Broomfield Colorado ... Suburb of Denver

[EagleDude]

Thanks a bunch for the tips htrdcummins!!! I will definately make time to hit up some of those places. I will have a rental car, so can travel somewhat further if there is good reason, but I won't be able to enjoy much of the beers if I end up driving.

... and whoever suggests a grocery store in Colorado ?!?! ... unless the laws have change aren't the beers in the grocery stores all required by law to be 3.2 beer? ... Yeah I want a real bottle shop with real beer.

[maxwell]

Best bottle shops in that area are probably Hazels and Liquor Mart in Boulder. Backcountry Pizza in Boulder it the place to go for a good draft selection.

Boulder has a lot of breweries but most of them are very mediocre. I would not waste time visiting Boulder Beer, Avery, or Upslope and these are the best-known. West Flanders is terrible though the location is nice. I have never had a beer from Left Hand or Oskar Blues that I would order a second time.

Crooked Stave (towards Denver) makes some good sour beer, though I have found that listening to Chad talk about his beer on the session is more enjoyable than actually drinking the stuff. Ft Collins is a bit of a drive but is home to some of the better breweries in the area - Odells, Funkwerks, and New Belgium. The tour at New Belgium is fantastic but gets booked up way in advance. My top picks for Colorado beer that you might not get out of state are:

1. Telluride Bridal Veil Rye Pale Ale
2. Odells St Lupulin
3. Odells Myrcenary
4. Maybe Upslope double IPA though it is insanely expensive

Just my .02. The locals seem to enjoy CO brews, and you may discover something great.