Brewpub of the Month
Falling Rock Tap House
1919 Blake St.
Denver, CO
I'm going to do something different this month and give credit to those bastions of good beers known as "Beer Bars". Falling Rock in Denver is known far and wide as a supporter of breweries both local and world-wide. They have 69 taps as well as a large assortment of beers in the bottle.
The beers are carefully selected and maintained by owner Chris Black and crew to supply the visitor with an ever-changing assortment of the world's best brews. Their sign "No Crap On Tap" pretty much sums up their philosophy on beer. This is a place for the true beer lover, not the American megabrew consumer. (although those beers are available in bottles) All the employees are quite well-versed in beerspeak and can help you through the difficult task of choosing a suitable beverage. To show their local pride, a diverse selection of Colorado beers are constantly pouring through their taps. To augment this mind-boggling assortment of beers, they also serve a full menu of pub fare...appetizers, pizza, calzone, sandwiches, etc., all of which worthy of praise! To satisfy the non-beer drinkers, they also serve wines and a complete selection of spirits. Their reputation as a Great beer bar has gotten them many beers that otherwise might not be available. Last year, just before the GABF, they had a cask of Cantillon Lambic, one of only several shipped to the US. Needless to say, it didn't last long and was gone by the time we got there! Then, on the first day of the GABF, Reg Drury, Brewer Emeritus of the Fuller Brewery, tapped 2 firkins of Fuller's ESB flown in from Britain....a rare event indeed! Special events like this occur several times a year and must be watched for or they will be missed!
The dark, intimate ambiance allows a feeling of privacy even in a crowd or as you can see in the picture, they also have an outdoor patio that can be used when the strange Denver weather is cooperating.We had temps in the 80's during the first week of October when the week before, the city was covered in snow!
We had a very enjoyable lunch there soon after arriving in Denver for the '99 GABF. We got to try BJ's Pizza Goliath Red, Abbaye de Floreffe Dubbel, New Belgium Trippel and Pyramid Apricot Ale. With such an extensive list, it wasn't easy to choose and then even harder to leave! The phrase "So many bars, so little time" comes to mind here. You could surely spend your entire vacation here and not try anything twice, but there are so many other places to go in Denver, you would hate to do that. It can only be fully appreciated by the locals or a frequent traveler to Denver. If only we could get a place like that around here!

There is a downstairs lounge where one can enjoy a beer and a cigar or a leisurely game of pool or darts. TVs are also set up throughout the building. Not far from Coors' Field, it is a popular spot before and after baseball games. Their website gives a listing of what is on tap by color and country of origin..I'm not sure how often they update it, but it will give you a general idea of what types of beer they serve. If you can't find something there you like, then you should stick to Starbucks! Make this a must-visit when in Denver. It is even worth a trip just to go there! Only leave yourself plenty of time for all the other great sites in the area! Happy beer traveling! Cheers!!!

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