Colorado Breweries Are Fast Becoming Top Destinations For Beer Lovers From Around The Country!
Colorado is known for not only its breathtaking scenic landscape and beer festivals, but there are also many local businesses in Colorado. Among the local businesses, there are also a number of local Colorado Breweries. These breweries are scattered all around the state and located in some of the best towns in Colorado.
Loveland Breweries
Verboten Brewing & Barrel Project
Fort Collins Breweries
CB & Potts
CooperSmith’s Pub & Brewing Company
Crooked Stave Fort Collins Taproom
DC Oakes Brewhouse and Eatery
Funkwerks
Horse and Dragon Brewing Company
Maxline Brewing
McClellan’s Brewing Company
Pitchers Brewery
Prost Brewing
Purpose Brewing and Cellars
Rally King Brewing
Ramskeller Brewery (CSU)
Red Truck Beer Company
Snowbank Brewing
The Marmot
Zwei Brewing
Boulder Breweries
Adamant Brewing Company
Beyond The Mountain Brewing
BJ’s Restaurant & Brewery Boulder
BRU Handbuilt Ales & Eats
Finkel & Garf Brewing Company
Kettle and Spoke Brewery
Mountain Sun Pub & Brewery
Southern Sun Pub & Brewery
Stein Brewing Company
Twisted Pine Brewing Company
Unnamed Beer Company
Vision Quest Brewing Company
West Flanders Brewing Company
Longmont Breweries
300 Suns Brewing
Bootstrap Brewing
Collision Brewing Company
Grossen Bart Brewery
Oskar Blews Tasty Weasel Taproom
Primitive Beer
Shoes & Brews
Wibby Brewing
Idaho Springs Breweries
Westbound & Down Brewing Company
Ouray Breweries
Colorado Boy Southwest Pub
Ourayle House Brewery
Red Mountain Brewing
Common Questions About Colorado Breweries
Why is Colorado the Brewery Capital of the USA?
The popularity of Colorado breweries is undeniable. The state is home to major beverage companies like Coors, which has the iconic Colorado Rockies mountain range emblazoned on every can. However, craft breweries have become a touchstone of Colorado beer culture in recent years. As craft breweries have risen in popularity all over the USA in recent years, Colorado has been at the forefront of this trend, and now boasts more than 300 craft breweries. Of these hundreds of options, some have become well-known. For instance, Breckenridge Brewing Company has expanded their distribution and can now be purchased in many states across the USA. Other breweries, like Black Sky Brewery in Denver, retain their strictly local status, where they are well-integrated fixtures in their neighborhoods.
The proliferation of breweries in Colorado is due in part to its historical status as a mining state. Ingrained in Colorado’s history is the iconic image of a miner during the Gold Rush, kicking back at the end of a long day in one of the local saloons. While the state population grew and expanded its industries well beyond mining, the appreciation for saloons remained, but slowly matured and morphed into a new industry – that of the brewery.
While the brewing of beer has been around for centuries, the concept of the craft brewery, with its typical emphasis on smaller-batch beer brewed with traditional methods, is relatively new. Some would argue that the concept of the craft brewery was born in Colorado as early as the 1970s. Craft breweries have had a meteoric rise since then, even as traditional beer sales have fallen in recent years. And Colorado, where beer has a long and storied past, remains at the forefront of innovation in brewing. With so many breweries, the infrastructure is in place for the opening of additional breweries, paving the way for more Colorado breweries in the future. Even as the state with the highest number of breweries per capita, Colorado’s beer scene shows no signs of slowing down.
Maybe you are visiting Colorado, or maybe you are a local? Either way be sure to check out out the list below of some of the top breweries in Colorado and taste some good brews for yourself.
How Many Breweries are in Colorado?
As of 2019, there were 446 breweries in Colorado according to the Brewers Association. This is up from 238 breweries in 2012, which is more than a 90% increase in seven years! The majority of these breweries are located in the Denver metropolitan area. However, there are many small towns throughout the state that have at least one brewery.
Why is Colorado such a hotbed for breweries? Several factors contribute including a supportive business environment, a passionate craft beer culture, and access to quality ingredients. Colorado’s water is also great for brewing beer since it contains the perfect mix of minerals.
In addition to traditional beer styles, many Colorado breweries focus on brewing experimental beers. This includes barrel-aged beers, sour beers, and hazy IPAs. If you’re a fan of craft beer, Colorado is definitely the place to be!
The History of Brewing in Colorado
Colorado has a long history of brewing dating back to the days of the early settlers. In fact, the first recorded brewery in the state was established in Denver in 1860 by German immigrant William Byers. However, due to prohibition, all breweries in Colorado were forced to close their doors in 1916.
It wasn’t until 1933 that brewing resumed in Colorado with the repeal of prohibition. The first post-prohibition brewery was Coors Brewing Company which is still operational today. In the following decades, several small breweries opened up shop but it wasn’t until the 1990s that the craft beer boom really took off.
Nowadays, there are over 400 breweries in Colorado and that number continues to grow every year. With so many great options to choose from, there’s something for everyone! Whether you prefer traditional styles or experimental brews, you’ll be sure to find a brewery in Colorado that suits your taste.
Colorado is quickly becoming one of the best states for craft beer lovers. With over 400 breweries and counting, there’s no shortage of great places to grab a pint (or two!). If you’re planning a trip to Colorado, be sure to add visiting a few breweries to your itinerary! Cheers!