{"id":2447577,"date":"2019-08-15T06:36:00","date_gmt":"2019-08-15T12:36:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/?p=311233"},"modified":"2019-08-15T06:36:00","modified_gmt":"2019-08-15T12:36:00","slug":"booming-beer-snowmass-taps-into-the-upper-valleys-suds-scene","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/local-news\/booming-beer-snowmass-taps-into-the-upper-valleys-suds-scene\/","title":{"rendered":"Booming beer: Snowmass taps into the upper valley\u2019s suds scene"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"swift-gallery p402_hide\" readability=\"6.7073954983923\">\n<ul id=\"imageGallery-311233-289\" class=\"gallery list-unstyled\">\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/08\/libations-atw-081519-1-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/08\/libations-atw-081519-1.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"David Krause \/ Aspen Times Weekly | The 24 taps at Slow Groovin' in Snowmass offer a solid variety in the village.\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-1.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"8\">\n<p><strong>The 24 taps at Slow Groovin&#8217; in Snowmass offer a solid variety in the village.<\/strong><br \/>David Krause \/ Aspen Times Weekly<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/08\/libations-atw-081519-1.jpg\" alt=\"The 24 taps at Slow Groovin' in Snowmass offer a solid variety in the village.\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/08\/libations-atw-081519-1-1-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/08\/libations-atw-081519-1-1.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"David Krause \/ Aspen Times Weekly | The board at Ranger Station keeps patrons informed of their New Belgium Brewery offerings.\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-1.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"8\">\n<p><strong>The board at Ranger Station keeps patrons informed of their New Belgium Brewery offerings.<\/strong><br \/>David Krause \/ Aspen Times Weekly<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/08\/libations-atw-081519-1-1.jpg\" alt=\"The board at Ranger Station keeps patrons informed of their New Belgium Brewery offerings.\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/08\/libations-atw-081519-1-2-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/08\/libations-atw-081519-1-2.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"David Krause \/ Aspen Times Weekly | New Beligum fills the taps at Snowmass's Ranger Station.\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-2\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"7\">\n<p><strong>New Beligum fills the taps at Snowmass&#8217;s Ranger Station.<\/strong><br \/>David Krause \/ Aspen Times Weekly<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/08\/libations-atw-081519-1-2.jpg\" alt=\"New Beligum fills the taps at Snowmass's Ranger Station.\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/08\/libations-atw-081519-1-3-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/08\/libations-atw-081519-1-3.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Courtesy photo | Ranger Station opened in 2015 on the Snowmass Mall near Fanny Hill.\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-2\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"7\">\n<p><strong>Ranger Station opened in 2015 on the Snowmass Mall near Fanny Hill.<\/strong><br \/>Courtesy photo<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/08\/libations-atw-081519-1-3.jpg\" alt=\"Ranger Station opened in 2015 on the Snowmass Mall near Fanny Hill.\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/08\/libations-atw-081519-1-4-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/08\/libations-atw-081519-1-4.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Courtesy photo | Ranger Station opened in 2015 on the Snowmass Mall near Fanny Hill.\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-2\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"7\">\n<p><strong>Ranger Station opened in 2015 on the Snowmass Mall near Fanny Hill.<\/strong><br \/>Courtesy photo<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/08\/libations-atw-081519-1-4.jpg\" alt=\"Ranger Station opened in 2015 on the Snowmass Mall near Fanny Hill.\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/08\/libations-atw-081519-1-5-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/08\/libations-atw-081519-1-5.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Anna Stonehouse\/The Aspen Times file | Slow Groovin' BBQ opened in December 2016 on the Snowmass Mall.\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-1.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"8\">\n<p><strong>Slow Groovin&#8217; BBQ opened in December 2016 on the Snowmass Mall.<\/strong><br \/>Anna Stonehouse\/The Aspen Times file<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/08\/libations-atw-081519-1-5.jpg\" alt=\"Slow Groovin' BBQ opened in December 2016 on the Snowmass Mall.\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"caption-toggle\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/magazines\/aspen-times-weekly\/booming-beer-snowmass-taps-into-the-upper-valleys-suds-scene\/#\" class=\"show-captions\">Show Captions<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/magazines\/aspen-times-weekly\/booming-beer-snowmass-taps-into-the-upper-valleys-suds-scene\/#\" class=\"hide-captions\">Hide Captions<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">This week, we\u2019re doing away with the fancy drinks in Libations and talking beer.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">There has been a pretty major shift in the past few years that makes finding a good beer in the valley, like a good wine, a lot easier.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">I spent my Front Range decades at the Falling Rock, a Denver taphouse just a block south of Coors Field that was opened in 1996 by a trio of brothers who came up with the name while driving through Colorado mountains.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">\u201cLook at all the free advertising,\u201d one of them once told me. Crafty. They have more than 75 taps going at any given time and host another 125 or so varieties in bottles and cans.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">So when I came to the Roaring Fork Valley full-time more than two years ago, I needed to find a new Rock. Aspen Brewing Company\u2019s old place was a great transition, but I needed a bit more variety.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">With all the wine that flows here, I was a bit out of my element in Aspen\u2019s dinner scene, always looking for something on tap. But things have greatly improved for suds-lovers. Heck, even the Food &amp; Wine Classic has welcomed beer into its weekend with sessions at the past couple of Classics hosted by the team from Blackberry Farm in Tennessee.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Aspen Brewing Company has improved its offerings since moving into its new space; I enjoy stopping at Public House to get whatever Bill\u2019s Capitol Creek Brewery flavor is on tap; between Silver City and Ryno\u2019s there\u2019s a good mix of regional beers; and HOPS has the variety unmatched up here (30 beer lines and 200 in bottles and cans).<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">But Snowmass\u2019s affinity for beer (hosting the Rondezvous Craft Beer Festival in June and the 5K On The Mountain as part of the Colorado Brewery Running Series in July) has kind of locked up my tap count with Ranger Station, Slow Groovin\u2019 and Zane\u2019s.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">With the strong connection to New Belgium Brewery in Fort Collins, what you find at Ranger Station is a full mix from the traditional Fat Tire to the sour brown ale La Folie. The range of IPAs is solid as well. Having spent the 1990s in Loveland and Fort Collins, I have had my fill of Fat Tire, but what they\u2019re developing with IPAs and sours is always intriguing.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Snowmass\u2019s Ranger Station opened in 2015 and pours from 12 taps. If you cannot find anything there you like, you can fall back on the Golden backup and get a \u201cbig-ass 24\u201d Coors Light, Chris the bartender told a visitor from the south who was a bit overwhelmed after he walked in.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Just a few steps away at Slow Groovin\u2019, which is in its third summer at the Snowmass location, there is a solid variety of Colorado beers among their 24 taps.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">They are always rotating taps, but at any given time they have kegs from Roaring Fork (Carbondale), Elevation (Poncha Springs), O\u2019Dell\u2019s (Fort Collins), Left Hand (Longmont), Boulder Beer Co., Four Noses (Broomfield) and Crooked Stave (Denver). And if you cannot find anything there you like, you can fall back on the mountain stable PBR on tap (for just $3).<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Over at Zane\u2019s, the old standby is open year-round and while there aren\u2019t as many taps as the other two, they have the right mix of traditional beers to go with their solid Philly cheesesteak and burger menu (yes, I\u2019m alluding to pairings).<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Until Judge Kavanaugh ruined it, I used the simple line \u201cI like beer\u201d when I ordered at a fancy restaurant. Now, I just go to places where it\u2019s a given that we all like beer.<\/p>\n<p> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/magazines\/aspen-times-weekly\/booming-beer-snowmass-taps-into-the-upper-valleys-suds-scene\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">via:: The Aspen Times<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The 24 taps at Slow Groovin&#8217; in Snowmass offer a solid variety in the village.David Krause \/ Aspen Times Weekly The board at Ranger Station keeps patrons informed of their New Belgium Brewery offerings.David Krause \/ Aspen Times Weekly New Beligum fills the taps at Snowmass&#8217;s Ranger Station.David Krause \/ Aspen Times Weekly Ranger Station [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-2447577","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-local-news"},"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-06-25 01:24:08","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"KSPN The Valley&#039;s Quality Rock","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2447577","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2447577"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2447577\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2447577"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2447577"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2447577"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}