Punting with a Pivot
A month or so ago, I announced a new version of annual awards and got some great nominations, but to be honest, I don't have the energy to revamp the awards in the manner I had hoped, so I'm punting.
So yeah, life and things have gotten in the way, so I’m punting on my revamped awards idea (thanks to the 20 or so people who nominated) and pivoting back to a voting style competition. This is the chance for the community to make their voice heard, and I’ll still create some special hand-made awards, to boot!
Why are you doing this?
I got a lot of flack about my involvement in the Springs Mag “Best Breweries” article, so in an effort to give the voice to everyone else, I made sure to include as many area breweries as possible, from Paradox in Divide to Peaks N Pines in Fountain to Pikes Peak in Monument. I’ve even included Rocky Mountain and Smiling Toad, as they were both operating for some of 2023.
For most of the categories, here’s the list:
Atrevida
Batch Slapped
Bell Brothers
Black Forest
Brass
Bristol
Cerberus
Cogstone
Colorado Mountain Brewery
Dueces Wild
Father & Sons
FH Beerworks
Fossil
Goat Patch
JAKs
Local Relic
Lost Friend
Mash Mechanix
Metric
OCC
Nano 108
Paradox
Peaks N Pines
Phantom Canyon
Pikes Peak
Red Leg
Red Swing
Rock Bottom
Rocky Mountain (Closed in Feb)
Smiling Toad (Closed in June)
Storybook
Trinity
Urban Animal
Wackadoo
Whistle Pig
Obviously, all the breweries won’t fit every category, but for the broad options, that’s the list. After voting, you’ll be able to see the preliminary results and see how the top picks have evolved over each “round” which is each voter’s ballot. This will show you how many votes are needed for a brewery to be dubbed the winner, but know that we have deduplication algorithms enabled, so don’t stuff the ballot box…
What Categories are available?
Best Beer Quality - Which brewery do you find has the best quality no matter what style they make?
Best Brewery Experience - Which brewery do you go to just for the “feels” alone?
Best New Brewery (Opened <24 months ago) - Which of our newer brewery brethren is raising the bar consistently?
Best Hoppy Beer - Which brewery has your favorite hoppy beer?
Best Malty Beer - Which brewery has your favorite malty beer?
Most Improved Brewery - Which brewery has improved the most over this past year, or has improved compared to prior years?
The Best Breweries - What are your top three favorite breweries? We all have different tastes, so doing a top 3 with three “winners” should help cover a wide variety of tastes!
Where can I vote?
You’ll first see an option to “sign in” with your name and email like this:
Please enter your email, but you won’t get any spam…this is only for identification. You’ll get a thank you email directly from me at some point, but won’t be subscribed to any lists.
Voting is open until December 26th, with official results released January 1st.
Well, that’s Neat…
I mostly focus on the beer (pun intended) with this newsletter, but Travis Fields let me know about Neat Whiskey House’s 2nd Anniversary that’s happening this Saturday, so I figured a plug for the FH-adjacent whiskey place wouldn’t be too far fetched.
They’re hosting a 20’s themed Prohibition-style party, so dust off your best era-specific garb if this is for you.
From their Press Release:
On December 2nd, guests will step into the past as Neat Whiskey House transforms into a speakeasy, complete with period-appropriate décor and an array of specialty cocktails reminiscent of the era. Attendees are encouraged to dress in their best 1920s attire to fully immerse themselves in the experience.
The anniversary event will showcase a curated selection of era-appropriate classic cocktails, allowing attendees to savor exclusive tastings while reveling in the ambiance of the Roaring Twenties.
In addition to the immersive Prohibition-themed experience, Neat Whiskey House is excited to announce a partnership with the mobile cigar lounge, Leaf to Ash. A special cigar patio will be set up for attendees to indulge in premium cigars that perfectly complement our diverse whiskey and cocktail selections. Leaf to Ash will offer a curated assortment of high-quality cigars, enhancing the celebration and providing guests with an opportunity to enjoy a luxurious pairing of fine spirits and cigars.
What I missed last week and other tidbits:
Bell Brothers released Rover Smasher Barleywine bottles. Head into their brewery to snag a bottle!
Pikes Peak released a Non-alcoholic Hop Water…I’ll report back maybe next week!
Anything else I missed? Let me know in the comments!
Thanks for reading, and thanks for voting!
Cheers,
Ryan