You’d be forgiven if you happened to cruise past Outworld Brewing’s gray stone storefront and figured there was nothing special inside. Located on Vista View Drive in a small strip mall next to an archery store, there’s not a whole lot from the outside beckoning you in beyond a logo on the door and the prospect of beer inside.
But go inside you must, and the bland storefront immediately gives way to silvers and coppers, lines of metal railings swooping this way and that, oversized curved frames closing off dining booths, and décor that could be described as retro-futurist. It’s like walking onto the set of a 1960s sci-fi TV show.
But you probably gathered that from the name, didn’t you? Co-creators Jeremy Williams and Nicole Elgh’s large brewpub, Outworld Brewing, is aptly named. They opened for business on Feb. 28, 2020, coincidentally, a stone’s throw away from the car-themed brewpub, Collision Brewing Company. Both are new to the scene, located on the I-25 side of CO-119, and are keeping themed drinking and dining alive and well.
And dine you should; the dishes are filling and satisfying. Outworld gets their money’s worth out of the fryer — the frites are outstanding — and most items come with a sauce or two to dip or dunk. It all plays well with the lineup of brews — a mixture of European-inspired ales and lagers, with a couple of American fixtures tossed in for good measure.
Currently, Outworld has 10 brews on tap, six under its Archetype division (“Beers brewed true to style featuring classic elements”), and four under Voyager (“Beers that venture beyond the classic elements of a given style”).
Start with the Archetypes, particularly Broken Earth, a sticke alt. Sticke (pronounced SCHTICK-uh) is German for “secret” or generous. As in the brewer was generous with the ingredients. Outworld’s version has a nice chocolate brown color, a whiff of brown sugar, and a caramel flavor. There’s a touch of roasted malt and some hop bitterness to balance out the sweetness, but the real beauty is in the mouthfeel — light and playful. Considering it weighs in at 7% alcohol by volume, it’s somewhat dangerous as it’s the kind of beer you can suck down like Coca-Cola.
There’s nothing light or playful about Planetary Devastation, a Scotch wee heavy, or Stellaris, a Belgian tripel; both come out of the glass swinging. The former is malt heavy with notes of nutty toffee, coffee roast and dollops of rich honey. It goes pretty well with salty fare but would go better with a roaring campfire. The tripel, on the other hand, is a strong golden ale with a pronounced nose of hoppy lemon and pine. Sip it with a pretzel, and grainy mustard and let harmony ensue.
But if those three, and Black is Beautiful (see sidebar) are a bit bold for your liking, take solace in its German Kölsch, Shaw’s Last Stand: light and fruity and all-around thirst-quenching. It’ll mitigate the sad, summer sting of a hot Sunday afternoon. But when the weather turns, come back for that Scotch wee heavy, it’ll be waiting.
Black is Beautiful Imperial Stout
Started by Weathered Souls Brewing Co. in San Antonio, Texas, Black is Beautiful is a collaborative effort to bring awareness of racial injustice to the brewing community. Breweries around the country are participating by using Weathered Soul’s recipe, putting their twist on it and donating the beer’s proceeds to a local charity. Longmont’s Outworld Brewing is one of the 1,000-plus breweries releasing Black is Beautiful, and its version is an imperial stout brewed with chocolate and Mandarin orange. It’s big and sweet, with a hint of roast and some nice bitter chocolate. Let it warm in the glass, and it will unlock the flavor of a chocolate-covered orange. If it wasn’t 90 degrees outside, it might even make you think of the holiday season. Outworld Brewing is donating the proceeds to YWCA of Boulder County, a nonprofit dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women, and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all.
