Craft breweries in Colorado continue to open, and some can be found in rather unlikely places. One such brewery is Coda Brewing Company, located in northwest Aurora in a development that's adjacent to the northern edge of Anschutz Medical Campus. Coda opened in May with the focus of brewing experimental beers, some with unconventional ingredients, and pairing their beer with music.
In many ways, setting up shop next to a massive medical school and hospital complex makes plenty of sense. The campus and surrounding area, where I work for my full-time job, continues to grow. It's a huge employer from which to draw customers to try Coda's elixirs. It's also very close to the RTD Light Rail line that's being built and will connect lines from downtown Denver, the southeast part of the metro area, and Denver International Airport. I recently stopped in to see what Coda's all about, and had a very enjoyable brewery experience. The service is friendly and personal, and the beer is definitely up to par.
The Coda taproom is medium-sized, with seating for roughly 50 people, and includes a small patio. It's a simple environment, with a cement ceiling, floors and beams, and exposed piping. Wooden tables, chairs, and a nice sealed wood bar give it a rustic charm. There's also a stage built in, allowing for live music at any time. According to Coda's Facebook page, brewer and co-founder Luke Smith is a former microbiologist and researcher, and also a musician who performs with a band based in the town of Golden. Connecting beer to music is a priority for Smith and co-founder Scott Procop, and some beers have been named in honor of Smith's musical collaborations with different bands.
During my visit, five beers were on tap - a Munich Helles lager called The Black Seeds, a Belgian wit called Wit 10, a red ale called Dogcatcher, along with a nitro version of that beer, and a double IPA called Elwood. I tried all five as tasters, which came in small Pyrex beakers. The Helles is crisp and refreshing, with a light, bready malt character associated with the style. The use of New Zealand hops adds an extra spicy and peppery character that enhances the beer. The wit, brewed with lemongrass, coriander, and orange peel, is equally as refreshing, with a flavor combination of lemon, citrus, and other fruity esters from the Belgian ale yeast. The red ale is brewed with orange blossom honey, and the standard version is a robust beer with a hefty malt presence and substantial hop bitterness. Its great balance makes it fairly smooth and very drinkable despite its initial aggressive nature. In the nitro version, the nitrogen gives the red ale a different complexion - sweeter malts, less hop flavors, but just as bitter. The double IPA features big citrus and tropical fruit flavors, with lighter malts to balance it out. It's strong, delicious, and goes down easy.
These beers comprise just a selection of the ones Coda has brewed in the past and plans to brew, but they show that this new brewery should be taken seriously. Coda Brewing combines innovation, creativity, and brewing expertise to create finished products that truly shine.
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