The Best Microbrews in the West

© Flickr / Robotclaw666

This week in American Beer Month, we’re saddling up and heading out west. From the snowcapped Rockies to the sun-blasted desert, we have a long journey ahead – and lots of drinking to do along the way.

Santa Fe Brewing Company

Situated on a desert plateau with the hazy Sangre de Cristo Mountains looming in the distance, Santa Fe Brewing Company might appear to be a mirage for weary travelers in need of a drink. Fortunately for them, this small brewery is not a figment of their imaginations, but rather a dream come true.

© Flickr / tonystlSanta Fe Brewing Company offers an impressive (and expansive) lineup of beers for such a small operation, ranging from their Happy Camper I.P.A. (a mild-tempered brew with a well-balanced variety of hops) to their Viszolay Belgian (inspired by the Trappist monk-style ale with a touch of wild honey to give it a bit of Santa Fe flare).

Their State Pen Porter (named after the penitentiary located not too far from the brewery) is so drinkable that it’ll seem like the bottom fell out of your beer mug. Balanced with hints of chocolate and nuts, State Pen Porter took gold in the 2008 World Beer Cup for Best International Ale and recently won a bronze medal for Best Traditionally Brewed Beer. All around, this brew is sure to hit the spot. 

Provided the opportunity, go directly to the source for some of Santa Fe Brewing Company’s beers and knock them back on the deck area as you watch the blazing sun disappear below the mountains. Otherwise, it can be found in multiple cities throughout New Mexico and also in bordering states.

Boulder Beer Company

A true pioneer in the Great Microbrew Revolution, Boulder Beer Company represents Colorado’s first microbrewery and still stands as the best of the best.

It was founded by a couple physics professors in 1979 – a time when brewing laws were just starting to become more relaxed, which gave these two scholarly dudes the golden opportunity to take their love of home brewing to a new level. They received the 43rd brewing license ever issued in the United States, then set up shop in a goat shed and started brewing. The rest is history.

Hopheads can’t go wrong with Boulder’s Hazed and Infused dry-hopped ale. It’s big and bold, but doesn’t have the electrifying hop bitterness of their Mojo Risin’ Double I.P.A., a souped-up brew that’s packed with twice the amount of hops and weighs in at 10% alcohol – double the kick of your Beer Light.

Boulder Beer Company also offers a Bavarian-style wheat beer called Sweaty Betty Blonde that’s embellished with hints of clove and banana, setting itself apart from all the other wheat beers out there. Other must-try’s include Obovoid (a dark, creamy oatmeal stout aged in oak barrels) and Planet Porter (a smooth dark ale with hints of coffee).

Boulder brews can be found in most states, excluding Texas, Alabama, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Montana, North Dakota, Idaho, Nevada and Maine.

Moab Brewery

After a day spent mountain biking in the rugged backcountry of Canyonlands National Park, it’s time to navigate your way to the most standalone watering hole in town – Moab Brewery.

Located in the heart of downtown Moab (imagine Mayberry in the middle of the desert), Moab Brewery offers nine handcrafted beers that cover a full spectrum of taste, from light and refreshing to big and bold.

Moab’s Deadhorse Ale (named after a scenic overlook near Canyonlands, where cowboys of old would corral their horses in the treacherous canyons below) is a well-balanced, easily drinkable English ale that can’t be beat if you’re in need of something mild and refreshing. If you want something with a bit more flavor, their Scorpion Pale Ale is loaded with six hop additions that give it a nice kick – be careful.

They also brew an American wheat ale called Elephant Hill that’s served unfiltered, leaving the yeast and B-complex vitamins in your glass to help boost your immune system as your sobriety fades. Perhaps their most unique brew is the Sit Down, Shut Up and Hold On Belgian wheat beer that’s spiced with coriander and orange peel, also left unfiltered.

To find these brews, you’ll have to pay a visit to the quaint town of Moab.

Russian River Brewing Company 

There are few figures that stand out in the world of brewing and Vinnie Cilurzo, brewmaster at Russian River Brewing Company, is definitively one of them. He’s recognized for concocting some of the most wicked Belgian-style beers out there, which can be found on Russian River’s highly reputable brew menu.

© Flickr / Rhett SutphinFor starters, Russian River’s Damnation is a strong golden ale that’s embellished with hints of banana and pear. It’s slightly bitter, but super smooth and tasty enough to take gold in the American Beer Festival of 1999 for Best Belgian-style Ale.

But Russian River didn’t stop with one gold medal under their belts. Temptation, a blonde ale aged in French oak chardonnay barrels, has been awarded five medals (two golds, three silvers) in recognition of its distinct fruitiness, similar to wine, that makes it stand out amongst the hordes of other Belgian-style beers out there.

Other honorable mentions include Pliny the Elder (a double India pale ale, named after the Roman naturalist and scholar who helped to create botanical names for hops) and Salvation (a dark Belgian-style ale with strong notes of sugar and spice).

These brews are to be consumed slowly and thoughtfully – savored to the highest level. This being said, do not bring a bottle of Russian River to the Sigma Nu beer pong tournament.

Russian River brews are distributed primarily along the west coast, but can also be found in parts of Oregon, Colorado, Washington and Philadelphia.

Lewis and Clark Brewing Company

Montana – known as big sky country to many folks, but also known as big beer country to many others.

Formerly known (and still known by some locals) as Sleeping Giant Brewery, Lewis and Clark Brewing Company is rapidly growing into a formidable beast in the world of brewing, offering a lineup of six flagship beers and a dozen seasonal brews that bite much harder than your average Beer Light.

Their Tumbleweed I.P.A. is an icon brew for this region of the country. It’s big, full-bodied taste is enriched with generous hop additions that give it an extra kick. If this one’s not big enough for you, order up a Mad Max Fresh I.P.A. and take your tongue on a wild ride down the open road into hop heaven – look out for road warriors along the way.

Other flagship beverages served in their new brewing facility include Miner's Gold Hefeweizen, Back Country Scottish Ale, Big Horn Light, Lewis & Clark Amber and Prickly Pear Pale Ale. Noteworthy seasonal brews include Smokejumper Stout, Big Belt Weizenbock (a German-style wheat beer) and Pyrite Pilsner – all inspired by the natural wonder Montana has to offer.

Lewis and Clark brews can only be found in Helena and Butte, Montana as of now. But with the brewery’s new expansion, their beers will be made available statewide by next year.