City guide · Denver
The 10 Best Craft Breweries in Denver
Denver isn't just America's craft beer capital — it's the city that hosts the Great American Beer Festival every October and has one of the highest brewery-to-resident ratios on the continent. We've mapped the must-visit stops, anchored by the legendary RiNo Art District (Bierstadt, Great Divide, Ratio, OMF), with boutique brewpubs in Baker and a Ballpark taproom to close the night. Hours and open/closed status change. Known closures were dropped in October 2026.
Last updated: October 2026 · Curated by MyBeerStops · 10 hand-picked stops
The 10 craft beer spots, ranked by us
Ordered by our editorial pick — not popularity. Independent breweries, taprooms and one Ballpark-edge taproom to close the night.
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1. Station 26 Brewing Co.
Brewery — RiNo · East 38th Ave
7045 E 38th Ave, Denver, CO 80207, USA
Monday: 1:00 – 10:00 PM · Tuesday: 1:00 – 10:00 PM · Wednesday: 1:00 – 10:00 PM · Thursday: 1:00 – 10:00 PM · Friday: 1:00 – 11:00 PM · Saturday: 11:00 AM – 11:00 PM · Sunday: 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Station 26 took over a former fire station on the eastern edge of RiNo and turned it into one of Denver's most beloved local taprooms — huge dog-friendly patio, juicy IPAs, and the Tangerine Cream that's become a Front Range icon. The ideal first stop on any Denver beer day.
Neighborhood, dog-friendly, huge patio, locals' favorite
Tangerine Cream · Juicy Banger IPA · Colorado Cream Ale
1h30
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2. Cerebral Brewing - Congress Park
Brewery — Congress Park · Colfax Ave
1477 Monroe St, Denver, CO 80206, USA
Monday: 12:00 – 9:00 PM · Tuesday: 12:00 – 9:00 PM · Wednesday: 12:00 – 10:00 PM · Thursday: 12:00 – 10:00 PM · Friday: 11:00 AM – 11:00 PM · Saturday: 11:00 AM – 11:00 PM · Sunday: 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Cerebral is the brewer's brewer of Denver: a 4.7★ taproom on Colfax, ultra-clean hazy IPAs, mixed-ferm sour program and a tiny tasting room where you'll spot other Colorado brewers drinking on their day off. Get the rotating Rare Trade.
Cult, clean hazies + sours, brewer-respected, small + focused
Rare Trade IPA · Muddle Series Hazies · Sour with stone fruit
1h30
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3. Novel Strand Brewing Company
Brewery — Baker · West 1st Ave
305 W 1st Ave, Denver, CO 80223, USA
Monday: 7:00 AM – 9:00 PM · Tuesday: 7:00 AM – 9:00 PM · Wednesday: 7:00 AM – 10:00 PM · Thursday: 7:00 AM – 10:00 PM · Friday: 7:00 AM – 10:00 PM · Saturday: 7:00 AM – 10:00 PM · Sunday: 7:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Novel Strand is Baker's brewer-owned boutique — a tiny taproom and coffee shop where small-batch ales meet morning espresso. Expect rotating hop-forward beers, a locals-only feel and the rare Denver brewery that opens at 7 AM.
Boutique, coffee shop + brewery, small-batch ales, locals' hideout
Rotating small-batch ale · Coffee-infused porter · Neighborhood saison
1h
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4. Great Divide Brewery & Roadhouse
Brewery — RiNo · Blake St
3040 Blake St #101, Denver, CO 80205, USA
Check hours the day you go
Great Divide brings one of Denver's landmark independent beer names into the heart of RiNo. This Roadhouse pairs the brewery's established classics with a full food menu, making it a practical stop before continuing through the neighborhood on foot.
RiNo roadhouse, full food menu, classic Denver beers
Yeti Imperial Stout · Titan IPA · Rotating Great Divide draft
1h30
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5. Ratio Beerworks
Brewery — RiNo · Larimer St
2920 Larimer St, Denver, CO 80205, USA
Monday: 12:00 – 11:00 PM · Tuesday: 12:00 – 11:00 PM · Wednesday: 12:00 – 11:00 PM · Thursday: 12:00 PM – 12:00 AM · Friday: 12:00 PM – 12:00 AM · Saturday: 11:00 AM – 12:00 AM · Sunday: 11:00 AM – 11:00 PM
Ratio is RiNo's heart — a punk-rock-meets-rock-show taproom on Larimer with live music, a great patio and rock-solid core lineup (Domestica APA is a Denver icon). Walk in for a beer, leave knowing the bartender's whole record collection.
Punk-rock, live-music, patio, RiNo-core
Domestica American Pale · Antidote Hoppy Pilsner · Repeater Coffee Porter
1h30
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6. Our Mutual Friend Brewing
Brewery — RiNo · 27th St
2810 Larimer St, Denver, CO 80205, USA
Monday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM · Tuesday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM · Wednesday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM · Thursday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM · Friday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM · Saturday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM · Sunday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Our Mutual Friend (OMF) is the quiet contrarian of RiNo: tiny taproom, focus on saisons + farmhouse ales + house wild fermentation, no TVs, no nonsense. The opposite of the loud RiNo experience — and exactly what serious drinkers come for.
Small, focused, farmhouse + wild ales, no-frills
OMF Saison · Champagne of Beers Pilsner · Wild Ale rotators
1h
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7. Bierstadt Lagerhaus
Brewery — RiNo · Larimer St
2875 Blake St, Denver, CO 80205, USA
Monday: 2:00 – 10:00 PM · Tuesday: Closed · Wednesday: 2:00 – 10:00 PM · Thursday: 2:00 – 10:00 PM · Friday: 12:00 PM – 12:00 AM · Saturday: 12:00 PM – 12:00 AM · Sunday: 12:00 – 9:00 PM
Bierstadt is the German-lager temple of America — a 4-vessel imported brewhouse, decoction-mashed pilsners and the Slow Pour Pils that takes 4+ minutes to pour and is unanimously voted one of the best pilsners in the country. Order it, watch it pour, never look at lager the same.
German lager temple, beer-hall wood, Slow Pour Pils ritual
Slow Pour Pils · Helles Lager · Dunkel
1h30
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8. Crooked Stave Brewing Company
Brewery — Sunnyside · W 46th Ave
1441 W 46th Ave Unit 19, Denver, CO 80211, USA
Monday: 1:00 – 8:00 PM · Tuesday: 1:00 – 8:00 PM · Wednesday: 1:00 – 8:00 PM · Thursday: 12:00 – 8:00 PM · Friday: 12:00 – 8:00 PM · Saturday: 12:00 – 8:00 PM · Sunday: 12:00 – 8:00 PM
Crooked Stave is the wild-ale pioneer that put Denver on the international beer map — Brett-fermented saisons, oak-aged sours, the Surette that wins gold at every awards show. Since 2020 the taproom is back at the Barrel Cellar in Sunnyside — oak foeders in plain sight, no food hall crowds.
Wild-ale royalty, barrel cellar, sour aficionados
Surette Provision Saison · Petite Sour series · L'Brett d'Or
1h
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9. Denver Beer Co. Platte Street
Brewery — Highland · Platte Street
1695 Platte St, Denver, CO 80202, USA
Monday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM · Tuesday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM · Wednesday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM · Thursday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM · Friday: 11:00 AM – 11:00 PM · Saturday: 11:00 AM – 11:00 PM · Sunday: 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Denver Beer Co's flagship Platte Street taproom sits right on the Cherry Creek path — biggest patio in the neighborhood, dog and family friendly, and the Graham Cracker Porter is the gateway dessert beer that converts non-craft-drinkers to the cult.
Big patio, family + dog friendly, Cherry Creek path
Graham Cracker Porter · Princess Yum Yum Raspberry · Incredible Pedal IPA
1h
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10. Woods Boss Brewing Company
Brewery taproom — Ballpark / RiNo edge
2210 California St, Denver, CO 80205, USA
Check hours the day you go
An independent brewery taproom on California Street, on the Ballpark edge of RiNo — house-brewed beers only, a relaxed room and an easy last stop before heading back downtown.
Independent brewery taproom, relaxed, Ballpark / RiNo edge
Rotating house IPA · House lager · Seasonal taproom special
1h30
Denver craft beer — Frequently asked questions
What is the best craft beer neighborhood in Denver?
RiNo (River North Art District) is the undisputed answer — Bierstadt, Crooked Stave, Ratio, Our Mutual Friend and Great Divide are all within a 10-minute walk of each other. The 38th & Blake light rail station drops you right in the middle. For a more chill vibe, the Highland / Platte Street corridor (Denver Beer Co.) is a great second base.
Can you visit several Denver breweries in one day?
Yes — and Denver makes it easier than most US cities thanks to RiNo's walkability. A solid one-day route: morning at Station 26 (East Colfax), Uber to RiNo for Bierstadt + Crooked Stave + Ratio + OMF (all walkable), then a short evening Uber to Woods Boss on the Ballpark edge. That's 6 spots with only 3 short rideshares.
Is there public transit between Denver breweries?
Partially. The RTD A Line serves 38th & Blake for the RiNo cluster, including Great Divide. For Highland, Baker and Congress Park breweries, check the current RTD journey planner or use rideshare.
What is the best one-day Denver brewery tour?
Our recommended single-day route, optimized for variety and minimal travel: 1) Station 26 (lunch, patio), 2) Cerebral (hazies in Congress Park), 3) Bierstadt (Slow Pour Pils ritual), 4) Crooked Stave (sour aged in oak), 5) Ratio (live music + dinner area), 6) Woods Boss (nightcap). About 4 short Ubers between clusters, around 8 hours total.
When is the Great American Beer Festival in Denver?
The Great American Beer Festival (GABF) is held every year in early October at the Colorado Convention Center in downtown Denver — typically a 3-day event with thousands of beers from 800+ US breweries. If you visit during GABF week, note that the legendary Falling Rock Tap House has closed — so book ahead, and most RiNo breweries host special tap takeovers.
- Great American Beer Festival 2026 guide — Dates, medal competition and practical tips for Denver's biggest beer week.
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