5 new Colorado breweries to visit in 2024
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Photo: Courtesy of Prost Brewing Co.
A handful of new craft breweries are expected to open in the Denver area this year, adding to the city's rich beer scene.
Why it matters: The intrepid new beermakers showcase that more breweries continue to open than close despite the industry's tough economic picture.
State of beer: The breweries are each hoping to carve out their own niche, whether as the neighborhood watering hole or as the big dog in town, while others are aiming to succeed in spots where some struggled to make it.
What to know: Milieu Fermentation (pronounced "mil-you") is the Denver area's newest brewery opening at the beginning of May. It's located in Aurora near the Anschutz Medical Campus and renovated the space formerly occupied by Ursula Brewing.
- The bar now boasts 21 tap handles (up from 10) allowing them to showcase more than beer, such as hard tea, hop water, guest taps and seltzers.
Zymos: A small brewery with experimental brews and traditional styles. Housed in a former Bow Mar dry cleaner with a unique scalloped ceiling, brewer James Coulter tells us the tap list is driven by the customers at the bar with the amber, IPA and brown ale as early favorites.
- If you go: Try the Hop Ritual IPA series with experimental hops.
Monolith: This South Broadway brewery opened in late 2023 and is hitting its stride with an eclectic tap list that ranges from a pepper beer and brisket-roasted stout to big-flavored IPAs and a crowd-pleasing blonde ale.
- Owner Stephen Monahan says he's focused on local ingredients and sustainable practices that lead to clean, well-executed beers.
- If you go: Try the Masamune West Coast IPA with empanadas from neighboring Maria Empanada.
Prost: The Denver brewery's new brewhouse in Northglenn is a temple of beer with towering tanks behind the bar and a cavernous, beer hall-styled taproom that is perfect for drinking their expertly made German beers.
- If you go: Start with the Hefeweizen and move to the darker cousin Dunkelweizen to taste the old world.
BrewDog Denver: The Scottish beermaker is looking to become the place to eat, drink and be seen in the River North district, thanks in part to its location blocks from Mission Ballroom.
- If you go: The Punk IPA is the flagship — and the nonalcoholic version is good, too — but try out the taproom exclusives made in-house.
What to watch: Other breweries set to open later this year include Littleton Brewing, Trve's new spot near Mission Ballroom in RiNo and Wanderment in North Denver.