R is for Raices Brewing Company

It was only a few days ago that I posted Q is for barQuentine Brewing Company.

If you've been following my A to Z Denver Breweries series of blog posts, you know that next up, I needed an "R" brewery.

As a reminder ...

Back in February of 2015, I was embarrassed by the huge number of Denver Breweries that I had never visited.
It struck me that if I went down the list, the starting letters of the brewery names represented almost every letter of the alphabet. That was when I started my A to Z Denver Breweries Project on this blog.

And ... as I mentioned in Q is for barQuentine Brewing Company, I had an "R" brewery in mind.

R is for Raices Brewing Company

My wife (aka the SheppyBrew Beer Model) and I have visited  Raices Brewing Company before, but I didn't post about it on the blog.

I really like this brewery, and the location is absolutely fantastic, so we decided to ride our bikes to Raices last Saturday.

Raices is located at 2060 West Colfax Ave Denver, CO 80204, practically in the shadow of Empower Field at Mile High.

More importantly for us, it is right on the South Platte river and a block away from the bike path.

From the website:

Raíces is a Latino owned and operated brewery in CO. It features award winning craft beers, a rotating Latin American food selection and on-going cultural events. Raíces aims to become a reference center for those interested in learning about Latin culture.

For Latinos, Raíces is a place where to connect with other Latinos and feel at home surrounded by traditional Latin food, music, culture and great beer. For non-Latinos Raíces is a place where, in addition to having great food, music and beer, people can learn about Latin culture and its richness.

The taproom is gorgeous and the beer garden area is awesome.

This is a fantastic place to visit and drink beer. They usually have food trucks, but also will cook up a pizza for you if you want.

We packed our lunch from home.

As usual, we ordered a flight ...

CELEBRACIÓN (CELEBRATION): Specialty - Champagne Beer. Their most session style ale. Effervescent, light, refreshing, easy to drink, crisp, this lawn mowing ale is great to enjoy on the hot summer months as well as any time of the year that you crave a light one. 

VALLE DEL SOL (SUN VALLEY): Golden Ale. Valle is easy to drink, well-balanced, refreshing, with a light bready character. This Ale is a great alternative to light lagers. Valle is a beer Raíces created to honor and represent our neighborhood, the Sun Valley community, and its rebirth. Bright, effervescent, and symbolic of the resurfacing of our neighborhood.

MANGUITO (LITTLE MANGO): American-Style Fruit Beer. From this world-acclaimed fruit, highly appreciated in the Americas, we bring you a very easy to drink, refreshing yet full of mango aroma and luscious ale, Manguito. This beer is brewed with real mango and is one of our most sought-after offerings.

SOÑANDO DESPIERTO (DAYDREAMING): Hazy India Pale Ale. The hazy/cloudy appearance of this beer results from all the procedures done by the brewer to achieve the fruity aroma and flavors that characterize this beer style. Hop flavor & aroma with a creamy mouthfeel.  This is not your classic JUICY IPA; this hazy has all the characteristics of a West Coast IPA that just went Hazy.

CAFECITO (SMALL COFFEE): Specialty Coffee Blonde Ale. Coffee first gained economic significance in the Caribbean through Haiti, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Jamaica and Cuba through by means of slavery. The coffee in our Cafecito beer comes from  indigenous women-owned fair-trade coffee farms from Huahuatenango, Guatemala through our local women-owned roaster, Copper Door Coffee. Most coffee beers range from Porter and Stout style beers. Cafecito is blonde, but don’t get fooled by the color on this beer as it carries an amazing flavor punch. Bready, umami flavors, Chocolate, and berries are some pairing options for this creation.

FIESTA (FEST): DunkelWeizen. Raices take on a traditional German ale for Oktoberfest, this beer is a wheat base brewed with Caramel, Aromatic, and Dark Munich malts. Tasting notes include bread crust and honey with the delicate sweetness of fig. Light-medium body, complemented by a bright yet tame acidity, with a dry finish rounded out by a light caramel aroma.

COSECHA (HARVEST): Chili Pepper Beer. Our seasonal harvest beer would be unique and different from the traditional styles. Locally grown and harvested roasted Hash peppers, Poblano peppers and pineapple puree, on a base a Belgian Style fermentation.

 

I liked all their beers. After the flight, I ordered a pint of the Valle Del Sol and the Beer Model ordered one of Celebracion.

After the beers and lunch we rode home.

I really like this place. If you're in the area, stop by. It is worth the visit.

HOURS

Mon CLOSED

Tue 3-9pm

Wed 3-9pm

Thu 3-10pm

Fri 1-10pm

Sat 11am-10pm

Sun 11am-7pm

And so ... we've finished up "R" and will head over to an "S" brewery when we get a chance. At the moment, I'm not sure where we'll go. There are lots of great options in the Denver area.

As always, stay tuned on Sheppy's Blog: A to Z and you'll find out what we picked.
If you want to guess ... it will probably be one of the breweries on the Colorado Brewery List.

Go Blackhawks!