8 Best Denver Breweries to Try in 2019

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Colorado’s reputation as a craft beer haven started in 1859 when Rocky Mountain Brewery was founded in Boulder. Other cities like Denver soon followed suit and now attract loyal beer lovers devoted to quality, artisanal, and hand-crafted beer. From pub crawls to delicious seasonal brews for a gathering with friends, here’s are some of the cant-miss Denver breweries.

Odell Brewing Co.

Odell Brewing Company’s list of brews compliments the seasonal patio for imbibing under the guidance of knowledgeable and friendly staff. Choose from local lagers, IPAs, seasonal favorites, and limited releases like local favorite Tree Shaker. But Odell's isn't just for drinking. Come for live music including reggae and rock. Stay for the yoga and delicious poke bowls.

Odell also runs a RiNo service industry night, where proof of employment gets you $3 pours of exclusives. If you make it over to Fort Collins, you can take a tour at the original Odell Brewery and see how the Colorado brews are made.

Great Divide Brewing Co

A pioneering company of the Denver Brewery scene, the Great Divide Brewing Company opened its doors in 1994. The brewery features favorites like Yeti Imperial Stout, Hercules Double IPA, and Denver Pale Ale among many others. The Great Dive also caters to its hard-working locals with events like Industry Night. If you work in the beer industry, you can come by on Monday evenings for 50% off of their core beer and pilot beer selections.

Ratio Beerworks

With a history of the punk scene in the 90s, the founders of Ratio Beerworks toured with their bands, created zines and entrenched themselves in the DIY mindset. This ultimately paved the way to their brewery and explains their prominent local following. Denverites come for Domestica le, French Saison, Hold Steady chocolate rye scotch ale, and other originals. Ratio also prides itself on occasional punk and indie music performances and support for local music and the arts.

Epic Brewing Company

With founding roots in Salt Lake City, Epic Brewing Company brought their brews to Denver in 2013, focusing on small batch beer. Locals enjoy sipping on their Intermountain Wheat Beer, Escape to Colorado IPA, Big Bad Baptists and other year-round and seasonal selections. Some of their brews are award-winning as well. Their RiNo APA and Brainless Belgian-Style Golden Ale both won gold medals. Other creations like Triple Barrel  Big Bad Baptist earned high rankings in Craft Beer and Brewing Magazine.

Denver Beer Co.

Born in small batches of homemade brew in the founders' garages, Denver Beer Co. serves only premium artisan ales and lagers with a farm to table philosophy. The changing seasons bring different ingredients and small batches to provide the freshest beer possible. Some of their year-round brews include Japance Off Saison, Princess Yum Yum Raspberry Kolsch, and Graham Cracker Porter. But don't let their whimsical names and ingredients fool you, Denver Beer Co. has won awards and festivals for their barrel-aged and specialty beers.

Bruz Beers

This Denver based brewery specializes in Belgian style beer with an artisanal touch. Bruz Beer prides itself on adhering to the passion for excellence that Belgium brings to their own beers. A rotating tap list includes Dame Blanche Witbier, Belgian Export Lager, Gargoyle Dubbel, and others with painstaking attention to detail. Bruz is also a local favorite for their sustainability and quest to minimize their impact on the planet. They strive to use sustainable practices when possible, use non-eco-friendly chemicals and cleaning agents and recycle whenever applicable.

The Grateful Gnome

The Grateful Gnome blends a spirited combination of a laid-back neighborhood delicatessen like you see in New York combined with a traditional American microbrewery. With 12 beers on tap, a rotating C Squared Cider, and root beer, The Grateful Gnome offers a great selection. There's also a stage with live music and events to entertain you while sampling beers and devouring their tasty sandwiches.

Oasis Brewery

As one of Colorado's original microbreweries, Oasis Brewery opened in 1991 in Boulder to create classic craft beers that were both easy to drink and stand the test of time. Now pouring in Denver, Oasis features seasonal, specialty, and year-round beers. Favorites include Zoser Oatmeal Stout, De Nile IPA, Capstone ESB, Beyond the Pale, and others. Locals also love the $3 Beer of the Day special on Wednesdays and food trucks on Saturdays for bites to complement their favorite beer.

The good news is there are 7-days in the week to try the variety of craft and artisanal Denver has to offer. Gather up your new neighbors and friends and start your own pub crawl at some of these must-visit breweries.