The 10 Best Beer Bars in Denver

1. Punch The Who’s Who of Beer Cool
2. Westword 2023 · Best Beer Service · Best of Denver
3. Westword The Top 50 Bars in Denver Right Now

Cannonball Creek doesn't distribute cans, so if you want these hop-forward IPAs and crisp lagers, you're making the drive to Golden. It's a taproom with rotating food trucks and an easy outdoor vibe that pairs well with whatever trail or climb you just finished. The range stretches from pilsners to saisons to Belgian golden ale, which gives non-IPA people something to do. Westword named it Best Brewery in 2023.

1. Westword 2023 · Best Brewery · Best of Denver

1. Westword 2023 · Best Beer Made With Mushrooms: Chanterelle de Garde · Best of Denver

The turquoise mountain mural running behind the bar sets the tone at this east Denver brewery taproom: a little outdoorsy, a little groovy, comfortable enough to settle in for several rounds. A dozen or so rotating taps cover the range, with porters and Munich dunkels among the regulars. Food trucks pull up outside when hunger strikes. The bar stools have backs, which sounds minor until you've spent an afternoon somewhere they don't.

1. Westword 2023 · Best New Brewery Taproom · Best of Denver

1. Westword 2023 · Best Dual-Use Brewery Space · Best of Denver

A ski-lift chair salvaged from Keystone sits in the front of this sprawling Denver sports bar, which tells you everything about the vibe: proudly, unironically Colorado. Two full bars pour local taps, a stage hosts live music, and somewhere in the back there's a miniature bowling alley that shouldn't exist but does. The Slopper, a Pueblo green chile sandwich situation, is the menu's main argument. Westword named it Denver's best bar for watching games in 2023.

1. Westword 2023 · Best Bar for Watching Games · Best of Denver

1. Westword 2023 · Best Bar for Day Drinking · Best of Denver

A 9,000-square-foot taproom with a basketball court tends to set expectations, and Wonderland Brewing's beer menu swings just as wide, running from Belgian-style and barrel-aged English ales to high-IBU IPAs and wild sours. The Broomfield brewery keeps a permanent food truck on-site, so there's no rush to leave, which is convenient given that there's also ping-pong. A good place to spend a longer afternoon than you planned.

1. Westword 2023 · Best Brewery for Playing Games · Best of Denver

1. Westword 2023 · Best Cidery · Best of Denver

A LoHi brewery where the patio is basically the point: a massive open-air front deck and an enclosed back area with picnic tables sized for groups, dogs included without a second thought. The taps are solid, food trucks rotate through on a regular schedule, and live music fills out the week. If you happen to be walking a dog in the neighborhood and need a reason to stop, Zuni Street has already thought of that.

1. Westword 2023 · Best Patio for Pets · Best of Denver