A Colorado Brewery Tour
"In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is freedom, in water there is bacteria." Benjamin Franklin Lloyd describes Aspen as a place "where the beer flows like wine" in Dumb and Dumber . And, many people refer to Denver as the "Napa Valley of Beer." It makes you wonder what makes Colorado beer so darn delicious? Because, let's be honest, all beer is made with the four main ingredients: Hops, Malt (grain, wheat), Yeast, and 90% water! So what ingredient makes the big difference? That's right, you guessed it. It's in the waaaattterrrrr...that delicious, refreshing Rocky Mountain water is what makes Colorado the mecca for Brewers! The water source is so important, because the water determines the flavor of the wort (the liquid from the mash during the brewing process). The pH of the water determines the acidity or bitterness of the beer. Too many contaminants or chlorine will totally throw off the taste of the beer. So, yes, water is a ...