Our Tastiest Top 5 Local Summer Beers

It's beer season! Well it's always beer season but now it's summer beer season! We have put together our favorite top 5 local summer beers. Now to be politically correct, not all of these are summer seasonal releases, but with our tedious research, our favorite picks to round out a long hot day in the rockies. Pub crawl through Colorado anyone!?

Aspen Brewing Company

Aspen, CO

Ajax Pilsner

ABV: 9.3% IBU: 87Representing for our home team! Our version of a Czech style Pilsner. Like summertime in the rockies packed into a bottle this brew is light, crisp and so refreshing you’ll want more. Sterling hops provide floral aroma and spicy hop bitterness in balance with authentic pilsner malt. Ajax is the local nickname for Aspen Mountain. We can assure you, the mountain and this brew live up to the Greek legend…watch out Odysseus.

Eddyline Pub

Buena Vista, CO

River Runners Pale Ale

ABV: 5.75% IBU: 60

A citrus grapefruit hop aroma paired with a crisp, light malt body makes this incredibly balanced and drinkable. 2012 Great American Beer Festival Gold Medal, 2014 World Beer Cup Silver Medal. *Editors note- If you do one thing in your life, by a 4 pack of their Pumpkin Patch come fall.

Elevation Beer Company

Poncha Springs, CO

Senorita

ABV: 5.0% IBU: 15

Not your typical summer seasonal, but in the words of my brother "the best beer ever made" and paired with BBQ or street tacos, it's a match made in heaven. This Seasonal Release beer pours a deep dark brown with a snow-white head. Aroma notes of Vanilla, Cinnamon and sweet milk hit the nose bringing up images of the delicious Mexican drink this beer is styled after. The beer hits the palate with Vanilla, sweet chocolate malts, and a hint of cinnamon; all with a medium body and a balancing hop bitterness. Silver 2014 World Beer Cup, Herb and Spice Category.

In the winter after Thomas Sloan flooded his farm, he would cut ice from the lake and sell it to local breweries. As most brewers in the day were of German descent, a Kölsch style beer could have been produced. Our Kölsch is a classic interpretation of the style. It’s very smooth and drinkable like a lager, but has a light fruit flavor from ale fermentation. It has moderate levels of bitterness and noble hop flavor and a crisp, dry finish. Nothing pairs better with our lakeside view than our Kölsch. Be sure to stop by on a hot day and enjoy the open walls and beautiful Sloans Lake.

Odyssey Beerwerks

Arvada, CO

Heliocentric Hefeweizen

ABV: 5.5% IBU: 12

Each morning just before dawn, Helios harnesses his horses (always alliterate) Pyrios, Aeos, Phlegon, and Aethon to the Chariot of the Sun. He then emerges in the East, crowned with the brilliance of the sun and directs his magnificent steeds across the vaulted sky until they dip below the horizon, only to repeat the feat again the following dawn. Odyssey salutes the work of Helios with a German Hefeweizen that goes very well in the company of our sun Helios. Drink the Hefe. Find within this well-carbonated beer hints of clove and a light banana flavor that is always present. Flowery German hops linger in the background. The result is a great beer on a sunny day.