List of breweries in Colorado explained

Breweries in the U.S. state of Colorado produce a wide range of beers in different styles that are marketed locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally. In 2012, Colorado's 161 breweries and brewpubs and three wholesalers employed 5,000 people directly, and more than 22,000 others in related jobs such as wholesaling and retailing.^{[1] [2]} Including people directly employed in brewing, as well as those who supply Colorado's breweries with everything from ingredients to machinery, the total business and personal tax revenue generated by Colorado's breweries and related industries was more than $2.5 billion.^[2] Consumer purchases of Colorado's brewery products generated another $118 million in tax revenue.^[3] In 2012, according to the Brewers Association, Colorado ranked 3rd in the number of craft breweries, and 6th per capita, with 154.^[4]

According to the Beer Institute, the state ranked number one in terms of gross beer production, producing over 23,370,848 barrels in 2006. Colorado is home to 4 of the top-50 brewing companies in the nation.

For context, at the end of 2013 there were 2,822 breweries in the United States, including 2,768 craft breweries subdivided into 1,237 brewpubs, 1,412 microbreweries and 119 regional craft breweries.^[5] In that same year, according to the Beer Institute, the brewing industry employed around 43,000 Americans in brewing and distribution and had a combined economic impact of more than $246 billion.^[6]

Breweries

• 3 Freaks Brewery^[7] – Highlands Ranch
• 300 Suns^[8] – Longmont
• Adolph Coors Company – Golden; the largest single brewery in the world, producing up to 22 million barrels of beer each year
• Anheuser-Busch InBev – Ft. Collins
• Asher Brewing Company^[9] – Boulder
• Avery Brewing Company – Boulder
• Beyond The Mountain Brewing- Boulder ^[10]
• Black Bottle Brewery^[11] – Fort Collins
• Bootstrap Brewing Company ^[12] – Longmont
• Boulder Beer Company – Boulder
• Breckenridge Brewery – Littleton; acquired by Anheuser-Busch in 2015^[13]
  • Brewability – Englewood Call to Arms Brewing Company, Denver^[14]
• Camber Brewing Company – Fraser
• Cannonball Creek Brewing Company^[15] – Golden
• Collision Brewing Company^[16] – Longmont
• Declaration Brewing Company^[17] – Denver
• DeSteeg Brewing, Denver^[18]
• Dillon Dam Brewery – Dillon
• Dry Dock Brewing Co. – Aurora
• Eddyline Brewery, Salida^[19]
• Elk Mountain Brewing Company – Parker
• Flyeco Craft Brewing – Denver^[20]
• Fort Collins Brewery – Fort Collins
• Front Range Brewing Co.^[21] – Lafayette
• Great Divide Brewing Company – Denver
• Grossen Bart Brewery^[22] – Longmont
• Hogshead Brewery – Denver^[23]
• Kokopelli Beer Company – Westminster
• Left Hand Brewing Company – Longmont
• Little Machine Beer, Denver^[24]
• Living the Dream Brewing^[25] – Littleton – taproom, opened in 2014
• Locavore Beer Works^[26] – Littleton – taproom, opened in 2014
• Mad Jack's Mountain Brewery^[27] – Bailey taproom, opened in 2016
• Mountain Toad Brewing^[28] – Golden
• New Belgium Brewing – Fort Collins; the first wind-powered brewery in the U.S. and is currently the largest of its kind in the world
• Oasis Brewing Company, Denver^[29]
• Odell Brewing Company – Fort Collins
• Oskar Blues Brewery – Lyons and Longmont
• Paonia United Brewing Company^[30] – Paonia
• Paradox Beer Company^[31] – Divide
• The Post Brewing Company^[32] – Lafayette
• Rails End Beer Company^[33] – Broomfield
• Seestock Brewery, Denver^[34]
• SKA Brewing – Durango
• Snowbank Brewing^[35] – Fort Collins
• South Park Brewing, Fairplay^[36]
• Three Barrel Brewing Co, Del Norte^[37]
• Tommyknocker Brewery – Idaho Springs
• Upslope Brewing Company – Boulder
• Walnut Brewery – Boulder
• WestFax Brewing Company, Denver^[38]
• Wibby Brewing^[39] – Longmont
• Wiley Roots Brewing Company – Greeley^[40]
• Wonderland Brewing^[41] – Broomfield
• Wynkoop Brewing Company – Denver

Pop culture

In Dumb and Dumber, Lloyd refers to Aspen, Colorado as "a place where the beer flows like wine".

Denver has been nicknamed "the Napa valley of beer," but it is unclear how this nickname came to be. Referenced by the Denver Business Journal,^[42] it's rumored that the nickname was created by the Sheraton Hotel chain as part of their "Chief Beer Officer" promotion in 2008.^[43]

According to legend, Denver's first permanent structure was a saloon.^[44] While there is evidence of a saloon and brothel at 2009 Market Street^[45] of historical significance, it seems likely that the true location of the first permanent structure is forever unknown. According to The City and The Saloon, Denver 1858-1916,^[46] there were numerous saloons in the Denver area during the city's early days.

See also

• Beer in the United States
• List of breweries in the United States
• List of microbreweries
• Bibliography of Colorado
• Geography of Colorado
• History of Colorado
• Index of Colorado-related articles
• List of Colorado-related lists
• Outline of Colorado

External links

• Colorado Brewery List
• Colorado Breweries Directory
• Colorado Breweries
• Boulder, Colorado Craft Brewery Guide

Notes and References

1. Web site: Brewer's Almanac--Active Brewer Permits, 2004 - 2012. The Beer Institute. 16 May 2014. dead. https://archive.today/20140516153451/http://www.beerinstitute.org/br/economic-impact/beer-statistics. 16 May 2014.
2. Web site: The Economic Impact of the Beer Industry--State Legislative & Congressional District Data, Colorado. The Beer Institute. 16 May 2014. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20140203091325/http://www.beerinstitute.org/br/economic-impact/economic-impact. 3 February 2014.
3. Web site: The Economic Impact of the Beer Industry--2012 Data, Colorado. The Beer Institute. 16 May 2014. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20140203091325/http://www.beerinstitute.org/br/economic-impact/economic-impact. 3 February 2014.
4. Web site: Capita per Brewery. Brewers Association. 16 May 2014.
5. Web site: Brewers Association Announces 2013 Craft Brewer Growth. 13 March 2014. 14 May 2014.
6. Web site: Beer Serves America. The Beer Institute. 14 May 2014. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20140203091325/http://www.beerinstitute.org/br/economic-impact/economic-impact. 3 February 2014.
7. News: Jonathan . Shikes . June 17, 2014 . 3 Freaks Brewery Is Now Pouring in Highlands Ranch . Westword . June 30, 2017.
8. News: Tom . Wilmes . February 27, 2014 . 300 Suns owners might have a hit on their hands . Times-Call . October 17, 2018.
9. Web site: Michael J. . Casey . December 1, 2016 . Tour de Brew: Asher Brewing Co. . Boulder Weekly . May 26, 2017.
10. Web site: Tour-de-brew. 24 May 2018.
11. News: Alec . Erickson . October 15, 2017 . Black Bottle Brewery Brings Back Chocolate Cereal Beer . The Rocky Mountain Collegian . May 13, 2019.
12. News: Tyra . Sutak . April 17, 2017 . Opening Alert: Bootstrap Brewing Company . 5280 . October 17, 2018 .
13. News: Alicia . Wallace . December 22, 2015 . Breckenridge Brewery Sold to Giant Anheuser-Busch's "High End" . The Denver Post . May 26, 2017.
14. Web site: Call to Arms Brewing Opens With Its Own Twist on Beer Culture. Jonathan. Shikes. Jul 20, 2015. Westword. Jun 2, 2021.
15. News: Eric . Gorski . January 21, 2013 . Thirsty Golden Welcomes Cannonball Creek Brewing, Run by Mountain Sun Alums . The Denver Post . May 26, 2017.
16. News: Lucas . High . August 15, 2018 . New brewery, restaurant coming to east Longmont . Daily Camera . November 7, 2018 .
17. News: April 21, 2015 . Business Q&A: Declaration Brewing, Denver . The Denver Post . October 10, 2018.
18. Web site: DeSteeg Brewing Has Been Sold; New Owners Will Make Changes. Jonathan. Shikes. Oct 20, 2017. Westword. Jun 2, 2021.
19. Web site: Buena Vista's Growing Eddyline Brewery Sells to Family and Friends. Jonathan. Shikes. Nov 26, 2018. Westword. Jun 2, 2021.
20. Web site: FlyteCo Brewing Will Take Off on Tennyson Street This Month. Jonathan. Shikes. Feb 11, 2019. Westword. Jun 2, 2021.
21. News: Jeremy . Meyer . August 13, 2013 . Tiny Lafayette suddenly becoming a craft beer haven . The Denver Post . October 17, 2018 .
22. News: June 3, 2014 . Grossen Bart Brewery signs lease on new Longmont space . Times-Call . October 17, 2018 .
23. Web site: Hogshead Brewery on 54 Imperial Gallons of Beer. Emily. Hutto. Apr 9, 2013. Eater Denver. Jun 2, 2021.
24. Web site: Little Machine Beer. Westword. Jun 2, 2021.
25. News: Jonathan . Shikes . July 9, 2014 . Living the Dream Brewing Opening Saturday in Highlands Ranch . Westword . June 30, 2017.
26. News: Jonathan . Shikes . November 14, 2014 . Locavore Beer Works Opens in Littleton Tomorrow . Westword . June 30, 2017.
27. News: Lynda . James . February 26, 2016 . Commissioners Approve Mad Jack's Mountain Brewery Liquor License . The Flume . July 27, 2017.
28. News: Jonathan . Shikes . May 22, 2013 . Mountain Toad Brewing opens in Golden as the town's third craft brewery . Westword . October 17, 2018 .
29. Web site: Oasis Brewing Brings Back Old-School Beers in a New Location. Jonathan. Shikes. Apr 19, 2018. Westword. Jun 2, 2021.
30. Web site: Patrick . Shehan . January 22, 2020 . Paonia Is a Western Slope Gem . Telluride News . March 15, 2021.
31. Web site: Dionne . Roberts . July 23, 2016 . Paradox Beer Co. Is Reborn in Divide . Rocky Mountain Food Report . May 26, 2017.
32. News: William . Porter . May 13, 2014 . Dining Review: Post Brewing Co. Delivers Comfort Food in Lafayette . The Denver Post . May 26, 2017.
33. News: Jennifer . Rios . September 8, 2016 . Rails End brewery is beginning of the line for group . Broomfield Enterprise . October 17, 2018 .
34. Web site: How One Denver Brewery Has Avoided the Haze Craze. Jonathan. Shikes. Jul 8, 2019. Westword. Jun 2, 2021.
35. News: Josie . Sexton . August 15, 2014 . Snowbank Brewing Becomes Fort Collins' 16th Brewery . Coloradoan . June 27, 2017.
36. Web site: South Park Brewing. Westword. Jun 2, 2021.
37. Web site: Three Barrel Brewing Company. Colorado Brewery List. Jun 2, 2021.
38. Web site: Westfax Brewing Co. Launches New Crowlers Inspired by Local Artist. Brian. Haitz. May 31, 2018. CraftBeer.com. Jun 2, 2021.
39. News: Vince . Winkel . May 18, 2015 . Wibby Brewing bringing craft lager to Longmont . Times-Call . October 17, 2018 .
40. News: Bridgett . Weaver . August 13, 2016 . Wiley Roots Brews Fresh Hop Beer with Greeley-Grown Hops . The Tribune . November 16, 2017.
41. News: Alicia . Wallace . July 8, 2013 . Wonderland Brewing set to open in Broomfield . Daily Camera . October 17, 2018 .
42. News: Craft Brewers' Time Has Come . Denver Business Journal . Sealover, Ed . April 25, 2010 . January 8, 2013.
43. Web site: Chief Beer Officer Does Best Work Before Lunch . NPR . Kirk Siegler . February 20, 2008 . January 8, 2013.
44. Web site: Beer Facts for Sharing . Spork Marketing, LLC . January 8, 2013.
45. Web site: Denver's Characters . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20060522020335/http://www.denvergov.org/AboutDenver/history_char_silks.asp . May 22, 2006 . January 8, 2013 .
46. Book: The City and the Saloon: Denver, 1858-1916 . 9780870814266 . January 8, 2013. Noel . Thomas Jacob . 1996 . University Press of Colorado .