Your Picks for 2023

Here's the results of our 2023 Local Picks voting contest! Plus, MeadowGrass kicks off their 2024 event tonight at Goat Patch...

Thanks for your patience as I worked with Side Dish with Schniper on announcing these winners via our new podcast, tap & table. You can watch that first episode on YouTube or Spotify, or listen via Google Podcasts, Spotify or Apple Podcasts. Don’t mind the random music at 21 minutes in…somehow it snuck its way into the final cut and YouTube won’t let me replace the footage without deleting the current one entirely.

To be honest, I’ve been struggling a bit personally, so creating the newsletter hasn’t been at the top of my priority…working through that, and happy to announce these winners and hopefully get awards out in the next week or two.

The winners you picked definitely resonate with my own personal thoughts about our beer community, so thank you for voting and helping us come to a consensus about some of the breweries who are kicking butt.

I’ll add in my own personal picks for these categories, as they’re somewhat different than your picks, but the official awards will go to your picks, just to be clear!

Best Beer Quality

Your Pick:

Goat Patch Brewing

Goat Patch Brewing’s “The home of balanced brews” motto fits this category perfectly, so it’s no wonder you all voted them as the winner in terms of quality. They’ve also been collecting some of the top brewing talent in Colorado Springs over the past few years, so watch out for Goat Patch moving forward…they’re planning something big I feel.

My Pick: Urban Animal

Best Hoppy Beer

Cerberus Brewing

It’s no surprise that Cerberus topped the list for this category, as Elysium has often been a fan favorite when I’ve asked random people about their beer. Add in Troy’s Haze Boi series that pokes fun at me, and I would have to agree, even if that makes me a bit biased. There are a lot of other breweries making amazing IPAs and hoppy beer, but you chose Cerberus and I’ll agree.

My Pick: Fossil Craft Beer

Best Malty or non-hoppy Beer

Storybook Brewing

It’s no surprise that you all picked Storybook in this position. It was a hard-fought battle between Storybook and Goat Patch, and Pete’s Dragon only won out in the very last round. As long as we’ve known Pete Kilman, he’s always said his bread and butter has been malty beers, and it makes sense given your votes!

My pick: Storybook

Best Brewery Experience

Red Leg Brewing

With their HUGE new campus out Garden of the Gods Rd, Red Leg has primed themselves to be one of the watermark breweries here in Colorado Springs. Now that they’ve got the pods up and running, visiting Red Leg is now an immersive experience where you can pretty much spend an entire day without leaving. Hats off to Todd Baldwin for his vision and steering that ship towards the promise land!

My Pick: Paradox Beer Company

Best New Brewery (under 24 months)

Urban Animal Brewery

Thanks to brewer Mike Centanne’s years of experience, Urban Animal has come out of the gates swinging for the fences. They’re consistently putting out new and interesting beers, and from my experience they don’t miss on many. With their talented team of restauranteurs and brewers, they’ve set the bar for new breweries looking to open, that’s for sure!

My Pick: Tie between Batch Slapped and Urban Animal

Most Improved Brewery

Nano 108 Brewing

Thanks to new head brewer Keith Hernandez, Nano 108 Brewing has undergone a renaissance in the past year. Nano never had the worst beer in town, but they were plagued by inconsistency and head brewers who had to reinvent the wheel when they took over from the last guy. Now that Keith is in charge, they’re doing more collaborations, and keeping the quality higher than it’s ever been. If you’ve been “burned” by Nano in the past, give them another try, you won’t regret it!

My Pick: Nano 108

Top 3 Breweries

Goat Patch

Urban Animal

Mash Mechanix

Based on some of the previous categories, it makes sense that Urban Animal and Goat Patch made it to the top of this list, but I’m pleasantly surprised to see Mash Mechanix join them atop the category. Leif has been really consistenly putting out incredible beers that fit any taste preference at Mash, and they’re one of my top places to send visitors when they go downtown for beer. Hats off to all three!

My picks: Fossil, Urban Animal, Metric

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Goat Patch Brewing and Rocky Mountain Highway Music Collaborative Present MeadowGrass Unveiling

Goat Patch Brewing Company is proud to announce a special Bleating Heart Night event in collaboration with Rocky Mountain Highway Music Collaborative, featuring an evening of live music, giveaways, and the launch of MeadowGrass 2024 tickets.

Join in at Goat Patch Brewing Company on TONIGHT from 5:00 to 9:00 pm for an unforgettable evening of entertainment, community, and craft beer. The highlight of the event will be live music by local favorites, Grass It Up, performing from 6:00 to 8:30 pm.

As part of Goat Patch’s commitment to supporting local initiatives, $1 from each pint sold during the event will be donated to Rocky Mountain Highway Music Collaborative. This donation will aid in their mission to promote and nurture the local live music scene.

Back in 2015, friends Trout Steak Revival played at Meadowgrass, photo by me

The evening will also mark the launch of MeadowGrass 2024 ticket sales, featuring headliner announcements and exciting giveaways for swag, weekend passes, and daily tickets. Don't miss the chance to be part of this exclusive ticket launch experience.

For the beer portion (Included with all tickets for attendees 21+) of the festival, MeadowGrass has confirmed that Bristol Brewing, Goat Patch, Deuces Wild/DWB, Black Forest Brewing, OCC Brewing, Bell Brothers and Voodoo Brewing will be pouring beer, with more to be confirmed at a later date!

Rocky Mountain Highway Music Collaborative is dedicated to bringing the best in roots music to our community. They serve as a vital connection between musicians and venues, fostering a stronger, more vibrant local music scene. Learn more about their impactful work at www.rockymountainhighway.org.

I’m hoping to be at the event tonight with a toddler in tow, so if you’re there, say hi!

Cheers!