Elgin's Plank Road Tap Room spotlights craft beer

Alan and Breanne Moreno wanted to open a bar, and after touring 15 breweries around Colorado, they decided to make it a tap room devoted only to craft beer, without the distractions of preparing cocktails or food. They didn't want to brew their own beer, so they opened Elgin's Plank Road Tap Room in August as a way for other breweries to show off their latest work and for drinkers to get exposure to the ever-expanding world of beer.

Motif: The tiny spot features picnic-style communal wooden tables and a bar set with stools. The constantly changing draft list is written on a piece of paper on the wall and photos of breweries decorate the space. Come summer, the owners plan to take advantage of the seven acres of land the taproom sits on and add a fire pit and yard games.

Shelves are stocked with board games including Scrabble and Apples to Apples. The space also regularly hosts special events such as painting lessons and a class on how to take pictures using your cellphone.

Food: Plank Road doesn't serve any food, but they bring in food trucks on the weekends that set up shop in the parking lot. You're welcome to carry in anything else or order delivery. They've also partnered with Geneva's Preservation Bread & Wine for a beer and cheese-pairing event that sold out in a week.

Liquid consumption: You'll find 14 beers on tap at any given time, with the owners keeping up on trends and occasionally offering particularly unusual brews. The list is constantly changing and they've pledged not to offer the same beer more than twice annually. While most people just order full glasses, you can increase your exposure by opting for a tasting flight served in little goblet glasses on a wooden plank with tags identifying each beer. Some beer lovers also like to bring in rare bottles to share with whomever is there. The space has hosted beer release parties from area breweries and is hoping to collaborate on a house beer that will only be available at Plank Road.

Crowd: The space gets absolutely packed on weekends, bringing in everything from 20-somethings to seniors. You can find people in jeans and flannel, but also drinkers dressed up from going out to dinner. Weeknights are more laid back, with drinkers coming in to order pizza and play games.

Service: We had a really hard time getting drinks when we visited. The bar was filled with people, and we could not get the bartender's attention. When we did put in an order for a sampler, it took a long time because three kegs needed to be changed out.

Parking: There are plenty of spots in the bar's free lot.

Overall: Even serious beer lovers are likely to find something new at Plank Road Tap Room.

Plank Road Tap Room

39W149 Plank Road, Elgin, (224) 238-3527, <a href="http://plankroadtaproom.com">plankroadtaproom.com</a>

<b>Hours:</b> Noon to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, noon to midnight Friday and Saturday, noon to 8 p.m. Sunday