Firkin Around...Longmont, Colorado.
Oskar Blues hosted a dinner and brewery tour for the bunch of us tonight at their
Longmont facility. As our bus turned the corner at Oskar blues I spied a pickup truck that could have been mistaken for a rolling can of Ten Fidy. This is going to be special I thought aloud, to no one in particular.
We were welcomed by the staff as we exited our buses at the Lyons facility. We walked straight into the brewery where an area is sectioned off to serve as a bar and gift shop. The rest of the building is the brewery, in all of its stainless-steel working splendor!
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| "The Beer Wench"& me |
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| Some of Oskar Blues lineup |
An area left of the taproom was reserved for our dinner buffet, within the main brewery area.It included shredded BBQ, chicken wings with several types of dipping sauces. There was a mac & cheese...to die for. The gumbo was oh-so hot and spicy. Coleslaw, meatballs...so much food. All good and hot and plentiful. Nearby, a jockey box with Dale's Pale Ale and Old Chub was setup for quenching your thirst.
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| Fermentation line |
All around us lay the business end of a fully operational fermentation and canning plant for beer. It's as if they locked us kids inside the candy store! After we noshed and quenched our thirsts, the tours began. The first thing I noticed was a skateboard lying on the ground near one of the work areas. Must be the quickest mode of transportation around the facility, I thought! You won't see that in a conventional beer processing plant. It shows the unconventional and irreverent atmosphere that is prevalent at Oskar Blues. I'd call it a young at heart attitude, and would take it over stuffy and stodgy any day. Sometimes it pays to break the rules.
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| Empty cans awaiting filling |
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| Easy transportation |
Speaking of the rules, we were given an insight on their Ten Fidy Imperial Ale, as to the origins of the name. Many think it has something to do with the ABV percentage, but it was explained that they broke a formerly held 10 to 1 ratio for ingredients that the industry had long adhered to as an undeniable rule. "F#c$ the industry, Do It Yourself" was the rally cry and Ten FIDY became the name.
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| Evolve! |
Unconventional brewer but outstanding beer!
Firkin canned!
Oskar Blues Brewery
1800 Pike Road # B
Longmont, CO
303.776.1914
www.oskarblues.com
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