A Taste of Elevation: A New Mountain Brewery Adds Flavor

“How could it be hard to find? There’s only one street in Poncha Springs” was our strategy for finding Elevation Beer Co., a brand new mountain brewery. It turns out there is more than one street in Poncha Springs, and the brewery is slightly off the beaten path, but well worth the effort.

Elevation Beer Co., at 115 Pahlone, is a warehouse turned brewery and taproom. A beautiful, locally-made bar edged with copper and inlaid with a steel logo awaits inside. Old tractor seats converted into bar stools face a carefully illustrated, chalkboard, beer menu with hops, grains and mountains by Hannah, a burgeoning tattoo artist. Tulip glasses emblazoned with the Elevation logo line the wall.

It is a testament to all of the creatives that built the Elevation Beer Co.

Elevation Beer Co. prides itself on creating rare beers and aging them in high quality barrels – anywhere from Breckenridge Bourbon barrels to Chardonnay barrels. Currently there are eight beers on tap, categorized from double black diamond down to blues, the most complex, barrel-aged beers being the double blacks.

Craft beer is one of the fastest growing creative industries in Colorado. The amount of creative freedom involved in the variety of yeasts, hops, malts and other flavors results in hundreds of artistic brewing decisions. One example, Elevation’s Mount Blanca Saison and Imperial Saisons are given their name (the Saison part) by their yeast variety that brings specific flavors to beer – soft spice, subtle fruit and fresh smells.

I suggest getting a flight, one of everything. If you’re lucky, you’ll get some of the “Playground beers” that often aren’t even on the menu, yet are some of the most unique flavors you can find in beer. Christian Koch, head brewer, says “turning ideas into something that people can drink and enjoy” is his what he enjoys most about beer-making.