Starter Guide to Denver’s Brew Scene
Denver is one of the foremost cities for breweries in the entire United States constantly topping the charts with the most breweries per capita along with the largest brew-fest “Great American Brew Festival”!
In this beer mecca city are some of the best breweries you could hope to find! Below we have gathered a list of some of the more popular bigger craft breweries located in Denver for the new beer enthusiast here. Click on the breweries below to find out more!
Overview/History
- Founded in the 1980s by Richard Squire, a ski enthusiast with a passion for home brewing
- In the 1990s it migrated its main operations into Denver from South Main Street in Breck
- They now have 5 locations and ship to 32 states
Atmosphere
- Nice open environment with plenty of tables and seating along with a bar that lines the back setup on stage. Modern gentrified feel with brick walls and open industrial ceilings
Flagship Brews
- Agave Wheat
- Autumn Ale
- Avalanche Ale
GABF Winners
- Breckenridge Pale Ale
- Silver Medal
- Category: Classic English Style Pale Ale
- Year: 2001
- Denver Mountain Wheat
- Gold Medal
- Category: American Wheat Ale Or Lager
- Year: 1995
- Blue River Bock
- Bronze Medal
- Category: Bock
- Year: 1992
- Mountain Wheat
- Bronze Medal
- Category: American Wheats
- Year: 1991
Other Info
Contact Info
- Address: 471 Kalamath St. Denver, CO 80204: Get Directions
- Phone: +1 800-328-6723
- Visit Site
Overview/History
- Started in 1994 and have been a staple of Denver’s beer scene for 20+ years
- One of the most decorated breweries in the nation
- 18 awards at the GABF
- Takes a local approach on the brewing process
- 100% of their spent grain is utilized by a local cattle farm
- 80% of the barley is grown and malted in Colorado
- Bottles come from a Colorado plant using recycled glass
- Specializes in strong beers (ABC > 7%)
Atmosphere
- Situated in a modernized 1920s-era warehouse
- The brewery is sleek and modern but still portrays a comfortable and cozy setting
Flagship Brews
GABF Winners
- Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout
- Gold Medal
- Category: Chocolate Beer
- Year: 2013
- Colette
- Silver Medal
- Category: French and Belgian Style Saison
- Year: 2010
- Yeti Imperial Stout
- Silver Medal
- Category: Imperial Stout
- Year: 2009
- 15 Other GABF Awards
Other Info
- Tour the brewing process and taste 9 year-round and 12 seasonal brews
- Open 7 days a week / samples only $1
- The Taproom is the only place to try their small-batch pilot beers
- Just opened the Barrel Bar in RiNo
Contact Info
- Address:2201 Arapahoe Street, Denver, CO 80205: Get Directions
- Phone: +1 303-296-9460
- Visit Site
Overview/History
- Born in garages with just a few small batches of home brew
- Utilize fresh local ingredients
- They are all about brewing the perfect seasonal beer
- They put a large focus on creating small batch brews with creative recipes
- You can expect them to switch out the taps weekly
Atmosphere
- They drew their inspiration for the tap house from the beer gardens of Bavaria.
- Prime Platte Street location with ample patio space and a long L shaped bar with plenty of tables throughout the establishment.
- One of the largest and most spread out tap rooms in all of Denver.
- You will see everyone from all walks of life: “We welcome both oxford shirts and dirty shorts.”
- Dogs are also welcome here too!
Flagship Brews
- Graham Cracker Porter
- Incredible Pedal IPA
- Sun Drenched
- Summit Sunrise Red Rye IPA
GABF Winners
- King Ink
- Bronze Medal
- Category: American-Style Black Ale
- Year: 2015
- Denver Beer Co Graham Cracker Porter
- Bronze Medal
- Category: Specialty Beer
- Year: 2011
Other Info
- DBC offers a variety of food trucks. See the schedule here
- They host a Denver Beer Co Run Club most Tuesdays
Contact Info
- Address: 4455 Jason St. Denver 80211: Get Directions
- Phone: +1 303-433-2739
- Visit Site
Overview/History
- Located in the Rockies Stadium this brewery originally created the now mass produced Blue Moon
- Established in 1995 after brewmaster Keith Villa, returned from Belgium with his Ph.D. in brewing
- The brewery loves to experiment with new brews and are constantly changing taps.
- 40 medals have been won by this little operation at the GABF
- Only open during baseball season
Atmosphere
- Located inside Coors Field this baseball infused brewery holds a nostalgic feel of america’s pastime merging with a modern vibe of the 21st century.
Flagship Brews
- Blue Moon
- White IPA
GABF Winners
- Blue Moon Honey Grand Cru
- Bronze Medal
- Category: Specialty Honey Beer
- Year: 2014
- Golden Knot – Chardonnay
- Gold Medal
- Category: Fruit Beer
- Year: 2013
- Vintage Blonde Ale
- Bronze Medal
- Category: Fruit Wheat Beer
- Year: 2011
- More
Other Info
- Blue Moon was the first American beer that called for a orange as most Belgian Wits at that time in America featured a lemon.
- Open to the public Tuesday – Saturday (2pm-8pm)
- Times are subject to change due to Rockies home games
- Blue Moon has a variety of events throughout Denver – find them here
Contact Info
- Address: 2001 Blake St, Denver, CO 80205: Get Directions
- Phone: +1 303-312-2553
- Visit Site
Overview/History
- Denver’s Governor founded this brewery in 1988
- First brew-pub in Colorado
- They usually have about 14 rotating taps
- Craft more than 40 different styles of beers
- They can their flagship brews
- Great Downtown Location
Atmosphere
- The brewery has a large pool hall and bar upstairs; a bar with abundant seating and TVs downstairs; very spread out and comfortable relaxing environment.
Flagship Brews
- Mile High Pale Ale
- Colorojo
- Rail Yard Amber Ale
- Patty’s Chile Beer
- More
GABF Winners
- Belgorado
- Bronze Medal
- Category: Experimental Beer
- Year: 2011
- B3K Schwarzbief
- Bronze Medal
- Category: Kellerbier or Zwickelbier
- Year: 2011
- Wiza Weiss
- Gold Medal
- Category: South German-Style Hefeweizen
- More
Other Info
- They have a full dinner menu packed with amazing pub-style comfort food: menu
- Complimentary brewery tours are available Tuesday through Saturday at 3:00pm and 4:00pm daily
Contact Info
- Address: 1509 17th St.Denver, CO 80202: Get Directions
- Phone: +1 303-312-2553
- Visit Site
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