Parts and Labor Brewing Company, 402 Main Street b, Sterling, CO, 80751 phone: #970-425-7540   website: PartsAndLaborBrewing.com
Hours: Thursday: 2pm to 10pm | Friday: 2pm to 12am | Saturday: 12pm to 12am | Sunday: 12pm to 6pm

Experience before you go . . .

It's about time the Hoppin' Brewery Tour made it to the beautiful state of Colorado. Rocky Mountains, thin air and lots of breweries.....luv it! On our annual trek to Tucson we decided to take the northern route through South Dakota but of course there was an early winter storm blowing through which took us a little south through Nebraska. Now I love Nebraska and the people from it but the drive on Interstate 80 lacks excitement to say the least. Kat took the wheel and I was like a 10 year old kiddo in the back asking if we were through Nebraska yet. But once we hit Colorado it wasn't much better until we needed gas and a leg stretch and we pulled into Sterling. We had some time so Kat suggested we venture in town looking for a place for lunch. Most Hoppin' Brewery Tours are somewhat planned, we pick a spot, plan a time and commence our attack. But sometime just by happenstance they rear their frothy head and say look at me and that's just what happened on this windy October day in Northeastern Colorado.

We found parking around back and from the picture of the old wrecker on the door and the mention of the parts and labor I was thinking a car theme. Well I got to tell ya, Parts and Labor Brewing has been, as they say, building great beers for 3 years and they're located in a old Cadillac Dealership brick building that's 100 years old right on Main Street. Great space with all kinds of automobile memorabilia from signs, pumps, oil cans....even the pulls on the kegs were piston heads. Being a car guy, I couldn't get enough of it.....it was fabulous!! Kat and I in true HBT fashion sat at the corner of the bar. Amanda behind the bar greeted us and before we knew it two pints were on their way. Menus were perused, a pulled pork and a Philly sandwich with homemade crunchy kettle fried potato chips were being built in the kitchen. I think I really like this place. In front of me sits a pint of Redneck Mother Citrus IPA (6.9%) centennial and citra hops team up to offer a very drinkable and fruity IPA. Kat went for the Cactus Wrestler Prickly Pear Hefenweizen (5.7%) wheat beer and prickly pear....what more could you ask for! She liked it so much we brought home a 32 oz very cool can to enjoy later.

Talking to Amanda we come to find out that it's a close knit ranching community and Parts and Labor has turned into a favorite gathering spot for locals to catch up with old friends and even make some new ones. The vibe is relaxed and friendly and very welcoming. Kat with her Animal Science background from the U of I conversed with Amanda, who's from a ranching family as if they were long lost sisters. Large & small animals, vet school the whys and the how's and the why nots. Kat had applied to attend grad school at Colorado State in Ft Collins but wasn't accepted.....crazy! Might have been on the other receiving end of the beginning of one of those college scandals.....LOL! But the real winner of her not getting in was yours truly. Her second choice was Texas A&M which put her in College Station and eventually her first job was in a lab in Houston,Texas which is where we met......Thursday, Nov. 11, 1984 in a bar in Houston. Fate is what they call it, but I call it luck because she is the BEST THING that has ever happened to me......34 years of marriage and still smiling!

To my right we have a local cement worker who wished to remain anonymous. It was a Friday at 2:00 and he'd just finished up for the week and he stopped in for a cold one. I didn't see anything wrong with that but he did so it's all good. He said I looked too young to retire so I instantly liked him. Wanted to buy him a beer but Kat gave me the "Need to get back on the road" look so we talked a little while longer about life and death and some politics which now-a-days is always an interesting conversation. I looked back at Kat and she was gone, obviously went to the car. Shook my new friend's hand and said see you around and bee lined it to the door.

Parts and Labor Brewing in just 3 years has created a real local gem where folks love to come, hang out and catch up with neighbors and of course have a beer or two. Keep building great beers guys and we'll catch you next time we're driving through.

Until next time and remember.....

Go get'cha one!!!