Denver Beer Company is a staple, and their original Platte Street location was one I frequented often when I still lived downtown. Right by Commons park, with beautiful views of the city and Platte River, I enjoyed quite a few beers on their giant, open patio, sneaking off to Monkey Barrel between beers to take cheap shots of whiskey, and scarfing down a few slices of Basic Kneads pizza before the day was over.   My downtown days have since passed, and so has that beautiful view with the high-rise condo construction—the ever-changing addition to our skyline that seems to enclose all my favorite... Read More

  This past week I enjoyed my last week of summer traveling 800 miles to Branson, Missouri and back for our annual midwestern road trip and we made sure to stop at several hot spots along the way there and back. My husband and I braced ourselves for our first week long trip with long driving hours with our 8 month old daughter, and spacing out having a beer every few hours seemed to be the key to preventing all of us from losing our minds (pro-road trip with kids tip, btw). We were pretty darn close to hitting every brewery on our route, with the exception of a few Kansas City breweries... Read More

Coming from Southern California, my daily commute was an hour twenty minutes. Even a short drive to the beach or at the wrong time of day or on a weekend could take over an hour. And let’s not even get into traffic in the major cities. In other words, in California, you get used to being in your car. A lot. It still amazes me that in the few years I’ve lived in Denver, that idea that an hour or two (or even four- Vegas, anyone?) drive is really nothing, has totally faded and I’m now a spoiled girl in a little-big city and joined everyone in bitching if I had to drive more than... Read More

It is one of my favorite weekends of the year here in Denver: The Underground Music Showcase takes over South Broadway from Thursday to Sunday night. Offering incredible local bands and city-wide favorites, the Baker neighborhood transforms into a bustling music scene in several bars, restaurants and venues. Even if you aren’t willing to purchase a day or weekend pass to enjoy the show, it is fun to be experience even just walking around. Here is a list of my favorite spots with excellent beer choices and a few breweries near the area thrown in to take a break from the madness when needed:   Hi-Dive... Read More

It’s that time again: the Makin’ Noise summer tap over is here! This time, the Pussy Riot beers are all kveik style farmhouse ales, all using the same strain of Norwegian Farmhouse yeast, but with different outcomes for each beer brewed. Collaborating for this series are Factotum, Goldspot, Grandma’s House, Black Sky, Bare, and Colorado Plus, which all tapped between this past Wednesday the 19th and tomorrow, Saturday the 22nd and are pouring as long as they last. As usual, each of the six participating breweries has selected a charity of choice with $1 of each full pour donated to their... Read More

It’s that midpoint in summer where you halfway crave the crisp scent of Autumn in the Rockies, and halfway begin to mourn the ending of the season. The 2nd annual Brew-N-Que BBQ and Beer festival is tomorrow in Centennial Center Park in Centennial, Colorado and it couldn’t come sooner this year, alleviating those mid-summer, post 4th of July blues. From 3pm-7pm, you can gorge on an abundance of delicious BBQ from various area food trucks, and sample a number of local craft breweries while listening to live music. It is free to roam around, though all food is available for separate purchase.... Read More

Is fresh Rocky Mountain air and water really the key to a perfectly brewed craft beer? Many think it definitely helps. At Westbound and Down Brewing Company in Idaho Springs, even the wind of the Rockies helps brew what they call “sophisticated” beers: distinct, crisp, and delicious. Whether you are headed back home to Denver from a mountain adventure, or are you are actually headed out west to fuel the natural escapism Colorado harbors in our souls just by living near the Rockies, Westbound and Down should always be a pit stop. Cuddled up on Main street in Idaho Springs, this cute little... Read More

  In order to stay fresh and original within a vast sea of microbreweries, many of Denver’s owners and brewers have taken to theming their businesses. Breweries like Ratio, which connects the beer industry to all things music, TRVE, a truly heavy metal establishment through and through, Fiction, a brewery for total book nerds, and Grandma’s House, aptly named for a decorated taproom pulled literally from your grandma’s 1980s basement, are just to name a few. It is helpful to know what you’re in the mood for or where you belong, if not just for the day. For a unique taste of history,... Read More

As a city that boasts more sunny days than Miami and San Diego, Denver has a natural attraction towards establishments with great patios. Breweries are no different. Here are some my favorite spots in town with perfect patios to sip on a crafty on a perfect, sunny day. Ratio Beerworks in RiNo: Ratio’s patio is huge, with sparkling string lights and trees, right in the heart of RiNo. There is also something awesome happening in their back room, from comedy nights to live music.   Spangalang Brewery in Five Points: this patio is brand new, full of picnic tables with umbrellas. Why I like... Read More

Wander   | verb | wan·der |ˈwän-dər :     a. to move about without a fixed aim or goal     b. to go idly about Also see: Ramble   I think one of the first bumper stickers I ever owned was a small, faded brown decal with the familiar quote, “Not all those who wander are lost.” Tolkien may have not forethought his words as a popular insignia plastered on bumper stickers, t-shirts, nursery tapestries all over Pinterest. Nonetheless, there is a reason why we all feel somewhat attached to the saying. I remember using that old sticker as a bookmark when I read my first Kerouac... Read More