Lone Tree Brewing

About thirty minutes south of Denver lies the small suburb of Lone Tree, Colorado, a small town that is made up of large chain shops and restaurants. It used to be if one wanted a high quality craft beer here they would either have to go to a chain microbrewery or one of two mega sized liquor stores in the area. But in December of 2011 that all changed when friends John Winter and Jason Wiedmaier met for a couple pints and decided to become business partners. But what business? Of course it meant going into the craft beer business where and the end result is now Lone Tree Brewing Company.

Located in a small warehouse behind a row of popular furniture stores this brewery is not directly visible from the road and slightly off the beaten path. It almost makes one forget that they are in such a large corporate area, and inside you find yourself in a comfortable neighborhood brewery. A large seating area makes for an open brewery but one still small enough that you can converse with those around you and that is all surrounded by multi colored walls of subtle, earthy colors like yellow, orange, and green. The production area is not behind the bar like in most breweries, instead it is right next to the seating areas and across the tap room a chalkboard wall allows you to see exactly which beer is fermenting. Of course the end result is the beer and whether it is a flagship beer or a seasonal offering there are plenty of great ones to choose from.

For fans of the hops in there beers Lone Tree has two different styles that cater to the hop heads out there. For a mellower hop profile there is the award winning Outta Range Pale Ale. Various hop additions throughout the brewing process creates a more bold hop flavor than a typical pale ale. A very pine strong aroma makes this beer smell like the wilderness and that is followed with a complex flavor profile once it hits your tongue. A dry, bitter taste is the prominent flavor but then there are undertones of pine, and citrus to compliment it and create the complexity. The finish lingers only a little bit making taking another sip that much easier. Now if even more hops is what you crave then there is the Hoptree IIPA, a double IPA with eleven hop additions. A malt base creates a richness to the ale and the hop additions create a bitter, dry flavor that IPA lovers will thoroughly enjoy. A beer that takes a while to drink, but one that is full of complexity and richness that it is still a highly enjoyable IPA.

Now if hops aren’t the flavor profile you are after then there are plenty of more offerings to select from, and one of the best to try is the Acres O’ Green Irish Red. A deep red ale with a full body and a very straight forward malt flavor profile. This beer is very rich from all the malts but is not too heavy. The hop flavor is very subtle and creates only a light bitterness to cut through the malt flavor. With an extremely clean aftertaste this beer is very easy to enjoy time and time again. For fans of the light beers there Ariadne’s Blonde a Belgian style ale light in flavor and with a spice note from the addition of coriander. With a rich malt flavor, the spice note, and lastly the hops to balance the whole beer out it creates a finished product that is extremely refreshing and unique to its style. Medium, light, and of course there has to be a dark beer to finish off the night with and what better way to do that than by enjoying a Toot’s Oatmeal Stout? A traditional stout that is full of a great roasted barley flavor with hints of coffee and chocolate. The oatmeal creates a full body and rich mouth feel.

Sometimes the best breweries are the ones you stumble across accidentally. Who would of thought that in an area built around large corporations and chain stores that a small independently owned business would exist, and compete with a the large shops? Also to be able to do it a couple miles away from a large chain brewery. But with not only a wide variety but also with high quality ales, and a friendly staff to compliment the beers it is no wonder why Lone Tree Brewing has not only a large group of regulars but an ever growing new customer base. Next time you had a busy day of shopping and are thirsty swing by the intersection of County Line and Acres Green and stop by the tap room and taste the quality for yourself.

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