Denver / beer city USA
credit: alumni.colorado.edu
Several cities deserve consideration when it comes to their place in the American craft beer industry. Portland and Bend, OR have been brewing beer since long before it was cool (how very hipster) and Asheville, NC, has recently grown exponentially and is currently on the brink of housing expansion sites for multiple major craft breweries. California could nominate several metro areas including San Diego. The Twin Cities area has experienced major growth in the past two years, too, with Minnesota being one of the top states for brewery growth.
credit: nextcity.org
But few would even dare argue over whether Denver is deserving of a top spot among American brewing hotbeds, especially if you consider the surrounding area. Denver’s first brewery, Wynkoop, opened in 1988, and established breweries such as Avery and New Belgium boast consistent growth annually.
According to the Denver Post, 217 breweries now exist in Colorado after an incredible boom in 2013. Denver contains roughly 45, depending on how you define the metro area.
I can’t promise that I will make it to even a respectable fraction of these places, but I am excited to announce that in May, I’m going to make a solid effort!
credit: jstreetbeer.wordpress.com
I mean, How long can one write about beer and take themselves seriously without visiting Denver?
So this is my familiar call for suggestions, advice, and general banter about Denver! What should I drink? Where should I stroll? And what do you want to hear about?
I will visit one month from now and I am taking my sweet time. I will be staying via couchsurfing.org, and hopefully finding a sweet bike to rent. Potential plans include a jaunt to Boulder or Longmont. Under consideration is Fort Collins, the birthplace of the beloved Odell.
In the Colorado area and want to drink with me? Give me a shout.