United Nations of Beer

Pints Pub, Denver

by Lucia Novara
(Beer Delegate, CO, USA)

Pints Pub
Denver, CO, USA

"There is nothing which has yet been contrived by man, by which so much happiness is produced as by a good tavern or inn."
Dr. Johnson to Boswell

An appropriate quote for the Pints Pub, Denver website, as it is not just a good tavern, but the premier spot in Colorado for real ales and a true pub atmosphere.

Not that I am an expert on authentic English pub atmosphere; I was 16 when I went to England and, despite many attempts to scale hotel walls with knotted bedsheet ropes, I was never successful in ducking my parents and having a pint in one. BUT, if I had, I’m sure Pints Pub would feel just like the real thing!

Two things set Pints Pub in Denver apart from other breweries in town. First, they brew traditional "cask conditioned" or "live ales". When I first heard this I had mental images of these live ales crawling out of my pint and giving me some attitude ("No, YOU’RE a little watery and uninspired!").

Not so. A live ale means instead of being filtered and pasteurized to kill the living yeast as in most brewing processes, these brews go through a second fermentation in the cellar of Pints Pub.

Second, they have the largest selection of single malt whisky outside of Britain. It’s quite a sight to walk into the quaint neighborhood pub and see literally hundreds of bottles of Scotch hanging upside down, just waiting to have their peaty depths pillaged.

However, I resisted temptation in order to focus on my official duties as a UNOB delegate. (Note to Editor: When you want to start the United Nations of Scotch, you just let me know!) (My hair is falling out as it is! Ed.)

On the night I chose to visit Pints Pub in Denver, they had six real ales flowing forth from traditional hand pumps. All of the brews had a couple of features in common. Since they are live ales, they were less carbonated than your typical beer and to a novice taster, they may seem slightly watery.

There are less obvious flavors, but kind of like sushi, the subtle flavors that develop are more rewarding than the in-your-face attitude of some microbrews (Ahem, Breckenridge Vanilla Porter, I’m looking at you).

Links to my Pints Pub reviews here:

Airedale Pale Ale

Lancer IPA

Alchemy ESB

Dark Star Ale

Gael Force Ale

Despite the unfortunate end of the night, when my lady friends and I got stuck in the phone box while attempting a Vogue-style photo shoot, I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Pints Pub.

The cask conditioning makes their ales unique in the overflowing "I’m quirkier than you are" microbrew scene.