In the mountain town of Boulder, Colorado, Avery Brewing operates with imaginative commitment to craft beer. The brewery's website proudly asserts, "we brew what we like to drink—with utter disregard for what the market demands— and search out fans with equally eccentric palates." They found me many years ago, and since then I have thoroughly enjoyed my fandom.
I think Adam Avery is the bees knees; some of my favorite clips from I am a Craft Brewer feature his interpretations of the CBC keynote video collage script. As president and brewmaster, he was once a homebrewer who became ambitious enough to start a commercial venture. And since the beginning, the beer produced by the brewery that bears his name has been consistently excellent, challenging the way I think about how beer should taste, how much alcohol it should have, and how large a dose of hops should be added.
Ellie's Brown is one of my favorite examples of the brown ale style. The brew takes its name from Adam Avery's former canine companion, a Chocolate Lab (1992-2002) whose likeness is depicted on the label.