Top 10 Beer Spots in Colorado Springs: #1 Trinity Brewing Company

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

#1 Beer Spot of Colorado Springs: Trinity Brewing Company
Trinity Brewing Company exploded onto the beer scene in August of 2008 with the guidance of co-founder and president Jason Yester. He brought to this city a mixture of classic styles with a Trinity twist and a plethora of Saisons and sours. In the last three years Trinity's beer portfolio has greatly expanded, a GABF gold medal was won, and they are in they have expanded their lineup, distribution, and brewing capacity.

The Beer: Trinity sports four to five house beers that are on tap all year: the Soul Horkey Ale, Flo IPA, Awaken Coffee Stout, Sunna Wit, and Saison Man. Flo IPA is a nicely balanced IPA that is conveniently served in three forms, CO2, Nitro, and Cask (A.K.A "Flask" by the locals). These aren't the beers that have put Trinity on the national map though; Yester has created an immense assortment of seasonal Saisons, farmhouse ales, and sours that are creative and highlight his knowledge of and passion for these styles. Trinity is
known for their use of special and rare ingredients and a unique way of pushing the envelope of these styles. There are Saisons with cherries such as Pappy Legba. There's a Saison with hemp seed called The Emperor Wears No Clothes. Libidinous is a Saison with no hop additions. Farmhouse Provisional, now call Oh Face, is a take on Saisons made in southern Belgium during the 1800s. The Walloon, a genuine community ale, is a Saison with ingredients brought in from customer's gardens during harvest time. There's also a pumpkin Saison called Emma's Coffin and there's a good 30 other Saisons released throughout the year. They also host the phenomenal Saison Festival, one of our favorite beer festivals in 2011. But that's not all! Yester got a degree in microbiology and definitely likes to dabble in the sour arts. TPS Report is a GABF gold medal winning Flanders Red in the Experimental Category. Old Growth is a wild brown that is aged on oak for 6-18 months on wild bacteria/yeast that will please any extreme sour lover. Double Rainbow is a collaborative beer with Black Fox that has 14 adjunct ingredients. The Flavor is a triple cherry dark sour. Yester's newest creation, Brain of the Turtle, is a petite cerise aged in oak barrels with coffee, almonds, and cherries. And there are other seasonal beers as well, including the ever popular Slap Your Mammy Double IPA, Eis Bock, Imperial Stout, Baltic Porter, and Pecan Pie Beer. On any given week, there should be a couple seasonals to try.

The Food: Trinity has a pretty unique menu that caters to the health conscious, vegetarians, and slow food fans. They have Belgian and sweet potato fries with around 8 dipping sauces. They also have a few soups and salads. The Little Buddy is a pretty delicious macaroni and cheese that you can get in a bread bowl (add bacon!). For the carnivores there are lamb or kobe beef sliders. You can also get a bacon cone filled with five thick honey cured bacon strips. They have a few slow food entrees including falafel, seiten gyros, and mole enchiladas. There's always a rotating cheesecake if you have a sweet tooth.

The Atmosphere: Situated at the end of a strip mall, Trinity may not look very appealing from the main road, but they did a great job inside the brewery and taphouse. It's a blend of Colorado hippie and hipster influences that make this place a fun ecofriendly place to drink a few pints. There are various small hightop tables around the main bar. The bar table is a true work of art made with shattered beer bottles. More than 35 taps adorn the back wall of the bar, so there are many beers from other breweries. The back room sports a few comfortable couches and also houses the barrels used for aging a few of the beers. There is a small patio with a view of Pikes Peak in the front for nice days and the side of the building has a few areas for sitting too.

Yester at the pub drinking a Saison

Overall: Trinity Brewing Company provides a very unique dining and drinking experience that sets them apart from the typical brewery experience. They have a great mixture of classic styles and experimental brews, tasty food, and a fun drinking environment, and that is why we enjoy drinking there and they are #1 on our list of beer spots in Colorado Springs.
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