San Luis Valley Brewery, Colorado

[Bilbo Beergins]

San Luis Valley Brewing Co. just opened up in Alamosa, Colorado. I was out there 6 weeks ago, but didn't have the time to stop in due to hustling parts together for a windmill generator I was putting in my home out there.

Anyway, Alamosa is really a one-horse college town, and whoever is building this place has big bucks. I swear somebody's spending a million bucks or more putting it together. California money's moving in, and I anticipate an influx of software millionaires and taxes so high the townsfolk can't afford to live there anymore.

http://www.chieftain.com/business/1141382338/5

Although the Grabers and Friedmans are the prima facae owners, the backers are not new at the brew, so to speak.

My best guess is Wasatch Mountain Brewery. Any other best guesses?

[chazwicke]

Just how many breweries does Colo. have now? How many can they sustain? (I'm jealous:D )

[imperial]

that's great news...for part of our vacation this year, we're planning to drive from NM up through CO, and one of our stops is going to be Alamosa, visiting Great Sand Dunes Natl. Park. I was hoping to find a good brewpub in the area. thanks for posting.

[fretlessman71]

Where else you headed in CO? I can recommend a number of great stops if you wish. :)

[denver brewhoo]

Originally posted by chazwicke
Just how many breweries does Colo. have now? How many can they sustain? (I'm jealous:D )

It really is incredible....same or fewer electoral votes as Virginia--so population is roughly the same or smaller, but, I mean, Alamosa is about as big as Culpeper, I think, and these guys will probably make a go of it. Ditto the guy who posts here who opened in Canon City. There's like 3 breweries in Durango, which ain't a big town at all....If Boulder/Boulder Co = Charlottesville/Albemarle Co, holy makerel, you've got Avery, the Boulder Beer conglomeration, Left Hand/Tabernash, Oskar Blues, a half dozen brewpubs.....

[Bilbo Beergins]

Imperial, there's a liquor store at the east end of Alamosa at the dog leg that has some great craft beer, some from Colorado and some from as far away as Oregon. My youngest bought a six pack of Oatmeal Stout from somebody or other that was very tasty. Make sure you take water and wear a hat on those dunes, too.

One thing about Alamosa. It's all about the rice and beans...

[Seymour]

Originally posted by denver brewhoo
It really is incredible....same or fewer electoral votes as Virginia--so population is roughly the same or smaller, but, I mean, Alamosa is about as big as Culpeper, I think, and these guys will probably make a go of it. Ditto the guy who posts here who opened in Canon City. There's like 3 breweries in Durango, which ain't a big town at all....If Boulder/Boulder Co = Charlottesville/Albemarle Co, holy makerel, you've got Avery, the Boulder Beer conglomeration, Left Hand/Tabernash, Oskar Blues, a half dozen brewpubs.....

The Steamworks Steam Engine Lager is not to be missed. I was glad to see this Durango brewery surviving and thriving. Dillon bottles, too. Good stuff. Colorado's getting to where you can't swing a dead cat without hitting a brewery or brewpub (which is a good thing).

[fretlessman71]

Fort Collins has about 150,000 people, three microbreweries, one "chain?" microbrewery (Big Horn Brewing, also known as Ram International, who makes some pretty darned good beer too!), and one brewpub.

Oh yeah, and the A-B plant out by the freeway. How'd I forget them? ;)

How does this compare with a Virginian college town of equal size? Curious...

[Bilbo Beergins]

I think the 3.2% laws in God's country might encourage brewpubbery. Works for me.

[fretlessman71]

No, no - COLORADO is God's Country. Just look at all those 14ers - what better way to get closer to God than those? :)

[Bilbo Beergins]

'zactly...You didn't think I meant anywhere else, didja?

[denver brewhoo]

Originally posted by fretlessman71
Fort Collins has about 150,000 people, three microbreweries, one "chain?" microbrewery (Big Horn Brewing, also known as Ram International, who makes some pretty darned good beer too!), and one brewpub.

Oh yeah, and the A-B plant out by the freeway. How'd I forget them? ;)

How does this compare with a Virginian college town of equal size? Curious...

I think of CSU as equivalent to Virginia Tech and CU as equivalent to U. Va. But Va. Tech is in tiny Blacksburg. But even if you include Roanoke, Christiansburg, and Blacksburg as one entity---you got IIRC ZERO microbreweries, ZERO brewpubs and maybe a couple passable "beer bars". I will say that the extraordinarily good New River Pale Ale was contract brewed (at Old Dominion) for a Va Tech alum (I think) and Blacksburg native who but for a tragic and untimely death may have brought a real micro to the area.

Charlottesville, closer in size to Fort Fun, has two good brewpubs in South Street and Starr Hill; I believe Starr Hill may be making a move out to Crozet in the old Wonder Bread/Mortons factory for greater capacity. Even so, it pales in comparison to Ft. Collins, even if you leave out New Belgium....I mean it pales in comparison to Durango!

I still think Va is underserved and ready to explode as a beer producer.

[fretlessman71]

Originally posted by Bilbo Beergins
'zactly...You didn't think I meant anywhere else, didja? I figured that you might have been talking about Utah, of which Durango is so close, and might be able to entice a few beer lovers from the Beehive State. But those 3.2 laws only really mean anything on Sunday... and since I attend church in Cheyenne, with no blue laws, I can get what I need there if the occasion presents itself. Plus, every year the legislature in Denver gets closer and closer to changing the blue laws here. Keep your fingers crossed!

[imperial]

Originally posted by fretlessman71
Where else you headed in CO? I can recommend a number of great stops if you wish. :)

Was away for the weekend, and just saw your post. After Alamosa, we're driving west to Durango, then making our way north to Grand Junction, and ending up in Denver. Planning to spend about 5 days driving, checking out the state. I haven't mapped out our whole itinerary yet, but the plan is to hit at least one brewpub each night we're there. Right now the only beer related 'must-see' on our list is New Belgium. Any suggestions are appreciated.