Food and Drink continued from page 80 Best Spin on Beer Pairings Cerveceria Colorado 1635 Platte Street 720-279-8248 cerveceriacolorado.com Cheese and chocolate are always great, but if you want to take your beer pair- ings to another level, Cerveceria Colorado has you covered. This taproom offshoot of Denver Beer Co. has served up every- thing from pan dulce pastries, churros and empanadas to tamales, salsas and gua- camole. The staff has even paired beer with, yes, bugs. While that might have been a tough one to stomach, the other food pairings work well with brews like an horchata blonde ale, a chipotle pepper amber and a churro stout, all inspired by Mexican ingredients and often made in collaboration with Mexican breweries. Best Brewery for a 7 a.m. Beer FlyteCo Brewing 4499 West 38th Avenue 720-772-7319 fl ytecobeer.com There have always been bars that cater to the early-morning crowd. Some of us need a drink after working an overnight shift, some like to watch the sun rise with a beer, and some of us, well, some of us just drink too much. Brew- eries, on the other hand, tend to open late, especially during the week, when 3 or 4 p.m. can be the norm. But not FlyteCo Brewing. Nope, this West Highland spot runs a coffee shop on site, which means its staff is up early and ready to open the draft lines, too. And that means you can stop in for a beer as early as 7 a.m., seven days a week. Ski Plane Stout pairs especially well with the dew at dawn. Bush. The brewpub has become part of the bedrock of Denver, and nowhere feels more warm and secure in the cold. Eyes strong enough to peer through the dim lighting will see barfl ies, families, lovers and old friends sharing stories and pints over dishes fi t for a midshipman, some of which have been on the menu since Bull & Bush opened in 1971. Prime rib, Sunday night suppers and Iowa breaded pork ten- derloin sandwiches keep the place com- fortably stuck in the past, right where we want it — but the beer lineup, which was full of fi ne Belgian imports and craft brews decades before juicy IPAs took over Colo- rado, has always been ahead of the game. Fight for a seat by the fi replace, peruse the extensive list of Scotch, and get cozy. Even if the weather clears up, you’re going to be here for a while. Best Place to Hunker Down During a Snowstorm Bull & Bush Brewery 4700 East Cherry Creek South Drive 303-759-0333 bullandbush.com When the snow starts dumping and you simply can’t drive home (or just don’t want to), with any luck you’re stuck at Bull & Jade Mountain Brewery & Tea House 4233 South Buckley Road, Aurora 720-289-3612 jademountain.beer Jade Mountain Brewery & Tea House takes its inspiration from Asian ingredients, with a hint of Mexican fl air. But owner Sean Guer- rero doesn’t discriminate against anyone — or any beer style. Which is why, in less than a year since the brewery opened, he’s col- laborated with at least a dozen other brew- eries, from old classics like the Wynkoop to experimental upstarts like Black Project and everything in between. He’s also brought in Best New Collaborative Brewery cuisine for pairings that you won’t fi nd any- where else, like Vietnamese fl an, moon cakes and Korean cupcakes. Look for Guerrero to continue collaborating in 2022, gathering knowledge and spreading a little of his own. Best New Brewery Patio Odell Brewing Sloan’s Lake Taphouse 1625 Perry Street 303-376-3777 odellbrewing.com Rooftop patios are a rare treat; there’s noth- ing quite like them. Not only do they let you soak up the sunshine, but they provide a physical manifestation for the sweet escape we’re all looking for during an afternoon or weekend drinking session. Odell Brewing’s newest Denver taproom — which opened in 2021 in a refurbished historic building — has a particularly special rooftop patio, with quintessentially Denver views of Sloan’s Lake, tons of space, and a delicious variety of beers that are brewed beneath your feet. Enjoy the perspective. Best Secret Brewery Patio Bruz Off Fax 1495 York Street 303-650-2337 bruzbeers.com Most breweries keep their patios front and center, where people can see them and envy the people who sit there during Colorado’s three (and a half) seasons of great patio weather. Bruz Beers, on the other hand, of- fers more of a secret oasis at its Bruz Off Fax location in Capitol continued on page 84 82 APRIL 7-13, 2022 WESTWORD | BACKBEAT | MUSIC & VENUES | FOOD & DRINK | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | SHOPPING & SERVICES | CONTENTS | westword.com GETTY IMAGES
