Lee Williams - Beer Lovers Colorado

Lee Williams grew up in Bristol, England, and now resides in Denver, Colorado. In 2009 he created Hoptopia, a website, iPhone, and Android app featuring his colorful and in-depth beer reviews. Between summer 2009 and summer 2012, Hoptopia became one of the most popular beer-related sites and beer social-media brands online. (Note: Hoptopia is currently offline and is being revamped into a new project.) Lee has written for numerous beer blogs and beer festivals and sponsored one of the most popular badges (earned by tasting and checking in a wide selection of IPAs) on beer social network Untappd. Before moving to Colorado, he spent nearly a decade exploring the rich beer culture of the mid-Atlantic region. Lee lives with his longtime, beer-loving girlfriend, Stevie Caldarola.

F irst of all I want to say thank you to you for choosing to purchase this book. It has been an epic labor of love and to know that even a few of you will be using it to better explore the incredible beer culture in Colorado is humbling and uplifting. I hope you enjoy your beer travels around this, one of the most magnificent and beautiful places on Earth.

This challenging book would not have been possible without the infinite patience, assistance, and unending help of my designated driver, best friend and girlfriend, Stevie Caldarola. Stevie also shot many of the beautiful and insightful photographs that grace the pages of Beer Lovers Colorado. This book is unquestionably dedicated as much to Stevie as it is to the all of the creative and talented breweries that make beer in Colorado. So join me in raising a glass of good Colorado beer to Stevie, for without her you might not be drinking said beer.

Another person that this book definitely wouldnt exist without is my friend and fellow good-beer champion, Sean Buchan. Sean is responsible for some of the trusted designated driving during my research, and also for much of the stunning photography found within.

Other people who took time out of their busy lives to help me tell this story of modern beer culture in Colorado are Amanda Johnson at Odell Brewing Company; Jason Yester at TRiNiTY Brewing Company; Chad Yakobson at Crooked Stave Brewing Company; Andy Parker and Joe Osborne at Avery Brewing Company; Jeff and Allison Crabtree at Crabtree Brewing Company; Steve Jones at Pateros Creek Brewing Company; Lisa Zimmer at Tenth and Blake Beer Company; Jeff Cornell at AC Golden Brewing Company; Alex Violette at Upslope Brewing Company; Todd and Terry Usry and Todd Thibault at Breckenridge Brewery; Ro Guenzel, Josh Goldberg, and Emily Armstrong at Left Hand Brewing Company; Justin Lloyd at Star Bar Denver; Kevin Burke at Colt & Gray; Tony Simmons at Pagosa Brewing Company; Hanna Laney at Great Divide Brewing Company; Jeremy Gobien and Kristen Kozik at Copper Kettle Brewing Company; Anthony Paranino at Anheuser-Busch; Evan Benn at STLToday.com; Adam Nason at BeerPulse.com; Tess McFadden at Boulder Beer Company; Bryce Clark at Hatch; Jonathan Shikes at Westword; Jason Forgy at Freshcraft; Brittany Dern at Oskar Blues Brewery; Chris Black at Falling Rock Tap House; Charlie Berger and Patrick Crawford at Denver Beer Co.; Kristopher Oyler at Steamworks Brewing Company; Gordon Schuck, Brad Lincoln, Andy Mitchell, and Jean Parker-Ruiz at Funkwerks; Scott Witsoe at Wits End Brewing Company; Scott Blauweiss at Mr. Bs Wine & Spirits; Shannon Westcott at Equinox Brewing Company; Leah Watson and Drew Watson at Hops & Pie; Austin Weatherford at BierWerks Brewery; Chris Wright at Pikes Peak Brewing Co.; Lacey Barron at Lone Tree Brewing Company; John McClure at Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery; Duncan Clauss at Aspen Brewing Company; Brian England at Eddyline Restaurant and Brewery; Bryan Simpson at New Belgium Brewing Company; Dave Welz at Ska Brewing Company; Kimberlee Ruben at Fort Collins Brewery; Aaron Heaton at Grimm Brothers Brewhouse; and countless other people. Thank you!

Amber Ale, Crazy Mountain Brewing Company, American Amber Ale, 148

Barley Wine, Estes Park Brewery, American Barleywine, 108

Barrel Aged Yeti, Great Divide Brewing Company, Whiskey Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout, 15

Bear-Ass Brown, Silverton Brewing Company, English Brown Ale, 164

Beaver Stubble Stout, Big Beaver Brewing Company, Foreign Extra Stout, 105

Berliner Weisse Ale, Crabtree Brewing Company, Berliner Weisse, 107

Blighs Barleywine Ale, Dry Dock Brewing Company, English Barleywine, 48

Blue Moon Belgian White Ale, Blue Moon Brewing Company at the Sandlot, Witbier, 4

Bridal Veil Rye Pale Ale, Telluride Brewing Company, Rye Beer, 167

Butt Head Bock Lager, Tommyknocker Brewery, Bock, 116

Centurion Barleywine, Golden City Brewery, American Barleywine, 51

Cherry Kriek, Strange Brewing Company, Fruit Lambic, 19

Coors Banquet, Coors Brewing Company (MillerCoors), American Adjunct Lager, 46

Deviant Dales, Oskar Blues Brewery, American IPA, 114

Docs American Porter, Crystal Springs Brewing Company, American Porter, 67

Dont Call Me Wit, Black Fox Brewing Company, Witbier, 126

Double Chocolate, Fort Collins Brewery, American Double Stout, 90

Durango Blueberry Wheat Ale, Durango Brewing Co., Fruit Beer, 161

Eclipse Brown, Equinox Brewing Company, American Brown Ale, 87

ESB Special Ale, Ska Brewing Company, ESB, 165

Foreign Style Stout, Upslope Brewing Company, Foreign Extra Stout, 72

Friek, Odell Brewing Company, Fruit Lambic, 96

Ghost Face Killah, Twisted Pine Brewing Company, Chili Beer, 69

Graham Cracker Porter, Denver Beer Co., American Porter, 13

Greenade Organic Double IPA, Asher Brewing Company, Double IPA, 61

The Griffin, Grimm Brothers Brewhouse, Hefeweizen, 109

Hypothesis, River North Brewery, American Double IPA, 18

Independence Pass IPA, Aspen Brewing Company, American IPA, 145

Key Lime Cheesecake, Rocky Mountain Brewery, Fruit Beer, 129

Killer Penguin, Boulder Beer Company, American Barleywine, 66

Kitchen Sink Porter, Wits End Brewing Company, American Porter, 21

La Folie, New Belgium Brewing Company, Flanders Red Ale, 94

Lao Wang Lager, CAUTION: Brewery Company, Happoshu, 8

Latzenbier, BierWerks Brewery, Latzenbier, 125

Maana, Del Norte Brewing Company, American Amber Lager, 11

Mexican Chocolate Stout, Copper Kettle Brewing Company, American Stout, 9

Michelob AmberBock, Anheuser-Busch, Fort Collins, Bock, 83

Old Jubilation Ale, Avery Brewing Company, Old Ale, 64

Olde Town Brown, Arvada Beer Company, American Brown Ale, 45

Peche Belgian-Style Ale Aged in Oak Wine Barrels with Peaches Added, AC Golden Brewing Company (MillerCoors), American Wild Ale, 43

Puddle Jumper Pale Ale, Lone Tree Brewing Company, American Pale Ale, 53

Rye Porter, Revolution Brewing, Rye Beer, 162

Ryeteous Rye IPA, Renegade Brewing Company, Rye Beer, 16

Snowy River Vanilla Porter, Pateros Creek Brewing Company, American Porter, 98

Stranahans Breckenridge Well Built ESB, Breckenridge Brewery, ESB, 6

Stranger Blonde, Bonfire Brewing, American Blonde Ale, 146

Super Chicken, Grand Lake Brewing Company, American Barleywine, 150

Surette, Crooked Stave Brewing Company, Saison, 85

Tropic King, Funkwerks, Saison, 92

Vanilla Caramel Porter, Elk Mountain Brewing, American Porter, 50

Wake Up Dead Stout, Left Hand Brewing Company, Russian Imperial Stout, 112

Winter Warlock Oatmeal Stout, Bristol Brewing Company, Oatmeal Stout, 128