No doubt, Stapleton has grown increasingly popular. Though new houses, shops and outdoor recreation appear to proliferate in the area, a source for really good beer has been missing for what seems like forever. But fear not, a new watering hole by the name of Stapleton Tap House recently opened at the Northfield outdoor mall to meet the needs of Denver’s thirsty east-sideres. DrinkDenver recently headed over there to check it out, and what we found was quite promising.
Michael Kearns is owner, founder and manager of this little tappy, which is tucked away near the Harkins Movie Theater, right between Marco’s Pizza and Jake ‘N’ Nick’s BBQ. On his 30 taps you will find some of Colorado’s most sought after and hard-to-come-by brews. But you won’t find New Belgium or Avery.
“I have things you can’t get in a liquor store,” says Kearns, explaining how he strives to put the most unusual and limited release beers from breweries located all over the state on his lines.
The idea for the Tap House started when Kearns, a home brewer, was pipe-dreaming about opening his own brewing concern. After visiting some his favorite small breweries in the Golden Triangle area he told his wife, “I wish there was a place where I lived that served all my favorite beers.” She responded, “There’s your business model.” And with that, a plan was hatched. In addition to championing the region's greatest beers, the finished product and its decor also celebrates the old Stapleton Airport, which once stood on the same turf.
To get an idea of the truly amazing beers that Kearns serves, we suggest you try the Menage a Quad by
Crazy Mountain Brewery in Edwards. This sour beauty is a blend of three Crazy Mountain beers, Wild Fermentation Wit, Kolsch and Old Soul Golden Strong. The brewers aged it in a tequila barrel, Then they added a “mystery barrel" of overlooked suds they found sitting in a corner. The brewers didn’t even remember what was in the cask, or when it was filled. The result is complex; citrusy yet sour with obvious hints of tequila.
Other taps worth pursuing at this time include Devil’s Riddle by
Grimm Brothers in Loveland. The beer is aged in third-use Buffalo Trace Bourbon barrels for 10 months. The Tent Pole Barrel-aged Whiskey Porter by
Bonfire Brewing in Eagle is a 60/40 blend of the brewery’s vanilla porter with a regular porter, then aged in Breckenridge Distillery Bourbon barrels.
Of course, beers will rotate regularly and some specialty beers will disappear quickly. So follow on Twitter or visit Kearns’ Flight Info blog to keep track. Stapleton Tap House does not have a kitchen, but there are a variety of restaurants around the mall that will happily to take your order. Along with pizza at Marco’s and BBQ at Jake ‘N’ Nick’s, guests can get sandwiches from Which Wich, Asian from Ling and Louie’s and our personal favorite, desserts from Tipsy Cupcakes. For those who require more immediate gratification, the Tap House offers snacks, like hot pretzels, popcorn, chips and beer cookies .
Whether you want to grab a quick beer before heading to the movies, or spend an evening working your way through the draft list while playing board games, or watching sports, Stapleton Tap House is the place to do it. (8286 E. Northfield Blvd., Unite 1525; 720-449-2337).
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Beer
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