The beer culture in our growing community continues at a rapid pace. With over five local breweries and one meadery all within a five mile radius one can’t argue with the mumblings around town. Castle Rock is surely headed down the road to become one of the next travel destination hot spots for locally grown taprooms with outstanding beers.
Having the opportunity to sit down with Head Brewer Josh Mrazik, I instantly saw him light up when I asked him how he landed his dream job at Burly Brewing Company. “ Burley opened in 2018, I started as a Bartender, I’m the cliché Cinderella Story. I knew what job I wanted and as I sit here today, I have it. I sometimes still can’t believe it.”
Josh being a transplant to Colorado, he knew the first time he stepped foot in Castle Rock it felt like home. “ I love the Coloradan lifestyle. I set my roots here for that reason. I love hiking, you’ll find we trail running all over town and of course drinking local brewed beers. I honestly don’t leave Castle Rock very often. I have everything I need here. It’s a great place to live and work.”
His love for brewing started at a very young age. Mrazik explained that his family as well as a fellow Navy friend ignited his passion for the industry initially with home brewing. “I’m blessed, I not only have a degree in my chosen field, I also had the opportunity to learn brewing from the ground up.”
With 24 taps at Burly, Josh never can say he doesn’t have enough opportunities to create new and exciting beers. “ There’s a science to brewing, it starts in the dirt,” he explains. Brew days are his favorite days. Having the opportunity to tour where all the magic is made, I couldn’t help but be impressed when I learned that Lisa Miles, Burly’s Director of Business Development is one of the main reasons he loves his brew days so much. “ I have complete creative freedom. When I ask for something, such as a unique ingredient, or I run a new recipe by her, it’s not uncommon to see her already keys in hand out the door trying to get it for me.”, Mrazik exclaimed.
As my tour continues I learn that Josh gets asked over and over again what’s the most popular beer, and that it is his least favorite question to be asked as a Brewer. “ I have a deep desire to create beers we haven’t seen in Castle Rock yet. The community and our beer culture yearn for it.” He explains that everyone’s palette is different. He wants the most popular beer to be the one that the person walks through the door and they connect with it, and that’s what makes it popular. “ My only goal is to create beers that inspire others to love them. I do however love it when I get a compliment from a beer I created. The joy of knowing I made something great just puts me back in the zone to want to create more.”
Burly’s culture runs deep, the fabric of their core and is a commonly referred to as “ The Burly Vibe.” Both Lisa Miles and Josh Mrazik radiate it. The vibe seeps from everywhere when you are inside the taproom, it feels like family. As I was waiting to talk more with Lisa Miles. I observed the wife of a bartender come in with their baby to just say hi. Lisa Miles immediately swooped in to get some baby time and rush the mother off to the food truck to order some dinner on her tab. Not aware that I noticed this. Miles then came over a few minutes later holding the baby and asked if I minded if she held him while we talked.
Of course I didn’t, and without asking her she told me that she remembers the days when as a new mom you barely had time to eat and catch your breath. She continued talking while rocking and cooing to the baby, “ the least I can do is get this mom a little bit of reprieve and a moment to catch up with her husband and food in her belly.”
I asked her what she thought “The Burly Vibe” was? Not only did she explain it best, I witnessed it first-hand. “ Everyone is welcome here. When you think of the place that feels like home, we want it to be us you think of.”, Miles beaming with pride. “Bringing people together to create family with the best beers in town.”
Cheers to Burly Brewing Company, they sure have “tapped” into greatness. The uniqueness of this Tap house not only wanting to serve the best beer in town but to bring happiness and joy to everyone who walks through it is inspiring.
To learn more about " The Burly Vibe" - burlybrewing.com
