Beer

Would You Drink Beer Made With Water Dripped from Airport Air Conditioners?

Back in 2019 San Diego International Airport (SAN) partnered with local brewery Ballast Point and an industrial water purification company to create a special beer called SAN Test Pilot.

The beer was a sellout. Even though (or perhaps because) the water for the beer came from condensate that was dripping from the bottom of air conditioning units attached to the airport jet bridges.

Now SAN is at it again. The East Village Brewing Compan has two beers made with purified condensate collected at the airport.

Hoppy Travels IPA is a West Coast IPA with flavors of grapefruit and guava. Pre-Flight Pils is a German-style pilsner with bready and lemon zest flavors.

Both beers are currently on tap at The East Village Brewing Company and will soon be available at San Diego International Airport’s Terminal 2.

We can’t wait to taste them.

Here’s a video that explains how air-conditioning drippings at San Diego International Airport (SAN) become great-tasting, good-for-the-planet beer.

Oktoberfest at Denver Int’l Airport

We’re into Oktoberfest season and Denver International Airport is celebrating with the 6th annual “Beer Flights” beer garden through September 22.

The beer garden is set up on the DEN plaza, which is located between the Westin and the south entrance to the Jeppesen Terminal. Hours are from 11 a.m. through 7 p.m. daily through September 22.

Entry tickets are $10 and include a souvenir glass to taste up to 20, 2-ounce samples of beer from 12 Colorado breweries. Each brewery has two beers to sample.

  • • Avery Brewing – Rocky Mountain Rose, Hazyish IPA
  • • Boulder Brewing – Shake Chocolate Porter, Mojo IPA
  • • Breckenridge Brewery – Strawberry Kolsch, Agave Wheat
  • • Colorado Cider Company – Glider Cider, Grasshop-ah
  • • Denver Beer Company – Juicy Freak IPA, Incredible Pedal
  • • Great Divide Brewing – Yeti Imperial Stout, Hercules Double IPA
  • • Left Hand Brewery – Milk Stout Nitro, Flamingo Dreams
  • • New Belgium Brewing – Trippel, Mountain Time Premium Lager
  • • Odell Brewing – Drumroll IPA, Sippin Pretty Fruited Sour
  • • Tivoli Brewery – Bohemian Girl, Brut
  • • Upslope Brewing – Rocky Mountain Kolsch, Snow Melt
  • • Wibby Brewing – Lightshine Helles, Moondoor Dunkel

Participating brewers have giveaways for attendees and there’s live music daily from 4 to 6 p.m.

The beer garden is outside of security, so if you partake just be sure to keep an eye on the departure time of your flight and leave plenty of time to get through security,


Denver Int’l Airport gets an on-site brewery and its own beer

Like beer? Or just a cool place to grab something to eat when you’re stuck at the airport?

There’s now a brew-pub restaurant at Denver International Airport (DEN) with its own on-site brewery.

The new venue is called Tom’s Urban Kitchen and Tivoli Brewery and its located at the Westin Denver International Airport, just off the airport’s outdoor plaza.

The brewery portion of the restaurant is franchised by the Denver-based Tivoli Brewing Company, which has roots reaching back to 1859.  At DEN, Tivoli will brew Jet Indian pale ale as an airport exclusive.

As a nice touch, students from Metropolitan State University of Denver who are pursuing degrees or certificates in brewery and brewpub operations will be working in the airport brewery.

While this is the first restaurant with a brewery at DEN airport, Tom’s Urban Kitchen and Tivoli Brewery is a well-known  brand wih four other locations, including Portland, Los Angeles, Connecticut, and Las Vegas.

“Colorado is a paradise for craft beer lovers, and we wanted this amazing, signature space within the Westin Denver International Airport to reflect the Colorado experience with a brewpub that offers exclusive homegrown beverages and a taste of local Denver fare,” said airport CEO Kim Day.

This DEN-brewed beer and brewery will no doubt be a great addition to the “Beer Flights” beer garden the airport hosts each September out on plaza between the Westin and south entrance to the Jeppesen Terminal. That event coincides with worldwide Oktoberfest celebrations and features some of Colorado’s top micro-breweries and brew masters.

Year-round, there are plenty of other places at DEN airport to grab a craft beer, including New  Belgium Hub, the Boulder Beer House Tap House and in many restaurants and bars, including Root Down.

Have a favorite place to drink beer at Denver International Airport? Let us know.

Oktoberfest events at PIT, DEN, other airports

Denver International and Pittsburgh International airports are ready to celebrate Oktoberfest.

 

Denver Airport beer

Denver Airport beer garden

Oktoberfest season is in full swing, giving airports around the country a chance to let their beer-centric bars, restaurants and brewpubs shine.

For the fifth year, Denver International Airport is bringing back  the “Beer Flights” beer garden, featuring some of Colorado’s top micro-breweries and brew masters.

The beer garden is open daily from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. from Sept. 14 – Sept. 24 (weather permitting) on DEN’s outdoor plaza between Jeppesen Terminal and Westin Denver International Airport. Tickets are available at the door for $10 and include a souvenir glass and ten, 2-ounce samples of beer.  (Entry is 21 or older and the entry fee is cash only).

In additon to beer tasting, the beer garden will have local entertainment daily from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. as well as brew trivia, table games and other activities. Participating brewers will have giveaways for the attendees. And Eldorado Natural Spring Water will provide free bottled water so visitors can stay hydrated while they enjoy the beer garden.

“Beer Flights is such a unique event that does a great job showcasing one of Colorado’s best assets: our craft beer community,” said Colorado Brewers Guild spokesperson Steve Kurowski. “I love it because you just don’t see anything like this at any other airport, anywhere.”

10 Colorado breweries will be represented at the event and each brewery will have two beers to sample. They include:

  • Great Divide Brewing Co – Collete Farmhouse Ale & Heydey IPA
  • New Belgium – Tartastic Lemon Ginger Ale & Honey Orange Tripel
  • Wibby Brewing – Moondoor Dunkel & Wibbly IPL
  • Steamworks Brewery – Colorado Kolsch & Steam Engine Lager
  • Bristol Brewing – Bee Hive Honey Wheat & Laughing Lab Scottish Ale
  • Upslope Brewing – Citra Pale Ale & Pumpkin Ale
  • Denver Beer Company – Pretzel Assassin Amber Lager & Princess Yum Yum Raspberry Kolsch
  • Elevation Beer Co – Elevation Pilsner & Wave Wheel Wit
  • Colorado Cider Company – Radl’ah Session Cider & Mel (Pome Mel)
  • Telluride Brewing Co. – Fishwater, Face Down

On September 20, Pittsburgh International Airport, Penn Brewery and Fraport Pittsburgh join together to host the airport’s first Oktoberfest celebration.

The celebration will include traditional food and drink offerings, live music and fun activities with a German/Bavarian twist.

“Oktoberfest is celebrated throughout our region and across the globe,” said Eric Sprys, Chief Commercial Officer, Allegheny County Airport Authority. “We’re excited to host our first official Oktoberfest with one of Pittsburgh’s largest and oldest craft brewers and bring a bit of Deutschtown to the airport.”

On September 20, Pittsburgh’s own Autobahn-The Karl Lukitsch Band will don full lederhosen and play Oktoberest music from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the Center Core. Throughough the event, a “willkommen” team will greet passengers with samples of bite-sized hand-baked soft pretzels, give away gift certificates for shopping and dining at the airport and share details about Oktoberfest happenings at Penn Brewery and the other airport bars and eateries.

Penn Brewery

Penn Brewery at PIT

Penn Brewery’s new brewpub Concourse A will have festive décor, plenty of seasonal brews and a special menu throughout October. For the Sept 20 party, guests will be treated to complimentary pretzel-bites and mini-strudel bites.

“We’re thrilled to host our first Oktoberfest at the airport,” said Linda Nyman, marketing director and co-owner of Penn Brewery. “It’s a longstanding tradition at Penn Brewery. Our goal is to give travelers a true taste of Pittsburgh, along with a little dose of local history.”

Keep in mind that lots of airports now have great brewpubs and will certainly be offering special Oktoberfest and seasonal beers right about now.

We’ll add other airport Oktoberfest events as we learn of them. Feel free to send along your finds in the comments section below.