With 300 days of sunshine per year, one of the largest concentrations of craft breweries in the United States, and the granddaddy of craft-beer festivals, Denver, Colorado, has a long history as a beer travel destination. But brewers in the Mile High City refuse to rest on their laurels, and a new generation is pushing creativity and diversity to even higher highs.
The first thing you notice about Denver is the oxygen, or lack thereof. At a mile above sea level, you can lose your breath walking up a flight of stairs, and that beer you drink might hit you a little sooner and a little harder than it would at lower elevations. But that’s a small price to pay for the variety and quality of brewers who call Denver home.
“The craft-beer scene in Denver is becoming more diverse all the time,” says the Colorado Brewers Guild’s Steve Kurowski. “We’re seeing small breweries with tasting rooms open up all over the city, serving some amazing small-batch beer to their neighborhoods, as well as brew pubs with thoughtful food pairing and menus to complement house-made beers.”