The Factory Gastrobar in Long Beach, a seasonal comfort food emporium from Chef Natalie Gutenkauf and husband Eric, hosted Colorado Beer Week. There’s a reason why the state hosts the Great American Beer Festival each fall. Colorado is a craft beer hub. The Gutenkaufs armed taps with beers like New Belgium Brewing’s Le Terroir Barrel-Aged Sour Ale, Oskar Blues’ Barrel Aged Old Chub Scotch Ale and Avery Brewing’s Maharaja Imperial IPA. Breweries like Crazy Mountain, Great Divide, Boulder, Left Hand, and Ska also made appearances. I paired my tacos with a taster of Breckenridge Brewery Breck IPA.

This golden, 6.3% ABV beer is a hop lover’s delight, with a bright nose and a bitter wallop that sure seemed to exceed the stated 66 IBUs. Apparently Todd Usry, Brewmaster and Director of Brewing Operations, chose Mosaic and Cascade hops to pair with Full Pint malt, which grows in the Rocky Mountains and provides balm to the beer’s lingering hop bite.