Boulder Beer Company - Never Summer Ale

As the name implies, some folks look forward to winter, particularly those in skiing havens like Colorado. The tag line associated with this beer is "For the drinking town with a skiing problem." It's an aggressively hopped strong winter warmer that is perfect for cold weather. On the nose, look for notes of pine, grapefruit, toffee and a subtle note that approaches pomegranate. Rich notes of malty, nutty grains and hints of chocolate make up the flavor profile, with slight hoppy spiciness that carries through to the moderately bitter, citrus-edged hop finish. Try with pasta, smothered in melted Asiago.

Now in their 3rd decade of operation, in 1979 the Boulder Brewing Company was established, giving Colorado its very first microbrewery. A true rarity among US microbreweries, they're currently celebrating their 27th anniversary. Founded by two college professors, David Hummer and Stick Ware, their principle goal was to produce beers in the traditional style of the robust European ales. And these folks weren't afraid to move a few goats around in order to achieve their dream, neither! (The original brewery site was a small goat shed on a farm northeast of Boulder). Five years later they moved their one-barrel brewing system to their current facility in Boulder, where they now have the capacity to produce 43,000 barrels of award-winning brew every year! And since 2004—their 25th anniversary—they've been hosting their "Goatshed Revival" which celebrates the first party held at their original brewing location back in 1979. In 1990, the publicly traded Boulder Brewing Company went private when purchased by Gina Day and Diane Greenlee, who renamed it the Boulder Beer Company (there's just something cool about the use of the term "Beer Company", don't you agree?) These two local women, along with their newly hired Brewmaster, David Zuckerman, decided to upgrade the entire brewery. Among other things, this included expanding their small tasting room into a full service restaurant and pub. Since 1992 this microbrewery has received more than 40 awards and citations for excellence in brewing, packaging and business. In 1993, the brewery acknowledged the regional influence of its brands by officially changing the company name to Rockies Brewing Company, but in spring in 2005 they returned to their roots by officially changing their name back to Boulder Beer Company. For more information about the brewery and scheduled tours, call (303) 444-8448 or check out their web site at www.boulderbeer.com.