Yak and Yeti takes home the gold at Great American Beer Festival

Two years ago, when Dol Bhattarai purchased an old, allegedly haunted house at 7803 Ralston Road in Arvada as the site for his second Yak and Yeti restaurant, it came equipped with brewing equipment: a holdover from the last occupant, a brewpub called the Cheshire Cat.

Instead of ripping the tanks out to make more room for fans of his Indian and Nepalese fare, Bhattarai decided to brew his own line of craft beer, which would be available only in his two restaurants.

The beer was one of the best things I found at Yak and Yeti when I reviewed the place in July. The dark bar at the Arvada location is usually packed with locals sipping these specialty ales.

But the fame of Yak and Yeti's beer now extends far outside Colorado. On Saturday, the brewer bested 84 producers in the Strong Pale Ale category at the Great American Beer Festival, taking home a gold medal for the Himalayan IPA. (The brewer also submitted the Chai Milk Stout, which didn't place.)

Watch for more beer news from Colorado Beer Man Jonathan Shikes later this morning.