Located in an old fire station near I-70 and Quebec, the first brewery near Stapleton is now open. Station 26 serves up all kinds of beers in a friendly neighborhood setting.

Variety is key to this tiny brewery. As the brewer’s motto says, For You For All. Whatever type of beer fits your fancy, there is probably a pint at Station 26 that will suit you. Here is just a small sampling of what’s on tap.

Belgian-American Pale Ale: This classic American pale ale is fermented with Belgian yeast for a friendly combination between to great beer-brewing countries. The color is a cloudy golden and smells earthy, tree-like. The taste is citrus with a botanical hop finish. The beer is 5.5% ABV, has 40 IBUs and is rated 7 SRM.

Cherrywood-smoked Golden: This unique brew has all kinds of stuff going on. A very dark amber color, the beer smells like a campfire and also has an earthy, almost salty taste. This beer is 5.4% ABV, has 31 IBUs and is rated 10 SRM.

Brown: With an ample ABV of 6.1%, this beer has a gorgeous dark brown color, a 31 on the SRM scale, and smells both chocolaty and nutty with a hint of smoke. The beer tastes like melted chocolate, which made us quite happy. 

Double IPA: This beer packs a 90 IBU punch and is very floral in both scent and taste. It also has a dark amber color, much like earl grey tea, which puts it at 8 SRM. The beer has a light, tealeaf finish and makes a great sipping beer. The 10.1% ABV content also means this beer is for sipping, not tipping.

DrinkDenver learned something new at Station 26 as well. The Standard Reference Method (SRM) is a scale that classifies beer by color. Color is measured by the “attenuation” of light that passes through the beer. Although adopted in 1950 by the American Society of Brewing Chemists, we’ve not seen this scale until perusing the menu at Station 26. All beers are given a rating from 2 to 80. Pale ales are in the 2-4 range, ambers in the 6-15 range, browns are 18-30 and stouts are over 40.

Cool features include not one, but three fireman poles from the second floor, although they have been sealed off to prevent use, bummer. There is also a large front patio and guests are welcome to bring their own food. Games and puzzles are available making this brewery family friendly. Off-street parking is available next to the building, however, we found a lot of bikes and baby stroller parked on the patio. No need to drive for the neighbors.

Station 26 is located at 7045 E. 38th Ave. in the north Park Hill area and just a stone’s throw from Stapleton. The brewery is open Tuesday through Thursday from 2 to 9 PM, Friday and Saturday 2 to 10 PM and Sunday from noon to 9 PM.