Paonia United Brewing is commonly known as the PUB. Sitting in its back yard brings a sense of pure utepils (Norwegian for “the state of having a cold beer in the sun”) with its repurposed ski fence, lines of picnic tables, umbrellas and a corner for live music and dancing. Local food vendors are often parked in the yard next door. Just three blocks down Main Street and around the corner is Chrysalis. Walk past the picnic tables and enter Chrysalis’s intimate atmosphere with wooden kegs in the background offering a sense of history, and local art on the labels of the bottles of sour beer in the cooler. Less than a mile from town, Delicious Orchards, home of Big B’s, is more reminiscent of shady expanses, swings and BBQ, with its well-used stage, campground, you-pick orchard, ponds and general store. Whether it’s the stage at Delicious Orchards, the back yard at the PUB or the courtyard at Chrysalis, local musicians add to the flavor of each place.
While brewing beer and fermenting fruit is not new in Colorado, our local breweries and cidery are creating drinks that are definitely worth exploring.
A first taste of sour beer brings comments like “refreshing,” “unique” and, yes, “sour” though the sourness is often subtle. Bacteria lactobacillus gives the beers that tangy taste; additional ingredients give each sour beer its unique character, like chamomile, hibiscus, pineapple, and passion fruit, to name a few. Many have tropical notes, due in part to the brewing practice of letting the beer sit on the hops, which adds a different flavor profile. At the other end of the flavor spectrum, the Stout goes into Willet Bourbon barrels and ages for six months.
Big Bs’s, one of the first cideries in the state, started making Scottish style cider in bottles fifteen years ago. Technically, Big B’s is considered a winery because making cider involves fermenting fruit to make alcohol. The tasting room features twelve taps, ten for ciders—all sulfite free--and two for house wines on tap. There are also ciders regularly available in cans and bottles. Having made over fifty kinds of cider over the years, Big B’s offerings include different styles of apple, cherry, peach cider, spiced cider, Lazy Days Lemon cider and more.
Paonia United Brewing features eleven types of beer—not bad for a 400 square foot tasting room in a town of 1,500. The beer selection speaks for itself, with taps hosting a rotation of ales and lagers including specials such as the Peach & Chili Ale, which was chosen to be featured at Old Chicago’s Cinco de Mayo mini tour.
Using local produce is integral to all three of these businesses. Hire Wire Hops of Paonia provides two varieties of hops for Chrysalis and four for Paonia United Brewing. The “wet hops” come straight from the field and are used withing 24 hours and others come in the form of pellets. Chrysalis grows its own barley on Sunshine Mesa and relies heavily on the surrounding orchards and farms to source the best ingredients available. Big B’s provides much of the fruit for its own ciders as well for Chrysalis and Paonia United Brewing.
Together and individually, these breweries and cidery create a craft beverage community that is committed to quality, community, and connection. So be sure to check out what’s brewing when you plan your next visit to our valley.
While brewing beer and fermenting fruit is not new in Colorado, our local breweries and cidery are creating drinks that are definitely worth exploring.
A first taste of sour beer brings comments like “refreshing,” “unique” and, yes, “sour” though the sourness is often subtle. Bacteria lactobacillus gives the beers that tangy taste; additional ingredients give each sour beer its unique character, like chamomile, hibiscus, pineapple, and passion fruit, to name a few. Many have tropical notes, due in part to the brewing practice of letting the beer sit on the hops, which adds a different flavor profile. At the other end of the flavor spectrum, the Stout goes into Willet Bourbon barrels and ages for six months.
Big Bs’s, one of the first cideries in the state, started making Scottish style cider in bottles fifteen years ago. Technically, Big B’s is considered a winery because making cider involves fermenting fruit to make alcohol. The tasting room features twelve taps, ten for ciders—all sulfite free--and two for house wines on tap. There are also ciders regularly available in cans and bottles. Having made over fifty kinds of cider over the years, Big B’s offerings include different styles of apple, cherry, peach cider, spiced cider, Lazy Days Lemon cider and more.
Paonia United Brewing features eleven types of beer—not bad for a 400 square foot tasting room in a town of 1,500. The beer selection speaks for itself, with taps hosting a rotation of ales and lagers including specials such as the Peach & Chili Ale, which was chosen to be featured at Old Chicago’s Cinco de Mayo mini tour.
Using local produce is integral to all three of these businesses. Hire Wire Hops of Paonia provides two varieties of hops for Chrysalis and four for Paonia United Brewing. The “wet hops” come straight from the field and are used withing 24 hours and others come in the form of pellets. Chrysalis grows its own barley on Sunshine Mesa and relies heavily on the surrounding orchards and farms to source the best ingredients available. Big B’s provides much of the fruit for its own ciders as well for Chrysalis and Paonia United Brewing.
Together and individually, these breweries and cidery create a craft beverage community that is committed to quality, community, and connection. So be sure to check out what’s brewing when you plan your next visit to our valley.