G is for Great Divide Brewery & Roadhouse, Belmar

We hit another brewery on our A to Z series last Friday.

Of course we posted F is Frolic Brewing Company just the weekend before, which is a quicker turn-around than most of our recent ones.

After "F" comes "G" and the Colorado Brewery Map & List told us we had plenty of choices.

But I ended up picking a spot that isn't even on the Map & List yet. I'm pretty sure this is the first time we've been able to get to a brewery so new.

Great Divide Brewing company (see G is for Great Divide Brewing Company) sent me an email letting me know they opened a new "Brewery & Roadhouse" close to our house.

And ... the wife (aka the SheppyBrew Beer Model) wanted me to take her out to dinner Friday night, so we hit the new brewery.

G is for Great Divide Brewery & Roadhouse, Belmar

Oisin Owl vs Guinness Extra Stouts

So ... I recently brewed Oisin Owl Irish Stout with the intention of having it ready for St. Patrick's Day.

And, of course St. Patrick's Day was last week.

At some point, I thought it would be cool to grab some Guinness Extra Stout to compare with my homebrew. So, I bought some from a local liquor store.

The weekend before St. Patrick's Day, I tried them both side-by-side.

Roll-a-Style 19: 17C. Wee Heavy

I've mentioned a few times that I want to concentrate more on my BJCP Goal this year.

As of the time of this post, if I'm counting correctly, I've brewed 79 of the 108 styles in the 2021 BJCP Style Guidelines. Since the beginning of the year, I've already brewed 4 new BJCP styles (5 if you include Tasman Pilsner).

I'm hoping to brew another 8 or 9 before the end of 2025.

If you've been following along on this blog, you know that I have my Roll-a-Style list, which helps me keep track of styles that I still need to brew.

The idea is that I use a 20-sided online die to decide which style to brew next. However, the past few new styles, I have decided and "pretended" to roll the number I wanted to brew.

But, recently, I actually rolled the online die, and got 19 ...

 

F is Frolic Brewing Company

If you've been following this blog at all, you're familiar with the A to Z series of posts.

Just in case you've come across the blog for the first time, welcome.

The A to Z series started back in 2015 (it blows my mind that it has been 10 years) when I was embarrassed to admit that there were very few local breweries that I had actually visited.

When I looked through a list of Denver-area brewery names, it struck me that I could work my way through most of the letters of the alphabet, and that is what I did.

I started with A is for Alpine Dog Brewing Company, which has since closed, and worked my way through the alphabet.

At some point, the SheppyBrew Beer Model (aka my wife) joined me, and I've worked my way through 5 rounds of the alphabet.

Most recently, we posted our round 6 "E" brewery, E is for Someplace Else Brewery. So, now it is time for an "F" brewery.

F is Frolic Brewing Company

2025 Cycling Goals

It blows my mind that we've already passed the ides of March. The year seems to be flying by.

I know that I'm the only one who really cares, but I have not mentioned any 2025 cycling goals on this blog yet.

In the past few years, I've probably overshared how much cycling I do and how I'm tracking towards various mileage and elevation goals.

I have not done that at all so far this year.

I have these 2025 goals. I just have not taken the time to "share" them.

Again, no one really cares other than myself, but I do like to have these to go back and look at from time to time. 

So now, here I am posting my 2025 Cycling Goals.

Oisin Owl Irish Stout

Style: 15C Irish Extra Stout
ABV: 5.5%
IBU: 40
SRM: 41

Appearance: This stout pours a deep, opaque black with subtle ruby highlights when held to the light. The head is a creamy tan, thick and persistent, leaving a generous lacing on the glass with every sip.

Aroma: The aroma is a harmonious blend of rich roasted malt, dark chocolate, and freshly brewed coffee. Hints of caramel and toffee add a layer of sweetness, while subtle earthy hops and a whisper of dark fruit like plum or raisin round out the olfactory experience.

Tasman vs Tasman

I don't know if I ever mentioned it on this blog, but if you follow SheppyBrew on Instagram or Facebook, you might have caught that when I was picking up ingredients for Tasman Devil Pilsner, I stopped by Dry Dock Brewing company.

In a wild coincidence, Dry Dock had a New Zealand Pils on tap called "Tasman Pilsner" ... Great Minds Think Alike I guess.

Obviously I had to try it and I really liked it. 

E is for Someplace Else Brewery

It's been awhile since we've posted to the A to Z series of posts.

D is for Denver Beer Company, Olde Town Arvada posted over a month ago.

But, the series is still on our radar, and after D, we needed an "E" brewery to visit.

You may remember from D is for Denver Beer Company that there are no "E" breweries on the Colorado Brewery Map & List for use to use in the Denver area.

But, as you know if you've been following along, we don't let that sort of thing stop us.

We're more than willing to take artistic license if we don't have a new brewery starting with a letter.

This time, we picked ....

E is for Someplace Else Brewery

Kemosabe Quad (Batch 372)

Fat Tuesday / Mardi Gras was last Tuesday. Even though this year is as late as Easter can be, it blows my mind that we've already entered Lent.

Time flies.

If you've been following along, you might have caught that I've been picking beers to brew off my Roll-a-Style list rather than actually rolling to pick what to brew.

Part of the reason I've been doing this, is to use my harvested Belgium yeast to step up to a big Belgium Beer ... Roll-a-Style 9: 26D. Belgian Dark Strong Ale.

For quite awhile, I've been planning on using the whole yeast cake from Mardi Blonde (Batch 370) Birthday Brew to brew this big beer.

But, then when I kegged Mardi Blonde, I wasn't ready to brew yet. So, I kept putting off the brew day.

I finally got around to it last Tuesday on the same day I smoked a Chuck Roast for pulled-beef-sandwiches.

Glop

On Sunday, I had planned on getting a Chucky on the Weber Kettle in the morning to use in pulled-beef sandwiches for dinner.

But, I totally forgot until a little later in the day when I wasn't sure I'd have enough time to get it pull-apart tender.

So ... I decided to save it for our Mardi Gras dinner (Tuesday, which is the next time I was "scheduled" to make dinner).

So, I needed something fairly quick to make.

I actually had a loose plan and ingredients to make an Smoked Green Chili Hashbrown Egg Bake for Fat Tuesday. For some reason, my wife and kids have traditionally wanted breakfast-for-dinner on Mardi Gras. I find this weird, but generally I play along with their wants.

Mardi Blonde: A Festive Brew

Style: Belgian Blonde Ale
ABV: 7.4%
IBU: 25  

Mardi Blonde is a delightfully refreshing Belgian blonde ale with a lively personality. Pouring a radiant golden hue, this brew sparkles with clarity and invites you in with its enticing appearance. 

Aroma: The nose is greeted with a bouquet of light malt sweetness, delicate floral notes, and a hint of fruity esters reminiscent of ripe pears and apples. Subtle touches of honey and freshly baked bread add depth to the aromatic profile.

Flavor: On the palate, Mardi Blonde strikes a harmonious balance between malt and hops. The initial sip reveals a smooth malt backbone with flavors of biscuit and light caramel, followed by a gentle hop bitterness that lingers just long enough to create a crisp, clean finish. The nuanced flavors of citrus zest and white grape add a refreshing twist, making each sip more enjoyable than the last.