Guest Review: Holidaily Brewing Company

Taproom Experience at Holidaily Brewing Company in Colorado

Written by Jason Nelson (of Kansas City)

Itʼs great to be guest-blogging for Best Gluten Free Beers. Iʼve been following on Facebook for several months and am always excited to read about beers that, unfortunately, I can never find in Kansas City.

Kansas City is an oasis when it comes to gluten-free beers. Whenever I ask liquor storesʼ for gluten-free I am pointed towards their gluten-removed beers. When I can, I talk about the difference between gluten-free and gluten-removed, I am typically met with glazed stares or the patronizing “Weʼll take that into consideration” that doesnʼt result in any action.

Iʼm also a part of the Facebook group Beer Tasting KC; a group that is made up of over 6,000 beer aficionados, liquor store owners, and distributors. Even with such an array of people, there is such a huge gap of knowledge when it comes to gluten-free vs. gluten-removed vs. “What is gluten?”

The Gluten Free Beer Evolution Has Begun

The beer scene is evolving though. There is a local brewery that does a blonde ale made with buckwheat and millet. Itʼs labeled as gluten-free, but is made on the same equipment as their other gluten-filled beers, which can lead to cross-contamination. Whenever I venture away from Kansas City, Iʼm always on the lookout for great gluten-free beer.

My latest adventure was to Denver, Colorado and to the wonderful Holidaily Brewery.

My five-year old son and I adventured there after an already adventurous day in the mountains of Colorado. After getting a flat tire on the way there, we had attempted to hike a 14er (he made it halfway, which Iʼm really proud of). Intense exercise and high-stress situations are always a great precursor to great beer.

On the drive, my son asked where we were going and I jokingly said, “Holidaily. Where every day is a holiday!” which was meant by an exasperated, two-syllable, “Da-ad!” I work in advertising, not on the creative side, so coming up with really bad taglines is a fun side hobby. I was surprised and somewhat vindicated when the bartender told me that they named their brewery Holidaily, because they want every day to be a holiday, especially for people who havenʼt been able to enjoy beer due to celiacs or a gluten-sensitivity.

Holidaily Brewing Company

…where everyday is a holiday!

Holidaily opened a little over a year ago, but have rapidly gained notoriety in the local gluten-free and general beer scene. Their facility and brewing process is 100% gluten-free and their ingredients are certified gluten-free. Even the snacks they sell onsite are gluten-free, so there is zero chance of cross-contamination.

They brew primarily with buckwheat and millet. Their millet varies is tone from a light brown to a darkly-toasted brown, which allows them to brew a variety of distinctly different beers.

Their distribution is limited to Denver and itʼs surrounding area. When I asked what it would take to distribute to Kansas City, their reply was a bigger facility. They can inside their facility, which eliminates any risk of cross-contamination, and shortly after filling their walk-in refrigerator from floor to ceiling, it empties quickly; easy balancing supply and demand.

The Taste Test

Gluten Free Beers of Holidaily Brewing

So…enough of the setup. Letʼs talk about beer. Right now, Holidaily is canning two all-year brews and one seasonal brew.

• Favorite Blonde: 5.0% ABV — all-year
• Fat Randyʼs IPA (and no, I didnʼt ask who Randy was): 7.3% ABV — all-year
• Buckwit Belgian: 4.75% ABV — seasonal, now through August

On tap they had the three above, plus:

• Red Rocks Amber Theatre (do you get the pun?): 5.6% ABV
• Wild Billʼs NonBarley Wine: 9.5% ABV
• Confidence Booster Double IPA: 10% ABV

They also brew a Porter and Stout, but had run out the week before I visited. I did learn that they plan on turning the Stout into a seasonal canned beer, beginning this fall, so keep a lookout.

Holidailyʼs Buckwit Belgian is what first drew my attention and, eventually, my tastebuds to them. I was served a promoted post from them on Facebook and it was one of those moments where I had to pause whatever we were watching on Netflix to say to my wife, “Thereʼs a gluten-free brewery that is making a gluten-free wheat beer. Withbuckwheat! Thatʼs amazing! I…must…have!!”

The color is nothing short of beautiful. Itʼs cloudy and of a yellow hue that speaks of summertime.

The flavors are well-balanced. It has a taste that is very similar to a wit beer with the combination of citrus and coriander, but oddly not because of buckwheatʼs more pronounced flavor.

I really enjoyed this one. Itʼs easily towards the top of my list at Holidaily.

Red Rocks Amber Theatre

5.6% ABV

Golden is where Red Rocks Ampitheatre is located, so it makes it a great location to create a pun for a beer name. Red Rocks was their newest creation. First impression was just “OK.” It took a while for this one to grow on me.

Wild Billʼs NonBarley Wine

9.5% ABV

This beer is a collaboration with Ghostfish Brewing in Seattle, a brewery that is featured a lot on this blog. It successfully captures the essence of barley wine without barley, which was a pleasant surprise. Wild Billʼs is a deep, full-bodied beer with some interesting flavors and smells, including caramel, fruit aromas, and a hint of hoppy bitterness.

Confidence Booster Double IPA

10% ABV

This is currently my favorite IPA. Everything about this beer was amazing. If it didnʼt have such a high ABV and I had to still drive 45 minutes to a tire shop, I would have enjoyed more than my five-ounce taster.

Iʼve mentioned previously how well Holidaily balances itʼs fruit aromas and flavors, but this one knocks it out of the park. Thereʼs a citrusy, tropical aroma that doesnʼt come across too powerful on the palate.

The Bottom Line

The bottom line, is that if youʼre in Colorado, stop by Holidaily. They are going to keep brewing awesome beers and with your support, theyʼll continue to grow and hopefully one day distribute in Kansas City.

Thank you Jason Nelson for your contribution to Best Gluten Free Beers!

Have a review you want to contribute? Find out how here.

P.S. Like what I do for the gluten free beer community? Consider buying me a beer for my efforts! ;)