Today was travel day. I left Moab, UT for the just under 2 hour drive to Delores, CO. I’m going to be honest. When I left Torrey, UT, Highs were around 63 degrees. Two weeks later when I left Moab, UT highs were 98-99 degrees. Later this week they were going to be over 100 degrees.
Delores is about 1500 ft higher above sea level than Moab. The highs here this week will be on average, 12 degrees cooler than Moab. The bigger difference is at night. It will be in their low to mid 50’s this week. I say that because the mild temperatures and 13% humidity added to my experience tonight.
I got to my new campsite around 2:15pm MST today. It was in the mid 80’s and not didn’t really feel hot at all. The Views RV Park and Campground is privately owned by a nice couple and they have built an amazingly nice campground with well proportioned lots just across the road from two lakes.
I got setup pretty quickly even though I was in no hurry and pacing myself. After getting everything setup I chilled for a little bit. Actually fell asleep and took a short nap. Then I decided make to the short trip to Delores, 8 minutes, and check out Delores River Brewing. My experience over the last few weeks has been lots of small towns without breweries. Moab had two which was an improvement.
I knew when I got to Colorado this would improve. There are several breweries and cideries within 30 minutes of my campground. For the most part, Beer from Utah was just average. Delores River Brewing stated off my incursion into Colorado on a majorly positive note. I had maybe 5 beers and they were all well above average to really good.
So I rate breweries on a formula that takes beer, food, beer tenders, atmosphere and venue into account. Delores River Brewing gets high marks on all the above. So let’s talk about each, at least based on my initial experience.
First let’s talk about the location and venue. Delores is a small town with a river running through it. Only a few blocks into town you will find the brewery. It’s easy to find and there is adequate parking within a block or two. It was a Sunday night. I would be interested to see how hard it is to park on a Friday or Saturday night.
There is a storefront with a bar and indoor seating. Beside the main building is a garden you can walk though and some outdoor seating. If you go out back there is another tap house with garage doors that open up with seating indoors and outdoors by the garden. This brewery has a large, well laid out outdoor area, Two really. They also have an outdoor stage for live music.
The beer tenders were fabulous. They were very busy but kept a the beer flowing, were extremely friendly and conversational. They were a great source of local information. The brewery also has cool swag and I really like their logo.
Pizza is the food option and there are some creative choices. You get your choice of bases between marinara and garlic oil. I had the Samoan. Marinara base, pepperoni, chipotle and pineapple. It was very good.
Atmosphere is always important for any night out. Sitting at the bar I was quickly engaged in conversation with the beer tenders and patrons. Conversations ran from didgeridoo’s to Ellijay, GA to John Hall at a writers festival to attending Rolling Stones concert to rafting in West Virginia and Delores to archeology. Yes it was a fun filled evening of good beer and great conversation. I love hanging out with locals.
Ultimately what makes or breaks a brewery is the beer. So how was it? It was the best beer I’ve had at a brewery since I left Austin, TX. There was a nice selection of styles. The only negative is that they do not do flights. You can get 13 oz, pint and 20 oz pours.
In summary, Delores River Brewery is a delightful brewery with good pizza and amazing atmosphere. If you are in the area it’s a must stop if you like pizza and craft beer.