Avery Brewing Company - Ellie's Brown Ale

Ellie’s Brown Ale label features president/brewmaster Adam Avery’s 4 year old chocolate Labrador retriever and was created to appeal not only to the taste of beer drinkers but to their lifestyles as well, in this case, to dog lovers. The beer’s name and label recently underwent a facelift as Elle Magazine threatened suit to the beer with the same name claiming that some of their readers might confuse the two products. It could happen. I’ve often mistook my dog for a woman’s lifestyle magazine. In any case, the extra letter was added to appease Elle and avoid that favorite American past time of being sued. Ellie’s Brown Ale is brewed with a combination of two row pale, munich, caramel and chocolate malts. Adam adds cluster hops at the beginning of the 60 minute boil primarily to add bitterness. Cascade and fuggles hops are added at the middle and end of the boil respectively for their aromatic contributions. A proprietary English yeast strain is used.

Note a very pleasant roasted character in Ellie’s nose (it should be wet too if she’s healthy!). No hop character is evident as appropriate for an English Brown Ale. Look for good head retention in this brown, clear, medium-bodied beer. We found a very rich maltiness and a complex caramel and roasted combination in the flavor profile of this very nicely balanced beer. Overall, a very flavorful and sweet brown ale, almost too much so for an English Brown. More of an American Brown in flavor and English brown in its malty balance. Bottom line? We loved it!

A microbrewery in the truest sense of the word, the Boulder, CO based Avery Brewing Company is family affair spawned by homebrewer Adam Avery who also managed to convince his father and sister to join him in his brewing venture. Adam oversees the brewing and packaging operations at the brewery while his father Larry runs the administrative side of the business. Sister, Angie is chartered with sales and marketing. Established in late 1993, the brewery has since expanded from an 800 to a 3200 barrels/yr. capacity to meet the growing demand for their full-bodied product line. Adam brews with a 7 Bbl. brewhouse, (3) 30 Bbl. and (1) 20 Bbl. fermentation tanks, and (1) 30 Bbl. bright tank. This month we bring you Avery’s brown ale and amber/red ale. Other products brewed at Avery include: Fourteener ESB, Out of Bounds Stout, Razzy Wheat Ale, and their newly introduced Avery India Pale Ale. Adam is considering a Scotch Ale as a fall seasonal. For more information about the brewery and tours, call 303-440-4324.

For more information about the brewery and scheduled tours, call (303) 440-4324.