Denver Colorado is full of breweries serving up flights of different beers. It’s the perfect place for a social drinker like myself or the most experienced beer connoisseur. So when my boyfriend said he wanted to visit one of his friends in Denver, I was in!

Let me start by saying drinking beer is not my favorite activity. I love the social aspects, but typically I get sick of drinking after a brew or two. However, I LOVE samples. And whether it’s at Baskin Robbins or a Brewery,  I’ll try every flavor they give me!

Getting There With Spirit Airlines

Traveling on a budget, we decided to try out Spirit Airlines. Spirit is a budget airline that sells you the “Unbundled Fare.” Then it is up to you to purchase anything else you may want including a carry on or checked bag, extra leg room seats, food & more. Overall I would fly with them again for a short trip.  I’d also pay for the biggest seats they offer, & check in before I got to the airport.

 Once we landed, we took the train to Union Station in the city for $9. It was super convenient & took about 40 minuets.

Avanti Food & Beverage

3200 N Pecos St, Denver, CO 80211

Fresh off the plane we needed something to eat! So Ben (our local friend) took us to Avanti. This “Collective Eatery” was the perfect stop because each of us could get our own thing. It is basically an upscale food court & bar. You can get a drink in the bar, then head to the dining area to pick out some food from the various vendors. Open late with a variety of options this place aims to please! We left happy, full, & ready for an amazing weekend.

RiNo & Brewery Hopping

Brewery Hopping in Denver’s art district RiNo was next on our list of things to do! It may have been the only thing on that list if you ask the boys, but I had my heart set on doing some outdoor activities while we were there too. I’ll get to that later!

Our Mutual Friend Brewing Company 

2810 Larimer St, Denver, CO 80205

The first Brewery we went to was Our Mutual Friend. This place also happened to be everyone’s favorite. The vibe was mellow, the patrons were friendly, & the beer was great. I loved the Time’s Arrow IPA. With an almost buttery taste, it was by far the best beer of the weekend. The rasberry Lux Unlimited Belgian Wit & Novo Coffee Stout also deserve an honnorable mention for best beers. If there is only one place on this list you check out, make it Our Mutual Friend!

Ratio Beerworks 

2920 Larimer St, Denver, CO 80205

Next stop on our beer crawl was Ratio! This Brewery was huge with a bit of colorful mid-century decor. They also had a large outdoor area that would have been so nice if it wasn’t snowing! Being naive to beer drinking I accidentally picked One Great City, a 12% Belgian Quad. It wasn’t to long after that I was trying to go into the photo booth & taking bathroom selfies.

10 Barrel Brewing Company 

2620 Walnut St, Denver, CO 80205

Nachos, Nachos, Nachos! You have to try the Nachos! The beer here was great, but the one thing we kept talking about all weekend were their delicious nachos with Cajun chips. These are a must try!  10 Barrel is from Oregon originally. The location we went to just opened but I’m hoping we get one in California soon too!

Illegal Pete’s

 Illegal Pete’s was our next stop. Although it is not a brewery, this place does have a bar & delicious Mexican food. It was kind of like a Chipotle but a whole lot better. With a build it yourself format & laid back environment this place was the perfect pick me up between breweries. They also have live music sometimes. Plus if you are a touring band, they will give you a free meal. How cool is that!

Historians Ale House 

24 Broadway #102, Denver, CO 80203

Historians was the next place we went! A little crowded, we went upstairs & sat at the bar for our first drink. Eventually we made our way downstairs to meet some friends. This place was really lively, by the end of the night we were all free-styling. Needless to say, Historians was a good time.

Ace Eat Serve 

501 E 17th Ave, Denver, CO 80203

Ace is a super cool ping pong bar! Just be sure to make some reservations, it was an hour wait when we got there. Like so much else of Denver, this place was super cute. Even the bathrooms were decorated! Bathroom selfies kinda became my thing on this trip so I didn’t have to ask the guys photos. Haha

Brekenridge Colorado

Remember when I said the only thing on our list of stuff to do was go to breweries? Well I really wanted to see some of the beautiful places Colorado has to offer too! So for our second day, we headed to Brekenridge to spend a little time in nature. About 100 yards into our “hike” the snow became a tad overwhelming. We took in the view for as long as our fingers could handle the cold & slid back to our car. We did check out the town for a bit & by town I mean their Patagoina store. The whole place reminded me of a storybook!

Broken Compass Brewing Company

68 Continental Ct, Breckenridge, CO 80424

On our way back from Breckenridge we stopped at Broken Compass for another flight. This place had some interesting beer. We tried 12 here! The ones that stood out to me were the Ginger Pale Ale, Coconut Porter, & Chili Pepper Pale Ale. To be honest I’m not sure if I would have any of these beers again, but it was fun trying all of the unique creations.

Denver Central Market

I wish we had more time to check out the Denver Central Market, it was super cute & not overly crowded like I am used to coming from the OC & LA area.

Vine Street Pub & Brewery 

1700 Vine Street Denver, CO 80206

For our final Brewery of the trip we went to Vine Street Pub in Uptown Denver. It also happened to be the last day of Stout Month. Stout Month is an event each February were all the Mountain Sun Breweries have local versions of the rich, thick, dark ale on tap. After 13 years as a Girl Scout, I had to try the glass of the Girl Scout Stout. It was nice and minty!

Thanks for reading! And as always, let me know if you have any questions! This was my first time to Colorado, but I can’t wait to visit again.