Red, White and Brew: Red Leg Turns Two!

Last year, before Red Leg Brewing's first anniversary, we helped show off their "new artillery." This year, Todd and the gang's newest munition comes in the form of a Wild Goose Canning system, primed and ready to spit out can after can seemingly at will. They've come a long ways from day one, and it's cause to celebrate. We sat down with Todd just the other day to hear his thoughts about their journey so far.

This July 4th, Red Leg Brewing turns two.

A second anniversary for a brewery definitely sets the tone for the coming years. Usually, the first year is full of ups and downs, and when year two winds to a close many breweries are just finding their rhythm. To us, Red Leg skipped the "finding the rhythm" step and began firing on all cylinders from day one. The biggest step for Red Leg during year one was transitioning from their original one barrel Ruby Street "homebrew" setup to a gargantuan 10bbl brewhouse from Minnetonka. They debuted that system in March of 2014 with less than a year under their belt and began brewing shortly thereafter. At the World Beer Cup in April 2014, they garnered a bronze for Devil Dog Stout, boosting their beer's "street cred" and setting the sights even higher.

A bigger system means more beer, but where does it all go?

There's a bunch of us who follow the beer industry–we have our fingers on the pulse–but not everyone is watching the brewing world. Red Leg is finding success each and every day with every new face who tries their beer. With approachable styles and good ole down to earth people, Todd's finding his brand is reaching further and further.

"Colorado Springs is huge, so...more and more people every day are hearing about us. It's great."

During year two, Red Leg's brewers kept refining their brewing, and while most beers were never altered, one of our favorites, the Pilsner, got a definite boost from the new brewhouse. Instead of fermenting at ale temperatures, Red Leg was now can lager the pilsner in their glycol chilled tanks. The flavor got cleaner, and through the lagering process it became crisper and much more drinkable.Along with the new canning line, Todd mentioned a new plate filter that they just recently added to their workflow. With cans becoming the hot ticket item in beer these days, hot on the heels of Pikes Peak Brewing acquiring their own canning line, Red Leg Brewing is ready to push their shiny new system to its limits.

“It’s been such an amazing journey so far.  I couldn’t be happier to be in a community as wonderful as Colorado Springs.  Since we opened two years ago we have been supported by so many people and organizations from day one.  I know we wouldn’t be where we are at today without that help.  Our brewery is thrilled to be able to showcase what great beers we can make and allow people a behind the scenes look at our facility that they normally wouldn’t get.  It is going to be a great time so come early and plan on hanging around all day. This is our way of saying thank you to our wonderful city!”

Red Leg's growth this past year hasn't just been in the brewhouse. Acknowledging the cramped state of affairs their tap room was experiencing especially during beer releases, Red Leg opened up their upstairs to help with the crowds. With an incredible wall mural showcasing all of Colorado Springs and plenty of community seating, the current Red Leg vibe isn't lost one bit. Next time you stop in and see the bar filled wall to wall with people...dive in and head straight for the stairs, it's worth it.During our latest visit, Todd showed off their Beer Finder, listing locations with either draughts or carrying 6-packs of Red Leg beer and for a 2 year old company, its reach is astounding. Finding Red Leg beer is easy these days with locations stretching from Pueblo to Teller County.The next step? Look for Red Leg Brewing to continue to expand their presence in restaurants around Colorado Springs. Todd hinted at collaborations with a few places to have special Red Leg beer on tap at all times.

"It's amazing what positive energy and hard work can do. It's all about how you look at things...look at all that we've done... People always look at the dollar signs. They forget to look inside to see what truly makes you happy. I think that bleeds out of every beer we make, every beer served at the taproom, every six pack you buy...it makes you feel something. That stems from everyone's belief in what we're trying to do."

Enough beating around the bush, it's time to celebrate.

If you don't end up making it out to Forge Rd on July 4th, you'll definitely be missing out. Red Leg has a full day of celebrating planned, and it only gets better with company. With 7 special beers making appearances at intervals throughout the afternoon and all of their original favorites on tap, you're sure to have great beer in your glass at all times. We're especially excited for one... Chocolate. Mint. Stout. Yeah, that uber-popular beer infused with those skinny minty cookies sold by scouting girls is back. It releases at 5pm, but you might want to get there way beforehand to save your spot.We hope you'll come wish Red Leg a happy birthday with us.The nitty gritty:

Red, White and Brew Red Leg 2nd Anniversary

Saturday, July 4th • 12-10pm

The following beers will be released:

Belgian Blonde and a Double Red: 12pmScreaming Eagle Barley Wine aged since 2014 and a Coffee Amber Firkin: 3pmChocolate Mint Stout: 5pmImperial Red and Screaming Eagle Barley Wine aged since 2013: 7pm

Live Music:

Mule Train Express 2pm -4pmSwelter and Burn with Ryan Flores 6pm-8pm

Food Trucks:

Vladi’s European CuisineBite Me Gourmet Sausage