Although it pained Shikes to write that, readers appreciated his honesty.
As EmLeaux wrote in response to another comment that took aim at Shikes:
"Great Divide may be in itself better then Deschutes and definitely Rogue." That is rife with homerism and just isn't true. Great Divide is fine and all, but they owe their existence to breweries like Rogue and Deschutes. This article is very well done. I wish the author could have made it to Belmont Station or even John's Marketplace to see bigger and better examples of beer-specific stores. Beer Mongers is good and all, but their selection pales in comparison to those two. I find it rather relevant that the author chose to use pictures of Hopworks and Lucky Lab in his post. Hopworks is the one newer brewery in Portland that does so, so many things right - organic, big volume, aesthetically pleasing and tucked away in an unassuming SE Portland neighborhood close to a high school and across from a bowling alley. There's a charm with a place like Hopworks that would be hard to find in any brewery that operates in a big city like Portland or Denver. The point about PDX is crucial, too. Waiting for a plane and enjoying some craft beers from a brewery like Laurelwood is something you can't experience at any other airport. Again, nice job, Jonathan. It's hard to be unbiased about your current city's beer scene, yet you found a way to write your post in such a way.
Drink up, Denver.
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