This is a Colorado Springs column, and we are supposed to talk about Colorado Springs beer. But if you’re like me, life takes you to Denver frequently.

Flights to DIA are usually cheaper, and no friend or family member has ever sounded enthused about the idea of a shuttle to the Springs, even though I’m sure they’re significantly cleaner than my car.

If a flight is delayed or you just want to try something new, Launch Pad Brewery is a great landing pad.

Through word of mouth, Launch Pad has started to draw a steady stream of beer lovers. It inhabits a large, tucked-away former tinting shop in a rundown strip mall that’s off the beaten path but not far from anything.

It’s right down the road from Buckley Air Force Base and, as the name suggests, is heavily involved with the local military community. It’s the site of promotion and re-enlistment ceremonies and send-offs. It also hosts events for Brotherhood for the Fallen, among others, and donates to police and military charities.

“We’ve kind of become the Buckley Air Force Base brewery and bar,” co-owner David Levesque said.

Their flagship beers sport names like Patriot Pale, Buff Brown and Soyuz Russian Imperial.

The space resembles a museum, with a rocket donated by the Wings over the Rockies Museum Trust as the showpiece and a large collection of military patches behind the bar. They’ve all been donated by patrons, and Levesque is always looking for more.

Levesque himself is a veteran, serving as a nuclear weapons missile maintainer for the Air Force in Minot, N.D.

“We are 100 percent veteran owned and operated,” Levesque said.

The brewery just celebrated its one-year anniversary, a date Levesque won’t soon forget – his son was born about 10 hours before Launch Pad opened its doors for the first time.

Levesque started homebrewing in his garage in 2007. He got his first taste of craft beer at nearby Dry Dock, and after a while his fellow Aurora brewers told him he should start his own operation.

“We hang out with those guys a lot, have good relationships with everyone over there (at Dry Dock,)” Levesque said. “There’s something about the beer business that’s been really fun. We’re one big family.

“We like to compete against each other to see who can brew the best beer, but everyone takes care of everyone.”

Launch Pad likes to hit the beer festival circuit, doing six to 10 per year, including the Springs’ All-Colorado Beer Festival – they’ll be back this year – and the Great American Beer Festival. Levesque says they have a good working relationship with Springs-area veteran-owned breweries Red Leg and JAKs.

“We look forward to seeing them at festivals,” Levesque said.

So of course, the burning question – how is the beer? Amazing, or else we wouldn’t be here. Their saisons in particular are delicious. They struggle to keep the key lime pie saison in stock, but it will be around for at least a little while longer, and the L3S Lavender Lemon Saison is one of my favorite Colorado beers. Tripels are usually a little much for me, but their Trinitite Belgian Tripel is one of the few I’ve enjoyed. It’s also Levesque’s favorite.

Assistant brewer Paul Mahoney has a pineapple mango IPA and an oatmeal cookie brown ale coming soon. Sounds great, but maybe hold the raisins?

“They taste much better soaked in 4-year-old rum,” Mahoney promised.