Steamworks Brewing Company, 801 East 2nd Ave, Durango, Colorado 81301, #970-259-9200
website: SteamworksBrewing.com/
Hours: Every Day 11:00 AM - 11:00 PM

Experience before you go . . .

Alright we were home for about week or so and the Tucson temps were hitting 105-110 so it's time to Road Trip it to Colorado where hopefully the temps are a lot cooler. But I gotta tell ya it's turns out that a heat wave was covering everything from the SW to the NE which covers everything that we were driving through! But like all things that my wife Kat and I have experienced in the 36 years of our marriage....if you're given lemons, make lemonade!! And that's exactly what we did. We stopped in Pinetop, AZ to stay a nite with our friends Jim & Amber.....what nice people and great hosts!!! Then we drove up to Blue Lake Ranch, just south of Durango for a couple nites. 200 acres of rolling tall grass hills, a beautiful spring feed pond and all kinds of options for the sleeping accommodations. We stayed in the Garden Suite and enjoyed every minute. And of course it included breakfast so every morning we had a fab breakfast before we let out to enjoy our mountainous adventures. The first day we picked a 3 1/2 mile hiking trail around the Haviland Lake area in the San Juan National Forest that turned out to over 5 miles, we were short on water and we did it in thfse heat of the day at 93 degree and about 3 miles in with 2 to go we got a little anxious!! Took a couple wrong turns and when we came over the ridge and saw the parking lot and our car still a ways off we did say a little prayer thanking God that we survived!! Tough way to start the trip but we did check the mountain hiking box and we're okay with a one and done....at least on this trip!! So we limped back to Blue Lake and started making Gin & Tonics!! I was two in, Kat was one so we picked up our glasses and made our way to the adirondack chair circle that included a water feature and low and behold there was another couple sitting there so we introduced ourselves and sat down. Come to find out Billy and Allison were from Boulder and on a Road Trip for a couple, three days. We talked, laughed and teared up and got to know each other quite well. So well we made plans to connect when we were visiting friends later in the week in Boulder.....gotta love Road Tripping and meeting friendly people!!

The next day we bummed around and had a ball walking around Durango. Kat wanted to walk down by the Animas river, and I was a little leery about it but we did it anyway. We took about 150 steps went under a bridge and just at the same time a homeless person came stumbling out from underneath and then up ahead we could see four guys hanging out at a bench looking a little suspicious. Kat looked at me and I looked at her and we turn left and headed for the exit.... I guess we'll check the box of walking down by the river! Once back up looky here, a brewery named Steamworks.....we just gotta go in!! Kat & I did the front sign selfie and in we went. Big, bold and busy.....what every brewery owner strives for. We sautee'd (I know, not a word for walking, but I like how it sounds) up to bar and sat our tired butts down. Jesie was on us with food & beer menus! Ice water came next which I drained immediately and held it out for a refill. We decided to split a salad and a burger which were delicious! I ordered a Sultan of Stoke - New England IPA (6.1 on the Richter Scale....no that's not right, ABV, Alcohol by Volume) smooth, refreshing, tropical fruit like mango and pineapple. Kat went with the Kolsch - Colorado Kolsch (4.9%) clean, malty with a dry, refreshing finish.

Sorry that I didn't have any new best friends that I met at the bar but I did have one best friend I met and that's the Sultan of Stoke IPA. And the "be like Hans" that's on the can of the Sultan of Stoke is one cool dude!!

I bought a commemorative pint glass which was pretty cool. If you ask any of the locals there in Durango where is a good place to have lunch they all recommend the Steamworks Brewery so they've got that going on. It's a well run Brewery that's worked out all the kinks so when in Durango you got to give it a go! Find Jesie behind the bar, give him knuckles and tell him Clyde sent ya!!

Until next time and remember......

Go get'cha one!!