“You guys better be ready to air drum when it drops,” proclaims Adam, our bartender, from the other side of the counter.
I’ve flown from London to Denver for the Great American Beer Festival, and it’s been a long-but-rewarding few days. I’m closing out the weekend with a second visit to Our Mutual Friend Brewing’s taproom. During this particular Sunday lunchtime, the team behind the broad wooden bar is queueing up all manner of excellent jams.
Phil Collins and an excellent pour of Dark Mild are exactly what I need to take my mind off an unpleasant run-in with some bigotry online. And as the conversation shifts to covers of Africa’s “Toto,” I spot a sign in the corner of the bar: "We value your color, class, creed, gender and orientation. This is a safe space. Anything less will not be tolerated." Not only is it particularly pertinent to me at this moment, it also seems to succinctly sum up the zeitgeist of modern beer culture. OMF is a very safe space. OMF is also a very fun space.
While Adam’s too engrossed in conversation to catch that iconic drum fill, the rest of us have it covered. Pounding my imaginary percussion, I finish my Mild and head back out into radiant Colorado sunshine. I’ve found what I was looking for on this trip across the Atlantic.
Words and photos by Lily Waite