The last time I was in Denver it was autumn 2016. I'll be there next month. Looking for recommendations of what's new and exciting. The only style I don't care for is sours.
Search Beer Drinkers Guide to Colorado and click on the interactive map. They don't list every brewery in Colorado, but darn near.
Or if you want every brewery in Colorado.. https://www.coloradobrewerylist.com/brewery/ just saying. But new and exciting since 2016.. man 4 years changes a lot around here. It's pretty hard to remember what's opened.. and closed since then. Not to mention a few spots that have shifted gears. Where did you hit back then? I guess I would add a lot of the suburbs have been sprouting some pretty awesome breweries like New Terrain in Golden, New Image in Arvada, Living the Dream and Locavore in Littleton Not to mention ones that where flying under the radar a bit back then like Odd13, 4 Noses, Cannonball Creek if you're gonna be out and about.
Denver Proper: Black Project Bierstadt + Our Mutual Friend (also nearby: River North reopened; Odell taproom) Baere + TRVE + Novel Strand (new) Crooked Stave new taproom (expanded offerings; no longer just sour/wild/Brett) Fiction Woods Boss + Spangalang Cerebral (typically good To-Go) Hogshead (also nearby: Joyride + FlyteCo) Must Visit: Wiley Roots + Weldwerks in Greeley (1hr+ drive) **both have limited hours & restrictions; check Facebook and/or websites. But both are open, and consistently have best To-Go menus/options in the state. Their cans are in better Denver stores, typically 2-4 brands each week. Also in stores recently are Westbound & Down (Idaho Springs) cans; high quality traditional styles (e.g. West Coast IPAs, Mexican lager, Session IPA) Suburbs (under 1 hour drive): Broomfield 4Noses Lafayette Odd13 + Cellar West Boulder Wild Provisions
Last time I went to: -Bierstadt -Beryl (which now looks to have closed/been replaced) -Stem Ciders -Ratio -Strange Craft -Wit's End (which now looks to be in the same venue as SC) -Colorado Cider Co. -Black Project And NitroFest. Which was lots of fun.
Nice, got a good chunk in for sure (so is @specialiste ) Based on that I'll start East to West on what I'd hit and try to keep it mostly Denver with the thought of not doubling back on those neighborhoods you already visited (in no way close to an exhaustive list) East: Comrade, Copper Kettle, Station 26, Cerebral Central/South: Trve, Baere, Novel Strand West: Diebolt, Hogshead, Call to Arms, & Joyride
You could do a lot worse than sticking with the "C's": Comrade Cerebral Cannonball Creek Crooked Stave ... (C)Bierstadt
Should've said I made it to Coors last time too. Anyone have any strong opinions on area distilleries?
Stranahan's and Leopold Brothers are probably the most well-known Denver distilleries, I'd bet. Stranahan's just does whiskey and lots of people love them. Leopold Bros. has a pretty big portfolio: whiskey, gin, absinthe, liqueurs, etc. Their whiskeys are pretty unique, and I've noticed that some people on the internet hate them, some love them. I dig 'em. Law's does some real nice whiskey as does Bear Creek if you want a couple of smaller local places. They're very close to each other too, so you could hit them up in the same trip and get dinner or lunch at Post, which does great beer and fried chicken. Not sure what everyone's deal is with Covid though. I really like Deviation Distilling's gin. I think they just released a whiskey too, but I haven't had it yet. They're close to the Baere/Trve/Novel Strand loop, less than a half-mile from Novel Strand, so you could add that to your trip. Have fun!
I can't even keep track with what has opened in the last 4 years. One thing I will say, you don't have to worry about quality control very much anymore. Even the newer places are putting out good beers almost immediately. We have a pretty solid network of experienced pro brewers that have made the rounds. 5 years ago that wasn't necessarily the case. Either way, I'd hit up the Tennyson area. Hogshead, Grateful Gnome, Oasis, Hops & Pie, FlyteCo, Empourium, Call to Arms, etc. There's a lot over there and most of the places are new'ish. I haven't been to them all, but the ones I have been to have been pretty top notch. If "new" doesn't matter, Comrade, Dry Dock, Bierstadt, Station 26, Cannonball Creek, TRVE, Mountain Sun (which haven't reopened yet), and maybe Cerebral are probably our best.
