Spend your birthday at Avery, you won't regret it
Updated: Nov 2, 2020
The Babes celebrated Stephanie's birthday last weekend at Avery Brewing! And boy did they take care of us. Our server, Kelsey, and the other bartenders took the time out of their packed brewery to make us feel like VIPs. We normally only order a handful of beers and split between the two of us because someone has to drive home. This time, after our normal order, Kelsey comes back with a full tray of beers.... 14 in total! Our mouths just dropped at the sight of our now beer-covered table. You could say 23 started off on the right foot.
Since we have a lot of beer to get through, we'll keep this Avery's intro short because let's face it, Avery needs no introduction. Avery has expanded seating into a large outdoor area with talks of opening seating up in the brew room. Regardless, there is plenty of room inside the brewery (following Covid-19 guidelines of course) to enjoy all your Avery favorites.
Brew Babes Featured Beers
Bug Zapper: 6% ABV
A sour ale with lime zest, ginger, and mint, Bug Zapper caught Alisa’s attention right away. Curious as to where they got the name, we think it is because of the refreshing smell and taste. A little fresh and sweet hibiscus taste draws you in. It reminded us of being in a tropical jungle- Bug Zapper is a venus flytrap and we were the buggies. Bug Zapper started out as an experiment and 75 different recipes were tried. We think Avery got it perfect.
Maharaja Imperial IPA:10% ABV
Hoppy hoppy hoppy. Instant smell of hops and a powerful instant hoppy taste. This is a staff favorite at Avery Kelsey told us, although it is a little much for her. Maharaja comes from the word mahat- “great” and rajan- “king”. This name fits it perfectly as this is the King of IPAs in Alisa’s eyes. Alisa had to let Stephanie try this even though she tends to stay away from the IPAs and she agreed it was the most intense IPA the Boulder Brew Babes have had. This King of IPAs is a must try at Avery and let us know what you think!
Hazyish IPA: 7% ABV
Another IPA and this one is for the books as it even stole the heart of Stephanie! We found a winner here at Avery and Alisa was so happy as she has been waiting for this moment. The color was a beautiful shade of a bright, but hazy yellow. It is “hazyish” because it is filtered New England Style, which also ties into why it is less bitter and hoppy. This brew did not taste like a typical IPA and was for sure on the lighter side, but still full of juicy flavor. The hops and bitters are undercover in this IPA due to the fact Avery doesn’t do as much bittering for the hops, but the owner likes to filter all beers. If you are not a huge IPA drinker, this is a great one to give a try!
Night Warden: 8.2% ABV
You know the Boulder Brew Babes love their stouts and as the weather gets colder, these are some of our favorites to try. The smoothness of this brew was unbelievable, but there is a little bite to it that makes it even more enjoyable. It was heavy to Stephanie, but not too heavy for Alisa. The notes of caramel and vanilla come right from the whiskey barrels this brew was aged in for three months!
I Remember My First Check-In: 4.5% ABV
Stephanie ordered this beer as a tribute to a friend who loves hatch green chiles. Yes, this sour ale is made with HATCH GREEN CHILES. It's a weird combo, beer and hatch chiles, but somehow Avery made it work. It actually smells and tastes like green chiles, making it a perfect light beer to enjoy over brunch (if you aren't a mimosa person). This brew does have a bit of spice but don't let that deter you from ordering it. Stephanie loves anything spicy so she was all in. Definitely one of her favorites!
Raspberry Sour: 6% ABV
Give us all the sours, all the time. Okay, maybe just give Stephanie the sours and Alisa will stick to her IPAs. Seriously though, the fresh raspberries that Avery uses to brew this sour blows all other sours out of the water. It is tart but doesn't make your face pucker.
The Kaiser Imperial Oktoberfest: 8% ABV
A good Oktoberfest to celebrate an October birthday! This hearty and malty brew is just the cherry on top of a fall evening by a fire pit. It is a tad heavier on the tongue with each sip, so don't take it as a jug and go kind of beer.
Dionysus: 11% ABV
Rosé all day baby! Avery partnered with Bookcliff Vineyards, a Boulder winery, to create this amazingly sparkly grape and grain rosé ale. Stephanie wished she could have flown to her rosé loving best friend Camille's house in California just to give her a sip. Yes, it's that good. This brew is perfectly named after Dionysus, the Greek God of fertility and wine (we are more focused on the wine aspect). It took us a couple tries to pronounce Dionysus and a couple more sips of beer to remember what we learned about the Greek Gods and Goddess back in middle school.
Quinntiki:16.2% ABV
We honestly ordered this one because of the fun name and it is brewed in rum barrels with pineapple, coconut, and oranges. Who doesn't want to enjoy a classic tiki cocktail in beer form? We got more of the rum spice taste and not so much of the fruity pineapple that you might expect. But don't get us wrong, there is absolutely nothing wrong with enjoying the rum.
Ales of Antiquity - Monticello: 8.5% ABV
The description of this one is a "wheat ale from the 18th century." Avery didn't just throw the "18th century" in there as a cutesy way of describing this beer. The Ales of Antiquity - Monticello recipe is actually from the 18th century! A CU Boulder history professor works with Avery and in short, researches beer (not a bad gig). Our server, Kelsey, told us this recipe came from Thomas Jefferson's slave! For an 18th century beer, they got it right.
Sweater Party: 8% ABV
As one of Avery's rotating seasonal beers, Sweater Party definitely gets you ready for the holidays. It reminded Stephanie of home when her mom simmers mulling spices on the stove during Thanksgiving and Christmas break. Have you ever experienced a beer that made you feel cozy? No? Well, try this one because it makes you feel right at home.
Coconut Bon-Bon Cerise: 14.6% ABV
Alisa's opinion of this beer is the best way to describe it: "I LOVE THIS ONE! CLOSE YOUR EYES AND TASTE THE EXPERIENCE. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!" Yes, she actually screamed that in the brewery. Plus, it came in a really fun glass that you can even buy in the gift shop. The ingredients themselves just scream dessert, tart cherries, cacao, vanilla beans, and coconut all mixed in bourbon barrels. It tasted like a chocolate covered cherry truffle covered in coconut. One of our favorites!
Black is Beautiful Stout:10% ABV
This beer is more than just a whiskey barrel-aged stout with a dash of lactose. The proceeds Avery receives from every Black is Beautiful order is donated to the Know Your Rights Camp. Learn more about the Know Your Rights Camp HERE
Irish Goodnight:16% ABV
Although Irish Goodnight was the last beer and our fun birthday celebration was coming to an end, we would never give Avery an Irish goodbye. This was our favorite stout we tried here, going into Alisa’s favorites. This is an Irish beer- from the taste, to the 16% ABV Irish Goodnight is not one to be messed with. This delicious Imperial Milk Stout is aged in fresh Irish whiskey barrels (the best of the best). We got lots of milk chocolate, oats, whiskey, and vanilla hints that came together to create a creamy taste we couldn’t resist.
Want to visit Avery Brewing?
Website: https://www.averybrewing.com/
Location: 4910 Nautilus Ct, Boulder, CO 80301