Behind the Brew: Denver Beer Company

The Brewery: Denver Beer Co.

1695 Platte St.

The People: Co-founders Patrick Crawford and Charlie Berger

The Space: The open, industrial space has garage doors that span the length of the taproom and let plenty of light in. On warm weather days, the doors slide open for accsss to the beer-garden inspired patio. Bonus: There is a continual rotation of local artwork, handpicked by the owners, on the walls.

The Brews: Denver Beer Co.’s brewing style is focused on local and seasonal. All their beers—there’s usually about eight to 10 on tap—are brewed in small batches (which are seven 31-gallon vats, in this case). The only two beers that you’ll always see behind the bar are their Graham Cracker Porter, and Incredible Pedal IPA.

Buzzed Trivia: Sometimes it takes a village to brew a beer, too: Every spring, Denver Beer Co. has a neighborhood “hop swap.” Friends of the brewery cultivate hops in their own gardens and bring the harvest back in the fall so they can be used in the next batch.

Sample This: Their Chard Saison, a Belgian-style ale that is aged and soured in a Chardonnay barrel for nine months. It’s crisp, clean, full of flavor, and should be on tap for at least another few weeks.

Take Home: Scoop a growler of their Incredible Pedal IPA. They sell their own growlers, at 32 and 64 ounces, for just five bucks each, with most fills between $14 and $17.

Tip: While the brewery has food trucks out front from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week, they also allow you to BYOF (bring your own food). A good move—drinking on an empty stomach never ends well.

Bonus: Since they opened, we’ve had to head to Denver Beer Co. in person to taste their fresh brews. That’s all changing now—the duo just announced they’ll start canning and packaging their two flagship beers. Keep your eyes peeled for their porter and IPA on shelves starting this July.