Love at first sip

Saying Ingrid and Lou Bush have a passion for craft beer is quite the understatement.

Lou, from Watertown, New York and Ingrid, from Houston, Texas, met in Washington DC, but didn’t discover their love of craft beer until they moved to Houston in 2007 and starting hanging out at The Flying Saucer Draught Emporium.  It was love at first sip; Ingrid and Lou have been craft beer devotees ever since.

Over the last several years, they have spent a great deal of time honing their tasting skills, expanding their palates and learning about craft beer at various beer festivals and events around Colorado.

As children, Ingrid and Lou both had bars in their respective homes, and they like to say that they learned how to pour a proper pint at a very young age (not for their own consumption, of course). When they built their own home together in Loveland, Colorado, they installed a 14 foot bar in their basement complete with wash areas, taps and three flat screen televisions. A hit with their friends and family; the basement bar even has its own Facebook page.

“We have always talked about owning a real bar,” said Ingrid. “So we were really excited when an opportunity opened up in Estes Park to build The Barrel.”

They see The Barrel as a fun and inviting place for folks to stop in for a pint or two; whether it’s after a long hike in Rocky Mountain National Park, during a shopping break or before having dinner downtown.

“We want The Barrel to be a place where people can embrace the Colorado lifestyle that we love so much,” said Ingrid.

Ingrid’s professional background is in marketing and event production and Lou is a tax accountant. When they aren’t working they enjoy spending time with friends and family.