Denver/Colorado are people, help me remember the name of a microbrew near you!

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punk_rockin2001

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A few years ago I was in a bar near Denver and struck up a conversation with the bartender. He gave me a beer that I believe was pretty local/regional and said it was the beer that Fat Tire ripped their recipe from. He said it very nonchalantly and like it was sort of common knowledge for the area. The beer he served me was in fact like a really really good Fat Tire.

I have long since completely forgotten the name of the brewery and would love to remember! Anyone?
 
I can't think of another amber in Colorado that uses a belgian yeast. Breck Avalanche and Left Hand Sawtooth are both good ambers though. Possibly it was one of those.
 
A few years ago I was in a bar near Denver and struck up a conversation with the bartender. He gave me a beer that I believe was pretty local/regional and said it was the beer that Fat Tire ripped their recipe from. He said it very nonchalantly and like it was sort of common knowledge for the area. The beer he served me was in fact like a really really good Fat Tire.

I have long since completely forgotten the name of the brewery and would love to remember! Anyone?

Single Track from Boulder Beer? I always thought it tasted similiar to Fat Tire, but without the "skunk".
 
the local "favorite" from ft. collins when compared to fat tire is the Odell's 90 Schilling, which might be what the bartender was thinking of. not that it's the same beer by any means, but a lot of people compare the two since they are the flagship beers of the two big time breweries in ft. collins. they have been around for roughly the same time period, so maybe some rumor started regarding that... who knows, but I bet that's the beer you're thinking of.
 
Sounds like the 'tender was just hating! IMO, it has become de rigueur to bash New Belgium/Fat Tire (and others) over the last number of years.

That said, New Belgium set the stage with Fat Tire in CO for craft-brewed ambers and was/is a good intro to craft brew for the masses... Now Full Sail out in Oregon is an amazing amber that was introduced a couple years earlier, and was quite popular in the front range too. So perhaps the bartender was implying Fat Tire was riding the coattails of Full Sail. That said, two different (quailty) ambers.

And while I'm on it, I also think solid beers like these, especially Fat Tire are getting some bad juju from people because they have grown and it is not a "hipster" IIIPA, chocolate/mango, hot pepper infused beer from a small pub in Guam that only brews once a year! ;) It is a solid, quality amber. Is it the best beer ever? I don't think so, but I could drink a bunch of them and not complain.

Hope some of the information (on Full Sail) mixed around my rant might help you!


EDIT: I agree jangelj, Singletrack is good (and around longer) and can be thrown in there too! Fat Tire just got a much bigger/faster following outside the front range in that time period (from my recollections/perception of things when I lived out there during that time).
:mug:
 
It may have been Railyard Ale from the Wynkoop. FWIW, their websites list the same ABV 5.2% (pretty specific) that doesn't say hardly anything at all, but it is one small puzzle piece. New Belgium started in '91, a year before Breck came to Denver. Also, the current recipe for Avalanche is quite different than it was in the past. When I worked for Breck, the ABV of Ava was about 5.5% (listed as 4.4% now) and there was no Chocolate or carapils in the recipe. (I haven't had Railyard in a LOOONG time, so this is total grasping at straws)
 
I think it was Singletrack, that sounds familiar and I think the name referenced a bicycle also. He definitely didn't have anything positive to say about NB. I can't find any other info on New Belgium "stealing" any recipes so I think he was just a bitter fan of Boulder Beer! Thanks everyone, I'm headed out there in a month and will do a taste test again for myself!
 
\When I worked for Breck, the ABV of Ava was about 5.5% (listed as 4.4% now) and there was no Chocolate or carapils in the recipe. (I haven't had Railyard in a LOOONG time, so this is total grasping at straws)

Avalanche just became available here in NY and I can definitely tell a difference between it and what I remember from when I was in the Army in Colorado. I attributed it to the beer being shipped across the country and an imperfect memory, but what you posted above makes perfect sense now.
 
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