The Queen's English
The Brit Pub kicks off next to the Switchbacks FC stadium; Bristol Brewing's incoming pilot system means a new wave of special brews; two more Josh & John's collaboration flavors + food & drink news
When I last sat down with the four members of the Brit Food Group — Steve Jones, Nova, Phil Griffin and Martin Troy — it was early December, 2024, and they were working hard to get the doors open at Codswallop in Old Colorado City. It would be late May until they actually did (never mind the gap), but they’ve been earning fans ever since with fish & chips plates made with Swai, Cod or wild-caught Atlantic Haddock.
Even back in late 2024, the BFG guys were teasing the reopening of The Brit. It had closed in August 2024 after four years up north. And its predecessor, The Chippy, had shut doors in mid 2023, with Jones saying he’d gotten spread thin between the two. But he and his friends — all Brits but for Troy, the “Irish sprinkle” in the partnership — vowed to re-launch The Brit next to the Switchbacks FC stadium at 645 S. Sierra Madre St., on the ground level of the Experience at Epicenter apartment complex.
And here we finally are, with doors finally opening to the public at 11 a.m., Friday, Oct. 24. “You have to see it to believe it,” says GM and incoming Co-owner Meredith Klube. “It’s going to become a Springs staple.”
Klube speaks with some authority on that, having just departed as GM from another Springs staple, Jack Quinn’s Irish Pub and Restaurant, after 26 years with the company. I ask her “why the move?” and she says her recent attempts to purchase Quinn’s and continue its legacy fell through. Meanwhile, the BFG guys approached her with an offer to run the Brit and take a stake in it. She and Troy were coworkers at Quinn’s for 20 of her years there, so there was existing trust, and when she toured through The Brit, she says she saw “a great opportunity.”
So have some of her prior staff, five of whom have come over since, including personable and longtime bartender Kent Davis. So anyone who’s frequented Quinn’s over the years will feel welcomed by the FOH and bartenders at The Brit. I ask Klube how The Brit is different aside from the obvious Irish vs. British moniker. She first acknowledges a couple overlapping items, like fish & chips and Bangers and Mash, but says that even those are different here, and more authentically British because of Chef Griffin’s hand in the kitchen. (Recall that Griffin worked for Michelin chefs back in the day, including Marco Pierre White.) “The food is competitively priced but elevated, and a step up from pub fare,” she says, adding “the vibe is different.”
Part of that vibe plays off the locale and soccer culture, and The Brit plans to stream all Premier League games live, even if they’re happening at 5 a.m. on a weekend due to the time difference, says Klube. They of course intend to pack out before and after Switchbacks FC matches locally. And outside of sports viewing they plan to offer live music (“mellow acoustic”) in the upstairs lounge and bar, to include piano nights where Nova will sit in for some songs. Regular hours are: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., daily, with limited menus starting at 10 p.m. (at 6 p.m. on Sundays, where they also close at 10 p.m.). Thursdays bring trivia; Wednesdays wine deals; weekends deliver brunch from 8 to 11 a.m.; and Sundays will feature special Sunday roasts by Chef Griffin.
At a friends and family practice service earlier this week, I chat more with Griffin about these special Sunday roasts, which I learn are a very British thing. Families gather weekly at home and restaurants there offer special services as well. Griffin says he plans to cook prime rib, leg of lamb, half chickens and an English-style porchetta — pork belly stuffed with apricots and sage. “We want Sundays to be a big day for us,” he says, also touting a portable rotisserie that he plans to utilize regularly on the front patio, particularly for game days. He aims to cook whole pigs, lambs and chickens, likely to offer midweek specials.
As a preview for me, Griffin plates a few flagship dishes. His Scotch Eggs are a “staple of motorway service stations and pubs” though his are “more of a gastropub take,” crusted in a ground pork and panko layer that’s crispy, but served with a soft-boiled vs. hard-boiled egg. “That makes them more creamy,” as does dips in Coleman’s English mustard aioli.
Next, a crispy cauliflower starter offers a gluten-free (with a dedicated fryer) and vegan option, seasoned with Thai chile, curry leaves and garam masala in the batter and garnished with coconut flakes, cilantro and sweet mango chutney. Griffin calls it a “twist on a classic Indian dish called Saag Aloo,” noting he originally conceived the dish when working at the FO4R North complex’s Manhattan Room (which is now the new Prime 25 location.)
Lastly, he presents his Steak & Ale Pie, made by braising beef shoulder in Smithwicks red ale for five hours. Its reserved liquid becomes a beef gravy on the plate while the shoulder goes into a mini pie with a puff pastry top and shortcrust pastry bottom. Yukon gold mashed potatoes get piped into a swirl on the side next to seasonal vegetables drizzled with a “bistro gravy” made with veal demi-glace. It’s a hearty dish, perfect for the cooling weather now.
A pint of Guinness begs to be paired, as one of eight taps that include Kilkenny, Harp and Strongbow cider. There’s also one cask ale on a hand pump, and some domestics and craft cans to include IPAs. Wines and spirits are limited at the moment but growing. Klube says that fine gins will be one focal point, and a cocktail menu is almost out of development and ready to shine.
The whole interior, up and down, can squeeze 230 people, with the patio adding another 30. A private-dining room located off of the upstairs lounge seats 50 and features A/V for business-meeting needs. Everything upstairs has a view out onto the Switchbacks’ field, albeit at a parallel angle that elongates the field, making attendance at the game still the best seat to properly see all the action. (But sure, come get your free peepin’ on if you don’t have a ticket.)
Pilot episode (31 years later)
As you well know — since you read every word I produce and hear everything we record… ahem — Side Dish Dozen member Bristol Brewing Co. passed three decades in business last year as the Springs’ oldest packaging brewery and second oldest continuously operating brewery in town. (Here’s nine other things you may not know about them.)
But, far from settling down, Mike and Amanda Bristol just acquired a new pilot system — actually a used system they bought at auction from Great Divide Brewing, who was recently acquired by Wilding Brands. And it’s inspiring them to usher in a new wave of products: some throwbacks and some firsts-of-their-kind, but all things made easier on a smaller system compared to their massive, 34-barrel brewhouse that’s dedicated mostly to their widely distributed, flagship lineup.
The new (used, whatever), 7-barrel system was especially appealing to Mike because it’s made by the same manufacturer as their original brewhouse that they used for roughly 20 years, before upgrading into the Ivywild School. (For perspective, some nano breweries operated on 1- or 3-barrel systems, so a 7-barrel is still relatively big.) So he’s familiar with the interface. But more importantly, he says, “is this allows us to be more nimble. We can try different things, like play with new yeasts. There’s more flexibility and we can have more fun. It’s almost like R&D for what we can do down the road on the bigger system.”
In the past, doing speciality one-off brews on the 34-barrel system often relied on finding upwards of a dozen restaurant/bar accounts around town willing to open up space on their drafts, next to their typical Beehive Honey Wheat handle and other craft labels. Bristol’s taproom could only comfortably move so much alone, and all that held up the next batches of whatever non-flagship beer they desired to brew. Running smaller batches as soon as this new system is online (by year’s end is the goal) will alleviate that pressure.
“One of the first things we’ll do is play with some IPAs, to come up with what will eventually become our next World Peace Death Ray series rotator,” he says. “We can then scale it.” Prior to now, they’ve just done their math, and gone for it full-scale. “We’re gamblers if you ask me,” says Amanda. “Hey, we just know our system well,” counters Mike playfully. They say to expect initial beers off this system in the first quarter of 2026. Later in the year, more collaborations with other breweries are likely.
Mike’s also excited about bringing a lineup of Belgian beers back. (As he told us on Tap&Table last year, that’s his favorite beer style.) They’ve done saisons, a dubbel, a triple and a quad, placing them in 22-ounce bombers for sale in the taproom and at fine liquor stores. Early sales were good, then dipped as overall beer sales have declined in the marketplace. Bristol took a break, but they still believe there’s enough demand to make the beers, which have a long shelf life and are sometimes better after cellaring anyway. Mike envisions creating vertical series, like they formerly did with their barley wine.
He also wants to restart a cask ale program, which is something they haven’t done since the early aughts in their former taproom. We’re talking cellar temperature beer, not carbonated, served on a hand pump. In the newer Ivywild taproom, they did install a hand pump, but it’s been underutilized, and they want to see that change. They envision cask versions of some of the flagships in addition to whatever one-offs.
“We were in England and Wales a couple years ago, and we did research on traditional cask ales in pubs. They were a lot lower in ABV, which was awesome, because you could have a couple of beers at lunch and just keep goin,” says Mike. “It was nice not to have a 7.5-ABV IPA. It gets back to pub culture and spending some time.”
Amanda pokes him, reminding him that on that trip, he said “when we get back, I’m going to start up cask ales.” He initially deflects, saying something else has always taken precedence in the brewhouse, but then he totally owns it: “Yeah, it’s more about me stopping talking about it, and just getting it done.”
Something he did accomplish, though, is a new Imperial Warlock variant, tentatively set to be released this December. (Though a lucky batch of folks are getting first sips at our Rare Barrel Community Dinner on Oct. 23.) I got my first sip a couple weeks ago as we were tasting beers with Chef Brent Beavers to design the food menu around. The Imperial Warlock, which aged in barrels for almost two years, started with a different grain bill than the mainline Warlock, with additional darker malts “to carry those flavors forward more” and some maple syrup to increase the fermentable elements and balance sweetness. Our collective tasting notes, with Mike and Amanda’s, were: “boozy aroma, date, molasses, fig, prune, lightly sweet and bright roasty finish.” Counter to those low ABV Brit beers we’re discussing, this weighs in at 10-percent ABV.
Back to the new pilot system’s afforded flexibility, this big range in offerings is what it’s all about at Bristol. “We’ve never wanted to be the kind of brewery where you come in for a different thing every time,” says Amanda, standing by the steadiness of their flagships. “But if someone does come in regularly, they will see more rotating things coming on and off the taps. It’s that idea of solid year-rounds mixed with seasonals and specialities. Now we can lean into that more.”
Bites & Bits
• Reminder: Vote by Oct. 31 in this year’s Colorado Restaurant Association HOSPYS Hospitality Awards. Side Dish Dozen member Doug Hammond of Kangaroo Coffee is nominated in the Operator of the Year category.
• Springs Magazine released a handy list of Favorite Fall Drinks from area craft coffee shops. The sips range from a cardamom latte (at Loyal Coffee) to a vanilla bourbon latte at Story Coffee.
• US ranchers oppose Trump’s plan to import more Argentine beef and experts doubt it will lower prices reports The Associated Press. Relatedly, Ranch Foods Direct’s Mike Callicrate, an outspoken food activist, shared this post on his blog, which is R-CALF United Stockgrowers of America’s statement on the USDA’s plan to rebuild the U.S. cattle industry.
• Totem cut its ribbon with Downtown COS and hosted a celebration on Oct. 23.
• “Michelin likes employing lawyers as they ‘have this real vision of black and white. And they’re quite happy not getting emotionally involved.’” That’s an excerpt from the New York Times article Are Michelin Stars Now an Economic Must, Not Just a Culinary Honor? It’s about a new show on Apple TV named About the Knife Edge: Chasing Michelin Stars.
Side Dish Dozen happenings
Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar: Congratulations to our Culinary Director Sheila Lucero, who has been inducted into the Colorado Foodservice Hall of Fame and received a Lifetime Achievement Award via the Colorado Restaurant Association! You have one week left to try our Japanese-inspired National Seafood Month menu, featuring miso-sesame roasted halibut tail, a lobster katsu sando, okonomiyaki and drink specials.
Edelweiss: We’ve begun baking our locally famous holiday stollen — traditional German Christmas bread — loaves are $19 and are available at the restaurant for pickup, and we can ship to your friends and family. We’re also pouring our house Gluhwein (mulled wine) all this week, so stop in for a warm sip!
Kangaroo Coffee: World Kangaroo Day is Oct. 24! We’re celebrating in style: stop by any of our locations thru Oct. 26 and pick up FREE KC commemorative stickers, uniquely designed for each location by our talented baristas! Haven’t tried our October Drink of the Month yet? Meet the handcrafted BOOBERRY Latte, a spooky-sweet, delicious blend of lavender, white chocolate and blueberry.
Goat Patch Brewing: At the Lincoln Center: Goatflix & Chill: Hocus Pocus, 7 p.m., Oct. 25. Halloween Goat Yoga, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Oct. 26; reserve here. At Northgate: Trivia Night, 6:30-8:30, Oct. 29. At Pikes Peak Brewing: Halloween Party: Haunted Prom, 7-10 p.m., Oct. 31.
Stellina Pizza Cafe: Limited seats remain for our Oct. 27 Supper Club; book now. At Gold Star Bakery, Thanksgiving pre-orders are open for pies and other sweet treats. Order on our Holiday Pie Fest page. Pie flavors include pumpkin, salted maple, bourbon-pecan and four berry, with gluten-free options available.
Allusion Speakeasy: If you still haven’t visited our Jurassic Bar downtown or Swiftie theme on Powers, you have until Nov. 1 to do so. Next up: Stranger Things, with cocktails, test-subject dice shots, absinthe service, zero proof options and themed food. Wobbly Olive: Every weekday happy hour at both locations is 4-6 p.m.; all cocktails and beers are half off, plus $5 house wines.
Nacho Matrix: Hit up our brunch, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays. We’ve got you covered for chilaquiles, avocado toast flights and much more, with fabulous drinks to pair. And join us for happy hours, weekdays, 3-6 p.m. and weekends 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., when our awesome house margs are just $6 and special bites range from $3 tacos to $10 nachos.
Upcoming events
*Oct. 24: Sip with Schnip Winter Warlock release party at Bristol Brewing Co. 6 p.m. Live music, group toast and a free sample with a bite-sized food pairing.
Oct. 25: Downtown Candy Crawl. 2-5 p.m.
Oct. 25: Emma Crawford Coffin Races and Festival. Enjoy dining and drink from Manitou Springs businesses alongside the day’s many festivities.
Oct. 25: Halloween Party at Red Leg Brewing Co. 6-10 p.m.; adults only.
Oct. 28: Passport to Tellitalia Wine Dinner at Pizzeria Rustica. 6 p.m.; $89. Benefits Happy Cats Haven.
Oct. 30: Spirits of the Night Tequila and Food Tasting at the Fine Arts Center. 6 p.m.; $65, five spirits with small bites.
Oct. 31: Pumpkin Fest at Venetucci Farms. 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Games, hay rides, beer garden and more; $10.
Parting shot(s)
We made our final two fall Side Dish collaboration flavors this week at Josh & John’s. If you missed the first two flavors that I highlighted, with Bristol Brewing and Gold Star Bakery, click here. And mark your calendars: all four flavors go on sale at all J&J’s locations in pints on Nov. 7
This week’s flavors are with partners Edelweiss and Loyal Coffee. Which if you’re tracking me, you’ll notice are also Ivywild entities. (Loyal roasts in the neighborhood.) This is a full Ivywild series to spotlight legacy businesses in the historic neighborhood. The new flavors are Black Forest Cherry Cake and Pumpkin Oatmeal Latte. We know you’ll enjoy them!
Fascinating. Getting a new place like this off the ground always sounds like a complex algoritm, but your details make it seem quite doable. Hope it becomes the staple they predict!