Denver Brewery Guide: Outside the 'Hoods, Part 2

Denver may have very little oxygen, but it sure has a lot of craft beer. In fact, with all the great beer, one wonders why Colorado consistently ranks as one of the fittest states in the nation. Here are a few more Denver beer makers worthy of a visit.

Bull and Bush: This venerable brewpub has been serving some of the best locally-made craft beers in the Denver area for more than 40 years. Located in Glendale, a tiny village Denver surrounded years ago, the pub features a copper-top bar and hundreds of whiskeys. The food is great — the vinegar for fish ‘n’ chips is malted in-house. The brewpub also happens to feature one of the best pieces of beer swag ever: a Bull and Bush fez (limited availability). Beers in the roster include Allgood Amber Ale, Big Ben Brown Ale, Happy Hop Pilsner, Stonehenge Stout and Release the Hounds Barleywine. For the money, though, it’s hard to beat the Bull and Bush’s MAN BEER and The Tower ESB. The brewpub is also one of the few places in Denver that features live jazz (4700 Cherry Creek Drive South; 303-759-0333).

Our Mutual Friend Malt and Brew: Brewers at this Five Points pub place heavy emphasis on sourcing ingredients locally, with 100 percent of the barley coming from the Centennial State. Hops and other ingredients also tend to be Colorado bred as well. Beers include IPA, Saison, Pale Ale, Brown Ale and Coffee Stout (2810 Larimer St.; 720-722-2810).

Vine Street Pub: Part of a Boulder-based chain, all the brewpubs’ beers are made on site in Denver. Great food accompanied by great brew is a hallmark of this location, but be sure to bring cash — no plastic is accepted in order to keep prices low. Also, look for the brewpub’s annual stout month, held each February, for a chance to sample some of the brewers’ best dark ales as well as a few guest taps and even some homebrew recipes. The Vine Street also has several nitro taps, which give frothy heads and very smooth sips. Beers include Annapurna Amber, Illusion Dweller IPA, Quinn’s Golden Ale, Raspberry Wheat and XXX Pale Ale. The star is the Colorado Kind Ale, an amber ode to the hop vine that’s especially tasty on the aforementioned nitro taps (1700 Vine St.; 303-388-2337).