By far the most unique brewery experience I've eve...

By far the most unique brewery experience I've ever had and I loved every second of it. The brewery itself has a storied history, but here is the quick, 30 second history lesson.

Bristol Brewing was founded in 1994 and have been rolling strong ever since. While on the hunt for a new, bigger location for their expanding business, Mike and Amanda Bristol discovered the holy grail: Ivywild Elementary School. This 1916 built elementary school was shut down in 2009 and was just wasting away in the brutal Colorado winters. The Bristol's purchased the building in 2011/2012 and, in collaboration with local community leaders, renovated the school to be Bristol's Brewing Company's new home. In addition to the brewery, the school-turned-beer-mecca houses a local bakery and a cocktail bar called "The Principals Office" (hardy har..) among other local community based businesses. Back to the beer though...

The brew pub itself is on the second story of the school where the horseshoe style bar seats close to 20. There are multiple high tops and tables with servers whirling around the pub as well. As with most breweries, there are rotating seasonal taps in addition to the year round staples. No matter what you choose, you won't be disappointed. I tried as many samples as I could (responsibly since I made the mistake of driving and not taking a cab..fail) and enjoyed each drop. The bartenders are very knowledgeable about the beers and can explain each to the T. Although I enjoyed each beer, there was one that stood tall and proud above the rest.

Although it is not on the menu, Bristol Brewing has a reserve stock of sours that will blow your freaking socks off. The Grand Cru style sour that I tried had been aging for 10 YEARS and was unlike any I've ever had. The aging had taken a decent amount of the "bite" off you normally get from a sour, but added an incredible amount of complexity. Incredible. Fun Fact: I was told the beer could not be sold outside the brewery since the recipe could not be found. As you need the recipe to determine necessary metrics (ABV in particular) and create a label, this is a "school house only" brew.

Whether you're a craft connoisseur or a weekend warrior looking to relax, you need to check out this place. I promise you won't be disappointed.