River North White, River North Brewery, Denver

Style: Witbier

ABV: 5.0 percent

Serving Type: Can

Malty? Hoppy? A tinge of both.

Reviewed: July 2014

In this month’s issue, we laid out the Ultimate Colorado BBQ for you. But what would a perfect spread of dishes be without the perfect Colorado beers to pair with them? That’s where the editor-picked 5280 Summer Six Pack comes in. There’s a little something for everyone: Ska Modus Hoperandi for the hop-lover, Odell 5 Barrel Pale Ale for the IPA beginner, and the much-debated Coors Banquet, a classic standby. River North Brewery’s River North White, a simplistic take on a witbier, also snagged a spot. The brewery, which opened in 2012, exclusively uses Belgian yeast. The brewery is “yeast-centric”—that is to say, none of their main taps use extra ingredients like fruit or spices. The same goes for this witbier, a style that traditionally contains orange peel and coriander.

The white ale is crisp and flavorful, with high carbonation and a tangy finish. It reminds me of warm, cloudy days spent on a backyard patio, which is exactly where I enjoyed this RiNo creation. Ingredient-wise, it is simple, but the lack of bells and whistles allows it to be what it really is: a well-brewed beer.

Bonus trivia: Matt Hess designed the River North White can himself, which recently won an award for graphic design in a beer-packaging competition. Read more about the brewer here.

Would we buy it again? Sure, whilst the weather’s warm. Find the 5280 Summer Six Pack here.

Jerilyn Forsythe
Jerilyn Forsythe
Jerilyn Forsythe is a freelance writer and editor, and 5280's former digital associate editor. Follow her on Instagram or Twitter @jlforsyt.