Tommyknocker Brewery

Mitchster

Michigan

3.1/5  rDev -18.4%
vibe: 3 | quality: 2.5 | service: 3 | selection: 4 | food: 3

Visited here on a brew-crawl across the United States, luckily catching a glimpse of the word "Brewery" out the corner of my eye while traveling down the highway. When I visited, I think they had about 8 beers on tap. I sampled 2 of them and they both tasted like soap. I thought it was the glasses, so I had the waitress make sure the bartender was rinsing them. The next two also tasted like soap, so I mentioned it to the brewer. He tasted some samples and said they tasted normal to him, so I guess that is how they are supposed to taste. My girlfriend also mentioned that they tasted like soap, without me mentioning it first. We got some food which was quite average and overpriced. They offer 12oz bottles, nitros, and kegs out the door, as well as seasonal 6 packs. The waitress was average in her knowledge about their beer. The atmosphere was cozy enough, with lots of colorful mining charicatures on the wall and a few TVs in a dining room seperate from the bar.

06-13-2003 23:46:19 | More by Mitchster

JuicesFlowing

Kansas

4.7/5  rDev +23.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 5 | $$

My wife and I make Tommyknocker Brewpub a priority every summer while camping in Colorado. The short trip on I-70 is scenic, so just getting there is worht the trip. Idaho Springs is a lovely little town full of Victorian-style houses, so even after Tommyknocker you can walk around, grab a coffee, and enjoy the atmosphere. The thing about Tommyknocker is the quality you get. Every meal we've eaten there has been delicious. Brewpubs should be known for quality beer, but food? Tommyknocker has a great menu and absolute quality food. The brewing process is right there for you to casually walk around, look at, take photos, watch, enjoy. They have a small cooler in the reception area/waiting area so you can grab a sixer on your way out the door. Also a t-shirt rack and pint glasses are for sell. They are generaly busy depending on the time of day, but there's always been good service. This place is a must-go-to for our family each year. Oh -- and I forgot to mention .... their beer is terrific.

08-05-2012 15:00:14 | More by JuicesFlowing

bradybeer

California

4.01/5  rDev +5.5%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | $$

Brewery Visit #5

Driving from Boulder to the Salida area my wife suggested a more scenic route than our Garman planned out. Thankfully, I also had my copy of Mountain Brew: A Guide to Colorado's Breweries by Ed Sealover and a map. We decided to hit up the long time brewery Tommyknocker in Idaho Springs.

This brewpub is located in the old mining town of Idaho Springs. This is a quaint small mining town that is located off of Interstate 70 and is tourist draw for snow sports. Tommyknocker is a term used by Cornish miners for small troll like beings that live in the mines.

Walking into the brewery you will walk through a little gift shop and cooler filled with beer. The bar is a magnificent wooden work of art. The draft handles are mounted in an old mining car. On tap were about 15 different brews and we had a sampler of all of them, but didn’t finish them as is our practice when confronted with a massive selection and a long drive ahead. The standouts were the Maple Nut Porter, Imperial Nut Brown Ale, and Black IPA. These were three excellent brews that we really enjoyed. We purchased 6 packs of the Maple Nut and the Black IPA to share with our friends.

Can’t say what the food was like, but the services was good.

If driving on Interstate 70 it is worth a very short diversion to fuel up on good beers in a cool mountain town.

07-18-2012 21:04:34 | More by bradybeer

StonedTrippin

Colorado

4.08/5  rDev +7.4%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$

can smell the grains from miles away. huge facility with tanks visible and lots of cool art, nice atmosphere. plenty priocof good brews on tap and a nice food menu. enjoyed a southwestern buffalo burger and our service was phenominal. knew his stuff and was always there. prices were totally fair. definitely worth getting into after going up evans mountain. cool spot in a quiant mountain town. beers are mostly B to B+ level, but some creative versions. will be back to try the chicken wings and the nitro stout

12-30-2011 02:25:54 | More by StonedTrippin

MilwaukeeCrusher

Wisconsin

4.05/5  rDev +6.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4.5 | $$

Stopped here on a very windy day in Idaho Springs... so windy that it took out a back window in a truck. Had a buffalo burger that was real good as well as a sampler platter. All the beers were good but not great excluding a personal fave I knew about before I arrive, the Imperial Maple Nut Brown. The service was very good, and the place had successfully integrated the elements of a good supper club and a good brewery. Not much at all for special release or one off beers. Is it my favorite place? No.. but I would definitely stop again if near Idaho Springs, and definitely recommend it to someone who hasn't been there before.

01-08-2011 21:56:30 | More by MilwaukeeCrusher

NJpadreFan

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +5.3%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5 | $$

Spent a few days in Idaho Springs,(friends vacation home up on a mountain above the St. Mary Glacier). Cool old west style mining town with a long list of touristy stores, bars, and restaurants. Tommyknocker near the Western end of the town.
Walked in and there was a big dining room straight ahead with big painted murals of Tommyknockers on the walls. My group sat to the right in the room with the bar and beer tanks.
Service was quick and friendly. The waitress constantly checked up on us and the food was delivered fast. I had a Buffalo Burger with cheese and onion rings, delicious. The rest of my group had wings and they were also delicious. I had their Amber and Pale Ale, which I've had before, both were good solid beers but nothing rave about.
Overall- A great meal and good beers in a cool little town. I'll definitely return.

09-19-2010 22:58:20 | More by NJpadreFan

clarkm04

Nebraska

3.63/5  rDev -4.5%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 2.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5 | $$

I've been here numerous times over the past three or four years.

Idaho Springs is your typical I-70 mountain community. Some what small with a really cool strip of restaurants for locals and tourists.

I enjoy the decor of this place. Lots of good seating and you can see some of the brewery from wherever you sit in the brewpub.

Tommyknocker beer is just average for craft. Few of the beers I would rank above average. My favorite beer is Maple Nut Brown. I know it's rated on a B- but I love that nice maple kiss and the roasted malt profile in the beer.

The food here is above average. I love the buffalo burgers here. I'm just salivating thinking about it.

The service is usually average to above average. They have a awesome tasting tray. You probably can't tackle it yourself so take a buddy or two.

If I'm coming down or going up the mountains this is one of the places I really enjoy stopping at. It is a little bit of a trip compared to brewpubs/breweries in Denver but is worth at least a try.

07-28-2010 16:04:20 | More by clarkm04

gmfessen

Michigan

2.85/5  rDev -25%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3 | service: 3 | selection: 2 | food: 4 | $$$

Stopped in to visit after a long day traveling through Rocky Mountain national park. The interior is that of a typical brewpub, nothing too impressive or upsetting. I was pretty dissapointed with their selection of beers because I've had them all before. I was hoping to find a specialty release or just something that I hadn't seen before, but I didn't. The waiter was decent but very slow on getting my beer, even my friend commented "I guess they must be brewing yours up fresh". The food was pretty good, probably the highlight of the stop. I had the pulled pork tacos which were excellent. The prices were pretty high, I want to say that the pints were like $4, it's always sad when you can drink a place's beer cheaper by going to another bar or a store. Also, I payed $15 for the sampler and only had 5 beers... pretty steep. Overall a decent place, but there are hundreds of other micros I would visit in CO before I would return.

07-12-2009 20:16:06 | More by gmfessen

shivtim

Georgia

4/5  rDev +5.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | $$

Stopped here for a needed break after hiking near Loveland Pass. Idaho Springs is an odd little town with a cute main street and an interesting blend of touristy kitsch, weather-warn faded areas, and pick-up truck driving locals. Somehow, it works.
Walking into Tommyknocker, you can immediately smell and hear the brewing process. No big glass windows separating off the operations. It's right up next to the bar. Pretty good selection, with 9 on tap plus a cask ale. There was an un-named IPA that was kind of on trial. Pretty good. Other than that, nothing that isn't available in bottles. Good service. Didn't try the food. Overall, a very nice quick stop if you're driving west from Denver.

03-17-2009 05:52:25 | More by shivtim

tigg924

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +11.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 5 | food: 4 | $$

We popped by Tommyknocker on a swing through Colorado late last fall. It is located in Idaho Springs-25 minutes outside of Denver. The town is an old mining town and is worth a twenty minute stroll to explore. The building itself is a converted old historic inn. I sat in the bar area and could hear the firing sounds that were happening in the brewery. The smell of hops was prevalent both times we visited. There were several Tommyknocker miner logos throughout the establishment which still maintained a historic look. The service was acceptable and the wait staff was attentive. The beer there is among my favorite and the ten beer sampler is an excellent value. I highly recommend the rye porter and the scotch ale which are only available at the brewery. Everything that I ate there was good tasting...a lot better than most breweries I have been to. I highly recommend the Hawaiian Pulled Pork Tacos and the wings were excellent. This was one of my favorite breweries when I visited Colorado and will be sure to go back.

01-14-2009 05:05:34 | More by tigg924