Denver’s Kvltest: TRVE Brewing Co.

“Beer, heavy metal, and Denver; that’s what we’re about.” 

Denver, Colorado’s own, TRVE Brewing Company, is  hands down, the raddest place I’ve ever been to.  A brewery devoted to, “creat[ing] beers that are beyond the pale,” (no joke; that’s straight from their website: check it),  is not something you come across everyday.  A while back a friend of mine sent me a link to their website. I was floored. Beers named Stout O))), Atma, Black Cascade, Prehistoric Dog, and Tunnel of Trees?! This place was, clearly, paradise. Since then, TRVE Brewing has risen to that stature of a grand drinking hall of legend between friends and I. When I found out I was going to Denver for a bit, I realized my time had finally come to make the pilgrimage. That being said, knowing metal breweries are a real thing, and actually stepping foot inside of one, are two totally different beasts–we ain’t got shit like that in the desert wastelands of Phoenix! This past week I had the pleasure of tasting some blackened brews, and talking with the owner of the illest brewery you’ll ever go to. Seriously.

It actually took me a little while to find the place, because I’m terrible at searching and driving, but circling around Broadway Ave. and suffering one way streets proved to be worth it the second I got there. The atmosphere is perfect: dark, minimalist, genuine. The walls, grey and black as raven’s wings, are adorned with captivating photography (or they could be hyperreal paintings; I’m not really sure, to be honest).  A large Jane Doe poster is hung behind the bar, next to the tap. And the tap itself is like the most glorious of unholy altars, bedecked with various skulls, heavy metal glasses, and flags of cloaked rams and wolves carrying forbidden light and growlers.

I usually dread going to bars; being stuck in a room with terrible top 40 hits blasting throughout the speakers, chicks ‘wooing,’ and bros creeping, fills me with a crippling despair. If you haven’t guessed, I’m sort of… socially inept, so another typical bar place custom that causes me to feel an unreasonable amount of angst is ordering my own drinks; but the TRVE crew are so cool that I was able to walk in and feel at home. I can honestly say this was the only bar I’ve ever been to where I sat down and felt totally comfortable, and comfortable alone– which means a lot when you’re a lady living in Rape Culture, USA. That relaxed, communal feeling is what this place is all about; it’s why when you walk in all there is, is a bar, and one big ass table– bringing everyone together, beer people and hordes of bikeless patch vest wearers alike. The TRVE crew is a kvlt of five: Nick, Beer Sorcerer and proprietor; Sydney, Assistant Beer Alchemist; Wil, Left-hand Man; Jason, ‘The Critter Getter;’ and Mel, Server of Brewskies. They work together to help build a community and bridge the gap between connoisseurs of rad jams and killer beer.

Nick Nunns, the owner, is a super gnarly dude. Not only did he sit down and talk to me for an hour so that I could write this bad boy, but he also offered me my first taste of fried pickles– which were fucking on point! Señor Nunns and I spoke briefly about the journey he took from home brewing to TRVE Brewing, an experience that he recalled as, ‘a little bit of luck and a lot of fucking work.’ Nunns is originally an East Coast guy, but was shipped out West to Denver for work. He began bringing TRVE Brewing to life when he was sick and tired of that desk jockey life, and has steadily and slowly work towards getting TRVE Brewing Co. to the place it is now. As you can imagine it is a small operation, but through hard-work, diligence, and networking, TRVE Brewing is helping establish a unique culture in the heart of Denver. During the first week of October, they will be brewing special beers specifically for the Denver Doomfest. Nunns is also collaborating with metal producer, Dave Otero, to make EPs of local metal artists available for free over the internet–the first one of these will be a couple wicked, sludgey, tracks from Black Sleep of Kali (being released sometime this week). These endeavors, along with being a weirdo watering hole of sorts, is how TRVE Brewing is working to sponsor Denver metal.

So, not only does this place rule because the people working there love what they do, and have a sense of community, but also their beer fucking rules.  For seven bucks you can go in and taste each of their brews on tap. When I rolled down to TRVE for the second time, during my stay in Denver, I ordered myself a fat glass of Prehistoric Dog. Fucking. Killer. I’m not an experienced beer taster, by any means, but I can definitely say I know what a beergasm feels like.

After that I wasn’t really sure what to try next, I was a little overwhelmed; that’s where the taste testing glasses came in handy.  I had a few sips of everything, decided Prehistoric Dog was my favorite, and donated what was left of the 7 sampler to the people sitting at the table– drinkin’ responsibly, ’cause I knew I had to drive in an area I was unfamiliar with; hell yeah.

If laying eyes on the majestic Rocky Mountains isn’t already enough to get you to visit Colorado, maybe knowing TRVE Brewing Company is there to serve you kickass beer, while to listen to everything from crusty punk and grindcore, to crushing black metal and doom, will convince you to purchase yer ticket. After this last week and a half or so, and my brief time spent at TRVE Brewing Co., I plan on making treks out to Denver 666 as frequent of a thing as humanly possible.

Oh look, here are some more pictures:

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