The beautiful state of Colorado is known for having some of the best craft breweries in the country. At Legacy Properties West, we know that this is especially true in Durango. With a population of just over 18,000, our mountain town proudly boasts five local breweries. Most of whom brew their signature suds in-house with local ingredients grown down the road. Whether you’ve developed a palette for hops and wheat or you simply enjoy a stout brew after hitting the slopes, you’ll love visiting our local beerhouses. The local brewmasters have a healthy “co-opetition” that continually pushes each of them to create better brews. Every brewery has a list of year-round signature beers, but some of our favorites are the seasonal cold weather brews. Try them all to find your favorite, and we’ll let you be the judge as to who is leading the pack.
Animas Brewing Company
Located just off the Animas Trail near Rotary Park, Animas Brewing Company offers a variety of flavorful craft beers and compliments them with a uniquely local spin on comfort food. This family-friendly brewery has five signature beers and twelve other brews on rotation. When looking for a pint after a day on the slopes, these folks offer both indoor setting and a sun-filled outdoor patio. None of the rotational beers are specifically seasonal, but a local favorite has to be the Riverside Kolsch, a light-colored brew with a slightly sweet malt body.
Carver Brewing Company
Locally referred to as Carvers, this is the oldest brewery in the Four Corners region and the second oldest in the state of Colorado. From humble beginnings as a bakery to international award-winning brewery, Carver Brewing Company has a long local history. Along with its five flagship beers, they also offer a total of ten cold-weather brews. Ranging from the Smoked Baltic Porter to the X-Rock Bock, there’s a flavor for every palette. One of our favorites by far would be the cheekily named Flux Incapacitator. It is a strong golden ale that lies somewhere between a traditional Belgian-style Tripel and an Imperial American Style India Pale Ale. According to the Carvers brewmaster, this beer can’t be pigeonholed into any existing style category, but is “dangerously drinkable.” And on this, we have to agree.
Steamworks
Steamworks has been a part of the downtown fabric since 1996. During that time, they’ve won a whopping 22 medals between the World Beer Cup and Great American Beer Festival. If you’re new to the world of microbrews, Steamworks is a great place to start since each of their servers is Ciceroni Certified. That means the wait staff is as knowledgeable about flavors, compositions and brewing methods as any brewmaster. These guys have fourteen brews in featured rotation ranging from the Steam Engine Lager to the One Wit Wunder. This brewhouse is unique in that they also offer Bubble Stuff, a house-brewed hard seltzer. If you decide you love the flavors here, you can buy their brews by the can at most local liquor stores. To order like a true local this winter, request a Black and Tan. This one isn’t on the menu, but the bartender will be happy to whip one up for you. It’s a combination of the Sultan of Stoke IPA and the Backside Stout.
Ska Brewing
“It takes characters to brew beer with character.” And that’s just what Ska Brewing has been doing since 1995. But that’s not all that Ska does. This brand also managed to revolutionize the craft beer industry with their division called Ska Fab that caters to the bottling process. Owners Bill Graham and Dave Thibodeau boast twelve flavorful flagship brews and four seasonal beers in their lineup. Each winter Ska blesses locals with the award-winning Euphoria Pale Ale, dubbed “the beer of choice for epic powder days.” If you’re a lover of Ska beers, you can find the cans sporting colorful artwork and attitude at liquor stores nationwide. That means no matter where you roam you can likely get a can of your favorite suds.
