WHAT EVERYONE IS SAYING

Dubbing something “underrated” really comes down to what your definition of underrated actually is. To us, it has nothing to do with a beer’s sales but entirely with its perception. That’s why both a high-selling macro brew and a little-known craft beer can both be underrated and underappreciated.

When talking about underrated beers, Eric Warner, brewmaster at Karbach Brewing Co. in Houston, refuses to pick one specific beer. Instead, he opts for a whole style.

“I’m a huge fan of helles,” he notes. “The ‘every day’ pale lager that is on tap in every bar and restaurant in Munich. The malt aromas are often reminiscent of light bread and honey, and the subtle hop notes are floral and spicy. The taste is slightly sweet up front but then clean on the finish without being dry or bitter.”

While it’s easy to pick underrated styles, selecting underappreciated beers is a tougher task. To help out, we asked a handful of well-known brewers, beer professionals, and craft beer experts to tell us their picks for the most under-valued beers of all time. Keep reading to see all of their selections.

Telluride Face Down Brown

Kevin Schmunk, brewer at Urban South Brewery in New Orleans

ABV: 5.7%

Average Price: $9 for a six-pack

Why This Beer?

The most underrated beer in my opinion is the brown ale. While I agree many can fall short and be a little lackluster, when you do find a good one, you’ll know it. The mouthfeel needs to be in that sweet spot: Not too thin or too heavy, sweet yet still refreshing with a hint of brown sugar and perfectly paired hops. My favorite brown ale, when I can get my hands on it, is Face Down Brown by Telluride Brewing Co.

John's pick: The return of tap rooms — especially those with outdoor patios like Sanitas, Cannonball Creek and Telluride. Likewise, beer sales platform Arryved declared the return of QR codes as its top trend.
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The past 12 months have been busy, and productive, for Telluride Brewing Company. Other than celebrating its 10-year anniversary in 2021, the local staple won another Great American Beer Festival medal for its Face Down Brown American Brown Ale in September, and recently announced the first-ever Winter Jam event, which includes the release of five new beers.

With 2022 weeks away, the brewery isn’t done making moves, as the business recently announced a partnership with restaurant Counter Culture.

The Lawson Hill neighbors will work together at the brewery’s Mountain Village brewpub, with Counter Culture providing food.


Brewery cofounder and president Tommy Thacher explained the latest endeavor came together after getting to know the Counter Culture folks over the summer and needing to find another food option for the Mountain Village location.

“Well, our partnership with Counter Culture came to fruition when they took over Ameono's space in Lawson last summer. Though we had seen Taylor, Grace and Steve around town for many years, we did not know them personally,” he said referring to Counter Culture co-owners Taylor Landry, Grace Mayer and Steve Hertzfeld. “Right from the start, the Telluride Brewing team admired their dedication and passion for making unbelievable food that is primarily sourced from the valley. Their strong work ethic and dedication to their craft aligns exactly with the vision of how Telluride Brewing operates. After an amazing summer working together, and when our taco partners decided not to return, it was an easy ask to see if Counter Culture wanted to move into the space in the Village. We were ecstatic when they decided to move in and double down on furthering the Counter Culture and Telluride Brewing partnership. Everything is off with a bang, so come by and get this party started.”

Since opening in May, Counter Culture has been a restaurant focused on elevating classic American dishes using quality, locally sourced ingredients.

The brewpub menu was designed to complement Telluride Brewing’s lineup of core and experimental beers, according to a news release announcing the partnership. Menu prices range from $4 to $14.50, including options that meet most dietary needs and utilizing local food as much as possible.

Ingredients are sourced from all over the Western Slop, and go into creating vegetarian grain bowls, loaded Hammer Fries and house-made brioche buns for Counter Culture’s freshly ground, grass-fed burgers. Companies like Vicki’s Fresh Food Movement and Farm Runners visit area farms weekly, making local food accessible to both restaurants and consumers in Telluride.


“Our food is crafted by more than just our hands,” Mayer explained. “The farmers, ranchers and artisans of the Western Slope cultivate each ingredient from the start. We get to honor these ingredients by using a fine dining approach to create wonderful, casual food.”

The menus also compliment each other, as people can enjoy a Tempter IPA with Counter Culture’s “beer-chos,” which are made with brewery beer cheese, or the award-winning Face Down Brown alongside the CC Burger.

“To be honest, everything on Culture Culture's menu is delicious and pairs perfectly with your favorite style of beer. The Tempter IPA beer cheese is off the charts, the Hammer Fries are to die for, and the burgers are simply fantastic,” Thacher said. “We couldn’t be happier to further our relationship with Counter Culture. We’ve really enjoyed watching them grow in their flagship location, so when the opportunity to work together presented itself, we were grateful that the pieces fell into place. It’s two sets of locals who are committed to their community, dedicated to their respected crafts, environmentally conscious and equally passionate about putting out the best products for our customers.”

Both businesses share the same sentiment, as Hertzfeld previously explained Counter Culture’s mission to the Daily Planet.

“Basically, it’s local food for local people,” Hertzfeld said. “We want to be that place in town where the average person can eat multiple times a week, without skimping on quality.”


Located in the Mountain Village Core, the brewpub is open daily from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., while the taproom in Lawson Hill is open from 2-7 p.m. daily. Counter Culture’s Lawson Hill location is open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. They also offer catering.

For more information about the brewpub offerings, including the new food menu, visit telluridebrewingco.com.


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Telluride Brewing Company announced Wednesday the first-ever Winter Jam 2021, featuring the release of five unique and badass brews, ranging from fan favorites to never before seen releases. Opening acts, Ski in Ski Stout and See Forever Hazy Pale Ale, have already hit shelves and taps statewide, and will be followed by a fan favorite, Fishwater Project. Newcomers San Juan SkyHOP and Fire From the Mountain will wrap up the festivities as limited release headliners next month, the brewery explained in a news release.

“There’s nothing like an epic, winter jam sesh, so we’ve decided to really stack the lineup with brews that speak to the season,” explained Tommy Thacher, Telluride Brewing co-owner and president. “Whether you’re looking for a sessionable hazy pale ale to enjoy between runs, a barrel-aged stout to drink at après ski, or something in between, we’ve got you covered.”

Ski-In Ski Stout, which a 5.5 percent ABV (alcohol by volume) oatmeal stout brewed with cocoa nibs and espresso, is now seasonally available statewide, and plays alongside recently released See Forever Hazy Pale Ale (5.8 percent ABV). See Forever is Telluride Brewing’s first-ever foray into the world of hazy pale ales, and will now be available year-round in the first of the brewery’s newly rebranded can designs.

Local favorite, Fishwater Project — the brewery’s Fishwater Double IPA aged in Denver’s Laws Whiskey House bourbon barrels — returns and will be available in cans for the first time ever in early December. Accompanying the 11 percent ABV barrel-aged double IPA will be a brand new red IPA, San Juan SkyHOP (6.5 percent ABV) available for the first time today (Thursday).

“The first beer I ever brewed in this incredible town has finally made its way into the Telluride Brewing Co. lineup, 20 years after its first rendition at Smuggler’s Brewpub back in 2002,” said Chris Fish, chief brewing officer and co-owner of Telluride Brewing. “To brew, distribute and share San Juan SkyHOP across the state in this epic winter release is surreal and something I’ve always wanted to do.”

To round out an already impressive list of firsts, Fire from the Mountain is Telluride Brewing’s initial collaboration with Vail’s 10th Mountain Whiskey & Spirits. Boasting an impressive 14.1 percent ABV, it’s no wonder why the brewery designated this whiskey barrel-aged stout as its headlining act with a release date of mid-to-late December, according to the release.

All Winter Jam beers will showcase Telluride Brewing Co’s new rebrand, and be available in cans and on tap statewide. Those outside of Colorado can order the new brews, which are available for shipment to select states only, online at telluridebrewingco.com.

Telluride Brewing, with its headquarters in Lawson Hill and brewpub in Mountain Village, also celebrated its 10-year anniversary this year.


“To be able to have a business that’s thriving at 10 years old and has room to grow is a testament to what we’ve been able to create, and a huge thanks to the community that we’re in,” Thacher previously told the Daily Planet. “When Fish and I were diving into a business plan and getting this rolling, it seems so long ago, but then in the blink of an eye, we’ve been around for 10 years.”

Since its inception, the brewery has canned over 1.1 million beers; won five at the Great American Beer Festival, including a recent bronze award in September 2021 for Face Down Brown American Brown Ale; won three medals at the World Beer Cup; opened the Mountain Village brewpub; and introduced sustainability measures to lessen their environmental impact.

All of that, the co-owners have said, wouldn’t be possible without the community.

“We’re so grateful to the Telluride community for supporting us over the past 10 years, and allowing us to realize our dream while living in our dream town,” Thacher has previously said. “Our locals have been an integral part of our success, and we look forward to many great years to come.”

A decade ago, friends Tommy Thacher and Chris Fish were having a cold one and talking about possibly starting a business together. At the time, Fish was the brewmaster at Smuggler’s, while Thacher taught at the Telluride Mountain School. Both shared a love of craft beer, which ultimately led to the decision to start Telluride Brewing Co.

“We were just trying to figure out a way to stay in Telluride forever and raise our families here,” Thacher said. “It’s been a wild ride.”

On Wednesday, the local brewery will celebrate its 10-year anniversary with $5 beers at its flagship location in Lawson and the brewpub in Mountain Village.


Thacher admits the company did not have a 10-year plan when it first started, and it still doesn't. But what has kept Telluride Brewing going for all these years is dedication to the process and a lot of support from the local community, he added.

“To be able to have a business that’s thriving at 10 years old and has room to grow is a testament to what we’ve been able to create, and a huge thanks to the community that we’re in,” Thacher said. “When Fish and I were diving into a business plan and getting this rolling, it seems so long ago, but then in the blink of an eye, we’ve been around for 10 years.”

The cofounders wanted to keep Telluride Brewing a Colorado-only business, and that’s exactly what they’ve done, but Thacher explained there are still areas that could be expanded, mainly the company’s distribution footprint within the state.

“The vision has always been to stay Colorado only, and we’re still staying true to that,” he said.

Telluride Brewing has crafted 100 different beers over the years in utilizing Rocky Mountain snowmelt alongside premium malts, hops, hop terpenes and yeasts, and is one of only six breweries of its size to distribute in Colorado exclusively,


“Colorado born and raised, I love this state and see no reason to venture further, as there is still opportunity for growth here,” Fish explained. “Maintaining a small footprint allows us to keep an eye on the beer that we distribute, ensuring quality and freshness.”

When the company first started, the cofounders heard from naysayers who suggested they have an exit plan, but an alternative option was never really considered.

“We were like, ‘Yeah, why not? We can do it,’” Thacher said.

The early days included paying people with beer they hand canned, and never really knowing who might help.

“We didn’t have any money to pay anyone, so we would just give them free beers. In the winter if it snowed, no one would show up. You’re just dealing with those constant early on business struggles, working seven days a week and doing everything yourself,” he said.


Telluride Brewing currently employs around 20 people, and there is little turnover, Thacher explained, which has created more of a family environment.

“People just want a place where they can meet up with their friends and have a beer,” he said. “We feel like we’ve created that.”

Since its inception, the brewery has canned over 1.1 million beers; won five at the Great American Beer Festival, including a recent bronze award in September 2021 for Face Down Brown American Brown Ale; won three medals at the World Beer Cup; opened the Mountain Village brewpub; and introduced sustainability measures to lessen their environmental impact.

“Telluride Brewing Co fans can look forward to a winter season packed full of new and returning beers, fun-filled events, and continued sustainable growth as a local, family owned business,” according to a news release announcing the 10-year anniversary deal.

Cheers could be heard up and down Lawson Hill’s Society Drive Friday around 5:30 p.m. as Telluride Brewing Co. employees watched their iconic Face Down Brown brew take bronze at the Great American Beer Festival.

The festival “invites industry professionals to sit together in small groups and, without knowing the brand or brewery name, evaluate beers in defined style categories. The ultimate goal of the Judge Panel is to identify up to three world-class beers that best represent each beer style category,” according to the Great American Beer Festival website.

“I was so excited to hear the name called. Knowing how much time, energy and love that goes into that beer, and all the beers the come out of here, it was a great sense of accomplishment,” Telluride Brewing president and cofounder of Tommy Thacher said.


Telluride Brewing and the Face Down Brown are no strangers to awards. The Face Down Brown, a hybrid American- and English-style brown with roasted caramel malts that create flavors of toffee, has previously won awards at the World Beer Cup in 2012, as well as the Great American Beer Festival in 2012, 2014 and 2016.

When cofounders Thacher and Chris Fish first started the brewery in 2011, they did not expect the Face Down Brown to be the success it is today. The beer did not even have its own can yet and was packaged in a Bridal Veil Pale Ale can when it took its first trip to the World Beer Cup.

“It started as one batch of brown ale. The very first batch we brewed went to that World Beer Cup and won first place. I just wanted to make a brown ale that I liked and wanted to drink. We didn’t even have a plan for it to be a standard at all, and then it won. The second beer for a brewery is typically an IPA, but after it won, I decided that would be our second beer,” said Fish, who is also the brewmaster.

Since that first batch of Face Down Brown, the recipe for the beer has remained untouched. On the Telluride Brewing website, the beer is described as “a beautiful hybrid of an English and American Brown Ale that explodes with aromas of toffee, chocolate, and nut balanced hop forward with German Noble and big American aroma hops.”

Thanks to Face Down Brown’s accolades and recognitions, the beer put Telluride Brewing “on the beer map quick,” said Fish. “The cool thing about this beer is that when they train judges at beer contests, or when they look up the style guidelines for an American-Style Brown, the Face Down shows up as an example.”


Out of the 15 barrels in the brewery warehouse, the largest tank, aptly named “Bertha,” brews the Face Down Brown during the fall and winter, when the beer is most popular. Bertha takes seven brews to fill, as compared to a typical barrel that takes three brews. The process of filling Bertha takes two full days.

Despite the Face Down Brown’s success at contests, the beer is only the second most popular beer at the brewery. The most popular beer at the Brewery is the Tempter IPA, which is an India Pale Ale. This discrepancy does not alarm Fish. “It’s pretty rare for a brewery to have one of their best-selling beers even be an American-style brown,’’ he said.

The brewery, which celebrates its 10th anniversary in October, owes part of its success to Telluride.

“We’ve joked that Telluride is our secret ingredient,” Fish said. “Beer is mostly water, and we have the headwaters of the San Miguel, so we’ve got amazing water.”

Fish, who has brewed beer for almost 19 years, began crafting his own beers in high school. He would go to the homebrew store and buy supplies to make beer for himself and his friends.


“At the time, you could go to the homebrew store and buy ingredients because it wasn’t alcohol yet,” Fish said.

When he turned 21, Fish volunteered at the Great American Beer Festival, the same festival and contest his creations are now winning. After volunteering, he took a job at Mountain Sun Pub and Brewery in Boulder.

Fish first moved to Telluride after attending the Telluride Brews and Blues Festival. Shortly after the festival, he took a job at the Smuggler-Union Brewery & Restaurant in town.

In fact, Smugglers is where Fish and Thacher initially met.

“When I first moved to Telluride in 2004, the first day I was here, I sat next to him at the bar at Smugglers. We’ve been best friends ever since,” Thacher said.


From best friends to business partners, what inspired Fish and Thacher to start a brewery in Telluride was the community.

“It’s been all about this town and the support we get,” Fish said. “When you walk in and see locals and tourists enjoying their beers … that’s what it is all about.”

Colorado has long held a reputation for strong showings at the Great American Beer Festival, and while this year was no different, Colorado breweries had a solid showing after totaling 21 medals after tallying 25 the previous year.


However, even despite a slightly lower medal count, several Colorado breweries showed sustained dominance in 2020 by continuing impressive streaks. As noted in our general 2021 GABF Awards Recap, Cannonball Creek continued its impressive streak of winning medals at nine consecutive GABF competitions, this year earning a gold medal for Vladimir Brutin Brut IPA under the Experimental IPA category.

The interesting trend that prevailed this year for Colorado breweries was the re-emergence of several pioneers of the Colorado craft beer landscape. New Belgium Brewing, whose entry was technically listed under their Asheville location, returned to the podium with a gold medal for Trippel under the Belgian-Style Abbey Ale category. That beer also won gold in the Belgian-style Ale category in 2001. Great Divide one of Denver’s earliest breweries also earned hardware with silver for their Wild Raspberry Ale, a beer that had been retired in 2012, but will be returning to their year-round lineup in early 2022.

(Read More) Learn Where the Craft Brewers Conference is Heading the Next Four Years!
Telluride Brewing‘s Face Down Brown earn its 4th GABF medal with a bronze in the American-style Brown Ale category. That medal was also Telluride Brewing’s 5th GABF medal all-time. Crooked Stave also added to their medal count with silver for Stay the Funk In in the Belgian-style Sour category, which becomes their fourth GABF medal. Avery Brewing and SKA Brewing were two other pioneers who tallied medals this year as well for Stampede in the American-style Lager, and True Blonde Ale in the English Ale categories respectively.

Our Mutual Friend Brewery won a pair of medals this year, the most by any single Colorado brewery in the competition. Their silver medal for Biere Ovale and gold for Inner Light, brings their all-time GABF medal total count to six.
From Steamboat to Telluride, and all along the I-70 corridor, we’re tracking dozens of new dining, drinking and overnight stops. Many of these destinations have been waiting to open their doors since the start of the pandemic. Here are nearly 40 hotels, restaurants, bars and lounges that have opened since last ski season.

Colorado is notorious for those ever lingering late-season summers, so even though it might still be a swelter out, it’s about time to begin thinking about autumn beers. Luckily as Labor Day weekend approaches, we’ve got you covered by partnering with our friends at Molly’s Spirits for another six-pack of beers and cider to help get you stocked up for the holiday weekend.
Molly’s Spirits is located at 5809 W 44th Ave, Denver, CO 80212 (Lakeside), and 8557 E Arapahoe Rd Unit A (Greenwood Village, CO). All six of these beers can be found at Molly’s Spirits or try ordering online to get beers delivered to your doorstep.
Oktoberfish | Telluride Brewing:
The lederhosen can artwork may bring you in, but this traditional malty, Märzen-style Lager will go great with all of your stein-filled celebrations.

The box canyon town of Telluride, where you can dangle from a sheer cliff by day and forage for cast-off treasures at the community Free Box by night, has long topped my list of favorite places in Colorado. Although the ski runs first lured me there fifteen years ago, my love for the place runs deeper than the snow that stacks up in Revelation Bowl in the dead of winter.

I’ve always preferred historic old mining towns to made-to-order resorts such as Vail, and Telluride’s rows of brightly painted Victorian homes surrounded by 13,000- and 14,000-foot peaks make me swoon. I even like the name Telluride, which, depending on whom you ask, came either from the element tellurium, found within deposits of gold mined here, or the echoing call “To hell you ride!” bellowed to friends as they galloped away for a wild time in the lively town.

I head to Telluride when I’m craving adventure. That might mean pedaling a mountain bike, rented from Box Canyon Bicycles, to the Telluride Brewing Company for a glass of Whacked Out Wheat or Face Down Brown Ale, or climbing a frozen waterfall while wielding a pickax and wearing boots with spikes at the toes. I’ve trained binoculars on a pair of eagles perched in a treetop while birding with local guide Eric Hynes and hiked past a forest of trees downed in an avalanche. You can fly-fish, backpack, or rock climb in Telluride, too.

But if you really want to crank the dial to eleven, you’ve got to experience the two-mile cabled hiking and climbing route called the Via Ferrata.

Soldiers used via ferratas (“iron paths” in Italian) to cross the rugged Alps during World War I. Today, the term refers to the increasingly popular recreational routes that require inching across tightrope-walk-width ledges and clinging like a gecko to metal rungs driven into cliff walls.
Chuck Kroger installed the series of metal handholds and footholds under cover of darkness (and without official permission) in the early 2000s. He died of cancer not long after it was finished. The U.S. Forest Service officially acknowledged the route years later, but it’s still a do-it-yourself endeavor. Anyone with proper equipment—and nerves of reinforced cement and steel—can access the spot, which features dangerous drop-offs galore. That’s why I went with a guide, Josh Butson, of San Juan Outdoor Adventures, who provided gear, knowledge, and moral support.

Even though I’m a bit of an adventure hound, I was nervous before starting. My knees clacked like castanets, and my palms never stopped sweating for the next two hours. At one point, I found myself stuck to a 330-foot sheer rock wall, my nose against the gritty rock, feeling like the Grinch peering down on the patchwork quilt of Whoville. I couldn’t work up the nerve to take in much of the view, but Butson told me that if I turned around, I’d get a stunning glimpse of Bridal Veil Falls, the tallest free-falling waterfall in Colorado. I’ll have to trust his word—it was all I could do to scuttle along the rock face to the trail’s end.

Fresh starts are always a hallmark of the new year, but 2020, in particular, left people with a desire for change — lots of change. Colorado breweries are feeling the call as well, and since canned beers had a banner year over the previous twelve months thanks to the pandemic, which forced more people to drink at home, they will be in even bigger demand in 2021. There will be dozens of new beers announced by breweries big and small over the next few weeks. Here are a few that have just debuted or will be hitting shelves soon:
Päntsdrunk
Telluride Brewing
Availability: Early January
Aged in Telluride Distilling whiskey barrels, this stout from Telluride Brewing "is best enjoyed at home... on the couch... in your underwear," the brewery says. It is, of course, based on the widely loved Finnish practice of staying home and drinking in your underwear — something that gained worldwide acclaim in 2020.

Nestled in a picturesque box canyon and scored seasonally by lush green cliffs or powder-capped mountain tops, Telluride, CO is a magical resort town that remains one of the most scenic destinations in the state.

Despite the world-class skiing, a multitude of festivals that used to fill its lodging capacity every summer and Bridal Veil Falls, a dramatic 365-foot waterfall that is fully visible from downtown, the town still exudes a relative quaintness due to its remote location–unlike other resort towns like Breckenridge, Aspen and Vail.
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Similarly, Telluride Brewing Co., which was founded in 2011, is highly adored and respected by those familiar with the industry while still flying relatively under the radar. Long revered for its signature Facedown Brown and more recently gaining steam for their continued work in hop-forward beers, Telluride Brewing is now on the cusp of its next evolutionary phase.
The brewery itself has long operated almost wholly on the packaged distribution model. Their taproom, a modest walk-up bar at the base of their teeming brewhouse, offers no actual on-site seating so anyone who has previously visited the destination brewery has become familiar with popping a squat on the street side curb or claiming one of the limited picnic tables nearby.

But all of that is about to change. Telluride Brewing recently announced that it would be opening a brewpub and taqueria in Mountain Village Plaza at the base of the legendary Telluride Ski Resort. And while COVID restrictions have delayed the second taproom location from fully opening its doors to the public for on-site consumption, they have begun selling beer and tacos to enjoy outdoors in the plaza. We caught up with Telluride Brewing co-founder Tommy Thatcher to chat about the momentous occasion.
PD: What took you all this long to open a traditional taproom space?
Tommy Thatcher: It’s certainly a crazy time to be opening something, but we’re excited by all of the support. The Mountain Village plaza is open consumption so it’s a great place to grab a drink and enjoy outside. Lift four is right there so you can take your skis off. And while it’s not technically ski-in-ski-out, you can basically take your skis off and you’re right there.

A lot of the decision to hold off until now had to do with the nature of Telluride and the cost of real estate in the town. We’ve looked in town for some time, but that plan quickly fizzled because we couldn’t find the right space to fit from a production standpoint.
That said, it’s a little hard to get out here to our main facility in the winter. In the summer you get bikers and people are driving through town. But in the winter, we lose most people because you don’t really need a car and there’s really no way for people to come down to the brewery.

This new space allows us to build on our brand so we can reach more people.

In May, we did move the tasting room out of the brewery over to where the sandwich shop is and took over half of their space. It created more of an environment where you can sit down and enjoy a beer but all summer we’ve had to close that space.

With 20 taps can we expect some specialty beers that we haven’t seen before?
Another driving force is the creativity level. This gives us a chance to have fun with a smaller scale project. (Brewmaster and Co-Founder Chris) Fish is excited to do more Belgian Sours; we’re going to Lager up there, stuff we can’t do at the mothership. We’re still running on a 15bbl system and brewing seven days a week. Eventually, we’ll be looking to update to 30 bbl system and this year will brew just under 9,000 bbls. It gives our brewers and whole staff a chance to come together and brew styles they love while engaging more people and having more fun.

What do you hope to capture in terms of this tasting room experience and how does being at the base of the resort influence that experience?
Having the opportunity to capitalize on the apres-ski experience in Mountain Village is why we all moved here in the first place. Having the opportunity to come in, grab bites, grab a beer. It’s a small space, the capacity is 50 ppl, but that’s almost a win because the town of Mountain Village allows open consumption. So you can go out and enjoy the fire pits and outdoors while keeping your tab open. Mountain Village has also refurbished old gondolas for heated outdoor dining space. It makes it all a very unique and fun place to enjoy beer wine and cocktails.
We last spoke when Telluride Brewing was beginning to experiment with hop terpenes through Oast House Oils. How has that innovative approach been evolving, and have you seen wider adoption across the industry?
It’s been an incredible partnership, going back to the idea of a smaller R&D (research and development) station when we do smaller batches of Galloping Juice, but having an opportunity to do smaller test runs will only enhance the outcome of these beers. It’ll allow us to dive further into the hop terpene game. Yields are getting better, Strata is coming up in Galloping Juice #7.

This new brewpub will also be a taqueria. Tell us about how you all got connected with The Goods and Ouray and what folks can expect from their culinary program?
Two phenomenal chefs, we’ve known Jared through being friends with Greensky Bluegrass. We met at shows back in the day and quickly became buddies. It was his connection with Alex that connected with Fish as well. The menu will feature eight or so tacos, so it’s a small menu, but they’re very passionate and will be serving up some great stuff.

When I was 20 years old, I fell head over heels in love. It was the kind of love that hit me with all the force of divine revelation, an unshakable certainty that this was a love that would stand the test of time. The only thing was, the object of my affections was not, in fact, human, or even a single entity. Truth was, I had fallen irrevocably in love with Mexican street tacos.

Indeed, this is a love that has endured to the present day, and though I no longer inhabit the homeland of my beloved tacos, our long-distance relationship may soon come to a blessed end. Telluride Brewing Company Brewpub and Taqueria will open its doors Wednesday in the Mountain Village center, offering a rotating selection of unique craft beers and a mouth-watering menu of authentic Mexican-style street tacos crafted by Chef Alex Castagneto.

“Alex was making these incredible tacos up in Denver and I never forgot it,” said Jared Schwartz, co-creator of The Goods Hospitality and Los Buenos Tacos, who partnered with Telluride Brewing Company for the brewpub.

The tacos, Schwartz said, feature fresh in-house tortillas made from blue corn sourced from Bow & Arrow of the Ute Mountain Ute tribe, along with locally-sourced meats, proteins and produce. Al pastor pork will be roasted in traditional style on a rotisserie and served with the requisite pineapple slivers for that pop of sweet with the savory. Cochinitas, a slow-roasted marinated pork traditionally wrapped in banana leaves and roasted for days in the ground, will be on offer alongside barbacoa, locally sourced buffalo tongue lengua and Baja-style fish tacos.

Vegetarians have options too: char-grilled mushrooms with herbs and calabacitas with stewed black beans offer non-meat proteins for the herbivores.

“Los Buenos Tacos boys — their tacos are mind blowing,” said Chris Fish, co-founder and brewmaster of Telluride Brewing Company (TBC). “It’s very exciting to pair our beers up with these tacos. We’re really excited about this partnership.”

While the brewery had been thinking about opening up a second location for years, it wasn’t until about a year and a half ago that the idea to bring a brewpub to Mountain Village began to crystallize with assistance from the Town of Mountain Village Owners Association.

“The Lawson Hill location is a little difficult if you don’t have a car or it’s not summer so you can’t bike,” said Tommy Thacher, TBC’s co-owner and president, explaining that the team had considered locations as far away as Montrose. “This location allows us to stay at home and grow our footprint in our own community, which is what it’s all about, and it allows us to reach a bigger audience.”
The brewpub also boasts an on-site brewing facility, with Fish concocting a variety of new styles and experimental small batch brews. An aficionado of Belgian-style beers, Fish is looking forward to embracing his love of traditional beers by brewing up old-world styles like tripels, saisons, farmhouse ales and Christmas beers.

“It’s a total fun zone,” said Fish of the new brewing space. “We’ll be using it for recipe development, pushing boundaries and diving into lots of traditional styles. We’ll be able to do a lot of stuff we couldn’t do on a large production scale down at Lawson.”

Of course, due to COVID-19 restrictions, the new brewpub will be open for take-out only for now. Fortunately, street tacos lend themselves well to eating outside or on the go, traditionally gobbled down by a roadside stand fresh off a piping-hot comal. Mountain Village’s plazas are “common consumption” areas as well, so patrons can also purchase take-away pints, crowlers and six-packs.

“Street tacos are meant to be eaten on the go,” said Swartz, noting that the brewpub is offering a “baker’s dozen” special, with an extra taco thrown in for free upon ordering a dozen. They’ll also be offering taco supplies to go, so DIY taco lovers can get their fix at home.

Between the food and the beer, “it’s an all-star team up here, super passionate about using the best ingredients,” said Thacher. “It’s a unique and fun partnership.”