Most of the best concert venues have a neighboring brewery or distillery to hit before the show

By the Thirst Team

A new community and performing arts venue officially opens today in Arkins Park. That puts it across the street from the inviting and always creative Mockery Brewing in Denver’s RiNo neighborhood. It is also very close to Ironton Distillery & Crafthouse (which hosts a pairing dinner tonight, by the way).

The new 4,000-square-foot venue is a partnership between RiNo Art District and Denver Parks & Recreation. It is designed as a flexible event facility for the Denver community, and opens with Good Bones, a dance theater show from OddKnock Productions.

The first phase of the Arkins Park project, which opened in 2021, houses a Denver Public Library branch, The Denver Zine Library, eight affordable artist studios managed by RedLine Contemporary Art Center, Alto Gallery, and the new location of Comal Heritage Food Incubator.

Also this weekend, Crazy Mountain Brewery reopens in a new location next to the Ogden Theater, just in time for upcoming shows by Futurebirds, Gogol Bordello and Parliament Funkadelic. Crazy Mountain is also a convenient stop before upcoming Fillmore Auditorium shows by 3 Doors Down, The Maine and Clutch.

There are also plenty of other craft libations spots to meet up with friends, have a drink and get ready for a concert. Of course, many Colorado breweries, distilleries and wineries host musicians or even have their own venues. But if you are seeing a touring act at a more traditional music venue, here’s a list of really convenient spots where you can pre-party. We tried to limit this list to businesses less than three blocks from a live venue. Let us know if we missed one.

The sunny patio at Sunroom Brewing is behind the Gothic Theatre in Englewood.

Gothic Theatre (Englewood)

The beautiful former movie theater on South Broadway now hosts a range of concerts, including this Saturday’s 11th anniversary Bacchanal for TRVE Brewing Co., with British metal headliner Godflesh. The venue also hosts Summer Salt, Dave Mason and Gavin DeGraw later this summer.

Before any of those shows, Sunroom Brewing and Devil’s Head Distillery are open behind the theater. Sunroom opened recently, and hosts regular trivia nights and its own open mic nights and concerts. Devil’s Head was the first distillery in Englewood and makes aquavit, vodka and an acclaimed gin made with juniper and other hand-crushed botanicals. Devil’s Head is named after juniper-lined trails on Devil’s Head mountain southwest of Denver.

Bluebird Theater (Denver)

Another former movie theater has long since become a music venue. The East Colfax mainstay typically has a packed and diverse schedule, with Crystal Skies, Pallbearer and Nita Strauss all scheduled before the end of June.

The original Cerebral Brewing location is about 2 blocks from the Bluebird, so fans can go have a think and a drink before a show. Cerebral has been a Congress Park gathering spot since 2015. The Cerebral crew is proudly nerdy and takes beer seriously, hosting regular market research nights to showcase and discuss their own creations and guest beers from around the country.

Amphitheater at Las Colonias Park (Grand Junction)

Colorado’s live music scene is no longer confined to the Front Range. Plenty of major acts now make stops at a riverfront amphitheater in Grand Junction. In the next month, the venue hosts Dirty Heads, Big Head Todd, Old Crow Medicine Show and Little Feat.

There is no shortage of wineries in the Grand Junction area, but no winery is as close to the amphitheater as neighboring Edgewater Brewery, a sister location to Kannah Creek Brewing. The brewery has a full kitchen, an expansive patio and a lush lawn with games and picnic tables.

Boulder Theater (duh!)

You can’t get a much more classic Boulder night than a pint at Mountain Sun Pub, then a two-block walk to see a jam band at the historic Boulder Theater. To that end, the Boulder Theater hosts a Grateful Dead Meetup at the Movies this weekend, then four Dead & Co. pre-party and after-party gigs next weekend.

The flagship Mountain Sun Pub location serves award-winning beers and launched the now-widespread February celebration of stout month nearly three decades ago.

Pikes Peak Center (Colorado Springs)

The Pikes Peak Center in Colorado Springs is more than just a concert venue. In addition to upcoming shows by Ambrosia, Los Lonely Boys and the Marshall Tucker Band, the theater also hosts Broadway-style musicals, the Colorado Springs Philharmonic, comedy shows by the likes of Tig Notaro and Tom Papa, and more.

Fans of any of these artforms can find a brewery by walking three blocks in almost any direction. To the north, Phantom Canyon Brewing Co. has a giant space in the heart of downtown, with food, a full bar and pool tables.

To the east is the cozier Local Relic Artisan Ales, known for creative beers in labels that showcase local artists. Just southwest of there, Red Swing Brewhouse is a gathering place for Switchbacks soccer fans with a laidback taproom, trivia nights and great happy hour specials.

They Might Be Giants perform last month at Washington’s, a concert venue with several adjacent craft bars.

Washington’s (Fort Collins)

Fort Collins may call itself the Napa Valley of beer, but plenty of other drinks are poured in the northern Colorado city. Case in point: the cidery and distillery within two blocks of the city’s best music venue. Washington’s is a 900-person theater in a century-old building that took care with every detail before opening in 2018. Galactic, Deer Tick and the English Beat are all coming to the venue in the next month.

Around the corner is Scrumpy’s, home of Summit Hard Cider, and 48 taps of cider, beer, wine, mead and more. The pub also serves burgers, snacks and famous sandwiches.

Across the street from Scrumpy’s is Coppermuse Distillery, an award-winning cocktail bar and spirits maker. The bar anchors the Exchange, an outdoor food and drink collective with an expansive lawn, indoor mini-golf, tacos and ice cream. The Exchange also houses the Fort Collins taproom for Crooked Stave Brewery.

Mission Ballroom (Denver)

Denver is home to another well-designed and well-appointed concert hall with a much larger capacity of nearly 4,000. The Mission Ballroom in the RiNo neighborhood opened in 2019, and now draws acts as big as the Flaming Lips (playing tonight!), Pretty Lights, the National and Death Cab for Cutie.

Left Hand Brewing Co. opened its newest outpost adjacent to Mission Ballroom, and makes no bones about essentially being the outdoor extension of the venue. The taproom and large patio are open before and after shows, as well as every other day.

Dillon Amphitheater (Dillon … obviously)

The National Repertory Orchestra, Jason Isbell and String Cheese Incident will all play in the next couple of weeks at Dillon Amphitheater, overlooking Dillon Reservoir and the stunning mountains of Summit County.

Pug Ryan’s Brewery has two outposts a short walk from the venue. The original taproom and pub is in the center of town, and crafts a variety of beer and food. The newer lakefront Tiki Bar is just upshore on the town marina.