Denver Detour: Not your Usual Suspects
Say you're visiting Denver and looking for a few beers before (or after) on opening day of the Colorado Rockies— sportsball for you non-sports people. You’d possibly like a new place with a killer beer menu and a kitchen that can knock it out of the park. There are almost too many places near Coors Field to enjoy a good beer and watch the Rockies, but you haven’t been to Park Burger.Park Burger has five locations across Denver, but they opened their RiNo location just recently. Located on Walnut (3 blocks from Coors Field), it is in the heart of the new Denver arts district. Situated on a busy side-street is one of the best beer bars you’ve never heard of. The bar usually has 42 taps filled with great beer…and Friday will be a home run. Enough baseball references yet? Newcomers to Colorado, Wyoming's Melvin Brewing Company has been making beer for only a few years now (2010), but has quickly built a cult following. They've come from humble beginnings, Melvin’s co-founder Jeremy Tofte's Thai Me Up restaurant was their original home. They won their first Gold (GABF) in 2012 for their 2x4 IPA and it's been downhill from there. Now, they've moved production to a 20,000 square foot facility just down the road in Alpine (35 miles to be exact).So what do these two places have in common? Not much at first glance. If you've paid attention, this post is about Park Burger. Park Burger will be pouring seven Melvin beers, one (Jungle Juice) that is the first keg in Colorado. The Melvin crew will be there, and the tapping will start at noon. This will give you time to try the following beers:
- 2x4 DIPA: 10%...but who’s counting? It’s a killer double IPA that won Gold and many other awards. This is their standard. Order this before it gets kicked. Seriously, hop heads…if you haven’t had it, get there Friday at noon.
- * (Asterisk): Sticky and sweet. Dank enough for Denver. Hop heads, you’ll like this even more than 2x4. Get here before they start tapping it.
- Melvin IPA: “Only 7.5%”- Fruity IPA. It’s very fruity but nothing overpowering. Give this to friend who “hate” IPAs but are joining your quest for good beer.
- Hubert MPA: 6%. The brewery describes the beer as something easygoing. The beer is at 6%, as light and crisp. A great beer for before the ballgame. Just be sure to root for the Rockies.
- Brosaic: Haven’t tried it. Even the trusty Google isn’t familiar with it. Get here and try it yourself.
- Killer Bees: Honey (duh), smooth and clean. (Try this after the 2x4, or first if you’ve had the 2x4.)
- Jungle Juice: The only keg in Colorado. Yeah, the only one. Is it a beer or juice? You decide. Okay, Try THIS first. This will kick before Story hits another homer. (See: Rockies home runs 2016). Drink this and go root on the home team loudly.
Get to Park Burger early and try all the Melvin beers. I’ll admit: being stationed in Cheyenne for four years didn’t yield any good beer and I dismissed all Wyoming beer. I wish these guys sent beer south back then. Maybe surviving in Cheyenne would have been easier with 2x4 on tap. Colorado Springs: get here. Have a beer and root on the Rox with a beer from up north. Hope to see you here!Hey, Melvin: When is the ODB (Unfiltered wheat/unfiltered IPA? Or an Old Dirty Bock…) going to come out? Just an idea.