Boulder's 'beer playground'

On the never-ending quest to find good beer, a journey to North Boulder’s Upslope Brewing Co. provides a good alternative to whatever that stale, red-cupped liquid is, seemingly served to students at every college outing.

After a decade of dreaming, Matt Cutter and head brewer Danny Pages founded the relatively new Upslope Brewery in September 2008.

Their tiny but inviting tasting room has a couple of bar stools and tables, just enough to attract locals, tourists and beer lovers in general.

The wide array of people serves for a medley of conversation, and the laid- back atmosphere develops closeness and a unique sense of community.

According to their website, the goal of the Upslope Brewing Co. is to expand while also engaging in Colorado’s active lifestyle by offering ales to the “on-the-go beer enthusiast.” The brewery wants to provide a beer that could be taken along on a camping trip, a mountain bike ride or an afternoon hike.

“We want to be North Boulder’s brewery for the outdoor enthusiast,” Upslope employee Chad Pieper said. “I consider myself a beer geek, and compared to other beers, we make approachable ales that are a good alternative to something that is overloaded with hops.”

The brewery staffs 11 full-time employees. To give an idea of how small the brewery is, Pieper offered the perspective that the Coor’s Brewing Co. spills more beer in a month than the Upslope brewery will produce in an entire year.

For brewer Alex Violette, this small community is what he likes about Upslope the most.

“I enjoy how open this place is and how all of the employees are involved in every part of the beer making process,” Violette said. “Our size gives us the ability to experiment with different recipes, which is exciting and only makes our product better. Upslope is really just a great beer playground.”

The Upslope Brewery Co. has two signature microbrews that are both canned and available in local liquor stores. One is the Pale Ale, which has a dry finish and is advertised as the more refreshing beer to bring on outdoor trips. The other is the India Pale Ale, which is darker, bolder and has a distinct, bitter taste.

The true gems are found among the six taps at the tasting room of the Upslope Brewery.

The German style beer, Munic Dunkel, is a dark lager that is malt forward but has a sweet finish. The brewery’s Belgian style Pale Ale won the bronze medal in the Pro Am Homebrew Competition in 2009 at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver. The rich American Brown Ale is an obvious standout, as the mixture of malts gives it a taste of roasted coffee with hints of chocolate.

In spirit of the holidays, the brewery will be offering a pumpkin beer next week, made up of seven different spices and 50 pounds of local organic pumpkins.

The brewery gives back to the community by teaming up with nonprofit charities and holds a fundraiser every month called “Pints for the People.” Every Wednesday of the month, $1 for every pint sold goes to charity. This month’s charity is Community Cycles.

Stop by with your I.D.’s on Nov. 6 for Upslope’s anniversary party where their new recipe for their Second Anniversary beer will debut. The party will feature live bands, mostly bluegrass, food and a raffle.

Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Ben Macaluso at [email protected].