the colorado beer scribe: Great Storm Brewing and Pikes Peak Brewing, new breweries in Colorado Springs

It is always fun to find new breweries everywhere we happen to be visiting, we found two new breweries in the Colorado Springs area that are worth checking out.

Just 5 minutes away from Trinity Brewing is Great Storm Brewing, a nano-brewery that will be celebrating their 1st anniversary in March. They have a small taproom with a nice bar and right in the midst of this is eight 50-gallon fermenters so the beer is brewed right there for all to see. Great Storm has eight beers on tap including a guest beer which was a red ale from Lone Tree Brewing.

To really enjoy the fruits of a brewery's labor is to buy a taster set of their beers. With eight of their beers in front of us, we indulge our senses with each one. I enjoyed more of the darker beer, Rum Raisin Stout on nitro. It was smooth yet dry and sweet as described, a oatmeal milk stout, but at 8.1% ABV it was their most potent beer. My husband like the Shine On, a Belgian Black Lager and the guest beer, Acres of Green, a 6.5% Irish Red Ale. He also enjoyed the Seven Wolves, an American Pale Ale on nitro.

Deyven

The following day on our way back from Colorado Springs we stopped at a brewery in Monument Colorado, Pikes Peak Brewing. The pour guy serving was pretty frazzled with him being the only one behind the bar then we found out he was one of the brewers, Brian Johnson. Pikes Peak Brewing has been open for a year and a half. With their location right off I-25, it quite convenient for newbies and locals. They have a nice size bar and plenty of tables with a few close to the fireplace.

Here we also ordered a full taster set. I liked the Summit House Stout at 7.2% ABV and the Witchback Coffee Porter that was 6.5%. The coffee porter was packed with coffee flavor. Larry liked the Old Rush Belgian Ale which was a whopping 9.0%. Pikes Peak Brewery also has pre-made sandwiches and pretzels that are served hot from a panini press plus hot soup heated in a large pot.