It ain't no coincidence that Denver is the yearly host to the Great American Beer Festival. This mile high city boasts a multitude of the best brews and views found unparallelled to any other city in the United States. With over 300 yearly days of sunshine and plentiful fresh mountain springs, Denver is a brewers paradise. Home to mass production breweries, small handcrafted microbreweries and brewpubs, Denver has it all.
The infamous Coors Brewery is definitely worth the 20 minute drive outside of the city. Surrounded by gorgeous mountain terrain, this brewery is set in the hills of Golden, Colorado. Park your car at the visitors lot and get on the shuttle, where the driver will give you the 411 on the brewery and drop you at the front door. Inside, take a self guided tour where you'll get a behind the scenes look at the massive operation. End at the tasting room and enjoy three Coors products, quite a generous offering from the folks at Coors! The best part is, apart from a tip for the bartender, you can walk out of here without spending a dime!
While the Coors Brewery is undoubtedly the best known, there's more than a handful of lesser known craft breweries worth checking out. Tommyknockers Brewery, located in the historic mining town of Idaho Springs is a great place to spend the afternoon. A combination of great food and beer is sure to bring a smile to your face as you sit in the dining area surrounded by brightly polished brass tanks where you can see their work in progress. Tommyknockers produces a variety of award-winning beers that offers something for every pallet. If you really want to give your taste buds a challenge, order a sampler and try them all.
Mountain Sun Brewery in Boulder offers a wide selection of great beer at reasonable prices, making this unassuming brewpub a big hit with the locals. The staff here at Mountain Sun is friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful, as their operation depends on it. Each employee is skilled to do any job at the brewery, so the same guy that's pouring you beer could very well be cooking your food. At Mountain Sun, they carry this idea of communication and unity to the customers by encouraging patrons to converse amongst each other rather than stare mindlessly at a television (which they don't have). Sunday nights Mountain Sun features free live music where you can tap your feet and raise your glass to some of the best local talent in the Denver area.
Another brewery with some rather unique operations is New Belgium Brewing in Fort Collins. This employee owned company has a mission not only to produce world class beers, but to do it in the most eco-friendly way possible. Take a one hour guided tour of this brewery, and you will learn the intricate details of their environmental efforts from their wind powered electricity to their advocation of bicycles. Step into their Liquid Center (as opposed to tasting room) and sip on a Fat Tire or Abbey while the expert staff is on standby, eager to answer your questions. While drinking New Belgium beer will no doubt leave you feeling good, you'll feel pretty good about drinking it.
If you're on the hunt for some bold, aggressive beers, a visit to The Great Divide Brewery is where you'll find them. This Denver brewery has a tap room where you can sample some of their over-the-top beers. The Hercules Double IPA or the Old Ruffian Barley Wine mixed with the high altitude may just knock you off your bar stool. Avery Brewing in Boulder is another spot to find some hardy beers. The beer line up in their tap room changes weekly, showcasing the best they have to offer. Thursday evenings you can enjoy a pint while catching an acoustic music show. Avery and Great Divide both offer free tours and tastings that will surely make you appreciate their efforts in the brewing industry.
The amount of quality breweries based in the Denver area make the city a mecca for beer aficionados. A few brewery visits is a great way to get acquainted with the city and local culture. You could easily become a beer connoisseur by spending your time learning about the fermentation process, hop varieties, and sample enough beers to keep you coming back for more.