Welcome to Elevation Beer Company, where the people and the beer elevate you to your next level, whatever that may be. Sound a bit philosophical? Well, it is. Conversing over a pint (or two or three) of beer sparks the embers of all types of conversations. And that is one reason why we love the craft beer scene. And why we love Elevation Beer Company in Poncha Springs, Colorado, just outside of Salida. Not only is it the perfect stopover on your way back from Monarch Mountain (it's also a great local hangout), but it is a place that encourages community and conversation over a damn good beer.
Carlin Walsh and Christian Koch, co-founders and owners of Elevation met through their wives when they were living in Denver. Christian was a plumber and had a passion for homebrewing. Carlin was working at a fire department and had a background in business and finance. Enjoying a summer evening at Jazz in the Park in Denver, they were also enjoying a homebrew from Christian called Little Mo Porter. And as often happens around a beer, an idea was born.
Andy, Elevation's self-described Keg Orator (he really does everything, except brew beer and finances) is their oldest employee (you get to decide what that means), and has a great deal of knowledge when it comes to Elevation Beer Company, Salida, Colorado, life in the mountains, and music.
“If you like heavy metal and beer, we could be friends and talk for hours about either, over both.” (Andy) Um, we did, and it was fun!
We sat down with Andy and Carlin to chat about Elevation Beer, of course - their beer is made for the mountains. From being on the water to the snow, they have a beer for you, for every season. But this podcast episode was truly a myriad of conversation. Beer, most definitely, but we also covered economics, sustainable housing and jobs, tourism, collaborations, music, and so much more. So, if you love sitting around with a bunch of friends conversing about everything over a pint of beer, we've got you covered.
Elevation Beer Company elevates the conversation with beer, life, and music, all with intention and purpose. Now that's a business that inspires.
Click here for the full show notes including the beer we drank, a few pics, and more stories.
115 Pahlone Pkwy
Poncha Springs, CO
719.539.5258
info@elevationbeerco.com
And if you want to really stay connected with Andy, he mentioned the band, Dillinger Escape Plan. You can find them on YouTube if you want to know more. Want more music talk? Check out our conversation with Jason from Ratio Beerworks in Denver.
The Craft Beer Travel & Adventure Podcast is hosted by Living a Stout Life, where we share stories, community, and resources for all your craft beer travel and adventure lifestyle needs.
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Andy and Carlin, thank you for your welcoming personas. It was so easy to just chat about everything, and making our listeners aware of what goes on behind the scenes of a brewery is one of the things we love best, besides beer, of course. And there's so much that goes on behind the scenes. Thank you for hangin out with us, drinking beer with us, and showing us around. You and the entire staff are truly elevated on pedestals we look up to. And while everyone there is fantastic, we also especially want to give a shout out to Sara. Every time we walk into Elevation, she is there with a smile, and never forgets our names. We love her!