Focus on the Beer Top 10 Beer Spots in Colorado Springs: #7 BierWerks Brewery

Beer

Oct 7

Here is the Focus on the Beer list of the top 10 beer spots in the Colorado Springs area. We are starting at #10 and working our way down to #1 in the upcoming weeks. The rest of the Top 10 can be found here. Let us know what you think!

#7 Beer Spot of Colorado Springs: BierWerks Brewery

Nestled in the bosom of Pikes Peak is the town of Woodland Park, and in this town is BierWerks Brewery crafting German style beer to the tourists and locals on Highway 24. From its opening in 2010, the brewery instantly became a hit in this small town, and they have been working hard keeping up with the demand. The reason for their instant success can mostly be attributed to the strong brewing skills of brewers Jeff Aragon and Brian Horton who used to brew beer for Trinidad Brewing Company before it closed in 2009. Jeff and Brian, however, no longer work for BierWerks, and James McGraw has been hired to be the new brewmaster.

The Beer: BierWerks mainly focuses on traditional Bavarian style beers. They have year round lager styles consisting of helles, altbier, dunkel, and latzenbier (a darker, stronger variation of the altbier). The four seasons bring in a few more beers to the lineup: the summer weissbier, the fall oktoberfest and dunkelweiss, the winter weihnachtsbier (strong Christmas beer) doppelbock and weizenbock, and the spring maibock and dortmunder. A fun and unique feature that sets this place apart from other taprooms is that you can add a shot of raspberry syrup to any of their beers and make it a mit schuss. You can also order a radlermass which is half helles and half homemade lemon soda. This place isn't just a one trick German pony. They also serve brewers reserve beer filled with high gravity ales such as double IPA, baltic porter, double red, wee heavy, and imperial stout.

The Food: They do not have a kitchen, but food is offered at the taproom. They have cold plates of meat, cheese, and bread. A crock of cheese can also be ordered. They also have large homemade pretzels. Phil's BBQ does provide some great BBQ on the weekends from their food cart.

The atmosphere: The brewery occupies what used to be a garage on Highway 24. The main taphouse is pretty small. It does have a German beerhall feel. There are a few long and short tables for eating and drinking. A large map of Bavaria is on one wall. The bar is small with no seating. An interesting and unique feature is the mechanical stein storage system above your head that moves when a barpourer needs a member's mug. The best part of the taproom is the large outdoor beer garden with a fire pit. There is also a service window outside for ordering beer. Parking can be tough when it's busy, but you can usually find a spot behind the brewery.

Overall: BierWerks is a must stop on your way to or from hiking trails or the ski slopes on Highway 24 through Woodland Park. They have the most traditional style German lagers in this region, and they do them well. The patio is a great place to drink a mug of beer, have a snack, and talk to good friends.