Aug 29 2008
When you head for the Southwest you think more about Margaritas than beer (well, maybe Mexican beer), but we found out that there are plenty of places in the Southwest that cater to beer drinkers.Denver, Colorado
The Mile High City brags that they are home to the world's largest brewery, the nation's largest brewpub and host to the brewing industry's most prestigious event of the year. And if that isn't enough, they point out that more beer is brewed in Denver than in any other American city.
Denver hosts the Great American Beer Festival, the brewing industry's most prestigious event of the year -- the "Super Bowl" of beer. (303) 447-0816 or see their website.
With production of more than 17 million barrels of beer a year, the Coors Brewery in Golden, Colorado is the largest single brewery in the world. Located 12 miles from downtown Denver, the brewery has free tours Monday through Saturday that cover every aspect of the brewing process, from germinating barley to bottling.
The first permanent structure in Denver was a saloon, so it is fitting that today there are fifteen brewpubs and microbreweries in downtown Denver including the two of the largest in the nation: the Wynkoop Brewing Company and the Rock Bottom Brewery. The Wynkoop Brewing Company, located in a turn-of-the-century historic building across the street from Union Station, was Colorado’s first brewpub. Rock Bottom Brewery, located on the 16th Street Mall, Denver’s mile-long pedestrian promenade, has one of the city’s largest outdoor cafes and frequently features jazz groups on an elevated stage area above the brewing kettles. (Information courtesy: Denver Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau)
Celebrating Beer in Arizona
There are some great beer festivals on tap (pun intended) for Arizona. Coming up, you can enjoy local beer in Flagstaff, Tempe and Tucson. Website. You don’t hear quite as much about beer in Arizona as you do Colorado. Could it be something to do with the lack of water? The Arizona Brewer’s Guild has a listing of Arizona brew pubs and so does Beer100.com.
Scottsdale is home to Papago Brewing. They offer beer and wine carry-out, a beer and wine garden and have some award-winning brews at their 30-tap bar.
Flagstaff, being a college town, does have some nice places to quaff beer. They have three great brewpubs to visit. Beaver Street Brewery & Whistle Stop Cafe is well-known. Whistle Stop Café was the area's first brewpub. Flagstaff Brewery on E. Route 66 is another local hang-out. The third brewery in Flagstaff, Mogollon Brewing, is a brewery only half of the year and a distillery the other half.
New Mexico Brew Pubs and Microbreweries
Yes, there are brew pubs in New Mexico and they have a distinctly New Mexico flair. Beer100.com has a great list. You can visit such Southwest sounding brewpubs as “Blue Corn Brewery,” and “Milagro Brewery.” Turtle Mountain Brewing Company in Rio Rancho, New Mexico is known for their IPA and serves up some great southwestern pub grub.
What’s Brewing in Utah?
With a strong Mormon influence throughout Utah, it’s surprising that anything is brewing at all. Utah has some interesting liquor laws. But once you get the hang of the laws and find the brew pubs, you might just happen upon some good Utah beer. Now, here’s a beer that won’t leave you with a hangover, and you can share it with your under 21 kids. It’s called Utah Beer Natural Spring Water. Pretty funny.
Now it’s off to find the real stuff. There are brew pubs and brew bars. Here’s a sampling of what you can find in Utah. In Salt Lake City you can find the Bohemian Brewery and Grill and Desert Edge Brewery. Then traveling on to Moab, you can visit Eddie McStiff's Micro-Brewery and Restaurant or the Moab Brewery. There are breweries in ski areas such as Park City, of course. Try the Wasatch Brew Pub.
We didn’t find any Beer Festivals in Utah but noticed that Snow Bird has an Oktoberfest. And where there is Oktoberfest, there is usually beer!
Fun with Beer in Nevada
Now with cities such as Reno and Las Vegas, Nevada has to be full of beer, right? Right! You can start with the pubs in Las Vegas. The Monte Carlo Pub and Brewery actually brews some beer. Top it off at New York, New York for a beer in an Irish Pub, The Nine Fine Fishermen. Realbeer.com has a listing of Las Vegas Brew Pubs.
In the Reno area, try the Great Basin Brewing Company of Sparks. They have received some awards for their beer. If you are in Reno, note that the El Dorado has been putting on some fun BBQ, Blues and Beer Festivals. The Silver Peak Restaurant and Brewery is known for their ales and lagers and the food is a step above the usual pub grub. While in downtown Reno, we stopped in to the Brew Brothers at the Eldorado. The food was great and my friends enjoyed the beer. I hear they have a Brew Brothers at the Reno Airport, too!
Texas – Cowboys Love Beer, Don’t They?
My writing colleagues' favorite is Shiner Beer. I have known others to swear by Shiner as well. The Spoetzl Brewery which makes Shiner is located in Shiner, Texas, about half-way between San Antonio and Houston. They have an online brewery tour or a real-life brewery tour.
Down Houston way, you can tour Houston’s first Microbrewery, St. Arnold Brewery Company. Their tours are on Saturdays at 1 p.m.
Remember Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer? My parents used to buy a bottle on Saturday nights to enjoy with cheese and crackers. Those were simpler times. Well, Pabst makes Lone Star Beer, which, according to Lone Star is the National Beer of Texas. The brewery is in Fort Worth.
Texas is big and so is the list of breweries.
Add Your Favorites
Colorado’s boasting got me started with this article. Mid-way I realized that I am not a beer drinker. I like going to brewpubs for the food, actually. So please e-mail us with your suggestions for great places to go in the Southwest for beer and beer festivals. Meanwhile, I leave you with a lopsided YouTube video: Colorado Cowboy Beer Opener. And, since that's a silent film, how about The Beer Song, Sung By Legos?
