Left Hand Brewing Company - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

History

Left Hand began in December 1990 with a homebrewing

Homebrewing

Homebrewing is the brewing of beer, wine, sake, mead, cider, perry and other beverages through fermentation on a small scale as a hobby for personal consumption, free distribution at social gatherings, amateur brewing competitions or other non-commercial reasons...

kit founder Dick Doore received from his brother. According to Dick, "it was all downhill from there." By 1993, Dick had teamed up with college buddy Eric Wallace and they resolved to start a brewery

Brewery

A brewery is a dedicated building for the making of beer, though beer can be made at home, and has been for much of beer's history. A company which makes beer is called either a brewery or a brewing company....

.

In September 1993, they incorporated as Indian Peaks Brewing Company, and purchased a former meat-packing plant next to the St. Vrain River outside downtown Longmont, Colorado

Longmont, Colorado

Longmont is a Home Rule Municipality in Boulder and Weld counties in the U.S. state of Colorado. Longmont is located in Northern Colorado. Longmont is the 13th most populous city in the State of Colorado. The word "Longmont" comes from Longs Peak, a prominent mountain named for explorer Stephen H....

. A few weeks after beginning production, it was discovered that the name Indian Peaks was already in use by another Brewery, so the name was changed to Left Hand, in honor of Chief Niwot

Chief Niwot

Chief Niwot or Left Hand was a tribal leader of the Southern Arapaho people and played an important part in the history of Colorado. Chief Niwot and his people lived along the Front Range often wintering in Boulder Valley, site of the future Boulder, Colorado...

(the Arapahoe word for "left hand") whose tribe wintered in the local area.

Left Hand's doors opened for business on January 22, 1994. Their first batch of beer was Sawtooth Ale, which has since become their most popular brew. In October of that year, Left Hand took home two medals at the Great American Beer Festival

Great American Beer Festival

The Great American Beer Festival is a three-day annual event hosted by the Brewers Association, held in Denver, Colorado, in mid to late September or early October. This year, 2011, the festival runs from 29 September through 1 October. The GABF brings visitors from around the world to sample more...

, a Gold Medal in the bitter category for Sawtooth Ale, and a Bronze Medal in the Robust Porter category for Black Jack Porter.

1998 was a big year for the still young brewing company. In April, Left Hand merged with Tabernash Brewing, and doubled the size of their brewery. In June, they began packaging 12 oz. bottles for 6 packs (up to that point they had been bottling 22 oz. bottles and kegs exclusively). In November, they started their own distribution business, Indian Peaks Distribution Company.

By 2009, the Tabernash line has been phased out, and Indian Peaks Distribution Company sold. In their thirteen years, they have accumulated fifteen medals and one honorable mention at the Great American Beer Festival, eight medals at the World Beer Cup

World Beer Cup

The World Beer Cup, known as "The Olympics of Beer Competition", is one of several major international beer competitions. It was founded by Association of Brewers President Charlie Papazian....

, a Gold Medal at the International Stockholm Beer & Whiskey Festival.

Left Hand produces approximately 35,000 barrels a year, and they currently distribute their beer in over twenty-seven states.

Feature Film

In September 2009, Left Hand's brewery facilities were used as a location for the independent feature film
The Frankenstein Brothers
The Frankenstein Brothers
The Frankenstein Brothers is a 2010 independent romantic comedy that takes place in Denver, Colorado. The plot is centered around two orphan brothers, recently graduated from college, who inherit the Left Hand Brewing Company.- Plot :...

, and many of its actual employees and customers used as extras. The story of the film centers around two young boys who are orphaned, and inherit Left Hand from their deceased parents. The Left Hand facility was not used as a substitute for a fictional brewery - its actual name and logo were used frequently throughout the film. The Frankenstein Brothers is set for release in early 2010.

Bottled Beers

Perennial Collection:

Sawtooth Ale
Milk Stout
400 Pound Monkey
Polestar Pilsner
Black Jack Porter
Stranger Pale Ale
Wake Up Dead Stout (22 oz)

Seasonal Collection:

Good Juju
Oktoberfest
Fade to Black Vol. 2 (Smoked Baltic Porter)
Warrior IPA (22 oz)

Big Mo Series (all 22 oz):

Barrel Aged Wake Up Dead
Chainsaw
Twin Sisters
Smokejumper
TNT Weizen Doppelbock

Collaborations (all 22 oz):

TerraRye'ZD (2008)
Depth Charge (2009)
Oxymoron (2010)

Discontinued Beers:

Jackman's Pale Ale
Haystack Wheat
Deep Cover Brown Ale
Snowbound Winter Ale
XXXmas Ale
Fade to Black Vol. 1 (Foreign Export Stout)
Widdershins Barleywine
Oak Aged Widdershins
Imperial Stout
Oak Aged Imperial Stout
Rye Bock Lager
Smoked Goosinator Doppelbock
St. Vrain Tripel

Note: all active beers are available in 6 packs of 12 oz bottles unless otherwise noted.

Awards

Beer	Competition	Category	Year	Place
Fade to Black- Vol.1	Great American Beer Festival	Foreign Stout	2010	Gold Medal
Smokejumper	Great American Beer Festival	Smoked Beer	2009	Gold Medal
Milk Stout	European Beer Star Competition		2009	Gold Medal
Milk Stout	Great American Beer Festival	Sweet Stout	2008	Silver Medal
Sawtooth Ale	Great American Beer Festival	Bitter or Pale Mild Ale	2000	Bronze Medal
Milk Stout	World Beer Cup	Sweet Stout	2008	Gold Medal
Milk Stout	European Beer Star Competition		2007	Silver Award
Haystack Wheat	North American Beer Awards		2007	Gold
Milk Stout	North American Beer Awards		2007	Silver
Polestar Pilsner	North American Beer Awards		2007	Bronze
Sawtooth Ale	Australian International Beer Awards		2007	Silver
Black Jack Porter	Australian International Beer Awards		2007	Bronze
Milk Stout	Australian International Beer Awards		2007	Bronze
JuJu Ginger Ale	United States Beer Tasting Championships	Spiced Beer	2007	Best of the Rockies
Sawtooth Ale	United States Beer Tasting Championships	Bitter/ESB	2006	Regional Champion (Rockies/Southwest)
Milk Stout	World Beer Cup	Sweet Stout	2006	Gold Medal

External links

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