that see great things in my future. Preferably, I would like that to happen at Primus shows since they are more my speed.
The jam bands’ seemingly endless songs must inspire creativity. The music brought these two into a continuous conversation that spanned over continents, literally. While Woods Boss Brewing was being formulated philosophically and physically Chad was traveling through South America with his wife. Skype conversations filled with plotting went down on many nights as Woods Boss Brewing came to fruition.
One of the principles that they decided on during this time was to make their beers accessible to everyone and provide a well-crafted bit of everything. Maybe it’s detriment of my palate after starting with the sour but I move directly to the Form & Function Belgian Quad (12.8%) at their recommendation. I normally avoid quads but I am joyful they make this bad mamma-jamma. The brew stretches my imagination. And it edges on the “Esoteric Mindfuck” kind of beer that Jordan wants to create. It is incredibly fuckin’ smooth and slightly sweet and packs a punch. What more could you ask for?
The variety doesn’t stop there with a barrage of delicious beers on 17 different taps. I personally love the New England style IPA named The Oswald (7.1%). Hops and fruit erupt like Mt. Vesuvius in this one. There are collaborations brewing all the time at Woods Boss Brewing. They have one with Bruz Beers on tap and one with The Gnome coming soon. Jordan tells me there are 98 styles of beer and he likes all of them and eventually they hope to make every goddamn kind.
Exploration, community, conservation, adventure – from the wilderness to the city these are the finer points of what we should be doing with our life. All these characteristics intermingle with the alluring taproom and beer selection at Woods Boss Brewing Company. What a fine thing it is to have breweries like Woods Boss in Denver. Stop by and tell your friends.
The Denver Hopper Notes:
Woods Boss Brewing has a ton of events that you can find at the website mentioned below or on their Facebook!
Social Media!
Give them a follow on IG: @woodsbossbrewing, FB: @woodsbossbrewing
Woods Boss Brewing Company
Website: woodsbossbrewing.com
Address: 2210 California St, Denver, CO 80205