Durango, part 1

Cowboys, saloon girls, and beer. What more could you ask for? The dusty trails that lead to Durango, Colorado, are long. Almost 20 hours worth of long, as Google-mapped from the Firewater Lounge. That kind of trip works up a thirst for even the most stalwart Lounge Lizard. So, obviously, if you are like us (and so many of you are), you have to have beer for breakfast, am I right? If that is the case, you need to stop at Carver Brewing.

The Carver Brothers, Jim and Bill, founded a bakery in Durango in 1986. Two years later, they added a brewery, blending breakfast and beer together in a early-morning marriage of convenience and inspiration. We have to say, no one does either better than Carver. Cindy ordered up some monterey jack and green chiles pancakes along with a Power House Porter, a draught with big coffee aroma and flavor due to its cold-extracted espresso blend. I dug into a miner’s breakfast of eggs and country potatoes with a cold Colorado Trail Nut Brown Ale. The perfect companion to spuds in every way, the CT Nut Brown, like many of Carver’s brews, is made to drink with food.

The prize at Carver was dessert. Liquid dessert. I ordered the Old Oak Amber Ale. The Old Oak is a medium-bodied amber rested with toasted oak for sweetness. In glass, the Old Oak is dark copper in color with a medium non-sustaining head. Its nose is all toasty malt. As you drink the amber, you will appreciate the balance that Carver has developed- the creamy malt, the roasted sweetness, and a touch of hops, just to let you know they’re there. Its lacing makes an empty glass a work of art...and makes you want to order another one. Hands down one of my all-time favorite beers.