Microbrew Maps: Ale House at Amato's (Breckenridge Brewery)

I freaking hate traffic. I remember once while I was driving from San Francisco to Eugene, Or., I sat on the Bay Bridge for almost two hours. It was a hot day and my AC kinda sucked, so sitting on a bridge filled with exhaust, surrounded by idiots honking and changing lanes for no reason, really started to piss me off.

Then this fly started buzzing around my windshield, and I began to fixate on it. All my anger and aggression became focused on this poor fly. Finally he landed right in front of me on the windshield, so I curled up my fist, and WHAM! I missed, and the little guy escaped out the window. Joke was on me, of course, because I left a huge diagonal crack in the windshield stretching right across my line of site. I would have to stare at this crack, sitting there in my car on the bridge, and for the next 8 hours on the Interstate to Oregon.

I freaking hate traffic. I don’t even know why I related this story, as it has nothing to do with anything. Just wanted to throw it out there, and get it off my chest.

So the other day, we went to go meet with a friend at this place called the Ale House at Amato’s, located in the Lower Highlands neighborhood of Denver, Co. I had never been there, so I was pretty excited to check it out. 42 rotating taps and rooftop seating overlooking Denver seemed like a pretty good deal -that and the Breckenridge Brewery produces some damn fine beer.

The inside is pretty stunning. Huge place with tons of seating, and a large bar centrally located. There’s also an outside deck with some seating and perfect views of Downtown. The rooftop is amazing.

I wish I could remember our server’s name, or had written it down somewhere, because she was amazing. I am huge on customer service. Not the fake kind where it’s obvious they’re reciting from script, but the kind of niceness that actually comes from being a good human, and caring about the product. I never really know exactly what I want when I go somewhere, but often have pretty specific tastes, so I rely on the servers/bartenders to let me know the story. Usually they’re right.

Thunder Stout – Breckenridge Brewery

What can I say, I wanted a Stout, and I got one. This beer pours absolutely pitch black in color, with a full, light brown head. The aroma is beautiful, with coffee and malty-sweet overtones – also a roasty smell which is a nice touch of course. The taste is really very similar to the aroma – coffee, malt and subtle roastiness, but also a smoky aftertaste to it. Fairly dry toward the end. Poured on Nitro, so a solid creaminess to it. Great Stout, really enjoyable.