Straight From The Brewers’ Mouths

In the February issue of 5280, we brought you our Denver Beer Lover’s Guide—an inside look at our favorite new breweries, local trends, and more. While doing the research, we wondered: What do our city’s best and brightest brewers think about the burgeoning beer scene? So we asked them. Straight from the brewers’ mouths, here are their thoughts on favorite beers, grub, and soundtracks.

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Ryan Skeels, Baere Brewing Company brewer and co-founder

Best Beer-Pairing Grub: I’m vegan…. I guess anything with hot sauce?
Favorite Colorado Beer That’s Not Yours: Odell Brewing Co.’s IPA
Brewing Soundtrack: We listen to everything from podcasts (Democracy Now!) to indie to punk rock to metal to hip-hop—depends on the mood.

Kevin Greer, Baere Brewing Company brewer and co-founder

Best Beer-Pairing Grub: Cheese
Favorite Colorado Beer That’s Not Yours: New Belgium La Folie
Brewing Soundtrack: I roll with whatever. When we’re brewing together, we talk.

David Lin, Comrade Brewing Company owner

Best Beer-Pairing Grub: Pork, because it’s so versatile.
Favorite Colorado Beer That’s Not Yours: Anything on cask at Hogshead Brewery
Brewing Soundtrack: Silence

Kevin Crompton, Epic Brewing Company brewmaster

Best Beer-Pairing Grub: Crème brûlée with a malty sweet beer like a quad or an imperial stout
Favorite Colorado Beer That’s Not Yours: Strange Craft Beer Company’s Breakfast Grapefruit IPA
Brewing Soundtrack: The Grateful Dead.

Jesse Brookstein, Call To Arms Brewing Co. co-owner and brewer

Best Beer-Pairing Grub: I love eating pizza with a big, citrusy IPA. Another suggestion: mussels with a Belgian golden beer. (But mostly pizza.)
Favorite Colorado Beer That’s Not Yours: Cannonball Creek Brewing Company’s Featherweight Pale Ale
Brewing Soundtrack: Hot Water Music (Florida punk rock band)

Craig Rothgery, De Steeg Brewing brewer-owner

Best Beer-Pairing Grub: A light fish dish with De Steeg’s French saison or popcorn with any beer.
Favorite Colorado Beer That’s Not Yours: Any saison from Funkwerks
Brewing Soundtrack: Quiet

Michael Blandford, Declaration Brewing founder

Best Beer-Pairing Grub: Barbecue (especially from the Churn and Burn food truck)
Favorite Colorado Beer That’s Not Yours: Great Divide Titan and Avery IPA
Brewing Soundtrack: Metal or hip-hop (particularly artists from Minnesota’s Rhymesayers label)

Taylor Rees, Spangalang Brewery co-founder

Best Beer-Pairing Grub: Mexican. I love hoppy beers and Mexican food goes well with them; I like how the hops cut through any spice.
Favorite Colorado Beer That’s Not Yours: Hibernation Ale from Great Divide; Odell’s IPA
Soundtrack: We like jazz. And old-school soul music, like Aretha Franklin or Otis Redding. We also listen to a lot of old-school reggae.

Brett “Brettman” Williams, Little Machine Beer co-founder and head brewer

Best Beer-Pairing Grub: Buffalo wings; Mexican
Favorite Colorado Beer That’s Not Yours: Hogshead Brewery’s Gilpin Black Gold porter; Ratio’s saison
Brewing Soundtrack: Anything but the Dave Matthews Band

Ryan Kilpatrick, Fiction Beer Company co-founder and head brewer

Best Beer-Pairing Grub: Give me a soft, warm pretzel with mustard and a beer, and I’ll be happy
Favorite Colorado Beer That’s Not Yours: Backcountry Brewery Pale Ale; Crooked Stave’s seasonal brews
Brewing Soundtrack: Widespread Panic; Leftover Salmon; Phish

(Check out more beer coverage from 5280.)