Month: July 2017

Happy Hour, Cocktails, & Tasty Bites at Max’s Wine Dive

Denver Restaurants

By Jessica H.

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Max’s Wine Dive is a laid-back restaurant in south Capitol Hill with a gourmet food menu and an eclectic wine and cocktail list that touches on southern classics and twists on American favorites. The first Max’s Wine Dive opened in Houston, Texas with the goal of serving up delicious comfort food and a variety of wines in a relaxed environment. Unlike your traditional fine dining restaurants in which men must don a button down and women a cocktail dress, MWD has the food and drink of a fine dining restaurant but in an uber-casual environment. With the love of rock ‘n’ roll and a variety of wines to suit everyone’s tastes, Max’s Wine Dive is a place you can take your parents for Friday dinner or take your best friends for lots of happy hour drinks. 

We have been dying to go to Max’s Wine Dive for some time now and luckily had the chance to visit recently during Friday happy hour. Adorned with wooden tables, warming decor, and a jukebox filled with great albums, the restaurant feels welcoming to anyone who may pass through its doors. We sat at a high top near the jukebox and bookcase-like shelves full of wine to get the full MWD experience. Next to the indoor dining room is a large outdoor patio, perfect for summer brunches and happy hours in the Colorado sunshine. We started out with some happy hour bites and drinks, then moved onto a charcuterie plate, cocktails and some delicious comfort food. 

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Happy hour bites are plentiful here: sriracha lime popcorn, shrimp and mango ceviche, man candy bacon, Max’s hot wings, and street corn. We tried the sriracha lime popcorn, which is a delicious twist to your classic popped snack, and the shrimp and mango ceviche — the perfect refreshing dish to eat on a hot summer day.

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For happy hour drinks, you have plenty of options. Our favorite option for this summer is the Frico Scarpetta Wine bucket. For $25, you get five cans of sparkling wine or “frico frizzante” from the Italian hills of Veneto. At 10% ABV, this wine is crisp, yet delicate, with succulent bubbles to start your evening off right. Another favorite are the $5 frozen drinks on happy hour which mean one thing: frosé, baby. MWD’s frosé is off the charts — a light pink delicacy fitting for patio weather.

In terms of other drinks, we recommend the 9.19 consisting of Sauvignon Blanc, St. Germain, and vodka — a light cocktail with citrusy vibes — named after the GM’s wedding date and a drink that was served at the celebration. We also loved the Barolo Old Fashioned made with rye whiskey, Barolo Chinato, honey syrup, and house cherry. Barolo Chinato is an after dinner cordial, in between amaro and vermouth, which is made with fruits, spices, and botanicals. It adds a unique twist on the classic Old Fashioned cocktail. Their Bloody Mary is also epic — the vodka is infused with various veggies for days and the fried chicken seasoning is used on the rim. 

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The cheeseboard is a must. Add the chef’s charcuterie for some tasty cured meats that are thinly sliced in-house. Lastly, the fried chicken is a necessity. MWD is known for their famous southern fried chicken, which is made with jalapeno-buttermilk… And holllyyyyy…. It’s amazing and perfectly tender. I still dream about it. The Max ‘N Cheese is the final thing you must order: made with cavatappi noodles in a truffle cream sauce with provolone, gruyere, parmesan, and white cheddar.

We truly loved Max’s Wine Dive and recommend you go there ASAP– whether it be for happy hour, dinner, or brunch. Happy hour is served from 4- 6 PM Monday through Friday and you can grab brunch on Saturday and Sunday from 10 AM- 3 PM.

Breckenridge Brewery’s 27th Annual Hootenanny: Brews, BBQ, & Bluegrass

Events

By Jessica H.

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Breckenridge Brewery hosted their annual Hootenanny party this past Saturday, July 8th, in Littleton to celebrate the brewery’s 27th Anniversary. Breckenridge Brewery was founded in– you guessed it– Breckenridge, Colorado, in 1990 and expanded to Littleton in 2015. The Littleton location is absolutely stunning–  with a tasting room, brewery, and Farm House Restaurant and Beer Garden. The Farm House area alone has a huge back porch and yard (complete with cornhole and fire pits), which make you feel truly at home while at Breckenridge Brewery. Of course, the true “Colorado” feeling isn’t complete without stunning views of the Rocky Mountains that you can see from several points on the property. It was the perfect location to celebrate Breckenridge Brewery’s 27th birthday and to take in the wonderful brews, BBQ, and bluegrass that made up this year’s Hootenanny.

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Beers were flowing and we had the opportunity to sample a few of our old and new Breck Brew favorites. One of our go-to Breck beers is Agave Wheat, offering a light, refreshing flavor that is complimented by subtle notes of agave nectar. We also really enjoyed the Summer Pils: a Bohemian-style Pilsner that is light on the mouth, touching on floral notes with a dry finish. The Experimental IPA was another crowd-pleaser, offering a hoppy taste that wasn’t overpowering like we find in some IPAs. Our final favorite: Tequila Ophelia —  a special release of the brewery’s spring seasonal Ophelia Hoppy Wheat Ale aged in tequila barrels, with tastes of tropical fruit and the perfect hint of citrus.  We did sample some more beers in the tasting room — ranging from Nitros to some small batch varietals — but we are your classic fans of light and hoppy beers.

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Woodhill Small Batch BBQ was dishing out fresh pulled pork from *gasp* three smoked hogs throughout the event. This was the first time we experienced eating pulled pork directly from a whole hog. It was an incredible moment that we will never forget. Sides of coleslaw and baked beans were served alongside the pulled pork sammies, while two different Colorado sauce companies (Golden Toad and Danny Cash Hot Sauce) offered an array of spicy and sweet sauces to top it all off. May we also note that Danny Cash had a Bloody Mary mix on deck that was added to our final glass of Agave Wheat for a little red beer action?!

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Now, the event wouldn’t have been a hootenanny if there wasn’t a bold bluegrass lineup involved! Bluegrass greats such as Sam Bush, Jeff Austin, Andy Thorn (of Leftover Salmon), Phoffman/ Beck Quartet (of Greensky Bluegrass), Gipsy Moon, and many more graced the crowds with their feet-stompin’ tunes. Our favorite show of the day was Sam Bush Band because we got to hear some tunes off of their newest album Storyman.

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There is really nothing better than sipping on Colorado beers and eating fresh hog while listening to bluegrass music in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. We want to thank Breckenridge Brewery for having us and we can’t wait to celebrate your 28th birthday next year!

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