Must hit Denver breweries/bottle shops?

Yup, they're definitely sitting on the shelves in a bunch of places.

 

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Definitely sucks that they put such a high price tag on the Eclipse line. I really would like to try some but at that price it's not going to happen.

 

Joy has Aurora/Dark Prophet/Saison/Tropic King/Helter Spelter from Funkwerks. They also have Red, Yellow, Surette, and one or two others from Crooked Stave...no green or orange, though.

 

Thanks. I'll have a car, so I'll be able to drive to the good spots. I'm staying at the hyatt downtown but can drive anywhere. Care to name the top two places to stop for shopping? Mile High and W&S?

I'm going out with my customer monday night (bleh, they aren't beer fans) and on Tuesday night I'm going to go beer shopping, then meet a friend at Falling Rock. Looking forward to it

ETA - do any of the beer places mentioned have Stranahan's? I'm a HUGE bourbon fan and am starting to look at some american whiskeys as well. would be interested in bringing some stranahan's home.

 

Mile High is a good bet for in-town. Argonaut downtown might suffice, but I haven't been in some time. Mondo Vino would be the second closest to you, up on 32nd and Lowell. These places should have Stranahan's, but if not my little shop has about 2 cases. Also, look for some Leopold Bros whiskey...I think their line is great.
Should be a good time to hit Falling Rock, you'll be able to sit outside. Wander on down to Freshcraft if you can also

 

Falling Rock is pretty cool, and is likely a great hangout on a non-busy night (not GABF for example).

I'd vote for Freshcraft over Falling Rock though. They too have an awesome selection, good food, a more laid back and homey atmosphere, etc. Check their website and you can sign up for a coupon good for a free pint when you visit.

Wynkoop is a decent stop for some local samples.

The best digs will be further out from my limited experience though. Avery is an amazing stop though Boulder is a bit out of the way if you're trying to hit Longmont/Ft. Collins in the same day.

Ft. Collins is likely the best stop due to the breweries and the bars. Look for The Mayor of Olde Town if you go out that way.

Left Hand was the best brewpub because it was so laid back, huge selection, beautiful location, etc. Odell looks amazing but is much larger and therefore loses much of the charm I felt at Left Hand. New Belgium is great for a tour or to buy bottles to go, but they're so damn busy I felt uncomfortable trying to hang out and drink after my tour so we just left.

Again though, I was in CO the week leading up to GABF so everything was a little off-kilter and/or busier than normal anyway.

 

It isnt GABF every week. It is rare to be at Falling Rock and it be so crowded that you cant find a seat. I like Fresh Craft but it has about 1/5 of the selection of Falling Rock. Seriously, if you could only go to one bar it should be Falling Rock. But they are walking distance to Great Divide(my vote for best brewery in the city), Wynkoop, and Fresh Craft so why not hit all four?

I was at the breweries in Ft Collins friday and none were packed. I think Odell's is the best because they put stuff on tap that they dont sale anywhere else. All of em are good and just a couple miles from each other so again why not hit all of em?

Avery is freaking awesome. They have tap room stuff you cant buy anywhere else so I think it is a must hit.

 

Mile High is over in Lakewood, but not too far from downtown. Just take 6th Avenue to Wadsworth and follow it south roughly 3 miles. It's beside a Whole Foods and Target. For bombers, they're as good as any store in the area.
If you're thinking 6-packs, Davidson's on the far south end of town probably has the best overall selection.
The Falling Rock tends to be busy on weekend evenings, but otherwise isn't too crazy. They tend to have PtE on tap quite a bit, which is always nice.
Like Spider889 I tend to favor Freshcraft over it, though. While the Falling Rock will have more Belgian bottles, FC will have more unusual taps and lots more US bottles and cans. Plus, while some people like this, it bothers me that the Falling Rock will stock a dozen different IPAs but will neglect a whole bunch of other styles to do so.

For tap rooms - Ft. Collins is pretty tough to match, but there are a boatload of small brewers in and around Denver, too. I still think Dry Dock's the best brewer in the state and they're all alone out here in Aurora.