Ratio brews up perfect combo of beer, music and more
Denver’s River North (RiNo) art district is expanding daily with everything that has to do with “craft”. As expected, craft breweries are a staple in the downtown Denver district. One of the newest, Ratio Beerworks is making a name for itself with unique beers and a fun environment.
Nestled in between coffee shops and art galleries is Ratio's nearly one-year-old brewery. After finding your way past one (of the many) ever-present food trucks, and upon entering their repurposed distillery building, you’ll be greeted with décor filled with bright colors and lively music. Be sure to spot the “Queue Here” sign, and pony up to the bar.
The taproom is bright and welcoming and every seat (if you can find one!) is prime real estate to relax and enjoy the community. Outside, Ratio has a mini-dog park and you can even bring your dog inside during the colder months. If you want to meet new people and enjoy a good dose of punk in your soundtrack, this is your spot.
Now that's enough interior decoration commentary for a bit—how's their beer? (That’s what you’re reading this for, right?!) The beer is easily summed up in one word: consistent.
Of Ratio's 11 available brews, each is unique, flavorful and sure to satisty any palate. Not many breweries have such a wide arrangement of beers where the next pint is as good as the last. That said, you need to try these:“Domestica” – An American Standard Ale. Bring your friend who “hates beer” to welcome them into the craft beer world. Light and crisp, and not too hoppy, (and at 4.9% ABV) it’s a beer anyone will like. BONUS: Even if you don’t like the beer style, try the Domestica with Coffee. The coffee is from a local coffeehouse called Novo.“Repeater” – Extra Pale Ale with Munich II malt. This makes for a beer that is at 50 IBUs, but doesn’t overpower the palate with hops. The Munich malt gives off a slight smoked flavor, which really rounds out the beer. Try this if you like IPAs. (Also, your friends who hate IPAs will like this beer.)“Novo Hold Steady” – Do you like coffee? Do you like beer? Then stop reading this, and get to Ratio. This is a coffee/beer blend with 80% Ratio scotch ale and 20% Novo’s cold press coffee. It’s 100% delicious. Lame pun? Yes. Delicious beer? Hell yes.“Genius Wizard” – Ratio’s Russian Imperial Stout. A well-balanced imperial stout with 11% ABV. It’s approachable, but a great example of the style. BONUS: Find a special bottle of the barrel-aged 2014 Genius Wizard. It’s not only one the coolest beer labels out there, it’s a great beer for a cold day. Better yet, buy two and save the other until next year.Again, we only picked four of eleven beers available at Ratio right now. Other selections include a saison, an IPA, a hoppy brown lager, an olde ale, a scotch ale, and their newest beer, ‘One Great City’ a quad. Yeah, you might want a hotel room and an Uber.Grab your friends (two and four legged) and head to Ratio for a beer. There’s one (or five) for everyone. Tasters are cheap at $2, and full beers are right in the ballpark at $4-6. Ratio is open 7-days a week, but hours vary.BONUS: Ratio will be celebrating their one-year anniversary February 12, 13, and 14. Live music, comedians and special firkins will be tapped to celebrate. In addition, they’ve teamed up with Epic Brewing Company and Rackhouse Pub for the “Valentine’s Day RiNo Love Triangle”: a beer and cider dinner with stops at all three spots. Check out www.ratiobeerworks.com or stop in the taproom for more information. (We recommend stopping into the taproom.)Cheers!Editor's note: Dane is a fellow Ska-loving beer nut, and will be providing FotB with reports of happenings and more from that big metropolis to the north.