Congratulations to Sean Barry, the newest Colorado Brewery Master having completed “The Quest” of visiting every Colorado brewery (now at 408 breweries)! While I have often heard about new Masters closing in on finishing the quest through social media, Sean came to me out of the blue! He surprised me with an email to Colorado Brewery List declaring that he recently finished which made me very eager to meet him. Thankfully, I was able to meet Sean and his lovely wife, Elizabeth, over GABF weekend at my favorite brewery, Burns Family Artisan Ales. We had a fabulous evening chatting about beer and talking to him about his Colorado brewery experiences.
I am now happy to welcome him to the Colorado Brewery Master family and, as I have done previously with the other Masters, I was pleased to ask him some questions about his journey.
I was born and raised in Colorado. I spent my early years in Northglenn, went to high school in Elizabeth, and then lived it up in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Denver in my early 20s. That’s where I first got a taste of craft beer thanks to a buddy who brewed in his dorm room at DU. Our first visit to the GABF in 1994 is a standout memory – only 34 styles were being judged, and Old English 800 took gold for American Malt Liquor. The craft beer world has really changed over the past 30 years.
In my mid-20s, I ventured to Pennsylvania to take some film classes at Pittsburgh Filmmakers. While in Pittsburgh, I landed a gig as a DJ at a groovy 70s-themed nightclub. This role opened up opportunities for me to travel and help open new nightclub locations in different cities across the US, keeping me on the move for a few years. I loved trying out the local brews in each new place I called home. Eventually, I settled in Pittsburgh, but I later moved back to Denver to help take care of my mom after my dad passed away.
At present, I reside in Lakewood with my wife, Elizabeth, and our cat Peanut. Besides my love for traveling and trying out new beers, I’m also a big fan of camping, hiking, film, live music, and my ever-growing record collection.
When and what was the first Colorado brewery that you remember visiting?
I went Rock Bottom Brewery in downtown Denver followed by a visit to Wynkoop Brewing on the same night sometime after my 21st birthday in early 1993.
The journey of visiting all the breweries in the state began at Brewery Rickoli on December 30, 2018, with a New Year’s resolution.
What are some of your favorite memories of your quest?
I’ve been having a blast exploring this beautiful state and visiting its scenic small towns. Meeting new folks and chatting with beertenders and brewers about the latest beers and best bottle shops has been a highlight for me.
While I was hitting breweries around Grand Junction, I headed over to Frutia to check out Copper Club and Base Camp. To my surprise, it was the Headless Mike Festival. I had no idea it was happening that weekend, so it was an added bonus to the trip.
Wandering into Florence Brewing Company‘s fifth-anniversary block party was also an unexpected surprise.
At Wiley Roots in Greeley, we had the pleasure of hanging out with Midnight, the brewery cat, and enjoyed the unique experience of receiving beer discounts whenever trains passed by.
During the pandemic, Odyssey Beerwerks and Marczyk Fine Foods really came through with a fantastic beer and cheese pairing. It was a mixed six-pack and a selection of cheeses to go. It made for a great stay-at-home date night.
Sean’s Quest milestones
100th brewery visit at Zuni Street Brewing
200th brewery visit at Dolores River Brewery
300th brewery visit at Brues Alehouse
400th brewery visit at Great Divide Brewing Co.
500th brewery visit at Mountain Heart Brewing
When and where did you accomplish the status of having visited every Colorado brewery?
I spent a few days in the mountains leaf-peeping and visiting the final three breweries on my list. I stopped at Shelter Distilling & Brewing and Floating Lotus Brewery and finished at Zuni West Brewing in Crested Butte. I was a day early for their Oktoberfest but had a great time, nonetheless. Now, after visiting 500+ breweries, the journey has come to an end, but I’m sure new breweries will continue to pop up.
What are your favorite styles of beer and your top breweries in the state of Colorado in terms of your beer taste?
There are really only two types of beer, good and bad. That being said here are some places I recommend…
IPAs – Cerebral and Outer Range
Belgian – Bruz Beers and Barquentine
Barrel Aged – River North and Burns Family Artisan Ales
Cask Conditioned – Hogshead and Pints Pub
Pinball – SomePlace Else and Windfall
Heavy Metal – TRVE and Black Sky
What are some of your favorite destination breweries?
When it comes to favorite destination breweries, I love Lake City Brewing. No matter which way you get there, the drive is going to be beautiful. Another top pick for me is High Hops in Windsor. It’s located in a greenhouse/gardening shop right next to their hop farm. They offer a wide selection of beer, and there’s also a distillery if you’re in the mood for something stronger.
What is your favorite hang-out brewery? (Where are folks most likely to run into you?)
Westfax is my local haunt though parking is a pain now that Casa Bonita is open.
Congratulations again to Sean for finishing “The Quest.” I very much look forward to sharing more beers with him in the future.
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Are there any other Colorado Brewery Masters out there that I have missed? If you have been to every Colorado brewery or are close to doing so, I would love to hear from you!
Do you want to learn more about the other Colorado Brewery Masters? Check out this CBM blog page which has all of the articles about us, (except me but you can read a bit about my initial quest here).