Best of Summit 2017 Voting is Open!

Calling all Broken Compass friends, beer lovers and family! It's that time of year again, when you get to share your voice and opinions with the rest of Summit County in the 2017 Best of Summit awards! 

The 2016 awards were an unexpected success for Broken Compass, as we took home awards for Best Brewery, Best Beer Selection, Best Bar and Best Apres Ski! We're hoping to replicate that success in 2017, but we need your help! The brewery is nominated for six categories this year, including Best: Bar, Beers on Tap, Brewpub/Brewery (all three under the "Food" category), Apres Ski, Late Night Scene, and Place to Impress Out-of-Towners (all three under the "Arts and Entertainment" category)! We're a little upset (ok, more than a little) that we weren't nominated for "Best Card and Board Game Selection", or that in fact, there is no category for "Best Card and Board Game Selection", but we'll get over it eventually.

Please support our ongoing bid to be amazing by voting for us at summitdaily.com/bestofsummit. Voting is open through September 15th, so vote early and often! Follow the link and you'll have the chance to vote for any of the numerous Best Of categories all around Summit, and as always, please vote responsibly!

(just kidding, make sure you're voting as much as possible for Broken Compass)

Thanks for all the love and support! 

The Broken Compass Team

15 Colorado Mountain Breweries Worth The Drive

There are so many breweries in and around metro Denver that we tend to get into our beer routine and forget to explore. The brewery scene in the mountains is growing and it is offering up special beer if you are willing to make the drive. It’s a great excuse to escape the heat as summer comes to a close, or you can plan to make a stop when you head up to check out the fall colors. Year-round, each of these breweries is taking what’s going on in Denver and adding its own special mountain flare. We want to help you plan your next trip — whether it’s just for the the day or the entire weekend, there is a drive and a brewery for you.

Click here to read on!

The best breweries in the US, according to Yelp reviewers

Anyone care for a nice cold beer?

Finding the best draft beer, IPA or ale out there can be a fun and, at times, overwhelming task for beer lovers. The variety of options has grown so much that the game feels more like a treasure hunt for brewery fans.

To help you find your way to some of the best breweries in the country, The USA TODAY NETWORK asked Yelp to provide a list of the top breweries, determined by their reviewers. Yelp determined the "best" ones using an algorithm that looks at the number of reviews, star rating and other factors.

Find the one closest to you or plan a trip to the most random one. Enjoy!

Click here to read on.....

Companies Join Forces to Support Cancer Research

CancerBlows fundraiser features breweries, chefs, coffee roasters

Companies from across Colorado came together recently for an annual event that provides cancer awareness, funding for research and unique food and beer pairings.

During the third annual Brews for CancerBlows fundraiser on July 7, Lone Tree Brewing Company and Broken Compass Brewing Company, from Breckenridge, paired their beers with a five-course meal prepared by Chef Paul Worley.

The money raised from the event, with each ticket costing $70, was donated to CancerBlows and The Ryan Anthony Foundation.

CancerBlows is a foundation started by cancer survivor Ryan Anthony to raise awareness and funds for research focusing on blood cancers and multiple myeloma. The foundation’s fundraisers focus on “exciting and unique” events that feature brass musicians.

Live music from the H2 Big Band filled the Lone Tree Brewing Company’s taproom, 8200 Park Meadows Drive #8222 in Lone Tree, as its attendees enjoyed an evening of entertainment.

Anthony, principal trumpet for the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, performed at the event.

“Brews 4 CancerBlows was an incredible evening filled with delectable food and music from some of Denver’s top musicians … just for a few hours, we were able to have some fun and let cancer take a back seat,” said Christine West, Lone Tree Brewing Company’s charities manager.

CancerBlows Coffee IPA was given to each attendee. It was a limited-edition beer that used coffee from Denver’s Boxcar Coffee to add flavor to the brew.

In a press release, the brewer described the beer as having a “light grain bill — comprised of 2-row malt, biscuit malt, crystal malt, and oats.” It’s flavor was described as making way for “bold and juicy Mosaic hop additions,” to enhance the flavor of “lightly roasted, fruit-forward coffee.” Lactose was added for a creamy mouthfeel.

Worley, head chef at the event, has lost grandparents, neighbors and close friends to cancer. Preparing the meals to pair with the beers at the event was important for him.

“Cooking for this event was emotional for me,” said Worley. “It was nice to give back and to help others sit and enjoy themselves and to hear the laughter and the music performed while they ate. My perfect moment that night was when the Ennio Morricone piece was being played — “The Mission Theme.” That song has meant a lot to me for 30 years. To be able to plate the dinner while it was being played live in the next room let me know I was in the right place, at the right time, for the right people. It was perfect.”

25 Essential Colorado Breweries

There are more than 5,000 registered breweries across the country and around 360 in Colorado alone—nearly 15% of the U.S. market. From tightly-curated taprooms to well-stocked bottle shops, discerning drinkers are spoiled for choice in the self-proclaimed “State of Craft Beer,” home to such beloved institutions as Avery, Left Hand, Oskar Blues, Great Divide, New Belgium and Odell.

It makes you wonder: How does a market flush with fantastic beer show no signs of slowing down? Steve Kurowski, the operations director for the Colorado Brewers Guild—essentially a lobbyist for independent brewers—has some thoughts.

"It's a mix of many things—a perfect storm," he explained in the lead-up to Colorado's annual Craft Beer Week. "For one thing, I don’t think Coloradans respond very well to big business. We like knowing who makes our bagels, and we like knowing who brews our beer.”

He continued, "It’s also part of our DNA. We’ve got a handful of breweries that are over 20 years old, so there’s people in their 20s who don’t know what it’s like to have a life without craft beer.”

If you're only in Colorado for a week and want to make sense of its massive craft beer scene, here's a start. We rounded up 25 can't-miss breweries in nearly every corner of Coors country.

Check out the list here!

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

What a perfect day to spend sipping a brew outdoors - and we have some specialty holiday beers on tap for the occasion! 
Come try our Margarita Helles, our Raspberry Habanero, or our Mole Stout on nitro while enjoying the views from our sunbathed patio!

3 Year Anniversary Party - May 20, 2017!!

Remember the greatest party you ever went to? It was our two year anniversary party last year, wasn't it? Well, ladies and gentlemen, prepare yourselves and your livers for round three and help us celebrate our wonderful third year of existence as we throw ourselves a gigantic birthday party Saturday, May 20th! 

Join us and approximately the entire population of Breckenridge (and any friends you might have!) for a day of debauchery that will once again feature a FREE pig roast, awesome live music, specialty beer tappings and so much more! Entry is FREE, and this year you'll get to purchase a stainless steel Klean Kanteen souvenir pint glass that comes with your first beer included for just $10.

We're kicking festivities off at 10 AM with Kegs N Eggs with free breakfast burritos provided to the first 50 people that purchase a beer, and just like last year, a stellar lineup of local musicians and bands will serenade you all day long, with DJ Crisp bringing you entertainment between sets. Music will start at 11 AM when Norman Wagner takes the stage for the second straight year. Norman will be followed by The Amelias, a rollicking folk duo, the always rockin' Hollywood Farmers, and if you're pants are danced off by then, El Passo Lasso will be sure to do the job with an epic closing set. 

It wouldn't be a party without delicoius beers. We'll be serving up our normal lineup of 13 beers and have multiple pouring stations behind the brewery. We're bringing back the IPA tent - filled with our usual IPAs as well as the Mandarin Double IPA, Grapefruit IPA and Coffee IPA - and a barrel aged beer tent featuring all your favorites. Specialty brews will be tapped every hour two hours, and will feature past one off favorites like the Blood Orange IPA, Margarita Helles and maybe, just maybe, the Peanut Butter Banana Hefeweizen aka The Elvis. Keep your eyes peeled for a full list and release schedule in the coming weeks! 

Little Miss Piggy and a ton of pork butts will be roasting all morning with a target serving time between 1-2 PM. If you can't make it until later and miss the pork, don't get too down, Scooter's Five Star Catering will be selling barbeque platters all afternoon long to take the edge off your hunger (and maybe your buzz). 

As always, we encourage everyone to be smart and be safe! Do not drink and drive. When parking around our building fills up (which will happen fast), we are using the Colorado Mountain Colorado and skier's free lots for overlow. We are running our shuttle bus from both parking lots multiple times hourly to help you get to the brewery from those lots. 

We are always incredibly appreciative of the support and love we receive from all of our amazing friends in Summit County and we cannot wait for the chance to celebrate our existence and give back to all of you. Continue to keep an eye out for more details on the party. We can't wait to see you there!

The Best Local Breweries in the U.S.

Loving all the Love!...Click here to check it out!