When I first heard of Former Future Brewing Company, I was instantly intrigued based on the name alone. Upon looking at their website and reading more about them, I realized this up and coming brewery is one that I am bound to love–for many reasons. As their manifesto states, Former Future’s beer is “based on historical recipes or styles, deconstructed, mixed with cutting edge techniques and unique ingredients to yield a product that is drinkable, delicious, and completely unique.” And while they are still seeking out the ideal physical location, their plans for a tap room include “a location straight out of another era, dripping with class, sophistication, and–most of all–comfort.” With all of this in mind, they could not have chosen a more appropriate space for Saturday’s tasting event than the Presidential Suite at Denver’s historic Oxford Hotel.

Former Future brought four beers to the event; the first one served was The Harvester, a Saison brewed with rye and wheat. It is made with wild yeast from local apple trees. While personally not a fan of Saisons, The Harvester was a bit milder than some I’ve had, so I found it easy to drink and thought it to be one of the better Saisons I have tried.

Next up was the Red Coat, an English style IPA. Much different than the extremely popular West Coast style IPA, this beer has only around 50 IBUs and an ABV of approximately 5.5-6%. When I hear “English style” I typically prepare myself for something that is served at a warmer temperature. But, much to my delight, this one was served up nice and cold which made it go down very smoothly. This was easily the best English style IPA I have had.

As a stout fan I was looking forward to this next beer: a chocolate stout called The Magistrate. No actual chocolate is used in the brewing process, but rather half the brown malt is replaced with chocolate malt. This sweet stout has about 20 IBUs and is around 5.5% ABV. A wonderful accompaniment to The Magistrate was the Chocolate Espresso Stout cookie from The Cookie Brewer, who baked three different cookies, each with a different Former Future beer.

The one I was most excited to try was the last one: The Mariner, which is a salted porter. When I first got into beer, the porter was my absolute favorite style. Over the years I’ve moved away from them somewhat, as most porters simply don’t do much for me anymore. To me, a porter needs to have some sort of “hook,” something special to make it stand out. I had a feeling The Mariner would be just the beer for me; my whole life I’ve favored salty over sweet, my preferred childhood snack being Saltines. Before this beer was served we were warned that it is quite different and may not be for everyone. Upon first sip, it lived up to its name. It was so salty that even I wondered if it was a bit much. After a few drinks I realized that was not the case, and it grew on me immediately. The Mariner is, without a doubt, the most different, unique style of beer I have ever had. I got a hint of maple as well–yum. I fell in love with it right away and ended up drinking a full pint. I ate my last two cookies while drinking it, and they both paired so well with it: the Salter Porter cookie, which was much like a butter cookie but with a little area of concentrated salt in the middle. And the Beer & Pretzel Chocolate Chip cookie was great too, as it was sweet but with tiny bits of salty goodness throughout.

This tasting event was so much fun. James and Sarah Howat haven’t even opened their brewery yet, but it is obvious they already care so much about their customers and genuinely want to hear their feedback. I think Former Future Brewing Company is going to be one of my favorite new places, and I truly look forward to the day they open their doors for business. In the meantime, I will dream of that Salted Porter! And for those wanting to sample the beers for themselves, look for them at the South Denver Beer Festival May 4th and 5th. And The Cookie Brewer will be there as well!

Many thanks to Former Future Brewing Company for this fantastic event. It was a great day of sampling tasty beers, meeting new people, and just having an overall wonderful time.