rockymountainfoodreport.com

Greeley-based WeldWerks Brewing Company plans to open a 1,300-square- foot taproom in Colorado Springs, at 3043 W. Pikes Peak Ave. Jake Goodman, director of sales and marketing for WeldWerks, says “the name is to be decided but will be something that connects with that previous site,” with a vibe that’s “intimate as all get out. For WeldWerks, opting to bypass Denver and choose a secondary location farther south is purposeful, as the brand sees “a great parallel  between Greeley and Colorado Springs. Local suds in the form of canned wine and craft beer from nearby Pikes Peak Brewing Company as well as gluten-free brews from Holidaily Brewing Company out of Golden will be available.

The sustainability minded café also provides sustenance in the form of bagel sandwiches, using Olde World Bagels, a variety of fanciful, homemade cream cheese spreads, numerous vegan options and breakfast burritos that all incorporate local ingredients where possible. Staple menu items will include sirloin steaks, classic cheeseburgers, mac ‘n cheese with bacon, bone-in pork chops and “old-school chicken wings” alongside a list of local craft beers, classic cocktails and a low- to no-alcohol drink menu. Duhon says the interior renovations that begin April 1 are “mostly cosmetic,” and he expects the space to be complete with “an all new motif, as a new venue” by month’s end. I wanted to call it the ‘Midtown Grill’ because with all the growth going on [along Tejon Street], I’m kind of right in the center,” he says.

” Colorado Springs receives a piece of the Sunshine State this summer with the upcoming opening of ClawFish, a fast-casual seafood restaurant inspired by Melbourne Seafood Station, a small chain based out of Florida. The addition of a focused concept built on fresh oceanic proteins is always welcome in our land-locked state, but Nick Moon, co-owner of ClawFish (along with his wife Naomi and The Famous’ Perry Sanders, among other partners), says “the real appeal is our garlic sauce. It’s really popular and really makes the seafood taste that much better,” says Moon, who notes they’ll be incorporating a new flavor with Asian flair that harnesses ginger, Chinese five spice, onion and chile, created specifically for the Colorado Springs location, at 315 W. Bijou St. in the former Denny’s space. Moon says he plans to utilize his family’s wholesale seafood background and knowledge of wild-caught sourcing to provide affordable baskets of boiled or steamed lobster, scallops, snow crab, shrimp and crawfish served with corn, potatoes and sausage within a $20 to $35 price range.

On our brew day we chat up the dudes of Cannonball Creek, Jonathan Lee, head brewer, and Brian Hutchinson, co-owner, to discover why this multi-cultural expression of a refreshing pils translates into one hell of a red white and blue repping beer. It’s an American style which pilsners are traditionally German, and an offshoot Czech style, but a big factor in these American styles that goes from the pre-prohibition days all the way up to Coors Banquet today is the use of adjuncts,” says Lee. In following with that, this beer uses flaked corn and also in tradition with pre-prohibition America it doesn’t use a German pilsner malt, it uses a light American two row which is the base malt for every American beer,” says Lee, in conclusion. A throng of Colorado Springs’ breweries (Pikes Peak Brewing Company, Red Leg Brewing Company, Cerberus Brewing Company, Fossil Craft Beer Company, FH Beerworks, Black Forest Brewing Company, Goat Patch Brewing Company, Dueces Wild Brewery, JAKs Brewing Company) link up to make the blurred lines choice of the evening with a wine-beer hybrid made with syrah grapes and a saison yeast that’s tangy, yet mellow.