Dale's Pale Ale

The Little Brewery That Cans By BDDC Staff Most people who drink craft beer probably aren't that impressed by beer that is packaged in a can. Let's face it craft beer lovers, if you were blindfolded and someone handed you a 12 ounce can of beer, you probably wouldn't too excited to pop the top and start drinking it. After all, our perception of domestic canned beer is one of the reasons why we brew our own or seek out hand-crafted beer at a local micro or pub. But if that beer were a Dale's Pale Ale, you would know as soon as you put it up to your lips that this is no average domestic, canned beer. No, no, no. This beer would give your nose and taste buds a nice dose of malt and hops not ordinarily found in canned beer. Although this beer is brewed in the great Rocky Mountains, to call it an upstream beer would be an insult. Why? Because this beer has more balls than an upstream beer! This beer is Rocky Mountain Pale Ale, courtesy of Oskar Blues Brewery in Lyons, Colorado. So why cans, you might ask? After all, this is quite a departure from the craft beer norm of using bottles. Dale's Pale Ale founder, Dale Katechis, states that cans are a better fit for the rugged outdoor demand of Rocky Mountain beer drinkers. There are other advantages to using cans too. They are lighter than bottles, you have less head space which cuts down on oxidization, and you won't find any skunky beer in cans. Well, at least none that has been skunked due to light exposure. The History Behind the Beer So who are these yahoos who want to put craft beer in a can? Pictured at the left are Dale Ketechis(l) and brewmaster Brian Lutz(r). The story goes that Dale was passing through Lyons, Colorado in the late 90's, decided to stay, and opened up a blues bar called Oskar Blues in 1997. The name Oskar Blues has some unique history behind it too. Dale had two faithful dogs in his youth called Oskar and Blue and they would later be honored as the namesakes of his business. Good dogs and good craft beer. It doesn't get any better than this! Anyway, Dale decided to expand the restaurant into a brewpub in 1999, which is when Oskar Blues started brewing Dale's Pale Ale and a host of other beers. Brian also brews other fine beers that are served at Oskar Blues, like the Gordon IPA, which is a 9.2% ABV Imperial IPA. Other regulars served at Oskar Blues include an 8% ABV Scotch Ale called Hiyah, One Nut Brown, and Reverend Sandi's Sinful Stout. Of course there is a regular line-up of seasonals and I'm sure most of them are also full-bodied, flavorful brews. Brewmaster Brian Lutz is obviously no rookie when it comes to brewing. The three time medal winner at the GABF has a passion for aggressive, big beers, and it shows in Dale's Pale Ale. Brian brews the Pale Ale in a big way, as this beer checks in at 65 IBU's and a healthy 6.5% Alcohol By Volume. Brewed with Two-row Pale, Crystal, and Munich Malts, you won't find any corn or rice in this beer. The beer is bittered and flavored with Northern Brewer, Columbus, Centennial, and Cascade Hops to give it the aggressive hop character and aroma. This Rocky Mountain Beer is a rich and flavorful experience. Try It, You'll Like It Dale's Pale Ale is widely available throughout Colorado and is also now distributed by Little Guy Distributing in Arizona. Who else would we expect to bring a beer like Dale's into town? In Phoenix, you can pick up a sixer or case of Dale's Pale Ale at Tops Liquors, Sun Devil Liquors, or AJ's. In Tucson, check out Plaza Liquors. Oskar Blues Brewery 303 Main Street P.O. Box 1826rb Lyons, CO 80540 www.dalespaleale.com