Snuggled between U.S. 36 and the multicolored pocket neighborhoods of North Boulder, Upslope Brewing Company’s Lee Hill facility is just what you’d expect from a craft brewery: A smallish (but large enough) taproom overlooking a handful of tanks squeezed between racks of oak barrels. For those within walking distance, it’s a great place to spend the evening with friends and any number of Upslope’s beers.
By contrast, Upslope’s Flatiron Park production facility — opened in 2013 — is positively spacious. Nestled between Ozo Coffee and White Labs’ yeast factory in the industrial/office parks of East Boulder, Upslope’s taproom features a large concrete bartop, several tables, a backroom for meetings or film screenings, and a patio should the weather permit. The lighting is softer, the colors darker and deeper. It’s less industrial but more contemporary. Drinking here feels more like a lodge bar than a factory — even if this is where the majority of Upslope Citra Pale Ale and Craft Lager are brewed, canned and shipped out into the world.
By now, you’ve probably had your share of the two. Citra Pale Ale is arguably the best pale produced in the county while Craft Lager remains a go-to easy-drinking lager for the BC brewing intelligentsia. But you really ought to go off script and work your way through Upslope’s bevy of new and new-to-you brews. Who knows, someday they may be as iconic as Citra Pale Ale and Craft Lager.
Start with the brand-spanking-new Spaghetti Western-Style IPA, a true beauty. As the name implies, this is a West Coast IPA, with bracing bitterness and a crystal clear appearance. Buy a pint at the bar, and Upslope’s nucleated pint glasses — the logo is etched on the bottom — produces a stream of tight bubbles racing up the core of the beverage, maintaining the head as you drink the beer down. It looks a little like Champagne, and this IPA complements visuals with a dry, hoppy flavor of snappy pine and citrus. Why the name? Because spaghetti noodles were included in the brewing process, though there is little in the final product reminiscent of the chewy gluten stuff. Just a tight and refreshing beer.
Want to keep to the hoppy side of life? Upslope has eight or so pale and India pale ales for you to drink your way through — from the Spruce Tip IPA to a Double Dry-Hopped Pale Ale. Looking for malty goodness? You’re in luck. Upslope’s head brewer, Sam Scruby, adores malty English ales and recreates them with surprising accuracy. Try the English Porter and the Bourbon Barrel-Aged Barleywine — careful; the latter is a beast, as is the Brandy Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout. You’ll wish this one came in to-go cans for an icy winter night.
Like any brewery, the experimental stuff goes fast, so head down to Flatirons Park and see what Upslope is brewing.
ON TAP: Upslope Brewing Company, 1898 S. Flatiron Court, Boulder, 303-396-1898. Open daily: 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
