Summit Suds: Mohawk Lakes and Mountain Beach

This excerpt was originally published in the summer 2019 edition of Explore Summit magazine. Pick one up or visit ExploreSummit.com for the full article.

A fabulous way for locals and tourists alike to treat themselves in Summit County is sipping a beer after exercise, whether that be skiing, hiking, biking, paddleboarding or any other outdoor activity. As the snow finally melts and trails dry, now is a great time to explore the wilderness on foot and follow up with a celebratory beverage on a brewery patio.

Being residents of this active community themselves, here are some favorite trails and craft concoctions combos handpicked by brewers.

Almost all local breweries have canned four packs, crowlers (a growler in a can), or accept fills of more portable, non-glass growlers made of materials such as plastic. However, as public consumption is illegal, it is best to consume these beverages at your trailhead rental, other domicile or the brewery itself post-recovery stretching.

Mohawk Lakes Trail System

Head brewer of Breckenridge Brewery Jimmy Walker is a big fan of hiking around the county with his dog. One of his favorite sojourns is the scenic trek up Spruce Creek Trail to visit Mohawk Lakes and the Continental Falls. With ice melting and water flowing, now is the perfect time to see them along with aspens and lodgepole pines.

“The view is just ridiculous,” Walker said. “The higher cabin has an awesome view and is a great place to have lunch.

“A lot of people stop at Mohawk Lake but you can hike around the lake and keep going up to other lakes as well. You can go as big or as little as you want.”

As you travel south through Breckenridge, turn right onto Spruce Creek Road, 2.1 miles past Boreas Pass Road. After .1 miles turn left and continue for 1.1 miles until reaching the trailhead. It’s a moderate, 6.7-mile round-trip hike if you head to the upper Mohawk Lake, which is .3 miles past the lower lake.

With an abundance of water features and mining ruins, the best beer to quench one’s thirst is their Mountain Beach. It’s a sessionable fruited gose — a tart wheat beer — made with salt, mango and lime juice. Breckenridge Brewery always tries to play with different flavor combinations for their funky fruit beers so, if it doesn’t happen to be on tap, any of their sour beers would do.

Walker jokes that the beer is essentially a health beverage. “It has a touch of salt so it has electrolytes. And you have your vitamin C from the fruit juices. Because it’s beer you have a lot of vitamin B complex as well.”

Walker also said that the subtle salt flavors complement beef jerky. “When you’re doing strenuous hikes you’re going to need calories. You definitely don’t want to bring carrots or celery.”

Jefferson Geiger is the arts & entertainment editor for the Summit Daily News. Have a question about beer? Send him an email at jgeiger@summitdaily.com.

via:: Summit Daily