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:

Wynkoop Brewing Company: Billiards players flock here to play on the 30 upstairs tables. This is Colorado’s first brewpub and the largest in the nation in terms of the amount of beer produced. It’s just across the street from historic Union Station.

Rock Bottom Brewery: Located on the 16th Street Mall, Denver’s mile-long pedestrian promenade, the Rock Bottom has one of the city’s largest outdoor cafes. (People watching is fabulous at one of the al fresco tables.) Rock Bottom is now a national chain, however this was the first.

Breckenridge Brewery: This restaurant, located almost directly across the street from Coors Field, is hopping before and after a baseball game. Sports are always on the many television sets. The original is in the mountain town of Breckenridge.

Flying Dog Brewery: This irreverent brewery (Doggie Style Ale) is not a brewpub (no food served), but it’s worth a visit for the distillery tour. Take a free tour weekdays at 4 p.m. and Saturdays at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Tours begin and end in the tasting room; this is not for kids: you must be 21.

Denver, microbreweries