If you have never had a Czech lager poured the way it is meant to be, Cohesion Brewing Company is the place to start. Tucked into Denver's Clayton neighborhood at 3851 Steele Street, it is the first brewery in Colorado dedicated to the Czech Republic's beer culture, and it takes that mission seriously. There is no food here, and the beer never leaves the taproom in a bottle; the whole point is to sit down and experience the style as it is served in Prague.
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The brewery opened in August 2021, the work of Eric Larkin, a former Allagash and Odd13 brewer, and his wife Lisa. Larkin has no Czech ancestry and does not speak the language, though he took classes for three years after falling in love with the country's beer on his 2018 honeymoon. He has since visited four times in six years, and the obsession shows in the seven steps he follows to brew. He uses reverse osmosis to mimic the water of Plzeň, a custom base malt from Troubadour Maltings in Fort Collins, a traditional decoction boil, open fermentation in wide, shallow vessels, and horizontal lagering in tanks laid on their side. The beer is naturally carbonated by capturing the CO2 from fermentation and poured using traditional Czech methods.
That pour is half the appeal. The taproom runs imported Lukr beer towers and side-pouring faucets, and the tapsters will walk you through the three classic styles. A hladinka is the standard pour, about one-third foam and two-thirds beer; a šnyt, meaning slice, is two-thirds foam and one-third beer; and a mlíko, meaning milk, is foam only, meant for sipping. The house beers are named by their Plato degrees, the measure of sugar before fermentation. The Cohesion 10° Světlé Výčepní Pivo is a pale draft under 4% ABV; the 12° Světlý Ležák is the best-seller, a pale lager inspired by Budvar and Pilsner Urquell that has picked up a bronze medal; and the 14° Tmavé Speciální Pivo is a special dark beer with notes of chocolate and toffee.
The space itself is built to feel like a Czech hospoda, with a wooden bar and stainless steel tops modeled after Lokál, a group of modern Czech pubs. It is a taproom first and foremost, so the focus stays on the beer and the company you keep. The brewery produces between 700 and 900 barrels a year, which keeps the rotation tight and the quality consistent. It has picked up a fair amount of recognition since opening, including Denver Metro Brewery of the Year and New Colorado Brewery of the Year in 2021, and it carries the Brewer's Association Independent Craft Seal.
Hours shift a bit through the week, so it is worth a quick check before you head over. It opens at 2:00 PM on Mondays and closes at 9:00 PM, and stays open until 10:00 PM Tuesday through Thursday. Friday and Saturday are the longest days, running from noon to 10:00 PM, with Sunday opening at noon and closing at 9:00 PM. If you are bringing a dog, keep in mind they are only welcome on the outdoor patio. For a neighborhood taproom that does one thing and does it with a lot of care, it is hard to beat.
