Elk Mountain Brewing by Morgan Forsyth, Colorado Craft Beer Promoter
When heading into the suburban town of Parker, Colorado, you don’t typically think “craft beer”. But, the owner of Elk Mountain Brewing, Tom Bell, had a great business strategy in mind when opening the doors of his brewery. You can count the number of breweries in Parker on one hand, making it the perfect place to open one. Even though Elk Mountain has only been opened since 2010, Tom has been brewing beer in his Parker home for the past 20 years and had an internship with Tabernash Brewing (prior to merging with Left Hand Brewing). This is where he learned how to brew German-style beers, being as that was their specialty. Tom also had the opportunity to work alongside many other soon to be head brewers, one of which was Bill Eye (formerly of Prost Brewing). With the high demand from family and friends for his beers and numerous home-brewers awards under his belt, it only made sense to take his brewing to the next level. And there’s no stopping him now – the growing popularity of the brewery and high demand for the Elk Mountain crafted beers has kept Tom busier than ever.
The brewery has become a community center for craft beer lovers in town. Elk Mountain has made an effort to keep their consumers happy by using the same recipes for their seven year-round taps. The brewery also has a rotating nitro tap, as well as 3-4 seasonal beers that change on a quarterly basis. Though the main style that the regular, year-round beers focus on is German, the brew master’s have accommodated all palettes and introduced a phenomenal selection of seasonal flavors. The Cherry Wheat, one of the current seasonal options, has a whopping 8 pounds of cherries per keg. This American Wheat beer has a distinct, crisp flavor with a smooth finish. And the Ghost Town Brown is a local favorite – with hints of roasted nuts and chocolate flavors, this American Brown Ale is one of the two brews currently available in bottles sold at local liquor stores.
So whether or not you have heard of Elk Mountain Brewing, this small-scale microbrewery is one to watch out for – and their unique handcrafted beers are sure to satisfy any beer lover’s taste buds.
Elk Mountain Brewing
18921 E Plaza Drive
Parker, CO 80134
Phone:(303) 805-2739
Website: www.elkmountainbrewing.com