Left Hand Brewing opens first restaurant in Denver

• It's the 29-year-old brewery's first location outside its home base in Longmont.
• And it comes just after Left Hand won large brewery of the year at the Great American Beer Festival in October.

What they're saying: "We said we needed to get into Colorado's biggest market and refresh people" on our beer, Chris Lennert, Left Hand's chief operating officer told John.

Between the lines: The foray into the restaurant business is one way the brewery is trying to stay relevant and diversify its offerings in a changing market that is pinching large, longtime beer makers. "We've seen the writing on the wall," Lennert said.

Zoom in: The 7,500-square-foot space seats 300 people — with another 200 on the wrap-around patio — and features a full bar and 42 taps, including experimental editions from the main Longmont taproom.

• The menu boasts what Lennert calls "elevated brewpub food" and ranges from ceviche and mussels to Neapolitan pizzas made in a wood-fired brick oven.