After a six-hour drive from Denver that climbs over two mountain passes and around Colorado’s largest reservoir is the small ski town of Telluride. For folks who crave white powder, that long drive is worth it to get to one of Colorado’s most majestic ski mountains filled with some of the state’s deepest powder. However, this town surrounded by the San Juan Mountains also brews up some wicked liquids that can make the journey even more appealing. One of those places is Telluride Brewing Company.

Denverites are familiar with Telluride Brewing’s beers. It’s hard to find a taproom in the Mile High City that doesn’t carry Face Down Brown, a beer of nutty deliciousness that has won Gold at the Great American Beer Festival not once, but twice. However, visitors who only know Face Down Brown will find that the brewery is an eclectic mix of hop forward beers that will expand your taste buds.

Like most good stories, Telluride Brewing began in 2011 with two friends who met in a bar, Chris Fish and Tommy Thacher. Along with Brian Gavin and John Lehman, the group set out to create Colorado’s best brewery. It took a whole year to get production up and running and they poured their first pint in 2012. It’s all been downhill ever since, which is a good thing because the folks at TBC love to ski. The brewery has undergone three expansions since opening and shows no sign of slowing down. The taproom and brewery are all in the same place so visitors drinking a pint can also watch the brewers working on the next batch and even asked them questions.

Besides Face Down Brown, other flagship beers include Bridal Veil Rye Pale Ale, which is hoppy and light with just a hint of clove. The beer is named for the waterfall you can see from downtown Telluride. It’s made with German rye and American hops and clocks in at 5.5% ABV. The Beaver Pond Blonde, which also has a slight hop taste, is made with rye malt and lemongrass, giving it a distinctive lemon-yellow color and flavor. The Tempter IPA is named after one of Telluride’s best backcountry ski runs. Considered a local favorite, the Tempter looks a bit dark for an IPA, but comes in at 6.7% ABV with a piney hop taste. The Wacked Out Wheat is a thicker brew with a citrus scent, milder taste, and 5.1% ABV.

Other beers you’ll find only in the brewery are the Russel Kelly Pale Ale, which has a superfloral scent and taste compared to the Bridal Veil. The Chaga Mushroom Brown is a dark chocolatey beer with a coffee bean finish. The brewery also began barrel-aging its beers with the Fishwater Project. Fishwater beers are all wet hopped with Delta hops and are unfiltered.

Want to take some liquid refreshment home? Be sure to ask Grace, our favorite tap handler. She will pour any beer of your choosing into a 32 oz. can while you watch and even date and label it for you. For those who get hungry, Aemono Fine Foods & Catering serves pizzas and calzones next door.

Telluride Brewing Company is located just outside the main village at 156 Society Drive, just off Highway 145. The building just happens to be at the end of the area’s relatively easy valley floor mountain bike trail, which you can do in the snow by renting a Fat Bike. Ski season began on Thanksgiving Day, so what are you waiting for?

Photos by Carrie Dow