Lakewood, Colorado:
Landlocked Ales Brewery and Taproom
Visited on: Monday 11th June 2018
Bob Thompson
Lakewood is a large suburban city to the west of the city of Denver. Linda and I were staying at a friend’s apartment in Lakewood. This was at the northern end of Lakewood and Landlocked Ales is right at the south.
Luckily they are linked by the very useful 76 bus route that runs up and down Wadsworth Boulevard, a most important north-south artery to the west of Denver.
From the germ of an idea to fruition took all of five years for the founding group of for: Tyler and Brandi Burgei. Nick Stafford and Leanda Shackelford. Their dream was realised on 24th June when the doors opened to an expectant public. In Denver it is often important to have a unique selling point. Here it is that there beers are mostly session beers of low alcoholic strength. So the consumption of more than one is not a problem. However as an exception, they do make the occasional strong ale.
Nick Stafford said he’d like it to be “a place like an English pub, and that’s why we’re focusing on low gravity beer”. Regarding the reference to English pubs, I wonder if this is the same Nick Stafford that runs a brewery in England.
Anyway, allusions to drinking in English pubs can only refer to the style of drinking. Because, once inside this pub it can be seen there is absolutely no similarity. This is not a criticism, merely an observation.
Once inside we found a large room with the weak early evening sun flooding in through the large windows. There is a large L-shaped bar counter that is the centrepiece. It runs from the toilet facilities on the right, through the room and finishes in front of the brewery equipment which is open to the room except for a low wall. The overwhelming colour is a grey-blue as all the chairs are painted in that colour. The pub can seat 98 patrons. Other than that there is not much to say about the interior, please see the photographs.
The beers on offer when we visited were: Ghost Porter (4.7%), an American porter; Paddle Whaecker (4.1%), a Kölsch, Jasmine Blonde Ale (4.6%); Inland IPA (4.8%); Grenade Jumper IPA (6.6%); Yazzberry (4.7%), a Berliner Weisse with added raspberry essence. Coffee House Stout (6.0%), a milk stout made with lactose, coffee, vanilla and caramel. and Back to Brown (5.1%), a Belgian brown ale.
We tried four of these and this is what our thoughts on them were.
Ghost Porter was a bit thin in body for this style of beer. Yet it had a big taste and slight dryness, very good. Jasmine Blonde Ale was a hazy blonde ale, nothing different in taste from a normal Blonde. Not even a hint of jasmine tea, as promised. Inland IPA was another hazy. It was OK without being special in any way. Grenade Jumper IPA was good with a nice background taste, albeit a bit yeasty.
Note that they only produce ales, the clue is in the name! No food but restaurants nearby and food trucks Thursday to Sunday. Worth the journey out of town to sample some interesting beers.
Important Information:
Landlocked Ales, 3225 South Wadsworth Boulevard, Lakewood, Colorado 80277. Tel: 303 284 8748
Web: landlockedales.com
Hours: Sunday-Monday 12.00-20.00; Tuesday-Thursday 12.00-22.00; Friday-Saturday 12.00-23.00
Three bus routes serve this stop although the faithful 76 is probably the best to use.
Running from north to south and vice versa along Wadsworth Boulevard from Broomfield to South Plaza.
It serves Arvada Olde Town, Wheat Ridge, Lakewood-Wadsworth station (W line) and Lakewood Commons.
It runs every 30 minutes on Monday to Friday, hourly in evening after 21.00.
On Saturdays and Sundays runs every 30 minutes till 19.00, thereafter hourly.
