As the home of the Great American Beer Festival (GABF) and countless craft breweries (Colorado can claim the title of state with the second highest concentration of breweries), Denver is no stranger to delicious pours of beer. When visiting the Mile High City, you can’t pass up the chance to sample a brew or two and with a brewery around every corner, it’s an easy task to accomplish.

Narrowing it down to the best of the best is hard as there are so many amazing Denver breweries, 150 and counting, but these are ones we’ve always found something fantastic on the menu and enjoyed good service.

Top 10 breweries in Denver

Bull & Bush Brewery

Even if you don’t like beer, you should go to Bull & Bush anyway just for the cool vibe, unique English pub decor, and great food – I’ve legit ordered just a plate of fries and a beer there as the fries are to die for. Bull & Bush has been a staple in the Cherry Creek area since the early ‘70s and has a great happy hour until 6 p.m. with a dollar off beers and half-off select appetizers.

With a nod to British pubs, you can easily find stouts and ales brewed fresh here, as well as their own handcrafted root beer! They also serve other beers made in Colorado as well as brews that complement their food quite well. Pop in and order their beer of the day or peruse the menu with about 40-some beers.

Some of our favorite beers from Bull & Bush:

• Chinook Lager
• Stonehenge Stout
• Genessee Mountain Rainbow

Wynkoop Brewing Company

Wynkoop is a staple among the downtown scene with its great location right across from Union Station. You could also read that as it’s very popular and the crowds get quite big, especially on nights the Rockies play. The nice thing about Wynkoop is they have a wide range of styles and introduce new, small batch brews often to change up the menu. Plus, they run a cool Charity Tap program, where a percentage of the proceeds from purchases of a specific beer help out a local or national charity.

Honestly the hardest part about visiting Wynkoop comes down to its name – I’ve never gotten two Coloradans to agree if you sound it out like wine-coop or win-coop.

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Moving on, Wynkoop is a great spot for beer as they’ve got their downstairs bar and upstairs bar with pool tables and hightops. With a menu of over 30+ beers, many their own and many others brewed here in Denver, you’ll never go thirsty or get bored with the menu.

If you want to see where the magic happens, take a complimentary brewery tour at 3 or 4 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. No reservations are required, but it’s suggested you get there early to save your spot!

Our favorite beers from Wynkoop:

• Rocky Mountain Oyster Stout – started as a joke, but turned into a tasty beer. You’re in CO, just try it
• Uber Lager
• Rail Yard Ale

Great Divide Brewing Company

With their Barrel Bar in RiNo and the original brewery and taproom in Ballpark, there’s no reason you can’t stop for a taste test of Great Divide’s beers. Known for their Yeti mascot and flavorful creations, this brewery opened in the early ‘90s and has been a top pick among the Denver brewery scene for great craft beers.

Grab a pint and relax inside the taproom or pair your food with something from one of the food trucks that frequent both locations.

You can tour the brewery (Ballpark location) for free, but it does operate on a first-come, first-served basis for the first 20 people. The 30-minute tour is offered Monday through Friday at 3, 4, and 5 p.m. and from 2 to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Please note that you must be wearing closed-toed shoes for the tour.

Our favorite beers at Great Divide:

• Mexican Hot Chocolate Yeti
• Strawberry Rhubarb
• Samurai Blonde Ale

Dry Dock Brewing Co.

Dry Dock began as a home brewing passion and then grew into a fantastic microbrewery. They now boast 23 GABF medals with their award-winning beer and still stick to their roots by offering home brewing supplies and classes for those that want to learn how to craft their own signature beer.

Dry Dock has two taproom locations in the Denver area, technically in Aurora but their beer is good so they make the cut. Tour their North Dock location on Saturdays, first tour at 2 p.m., and see the facility and even sample some beers!

The brewery also hosts a variety of events and activities and its two locations and is quite active in supporting the community of Aurora and giving back.

Our favorite beers at Dry Dock:

• Apricot Blonde
• Vanilla Porter
• Coffee Stout
• Docktoberfest (seasonal)

Prost Brewing

It’s cheers to good beers at Prost Brewing in Denver! Prost specializes in German-style ales and lagers and keeps their locations themed with long picnic tables and community seating for everyone. Prost has won several awards at GABF for their brews and if you’re looking for something internationally inspired, you’ve found it at Prost.

While their brewery and main taproom is in Denver, they also have a Fort Collins location if you find yourself just a bit north of the capital. The Denver location has a great view of Downtown and the clinking glasses helps drown out some of the highway noise.

You can book an appointment to tour the brewery every day of the week. The 30-minute tours are bookable online and available at noon, 2, 4, or 6 p.m. for $8. At the end of the tour, sample four Prost biers.

Our favorite Prost beers:

• Kolsch
• Weissbier
• Pils
• Marzen Oktoberfest (seasonal)

Spangalang Brewery

We were introduced to Spangalang just recently but their creative concoctions earned a mention on this top breweries of Denver list! This Five Points brewery focuses on keeping its beer in the taproom so they can completely control the freshness and quality of their brews.

They’re a smaller taproom but they do have an outdoor patio that’s great for playing games and sipping a cold one. They also host a variety of events, including Geeks Who Drink trivia on Thursday evenings at 7 p.m.

Favorite beers at Spangalang:

• Sugarfoot
• Nor’Ouija
• Lilith

Denver Beer Co.

The name of the brewery is a bit on the nose, but it works for them with a great menu of IPAs, lagers, sours, and inventive takes on old favorites. They have a great line up of their flagship beers as well as a rotating menu for their taps.

Denver Beer Co. has two taprooms, one in Denver on Platte St. and one in Olde Town Arvada. Both are visited by food trucks so you can either soak up that beer or enjoy a delicious bite with a delicious brew. You can also head to the brewery for some afternoon drinks before strolling the neighborhood to find a great spot for dinner – where you might find a beer from Denver Beer Co. on the drinks menu!

Normally you can tour the can works facility in Denver, but it’s currently closed for construction. Check their contact page for updates on when the tours will be available again.

Our favorite beers at Denver Beer Co.

• Princess Yum Yum (raspberry kolsch)
• Graham Cracker Porter
• Pretzel Assassin

Mockery

Another RiNo brewery (you could easily visit several great breweries within a few blocks in this Denver neighborhood), Mockery has a great industrial space and outdoor patio – and of course, great beers!

Their motto is: “The only thing we take seriously is our beers.” They like to have fun with their customers and focus on creative and innovative brews. They offer great flights if you can’t decide what you want to order or just want to try a variety of their beers. Plus, they’re served in an old Colorado license plate!

Our favorite beers from Mockery:

• Blue Steel – Blonde Ale
• Wish You Were Here – Blonde ale with mangos and pineapple
• Inbelievable – Palisade Peach Sour

Bierstadt Lagerhaus

Bierstadt Lagerhaus is a great pick as it shares its converted warehouse space with C Squared Ciders! So, not only can you savor their great German-inspired beers but also try a fantastic craft Colorado cider all under one roof at The Rackhouse!

Oh, did I mention they also serve food to complement these tasty pours at The Rackhouse? It’s a cool vibe as you’re in the production facility, but also in a fun beer hall and restaurant. Get the Big Ass Pretzel and Fried Mac Balls to complement your pour of beer, cider, or a craft cocktail. Take it up a notch and move onto entrees with the sausage plate or any of their decadent mac and cheeses, I recommend either the meat or lobster versions!

We’ve taken friends and met many friends at Bierstadt as there’s bound to be something on both the drink and food menu to please all sorts of palates.

Our favorite beers from Bierstadt Lagerhaus:

• Bierstadt Helles
• Bierstadt Dunkel

I’ve enjoyed the Nona and Alma from C Squared if you’re looking for a hard cider instead of a beer.

Woods Boss Brewing

Another relative new addition to our list after visiting it just a few weeks ago, but Woods Boss was a great spot for stouts and earthy beers, which is fitting given their woodsy, rustic chic decor. If you want to feel like you’re in a forest in Denver drinking quality beer, this is the spot for you.

They’ve got a great, expansive space and large bar. Find a spot on some couches, a table, or just belly up to the bar if you want to be closer to the taps. They don’t have food or food trucks stationed outside but we were able to bring in our own, or they even provide recommendations of nearby restaurants that will deliver right to you.

Our favorite beers from Woods Boss:

• One for the Dogs
• Secular Morals
• Start’n Early (they also have a version that’s been mixed with 30 pounds of chilis)

Let us know if you’ve visited any of these awesome Denver breweries and what you thought of your experience in the comments below!