18 NOVEMBER 21-27, 2024 westword.com WESTWORD | MUSIC | CAFE | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | LETTERS | CONTENTS | mings of a Windy City spot: The Bears, Black- hawks and Cubs all get television priority on game days, and an extensive menu overfl ows with Chicago-style dogs and both deep- dish and tavern-style pizza options. But the neighborhood hangout is all Colorado in its attitude, with bartenders who remember your name after one visit and a warm wood interior that’s neither stuffy nor pretentious. The only thing to rival its great bar cuisine is the draft beer, with all tap lines running through a complex triple-cooling system that ensures an icy brew. X Bar 629 East Colfax Avenue xbardenver.com There’s something for everyone along Colfax Avenue, and X Bar marks the spot for a very diverse cross-section of the population. This clubby, dance- party- meets- casual spot with its “Drink. Laugh. Dance.” motto touts itself as LGBTQ-friendly, but it’s serious about ap- pealing to all neighbors, and invites anyone interested to join in the fun. Things really get going in the evening, when nightly drink specials and themed events keep the crowd dancing until the wee hours. BEER AND CIDER DESTINATIONS The places to indulge your local craft cravings. Bierstadt Lagerhaus 2875 Blake Street bierstadtlager.com Ashleigh Carter and Bill Eye opened this brewery in 2016. It specializes in lager beers, including three core brews: its helles, its dunkel and — perhaps the most lauded beer in Colorado — its Slow Pour Pils. Beyond Bierstadt’s propensity for making some of the best craft beers in the state, it boasts a comfortable, expansive space that regularly hosts large events, pop-ups, games and trivia, while also offering plenty of corners to tuck into for an intimate experience. Bruz Beers 1675 West 67th Avenue 1495 York Street bruzbeers.com Bruz is unique in that it only focuses on Belgian-inspired beers, from the classic ab- bey ales that you’d expect to fi nd overseas to fun, fruited Belgian beers and IPAs. This is the rare specialty brewery that manages to truly offer something for everyone, including fun, beery education. From tours around the beer world that take place in its taproom to actual tours across the ocean in Belgium, Bruz loves to share its passion for Belgian beer with the wider drinking world. Burns Family Artisan Ales 1236 South Broadway burnsalesdenver.com Founded by Wayne Burns and Laura Worley, the original Burns Family Artisan Ales was a destination-worthy stop in the middle of an industrial district in west Denver. In 2023, it took over the former Dos Luces space on South Broadway; in 2024, it turned the original location into a non-public brewing facility. Not only has Burns been producing high-gravity beer for decades, but the own- ers are often at the taprooms, serving beer, cleaning glasses, conversing with patrons and offering the kind of instant connection that is a rarity in the industry. Call to Arms Brewing 4526 Tennyson Street calltoarmsbrewing.com Call to Arms feels like a safe haven in a neigh- borhood being drowned by modern condos. Take a few steps down the entryway and you’re in a different world. The prominent bar is a great place to sip a few top-notch beers, but the events are really what separate this taproom from other quality breweries. Everything is “Big Energy” when it comes to CTA’s main events: Big Fest Energy, Big Pride Energy and Big Holiday Energy — even a tiny fl oat parade down the alley. Nothing about Call to Arms is typical or boring. Cohesion Brewing 3851 Steele Street cohesionbeer.com In just four years, Cohesion has become one of the top destinations for out-of-towners, local industry workers and beer afi cionados drawn by its Czech-style lagers served in a very traditional way: from side-pull Lukr taps, with plenty of creamy foam on top. (The exact amount depends on which style of pour you choose.) The bar itself is striking, with gor- geous tilework serving as a backdrop and a wood-paneled nook reminiscent of old Europe. Ephemeral Rotating Taproom 2301 East 28th Avenue ephemeraltap.com In 2022, Weston Scott and Shannon Lavelle debuted this concept, which takes a dif- ferent approach to craft beer drinking in Denver. The taproom is a place for beer nerds to dive into tastes from around the country without having to leave the city; it hosts a rotating lineup of breweries, one at a time. Ephemeral is housed in the former Ben’s Super Market, which began serving the neighborhood in the 1950s, and the old sign still greets guests stopping by for cold beers and camaraderie. Haykin Family Cider 12001 East 33rd Avenue, Aurora haykinfamilycider.com In 2018, Daniel and Talia Haykin opened Haykin Family Cider, complete with a simple tasting room, in an industrial part of Aurora. Here, Haykin produces single-variety ciders from apples (many of them grown in Colo- rado) that are picked, pressed and fermented in season, allowing the distinct fl avor of each to shine through. Crisp, clean, complex flavors make Haykin the Champagne of ciders, and the experience of tasting fl ights while chatting with the makers in person is a must-do for cider fans. Hogshead Brewing 4460 West 29th Avenue hogshead54.com In 2012, the team behind Hogshead Brewery turned a former gas station into an English- style brewery and taproom. Hogshead is one of the last remaining Colorado breweries to serve cask-style beer, and its intimate neigh- borhood taproom draws drinkers from near and far. The roster has expanded recently to include beers outside of the English category — but the changes feel within the umbrella of authenticity. Hops & Pie 3920 Tennyson Street hopsandpie.com Since it debuted in 2010, Hops & Pie has been a go-to for beer lovers, thanks to its long, ever-rotating tap list and lots of spe- cial hop-fueled events. In 2023, it debuted a new, expansive patio, which is an ideal place to settle in with a cold one and a slice of sourdough-crust pizza — which it serves in several styles, including Detroit — or one of its stellar sandwiches of the week. Lady Justice 3242 South Acoma Street, Englewood ladyjusticebrewing.com There was a collective pause when Lady Justice announced it was leaving north Au- rora for Englewood. The Aurora scene has recovered nicely, though, with the opening of several standout breweries and a cidery in that area. And Lady Justice sorely needed an expanded taproom. The brewery can now hold bigger and better events, regularly fi lling the house with fans from all over the metro area. Owners Betsy Lay and Alison Wisneski fi nally have a space worthy of their dedication to improving the world and getting people together while promoting worthwhile causes. New Terrain Brewing 16401 Table Mountain Parkway, Golden newterrainbrewing.com With a dog park, bike park, major hiking trails and a mountain out its back door, it’s no wonder New Terrain is the busiest brewery in the area. Jokes will be made about children and dogs, but the vibe is very much about outdoor fun. If you don’t mind a crowd, even on weekdays, you can’t beat sitting on the patio that overlooks both Table Mountains while sipping on a wide selection of beers, sampling food from a visiting truck and listening to a band. The beer is nothing to sniff at: The brewery has won a pair of Great American Beer Festival awards over the past few years. Our Mutual Friend Brewing 2810 Larimer Street buyomfbeer.com Hanging out at the OMF taproom is like being at a house party; there are often more folks standing around than sitting down. They’re part of a fun, diverse and younger crowd than you fi nd at your typical brewery. The beer matches that demographic as well — IPAs, lagers, and barrel-aged, smoked and experimental beers. A visit to OMF is a great way to start or end an evening, as the RiNo neighborhood has plenty of food, drink and entertainment amenities. TRVE Brewing 227 Broadway trvebrewing.com TRVE Brewing opened in June 2012 in a long, skinny space on Broadway that was formerly home to an art gallery. Although everyone here is friendly, the layout gives the place a dark and divey feel, which is just fi ne with owner Nick Nunns, who names all of his beers after black-metal bands or songs and plays black-metal music most of the time. Heating up the place is the Denver outpost of Music City Hot Chicken, which serves incendiary sandwiches and tenders out of a kitchen in the back. Westbound & Down 1801 Blake Street westboundanddown.com Where else in Colorado can you drink beer in an alley? At Westbound & Down’s Free Market location in Denver, patrons can grab some of Colorado’s most award-winning beer and hang out in the well-kept Dairy Block alley. From IPAs to dark beers, spritzy lagers and Hefeweizen, Westbound manages to offer an array of top-notch options. During GABF time in particular, brewers and fans from around the country descend, and the alley becomes a happening party; perhaps Bamberg’s famed Schlenkerla is the only thing that compares. The company also has two brewery locations in Idaho Springs and Lafayette, both of which serve excellent food. Call to Arms goes all out for events, like its Big Holiday Energy pop-up. CALL TO ARMS Drink Here continued from page 16
