If you count by semesters, I graduated from college early. If you count by the calendar date, I was five months late. In terms of craft beer in Boulder, Colorado, however, I graduated right on time. I ordered a pony keg of Buffalo Gold from the Boulder Beer Company for our graduation party along with other assorted party favors from Liquor Mart on Arapahoe Road.
Many CU grads have done this since, but we drained that keg in December 1993—25 years ago this week. Shoot. A lot has changed in Boulder since then, but you can still go have a beer at The Sink on The Hill. And it won’t have to be a Rolling Rock or a Coors Light.
I lived above that den of iniquity for a few months after graduation. A tangle of dudes inhabited the floor below us, in a cave that would emit its weed-flavored haze up through our shower, in the lone bathroom we shared between four girls and one lucky guy (who grew up with sisters, and was therefore completely in his element).
There are memories best left there, like the shadow of masking tape that outlined Dead Alex On The Floor in the kitchen. And there are memories to savor, like the kind I can bring back when I order a pint of Buff Gold from a random airport bar in Denver. Craft beer has come quite a ways, and so have I.
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- The taps at The Sink on the Hill in Boulder, Colorado
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- Cheeky wall art is a long-time tradition at The Sink on the Hill In Boulder, Colorado
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- Though winter has settled into the open space near Boulder, Colorado, there are always blue skies on the way for a hike
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- A pint of Buffalo Gold from Boulder Beer Company at the Denver airport