Suggestions for a safe craft beer experience during your next socially distant adventure

By Steve Graham

Colorado is under a statewide stay-at-home order. But two of our favorite activities are still available: drinking craft beer and enjoying parks and trails. It’s important to seek out a park in your area and to maintain a safe distance of at least six feet from your fellow hikers, bikers and runners. Old-fashioned safety rules and sensibility also still apply. That means packing in (and packing out) canned beer to lighten the load and avoid leaving dangerous glass shards. Glass bottles are banned in many parks, in fact.

And, of course, you should support a local craft brewery, especially right now. With that in mind, here are five recommendations for canned beers that are available on your way to some great recreation areas around Colorado.

Honey brews in Boulder

Wildflower season is just beginning, so you might see some pollinators in the meadows while you contemplate the complex hoppy flavors and the infusion of orange blossom honey in the 2020 Experimental IPA from Upslope Brewing Co. The Boulder brewery offers home delivery, and both taprooms are currently open from 2 to 7 p.m. daily.

If you take U.S. Highway 36 into Boulder, exit at Foothills Parkway to the Flatiron Park Upslope taproom. Then head west about four miles to Chautauqua Park. Enjoy a great network of trails leading to and around the Flatirons (you’ll recognize them from the image on your Upslope can).

For a sportier drink, Upslope also just unveiled its latest hop-free offering — the Electrolyte Series Spiked Snowmelt is hard seltzer combined with Skratch Labs sport hydration drink mix.

Skis and stout in Telluride

Telluride’s ski mountain is closed, but cross-country skiing trails offer the perfect isolated wilderness experience. The Telluride Nordic Association is continuing to groom Priest and Trout Lake trails through this week. Click here for the latest conditions and grooming reports.

And while you are enjoying some of the ultimate Colorado mountain views, enjoy an ultimate Colorado mountain collaboration: Telluride Brewing Co. aged the tasty Ski-in-Ski Stout in Woody Creek Bourbon barrels, provided by Four Dogs Fine Wine and Spirits in Basalt, then finished the beer with 20 pounds of Rock Canyon dark roast coffee, crafting the Sleeper Pow Day imperial stout. But be warned it is 11.6 percent ABV, so you might save it for after the ski outing. The Telluride Brewing taproom is open from 3 to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday for pickup.

Yeti hunting in Denver

If any creature is skilled at social isolation, it’s the yeti. The elusive mountain creature is unlikely to be spotted in Denver (or anywhere else for that matter), but you can get your hands on a Yeti beer — and at 9.5 percent ABV, who knows what you’ll see after a couple of these. Great Divide also brought back a limited edition Mexican Chocolate Yeti, with spices, vanilla and coffee.

Great Divide is open for curbside pickup from 4 to 7 p.m. Monday to Friday at the Barrel Bar in Denver’s RiNo neighborhood. Park by the brewery and ride your bike onto the South Platte River Trail, which connects with miles of other bike trails out to Morrison or Cherry Creek Reservoir or Bear Creek or the South Platte River Trail.

Second Runnings in Colorado Springs

Red Rock Canyon Open Space just west of Colorado Springs offers stunning views, great rock climbing and 240 million years of geological history. Also, it’s very close to Fossil Craft Beer Co., a good brewery in an unassuming strip mall location just off U.S. Highway 24 and just east of the open space.

Appropriately for a run through the red rock canyons, Fossil Craft is selling crowlers of its Second Runnings Belgian single. The taproom is currently open for to-go orders from 3 to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 12 to 7 p.m. Saturday and Sundays.

Photo: courtesy Intersect Brewing Co. Facebook page

Be the Boss in Fort Collins

If you were born to run, see how fast you can finish the challenging three-mile Mill Creek Trail in Horsetooth Mountain Park above Fort Collins. There are also plenty of great spring hikes up the Poudre Canyon, including Greyrock, a beautiful local favorite that follows a lovely creek and boasts some showy wildflowers.

On your way out of town, pick up a Tramps Like Us East Coast IPA from Intersect Brewing Co. The brewery currently also has six-packs of an American Pilsner and a Milk Chocolate Stout, but also offers more than a dozen other beers (all with clever music-inspired names) in “high fidelity” crowler cans.

Everything seems to change from day to day right now, so we suggest calling ahead to these breweries to check hours and selection. And we offer a safe, socially distant cheers!