Soulcraft Brewing

Tucked away in the heart of the Rockies, is the tiny town of Salida. I knew this town was to be taken serious when I saw Jennifer Tilly walking the streets. Nothing but A-listers in Salida. According to its website, Salida is home to over a dozen 14,000-foot tall mountains. The town itself is quite out of the way from Denver (~3 hours) however has a lot to offer from tons of local shops to good eateries and some damn good beer. If you’re looking for a day trip to get out of the hustle and bustle of the big city, look no further than Salida.

First things first, do yourself a favor and go to Amicas Pizza off F Street and order the Michelangelo. One bite of this little slice of heaven will make you feel like Uma Thurman in Pulp Fiction…complete with an adrenaline shot.

I may be biased here because I believe green chile makes any meal better and if you disagree well you’re an idiot. but this pizza is loaded with flavor. It’s got green chile, Italian sausage, pesto, caramelized onions, goat cheese, and mozzarella. A true heart attack of a meal but just take a look at this beaut.

Alright, enough of this Guy Fieri schtick. Let’s get down to the real reason why you’re here. Beer. Formerly known as Hubbub Brewing, the brewery changed its name in 2017 after it got into a trademark dispute and thus Soulcraft was born. Soulcraft boasts a whopping total of 16 beers on tap. No matter your preference, they have a beer for you. In true Oprah fashion, YOU get a sour, YOU get an IPA, and YOU get a pale bock! It’s truly a beautiful thing, ladies and gentlemen. I just gotta say one of the great things about these southwest breweries is their willingness to go outside the box. Specifically the use of chiles in beer. Two staples of the southwest, beer and chile.

Soulcraft has a nice wide-open layout. There is plenty of seating and a nice, covered outdoor area. Even if it looks like the Trump Wall. One of the things that I believe make a good brewery is event planning. You’ve heard me sing the praises of Night Shift and the main reason is all the events they plan there. Soulcraft is no slouch in this department. Hell, look at all the music events they have lined up. Plus they have a Happy Hour. Living in Massachusetts, you forget Happy Hour even exists. It’s a damn travesty and maybe we should talk about this for a second rather than people losing sleep over who is kneeling/standing/locking arms/farting during the National Anthem.

Let’s take a look at the casualties:

Sol Power Sour (6.5%): The first whiff of this sour and you’ll know right away that there’s a saison hanging in the background. Just kinda chilling there. The saison comes from a Brettanomyces saison yeast strand and is combined with a hit of lactobacillus, giving it that funky, sour tart taste we’ve all come to love. The beer is good although never quite as sour as I wanted it to be, but to be fair I love that overpowering sour taste that makes your stomach turn. It’s brewed with passion fruit and peach, which is fermented out, leaving it with a somewhat dry, light feel. It’s not as sweet as most sours as I’ve had but the dryness provides a unique sour experience.

Fresco Y Seco (6.0%): A beer that’ll put some hair on your chest. Fresco is an Amber Ale that is brewed with jalepeños and chipotle peppers. The beer has that nice copper tone and is light bodied. I’m not sure if it is how I was raised but damn I love me some spicy/peppery beer. These chile inspired ales are not for everyone. If you avoid spicy food, then avoid this beer. Soulcraft perfectly balances the spiciness of their chile inspired beers. Nothing is ever over the top. It’s the right amount of spicy without overpowering the Amber Ale.

Coconut Milk Stout (4.6%): Smooth like buttah. I’ve only had one run-in with a Coconut Stout and it wasn’t pretty. Granted, it was six months past it’s “Drink By” date but what the hell do those dates even mean. Completely arbitrary if you ask me. Pours a nice dark black color and has quite a head on ‘er. If you ever try this beer, just take one big whiff. You won’t be disappointed. It smells of sweet, roasted coconuts. The taste is silky and smooth. The taste of sweet coconut really shines through. Absolutely delicious.

X-Ray IPA (7.0%): An American IPA brewed with a variety of American hops with a little dash of Australian hops. Let’s throw another SHRIMP ON THE BARBIE. This is a decent IPA. Nothing I was necessarily thrilled with and maybe it was just overshadowed by the awesome chile beer. The beer has a juicy aroma with a little bitter bite on the tail end.

Green Chile Ale (5.2%): Saving the best for last here. This is where the rubber meets the road…green chile infused beer DONE RIGHT! The beer is hit with a batch of Serrano chiles to bring a level of heat to the beer. The beer smells just like roasted green chile. I could sit at the bar and smell this brew all day long. ALL DAY. Just gives me flashbacks of being a little niño in the desert of New Mexico, eating green chile quesadillas. The glory days. The beer pours a pale blond and would be the perfect compliment to some Juevos Rancheros at 9AM. No lie. The only knock on this beer is that it is brewed with Colorado Green Pueblo Chile…not Hatch Green Chile but hey still an awesome beer nonetheless.