With newbreweries popping up left and right around Denver, discerning drinkers now have a host of venues to choose from for a cold glass of local beer. But the best brewhouses this time of year take into account warm temperatures and sunshine and place their patios accordingly. We've put together a list of our favorite mountain views, city landscapes, and backyard oases to take in while beer-garden hopping this summer.
Note: Map points are not ranked. Did we miss your favorite brewery patio? Show it some love in the comments, send us an email, or start a forum thread in its honor.
Denver Beer Co. opened in August 2011 as one of the first community beer gardens in the city. Before opening, the duo behind the brewery visited Germany, resulting in the idea for the patio of long communal Oktoberfest tables. Fast-forward and there's rarely a dull moment on this fun-filled slab of asphalt.
Black Shirt Brewing combines classic technique with innovation to develop a line of carefully crafted red ales. As trains rumble by the industrial area of north Denver, visitors can enjoy the brewery's backyard oasis, featuring live concerts, corn hole, strings of twinkling lights, and garden boxes.
Avery's upgraded facility cost $27 million and is 67,000 square feet set on 5.6 acres, making it the largest of Boulder's breweries. New draws include the Southern smokehouse-style restaurant and the patio with its lounge chairs, barrel tables, barstools, and picnic tables under umbrellas. Oh, and it's also dog-friendly.
Opened in late 2015 on East Colfax, this brewery's theme is subtle and scientific. Recognizing the chemical know-how a brewmaster needs to build the perfect beer, Cerebral plays around with textbook wallpaper and beers with clever names such as Dark Galaxie oatmeal stout and Rare Trait IPA. The brewery also has two nitro lines and one of the few local Crowler machines. Located inside a former auto shop, the space has developed into a small dining-drinking complex, complete with a secluded outdoor space.
This brewery and tap house is known for its diverse list of beers and its casual-cool atmosphere. The dog-friendly patio has umbrellas overhead and a grassy lawn with ping-pong tables and corn hole for fun with friends or the whole family.
Gravel is topped with umbrellas and pop-up tents, a big apple tree, and seating for more than 40 at this Golden-based, German-style ale brewery launched more than 20 years ago by geologists Charlie and Janine Sturdavant.
With the opening of the new facility off Brighton Boulevard came a 100-person patio set along the South Platte River and stunning views of the Rocky Mountains and Denver cityscape.
Casual and comfortable enough to be your best buddy's bar, this RiNo establishment is modern and urban and provides a wide variety of ales with an emphasis on local sources. The small patio has food trucks that cozy up most days and sparkling lights overhead.
On a hot day, you can't do much better than a chilled, frothy stein of Bavarian-style beer, pulled up to a shared picnic table, overlooking the skyline of downtown Denver. Beers, including dunkels, maibocks, and weissbiers (don't worry, there's a syllabus of all the varieties), are made in a 50-year-old, 70-barrel copper brewing system straight from Germany.
This former firehouse in the Park Hill neighborhood has garage doors that open to a south-facing cement patio. The 88-seat patio invites thirsty patrons to enjoy brews such as the Berliner Weisse, a kettle-soured beer, and to grab some grub from the regularly rotating food trucks.
Former Dogfish Head brewmaster Bryan Selders brought us this backyard patio packed with buzzing beer drinkers, collecting at communal tables, and surrounded by emptied kegs now holding flowers. A fire pit warms the crowd and tall trees shade the space. Pair the beverages with some crispy fried chicken from GoodBird Kitchen.
Good for activities from weekend brunch to afterwork happy hour, this tavern-style brewhouse on East 17th Street has a long and thin patio that seats 60 and is shaded by Honey Locusts. Guests can indulge in house-brewed beers and American eats. A second patio (sans food service) runs along the building with corn hole and other activities.
Denver Beer Co. opened in August 2011 as one of the first community beer gardens in the city. Before opening, the duo behind the brewery visited Germany, resulting in the idea for the patio of long communal Oktoberfest tables. Fast-forward and there's rarely a dull moment on this fun-filled slab of asphalt.
Black Shirt Brewing combines classic technique with innovation to develop a line of carefully crafted red ales. As trains rumble by the industrial area of north Denver, visitors can enjoy the brewery's backyard oasis, featuring live concerts, corn hole, strings of twinkling lights, and garden boxes.
Avery's upgraded facility cost $27 million and is 67,000 square feet set on 5.6 acres, making it the largest of Boulder's breweries. New draws include the Southern smokehouse-style restaurant and the patio with its lounge chairs, barrel tables, barstools, and picnic tables under umbrellas. Oh, and it's also dog-friendly.
Opened in late 2015 on East Colfax, this brewery's theme is subtle and scientific. Recognizing the chemical know-how a brewmaster needs to build the perfect beer, Cerebral plays around with textbook wallpaper and beers with clever names such as Dark Galaxie oatmeal stout and Rare Trait IPA. The brewery also has two nitro lines and one of the few local Crowler machines. Located inside a former auto shop, the space has developed into a small dining-drinking complex, complete with a secluded outdoor space.
This brewery and tap house is known for its diverse list of beers and its casual-cool atmosphere. The dog-friendly patio has umbrellas overhead and a grassy lawn with ping-pong tables and corn hole for fun with friends or the whole family.
Gravel is topped with umbrellas and pop-up tents, a big apple tree, and seating for more than 40 at this Golden-based, German-style ale brewery launched more than 20 years ago by geologists Charlie and Janine Sturdavant.
With the opening of the new facility off Brighton Boulevard came a 100-person patio set along the South Platte River and stunning views of the Rocky Mountains and Denver cityscape.
Casual and comfortable enough to be your best buddy's bar, this RiNo establishment is modern and urban and provides a wide variety of ales with an emphasis on local sources. The small patio has food trucks that cozy up most days and sparkling lights overhead.
On a hot day, you can't do much better than a chilled, frothy stein of Bavarian-style beer, pulled up to a shared picnic table, overlooking the skyline of downtown Denver. Beers, including dunkels, maibocks, and weissbiers (don't worry, there's a syllabus of all the varieties), are made in a 50-year-old, 70-barrel copper brewing system straight from Germany.
This former firehouse in the Park Hill neighborhood has garage doors that open to a south-facing cement patio. The 88-seat patio invites thirsty patrons to enjoy brews such as the Berliner Weisse, a kettle-soured beer, and to grab some grub from the regularly rotating food trucks.
Former Dogfish Head brewmaster Bryan Selders brought us this backyard patio packed with buzzing beer drinkers, collecting at communal tables, and surrounded by emptied kegs now holding flowers. A fire pit warms the crowd and tall trees shade the space. Pair the beverages with some crispy fried chicken from GoodBird Kitchen.
Good for activities from weekend brunch to afterwork happy hour, this tavern-style brewhouse on East 17th Street has a long and thin patio that seats 60 and is shaded by Honey Locusts. Guests can indulge in house-brewed beers and American eats. A second patio (sans food service) runs along the building with corn hole and other activities.
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