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If you have been to the Cambridge House recently, you would know that we have all been getting ready for the Great American Beer Festival, held in Denver, Colorado. This is the premier beer festival and competition. It's like the Oscars but for beer! Last year, The CBH took home a gold medal for the Copper Hill Kolsch. We are keeping our fingers crossed hoping that our Kolsch keeps its title and that we win a few other medals. Even though the competition is this Saturday, the owners and Brewer Dave (Brewer Steve joins them today) headed out for the entire festival pouring beer and making friends. Brewer Dave and Owner Steve each sent me an email about their trip so far and I thought I should share their "adventure" with you. It's funny getting two different stories for the same event!
From Brewer Dave:
Well, we made it! We arrived after an always exhausting plane ride, but at least we were a day early.
The trip started on a great foot, seeing how the rental car agency upgraded us to a Cadillac. Pretty swanky. We loaded up and headed into the mountains for a little R&R before the big fest. On our way, I decided to take the boys over Loveland pass. It's a nice road that "winds" its way up to 12,000 feet. Seeing how I'm the mountain enthusiast (aka rubber necker) and I was driving made for a hair-raising ride. Ask Scott.
At the top we reached the continental divide. Here we learned some geologic fun facts. ( See first picture) If I threw Scott over his side, he would eventually role all the way to the Pacific Ocean. If I threw Steve over his side, he would stumble into the Atlantic Ocean. Obviously this is a figurative explanation as in reality this only pertains to snow melt and any other precipitation that goes into the water table. And plus, if I did try that out, I would be looking for a new job!
We crossed over the divide and made it to Keystone Resort, a humble 10,000 feet above sea level. Here we spent the night and rested up for the GABF. It was beautiful! Wednesday morning we did a little sight seeing which brought us to the high peaks again, Red Rocks Amphitheatre and Wild Bill's grave (Steve made us do this one!). Finally we arrived in Denver, checked in and settled in for an adventurous few days of friend making, and of course beer "sampling".
Hope all is well on the East Coast. We'll talk to you soon.
Brewer Dave
From Steve & Scott:
Brewer Dave is no longer allowed to drive the car at 12,000 feet above sea level he enjoys the view too much instead of making the hairpin turns the demanding "Loveland Pass" requires. Believe it or not he did not have an accident until we got to the parking garage in downtown Denver, D'oh!! This one will come out of his pay!!
Cocktails with the Mayor of Denver in his fabulous Downtown loft, great guy who also is 50% owner of Wynkoop brewery of Denver CO. and a Wesylan CT collage graduate, believe it or not we hit it off and there were no incidents to report. We discuss the cities "Cow" artwork that is on display throughout the city and tell him our "Horse" art work in Granby CT is much nicer we were asked to leave on our own or he would provide an escort.
It's amazing how the city of Denver embraces and celebrates it's brewing heritage and in CT I can't even get the one beer reviewer (Kerry Callahan, Hartford Courant) to review our beer or any of Connecticut's beers!
Great pictures of Scanlon and I at the Great Divide (neither one of us fell), mad a pit stop at Red Rocks where they were setting up for a concert (neat too watch) but the highlight of the trip so far was our impromptu visit of Buffalo Bob's Gravesite!!! William F. Cody, Indian fighter, savior too all as you can imagine this was a very emotional time for us (ok, we made a wrong turn, but as I see it the glass or bottle was half full).
Once again Brewer Dave no longer has driving privileges, you would think if a guy is going to make a side stop it would be for a great brewpub or beer bar - not Dave, out of the corner of his eye he see's a health food store (Wild Oats - Scott and I now know this is a health food store chain) makes a 180 turn (Scanlon nearly spills his coffee) pulls in to the mega mall parking lot and says he will be right back - never again will he be in charge of the wheel.
Tonight is the first day of the festival, work begins at 5:00, to prepare for our long day of pouring beer we have scheduled a tour at Sand Lot Brewery, which is located inside Coors Field where the Colorado Rockies play. By the way there is a day game against the LA Dodger's this will be a grueling day and night but that's why we got into this business.
Cheers,
Steve & Scott
I will keep you posted on any other emails these guys send to me.
Marketing Mike
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