Denver's Best Brewpubs
Drink Up Denver-Style
Whether you're a fan of dark beers or light beers, traditional brews or unusual flavor combinations, our city's breweries offer a variety of beers to suit any palate. Brewpubs take it one step further, bringing together great beer, mouth-watering meals and a welcoming atmosphere. The places on this list are by no means the full roster of the local brewing industry, but they're some of the best from which to start your journey. Take a day to sample a bit of everything, from brews created in the American style to those influenced by beers from abroad, and find the best of local hops.
1. Pints Pub
An authentic British pub just doesn't sound like something you would see in our Old West city, but sometimes the incongruous is a perfect fit. Pints Pub cultivates the niche by prominently displaying everything from the England's flag to Old World red telephone booths and serving up cask-conditioned British-style beer.
Despite the pub's location about 4,600 miles west of England in the Golden Triangle, it's probably still best to leave the fake British accent behind; you never know who might be listening. Quench the desire to shout out phrases like "Bloody hell!" or "Smashing!" and instead order traditional British dishes like fish and chips or bangers and mash. If Scotland's whisky sounds better than England's beer, you're still in luck, Pints has the most extensive selection of single malt whisky in the nation.
Best beer to sample: Dark Star Ale
Menu2. Wynkoop Brewing Co.
One of the first establishments that put LoDo back on the map, Wynkoop Brewing Co. is now a Denver institution. Founded by our beloved mayor Hickenlooper back in 1988, Wynkoop was the first brewpub to open in Denver, ushering in a new age of reckless imbibing.
Today, the brewpub sports a very LoDo feel, the first floor and patio serve as a restaurant, offering a selection of steaks and other hearty Western dishes, and the upper level is a pool hall featuring a more relaxed atmosphere and broadcast sports. Wynkoop is still beloved for its beer, including a distinctive beer made with Anaheim chilies and its cask-conditioned Splatz Porter.
Best beer to sample: Patty's Chile Beer
Menu3. Denver ChopHouse
Nothing emphasizes that you're definitely in Colorado like a meal at the Denver ChopHouse. Steaks served every which way are the restaurant's specialty, and its location near Coors Field brings in hordes of game fans. It even sees some of own local sports stars: Avs players are particularly famous for their frequent patronage of the ChopHouse. The beers crafted by the resident brewmaster are a great complement to a filling meal and also stand perfectly well on their own.
Best beer to sample: Bohemian Pilsner
Menu4. Great Divide Brewing Company
Not quite a brewpub, as food can be ordered for delivery from nearby restaurants but not from the brewery itself, Great Divide Brewing Company is just too fantastic to forego. The Five Points brewery, so close to LoDo yet so very different in style, features an intimate tasting room and a huge behind-the-scenes brewing operation. Be a good Denverite and take the short brewery tour, or just pump the scarily knowledgeable taproom staff for information on Great Divide's beers, the brewing process or the state of microbreweries in Colorado.
Best beer to sample: Yeti Imperial Stout
5. Breckenridge Brewery
While you might not sight any of our stars downing a beer and a burger, Breckenridge Brewery is certainly the ultimate Denver sports bar. Straddling the line between LoDo and Five Points, the brewery draws a wide cut of our city's population with its offerings of handcrafted beers, hamburgers, sports television, billiards and darts. Sitting so close to Coors Field doesn't hurt the brewery's popularity either; it tends to fill up to capacity just before and after Rockies games.
Best beer to sample: Vanilla Porter
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