Stem Ciders

When we went: October 4th, 2021

Where: 2811 Walnut St #150, Denver, CO 80205

Stem Ciders was founded in 2013 and they have two taprooms, one in Denver and one in Lafayette. We visited their Denver location back in 2018 when Nick used to live in South Dakota. Denver was the closest large city to him, so I’d meet him there when I came to visit. Back then, neither of us were big beer fans, but we loved cider, so naturally, we had to try all the cideries in Denver.

Our most recent visit to Stem Ciders was in the fall of 2021, and not much had changed. The inside of the taproom isn’t too large, but there are plenty of high and low top tables. They have a large outdoor space with tents set up so you can enjoy your cider in the shade. Stem’s Denver location is conveniently located in the River North Art District which is fantastic if you want to try different breweries or cideries as there are several others close by. There are always some great food trucks in the area, as well as street art if that’s your thing.

Chris: Stem prides themselves on doing a more traditional dry style cider, which was most of what they had on tap when we visited them. My preference has always been for sweet and semi-sweets ciders so it was hard for me to find a drink I liked. I tried their Lava Flow, which is a strawberry and pineapple off-dry cider. It had some nice fruity flavors, but it was still too dry for me. I was a big fan of their Cocoa Caramel Cider. You don’t run into many chocolate ciders, but since I am a sucker for chocolate and cider, I was sold. Even with the rich description, the cider was not overly sweet and had a nice balanced mix of caramel, chocolate, and apple.

Nick: Like Chris, I also enjoy the sweet ciders more than a dry. But I really enjoyed the Lava flow. If a cider has strawberry or pineapple in it, there’s a good chance I’m going to like it, and this one had both. I think pear cider’s are my absolute favorite, and Stem had one that I enjoyed. But it was still too dry for me. There are some great cideries in Connecticut that are more my style.

Other Cool Things:

  • Trivia nights
  • Food trucks
  • Cider pairing nights
  • Cider slushies

What we drank:

Chris: Lava Flow (Off-dry) 5.8% – 3.5 out of 5

Chris: Cocoa Caramel (Sweet) 5.8% – 4 out of 5

Nick: Pear (Sweet) 5.3%- 4 out of 5

Nick: Lava Flow (Off-dry) 5.8% – 4 out of 5

Brewing Persuasion: 3.5 out of 5

Feeling Persuaded Yet?

Grey Sail Brewing

When we went: November 19th, 2021

Where: 65 Canal St, Westerly, RI 02891

We were able to stop by the taproom for Grey Sail brewing in Westerly back in November when it was still relatively warm. Grey Sail is divided between two buildings; one where they brew and can their beer and the taproom next door. The brewing building was previously an auto parts shop, and before that, a macaroni factory. The taproom next door is located inside an old house. If you have ever been to Little House Brewery in Chester, it is a very similar vibe. The taproom still has the layout of a house, so seating is broken up into small rooms. Grey Sail has been around for over 10 years, which is a pretty long time for the craft beer world, and has grown quite the following. The name of Grey Sail is a result of its proximity to the New England coastline and the prevalence of sail boats on the ocean horizon. It is a pretty fitting name considering how Rhode Island is known for its beaches, and many of names for Grey Sail’s beers are ocean themed.

It is best to visit Grey Sail in the warmer months because they have a spacious outdoor area. This area offers the feel of an actual beer garden. We have all been to places that put a few potted plants next to outdoor seating and call it a beer garden, but Grey Sail went all in.

Nick enjoying nature

Chris: I really enjoyed the space at Grey Sail and had seen their beer everywhere before I was able to make it to their taproom. When Nick and I went in November, Grey Sail had 14 beers on tap, but their variety was limited, with only 1 sour and 1 stout available and the rest were mostly IPA’s. That being said, I did enjoy both the Portside Sour and the Coffee Stout in the flight we got. The Dave’s Coffee Stout uses a local coffee blend of Brazilian and Ethiopian beans, and is very similar in taste to a cold brew. Speaking of cold brews, Grey Sail had their own on tap, as well as South Country Distillers which offers rum, gin, vodka, and agave spirits.

Nick: Gray Sail is certainly a unique space, and it feels like you are drinking at home. As Chris mentioned, this isn’t a brewery that focuses on making a large variety of beers, and they have a definite concentration of IPA’s. But I found a few beers that I enjoyed. The Portside Sour was excellent, and I also liked the Flagship Ale. Cream ale’s can be really hit or miss for me, but this one had a nice smooth flavor. The Dinghy Party was one that I was very interested to try, as you don’t see many Fruit Punch Ale’s. But I found it strange more than anything else. It had a sweet aroma, but the taste did not match my expectations.

Nick still enjoying nature

Other Cool Things:

  • Lots of merch
  • Hive beer for sale
  • South Country spirits for sale
  • Cans to go

What we drank:

Chris: Dave’s Coffee (Stout) 6.3% – 4 out of 5

Chris: Flagship Ale (Cream Ale) 4.7% – 3.5 out of 5

Chris: Portside (Sour) 7.2% – 4.5 out of 5

Nick: Portside (Sour) 7.2% – 4 out of 5

Brewing Persuasion: 4 out of 5

Feeling persuaded yet?

Aspen Brewing Company

When we went: October 3rd, 2021

Where: 121 S Galena St, Aspen, CO

Nick and I went to a wedding out in Snowmass, Colorado, and the only brewery nearby was Aspen Brewing Company. The taproom opened in 2008 and is located in a nice downtown area with a good amount of outdoor space. Inside the building, Aspen Brewing Company has a nice modern aesthetic with local art work and plants all around. They had plenty of beers on tap and cans to go, but they had no darks or sours at all. Cocktails and wine were also available with appetizers and pizza on the menu. In the back, they also had a weird ring game that I could not figure out how to play.

Chris: I was pretty disappointed that there were no sours or darks on tap, so I stuck to lagers and wheats. My favorite from Aspen was the This Season’s Blonde, a wheat ale that was pretty clear, carbonated, with a nice citrus taste. I was not really impressed with anything else Aspen Brewing Company had to offer, but that has a lot to do with my personal preferences of darks and sours, so take my opinion with a grain of salt. Despite my preferences, if you ever go back maybe let them know that beer can be more than just hops. Aspen Brewing Company has a nice space and is the only brewery in town, but their lack of variety was a big turn off for me.

Nick: Aspen Brewing Company is right in the middle of Aspen, Colorado. It has a nice outdoor seating area, and the indoor seating is very open with lots of windows. The Cloud 9 Saison was my favorite and is apparently one of the brewery’s more popular beers. They had a lot of IPA’s, which is very Colorado of them, and none of their other beers really interested me. However, at nearly 8,000 feet above sea level, atmosphere comes first, and Aspen Brewing company definitely has a good atmosphere.

Other Cool Things:

  • Draft beer van
  • Merch for sale
  • Cans to go
  • Cocktails and win available

What we drank:

Chris: This Season’s Blonde (Wheat) 5.6% – 4 out of 5

Chris: Vista Lager 4% – 3 out of 5

Chris: Ajax Pilsner 4.5% – 3.5 out of 5

Nick: Cloud 9 Saison: 3.5 out of 5

Brewing Persuasion: 3 out of 5

Feeling persuaded yet?