Sept. 26, 2012
Back in June, I sent out a call for readers to recommend
establishments in the valley that go above and beyond with their craft beer
selections. After a handful of beer-cooler surveys, I’m happy to announce three
of the top local spots to grab a unique brew and, in the words of the
proprietors, what makes their beer collections so special:
>> Atwater on Gore Creek, Vail
Total number of beers available: 42.
Number of breweries represented: 34.
Fall beers to try: Avery Kaiser, Elysian Night Owl and
Ayinger Oktoberfest-Marzen.
Laura Lodge is responsible for the craft beer program at the
Vail Cascade, including Atwater on Gore Creek, the resort’s restaurant. She
said she tries to maintain a general proportion of 40 percent Colorado, 40 percent
American outside of Colorado and 20 percent international selections on
Atwater’s beer list.
“Within that, I try to distribute the styles and drinkers’
experience levels across the board and try to break up the geography: have some
East Coast beers and West Coast beers and some in between,” she said.
The goal at Atwater is to give guests the opportunity to
have a diverse experience with beer and food, Lodge said, by offering a range
of beers from the accessible, gateway varieties to farther off the deep end
beers for the connoisseur. The draft beer selection at Atwater changes every
six weeks during the busy seasons, and the restaurant features free craft beer
tasting on Wednesday nights, Friday Night Flights in the Fireside Bar and
monthly Brewmaster Weekends, where brewers talk about their beers while diners
sup on small plates crafted by the Atwater culinary team.
“I think that craft beer is something different that’s
coming into the food and beverage world that diners and foodies should pay
close attention to because it can provide such a unique element to a dining
experience,” Lodge said. “I don’t think that all people who love and embrace
food are aware of what that craft beer element can bring to a meal.”
>> Kirby Cosmo’s BBQ Bar, Minturn
Total number of beers available: 42.
Number of breweries represented: 23.
Fall beers to try: Stone Arrogant Bastard, Uinta Hop Notch
and Oskar Blues Deviant Dale’s.
Mark Tamberino, owner of Kirby Cosmo’s, said that he has two
things in mind when stocking beer at his restaurant.
“My overall goal in selecting beer is to make sure that what
I have is A, some of the best beer in the valley on tap and in the case and B,
to keep it new and fresh, to make sure that what I have isn’t dated,” he said.
To keep his selection fresh, Tamberino rotates his seasonal
beers four times a year and keeps an eye on what people in the valley are
drinking.
“I do some research at Avon Liquors or Beaver Liquors and
see what they are selling a lot of,” Tamberino said. “They can bring in a
bigger variety of stuff. … They point me in the right direction.”
Aside from this market research, Tamberino said he likes to
stock beer that he himself would enjoy drinking.
“That’s the best part of my job, the most fun part, choosing
beers to bring into my bar,” he said. “I like the smaller craft breweries, and
I try to make sure that they are well-represented in my bar. I like to choose
beers that are brewed locally in Colorado because I think I have a lot of out
of town guests who want to choose beers that are from the state.”
Kirby’s also offers a mug club for its beer aficionados.
Once price gets you a 22-ounce mug to keep in the bar, beer specials every day
of the week and free dinner once a month, among other perks. Tamberino values his beer drinkers and has created a program at
Kirby’s to support them.
“I think it has a lot to do with the success of my
restaurant,” Tamberino said. “A lot of people who come into Kirby’s know that
we’ll have something different or something that they can’t find on tap
anywhere else in the valley.”
>> Old Kentucky Tavern, Eagle
Total number of beers available: 39.
Number of breweries represented: 28.
Fall beers to try: Tommyknocker Pumpkin, Breckenridge
Autumn, Left Hand Oktoberfest.
Monica Mattingly is the co-owner and designated beer drinker
at Old Kentucky Tavern. When creating the beer list at the restaurant in Eagle,
Mattingly tried to keep co-owner Steven “Juice” Morrison in mind.
“I really wanted a variety of beers, and I really wanted
beers that were representative of Colorado, especially Bonfire and Crazy
Mountain and beers that I like and Juice would like,” Mattingly said. “He’s not
really a beer drinker, so things that he would like, too.”
Though Old Kentucky strives to have brews on its list to
entice the novice drinker, it maintains a healthy dose of high-octane
selections, too.
“Monthly, we try to rotate one or two things in there if
someone has something new,” she said. “We do a beer special every single day.
If it’s on special, people will have a tendency to try it and they might like
it.”
Mattingly has spent a lot of time in the front of the house
in bars around the valley and said it’s always fun to have a different
selection of beers and to encourage people to try new things.
“One of the only markets that was increasing last year was
the craft beer market,” she said. “So you know people are trying it.”
Having Bonfire Brewery close by doesn’t hurt, either.
“Bonfire does some really great short runs that we like to
have,” Mattingly said. “When we’re out of Bonfire, we can just run out the back
door and grab something; it’s nice and convenient to have a brewery at your
back door.”
Craft beer makes sense for Old Kentucky because it pairs
well with bourbon and a lot of the restaurant’s Southern cooking, Mattingly
said, and it adds to the enjoyment of the meal.
“When somebody comes in and wants something interesting,
they know that they can find it here,” she said. “We wanted to focus on
Colorado beers because they are so good here, but let people have an experience
and keep well informed of different beers.”
Krista Driscoll
Hophead
