Drinking in a ‘great beer culture’ at GCB

Alt means old.

But that doesn’t mean the 14 attendees of the March 10 beer class at Golden City Brewery were drinking old beer. They were drinking Altbier, which has its origins in D sseldorf, Germany.

“This is a style that has such an old tradition,” said the class’s instructor Garin Munroe.

The Altbier class was particularly special because the Legendary Red, Golden City Brewery’s Altbier, is the beer the brewery started off with 22 years ago. And it’s won many awards, Munroe said.

After the class finished its lesson with the Legendary Red, it moved on to the Little Red Cap from Loveland’s Grimm Brothers Brewhouse, then to the Amber from Liquid Mechanics Brewing Company in Lafayette.

“It takes three sips to adjust your palate to the next beer,” said Charlie Sturdavant, Golden City Brewery’s brewmaster and co-owner.

Among the three beers, the popular favorite of the class was the Legendary Red.

It’s a balanced beer, Jim Kemper said.

“I like a little more subtle beer,” he said, “as far as the balance of bitterness.”

Some of the attendees go to the beer class because it’s a social outing –; the brewery has a “great vibe” and the class is a fun way to experience and support the local community, said Margo Swanson of Lakewood.

But some, such as her dad Ken Swanson, are experienced homebrewers and like the exposure to a variety of craft beer. Ken Swanson has at least 30 years’ experience brewing.

“It’s the aspect that I can make something I really enjoy,” he said. He is currently trying out an Oktoberfest, which he’ll need a lot of –; at least 25 gallons to serve at his daughter Sierra’s upcoming wedding.

Others come to learn.

“I like how in-depth it is,” said Joel Booth, adding he likes getting a history lesson on the style. “You can appreciate the differences in each and every beer.”

It was Booth’s first time attending the class, and he came with his girlfriend Tasha Kreger, who is taking a macroeconomics course at Red Rocks Community College with Munroe.

Kreger and Booth moved to Golden together in January. They met when they were in the military and overseas in Afghanistan. Booth, living in San Diego at the time, grew up in the Denver area and asked Kreger to join him in Golden from her small hometown in Minnesota, where she was living at the time.

“Golden is amazing,” Kreger said. “I love the small-town atmosphere.”

Munroe enjoys teaching the monthly beer class. There is an enormous variety of craft beer, he said, and he doesn’t want anybody to walk into a brewery and feel lost.

“I do this because Colorado has a great beer culture,” Munroe said. “I want to educate people on what’s coming.”

Golden Transcript – Latest Stories