Rocky Mountain Food Report: The Best Of Colorado Springs Cafe Craft Coffee & Beer Invitational

On Saturday, September 30, Focus on the Beer and The Little London Show present Colorado Springs’ first Cafe Craft Coffee and Beer Invitational at Buffalo Lodge Bicycle Resort from 11:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m..

The event brings the best of the liquid craft industries together and gives participating brewers and roasters the chance to marry their styles and create a beer that amplifies the characteristics in both specialty beverages.

The hosts draw some inspiration from Cool Beans Beer and Coffee Festival that was held in Denver on January 28, 2017 at Ratio Beerworks with their neighbors Novo Coffee.

“We felt Colorado Springs has an even better caliber of roasters and breweries and we wanted to highlight both industries,” says Ryan Hannigan, creative director of Focus on the Beer. “You’ll get to try everything once or twice and it isn’t about getting drunk. It’s about talking to the roasters and brewers about the process and everything that goes into making the beer.”

The educational and perky beer festival will include some snacks, like Mountain Pie Co.but Hannigan says that the main event is all “about the beer and the coffee”.  Go get yourself a breakfast burrito beforehand to ensure a stellar start to your Saturday.

Not into dark beers? If your mind goes straight towards traditional stouts and porters solely when you think of these two drinks expect more from the modern techniques and tasting notes these beers pull from the tiny beans. Events like Cool Beans and Cafe Craft are illustrations of how different regions and roast levels can omit a wide spectrum of flavors.

“There will be a variety,” says Hannigan. “It’ll be unique takes on how coffee can fit into beer. With the new roasting styles you can get a lot of fruit flavors and vanilla and it’s less about that burnt Folgers coffee taste.”

The Cafe Craft lineup includes:Paradox Beer CompanyStorybook BrewingLocal RelicCerberus Brewing CompanyFossil Craft Beer CompanyFieldhouse Brewing CompanySmiling Toad BreweryGoat Patch Brewing CompanyJAKs Brewing CompanyBristol Brewing CompanyMetric BrewingRed Leg Brewing CompanyLoyal CoffeeSwitchback Coffee RoastersHold Fast Coffee Co.Story Coffee CompanyBuilding Three Coffee RoastersR&R Coffee CafeMission Coffee Roasters and CafeInertia Coffee Co.  

Tickets are available for $45. Proceeds from Cafe Craft benefits Colorado Springs non-profit Indy Give!.