Bristol Brewing Co.'s 30-year legacy in a Top 10; PizzAria expands hours at Nightingale; tap&table interviews three lead women chefs at the Broadmoor + more food & drink news
10 things you may not know about Bristol Brewing Company
It’s the oldest packaging brewery and second oldest continuously operating brewery in town. Bristol just celebrated its 30th anniversary. And when you’ve been around that long, you’re naturally going to incubate talent. Three current Springs breweries have been started by former Bristol brewers: Metric, Trinity and Goat Patch. And many other yeast wranglers who’ve come through Bristol are still working in leadership roles in the industry, including out of state.
Flagship brew Laughing Lab has won more Great American Beer Festival medals than any other single Colorado beer. The Scottish Ale is one of two beers Bristol originally launched with. Laughing Lab’s name and label predated owners Mike and Amanda Bristol’s adoption of their original yellow labrador, Camden. Amanda had conceived of the beer’s name when they were working on their business plan because they knew they wanted to get a lab someday. Five months after they opened in 1994, they finally adopted the pup. A second yellow lab named Halifax came in 2009. The couple named both labs after places they enjoyed traveling to. “Camden, Maine,” Mike clarifies. (Sorry New Jersey.)
One of Bristol’s original fermenters was subbed in for Amanda’s engagement ring. “We barely had enough money to start a brewery,” she says. They talked about it and decided that rather than have Mike spend money on a ring, they’d invest in brewing equipment. (How brewmantic!)
Scenes from the earlier days.
Beer doesn’t just express love for the Bristols; they hold it as sacred. They respect its centuries-old heritage and they’re passionate about honoring styles from all over the world. While they generally brew to style, Mike says he’s always feeling pulled to balance the traditional approach with signature, modern touches to personalize Bristol’s beers. “We’ll do oddball stuff if there’s a reason,” he says. “But even then, it’s based on something. It’s different than waking up and saying ‘hey, nobody has put chocolate covered strawberries in a Hefeweizen before — let’s do that!’ We don’t set out to make beers that taste like coconut cream pie or salsa and chips or breakfast cereal.” Yes, they do a couple of fruit beers, like a mango sour, but sincerely, sans frippery. “We’re not opposed to straying,” he says, “but we start by saying ‘hey this is a great style, what can we do to make it ours?”
Mike is obsessed with Belgian beers. Especially after having traveled to the country. “Their history is amazing to me,” he says. “The techniques and yeast strains they use are very unique and a little challenging, which always appeals to me. We’ve enjoyed brewing them here over the years. I love the bottle conditioning, that secondary fermentation in the 750 ml bottle, which yields such unique character.” Rotating styles, like a saison, dubbel, tripel and quad are available for sale year round in the taproom.
Ralph Bruning with Mike Bristol.
Bristol releases a barley wine each winter named Old No. 23. The beer pays tribute to father and son Ralph and Chandler Bruning. Ralph was a police officer and homebrewer who worked at Bristol part time in its early days. He raced the Pikes Peak Hill Climb and his stock car number was 23. Ralph got terminal cancer but, meaningfully, was able to attend the first barley wine’s release party before he died. His son Chandler moved back home and began working at Bristol as a brewer. Following in his dad’s footsteps, he was also a Pikes Peak Hill Climb driver. Tragically, he was killed in 2001, the year after Ralph’s passing, during the race’s qualifying round. He drove under the same number 23.
Bristol operates its own shipping container barbecue shack named Spark BBQ, located just outside the brewhouse in an extended patio and firepit area they call the “Schoolyard.” Spark, launched in 2022, serves a geography-free, agnostic lineup of U.S. barbecues. “There’s a lot of parallels between making good barbecue and good beer. You have to be patient and start with good raw materials,” says Mike. “Barbecue is soul-satisfying food that’s casual and non-fussy,” adds Amanda, who hails from Jacksonville, Florida. “So for us, the point was picking what food goes well with and brings people together like beer does.” His favorite pairing: the house pulled pork with the Axe and the Oak Whiskey Gold Sauce and a Yellow Kite Summer Pilsner. Hers: Spark’s brisket sandwich, sans sauce, on a Delicias bakery spent-grain bun, with a Compass IPA.
Spark BBQ at Bristol.
Bristol is big into community. “We felt an obligation when we started that if we wanted the community to support us, we should support it in return,” says Mike. “We wanted to be a part of things and put down roots,” adds Amanda. Their seasonal Benefit Beers series (Venetucci Pumpkin Ale, Cheyenne Canon Piñon Nut Brown and Smokebrush Porter) has raised roughly $850,000 since 2007. And in 2011, Bristol launched Karma Hour as its version of happy hour, during which $1 from each pint sold benefitted a local nonprofit. “We also participate in the brewing community,” Mike says. “We were a founding member of the Brewers Guild in 1995, and staying active in Colorado’s craft brewing scene remains important to us. That’s inspired events like our annual Firkin Fest.”
Bristol is only distributed in Colorado. Why? “Because it’s easy to keep control of the product from a quality and freshness perspective,” says Mike, adding it’s more environmentally responsible as well to not truck beer all over the country. The decision also plays into Bristol’s philosophy of a brewery being involved in its community. “We aren’t the local brewery in another city somewhere; we’re the local here,” he says, noting that the enjoyment of travel comes via trying the local breweries in other cities. “I’m not going to order a Fat Tire in New York. I want to try their beers. We do think beer should be regional.” Amanda says that ethos took hold for them 30 years ago as they started in business, because local breweries were virtually nonexistent in a marketplace dominated by a few big national breweries and a handful of regional outfits across the U.S.
Establishing Ivywild School, where Bristol is located, was effectively an act of historical preservation. In buying the former elementary school, built in 1916, from District 11 in 2012, just a year after the Great Recession, Mike and partners Joseph Coleman (of Blue Star Group) and Jim Fennell (an architect) ensured it wouldn’t be razed or turned into something inaccessible to the community. The Bristols lived in Ivywild for many years and had been brewing across the street from the school since 1998 (in what was their second location, the original being on Forge Road close to what’s now Trinity’s satellite location). “I wanted Bristol to be part of something bigger than itself,” says Mike, crediting Joe for bringing the idea to them. “We thought he was crazy at first.” But the Bristols were very intrigued by establishing a neighborhood and wider city hub to serve all. It’s become an active place with regular programming like movies in the gymnasium and live music in the Schoolyard. Guests can find not only beer and barbecue, but Coleman’s offerings of coffee, cocktails, salads, pizza and other comfort foods plus specialty dessert pies. Back to that preservation aspect: Beyond the original brick walls, Bristol has incorporated other area artifacts, including a chandelier from the Broadmoor, large steel doors from the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s former elephant enclosure and science lab tables from Colorado College. Look down into the fermentation hall from the windows overhead in the taproom and you’ll notice a fully functional Tesla Coil on display. And in the Barrel Room, the service bar and glass blocks formerly composed the taproom at the prior brewery.
Tonight is the night! (Those of you who read this newsletter within minutes of me sending it out weekly — yeah, I see you, and thank you.) Sip with Schnip at Bristol Brewing Co., 6-8 p.m., July 24 in the Barrel Room. Get a pulled pork sandwich from Spark BBQ + a beer + a piece of bourbon pecan pie (from Gold Star Bakery) for just $16.
*Side Dish is grateful for Bristol’s support via their Side Dish Dozen sponsorship. For more on their 30th anniversary and brewery history check out our recent tap&table podcast episode with Amanda and Mike Bristol.
Ranch Foods Direct versus commercial beef (😳)
We’ll share our next Schnip’s Pick collaboration recipe with Ranch Foods Direct in next week’s newsletter. Meanwhile, I asked owner Mike Callicrate if I could share a recent post of theirs that I found rather insightful. (I mean, I already know the information and you might also, but not everybody does, or thinks about the topic.) The following copy is in their words:
You need to know what you’re buying. This picture has store beef (left), and locally produced beef (right). There is a visible difference between the two but the differences don’t stop there.
1. You may notice the color difference in the picture. The store-bought contains additives and preservatives, including propyl gallate, to protect against spoilage.
2. There isn’t a guarantee of where that beef came from, OR how many cows are in it. Yes, it may have a USDA label, but as long as that animal was packaged in the US, it can be called a Product of the USA.
Image via Ranch Foods Direct’s Facebook page.
And yes, the meat in the left package is not from a single cow, but rather meat from hundreds, perhaps even thousands of cows. It may have come from Brazil, Canada, or from as many as 20 different countries.
3. The beef on the right is fresher, farm-raised, containing more nutrients & flavor. Buy from a local farm or ranch! Our beef doesn't have a long fresh shelf life like the chemically treated big grocery store beef because we don't use additives to prevent or mask spoilage.
Also when buying our beef, it’s from one or just a few animals.
PizzAria popup expanding hours at Nightingale Bread
Photos by Matthew Schniper.
I mentioned back in late June a new pizza enterprise named PizzAria, which has been popping up Sundays from 4-8 p.m. at Nightingale Bread. It takes orders by phone starting at 3 p.m., day-of; allows some walks ups; and typically sells out.
I finally made it by to sample for myself a couple weeks ago and found the limited hype I’d heard (from those in the know) quite warranted. The pies are excellent, which isn’t entirely surprising given Nightingale’s reputation (which it wouldn’t sacrifice to a guest popup that it didn’t implicitly vouch for). PizzAria owner Joel Kromer worked at the bakery for two years and still pulls an occasional shift here or there to help out when needed. But most recently he’s been cooking at Chiba Bar with his pal Kalen Janifer — who happens to be buying a trio of pies at PizzAria at the same time as me. (Another good sign of quality here.)
Kromer tells me he’s just recently hung up his hat at Chiba to focus on his own effort full-time, and he’s adding an extra Monday night PizzAria shift (from 5-8 p.m.) accordingly, beginning July 29. He hires a couple Nightingale friends to run the PizzaMaster electric deck oven (which is a really sweet, expensive beast they say) and slice and box pies while his wife takes calls and works the front counter.
Order at the window, just like at the bakery. Owner Joel Kromer named the business after his daughter.
“The whole focus is on the dough and quality ingredients,” he says, noting that he uses organic flour from respected outfit Central Milling Artisan Bakers. He preps doughs one day prior and lets it cold ferment overnight. Kromer worked at spot called Pizzeria Lola years ago when he lived in Minneapolis, and he’s familiar with boutique ingredient sourcing thanks in-part to his former duties at Nightingale. I chat with him as he stretches some doughs out and sauces them, and he quickly lists off names of fine national brands, like two different pepperonis he puts on that pizza (Salumeria Biellese and Battistoni Cup & Char). But he also sources locally, like sausage from Gosar Natural Foods in the San Luis Valley and seasonal garlic scapes from Cañon City’s New Roots Farm.
Left to right: the seasonal Garlic Escape, marinara and pepperoni pies.
I get some of the last of those scapes for this season on a special he’s named the Garlic Escape. It features a fabulous, herbaceous garlic scape pesto, the Gosar sausage, cherry tomatoes and basil. If you’re looking for another veggie-forward pie, he’s got a flagship item on weekly named The Grateful Veg. Next up for us, though, is the beautifully simplistic marinara that’s vegan, made only with Bianco DiNapoli tomato sauce, garlic, basil and oregano. You can add cheese to it for $3, but aren’t for a moment upset that we don’t. Last, we do try the dual pepperoni pizza, garnished with basil and Grana Padano, and find it rich and punchy with pepperoni spice. It’s the perfect pairing with a Helles Lager on neighboring Goat Patch Brewing’s patio. (Which is to say, hint-hint, you know where to go so you don’t have to torture yourself with a drive home being teased by all the pizza smells. Just walk a few doors down instead, and pick a pint.)
Tap&Table goes to the Broadmoor
In this episode of tap&table, co-hosts Ryan and Matthew pulled out their collared shirts and sat down with three of The Broadmoor's talented chefs: Randi Powell (Ristorante del Lago), Rocio Neyra Palmer (Summit) and Tia Allen (Executive Sous Chef of Restaurants). These incredibly talented women are raising the bar at each of their establishments inside the Springs' five-star hotel at the mouth of Cheyenne Cañon. Hear how they maintain the standards of perfection, lead their teams and bring their own unique touches to their respective assignments. Tune in, dine in and subscribe to the tap&table YouTube channel. Or follow on Apple, Spotify and other major podcast platforms.
• A new sober bar named Gratitude just recently opened in Old Colorado City at 2752 Colorado Ave. (in The Sluice building). It serves kava and other N/A drinks, including mocktails, and is open noon to 9 p.m., daily. I’m aiming to make it by soon for a visit.
Image via Gratitude’s Facebook page.
• Last week we teased an upcoming announcement by Bitter and Glitter as I shared five questions with owner/bartender Tim Chapman. Well, I can now talk about the launch of Salad or Bust After Dusk. Chapman and fellow bartender Anastacio GarciaLiley (Chiba Bar) will partner with the salad bar and Orsetto’s Wood-Fired Pizza Truck to pop up from 5-9 p.m., Thursdays-Saturdays weekly; and the bartenders will stick around until 1 a.m. Chapman tells Side Dish, “We will offer unique and fun cocktails. It won't be another Irish or bourbon or even dive bar. We want you to come to try new things and have an experience that you can't find anywhere else.” He says they will also create a fresh brunch cocktail menu for Salad or Bust to use. And they’ll add cocktail and bites dinners on Mondays soon, “starting with Negroni and grilled cheese night.” He says it will look like four, paired small bites courses for $25, running 6-8 p.m., followed by cocktail service until midnight afterwards, “to give the rest of Colorado Springs something to do on a Monday!”
Tim Chapman (left) and Anastacio GarciaLiley at Taste of Pikes Peak. Photo by Matthew Schniper.
• Aspen Vodka Distillery just announced that it has become the world’s first distillery to earn a LEEDv4 BD+C Platinum certification. “This is the highest standard for building energy efficiency designated by the U.S. Green Building Council,” notes a press release. For fans of sustainability, some details of what that looks like: The distillery rehabilitated the soils of a former lumber yard; solar provides 105% of energy needs; there’s energy-neutral on-site wastewater treatment, and “the distillery shows a +26% reduction in embodied carbon through a whole building life cycle assessment.” The spirit maker sources Colorado-grown red winter wheat and it won Double Gold at the 2024 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
Image courtesy Aspen Vodka.
• I checked out my first Wisconsin supper club this past week while traveling and drank my first Brandy Old Fashioned, a staple cocktail in the area. My paid subscribers may read that writeup now, and it’ll be free to read next month. Feel free to unlock it early on the Substack app or take a seven-day free trial.
Photo by Matthew Schniper.
• Despite managing to make this read like it was written by AI, KOAA did manage to cover news that Cy’s Drive In is seeking a buyer. The iconic spot at 1833 W. Uintah St. has operated for roughly 70 years. The owner told the TV news station that she’s ready to retire. (The article notes that Cy’s Alaskan Burger was originally 49 cents, and that the price has since gone up. … Hmm, you don’t say.)
• Goat Patch Brewing: We’re throwing an anniversary weekend party! Our Cheers to 7 Years Celebration runs July 25-28 with daily programming, including a cherry limeade shandy firkin release on July 26, live music, expanded food trucks, giveaways, family activities and the return to taps of favorite Goat Patch brews from the past.
• The Carter Payne: Buy tickets before they sell out for the Aug. 11 Literary/Fantasy dinner at 5:30 p.m. This dinner, “a not-quite-vintage version of a Fantasy Literature themed dinner,” is a throwback to Chef Brent Beavers’ Lit Dinners at Sencha two decades ago (which Schniper acted in!) Come for five boozy beverage-paired courses inspired by iconic literary works.
• Edelweiss: Stiegl Grapefruit Radler from Austria is on tap for summer. Clean, crisp and only 2-percent ABV for a refreshing low-alcohol option made with real cane sugar (vs. high fructose corn syrup). Sip a pint on our award-winning, dog-friendly patio.
• Four by Brother Luck: Our Pastry Chef Marjorie Furio makes magical creations. Check out this recent white chocolate and raspberry semifreddo, GF chocolate cake, prickly pear gel, vanilla bean chantilly cream, a hot pink coral tuile and micro basil.
• District Elleven: Christmas in July: We are the premier private party destination and we are now accepting holiday party bookings.
• Blue Star Group: Gold Star Bakery has new items to satisfy your craving for a sweet treat after your meal at the Ivywild School. You can now get four flavors of Josh & John's ice cream in 8-ounce cups, as well as chocolate and vanilla Blue Bell ice cream in single serving 3-ounce cups. And if you're in charge of bringing dessert to your next BBQ, you can get a Baker's Dozen box of assorted cookies and bars to feed your crew.
• Wobbly Olive: Half-priced cocktails from our full menu during happy hours, 4-6 p.m., Mondays through Fridays, at both locations. Pair a drink with the pupu platter or vegan Thai coconut curry eggplant ramen.
•Kangaroo Coffee: Do you know where your syrups are coming from? Many commercial pumps at coffee kiosks are filled with synthetic ingredients. We use only French-made Maison Routin 1883 products in our lattes and infusions, made from real fruit, cane sugar and the same water source as Evian. Come taste the difference.
•Ascent Beverage: If you loved your sampling at Taste of Pikes Peak of our Robb’s Red-Eye Cream, featuring Kangaroo coffee and Robb’s Red Rumm, know that you can find Robb’s products around town. Look for cocktails at Rasta Pasta, Front Range Barbecue and Bunzy’s & Booze.
• Rasta Pasta: Our Pineapple Caribbean Curry Ravioli was a big hit at Taste of Pikes Peak. While it’s not a regular menu item, you can find similar flavors on our main menu. And Rasta Pasta offers a create-your-own-pasta-bowl starting at $13.
• Odyssey Gastropub: Catch our Thirsty Thursdays and find extra drink specials all day, including a staff-selected selection of rotating $4 beers, $5 shots and a $6 cocktail.
Upcoming events
• July 27: Downtown Summer Fest. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. View the Olympics on a big screen in the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum plaza alongside live music, vendors and more.
• July 29: Phantom Canyon’s Olympic Wing Challenge. 6:30-8 p.m. Compete for prizes in a Hot Ones-inspired competition. “The competitors must finish five wings: two dressed in signature wing sauces created by Phantom Canyon chefs and three with Hot Ones sauces… whichever player can hold out the longest for a drink of water is the winner.” Free to enter.
• Aug. 3: 16th annual Vino and Notes wine, food and jazz festival in Monument’s Memorial Park. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. $35-$60. Featuring more than 20 wineries/cider houses.
• Aug. 3: 2nd Annual Indian Food Festival at Liberty High School. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; free, with early-access VIP tickets for $12.50. Preregistration required.
• Aug. 3: Don’t Drink the Juice Brunch at FH Beerworks. 10 a.m. onward. The brewery taps this popular hazy IPA and offers beermosas with it. Neat Whiskey House will serve mimosa flights and 1231 Craft Kitchen will sell breakfast tacos and more.
Parting shot(s)
It was great to see so many of you at Taste of Pikes Peak last week and meet new subscribers! Thanks for supporting the local industry and future workforce. Here’s a quick photo dump, which includes many of my Side Dish Dozen supporters. Cheers!
Photos by Ryan Hannigan, Lauren Hug, Matthew Schniper.
