Over the Moon for Blue Moon
The Babes decided to take a break from Boulder and visit the Blue Moon Brewery in Denver! It's crazy that it took us this long to visit a brewery with one of the most famous beers in the US that is only 5 minutes away from Stephanie's new place in Denver. Plus, Blue Moon has such a unique history in Denver. The original location was The Sandlot at Coors Field. Yes, you heard me, the baseball stadium! How cool is that? Enjoying a beer at a baseball game has a whole new meaning at that point. Needless to say, there is no doubt we will be back. Before Alisa bought out the gift shop, we treated ourselves to TWO flights of beer. Usually we get one and share because someone has to drive home, but since we were so close we thought "well, when in Rome." However, the extra flight may have made Alisa miss her bus back to Boulder, but TOTALLY worth it. We lucked out with our server Kimchi who has been working at the brewery since it opened. It was nice to have a Blue Moon veteran take care of us and recommend some awesome brews. This has been by far one of our favorite stops on our brewery tour, we will be back Blue Moon.
“A beer this good only comes around once in a blue moon."
Blue Moon Belgian White
We couldn't leave without drinking the classic Belgian White with an orange on the rim. It rounded out our brewery trip perfectly as we took them on our self-guided tour of the brewery. The brewery's RiNo location brews almost all the beers, except this one. When Molson Coors bought out Blue Moon, the flagship Belgian White began brewing at the Coors Brewery in Golden, Colorado. It would be cool if the main beer was moved back to the main RiNo location (just to have it brewed in the actual brewery). We had so much fun at this brewery and love getting out of Boulder. I mean how can you not when the wonderful world of craft beer is right at ur fingertips in Colorado.
Brew Babes Featured Beers
Moon Haze: 6.5% ABV
This hazy IPA is a Blue Moon and Terrapin collaboration! What a fun name for a hazy beer! Definitely reminded us of a cloudy sky with a full moon. Stephanie got a forest smell and even though she is not as big as IPAs as Alisa, she thought this was SO smooth, with a hoppier taste afterwards (not overly bitter). We always love an IPA that Stephanie loves!
Tangerillo Juicy IPA: 6.1% ABV
Tangerillo Juicy is for sure juicy. Definite IPA qualities of bitterness and hops, but also a burst of different flavors that you wouldn’t typically expect in your IPA. This IPA felt very tropical and citrusy, and we loved that surprise. I feel like this would be a great beer to drink on the beach or at the pool on a hot summer day as it is refreshing and fun.
Iced Coffee Blonde: 5.4% ABV
We had to try this one! We were really interested in the Iced Coffee Blonde because all the other “coffee beers” we have had have been Stouts and Porters, but this was a Blonde Ale and we were excited! After tasting it we knew, yeah this is a blonde...not by the way she looks but by the way she tastes. Anyway, A GREAT FUN LIGHT BEER! We got more of a coffee smell than taste, but loved it regardless. This is definitely a beer you can bring anywhere and people will enjoy it, beer drinker or not!
2018 Woodford Reserve Barrel Aged Chimp Cherry Imperial: 11% ABV
Kimchi suggested this one for us and of course, we agreed. And we are so happy we did because this is nothing like we have had before! It smells like the candy that you get from your grandma, BUT in a very good way where you keep sneaking into the candy jar. Having this beer with a nice warm dessert would be dream-worthy. The full title is “2018 Woodford Reserve Barrel Aged Chimp Cherry Imperial” and man, is this one for the books. An amazing cherry taste with delicious sweetness in the smell and taste. Kimchi told us that the longer in the barrel, the more smooth the taste, it has a lot to do with timing and we think this one was timed perfectly! If you are feeling adventurous in your Blue Moon trip give this one a try, you won’t regret it.
Orange Blossom Honey Kolsch: 5.5% ABV
Oh honey is this a good beer! This was by far Stephanie's favorite of the unique beers (couldn't quite beat the classic Belgian White). You can really smell AND taste the hint of honey. Blue Moon's orange slice would have complimented this beer perfectly. So when you visit, make sure you ask for one! Overall, the beer is super smooth with no harsh after taste, making it super easy to down multiple (;
Mango Wheat: 5.4% ABV
Alisa was so excited to see this one as she is already a fan of this beer. This past summer Alisa’s dad told her to try this beer and she searched high and low, but had no luck until running into it at a random liquor store down by the shore! So while Alisa has been in love with this beer for a few months, she made sure Stephanie tried it knowing it was right up her alley and she was right, Stephanie said she would buy this to drink after work! Mango Wheat has the perfect balance of flavors. The mango smell is delicious, but the mango flavor is not overpowering, it is just right. You get a light and airy beer that is on the sweeter side, but you can have more than two and not feel like you overdid it.
Cranberry Lavender Blonde: 6.1% ABV
Pair this beer with some essential oils and calming music because the lavender scent of this beer is just delightful. But don't let the scent of lavender scare you away. It is so light and airy with a healthy balance between the hints cranberry and lavender (which we would normally not put together, but it works!) You finish your sip off with a pleasant lavender after taste. This may just be the new relaxation drink after a stressful day.
Lemondrop Pilsner: 5.5% ABV
Honestly, Blue Moon doesn’t miss and at this point your Boulder Brew Babes were just amazed with the variety of beers we had tasted. When we got to the Lemon Drop Pilsner it was, “you have got to be kidding me…”. Alisa is a lemon drop martini lover, so she had to try a lemon drop beer. Refreshing, crisp, and an amazing lemon taste that does not make your face pucker. The crispness of this beer was incredible and that is what really made it stand out to us. We did not want to finish this one so we fully embraced it as Alisa missed her second bus. Whoops!
Want to visit Blue Moon?
Location: 3750 Chestnut Pl, Denver, CO 80216
Website: https://www.bluemoonbrewingcompany.com/en-US