4 styles of beer you should only drink at the brewery

With the depth and breadth of Colorado’s craft brewing scene, there is a plethora of unusual experiences that beer drinkers can have at breweries, whether it’s trying a special concoction poured from a firkin, enjoying nitro styles, diving into a slush beer during the hot summer or joining a special event that allows you to try wood-aged beers straight from the barrel.

But some of the unususal experiences you can find are also based on drinking traditions that date back for generations, or even centuries. Although a few could theoretically be replicated at home, it’s much better to revel in the fun and the community of beer culture at the taproom.

Here are four styles of beer you can — and should — only drink at the brewery.

Czech-style mliko

Where to find it: Cohesion Brewing (Denver), Wild Provisions Beer Project (Boulder), Hello Brew Co. (Ft. Collins)

In the Czech Republic, pouring beer is an art — a tradition so valued that there are contests to see who can do it best. One of the top skills, believe it or not, is the ability to pour foam. But not just any foam: Czech bars use side-pouring faucet taps (often made by a company called Lukr) that have a screen and a variable opening to create a rich, almost latte-like foam that is fun to drink. In fact, there are names for the three ways to pour beers: “hladinka” is a normal pour; “šnyt” is about half foam; and “mlíko” is a glass nearly full of the sweet, creamy head that you are supposed to drink quickly.

When Cohesion Brewing opened in Denver in 2021, it was the first to bring this kind of Czech culture to Colorado, and its well-trained staff offers all three pours from Lukr faucets.

Don’t want to try an entire stein full of foam? Cohesion also sells foam shots that are great for Instagram photos and might even give your friends a little FOMO — or should we say Foam-o.

German fasser beer