Mountains and Boulders and Buffaloes
May is the month of unending graduations and we found ourselves in Boulder, Colorado for one of the biggest at Colorado University Home of the "Buffs." Colorado is not only a good state for cocktails but since they legalized a little plant known as cannabis, there is a lot of that going on out there as well even though we were told you cannot smoke it in public spaces despite the aroma we kept experiencing.
For those of you who are far too young to remember Mork and Mindy, Boulder is a quaint, western town with a very historic downtown area centered around Pearl Street. Pearl is a landscaped and sculptured walking mall with retail and very fun drinking establishments making it a focal point. Ironically in this mountain region with very little access to water except for lakes, there are a number of Japanese, hipster restaurants including one called Japango. Of course we found Japango after we already ate, so we just hung out at the bar and chatted with the "styly" dressed bartenders and had some beverages. "Styly" for us means cool shirts with a bow tie and unique hair designs that people with hair can actually still master. Besides modern fixtures and a bamboo bar top. Japango has a jellyfish tank in the main restaurant adding to the ambiance. The bartenders here were fun and highly knowledgeable. Everyone was a mixologist so refilling your favorite cocktail was quick and easy.
Boulder is also home to multiple craft brewing facilities and we found Avery Brewing close to our hotel. Avery Brewing is a full blown microbrewery and restaurant with a popular patio area comfortable for both humans and four legged friends. Their beer selection is much larger than the breweries in New Orleans and they offer flights in shot glasses so you can try multiple flavors without filling up too fast. Of course that is the big trick when you come from 6 feet below sea level and drink beer in mountainous regions. The beer fills you up fast and the beers above 6% alcohol content require even professionals to take a breather.
After Boulder we headed to Denver to end our Rocky Mountain trek but that's another story.
Japango Restaurant
1136 Pearl Street, Boulder Colorado
303-938-0330
https://boulderjapango.com/?utm_source=GMBlisting&utm_medium=organic
Avery Brewing
4910 Nautilus Court, Boulder, Colorado
https://www.averybrewing.com/
