[CH] 4 Day Weekend

Luke Van Santen (Luke.VanSanten@dot.state.mn.us)
Tue, 16 Feb 1999 07:54:46 -0600 

Greetings All!

Back from the 4 day weekend, catching up on what I missed. Just had to reply to some of it.

Chile Beers

Ed's Cave Creek - In my book, the original. Underwent a change several years ago (the beer, that is) from way too hot for my taste to really pretty nice. I don't know if it was changed, or if the chiles they used were slightly different (natural variation), or what. However, I do know that judging it by what you can get in a clear bottle (VERY bad for beer (unless your name is Miller)) somplace removed from Cave Creek AZ isn't fair to the beer. You have to stop in to Ed's Cave Creek Cantina if at all possible. Just north of Phoenix, open air cantina, brewery tours, all around great place to visit. And the beer is better there.

Coopersmith's Brewpub in Ft. Collins, CO - Make Sigda's Green Chile Beer. This is without a doubt the best chile beer I've had. Anaheims in the primary fermenter, serranos in the settling/serving tank - just plain good. Balanced pepper heat, not overwhelmed by hop bitterness, good drinking beer.

Rogue Chile beer - from the brewer in the Northwest (I forget exactly where) - bland and pepperless. I don't know if they are still making it.

Wynkoop Brewing Company -  Lower Downtown Denver - annually serves the most beer of any brewpub in the US. The founder (John Hickenlooper) also has an interest in Coopersmith's, I think. Wynkoop serves a good chile beer, similar to Coopersmith's but not as good.

St. Croix Chile Beer - Made in Minnesota (Lakeland - near the Twin Cities, I think). Good serrano flavor, light serrano aroma, flavor is kind of overpowered by the hops.


A good chile beer is one of the best things around. A bad one is just that.


Looking for places to go with your daughter who lives in Golden Colorado? Try Moose Hill Cantina (on West Colfax). Superb Mexican food, gargantuan portions, small prices. Or you could try Blue Bonnet (on Broadway just north of I-25). Again, great mexican food, good prices. Or, try the Table Mesa Inn in Golden - a relative newcomer to town - nouveau California/New Mexico cuisine (VERY tasty, not hot) kind of pricy. Decent tap selection. Or try Tony Rigatoni's in Golden. Really good Italian food in a "homy" atmosphere (it's in an old house). Or you could go to Chipotle Grill (I believe there are many locations now - 1 by Applejack in Wheatridge is probably the closest) the original location is down by DU. Huge burritos, miniscule prices, incredible flavors packed into those tortillas!

Back to lurking!

Luke Van Santen
St. Louis Park, MN




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