Visited on: Sunday 10th June 2018
Bob Thompson
This brew pub is located in a very up and coming area of Highland. Already it is beginning to be surrounded by apartment blocks. It is housed in a rather strange khaki-coloured building. It looks like it was intended to be temporary yet possibly not.
As you can probably guess from its name, only German style beers are brewed here. Even the Pils is in the German mode and not the Bohemian.
As Linda and I entered we could not help to notice a large representation of the Bavarian coat of arms on the wall. There were a number of other displays containing the sky blue and white diamonds that compose the Bavarian flag. Near the main door the accommodation is wooden tables and bench seats and these continue up the centre of the room towards the bar counter which is in front of the far wall.
On the right there are some tall tables with matching chairs. The bar itself is very small and there was room for just one stool, not very American! In fact the service at this quiet time seem to be self service, not very German, unless you are in a biergarten!
The finest feature of the pub is undoubtedly the terrace. This has a lot of wooden furniture and a magnificent view of downtown Denver. Judging by the amount of new building going on, this scene might not be there for much longer. Growing hop bines creep up the light posts.
The brewery has a fascinating history and one that I can personally connect with. The idea begins with two restaurateurs Troy Johnson and Kevin Sheesley who joined forces with Barry van Everen, an engineer. The three of them wanted to create a lager brewery in Denver so set about trying to acquire one. Where better to look than Germany?
The Brauerei Hümmer of Breitengüßbach, a village about five miles north of Bamberg closed in 2011. Sadly it had been going since 1642 but was not able to compete with the big Bavarian brewers.
They often get an offer to sell they cannot refuse or that their equipment was worn out and they are unable to afford to replace it. Well, the latter was not the case here as it had only been installed in 1984. It was second hand then, being built in 1963 for Bucher Brau of Grafenau who used it to 1984, yet it was still quite new by brewery standards.
I remember the brewery tap of Hümmer. It was an imposing building on the main road through the village. However I can’t remember the brewery, possibly it was at a nearby location. What is very satisfying about this story is that I have drank beer from the same brewery at least 5,000 miles apart.
It now brews 8,000 barrels (bbls) per annum and sells a lot of it all around Colorado. Prost also have another brewery and tap room in Fort Collins, CO.
Normally there are seven regular beers which are mostly Bavarian originals plus two from the Lower Rhine. There is also one seasonal / special. The usual suspects were Pils (4.9%); Weissbier (5.0%); Kölsch (4.8%); Keller Pils (4.9%), Altbier (5.0%); Helles (4.8%) and Dunkel (5.6%). The seasonal beer was Doppelbock (8.9%).
We tried four of this selection and this is our thoughts on them. Pils was very good, having exactly the right taste with the correct amount of bitterness.
Keller Pils we guessed came from the same source brew as Pils. However it was an unfiltered and best of all, naturally carbonated beer. Considering it was unfiltered it was very clear and it had a bit more flavour the normal Pils. Kölsch was OK as a beer but didn’t really taste like the style. Alt was malty but not as bitter as it should have been.
This is an interesting pub and should be visited for its unusual beers (for Denver!). There is often a food truck and a local restaurant can deliver in.
Important Information:
Proost Brewing Company, 2540 19th Street, Denver 80211. Tel: 303 729 1175. Web: prostbrewing.com
Hours: Monday-Thursday 12.00-22.00; Friday 12.00-24.00; Saturday 11.00-24.00; Sunday 11:00-20:00
The pub is within sight of two bus stops, north and southbound at Osage St / 20th St.
Served by the 19 and 52.
Bus 19 runs from Denver Civic Center to Northglen Marketplace (104th Street) every 30 minutes on weekdays. It is hourly in the evenings and on Saturdays and Sundays.
It passes Union station on Wewatta Street.
Bus 52 runs from Almeda RTD Rapid Transit station via the city centre, passing Union station on 20th Street. It continues to Arvada Olde Town, running every thirty minutes during the day, weekdays and Saturdays. It is hourly in the evenings and on Sundays.
