The Colorado Springs Airport just got a lot more fun

Until recently airports have been some of my least favorite places to be. They remind of me of hospitals in a lot of ways, too many people coming and going, there's no way to feel like you belong in the place. Some airports are getting pretty smart about these things and they'll introduce taphouses with local flair. For me, these local taprooms are like a little anchor in a foreign place, a little stability. In Denver, I like to make my way over to the New Belgium taphouse and have a pint of something familiar, something I am already attached to. In other cities, like Salt Lake City and Atlanta, I like to go find the Sweetwater taproom or the Uinta taproom and try beers that I'm a little less familiar with. Even if I don't leave that airport I still feel like I know something about that city because of the taproom.

And so it goes, the Colorado Springs Airport (COS) paired up with Bristol Brewing to open up The Bristol Taproom, so whether you're coming or going, you can get to know a little portion of the beer scene in town. We headed there two nights ago for the grand opening and got a good feel for what the bar is all about. It's really spacious, and cozy at the same time. The bar is a good size, you can sit at tall tops, couches, or booths. There's a kitchen and a menu with appetizers, salads, burgers, sandwiches, and if you're early they've got breakfast too. The bar also has a shuffle board, which was certainly a main attraction. Fun? At an airport? Get outta town? Yep, shuffleboard makes the whole airport experience a helluva lot more exciting. If the person you're with isn't in the mood for beer, Novo Coffee shares the same space. The place is nice, and I'm really glad I can look forward to a pint of local beer next time I'm traveling.

Bristol was pouring all of their main line up of beers, they also had the Winter Warlock on tap and I think just for the opening they brought in a firkin. The beer in the firkin was delicious, a hoppy red ale of some kind with a good bitter finish. It was also nice to drink Winter Warlock on one of the coldest and snow-filled days in recent memory.

If you happen to be in that neck of the woods, and you want to stop in, starting mid-March the bar will offer to validate 3 hours of parking if you'll spend $12. The bar is located in front of (before you enter) the security checkpoint. This is a pretty sweet deal I'd say. If you're coming to pick someone up, you can stop in early, have a bit to eat, a pint, and have something to do while you wait for that phone call.

Shuffle Board was a major hit.

So, all in all, the new taproom is a pretty great thing. I'll look forward to coming to the airport now. Big congratulations to Bristol Brewing on the opening, and thank you for the hard work of putting this together while also getting close to opening up the new brewery at Ivywild.

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