This Is What I Drink : 13

So it's a been a pretty slow week in terms of new beverages. Mainly just coffee and water. When I first started this blog I figured I would write about pretty much everything, but as the past couple of weeks have gone, I've realized that is both difficult and redundant. So I've decided to focus on mainly when I try new drinks or drinks I haven't talked about before. That said, if I have an iced coffee at two different coffee shops, that's two different drinks in my mind, so that will be discussed. Another problem is that I keep forgetting to bring my camera everywhere to document things. This is important for both memory and content's sake.

Anyway, after that dissertation on proper blogging etiquette, let's get to a new beverage!



Great Divide Brewing Co. - Denver Pale Ale

So what exactly is a Denver Pale Ale? I wasn't exactly sure, so that's why I bought it. Great Divide is one of the companies my local store carries multiple varieties of and I hadn't seen this one before which is always a cue for me to buy something. The label describes this twist on an American Pale Ale as "brilliantly balanced" and "English style." Brilliantly balanced made sense, but English style threw me off until I tried it. At first it seems very IPA-ish with a nice hoppy kick, but the finish is dry and bitter which I guess is the "Denver" or "American" style. It's also pretty moderate in alcohol content (5.4%), so it went down pretty well with my pasta (which according to the label was a good compliment along with grilled burgers and lamb).

I think part of what attracted me to the bottle is the packaging, and that's one of the more underrated aspects of the beverage market. I went into the store with no intention of buying any particular brand, but Great Divide has super bold lettering that is very eye-catching. Seeing the huge "DPA" made me think, "What the hell is DPA?", and then by the time I had it in my hands I had already decided to buy it. Anyway, I liked the beer but didn't love it. I think I'll always prefer a stronger, hoppier finish of an IPA than that of the dry and bitter finish of an APA or "DPA", but it's always good to change things up. A solid beer from a solid brewer from Denver.