With hundreds of breweries popping up all over Colorado, it can be difficult to know which ones to visit or where to bring your out of state guests. Thankfully, Denver’s RiNo District offers eight breweries all within a 19 minute walking distance that are perfect for an afternoon of beer tasting.
The RiNo District also offers ample street parking, making this excursion all the more simple. Below is a suggested brewery crawl, as well as a description of each brewery on the list. Enjoy!
The Perfect RiNo Brewery Crawl
A couple of weeks ago, my husband, father, and I did a modified version of this list. From 3-6:30 p.m., we visited Bierstadt Lagerhaus, C Squared Ciders, Ratio Beerworks, Our Mutual Friend Brewing Company, 14er Brewing Company and 10 Barrel Brewing Company Denver. We appreciated a “well deserved” dinner at 10 Barrel after our 14 minutes of walking and 3 hours of drinking. For an extended version of our day, add in 3 more breweries and 5 more minutes of walking. See a map of your crawl below.
About the River North (RiNo) District
The River North or “RiNo” District is known for a few things: street art, jazz bars and microbreweries. Keep an eye out for rhino designs in the wall murals throughout town, as the rhino has become the official logo of the RiNo District. Lonely Planet even listed the RiNo District on their Hot ‘hoods in the US: 10 neighborhoods you need to visit. For more information on the RiNo District, click here.
Beryl’s Beer Co.
Located at 3120 Blake St in Denver, Beryl’s Beer Co. ages many of their hand-crafted brews in, you guessed it, barrels! They are especially proud of their 1876 Ale which is their take on an American style ale with 100% Colorado grown ingredients. Open 7 days a week, Beryl’s Beer Co. offers a range of theme nights and specials including $3 beers on Mondays with adult coloring to unwind after a day at the office.
Epic Brewing Company
Epic Brewing Company is just a hop, skip and jump away from Beryl’s Beer Co (3001 Walnut St in Denver) which is why it is recommend second on the RiNo District brewery crawl. Inspired by microbreweries in their home state of California, entrepreneurs David Cole and Peter Erickson opened Epic Brewing Company in Salt Lake City, Utah. The beer makers expanded to the RiNo District to distribute a larger quantity of beer, penetrate a new market and experiment with new brews such as a line of sours. Welcome to CO, boys.
Bierstadt Lagerhaus/C Squared Ciders
Once upon a time, a small-batch cider tasting room (C Squared Ciders) and a traditional German style brewery and taproom (Bierstadt Lagerhaus) decided to join forces at 875 Blake St in Denver’s RiNo District. The result? A perfect opportunity for cider and lager lovers to coexist harmoniously.
Side note: They offer workout classes on Wednesday evenings at 5:45 p.m. All fitness levels are welcome, and a drink afterwards is encouraged. Obviously.
Our Mutual Friend Brewing
Located at 2810 Larimer St, Our Mutual Friend Brewing is a must see on this list. With a colorful exterior, amazing patio and excellent beer selection, this was one of our favorite stops on our LoHi brewery crawl. This brewery got its start in 2012 with just one head brewer and a 31 gallon system. Boy, how things have changed. They now operate on a seven-barrel brew system and have won several awards for their brews.
Ratio Beerworks
Currently one of my favorite microbreweries in the RiNo District, Ratio Beerworks offers exceptional brews and an equally impressive tasting room and dog-friendly courtyard. Located at 2920 Larimer St, Ratio Beerworks is conveniently located in the middle of the other RiNo breweries making it an easy stop on your crawl. My favorite is the Hold Steady with Novo Coffee (pictured below), a twist on their Hold Steady scotch ale.
Stem Ciders
After getting a taste at C Squared Ciders, cider enthusiasts can look forward to another fantastic assortment of ciders and live music at Stem Ciders, located at 2811 Walnut St #150. With unique brews such as Coffee Apple Cider, Stem Ciders in certainly not afraid to think outside of the box, but their goal is to deliver a product made with very few ingredients, keeping the taste as authentic as possible.
14er Brewing Company
Another winner on Walnut! Located at 2801 Walnut St, 14er Brewing Company is located in an unassuming building. Don’t let that fool you, 14er holds their own amongst the greats. Founded by Colorado natives, Andrew Kaczmarek and Nato Francescato of Wheat Ridge, 14er Brewing Company is an example of how a couple of beer lovers can take their passion and turn it into a growing success.
10 Barrel Brewing Company
A great place to finish your brewery crawl is 10 Barrel Brewing Company at 2620 Walnut St. With a spacious venue, full menu and 24 beers on tap, this brewery is a perfect spot to unwind and rate your previous stops. I’d also recommend this place for a large crowd. We once invited 20 friends out for drinks and comfortably sat the whole pack at a table in the lower dining area.
Crooked Stave
As a bonus, I’m mentioning Crooked Stave in the list of RiNo District breweries. While it is quite a walk away from the others, it is considered one of the best in the RiNo District. If you’d like to add this to your brewery crawl, it would be a great first stop. Then, you can drive closer to the others and find street parking. Crooked Stave is located in The Source at 3350 Brighton Blvd, one of Denver’s hip new dining warehouses. They are known for their Artisan beer selection.
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Tip: Drink plenty of water, and stop for snacks in between. Remember, Colorado is at a higher elevation so you will be feeling it a lot quicker.
Cheers,
Emma
