Miner's Saloon -- Golden, CO

Miners Saloon - Golden, CO

Our first day in Colorado we experienced a quiet, beautiful snow day. For breakfast Kenny, Pokey and Sarah Love decided to brave the cold on our way to the coffee joint, Devil's Cup (which has since closed). It was only down the road a few blocks but the snow was messy. The contrast between the chilly March weather outside and the warmth of the coffee shop made the place all the more welcoming. Breakfast was served, a tasty parfait for Kenny while Sarah Love enjoyed a delicious breakfast sandwich.

Once we were finished eating we trekked back through the snowy streets bound for home. The rest of the day we played games as we waited for Pokey's husband to finish his work day and join us. By that point, everyone was hungry.

Thankfully, the evening before we had stopped at the grocery store prior to the snow starting and picked up some snacks. One of our favorite dishes to delight our hosts with whenever we visit is a fresh Caprese salad. We also bought some limes to squeeze and cucumbers to muddle for a perfectly refreshing concoction which we enjoyed thoroughly.

The next day Sarah Love and Kenny ventured into the heart of Denver to visit the Denver Botanic Gardens. The grounds were blanketed with a soft, beautiful snow; the air temperature was quite chilly. Kenny took amazing photographs (as usual) that captured the essence of the botanic garden to its fullest extent.

It was unique seeing the gardens covered in snow. The beauty was not wasted on us despite the lack of fauna and foliage available to see. Due to the weather, the place seemed vacant which was especially pleasant.

In accordance with our past adventures, we knew we needed to experience another pretzel tasting. The four of us drove to Golden, Colorado to meet up with a mutual friend at the Miner's Saloon. Kenny and Sarah Love were delighted to find a pretzel on the menu.

Given it was Saint Patrick's Day, the bar truly embraced the holiday spirit. Not only did they serve the traditional green beer, the room was dominated by the green lighting that definitely did not contribute to a realistic snapshot of the pretzel. The ambience was also permeated with a very chill vibe. It literally felt like an old timey mining saloon. If you are ever in Golden, Colorado we definitely suggest you visit this establishment.

03/17/2024

Under the "First Picks" section of the menu we spotted the Jalapeño Pretzel which was served with Dijon mustard and a cheese sauce. We were immediately intrigued. We had to try it! As the treat arrived at the table we noted its deep brown color and that it was a regular shaped pretzel. Also, it had a decent amount of salt, although it was unevenly distributed. Upon biting into the baked good there was a nice crunchy crust which yielded to a soft inner dough that provided great juxtaposition. Sarah Love noted the jalapeño heat was real while Kenny seemed unscathed. The Dijon mustard went well with the bready snack and the cheese sauce was nothing shy of phenomenal! Please note, Kenny wants you to know the condiments served with the pretzel were not indeed green even though it was Saint Patty's Day and it looks like it in the picture. 3.75/5.0

Sincerely,

Kenny Muzzey & Sarah Love

Greetings from Golden, Colorado!

Institution Ale Co. -- Santa Barbara, CA

On this day, in pretzel history, due to the unsatisfactory nature of the first tasting, we decided to set another pretzel record; we had two tastings in the same day! In addition, March 17th, 2022, was Saint Patrick's Day. We did not order any green beer, but we did order a pretzel off the menu.  

"Given that it was Saint Patrick's Day we had a taste for knowledge and a thirst for wisdom."
- Kenny Muzzey

As Sarah and Kenny deliberated what to write about for this post, they gravitated towards material relevant to Saint Patrick's Day. Sarah proclaimed that they would have to do a spot of research on the subject. Kenny, joking and none the wiser, said, "Or we can just make something up, like how Saint Patrick banished all the snakes out of Ireland." They laughed aloud together as Kenny opened a new tab on the web browser curiously. Much to their surprise, the search returned a blurb about Saint Patrick driving out the slithery serpents from Ireland. They looked at one another and jubilantly laughed once again.

Folklore has it that Saint Patrick was in the midst of a 40-day fast atop an emerald, green hill when he was attacked by the reptiles which prompted him to chase them out of Ireland and into the sea, banishing them from the country. The likeliest of scenarios. This could not be further from the truth according to National Geographic. There is currently no data that suggests snakes ever inhabited Ireland. If you're interested in what the data says definitely check out linked National Geographic article above.

March 17, 2022

Institution Ale Co. -- Santa Barbara, CA.

This particular pretzel was light in all aspects, from the color, to the texture, and the quantity of salt. The delectable snack was pale golden brown and shimmered with moist, buttery goodness. She was a regular pretzel shape but had an extra twist that joined the two sides. Having a soft, fluffy dough center similar to that of a lightly baked pastry.

The Institution Ale Co. served up a queso-like beer cheese and a ground stone yellow mustard to accompany her taste profile.

3.47/5.0

Shout out to Georgia O'Keeffe... in retrospect, her art was the inspiration for this pretzel snapshot.

Sincerely,

Kenny Muzzey & Sarah Love