Colorado is a beer state. It’s the birthplace of Coors, a place where old western saloons illegally sold brews during Prohibition, plus, it hosts the Great American Beer Festival where, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, there are the most beers on tap out of any place on Earth. Brewing more beer in a single day than any other city in the US, the Mile High City loves its beer, and dedicates an entire week to all the amazing events that will come to a head during The Great American Beer Fest. We’ve gathered up 7 of our favorite experiences taking place that week that you can enjoy, so without further ado, here’s what to do during Denver Beer Week.
1. Grange Food Hall
Head to Little Dry Creek Brewery inside Grange Hall, created by Chef Troy Guard, for an Oktoberfest celebration in Greenwood Village. Once voted the “2nd best Oktoberfest in the world,” says Guard, expect 20z steins of Little Dry Creek Brewery’s Lucky 13 Oktoberfest, a beer that won the Silver Medal from the 2022 World Beer Cup. (P.S.: You can even win a year’s worth of it). Competitions that you can take part in include best lederhosen and dirndl, best dressed couple, and the stein holding competition, so you get ample chances to win. Upstairs at Uptown & Humboldt, you can get a special German Sausage Hoagie or their Berlin Burger on a pretzel bun, topped with mozzarella, sauteed purple cabbage, tomato, microgreens, kettle chips, pickled onions, ground seed mustard and G’s fry sauce.
When: October 1, 2022
10:30 AM – 12 AM
Where: 6575 Greenwood Plaza Boulevard Greenwood Village, CO 80111
2. Great American Beer Festival
The biggest beer event of the year is back with over 500 breweries ready to be judged. Sample over 100 different beer types and see who will win this year’s gold, silver, and bronze status. The festival is from the 6th-8th, and tickets are already on sale starting at $95, and we anticipate they’ll be selling out fast.
3. Craft Beer Tours
On September 30th, you can head on one of the best craft beer tours in the city, presented by Denver Microbrew Tour. Be guided through the historic LoDo and Ballpark neighborhoods, where you’ll learn all about why Denver has been dubbed “The Napa Valley Of Beer.” The tours meet at 3:15 at Rock Bottom at 16th and Curtis in the “Back Bar.” The tours take place every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday and last from 3:15-6pm.
Where: 1001 16th St, Denver, CO 80265
4. Great Divide Brewing Company Brewing Tour
Once a microbrewery that has since expanded, Great Divide Brewing Company is a Denver staple. Head over to BallPark or RiNo, where they’ve got a taprooms with freshly poured beer and warehouse tours on a first-come, first-serve basis. Tours run multiple times a day, every day at different time slots. Their schedule, as seen on their website, is listed below:
Ball Park Tours:
- Monday thru Friday – 3 pm, 4 pm, 5 pm
- Saturday & Sunday – 2 pm, 3 pm, 4 pm, 5 pm, 6 pm
Barrel Bar RiNo Tours:
- Monday thru Wednesday – 4 pm
- Thursday & Friday – 3 pm, 4 pm, 5 pm
- Saturday & Sunday – 2 pm, 3 pm, 4 pm, 5 pm, 6 pm
5. Harvest Fest
On October 1st, indulge in all things pumpkin at Ironton Distillery and Crafthouse at their Harvest Fest. Plus, get $2 off their seasonal, specialty Pumpkin Spice Liqueur. Harvest Fest is a family friendly event with pumpkin patches, live music from local artists, photo booths, and even a fortune teller if you dare. The fest is from 2pm-10pm and at 8pm, there will be a special screening of a Halloween classic playing in the backyard.
Where: 3636 Chestnut Pl.Denver, CO 80216
6. Great American Beer Fiesta
As part of the Great American Beer Fest, you can celebrate in style at Raices Brewing Company, with an all day fiesta celebrating communidad and cerveza. To celebrate of diversity in the beer community, on Friday October 7th, head to Raices’ taproom opening at 1pm and listen to live music, with the schedule below:
6-8 pm – Mono Verde Collective with Latin Raggae
9-11 pm Orquesta La Brava with Live Salsa
We’d recommend trying their Cinnamon Horchata Beer thats back on tap.
Where: 2060 West Colfax Ave Denver, CO 80204
7. Denver Zoo Adulting with the Animals
For a truly unique experience, head to the Denver Zoo for their Oktoberfest (a kid-free event) where you can enjoy Bavarian food, sip on beer, and explore the zoo. Adulting with the Animals happens on select Fridays and Saturdays through October and have different events happening during the different dates. Specifically to enjoy Octoberfest, head there on October 6th, where the festivities take place from 5pm-9pm. Tickets are $35 and the event starts at 5pm.