#8 Beer Spot of Colorado Springs: Bristol/Black Fox Taproom
Surrounded by the posh Broadmore area, the sketchy South Nevada district, and Motor City, is the taproom for Bristol Brewing Company and Black Fox Brewing. Bristol Brewing is the oldest brewery in Colorado Springs, and it has done a great job of distributing its beer to the Colorado Springs area. Even the occasional beer drinker in Colorado Springs could probably name Laughing Lab as a beer they've tried.
The Beer: Bristol Brewing does a great job of creating a consistent beer that appeals to the masses and beer geeks alike. Laughing Lab Scottish Ale is their flagship beer that has won nine medals at the GABF over the years. It's always on tap along with their other year round beers including Red Rocket Pale Ale, Beehive Honey Wheat, Mass Transit Amber Ale, and Compass IPA. They usually have a couple seasonals on tap as well like Winter Warlock Oatmeal Stout, Old No. 23 Barley Wine, Yellow Kite Pils, and Cheyenn Canon Pinon Nut Ale. It's a great place to bring a friend who may not be familiar with the craft beer scene because their beer is not overly aggressive or too experimental. They stay pretty close to beer style guidelines.
If you are looking for solid Belgian style beer and experimental belgian styles, check out Black Fox Brewing beer, a side project of Bristol's head brewer, John Schneider. There's usually one or two on tap. Look for the unique names such as Faust Part 2, a spring saison, and Somnombulance, a Belgian brown aged on coffee, vanilla beans, and caramel. Black Fox has never done me wrong! We do not know how much longer Black Fox will be available at the Bristol taproom since John will be taking Black Fox to Denver to start his own brewery.
The Food: If dog bowls filled with pretzels are what you're after, this is the place for you! The taproom is, however, right next door to the Blue Star restaurant.
The Blue Star is a great trendy spot with a unique menu and good service. I recommend eating in the bar which is a little cheaper than the main dining area. The Blue Star has a great tap and bottle list. I recommend going there on Thursdays for half price bottle night! Be sure to check out their always awesome beer dinners too.
Edelweiss German restaurant is also close by.
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| Photo taken from Bristol |
The Atmosphere: Bright and clean with a lot of stainless steel and wood, the taproom is a nice place to stop by after work for a pint or meeting friends. There's a small bar area that fills up fast during happy hour and a few tables are scattered around the area. A nice touch is a free shuffleboard table. A bit on the small side, but it gets the job done.
Overall: The Bristol taproom is a great place to grab a pint or a growler of their beer. It's a basic taproom with few bells and whistles but gets the job done when you are thirsty for a Compass IPA or Don't Call Me Wit. We expect great things from them in the near future with their
Ivywild expansion.
