Top 5 brews of 2024
Celebrate International Beer Day this year by trying one of our Hospitality experts’ top tipples.
Brews will be making the news this week, as beer lovers everywhere raise a glass to International Beer Day.
And among the barrels and taps at Metropolitan State University of Denver’s Brewery Operations Program, you can bet all the beer connoisseurs will be particularly eager to mark the greatness of the mighty hop.
Since launching almost a decade ago, the college’s brewery program has grown into something of a local powerhouse. With courses focused on brewing sciences, brewery operations, sales and distribution, it has successfully trained hundreds of graduates for productive roles in Colorado’s expansive beer industry.
And MSU Denver brewing alumni have developed a glowing reputation along the way, said Bernardo Alatorre, lecturer and program coordinator.
“Across all functions of the brewing world — brewing itself, packaging, distribution, marketing, automation and even winemaking — our graduates have become highly valued within the Colorado industry,” he said.
It helps that the brewery program has significantly evolved in recent years, moving from a more technical approach to adopting a holistic view of the entire brewing operation.
“While our work is still anchored in science and quality assurance, we also now place emphasis on teaching our students about planning, finance, talent management, supply chain, leadership and providing great hospitality,” Alatorre said. “That means we’re covering pretty much every aspect of Colorado’s craft and macro brewing industry.”
It looks like all that hard work has paid off. Several program students have enjoyed genuine brewing success while still in college. And even better, some alumni have gone on to find glory at the World Beer Cup. And we can all say cheers to that.
Top five beers of 2024
Best Wheat Beer
Koepke Hefe — Fritz Family Brewers, Niwot
No wonder Fritz Family Brewers has become a favorite among lager-lovers since opening a few years ago. They brew an immaculately clean beer, true to their style and yet innovative. This particular hefeweizen is an homage to a regular customer who died recently, and it is phenomenal: light and clovey, with a signature banana and clove aroma.
Best Mexican Lager
Venga — Cerveceria Colorado, Denver
Keeping things simple, this is just a good Mexican lager. Dry and flavorful, with a beautiful color and a nice head. It deservedly won a Gold Medal at the World Beer Cup.
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Best Pilsner
Cohesion 10º – Dvojčata — Cohesion Brewing Co., Denver
The folks at Cohesion always make sure to brew, ferment and age their beers in the most traditional way possible, and they use local materials from Root Shoot Malting in Longmont. That brings outstanding results.
Best Belgian Table Beer
Swift Half (now New Zealand Pale Ale) — Station 26 Brewing Co., Denver
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Have you tried our student-made beer? Degree Brewpub now offers a selection of student-made beers for sale to the public. MSU Denver this year opened the Charlie Papazian Brewing Education Lab, which gives students opportunities to brew on a commercial-scale system. And while you enjoy a fine beverage, the students also benefit. “Besides being delicious, our student-made beer generates funds to offset the material costs of further brewing,” said Alatorre.
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An interpretation of the correct use of outstanding Southern hops and top American hops to make a delicious version of what good hop team-building should be. This is brewed by Leigh Nelson, an amazing head brewer and alumnus from the brewery program at MSU Denver. It was another worthy Gold Medal winner at the World Beer Cup.
Best Coffee Stout
Nightmare Fuel — River North Brewery, Denver
A remarkably delicious coffee stout, incorporating malt, sweetness, coffee, taste and insomnia. It’s not overly bitter or too rich, just exactly right. This is precisely what is needed from a beer that already has enough complexity as a birthmark.
