Saturday, March 9, 2013

Coors Brewery, Golden, Colorado



A co-worker from the company my husband works for in Manhattan, flew in last Monday to do an audit in the Colorado office on Tuesday, and we took her around locally for a quick tour. Unfortunately, the usual bright blue Colorado skies were overcast that day and visibility of this beautiful area were less than ideal.  We drove up nearby Morrison to show her the fabulous outdoor Red Rocks Park and Amphitheater, as you can see by the collage above, but I'll save explaining more about this remarkable area for a more scenic day when I can take better photos of it.



Next, we took an exciting spin through some of the roads through the foothills...watch out for falling rocks!



The drive was very scenic, even if the weather wasn't cooperating with us.


We then entered the charming town of Golden, Colorado.
Golden lies along Clear Creek at the edge of the foothills of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. Founded during the Pike's Peak Gold Rush in June of 1859, the mining camp was originally named Golden City in honor of Thomas L. Golden, a miner from Georgia, United States, who was one of the earliest prospectors in the area.



The very large red Coors Brewery sign is easy to spot in town. The company is now known as MillerCoors (one word) after both companies merged in 2008. The brewery building is the largest of its kind in the world! The brewery is one of the top global brewers in the world, with more than 40 brands in its portfolio.


Tours of the Coors Brewery are free and conducted Thursday through Monday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday 12:00 to 4 p.m., and begin in the southeast corner of the visitor parking lot, at 13th and Ford Street. Guests under 18 years old must be accompanied by an adult.


Adolph Coors (1847 - 1929) apprenticed at a brewery in Prussia during his teens and immigrated as a penniless stowaway to America in 1868 to realize his dreams of becoming a brewer. Adolph opened the Golden Brewery (later Coors Brewing Company) in Colorado and tapped his first barrel in 1873. He specifically chose this area of the country as he felt it had the perfect water for producing a high-quality beer.


The brewery tour is around a 30-minute self-paced, walk through of the brewery. The process of making beer is described through an audio player recording we were provided with, and also through informative dioramas and picture windows looking down on the actual brewery's malting, brewing, and packaging processes.  I was fascinated to learn that Coors recycles or reuses an average of 95% of the solid waste it produces, from spent grain yeast to alcohol.



At one point during the tour a small sample of freshly brewed Coors beer or Coors Light beer, direct from the barrels, is given to each guest over 21.


The tour culminates in the hospitality lounge, where each guest over the age of 21, with a valid ID, is allowed to sample three of Coors fine products.  Non-alcoholic beverages are also available. There is also the opportunity to shop in the Coors and Co. gift shop.


We sampled Batch 19 Beer, which is an amber lager made from a recently rediscovered pre-prohibition formula. It is now available in select cities. We also enjoyed our personal favorite, the slightly sweet, orange essence Blue Moon Belgium white beer.


Afterward, we walked into town to enjoy a nice hot lunch at a local eatery and let our beers digest.  It was a good thing we did, as we took a Coors brewery tour guide's suggestion to take a drive to a nearby destination.....



....can you see it in the hazy distance? It's Lookout Mountain! At 7,581 feet, it is one of the larger foothills which overlooks Golden, Colorado, and the site of some interesting historical sights. I'll show you what we saw on a future blog post!




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58 comments:

Barbara F. said...

Is it true the locals prefer Bud? ;-) Looks like a fun town to explore. The beers looked so good. xo

pam said...

The red rocks were beautiful with the snow. Put on a future day trip list to go up to Fort Collins and go on a microbrewery tour in town. I've lost track of how many are up there but it's very fun. When it's flower time the University has a lovely garden where you can see what grows well there. I've never been much for beer but there are so many different kinds out now that I'm finding many I like....usually darker ones.

Margaret said...

Hi Pat, It looks like you had a splendid day exploring. I've thoroughly enjoyed touring with you! When my husband and I were in Whitehorse, Yukon we took the Yukon Brewing tour and in Kelowna the Tree Brewing tour. I must see if I can buy Blue Moon Belgian beer here. I'll look forward to your future posts of Red Rock Park and Amphitheater and Lookout Mountain! Thank-you for your marvelous blog post :)
Margaret from B.C.

Sarah said...

Another fun trip with my favorite tour guide. Even with the grey ski, CO is beautiful. '-)

Ann @ Corner of Plaid and Paisley said...

I think that Welcome to Golden arch is one of the cutest small town icons around. We were fortunate to visit there last summer for my niece's wedding. I am glad to hear you enjoyed your visit there as well! I enjoyed your post!

Old Kitty said...

A gold prospector called Mr Golden!! And now there's a town named after him! I love that!!

And it is nearly 9 am here and I am hankering for some of that Belgian beer! Yay!

Lookout Mountain!! Now there's definitely a story behind that name! Take care
x

diane b said...

Isn't that annoying when you have visitors from out of town and the weather is not the best. A tour of the brewery was a good idea for such weather. It is interesting about the water making the best beer. We toured a brewery in Tasmania, Boag, which is one of the best beers in Oz and we were told it was because of the water.

Lynn said...

I'll bet the brewery was a fun place to visit Pat! I would have loved to see some of the gift shop:@)

Sam Hoffer / My Carolina Kitchen said...

Golden is such an interesting town. I remember when Coors wasn't distributed as widely as it is today and it was a VERY sought-after beer.
Sam

Pat said...

I will enjoy revisiting Colorado with you in detail! It's been years since I've spent time there. Baby granddaughter is beautiful! You are so blessed.

Sea Witch said...

My youngest son works for Miller Coors and the entire plant is a community unto itself. Fascinating marriage of a town and it's commodity. Golden is lovely and the drive around is breathtaking. I could easily live in Golden. My son is proud to work for Miller Coors and talks about their history and their accomplishments all of the time. Truly, an American success story.

Snap said...

Hi Pat, you are exploring your new home! Yippee! That means fun posts for us! :D :D :D

Claudia said...

Have done a few Brewery tours - but none in such a scenic place. Cloudy or not - the scenery shines. Although those true rocky mountain passes look forbidding! But nature when majestic - can do that.

Sheila said...

Hi Pat - It will be interesting to see all the places you travel to in Colorado. I'm sure this trip will be just the thing on a summer's day when the beer will taste even better than it looks. I wonder if the tunnel you drove through will look any less ominous? I've had fun looking through all your pins. Pinterest is addicting!
Just call me Anne with an "E"...

Diane said...

Love this post and the tour of the brewery and town. It brings back so many memories of when Coors did not ship their beer to other states, which made everyone want it desperately! Visitors to Colorado from Georgia would bring it back and people would drink it, even though it had gotten hot and had to be re-chilled. My husband and I made a trip to Colorado in the early 70s and we were so excited to taste the real thing! Sadly, we never drink it any more, but I would love to "do" that tour. Thanks for refreshing some fun memories!

Lea Ann said...

Nice photos. I especially like the one of the tunnel. It's been years since I've been to Coors. I don't like beer, but tasting it fresh in that hospitality lounge it's really good.

Yogi♪♪♪ said...

I love the Coors brewery. Used to take the tour twice a year.

Tablescapes By Diane said...

Hi lovely lady.
It's also been years since I've been to Coors with my hubby. But we love going to Silverton for snow skiing. Thanks so much for your sweet comments on my new Tablescape. I hope you and your family have a wonderful weekend.
XXOO Diane

SavoringTime in the Kitchen said...

Too bad the weather was less than ideal but the scenery is still fantastic! Now, instead of towering buildings you are looking at towering mountains :)

What a fun and informative tour!

RoeH said...

I loved Golden! I always wanted to live there.

Lacey R said...

I think seeing a concert at Red Rocks would be amazing - I have an old VHS video of Stevie Nicks's concert there from the 1980s and the shots of the scenery are amazing.

Linda said...

Hello Pat!

Thanks for the entertaining tour. I am not a beer drinker by any stretch, but that Blue Moon Belgium white sure does looks thirst quenching! Lol I hope you enjoy your new-found home and your family.

I was fortunate to visit NYC for 8 days back in late November. I LOVE it there! Even though I live it a 'city'/large town of 100,000, I found it very easy to get around, the people friendly and the walking great - so many things to see you don't ever realize how many steps you've taken in a day! Manhattan will definitely call me back there...I really think everyone should experience NYC at least once in their lifetime, don't you? I hope you don't miss it too, too much. Your blog helped me alot in my travel itinerary, so again THANK YOU for sharing. I hope you will visit me sometime. :-)

Hugs,
Linda at Beautiful Ideas

The Gathering Place said...

I'm sure your New York friends will enjoy the different sights of the West-even when the weather doesn't cooperate. There is a beauty to each different place. I'm excited to learn more about Colorade through your blog.

Michelle said...

Love going to Red Rocks. So beautiful! I have to say that Blue Moon is also my favorite.

Lorrie said...

That's some rugged country you traveled through. The red rocks are striking against even a gray sky.
Thanks for the tour!

Debbie@Mountain Breaths said...

Pat, I have a visit to Colorado on my bucket list. I look forward to your future posts on Colorado! CO is beautiful.

podso said...

Another interesting tour from your camera and pen! Thank you. There aren't that many factories that you can tour anymore. It looked like an interesting day!

Judith @ Lavender Cottage said...

As great tour. I am interested in the red rock amphitheatre.
Judith

Roz | La Bella Vita Cucina said...

I've visited the Coors brewery several times and particularly remember when my parents took us there in the 60's when Coors was only available 'out west' and was quite in demand due to its unavailability elsewhere. I was so intrigued by the sparkling mountain stream water from where Coor's became infamous. Still love a cold brew of Coor's Light!

eileeninmd said...

Pat, what a fun tour thru the brewery. Did you enjoy the tasting? I love the pretty mountain views. Looks like a nice town to visit. Thanks for sharing, great shots! Have a happy week!

Cathy said...

Colorado is so beautiful and your photos bring back memories of when I visited my son when he was in college in Boulder. Coors is such a prominent business there. Wish we had toured their plant when we had the chance.

Cathy said...

Colorado is so beautiful and your photos bring back memories of when I visited my son when he was in college in Boulder. Coors is such a prominent business there. Wish we had toured their plant when we had the chance.

Cheryl @ TFD said...

What an interesting post! I just loved going on the tour, too! Can 't wait to see what was interesting to you at Lookout Mountain area. Loved your wonderful photos, thanks for sharing!

Sara at Come Away With Me said...

I think you'd make great tour guides for Colorado. I was interested to see the home of Coors Beer. Somehow I've never acquired a taste for beer but it is a fascinating beverage with a very ancient history. I could look out my window right now and see a Coors Beer sign decorating a neighbor's patio also.

Anonymous said...

What great shots! Looks like a fun outing.

Judy said...

That Red Rock Amphitheatre looks amazing. Two of my sisters flew to CO last summer to take in a concert there. I see Chris Tomlin is there on May 4th...that is a concert I would enjoy.

We have a town called Golden in the mountains of British Columbia as well! Thanks for the tour.

camp and cottage living said...

Pat
It's so good you have moved to another interesting part of the country!
I remember touring a couple of breweries with my folks when I was younger. One in Olympia, WA and Milwaukee, WI
I look forward to seeing Colorado in the Summer time.

Kusum said...

Wow! That is pretty rocky landscape!

Anonymous said...

Thank you for this interesting journey very much. Please have a good Tuesday ahead.

robert geiß

Skye said...

Wow what a great place to live by and visit! It's funny how when you live close to the tourist attractions and never visit. Good job for going so quickly! I (like you used to) have livd near NYC for my entire life and I only went to a few NY touristy things ever LOL! Thats just the way it goes I guess!

Al said...

I haven't made it to the Coors Brewery tour yet. But I've seen plenty of rock concerts at Red Rocks, many of my favorite bands, some several times!

The Tablescaper said...

Such extremes - NY to Colorado.

Great to have you be a part of Seasonal Sundays.

- The Tablescaper

Arija said...

Great pictures of the 'grand tour'! Now I need to go and get a beer as I swelter at 102F . . .

Liz said...

Wonderful shots.

My entries:
Liz (mcn)
Liz (mot)

s.c said...

Great landscape and a nice tour through the brewery. I really would like to taste a coors but living in holland we have so much to choose from that I never have seen a coors between them. Thanks for showing.

Gemma Wiseman said...

Intriguing post! Love the views of those rock textures and shapes in the first few photos!

Anonymous said...

What an interesting place to visit! You really do have a lot of great scenery around you.

ellen b. said...

I enjoy going on tours with you!

My name is Riet said...

oh Pat what a beautiful country you live in, you must be amazed by its beauty every day. I love your photo's. that beer looks good. Don't think we have coors beer here, Heineken and Amstel beer are the most known and made here.
Have a nice week.

Ciao Chow Linda said...

I'm more of an amber beer lover, so that Batch 19 beer looks terrific to me. I'll have to see if I can find it here.

RNSANE said...

How nice to have visitors from home already. What wonderful photographs. as always. The only brewery I've ever visited was Anheuser-Busch when we went to Busch Gardens in Tampa, Florida. I really am not fond of beer. The only ones I like are Guinness and Newcastle Brown Ale. I much prefer wine.

Jim said...

Great post.

Ebie said...

Pat, you are a great tour guide. I feel you are enjoying your mile high living!

La Petite Gallery said...

I bet that was the best trip she ever had, a fasinating trip. Thanks for sharing. yvonne

AdriBarr said...

MY, but it is so beautiful - sp majestic. IT must be awe inspiring to see it. I am constaaantly amazed vy the variety of landscapes in our country. And I enjoyed your armchair tour. Coors is an American institution. Thanks! This was fun.

Sue said...

You sure moved to a beautiful spot...that mountain hwy with the tunnel was very cool...As for the Coors plant...daughter went to college with both the Coors son and the Busch son...battling beer companies...Her grandfather worked for Budweiser for 40 years and I used to tell her she needed to score a date with one of the two of them....never happened....very disappointed..she could have been a beer heiress...

Annesphamily said...

My friend Alyn is a 6th generation Golden resident so anything I ever learned about Golden she probably told me! Hee Hee! Currently, her son-in-law is the youngest professor at the Colorado School of Mines and my pretty niece Katie graduated from the wonderful college two years ago. When Nick was a baby I use to drive to Golden to pay our phone bill at Foss Drug. What a terrific memory you reminded me of! Especially because my youngest son left for college again today! :-(

ExploreColorado said...

How fun! We've never toured the brewery, but we've been to Lookout Mtn. several times. My girls love the museum. It's great fun. Looking forward to seeing your pictures!!