12 APRIL 27-MAY 3, 2023 westword.com WESTWORD | MUSIC | CAFE | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | NEWS | LETTERS | CONTENTS | Beer Here THE TEN BEST BREWERIES IN DENVER. BY RYAN PAC HMAYER Several factors make Denver one of the best beer cities in the world. First, the sheer number of breweries; the city alone has more than seventy, according to Colorado Brewery List, and there are over one hundred more in the greater metro area. In addition, those breweries are making some darn good beer. But what separates Denver from so many other cities and puts it on most respected lists of top beer destinations is the variety of quality beer available. For this list, well-made brews are the fo- cus, with a slight bump for truly outstanding ambience or special events that elevate the drinking experience. Here are the ten best breweries in Denver, in alphabetical order: Bierstadt Lagerhaus 2875 Blake Street 720-570-7824 bierstadtlager.com Bierstadt Lagerhaus, which opened in 2016, specializes in lager beers. It’s not ex- actly a small niche, as the category, specifi - cally pale lagers and particularly pilsners, are the most widely consumed beers in the world. Still, Bierstadt stands out for its three core beers: its helles, its dunkel and — per- haps the most lauded beer in Colorado — its Slow Pour Pils. Beyond that, the brewery has regular seasonal beers, from an Oktoberfest to a doppelbock to a Czech-style dark lager. In recent years, the increase in collaborations with some of the best lager breweries in the country has added even more depth to its beer list, and is a reason to keep a close eye on social media. When beers are brewed at Bierstadt, the special releases can hang around for weeks, but when owners Ashleigh Carter and Bill Eye brew else- where, the tappings are smaller and they disappear quickly. What distinguishes Bierstadt is a me- ticulous attention to detail, which results in higher quality and consistency. That quality level also happens to make the brewery a favorite among nearly all demographics: From post-shift brewers and macro beer drinkers to beer geeks and party animals, it’s regularly fi lled with a variety of consumers. Beyond the quality of the beer is an expan- sive space that hosts large events, pop-ups, regular games and trivia, while also offering plenty of corners to tuck into for an intimate experience. The food leans popular German pub style, and the RiNo location is accessible and lively. Bruz Beers 1675 West 57th Avenue, 303-650-2337 1495 York Street, 303-997-5144 bruzbeers.com Bruz Beers bills itself as “Belgian-in- spired,” and co-founders Ryan Evans and Charlie Gottenkieny have been deliberate about the source of their inspiration. Starting with their abbey-style beers, the two, along with head brewer Dave Olson, have really brought high-quality, authentic interpreta- tions of Belgium’s classic styles to Denver. The team isn’t so narrow as to pigeonhole itself into the ebbs and fl ows of one aspect of Belgian beer, however, offering one of the larger tap lists in the area, with everything from IPAs to pilsners to fruited and spiced beers, all with a Belgian touch. Anyone who’s had the opportunity to travel to Belgium over the past few years knows that the ever-creative breweries in the homeland are increasingly exploring new styles of beer, offering their own takes on varieties that weren’t traditionally brewed in the country. Few know this better than Bruz, as it offers yearly guided tours to Bel- gium — curated trips in which participants visit the country’s best beer-centric cities, breweries and bars. Burns Family Artisan Ales 2505 West Second Avenue 720-693-9099 burnsalesdenver.com Founded by Wayne Burns and Laura Wor- ley, Burns Family Artisan Ales is a destination- worthy stop in the middle of an industrial district in west Denver. Wayne has a deep brewing pedigree, with long stints at Michi- gan standouts Bell’s Brewery and Kuhnhenn Brewing, not to mention local breweries like Jagged Mountain, Wynkoop and Holidaily. Burns Family is best known for the high- gravity beers that Wayne has been brewing for decades. He combines new-school heavy chocolate and smooth malt fl avors with an overall drier fi nish, which results in a type of high-alcohol beer you don’t typically fi nd around town. Beyond the high-ABV offerings that Burns Family is best known for are a slew of more typical styles. A recent pint of Ger- man pils, a style that won gold at the Great American Beer Festival way back in 1999, was particularly delicious, as was an altbier. Burns also offers Kölsch service through the warmer months, honoring the renowned Cologne practice of serving fresh Kölsch beer on a krantz (tray), in a stange (a small cylinder-shaped glass), and continuously replenishing it until a patron taps out by placing a coaster over their empty glass. Perhaps the most distinctive element of Burns Family is that the owners are there nearly every day, often serving beer, cleaning glasses and conversing with patrons. If you have a question about how a beer was made, you can talk directly to the people who made it, while you’re drinking it. That type of instant connec- tion is a rarity, even for a small brewery, and it makes the experience that much more special. Call to Arms Brewing 4526 Tennyson Street 720-328-8258 calltoarmsbrewing.com Located at the northern end of one of the most brewery-dense areas in Denver, Call to Arms is the gem of Tennyson Street. The brewery is tucked into the end of a driveway, and it sits a few feet below ground level. The tight L shape is frequently decorated for holidays of all kinds, making it a unique and appealing place to grab a beer. Styles here range from hoppy ales and la- gers to sours and the occasional barrel-aged treat. The quality is consistently strong, so a fi rst-timer can jump right into whatever suits them. The brewery has become a regular stop for people starting or ending a Tennyson Street brewery crawl or pre-gaming before a show at the Oriental Theater, which is just around the corner. Beer lovers should make Call to Arms a priority, no matter how many eyesore slot condos developers put up on Tennyson. Cerebral Brewing 1477 Monroe Street, 303-927-7365 9990 East Colfax Avenue, Aurora cerebralbrewing.com Cerebral Brewing has been a hot spot and regular recommendation for out-of-towners since its 2015 opening in Congress Park. It was an early brewer of hazy, hoppy beers in Denver — in particular, the hazy IPA Rare Trait — but it really compounded its success with the launch of its Here Be Monsters series. HBM is a barrel-aged imperial stout, with vintages consistently ranked among the best in the state. The series has achieved national rec- ognition as well, notably nabbing a gold medal in 2019 for its Vanilla variant at the prestigious Festival of Barrel Aged Beers in Chicago. Cerebral hasn’t rested on its laurels, though. Recent moves like opening a pop- up (and future permanent) taproom at its Aurora production facility will help expand the reach of the brewery and welcome in new customers to enjoy fresh beer off the taps. It has also built an expansive lagering program, starring lagers rested in large oak barrels called foeders, which give the beers a rounder, mellower character. Cohesion Brewing 3851 Steele Street 303-997-7016 cohesionbeer.com Cohesion Brewing has been a welcome addition to the Denver beer scene, and in less than two years has become one of the top destinations for out-of-towners, local industry workers and beer afi cionados. It also happens to be the youngest brewery on this list. Cohesion brews Czech-style lagers in a very traditional way. Co-owner and brew- master Eric Larkin has focused on using local custom malt from Troubadour Maltings combined with Czech yeast and hops, with luscious results. The brewery also serves its beers in a very traditional way: from side-pull Lukr taps, with plenty of creamy foam on top. CAFE FIND MORE FOOD & DRINK COVERAGE AT WESTWORD.COM/RESTAURANTS Laura Worley and Wayne Burns are the Burns Family. BURNS FAMILY ARTISAN ALES
