Summer is in full swing in Colorado, with brewery anniversaries and openings dotting the calendar, in addition to a slew of beer festivals all around the state. The latest craft brewery to open its doors is Living the Dream Brewing in Highlands Ranch, just east of Chatfield State Park. Living the Dream, which held its grand opening on Saturday, had somehow eluded my watchful eye on soon-to-open breweries. I read about the brewery last week, and decided to check it out.
Living the Dream sits in a somewhat remote industrial warehouse space off Santa Fe Avenue, and includes a taproom in front and production space toward the back. Reclaimed wood, metal, old skis and snowboards comprise the decor around the taproom and bar. The owners, Jason Bell and Carrie Knose, are Colorado transplants who share a love for the mountains, the outdoors, and beer. According to the LTD website, both have extensive experience working in and around the craft beer industry and brewing many different styles of beer themselves. LTD brews on a seven-barrel system, a nice size to help keep the taplines and beer coolers fully stocked. They served five beers on Saturday, with two of them available on nitro as well.
Two of the selections are Belgians, a wit and a dubbel. The wit is brewed with New Zealand hops, has a nice balance of flavors, and makes a very refreshing summer beer. The dubbel is quite impressive, with the rich dark fruit flavors that are expected, without being overpowering or too sweet. Next is the dry-hopped pale ale, a beer that exudes more complexity and bright, crisp hop flavors than most American pale ales. A brown ale is also featured, and this one is a bit stronger and slightly more bitter than most. It's also available on nitro, and I'd suggest trying this version as the nitrogen really brings out the nutty, caramel and chocolate flavors from the malts. Last is the Helluva Caucasian Stout, a cream stout brewed with chocolate, espresso, and peanut butter, and it's available on nitro as well. A reference from "The Big Lebowski," The Dude's Helluva Caucasian aims to resemble a White Russian drink with its flavors, and it just about pulls it off. It's a roasty, complex and full-bodied stout with a bit of sweetness and high drinkability.
The LTD website lists a lot of different intriguing beers Bell and Knose plan to offer at the taproom. From this opening day experience, I can certainly say they brew some darn good beer, and I look forward to trying more in the future. Living the Dream definitely adds quality and character to the booming south Denver metro area beer scene.
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