colorado is a gorgeous state with amazing SCENERY and some of the best breweries in the countrY!
Check out my recommendations for Denver, Frisco, and Boulder:
Colorado Tips:
Be aware of the altitude! It's real! Stay hydrated and take things slow to avoid feeling sick, especially when you first arrive
Denver Top Recommendations:
Cerebral Brewing: Quite possibly my favorite stop—Cerebral has a killer tap list with juicy IPAs, thicc Stouts, and great vibes!
Voodoo Donuts: Creative and crazy donuts that are incredibly delicious!
The River North (RiNo) neighborhood is full of art and breweries, what more do you need?
Bierstadt Lagerhaus: This is the Mecca of Lager beers. Get a Slow Pour Pils and Giant Ass Pretzel and don’t look back
Our Mutual Friend Brewing: Lots of fantastic IPAs in particular. They also have rotating food trucks and an outside patio
Ratio Beerworks: Fantastic outdoor space with cornhole and a patio. They have a wide variety of beers and it’s an overall fun & funky spot
Odell Brewing: Another solid option in the RiNo neighborhood with a variety of beers
Central Market is a great food hall in the heart of the RiNo neighborhood
Denver Top Recommendations CONTINUED:
TRVE Brewing Co.: A dark taproom filled with metal music specializing in Sour and Farmhouse Ales.
District Denver: A fantastic spot for brunch with $15 mix and match bottomless drinks, delicious food, and a cute patio.
Crooked Stave: Their Denver taproom is small but they still have a variety of beers to choose from and a huge bottle selection.
Denver Biscuit Company: A phenomenal, albeit touristy, spot for breakfast! The biscuits are massive, flaky, soft, and amazing.
Red Rocks Park & Amphitheater: The amphitheater is touristy but worth checking out! They do concerts, yoga, and numerous activities in this space.
I would definitely recommend hiking in the park! We did a 4.3 mile trail that had diverse landscape and wasn’t too challenging.
New Image Brewing: In the suburb of Arvada, New Image has a small food menu, outdoor patio, and great IPAs!
Onefold: Fancy breakfast burritos for the win! They’ve also got super delicious coffee at this little cafe.
Burns Family Artisan Ales: A quaint brewery with big beers and homey vibes. This is not your standard brewery, they have super unique beers!
More Ideas for Denver:
Illegal Pete’s: A great spot for burritos, nachos, and tacos!
Check out the giant blue bear at the Convention Center!
Check out a bottle shop! Argonaut Wine & Liquor and Baker Wine & Spirits are two great options.
Spangalang Brewery: A microbrewery in the Five Points neighborhood with yummy beers and a patio.
Famous Original J’s Pizza is right around the corner as well!
Epic Brewing: 25 taps! Food trucks!
Larimer Square: A little bit more of a 'fancy' area, the lights at night make it a beautiful place to grab dinner or a drink!
Wynkoop Brewing: More of a brewpub, Wynkoop is a hot spot for lunch during the work week, being located right downtown.
Great Divide Brewing: There is a lot of hype around this brewery but I wasn't super impressed. The staff was straight up rude and the beer was just alright. There are plenty of other places you should visit before here!
FriscO Beer & Travel Recommendations:
Frisco is just over an hour from Denver and definitely worth an adventure to!
Hike! The Frisco area is absolutely gorgeous. We did a moderate 3.4 mile hike to a small lake that was right near downtown and had amazing views!
Outer Range Brewing Co.: An absolutely amazing brewery with killer IPAs. The brewery has amazing mountain views from the taproom as well. There’s also a coffee shop and a “Thai-ish” fried chicken restaurant in the building.
Cabin Creek Brewing: Located in Georgetown, Cabin Creek is the perfect stop on your way back to Denver. It is right off of I-70 making it super convenient! Cabin Creek has a full food menu with delicious pizzas and is located right on the lake surrounded by mountains!
Boulder beer and travel recommendations:
Boulder is only about 30 minutes outside of Denver and well worth a visit!
Boulder is definitely a college town so be aware of football games and other big events that could hinder your transportation/plans
Avery Brewing: Great beers in a large facility. An extensive tap list.
Mountain Sun Brewing: They have a cute little outdoor space and delicious food!
West Flanders Brewing: Super friendly bartenders, lively atmosphere right off the main strip of town
Boulder Beer Co.: They closed their taproom, but look for their beers on tap around town. The Nitro Chocolate Porter is delicious!