Howlers & Growlers is Windsor’s newest tap house with a view

Amy Lowther and her husband, Alan Lowther, love traveling and discovering new foods, except when her gluten allergy gets in the way of being able to enjoy dining out. The problem is the items on a menu that don't make her sick, typically don't taste all that great.

Instead of giving up and staying at home, the Lowthers decided to open a tap house and eatery that focuses on gluten free dishes, proving naysayers wrong that without gluten, food can't taste good. Nearly 60% to 70% of the menu at Howlers & Growlers Tap House & Eatery in Windsor is gluten free.

Intolerance to gluten, a protein in some foods, particularly wheat, barley, rye and other grains, can make someone who's eaten food prepared with those ingredients feel bloated, anxious or have abdominal pain, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Being intolerant to gluten can also cause diarrhea or constipation, tiredness, nausea and vomiting. Often called non-celiac gluten sensitivity, research studies show that approximately 6% of people in the U.S. are gluten intolerant.

Other diseases, like celiac disease, which affects about 1% of the U.S. population, causes sufferers who eat products containing gluten to experience an autoimmune response, which may include inflammation, digestive tract damage and other symptoms.

Amy Lowther said she's passionate about Howlers & Growlers’ extensive menu, which her sister-in-law, a chef, helped develop. Since opening last November, the Lowthers have received a lot of positive feedback.

For them, the most important comments are that their customers can't taste the difference.

That's a good thing, given the oft-described unpleasant odors and textureless world that can define gluten-free cuisine.

The National Institutes of Health noted that, "Because of the flours employed, gluten free [baked goods] may be harder, may present a dry and sandy mouthfeel and an unpleasant appearance, taste or color."

The kitchen at Howlers & Growlers uses a gluten free-dedicated fryer and nearly everything — from sauces, fries, beer battered onion rings and buttermilk fried chicken that's hand-breaded with a mix of rice flour, cornstarch and spice — is free of gluten.

For lovers of Italian cuisine who shy away from wheat pasta for dietary reasons, the kitchen plates up gluten free gnocchi (dumplings made with potatoes, multi-purpose rice flour, tapioca flour and other ingredients) studded with exotic mushrooms, garlic, arugula and shallots and then slicked with butter and a drizzle of truffle oil.

Amy Lowther proudly noted that they make a point of working around just about anything a customer may have difficulty digesting.

"We can cater to other people's allergies, including kids with egg allergies, like hand-breading their order without eggs," she said, referring to the chicken nuggets on the kid's menu.

She credits her knowledgeable staff, including chef Moria (Mo) Calamia, for helping solve what might seem unsolvable, while simultaneously marveling at the potential number of allergens people might have.

"I had a customer who came in and she handed me a huge list of allergies. I didn't know what we could make for her but we figured it out and made her a cheeseburger without a bun and mashed potatoes."

Amy doesn't have restaurant experience, but relies on her husband's past jobs managing a pizza restaurant and a buffet. The couple's primary business is electrical contracting — they own northern Colorado-based Winterhawk Electric.

They designed their concept for the taphouse and eatery from ideas that began simmering after Amy Lowther's sister took them to a similar restaurant in Kansas, she said. Family encouragement helped the Lowthers bring the idea to fruition, particularly after finding the location in Windsor near Future Legends Sports Complex.

The complex, a destination for sports tournaments, league games, a professional stadium and an indoor bubble sports arena, reassured the Lowthers that they’d discovered a home run opportunity.

The sports facility is home to the Colorado Owlz, a micro baseball team, and Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC, a member of USL League One soccer.

The tap house's name was also created by a family member.

"My niece came up with it as a play on beer containers," Amy said. "There's one called a ‘howler’ and then the container most people are familiar with — the ‘growler’."

If you’re not sure which one is which, growlers hold 64-ounces while half growlers, or howlers, hold 32-ounces.

The theme continued in the logo, which features a wolf (a howler) and a bear (the growler).

"Our electrical contracting company, Winterhawk Electric, has a bird logo, so it's all tied together with wildlife," Amy explained.

In addition to the customer-focused menu, the Lowthers built a beer wall, one of only a handful in northern Colorado. The self-service concept is outfitted with 26 Colorado craft beers, seltzers and cider.

"We rotate out nearly 10 beers a week, including a gluten-free beer that we use for our fish for the beer batter. The cider is also gluten-free, and everything you’ll find on the beer wall is very much Colorado," Amy said.

If you’ve never experienced the joys of a self-service tap wall, think of it as an old-fashioned candy store for beer lovers. You’ll be charged per one-ounce pour, which offers the option of sampling several selections or pouring a pint of your choice. Beer walls also solve the problem of what to do if the thought of ordering another pint is too much to drink, but you’re still thirsty for just a few drops more.

Currently, ounce prices range from .44 cents for Breckenridge Brewery's Palisade Peach Wheat, up to .60 cents for an ounce of WeldWerks Brewing Co.'s newest IPA Imperial, It's A Unicorn Thing.

If beer or cider aren't calling your name, a full bar mixes craft cocktails and flights of margaritas, martinis, mimosas and Bloody Mary's.

Along with being allergy-friendly, Howlers & Growlers welcomes four-legged friends on the lower level patio. Upstairs, a larger patio offers a world class view of Longs Peak.

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