The best thing about the craft-beer industry is the opportunity to meet and spend time with the creative brewers and business people who are pushing the industry forward. In between the packed sessions of GABF 2014, we grabbed time with Willis Brown (Director of Marketing) and Duncan Clauss (Founder) of Aspen Brewing to talk about their World Beer Cup gold medal-winning saison, hometowns, our love for drinking and brewing great beer, and creative projects that might mix our love of brewing with our shared passion for Colorado’s mountains.
Almost seven months later, we found ourselves on a bluebird morning at the Ashcroft Trailhead at the headwaters of Castle Creek at 9,500 feet elevation, about twelve miles from downtown Aspen, Colorado. Duncan and Willis were at the trailhead with two snowmobiles, waiting to shuttle us up to a pair of backcountry huts for a few days of brewing beer, drinking beer, building and riding jumps, and skinning up for some “sick” backcountry lines.
After gathering our backpacks, skis, snowboards, and other gear, we took the 5.3-mile trek to the two huts, switched on our avalanche beacons, and rode Canadian-style along a bumpy, narrow, snow-covered path that tested my middle-aged grip. The breathtaking landscapes overshadowed the minor pain as we gradually climbed to over 11,000 feet.
The endurance that snowmobiling requires is underrated—numerous times, I was convinced that my grip wouldn’t hold and I’d go flying off the trail or into the other snowmobile. At the huts, the air was thin but unseasonably warm, and lugging my heavy pack a couple hundred yards had me already wishing I were in better shape. The stunning mountains surrounding us were instant inspiration, and we needed beers in hand, stat. Fortunately, the Aspen brewers were already there and more than prepared to accommodate.
PJ (head brewer for Aspen Brewing) put a fresh can of their Ajax pilsner into my hand as I inspected the 10-gallon brew system they were setting up. This was not going to be a typical backcountry trip. In addition to the memories (and photos and video), we were going to take home a batch of beer based on the recipe for a new beer they were developing, but this one would use snowmelt for brewing water.
Since the beer we would brew wouldn’t be ready to drink until after the trip, the Aspen boys hauled up ten cases of their beer to keep the 15-person crew well lubricated—seasonal Ajax Pilsner, Independence IPA, and several experimental batches of Silver City Ale to share and get feedback on. Slightly soured and extremely drinkable, Silver City Ale boasts a modest ABV but big flavor. The assembled team tasted through the four different batches until consensus was reached on a crowd favorite. Look for the finished brew wherever Aspen is sold this summer.
We’ll cover the brewing portion of the trip in a future issue of Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine®, but we wanted to share some of the epic views and jump action with you before this winter season comes to a close. Enjoy the video of Willis Brown (Aspen Brewing), Haydn Strauss (Craft Beer & Brewing), Thayne Rich (Strafe Outwear), and others geared up and enjoying some aerial fun…
