Tivoli Brewing Company - Mountain Squeeze

This “juicy IPA” from Tivoli presents a slightly hazed bright orange-copper color with plenty of pale foam that laces the glass nicely. On the nose, a bright citrus character jumps out right away with a bold note of juicy mandarins with wisps of orange, along with tropical notes evoking pineapple and mango, a dash of peach that strengthens as we swirl it a bit, some melon-like tones, and even some hints of gooseberry. In the flavor department, the malt backbone comes through with some moderate caramelization and hints of toast, in support of those juicy hop notes which come through much as they did in the aroma, though with a bit more of a zesty, resinous, citric edge. Perceived bitterness is pretty firm despite the moderate 30 IBUs, thanks to the beer’s good attenuation, keeping this brew dry from the start to the lingering finish which hangs on with a dash of that quenching, bitter citrus zest. For pairings, the brewery recommends Hawaiian pork tenderloin, which is a great call. Lighter meats with a complementary fruity sauce will be excellent, as well as well-seasoned fish dishes with citrus, and spicy southeast Asian fare. Cheers!

The story of Tivoli runs way back into the history of Denver. It begins with John Good, a German immigrant and store owner who imported European brewing ingredients and worked with Rocky Mountain Brewery to produce a helles lager in 1859. Good eventually left the brewery partnership and founded a bank. In 1864, the building that would become Tivoli Brewing Company was built by another German immigrant named Moritz Sigi in Denver’s Auraria neighborhood. At this new brewhouse, he produced an ale/lager hybrid known as “Buck Beer”, similar to a bock. After his sudden death in 1874, the brewery came into the hands of Max Melsheimer, who took out a large loan from John Good’s bank in order to install new brewing equipment. Sadly for him, he was unable to repay the loan, and the building came into the hands of John Good, who found himself back in the brewing business. He named his brewery Tivoli after the Tivoli Gardens amusement park in Copenhagen, Denmark.

The brewery survived Prohibition by brewing legal, low-ABV beer, and then grew rapidly after Prohibition to become one of the largest breweries in the country. Unfortunately, after a devastating flood and then a labor strike, Tivoli closed in 1969. The historic Tivoli building would become home to retail shops, a movie theater, and the Student Union for the Auraria campus, which serves multiple Denver area colleges.

In 2012, the Tivoli brand was acquired by Corey Marshall and his wife Debbie, who were dedicated to reviving the brand and the old German recipes. In 2015, Tivoli officially reopened, located in the original historic Tivoli building. Today, they offer eight year-round and five seasonal brews, ranging from John Good’s original historic Helles Lager to modern IPA interpretations. Additionally, they offer the Tivoli Taproom, featuring 52 taps alongside Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar, and a second location called Tom’s Urban at the Westin at Denver International Airport. For more info, call 720-458-5885 or visit tivolibrewingco.com.