One of the many qualities of Colorado is beer making. Colorado has some of the top breweries in the nation. Growing up in Fort Collins, an area with many prominent breweries, I wanted to look into how the Grand Valley brews. We don’t have much in Grand Junction, but that’s okay, because the little we have makes up for our small brewery community.
Kannah Creek Brewing Company has three locations. The most popular is the one located right off 12th St. Edgewater Brewing is also Kannah Creek’s pub project, right near the water. Kannah has a variety of beers you can have on tap or take home. Kannah Creek is my favorite in the Grand Valley. Each location has an amazing atmosphere. The service is extremely friendly and, as a bonus, their food is great! All sites have almost the same menu, just a little tweaked. The item I loved the most were their buffalo wraps at the 12th St. location.
Now, for the beer. Are you more of a light brew drinker? Then, the Island Mesa Blonde is perfect for you! It’s an English ale with light hoppy flavor. The blonde is super easy to drink, and goes with any type of food! Even if you aren’t the biggest beer drinker, the Island Mesa blonde is your new brew friend. If you like IPA’s, Broken Oar IPA is a superb treat. The IPA has the perfect dark amber color and just the right amount of malt flavor. Even being from Fort Collins, Kannah Creek will always be my top brewery to purchase from.
Palisade Brewing Company located on 200 Peach Ave, Palisade, Colo. Palisade Brewing has a beautiful location. Everywhere you look has a unique view. The atmosphere at Palisade has more of the “brewery” feel. As you look inside, you can see where they make their beer. To order your food or drinks, you go up to the bar. Palisade Brewing is more of a causal place than the other breweries in the Grand Valley.
Their most popular beer and my favorite is the Dirty Hippie. This brew is a dark wheat. I had never heard of a dark wheat until I moved to the Grand Valley. It’s super dark and rich looking, but once you have a taste, you are reminded that you are drinking a light wheat. It’s perfect topped off with an orange. Their Soul Shakin’ IPA is MARVELOUS. If you aren’t the biggest fan of IPAs, you still have to try this one. It is one of the most refreshing IPAs I have ever had.
Palisade also has a small food menu. They have shockingly good smoked meats. I had the pleasure of checking out their smoked pulled pork taco, topped off with a corn pico de gallo. It wasn’t super filling, but it gets to the point. Palisade Brewing Company is absolutely a place to taste if you have never been.
Rockslide Brewery is my least favorite of the breweries in the Grand Valley. They are located in downtown at 401 Main St. Rockslide does have a good beer selection, but the taste doesn’t quite compare to Kannah or Palisade. When I arrived, the bartender seemed annoyed that I wanted to have a tasting tray. That threw me off immediately. What bartender, especially at a brewery, doesn’t want you to taste their craft beer?
Anyway, after a dirty look, I got my tasting tray. I tried almost all of their beers and the only one that satisfied me was Rabbit Ears Amber Ale. It was no Dirty Hippie, but it was revitalizing. Their food was average, typical pub food. I would say if you are trying to go brewery hopping, add this place to your list. But, I wouldn’t go if it was just one of those days you wanted to stop at one brewery.
The Grand Valley doesn’t have the brewery community that we deserve, but there are still awesome places to check out. Support your local breweries and happy drinking.
