Residents in the southern part of the Denver metro area continue to have great options for local craft beer. A couple of breweries in this area have opened in recent months, with more in the works. One of the more established among the wave of new south suburban breweries is Lone Tree Brewing Company. Located in the southeastern city of Lone Tree, this excellent brewery has gained a presence at beer festivals and in beer bars and Front Range stores since it opened in late 2011. To truly get a feel for the brewery and its beer, it's great to stop in to the spacious Lone Tree taproom and try a variety of the 10 to 12 beers they'll have on tap at any given time.
When John Winter and Jason Wiedmaier founded Lone Tree Brewing, they wanted to create a community-minded place where people could relax and enjoy each others' company over great beer. That's exactly the type of vibe I get when I walk into the taproom. The decor is simple, seating is abundant, and the staff is knowledgeable and friendly. Lone Tree brews six flagship beers and keeps a handful of seasonals on tap. The selection is wide and approachable, from simple and clean like the Mountain Mama Helles and Ariadne's Blonde, to more complex and aggressive like the Hoptree IPA. For those wanting to take beer home, Lone Tree fills growlers, and sells bombers of several beers. The brewery is also planning to start canning two beers soon for distribution to local area stores and restaurants.
On a recent visit, I was able to taste Lone Tree's seasonal pumpkin ale, doppelbock lager, and peach pale ale, in addition to the flagship offerings of Hoptree and Toot's Oatmeal Stout. These are all delicious, flavorful beers, but the ones that stood out the most were the peach pale, doppelbock, and Hoptree. The peach pale ale is very well-balanced between a crisp hop character and a subtle peach flavor on the finish. The doppelbock is an outstanding example of this style, with rich malt flavors of dark fruits and caramel dominating the profile. The Hoptree is simply an awesome Imperial IPA, with 11 hop varieties and a sturdy malt backbone creating citrus, tropical fruit and pine flavors without an overly bitter finish. It’s smooth, crisp, and very drinkable, but be careful as this one is 8 percent ABV.
Aside from being close to home, there are lots of great reasons for me to make regular trips to Lone Tree Brewing. I look forward to watching this brewery continue to grow and produce excellent beer for the region’s consumers to enjoy.
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