CO Sneak Preview #03: Wild Woods

Today we continue our series of sneak peeks for the Denver Beers Made By Walking Festival. Beers Made By Walking invites brewers to go on nature hikes and make beer inspired by the plants that are found along the trail. This preview will detail the hike that Wild Woods Brewery embarked upon to find inspiration. You'll also learn a little about the beer they're planning. This beer will be a part of the BMBW Fest on October 3rd in Denver. Wild Woods Brewery, for the husband and wife team that opened business almost two years ago, is the intentional combination of two passions - the outdoors and craft beer. “We live it, we breathe it, it comes through in our beer,” reflected Erin Evans. From the Ponderosa porter that smells exactly like a Ponderosa pine (strikingly similar to a butterscotch vanilla cupcake) to the Treeline IPA, inspired by the juniper trees commonly seen at tree line, all of the beers flow from a grounded sense of place.


The entire Wild Woods crew set out for its Beers Made By Walking hike not far from its humble location in Boulder, aided by Amber, a representative of Rebecca’s Apothecary. This walk included pre-made teas made with herbs and roots that the botanist knew would appear on the trail. While they passed hawthorn berries, elderberries, and other wild fruits, Wild Woods elected to choose roots for its first BMBW brew. I was lucky enough to taste both dried chicory and dried burdock, before and after the outdoors enthusiasts toasted them on their own, as they plan to do so before adding the roots to their brew. The chicory took on quite the nutty character, while the burdock developed notes of green pepper. It was really a treat to be able to eat these two samples, as Evans noted that roots are what “keep you grounded.”


The Roasted Root Amber Ale is also going to include a bit of rye in the malt bill to complement a mild hop selection, resulting in what will be a nutty, earthy, amber ale with enough spice and herb to balance out the sweet amber characteristics. Creating beers that make you think about being outside and crave more of the beauty in nature, Wild Woods is having a blast while doing so. You’ll find Erin pouring and Jake brewing on the upgraded 7 bbl system if you stop by and you will not be short of conversation about the beauty in the wild woods ahead.

We are excited to try this beer, available along with about 30 other place-based beers, at our Beers Made By Walking Festival on October 3rd in Denver. The event takes place during the weekend of the Great American Beer Festival. Tickets are $40 for unlimited access to the BMBW beers and many of the brewers will be pouring their own beers. More details, including a list of participating breweries, is here. We hope to see you there!

Beers Made By Walking / GABF 2014Friday, October 3rd /// 12 - 4pm
Wynkoop Brewing /// 1634 18th St. Denver
$40 /// Ticket sales begin Sept. 3rd at 12pm MST