Colorado Review

Denver loves its beer. To wit:

- The first permanent structure in Denver, built during town’s wild frontier days, was a saloon.
- More than 15 brewpubs and microbreweries make their home in downtown Denver today.
- The Mile-High City’s current mayor John Hickenlooper founded and still owns the Wynkoop Brewing Company in Lower Downtown.
- The city hosts the annual Great American Beer Festival, the “Super Bowl” of beer, October 11-13, 2007 in the Colorado Convention Center. More than 30,000 beer lovers are expected to attend.

I’m embarrassed to say I didn’t know exactly what a microbrew was when I moved to Colorado in the mid-1990s. (Hey, the trend was just on the rise nationwide then.)

Let’s just say I quickly became quite familiar with small-scale brewers throughout the state. And when I lived in Denver as a single gal, I got to know the Wynkoop and the Rock Bottom Brewery well.

Years later, my husband and I still seek out these Denver brewpubs, now with kids in tow. Brewpub food is generally child friendly (burgers and fries, natch) and the restaurants’ casual, upbeat (read: sometimes noisy) atmosphere lends itself to accommodating children, too.

I usually like to try what new seasonal beer the brewery has on tap. I’m also a fan of wheats. My husband digs the porters. The beauty of microbreweries, is that there are so many options, from light to dark. Or order a “sample flight” of 2-oz. pours and try them all!

My recommendations for Denver microbreweries: (more…)