Aspen Brewing Company | Aspen, CO
Beer Trip: Aspen Brewing Company in Aspen, Colorado
Likely due to its upscale nature, Aspen is definitely more of a wine and cocktail community than it is a beer city. With that said, Aspen Brewing Company goes against the grain and meets a need as the only brewery in the community. Located near the center of downtown, this place appears to receive plenty of business from both locals and tourists alike.
The perfect fall afternoon for a patio day at Aspen Brewing Company
The Brewery
N/A beer for Morgan on this babymoon!
Coming up to the building, you will find their outdoor patio on the left and the indoor space on the right. The outside consists of several high-top tables, along with a row of streetside seating, which is where we decided to park ourselves for the afternoon. This zone is complete with a partially covered canopy and multiple heaters, which might just allow this section to be open year-round. In addition to watching patrons walking through downtown Aspen, you also get great views of the Rocky Mountains towering over the city. This was one of the most dog-friendly patios we’ve seen, with 10+ dogs coming and going over our couple of hours here.
The indoor portion has somewhat of a mountainous feel, featuring weathered wood throughout, along with a huge National Parks Independence Pass sign on the back wall. They have roughly a dozen tables in addition to a 10-person bar against the side wall. The rear of the building consists of a pool table, which appeared to get quite a bit of use. You’ll also find many TVs spaced about the room, so we could see this being a popular hangout during sporting events.
The Beer
Can’t beat views like these!
Aspen Brewing maintains roughly a dozen beers on tap at any given time. Of those, we were informed that only 3 or 4 are flagship brews, and the rest of the menu rotates as things run out. They divvy their menu into three separate categories: Light and Sessionable included a Mexican lager, blonde, and a Hefeweizen; Hoppy was mostly IPAs as you might imagine; and the Malty and Roasty classification consisted of a stout and a porter.
We sampled brews from each category and found ourselves with a few favorites. The Mexican Lager was fairly typical of this style, with a bit of sweetness and some saltiness; however, once you dropped the lime into your beer, all the flavors became enhanced and the citrus of the lime shined bright! Our hoppy brew of note was their flagship, Independence Pass Ale. While this one is an IPA, it was quite different than most and had a unique floral taste to it - it was also on the hoppier side of the spectrum. The last beer to mention was the Export Stout, which was sweet and encompassed some chocolate profiles.
Export Stout
Mexican Lager
Food, Merch, & More
To-go beers available
If you arrive at the brewery hungry, Aspen has you covered with some higher-end appetizers on the menu like burrata, meatloaf sliders, and hummus - or you can order a salad or a wide range of house-made pizzas. If beer isn’t your thing, they offer an extensive wine selection or can make you a cocktail of your choice. Their merchandise section is located near the door and features a few shirts, a really neat purple puffer jacket, and a couple of hats; however, to our dismay, they didn’t have any stickers.
Aspen Brewing provided us with a great afternoon break while exploring the area. We were able to sample some solid beer and enjoy the perfect fall weather on their patio. This place is certainly worth a stop if you find yourself in town!
Cheers!
