With hundreds of breweries and dozens of distilleries, Colorado’s craft beverage scene is overflowing with options. Choosing where to belly up can be tough when you’re oh-so-thirsty.
While we highly recommend checking out the local libations wherever your journey takes you, these 10 beer and spirits producers are destinations in their own right with, drinks and atmospheres that turn a simple pitstop into a memorable experience.
The Block Distilling
Sure, The Block Distilling makes vodka and whiskey, but what you really want to try are its brandies, aperitifs and liqueurs, which you won’t find house-made at many other distilleries. Luckily, The Block’s tasting room in the River North Art District is also one of Denver’s most interesting cocktail bars, where the craftsmanship in both spirits and mixology is on display. The atmosphere is sophisticated and inviting, so you’ll probably want to try a few.
2990 Larimer St., Denver. 303-484-9033. theblockdistillingco.com.
Call to Arms Brewing
While Call to Arms Brewing’s taproom is inviting on a regular day, it’s even more fun to visit when there’s a themed pop-up. For example, the brewery decks the halls with an overwhelming amount of garland and lights around Christmas — that pop-up, called Big Holiday Energy, kicks off this year on Nov. 27 — and explodes with rainbows of color during Pride Month in June. In the fall, the brewery brought a piece of Munich to Denver with an Oktoberfest pop-up featuring draping hop bines, German-inspired ribbon and wood decor, and a festival tent with communal tables perfect for hoisting a stein.
4526 Tennyson St., Denver. 720-328-8258. calltoarmsbrewing.com.
Cohesion Brewing
Andy Cross, The Denver Post
Cohesion Brewing co-owner, Eric Larkin, right, pours a Cohesion 12 Czech lager pale ale drawn hladinka style with a side-pull tap at Cohesion Brewing Aug. 14, 2021. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)
When Cohesion Brewing opened in 2021, it filled a heady niche Denver drinkers had been craving. The brewery specializes in Czech-style lagers poured from Lukr faucets to achieve the European country’s signature foamy head. Each beer comes one of three ways: hladinka, a traditional pour with a thick head; šnyt, which features more than half foam-to-beer ratio; or mlíko, which is mostly foam with a sliver of beer.
3851 Steele St., Unit 1388, Denver. 303-997-7016. cohesionbeer.com.
The Colorado Farm Brewery
What makes a truly local beer? Just ask the folks at The Colorado Farm Brewery in Alamosa, where a selection of so-called “estate” beers feature ingredients from the family-owned farm there. That includes the barley, grown and malted by sister company Colorado Malting Co.; hops also cultivated onsite; water drawn from a private well; and a strain of yeast procured naturally from the environment. The most popular beer is, fittingly, a farmhouse ale called Batch #1.
2070 County Road 12 South, Alamosa. 719-580-0051. cofarmbeer.com.
Marble Distilling
Joe Amon, The Denver Post
Carey Shanks owner of The Marble Distilling Co. and The Distillery Inn with his wife Connie Baker hydrating the barrels of whiskey and bourbon as they age in the naturally heated storage area on the Nieslanik Ranch. May 12, 2017, Carbondale. (Photo by Joe Amon/The Denver Post)
Sustainability is the foundation of this operation in Carbondale, which saves an estimated 5 million gallons of water each year during distillation thanks to a unique water reclamation system it designed ahead of opening in 2015. The system also heats and cools Marble Distilling’s venue, including its restaurant, bar and attached boutique hotel with five dog-friendly rooms. Does sustainability taste better? Decide after trying the Moonlight Expresso liqueur, billed as an espresso martini in a bottle.
150 Main St., Carbondale. 970-963-7008. marbledistilling.com.
Old Elk Distillery
In the last year, two different whiskey magazines have praised Fort Collins’ Old Elk Distillery both for its products and its people. First, experts at Whisky Advocate deemed its port cask-finished bourbon one of the “most exciting whiskies” of 2023. Then Greg Metze earned the title Master Distiller of the Year at the Whisky Magazine Awards. See what the fuss is about at The Reserve by Old Elk Distillery, its tasting room serving elevated tavern fare and cocktails.
253 Linden St., Fort Collins. 970-682-3330. oldelk.com.
Outer Range Brewing
Provided by Outer Range Brewing
Outer Range Brewing in Frisco has some nice views of the Rocky Mountains, as seen from their Frisco, Colorado location. (Provided by Outer Range Brewing)
Colorado’s beer scene is overflowing with IPAs, but few makers do them better and more consistently than Outer Range Brewing Those who visit the taproom, conveniently located off I-70 in Frisco, may find a dozen-plus IPAs on the menu at any given time; we recommend going for something hazy, the brewery’s specialty. Pair your drink with a bite from the Bird Craft restaurant on-site and enjoy the scenery from Outer Range’s roof deck.
182 Lusher Ct., Frisco. 970-455-8709. outerrange.com.
Talnua Distillery
Arvada’s only distillery specializes in making pot still whiskey and claims to be the first to do so stateside. Commonly affiliated with Irish tradition, what makes this style of spirit unique is the method of using a copper pot still and the mash bill, which is half malted barley and unmalted. The unmalted barley plays prominently in the flavor profile of Talnua Distillery’s various whiskeys, as well as its house-made gins. Try them on their own or in a cocktail at the onsite lounge.
5405 W. 56th Ave., Unit C, Arvada. 303-431-4949. talnua.com.
Westbound & Down Brewing
Founded in Idaho Springs in 2015, Westbound & Down Brewing has become a local powerhouse with award-winning beers now served at five locations, each with its own personality. The brewery’s original home offers rustic, mining-town charm, while its spiffy production facility in Lafayette boasts a modern aesthetic. Its Denver taproom puts drinkers at the center of the action near Union Station, and its newest locations in Basalt and Aspen seek to feed thirsty outdoors people after their adventures in the mountains. The Aspen location, called Westy’s Tap & Tavern, is billed as a 1980s-inspired pop-up that shares the taps with its former owner, Aspen Brewing Co.
1617 Miner St., Idaho Springs; 2755 Dagny Way, #101, Lafayette; 1801 Blake St., Denver; 371 Market St., Basalt; and 121 Galena St., Aspen. westboundanddown.com.
Woody Creek Distillers
William H. Macy isn’t just the official “spokesdude” for Woody Creek Distillers near Aspen. He’s also a regular in the tasting room. Visitors will often find the “Shameless” actor bellied up for a tipple of his signature reserve whiskey, released last December, or entertaining guests on the ukulele. Macy even helps grow potatoes locally for Woody Creek’s vodka and gin, which are well worth a try.
60 Sunset Dr., Basalt. 970-279-5110. woodycreekdistillers.com.
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