Colorado’s Favorite Craft Breweries

© Megan Hettwer

There are more than 140 craft breweries throughout Colorado, each one featuring unique beers you won’t find anywhere else. It can be difficult to pick a perfect brewery, but this list of favorites is a handy starting point.

New Belgium: Fort Collins

Fort Collins is known for its breweries, so choosing which ones to visit is always hard. Perhaps the most well known brewery in Fort Collins, no visit to the town would be complete without a stop at New Belgium. There are countless brews on tap, and samples are on the house. The company is 100 percent employee owned, too.

Avery: Boulder

A Boulder legend, Avery’s selection of beers is sure to please all taste palates. You wouldn’t expect to find a top-notch brewery in this somewhat industrial setting, but it works. The food is quite good, too.

Left Hand: Longmont

What makes Left Hand Brewery so unique? Just ask them about their line of Nitro beers. They were the first American brewery to bottle beers using nitrogen in place of CO2, so be sure to try the two side-by-side to taste the difference.

Great Divide: Denver

Great Divide is probably most well-known for it’s strong beers—  more than half of them rank more than 7 percent ABV. The high alcohol content certainly doesn’t detract from the taste, though.

Breckenridge Brewery: Denver & Breckenridge

In 1990, Breck Brewery became Colorado’s third craft brewery. After an expansion in 1992, the tasting room was moved to Denver, but the original Breckenridge location is still a popular hangout. Try the Vanilla Porter.

Dry Dock: Aurora

A relative newcomer to the craft brewery scene, Dry Dock opened its doors in 2005, and was Aurora’s first brewery. Give the Apricot Blonde a try if you like fruity and pleasant beers.

© Tommyknocker

Tommyknocker: Idaho Springs

Focusing on ales and lagers, visiting Tommyknocker is easy thanks to its location off of I-70. This brewery can be fun for the entire family, too —just sample their craft sodas. The root beer might be better than the actual beers.