Travel tips for Denver newbies.

June 15, 2011 2:08 PM

What do you recommend for two musician beer nerd Denver newbies to do for an extra long weekend in Denver?

My roommate and I (perhaps a third) are planning a trip in early July to Denver (from Houston). We're both big fans of good beer, tech, and indie rock. That being said...

Aside from a couple of obvious breweries (New Belgium; NOT any of the Big Three), what are the local gems that we shouldn't miss?

We'd like to hit some great bars that have live music while we're there. What would be the best area to stay in for that?

We will have a vehicle, so transportation won't be an issue.

If there's something completely unrelated, but a "must-know", please post it.

posted by chrisfromthelc to Travel & Transportation around Denver, CO (12 answers total)

I've enjoyed hanging out at Golden City Brewery for a beer. It's super laid back; pretty much just a backyard where you order your beer from a window and grab a seat. Golden's about a half hour drive from Denver. It can get crowded so arriving early isn't a bad idea, and don't forget your sunscreen.

I haven't been there yet but I keep hearing good things about Dry Dock Brewing.
posted by shornco at 2:26 PM on June 15, 2011

I just got back from a trip to Denver and stayed at the Ramada Downtown. It's a nice, clean hotel, and walking distance to downtown and the Ogden, Bluebird, and Fillmore Theaters, in case you find any shows there that look good. Red Rocks is a great place to see a show or a movie over the summer -- they have something called Film on the Rocks with classic movies and IIRC live music.
posted by jabes at 2:51 PM on June 15, 2011

All music geeks must make a pilgrimage to Wax Trax Records at some point in their lives.
posted by scody at 2:52 PM on June 15, 2011

As a beer geek myself, I can't recommend Beermapping.com enough. Beer Advocate isn't bad, but I think Beermapping is a bit easier to navigate. My personal suggestions: Oscar Blues & Dry Dock (and of course New Belgium, as you mentioned).
posted by bucko at 2:59 PM on June 15, 2011

The last time I was in Denver, I managed to walk in to Great Divide just as a guy with a guitar started singing some Johnny Cash. It was an evening well spent.
posted by gingerbeer at 3:09 PM on June 15, 2011

Best answer: You could make a full, maybe dangerous, day of the breweries around New Belgium:

Equinox

Fort Collins Brewery

Odell

Funkwerks

Pateros Creek

Grimm Brothers

Big Beaver

Of those, I'd pick Equinox, Odell, and Funkwerks along w/ NB as they're very close together.
posted by dr. fresh at 3:17 PM on June 15, 2011 [2 favorites]

You mentioned beer, but if you're also into Whiskey be sure to check out Stranahan's.
posted by zen_spider at 3:53 PM on June 15, 2011 [1 favorite]

Make sure to eat some Mexican food. And maybe get a meetup going.
posted by freshwater at 5:03 PM on June 15, 2011

Falling Rock Taphouse! Home of a squillion beers, and pretty good food, too. Just make sure there's not a Rockies game going on, or it could be a bit crowded.
posted by heurtebise at 5:33 PM on June 15, 2011

Dry Dock is awesome!
posted by TheBones at 5:49 PM on June 15, 2011

Falling rock is the go-to place for beer nerds looking for hard to find beer on tap. Great divide is my favorite denver brewery. Lots of music venues in town; pick up a copy of the westword (or go to their website) to see all of the listings when you're in town.
posted by craven_morhead at 8:09 AM on June 16, 2011 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Thanks for the info, folks. We're definitely going to try to hit some of these places up.
posted by chrisfromthelc at 1:04 PM on June 16, 2011