It's a good year to brew!
Colorado's love of craft beer is no secret. It's difficult these days to spend time in public without hearing a man wearing flannel explaining how brewing with pellet hops will affect the profile of a New England-style IPA. Standing out among all the buzz is hard work, and that's exactly what Aurora-based The Brew Hut did then they took home the coveted 2020 Homebrew Shop of the Year award.
The award comes from the American Homebrewers Association, a trade group that brings in brewers across America to swap recipes and techniques on homebrewing beer. Over the course of its 42-year history, the group has become a niche authority on all things yeasty and hoppy. Producing good beer is only a small fraction of the criteria for this award. To qualify for a nomination, homebrew shops need to demonstrate a strong record of community support, education, customer service, and responsible business practices.
A visit to The Brew Hut instantly shows how they qualified in the first place. There's a tangible, authentic love of homebrewing that's apparent from the moment that you first walk in. The location has been a brewing staple in Aurora since 1995, with its current owners taking over operations in 2002. Over the course of its life, The Brew House has evolved to include a grain room and a classroom for enthusiasts to go over some of the finer science in brewing.
Perhaps most notable is the birth of The Brew House's sister company, Dry Dock Brewing. If you've been a taphouse or liquor store around Aurora, there are good odds that you've seen Dry Dock's nautical branding. Creative flavors like an apricot blonde ale, vanilla porter, and a pear citrus IPA really show off the brewing group's passion for pushing the brewing process to its limits. Homebrewers looking to learn some of these advanced brewing practices can sign up for classes at The Brew Hut.
In addition to selling the materials required to brew beer, The Brew Hut has also expanded its inventory to include products for making wine, ciders, kombucha, and meads. If you're looking to made food instead, The Brew Hut offers both classes and kits for making home fermented products such as pickles or cheese.
This award has been some awesome recognition for such memorable players on Colorado's brewing scene.
Do you know of any other interesting homebrew ventures in Colorado? Let us know in the comments!