The Main Street in Louisville feels like a cohesive place today. Over the past 20 years as the town absorbed more and more commuters from Boulder and Denver, those calling Louisville home looked forward to a time they could enjoy a wide variety of food, wine, and beer locally rather than hauling up 36 or down I-25.
12 Degree Brewing adds a great element to this scene. Two good friends from high school live nearby (one within walking distance) and suggested we meet there for happy hour. With the garage door open to the warm breeze, we sat inside at simple, family-style wood tables and I ordered a full glass to start, then a flight to sample further.
A burst of fresh-squeezed blood orange juice from all quadrants in the Blood Orange Express ale
Chosen first: the Blood Orange Express. Wow. what a fresh, juicy pale ale! I absolutely adored this beer, noting that I felt it had been freshly squeezed–but with none of the sweetness of the juice. Refreshing at 5.9% abv, it was the perfect choice for a thirst-quenching start to happy hour.
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- The full bar menu at 12 Degree includes all the beers plus good wines by the glass
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- A flight of 12 Degree beers, ranging from saison to porter
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- The dining room at 12 Degree features family-style tables
For the flight:
Soleil Saison, a Belgian farmhouse ale that had a bit of funk appropriate to the style, and some papaya notes. 6.9% abv
Utepils, a saison brewed with hibiscus, which seems to be a thing (and a good one), as the tangy citrus and floral of hibiscus plays out well in this brew. 6.6% abv
Treachery, a golden strong ale that belies its abv with a light and crisp manner. Award winner, but probably the least interesting of the bunch to me. 8% abv
Foxx Rouge, a smashing beer, the dark strong ale has lots of sugary, rich notes from fig and dates. 7.2% abv
Velour Fog, a beautiful Abbey ale, with cherries up front and a hit of burnt caramel on the back end. My favorite after the Blood Orange Express–but clearly two different beers for two different applications. 9.8% abv