10 Breweries You Can’t Miss in Denver, Colorado

Visiting Denver, Colorado for the first time can be overwhelming for a craft beer drinker. There are so many breweries, and it can be tough choosing which breweries to check out. Here is my list of the ten breweries you shouldn’t miss during your trip to Denver.

#1 – Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project

Crooked Stave began brewing onsite at Funkwerks in Fort Collins in 2011, then moved to Denver a year later in a 20-barrel brewhouse. The brewery focuses on Belgian sour beers.

Crooked Stave’s taproom is located in The Source, an artisan food market that occupies a former 1880‘s brick foundry building in Denver’s River North District.

Beers can be purchased in full or sample pours. There is an extensive list of bottles to go. Don’t miss out on Raspberry Nightmare on Brett!

The taproom is open Sunday to Tuesday from noon to 8 PM and Wednesday to Saturday from noon to 10 PM. There is valet parking or a self parking garage.

#2 – Bierstadt Lager

Bierstadt Lager is a German Style brewery open in the RiNo district of Denver. They make lager (and that’s it) in an all copper, 84-year-old brew house that came from a brewery near Nuremberg, a city in northern Bavaria.

Bierstadt’s tasting room is at The Rackhouse Pub, which is located in the middle of their 21,000 square foot production facility. The American style restaurant offers updated pub grub that pairs well with Bierstadt’s lagers or ciders from C Squared Ciders.

Beers are served in the proper glassware for on site consumption, or you can grab a reasonably priced crowlers on your way out. Don’t miss The Slow Pour Pils.

The taproom is open Sunday to Thursday from 11 AM to 10 PM or Friday and Saturday 11 AM to midnight. There is a parking lot on site.

#3 – Ratio Beerworks

Ratio Beerworks opened in the RiNo Arts District of Denver in February 2015. Ratio Beerworks focuses on classic beer styles with a modern twist brewed on a state of the art 20 barrel brewhouse.

The bright, eclectic taproom offers indoor and outdoor seating. The high top tables, picnic tables, and the cozy corner booth all offer comfortable spots to hang out, chat with friends, and enjoy several beers.

Beers are available in full pours of flights of 5 beers. Beer can be purchased to go in glass growlers. Don’t miss Antidote, the West Coast style IPA.

Ratio Beerworks is open Sunday through Thursday noon to 11 PM and Friday and Saturday noon to midnight. Street parking is available.

#4 – TRVE Brewing Company

TRVE Brewing Company was founded in 2011 on the mission to create beers “that are beyond the pale.” The heavy metal brewery is located in a former art gallery on the busy Broadway in Denver.

The goal at TRVE is “to give you a rad place to hang out and drink killer beer.” While those beers are definitely killer, they don’t exactly adhere to any particular style guidelines, but you won’t care as you sip on the concoctions and enjoy the loud music.

Beers can be enjoyed in full or sample size pours. Crowlers are available to go, as well as several beers in bottles. Don’t miss Cursed, the mixed-culture sour pale ale.

TRVE is open Monday through Wednesday from 3 PM to 11 PM, Thursday through Saturday noon to midnight, and Sunday midnight to 10 PM. Metered street parking is available.

#5 – Cerebral Brewing

Cerebral Brewing is a neighborhood brewery in the Bluebird District of Denver. The brewery was founded in 2013 with the goal “to combine scientific methodology with an artistic viewpoint to create extremely drinkable beers spanning a broad spectrum of styles.”

The owners bring a scientific background to Cerebral, and that is evident not only in the branding of the brewery, but also the focus on quality-control. In fact, one of the first purchases made by the brewery was a microscope.

Beers are available in 10-ounce or 16-ounce pours, as well as flights of 6 beakers. Beer can be purchased to go in crowlers and bottles. Don’t miss Time Crystal, the Galaxy India Pale Ale.

The taproom is open Tuesday through Thursday from 4 PM to 10 PM, Friday and Saturday from noon to 11 PM, and Sunday from noon to 10 PM. There is a small parking lot and residential street parking.

#6 – Fiction Beer Company

Fiction Beer Company was founded by a book dork and a beer geek. The pair combined “the two wonderfully imaginative crafts of beer and literature together” and opened in September 2014.

Fiction Beer Company is located on Colfax Avenue in East Denver on the first floor of the Phoenix on the Fax apartment building, straddling the neighborhoods of Park Hill, Montclair, Stapleton, Mayfair, and Lowry.

Beers are available in full or sample size pours. Beers can be purchased to go in crowlers, and occasional bottles and cans. Don’t miss Petty Vexation, a Berliner Weisse.

The taproom is open Monday through Thursday from 2 PM to 10 PM, Friday from 2 PM to 11 PM, Saturday from 1 PM to 11 PM, and Sunday from 1 PM to 9 PM. Street parking is available.

#7 – Black Project Spontaneous & Wild Ales

Black Project Spontaneous & Wild Ales, formerly Former Future Brewing Company, began production in January 2014, and quickly gained attention winning medals for their coolship ales at the Great American Beer Festival.

Becoming Black Project Spontaneous & Wild Ales in August 2016, the brewery expanded and focuses on beer fermented with microbes captured from the local environment via a coolship or foraged from nature.

Beers are available in 4-ounce, 10-ounce, and a few 16-ounce pours. Bottles are available to go on release days. Don’t miss Gemini: Boloya, a sour golden with coffee.

The taproom is open Tuesday through Thursday from 4 PM to 10 PM, Friday and Saturday from 2 PM to 11 PM, and Sunday from 2 PM to 8 PM. Street parking is available.

#8 – Station 26 Brewing

Station 26 Brewing opened in 2013 in a renovated fire station in the Park Hill neighborhood of Denver. For beer styles, they don’t discriminate. Light, dark, hoppy… there’s even a smoked beer always on tap.

The brewery offers indoor seating, as well as plenty of picnic tables on the covered concrete patio outside by the local food truck.

Beers are available in full and sample size pours. Beer can be purchased to go in cans, growlers, or crowlers. Don’t miss Juicy Banger IPA.

The brewery is open Monday through Saturday from 1 PM to 11 PM and Sunday 1 PM to 9 PM. There is an on-site parking lot

#9 – Comrade Brewing

Comrade Brewing opened in April 2014 in a shopping center in the southeast side of Denver. Comrade is a nod to the theme of camaraderie among craft brewers.

The 5,300 square feet space offers plenty of seating, two bars, and Comrade’s 15 barrel brewhouse is from JV Northwest in Canby, Oregon.

Beers are available in full and half pours. Beer can be purchased to go in 32-ounce or 64-ounce growlers. Don’t miss Yellow Fever, the award-winning chili beer.

Comrade Brewing is open Wednesday through Saturday from noon to 10 PM, Sunday from noon to 9 PM, and Monday and Tuesday from 3 PM to 9 PM. There is an on-site parking lot.

#10 – Chain Reaction Brewing Company

Chain Reaction Brewing Company is a microbrewery in the South Denver Metro area all about making great beer and having good times. The brewery opened in June 2014.

The brewery was founded by cousins Zack and Chad Christofferson. They focus on small batches, allowing them to have 16 unique beers on tap at one time.

Beers are available in full pours or flights. Beer can be purchased to go in crowlers or growlers. Don’t miss the Cilantro Serrano Lime Wheat.

The taproom is open Tuesday to Thursday from 3 PM to 8 PM, Friday and Saturday from noon to 10 PM, and Sunday from noon to 8 PM. There is an on-site parking lot.

 

Featured Image: Boston Public Library, CC BY 2.0

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