Final Denver Thoughts

I missed this--last week, Charlie Papazian took exception to a NY Times piece: "In the story it speculates reasons why people aren’t partying up to expectations. Beer is never once mentioned."

Gee, I wonder why? Papazian inadvertently supplies the reason no one was talking about beer:

If Democratic National Convention attendees really wanted to socialize and celebrate responsibly, they should come back to see what celebrating good things can be like - the 27th Annual Great American Beer Festival, October 9-11.

Denver turns into Beer City for one magnificent week of celebrating the good things about beer with fun, social gatherings, food, more beer, celebrity beer tastings and much more beer. Besides all the offsite celebrating there’s the actual 3-day event taking place at the Colorado Convention Center.

The point I was trying to make during my visit there--and yes, I did a crappy job of exploration, and yes, I failed to visit even one brewpub--is just this: if you're the so-called "Napa of Beer," shouldn't it be Beer City for more than just one week? Hmmm....

What's Brewing for the DNC

I got to see an old friend at the Brewers Fest--David Zuckerman from Boulder Beer (long, long ago, he got his start in Portland at BridgePort). As it happens, I'll be blogging from the Democratic National Convention next month, and I have been anticipating the prospect of trying out a few beers. David mentioned that Denver's pub culture isn't very good, but did offer to show me around his brewery if I got the chance. I doubt I'll be able to resolve finally that Denver is Portland's inferior--not enough time for pub-hopping. But I do want to make a few inroads.

Per Charlie Papazian, it looks like Denver is getting ready for us:

While both Barrack Obama and John McCain jockey for positions just right and left of center, there’s nothing centrist about the beers being brewed up in Denver for conventioneers. Denver area brewers have been planning and preparing for the onslaught of thirsty beer drinkers seeking diversity, character, complexity and a flavor they can savor.

But are they really ready for the Oregon delegation? Early signs are not particularly hopeful.

• Great Divide is making "liberally hopped American pale ale." I suspect, however, that the liberal in the title refers to the blue hue of the drinkers, not the actual octane of the brew (Great Divide's a good brewery, but no hop haven).
• Wynkoop has a maibock called, stylishly, the Obamanator. But with the "-ator" suffix, shouldn't this be a doppel? Maybe they don't know better in Denver.
• Rock Bottom has a very pale beer called "Political ale" about which no more is reported. (I observe parenthetically that it should have been called Politic Ale, though. Duh.)
• Avery is making "Ale to the Chief"--again, a pun with no details.
  

Charlie concludes by citing Denver as the Napa of beer, a label that recently chafed folks on the Brew Crew listserv. Said one commenter: "Yeah, but we're the Portland of Beer." True that. And when we hit the Mile High city, we will bring our extremely sophisticated palates. I hope they've put as much thought into the beers as they have into the beers' names.

More to come--

[Note: I slightly expanded this post, realizing that the bit at the start about David Zuckerman omitted the reason I brought him up in the first place.]

[Update 2: See below. Heh.]