At over 14,000 feet above sea level, the wind is bitter, but painfully shy.  My breath hides from me, making each step a challenge.  I'm getting dizzier by the moment and my feet are way too unsteady for the snow-covered slippery ridge, so it's time to turn back.

Into thin air 

No summit for me today on this 14er - the altitude has overcome.  I take one last look at the mountain, at this beautiful obstacle and prepare for the descent.  I'm exhausted and still have to get back down the treacherous precipice.  As I crawl back down, I think to myself, "there's got to be a better way to finish a 14er."

And there is.  Avery Brewing in Boulder, CO  knows a lot about 14ers.  It's the name of one of their year-round signature beers - the 14er E.S.B.  This past June, after climbing Mt. Gray's, one of Colorado's hallowed 14ers, I had the opportunity to swing by and check out Avery Brewery.  The beauty of the Colorado mountains is truly reflected in Avery delicious beers and brewing philosphy.  

A Toast With C.V.C.V. Howe, Avery Marketing Specialist, takes me around the brewery.  The brewery started with just one fermenter 16 years ago and has now grown to five fermenters.  They have a 40 barrel brewhouse, and churned out 16,000 barrels last year.  However, Avery is on track for 36,00 barrels this year - apparently C.V. is doing a helluva job marketing the beer, but it's not too hard when you have such a delicious product.  C.V. left a corporate job in Vermont three years ago to take a role as an assistant brewer at Avery's and has grown with the company.

C.V. tells me most everyone starts as an Assistant Brewer, tackling the vital task of cleaning everything, but one thing that makes Avery stand out is that they don't have specialist roles as solely being bottlers or keg washers.  Avery's has a communal Where the magic happensphilosophy.  Everyone shares duties and roles. Once you've proved that you can handle a role, they'll give you more responsibility.  In the warehouse, everyone shifts roles to keep tasks from getting repetitive.  It's remarkable watching everyone in the brewery in action happily supporting one another as they change up their jobs like a well-oiled machine.  

Nearly the entire staff homebrews, but Avery takes it a step Avery Tap Roomfarther.  The brewery pays for and supplies everything the staff needs for their home brew batches.  In return, the staff puts these home-brews on tap on Fridays in the Avery Tap Room for all to sample.  Avery's support of it's staff is admirable and provides an environment where creativity is not just recognized, but rewarded.

So the brewery kicks ass and the company is top knotch, but how about the beers?  Well, many of you can get the following beers in distribution.  They're the flagship lines of year-round beers and they are all stellar.

White Rascal Belgian-Style White Ale
Redpoint Ale
14er ESB
India Pale Ale
Ellie's Brown Ale
Out of Bounds Stout

However, Avery small batch and craft beers are even more impressive.  They're harder to find, but well worth the effort.  These are strong beers, some having over 19% alcohol, so these are slow-sipping beers you need to really take time to savor.

A delicious lineupSome of the ones I've had the great fortune to try include:

Salvation Golden Ale - Belgian-style Golden Ale that is the lightest of the Avery "big beer" series and includes hints of peach, apricot, nutmeg and cinnamon.

The Reverend Belgian-Style Quadruple Ale - filled with tons of authentic imported specialty malts and Belgian dark candy stirred into the kettle.  It's a bold flavor that remains smooth from start to finish.

Maharaja Imperial India Pale Ale - very hoppy and vivid, a palate-breaker and only a limited release for this summer, but a must-try for IPA lovers.

Mephistophiles Stout - every bit as wicked as it's name implies. This last in the recent line of Avery's "The Demons of Ale" series is a complex combination of grape, chocolate-covered cherries, and expresso, among others.  It's a dark temptation that's hard to resist.

16 Saison Ale- one of the most recent small batch beers that celebrates Avery's 16th anniversary, a Saison with strong hints of jasmine, peaches and honey.

On their way to a store near you...

Avery Brewing is nestled in Boulder, Colorado and although they are quickly outgrowing their factory and are looking for a new home, are committed to staying within Boulder.  This is a brewery with a strong sense of community and a team that brings passion to everything they do, right down to the slick way they name and brand their beers.  After watching the Avery team in action, it's no surprise that they create such tasty brews.

Raise your glass to Avery's Brewing and to 14ers we can all be proud to finish!

Avery Brewing

5763 Arapahoe Ave

Boulder, CO  80303

Cheers,

T. Dodson

tdodson@beerconnoisseur.com

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