Wynkoop Brewery and Restaurant

Firkin Around...Denver, Colorado.

Wynkoop. Is it pronounced WIN-koop or is it WINE-koop? No matter, even the locals disagree. One thing everyone agrees about is it's a fine place to grab brewery fresh beer and great pub dishes in the Denver LODO area.  It's right around the corner from historic Union Station.   Fresh Beer. Good Food. We arrived around six on the final night of The Great American Beer Festival.  The Wynkoop's beer selection covers the spectrum of what craft beer drinker's seek out.  The placemat doubles as your beer guide, letting you know what's in store on tap. Our starters included Mile HIPA which had a big bump of hops.  It was delicious.  Also sampled was the B&K Schwarzbier, a dark-as-night German-style black lager, that has gently roasted flavors balanced by an understated hoppiness. It garnered them a 2008 Great American Beer Festival Gold Medal in the German Schwarzbier category. Our food order included Smoked Chicken Salad; large slices of smoked chicken over greens. Greek olives, tomatoes and carrots rounded out this bowl full of good things from the garden.  A tuna melt was also chosen along with a grilled chicken club. Each in their own right had significant portion size. Though the restaurant was busy, not full, it did take a while for our orders to arrive.  The beers kept us entertained for a while. Bits of history, old and new. Named after Denver settler-turned-native Ned Wynkoop from the 19th century, the pub and brewery has been in operation since 1988, located on the corner of 18th Street and Wynkoop Street in the lower downtown (LODO) part of Denver. As previously mentioned, the historic Union Station is just around the corner.  If you find yourself waiting for a table, have your camera ready for a quick photo. Also notable, the Wynkoop is the home of the annual selection for the Beer Drinker of the Year.  This is not someone who can consume quantities of beer as the name might imply, but rather a test of knowledge.  Each year the final handful of contestants arrive at Wynkoop.  They are whittled down from across the land  and are grilled by a panel of beer savvy judges about their knowledge and prowess in the topic of all things beer. I had the honor of meeting with this year's winner, Bill Howell, from Alaska.  You can read more about Bill and his adventures with beer in his blog, Drinking on The Last Frontier. I highly recommend it.

Firkin LODO Denver!

Wynkoop Brewery and Restaurant - Denver
1634 18th Street
Denver, CO 80202
Phone: 303-297-2700 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              303-297-2700      www.wynkoop.com