Colorado Brewpub/Brewery Advice

Personally, I would suggest skipping Small Batch and going to Mondo Vino. If you don't want to go to to MV, Highlands Wine & Liquor has a better selection as well. I have nothing against Small Batch; they have some good beers for sure, but not as much variety as the other two.

 

I'd call ahead and see what hours of operation are. Colorado is under a modified "Safer at Home" order and restaurants (including brewpubs) if they decided to reopen, are allowed to operate at 50% occupancy or 50 occupants max (whichever is lesser)

 

What Dauss pointed out will be a concern for you everywhere you go in CO.
An alternative to your plan, which would truly be a change, would be to head out to Golden and hit Cannonball Creek for lunch and beers. They will have a food truck and I would guess if it’s before 5pm, seating shouldn’t be a problem. Their website lists the food truck schedule.
In downtown Golden there is a small liquor store called Foss. While it is small, they have a great selection of beers and spirits. It’s a little more expensive than the bigger places, but probably on par with Small Batch. From what I recall, Small Batch has a way better large format beer selection though. Not even sure Foss has any big bottles of beer.
From Golden you can head up Clear Creek Canyon (US-6) to meet up with I70 just before Idaho Springs. Taking the canyon will give you a prettier drive than just 70 up the hill.

 

In normal times yes. Some breweries out of an abundance of caution may not be filling growlers during the pandemic. Also I'd call ahead and just double check

 

Cannonball has been filling growlers, but they had asked customers to only bring in clean ones, no concern towards the branding. They also have crowlers available (everyone does at this point I guess).

 

You'll be passing through Idaho Springs for sure. Check out Westbound & Down. They make great beers in a wide variety of styles and have awesome food too from local staple, The Buffalo restaurant. Had a west coast IPA called True West recently that really hit the spot.

A small detour to Nederland would be fun and not super out of the way. I haven't been to the brewery yet (soon I hope!) but I've tried a lot of beers from Knotted Root and been impressed. From what I've seen, they stick to mostly New England style IPAs and fruited sours, and they do them well!

Happy beer hunting!

 

I would second stopping at Westbound and Down in Idaho Springs on your way there or back. They've got a great taproom, assuming it's fully opened now. You can also visit Tommyknocker right down the street. I haven't loved TK's beers recently, but they've been around for a long time. You can also get pizza at Beau Jo's, which I've heard some people claim is the best pizza in Colorado. I had it once and thought it was very good. Get the honey for your crust!

One more thing you might consider is driving to the Frisco/Dillon area. It's a little over an hour from Fraser and I would imagine that it's a beautiful ride. As people mentioned above, I'd check with these breweries to see if they're fully opened but Dillon Dam and Pug Ryan's are great breweries that have equally great pub food. Both breweries do dialed-in, delicious classic beers. You'll probably find a few more lagers at Pug's, but both are excellent choices. I might give the edge to Dillon Dam because I think their food is slightly better, and I love their bar area. But Pug's is right near the Dillon Reservoir, and in the summers I think they have a Tiki Bar that they set up right by the reservoir where you can get most of their beers and cocktails. Definitely check out the reservoir if you go. It's beautiful. Also, Outer Range is in Frisco and does some of the best NEIPAs in Colorado. Definitely a must stop. I also always stop at Prosit when I'm there. It's a German sausage house with super fresh import lagers on tap. Getting a big mug of beer and sitting on their patio is always a blast. Cheers!

 

Glad ya enjoyed CO; I've been here since '92 and love it. Sorry about Winter Park; I haven't been to The Peak since it was still the second location of The Library; they had good food and solid beers. Hideaway Park is a good/small brewery on thea in drag you should visit next time you're in WP. There's also a new brewery in WP: Big Trout. Have yet to visit them....or the two breweries in Fraser or the one in Granby. Road trip for me, eh?

 

Smokin Dave's is worth the trip itself. Glad you enjoyed your time here.

 

Rock Cut in Estes Park is a hidden gem. Every beer I've had from them (both trendy and traditional) has been solid to excellent. I really need to make it back over that way. It's a beautiful area and there's a lot to do.