Sometimes you just gotta get out of town for a weekend. It just helps if where you go also has some darned good craft beer.

So three of us in the Crew — Stoutmeister, Andrew, Luke — headed north to Colorado, taking a new route for all of us (at least in several years, or in my case, four decades plus, which was of course long before I could drink).

Here is a quick little recap of places anyone in New Mexico can drive to in a day, as we trekked from Alamosa to Poncha Springs to Buena Vista to Leadville to Golden to Boulder to Estes Park over the course of two days.

Or, as Andrew summed up quickly when he had time before going back to work:

“It was a strong trip for porters which I typically don’t get excited about being that my favorites (as far as beers consumed at their respective brewery) were a tie between Elevation’s Little Mocha and Avery’s Dark Whimsy – both porters. Other highlights include a flight of 3 great westies at Cannonball, just visiting Avery, and discovering the dope beer bar, The Barrel.

“It was also just cool to drive by and gawk at the Coors behemoth. And everywhere we visited had really good, friendly service. The Hive was a different vibe (almost like a club) than what I am used to, but had good service and the best food. Every other brewery had the familiar comfortable vibe I look for at a brewery.”

Let’s break it down, place by place.

San Luis Valley Brewing, Alamosa

We timed our first visit better than we usually do, showing up before most other customers for lunch. SLV is smack dab in the middle of town, and had the feel of a good business hub for the small Main Street district.

The interior has a definite throwback feel to an Old West saloon. The brewery is tucked behind glass windows behind the bar.

Our first and foremost thoughts were with lunch, so we all perused the extensive menu. Luke and I settled on the Chicken Cordon Bleu Sandwich. It was massive, perfectly cooked and seasoned, and worth the visit all by itself.

As for the beer, well, the food was good. My stout was too light in flavor and mouthfeel, the others were not impressed by their beers, and overall we would just say this an eatery stop as you head through its valley namesake to the mountains beyond.

Elevation Brewing, Poncha Springs

This was Luke’s favorite spot on our trip, so I will let him have the word here. Actually, he had lots of words to share on the trip as a whole, but I’ll be darned if he doesn’t hit the nail on the head about Elevation in particular:

On our way to crossing another National Park off our bucket list, we took the scenic route to Estes Park, passing through Alamosa, and stopping in some really pretty (and really small) mountain towns, so small that goats and sheep factor into the total population, to keep them just above a village. But, I kid.

For me, the first leg of the trip was about relaxing, breathing in the fresh mountain air (even though I’m from Santa Fe and we get some of that stuff from time to time), and taking a lady’s advice — not thinking about work. It was also, of course, first and foremost about the beer.

Most top three picks for absolutely must-visit brewery destinations in the area were Elevation Beer Co. in Poncha Springs, Cannonball Creek in a 7-11 parking lot in Golden, and of course Avery, in Boulder.

I won’t wax poetical about my first time to Avery, because if you know, you know. It is 100-percent worthy of the pilgrimage. I wouldn’t be able to Tweak your opinion either way.

Cannonball Creek — I was very much fan-girling over the most. From all of their exciting GABF and World Beer Cup wins, I was excited to try everything they made, including their recent award-winning and comically named Session IPA, Trump Hands. Great beer! Best session I’ve had. Ever. I only wished it was a little more orange on the Lovibond scale. But, thank you Cannonball Creek, the hype is real. Beautiful taproom, and the friendliest of service.

But, where do I begin to describe Elevation Beer Company? I vaguely remember someone once saying the name, and I couldn’t remember if it was in reference to La Cumbre’s Elevated IPA and a potential cease and desist, or whether they were raving about it. It could be both, but I had absolutely zero expectations as I got out of the car and stretched my legs, especially when entering the brewery and 90 percent of the crowd was blonde, ponytailed Patagonia magazine models in Teva sandals. Not a black T-shirt in sight.

But, wow, what an incredible place!

Just a stone’s throw from Salida, Elevation is set in the town of Poncha Springs, surrounded by mountaintops worthy of Colorado license plates and Coors cans. They have a small taproom, a nice patio, and an enclosed tent for those chillier months. The views were epic, but the beers were the star.

I was floored with my flight. Every beer was perfectly brewed, with perfect mouthfeel, perfect head-retention, zero off-flavors, all true to style, or true to style with their own twist of hop choice or adjunct.

Each beer, no matter the style, was as good as the next.

I tried everything from a Czech/German lager and a maibock, to a raspberry-fruited imperial saison, an IPA, a hazy IPA, a Belgian quad, and barrel-aged stout. I can easily say, that whatever you’re looking for, you can order with confidence, and you’ll be more than just pleased, you’ll be wowed.

Eddyline Brewing, Buena Vista

Yeah, we have all seen Crank Yanker IPA in cans over the years, maybe even had one here or there over the years (though it has been quite a few years in my case). This brewery actually started down in Socorro before moving hundreds of miles to this cozy Rocky Mountain town.

We grabbed a table on the patio and settled in with some flights and pints. I started with Boater Beer, a lighter pilsner, followed by River Runners Pale Ale, the aforementioned Crank Yanker, and Jolly Roger Black Lager. They also had four packs of Jolly Roger for just $10, so we had to grab those, and they were arguably our favorites on the menu.

Otherwise, it was a fairly standard lineup. We enjoyed the ambiance, the staff was great, and if we had not already eaten, the food menu was quite tempting.

Two Mile Brewing, Leadville

Our stop for the night also included food at the wonderful High Mountain Pies, which deserved a shout-out on their own with some truly great pizza. Anyway, Leadville is a very walkable town, and we went quickly from our AirBnB to dinner to the lone brewery in town just down the street.

Two Mile is set up inside a former gas station building. They have a beer-only menu with a good mix of styles. I started with Poverty Flats Porter, which was fairly light compared to most porters, and finished with the Perpetual Mud Season, a delightful doppelbock.

Cannonball Creek Brewing, Golden

Our first beer stop on the second day of our trip was just up the road from the concrete monolith known as Coors that dominates the town of Golden. Cannonball Creek has been a staple of awards ceremonies over the last decade plus, and while we have had their beers at the Great American Beer Festival, this was our first chance to drink their beers fresh from the taps.

Oh, and they were good. They were real good.

I started with a flight that included Dad Squad, a German-style pilsner that quenched the soul. The multi-award-winning Trump Hands, a session IPA, was next. It was floral and sweet and had some pop for a session. Strat Boy was a hoppy pilsner heavy on the Strata hops. I grabbed the current edition of the Cannonball Project Alpha, #84, which is basically their version of Project Dank. Brickyard Porter was the lone dark beer on tap, and it rated a tick above Two Mile’s porter.

In the end, I went back to Dad Squad for my full pour. I could not go big at Cannonball. Not with what was up next.

Avery Brewing, Boulder

This was Luke and Andrew’s first in-person visit to the Valhalla that is Avery, the brewery of breweries in Boulder. For me, it was like going to a home away from home again after far too long.

We found our seats in the downstairs bar (upstairs was not open due to staffing) and began running through many of the draft-only beers.

I had to start with a pour of 2016 Samaels Oak-Aged Ale, which yes, actually held up after a decade. Have we mentioned that Avery is the master of barrel-aged, malt-forward beers?

Three Paycheck Month was a powerful BA imperial stout. If they ever bottle this one, I will find a way to bring it home.

But, I did bring home the new edition of Tweak that graced the taps and was available in bottles. This BA imperial coffee stout has long been a Crew favorite. Having it back in circulation is both a blessing and … no, actually it’s just a blessing. Thank you, Avery.

Oh, and you can still take the self-guided tour of the brewery from the walkways on the second level. The boys enjoyed seeing that.

Avant Garde Aleworks, Estes Park

As it lies just outside the main tourist district, we made Avant Garde our first stop for a quick pint before heading to our next AirBnB. Set in what could be described as an industrial district, it has a classic small brewery flair, with a cozy patio and a food truck parked outside.

The beers were on the lower ABV side, and there is nothing wrong with that. I picked out a hoppy kolsch that was their Pink Boots Society brew this year. It fit nicely with the patio vibe.

We probably should have gone back to try another beer or two the next day, but the two hikers got caught up in traffic in Rocky Mountain National Park. Perhaps next time.

Rock Cut Brewing, Estes Park

Our next stop was the walkable Rock Cut, at the southern terminus of Riverside Drive. It’s a small spot, but with an extensive lineup of quality brews.

Since we were on foot, it felt like another flight was in order. I went with Durga (pilsner), Enos Pils, Altruism (altbier), Empire Strikes Bitter (ESB, duh), and Tyndall Porter. The cleverly named ESB stood out and earned the promotion to full pint. The porter and two pilsners were also worthy, but we had one more stop to make.

The Hive at Estes Park Brewery

Just to the west of Rock Cut is Estes Park Brewery and its expansive upstairs restaurant, The Hive. And yeah, we were hungry.

I went big with their bourbon-sauced and seasoned airline chicken, Alpine Redbird. It was outstanding.

As for the beer, well, kinda like San Luis Valley, it falls short of the food. The Samson Stout was a fairly mild dark ale, but it went with that bourbon sauce, and it was quite enough for one day and night.

And, if you are not hungry, there is a downstairs area where you can just try some beer. Who knows, maybe there was an all-star on tap that I missed.

Lumpy Ridge Brewing, Estes Park

Our second and final day in Estes Park finally saw us walk to the actual closest brewery to where we stay, Lumpy Ridge. Well, technically this was the offsite taproom, as the brewery is way over by Avant Garde. Why drive when you can walk, right?

The patio was comfortable and relatively quiet (save for one spunky toddler who belonged to a family that probably needs another vacation), a block off the main drive through town.

I picked out a maibock that was light in appearance and flavor. It was a fine beer to wind down the afternoon, but I wanted more. The lineup, though, lacked both darker beers and anything with a more robust outlook.

The Barrel, Estes Park

We actually made two visits to this craft beer bar, located on Moraine Avenue just south of the main commercial district. Our first was a last-call quickie, the second was a more extensive run down the menu of quality craft beers from around the country.

The place has a large interior, large enough for a wedding party to, well, party away from the rest of us. There was also a big patio outside with a fire pit and a food truck.

Two bartenders managed everything perfectly, and their beer knowledge was fairly obvious. They were happy to advise and break our mental ties on which beer to order next.

My run through the lineup included Allagash’s BRU Pils, The Alchemist’s Heady Topper, Avery’s Thirty (strong ale), Left Hand’s Wake Up Dead (imperial stout), and Crooked Stave’s Ghost World (BA imperial stout). Lordy, that Ghost World was something else. Really, though, all of ’em great, and there were still more beers on the menu that we did not get to because we did not want to crawl back to where we were staying.

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That wraps up our trip. We promise, the next brewery road trip will be right here in New Mexico. We have quite a few places to catch up with in state, and with things so quiet news wise in the Albuquerque metro area these days, there is no time like the near future to put some more miles on our vehicles (gas prices be damned, we suppose).

Keep supporting local in whichever state you visit!

— Stoutmeister