"How many tourist-friendly mountain towns have breweries made out of converted gas stations? I’m guessing the number is now exactly one. And it’s AWESOME.

The porch/beer garden area is conveniently shaded by the remnants of the old pumping area. Did I mention that it’s AWESOME? I did? Well, it TOTALLY IS.

While I’ve seen quite a few breweries built into odd buildings, this one ranks near the very top in terms of inventiveness and fun. Plus, it’s actually quite lovely in appearance thanks to some quirky wall paintings and lots of wood-based handiwork.

….and hell, even if the brewery itself was of questionable attractiveness, it almost wouldn’t matter with the view on hand. Yep, the mountain range that’s visible through the bar window as well as from every outside angle is the eponymous Lumpy Ridge. As per usual, my amateurish cell phone photos do little justice to the wonderful mountain views that are inescapable no matter where you stand/sit around Lumpy Ridge Brewing.

Furthermore, our service was excellent and their rye pale ale beer had a wonderful bread-iness that even my obliterated taste buds thoroughly enjoyed. If you’re a fan of Fat Tire then this is like the 5 star version of that 3 star beer.

Once more with feeling: Lumpy Ridge Brewing Company is AWESOME. Plan a visit to Rocky Mountain National Park just so you can drag your family up to this brewery, then spend a few minutes in the national park as an afterthought."