Broaden your horizons with these taprooms and brewpubs

By Elsa Russell and Joe Ross
Photos: Neill Pieper

There’s a taproom, brewpub or bar to everyone’s liking. The good ones check all the boxes for great selection or unusual eats, atmosphere, and most importantly, the people. Who wants to hang out in a place with obnoxious patrons or inattentive staff? A great taproom will reflect the community character and attract a diverse crowd.

We’ve compiled a list of establishments with attitude, charm and reputations for consistent experiences that keep people coming back. Some cater to the downtown crowd perfectly. Beer geeks? Business lunches? After-work gatherings? Saturday night blowout? Sunday morning brunch? Yes, the Denver area packs a punch when it comes to relaxing and celebrating life. Because of COVID-19 restrictions, please check websites before visiting.

Goed Zuur

Goed Zuur is a Denver sour beer and cheese restaurant offering a unique taproom experience. Customers have the option to order specialty beers and unusual dishes or sit at the Chef’s Counter and enjoy drinks carefully paired with custom cheeses and charcuterie boards.

General Manager Rachel Smith said the Five Points location that opened in spring 2017 is popular among foodies and beer geeks alike. With a business plan that intentionally narrowed down the choices to suit Denver’s burgeoning tastebuds, Goed Zuur’s dishes and boards offer savory meats and cheeses from around the world. For those hesitant about sour beers being the only choice to pair with the food, fear not. Sour and wild ales come in so many flavors and intensities these days that every palate can be touched with the extensive list on tap and in bottles. From truly tart to somewhat sweet, the brews are wide ranging.

The standout beer and food menu has given owner John Fayman the opportunity to expand on his hospitality offerings in a fun way. Prior to launching Goed Zuur, Fayman opened Backcountry Pizza & Tap House in Boulder.

Tap & Burger
Tap & Burger serves up food and drink curated with attention to quality at each of their three Denver locations. They are well known for award-winning, locally sourced burgers.

RiNo Beer Garden*
In addition to house wine, cocktails and 60 taps of carefully selected craft beers, RiNo Beer Garden boasts a large patio complete with fire pits, pergolas and 65-inch TVs. This pub style restaurant also serves brunch.

Lowry Beer Garden
Lowry Beer Garden is a giant outdoor beer garden serving up German Oktoberfest vibes right here in Denver. In non-corona virus times, up to 500 guests can enjoy both draft and bottled beer with casual food such as brats and pretzels.

Falling Rock Tap House
With about 90 beers on tap and more than 120 bottled options, Falling Rock Tap House has a drink for every beer lover. They are conveniently located only a short walk from Coors Field, Union Station and the Pepsi Center.

Star Bar
This LoDo dive bar is complete with Skee-Ball and an outdoor bar and lounge. Star Bar also hosts events such as Thursday night karaoke.

Stanley Beer Hall
Stanley Beer Hall is located in what used to be Stanley Aviation in Aurora. Much of the original building was reused to create a cool and unique aviation-themed space to enjoy their rotating selection of Colorado craft beers.

First Draft Taproom & Kitchen
RiNo’s First Draft Taproom & Kitchen is unusual in that you pour your own drinks, allowing you to decide how much you would like and giving you the opportunity to sample a wider variety. In addition to craft beer, they also offer a selection of cocktails, wine, kombucha, cider and coffee.

THE SCHOOL HOUSE Kitchen & Libations

The former Olde Town Arvada school has only been open for six years but solid food, an extensive whiskey list and comfortable dining areas have generated a reputation that attracts all ages and tastes. General Manager Jason Stuckey, who has cut his teeth at various downtown Denver bars and restaurants, including the uber-popular Euclid Hall that COVID-19 claimed this past spring, says the space and location have made it easier to operate, even during the pandemic. Once inside for a few minutes, one discovers the school-themed nuances throughout the space. “Pretty much everything in here is either school themed or whiskey themed,” Stuckey said.

A former middle school in west Arvada was disassembled and much of the gym floor and the adjacent bleachers were repurposed and used for improvements in the School House. The bar is backed by 15-feet high shelving that holds books, booze and memorabilia from schools of old. The bar is known as the Library; the main dining room is the Home Room; and the upstairs dining area is the Teachers’ Lounge. The old-school feel is buttressed by volumes of encyclopedias, such as The American Reference Library, Encyclopedic, The New Book of Knowledge, and other books, nooks and crannies that would remind folks of elementary school adventures.

To acknowledge the historical significance, Stuckey said they recently decided to cap the ever-growing number of whiskeys available at 1,882, the year the old School House was originally built.

Hops & Pie
Denver’s Hops & Pie strives to curate uniquely flavored artisan pizzas and dishes made entirely from scratch, to be enjoyed with a constantly rotating selection of drafts from around the country. Berkeley Donuts recently opened inside of the taproom as well.

Finn’s Manor
Located in the heart of RiNo, Finn’s Manor provides the full experience, with delicious food trucks, events and live music. In addition to rotating taps, they also serve up an impressive list of over 800 spirits.

Freshcraft*
LoDo’s Freshcraft prides itself on being a comfortable and welcoming environment to enjoy a drink and a snack or meal. They offer 26 taps and over 100 canned and bottled beers. Freshcraft also serves brunch. The space closed temporarily in December in order to wait out COVID-19 restrictions on in-house service.

Ale House
Ale House is located in what used to be Amato of Denver statuary outlet. This history is reflected in the sculpted glasses used to serve handcrafted ales. Some of Amato’s most artistic statues remain at the tap house as decoration.

Recess Beer Garden
LoHi’s Recess Beer Garden gives you just that. With an open air bar, yard games and a multi-level patio, this tap house is an excellent place to have fun and relax while enjoying a drink and a meal from their extensive menu.

Romero’s K9 Club & Tap House
This Lafayette tap house is the perfect place for both people and their canine pals to socialize. Leashed dogs are welcome in the outdoor patio space, and registered dogs can play off-leash in the biergarten.

Congress Park Taproom
In addition to rotating taps and live sports, Congress Park Taproom in Denver has an open food policy, meaning you can have food delivered directly to the taproom. They also host regular events, all of which can be found on their events calendar.

Backcountry Pizza & Tap House
Backcountry Pizza & Tap House boasts Boulder’s largest selection of draft microbrews, offering more than 60 drafts and over 300 bottles. Keep an eye out for events, bottomless mimosa brunches and student deals as well.

Max Taps
From the exellent beer list to the dog-friendly environment, Max Taps brings Littleton the best of Colorado. This tap house hosts a plethora of food trucks and live bands and assures customers that “variety is always on tap.”

BULL & BUSH

With a claim on the nation’s first sports bar, Glendale’s Bull & Bush Brewery holds landmark status in Colorado. This taphouse was modeled after the Bull & Bush British pub, and features artifacts from the original pub itself. Bull & Bush added its award-winning brewery in 1997 next to the restaurant. The same family has run the establishment for about 50 years. “Old School” Jimmy, pictured above, has been behind the bar, keeping folks happy for the past 15 years. He points out that he’s still green behind the ears compared to at least three other tenders who have held court for much longer.

With 41 beer taps, 185 bourbons and more than 170 scotches, Bull & Bush has kept the neighborhood and visitors from across the globe happy for generations. As the beer scene picked up in Colorado, the brewers embraced barrel-aging, pushing out a variety of brews, including the Brainless series that beer geeks will travel to find.

The magic of satellite TV broadcasting live sporting events thrust the venerable brewpub into another league. Bull & Bush started its unofficial Fantasy Football league in the early 1970s. Major sports figures, media and faithful patrons have rolled in to draft their teams over the years, including some guy named John Elway, post playing days.

And when you have a good thing going, spinoffs such as the Bull & Bush mug club can quickly become a victim of its own success. Topped off at 400 members, rarely is there an opening for newbies, “unless you want to sign up for your grandkids,” Old School Jimmy point out.

Not to be fooled by the old-pub feel, the food has long been popular for neighboring residents and longtime Denver families seeking out the perfect weekend brunch that might include libations.

2 Penguins Tap & Grill
Centennial’s 2 Penguins pairs beer and spirits with an extensive food menu, featuring everything from poutine to pizza to Thai chicken salad. The patio and beer garden are complete with yard games such as Cornhole and Giant Jenga and is available for everything from a casual lunch to a wedding reception.

*Closed temporarily because of COVID-19 restrictions.

Elsa Russell is studying English and Global Studies at Colby College in Maine. She also enjoys writing and spending time in the mountains and in the kitchen.