IDAHO SPRINGS / CENTRAL CITY, COLORADO
Former mining community, Central City, is a rustic gambling mecca with one fair brewpub (visited August ’07). DOSTAL ALLEY operates as both slot machine casino and modest brewery. My wife, Karen, played the downstairs slots and won $45 on a single quarter. Small street level bar had gorgeous murals and opposing TV’s and served simple pizza dishes while pint-size deck abutted rear parking lot.
Ridiculously cheap beers ($1.75 for 10-ounce) included corn-sugared oats-toasted citric-embittered grassy-hopped barnyard-dried American City Pale Ale, lazily citric-dabbed, mildly caramel-malted She Said Red Ale, and superior creamy vanilla-surged, black-brown chocolate-y, hop-charred, espresso-finishing Shaft House Stout.