Ultimate Boulder craft brewery guide

Updated Nov. 2018

Boulder is blessed with an abundance of craft beer riches. It has 20 craft breweries within bike-riding distance, ranging in size from major regional distributors to hand-crafted nanobreweries, all of which serve up their particular vibe and flavor in on-site taprooms. The diversity and volume Boulderites have access to is staggering.

Boulder has plenty of great bars, but this guide focuses squarely on the local establishments who brew their own beer — from those that mainly distribute it far and wide to those who realize most of their revenue from in-house sales.

As defined by the Brewer’s Association, craft breweries produce less than 6 million barrels each year and an owner meeting this production threshold who has at least a 75 percent stake in the business. Six million barrels is a lot of beer — one barrel equals roughly 331 cans of beer — but Boulder doesn’t have a brewery anywhere near that size.

Gunbarrel-based Avery Brewing Co., who BLDRfly still considers a craft brewer despite it having sold a 30 percent stake to international brewing company Mahou San Miguel in November 2017, is the largest producer at 60,000 barrels. The smallest is North Boulder’s Cellar West with just under 100 barrels this year.

[Read BLDRfly’s Avery Brewing Co. Profile]

The four flavors of craft breweries

Boulder has three regional breweries, five microbreweries, six nanobreweries and seven brewpubs. In some ways, Boulder is the epicenter of the craft beer industry. Charlie Papazian founded the precursor to the industry’s preeminent trade association in Boulder in 1979. It still operates on 1327 Spruce Street today.

We present an overview of all 20 of Boulder’s craft breweries below, segmented by type. The guide’s footprint stretches as far as Niwot — bikeable distance. They are clustered in six locations: Central Boulder (area around Foothills Blvd. and 28th Street), East Boulder (near 55th Street and Arapahoe), Downtown Boulder (near the Pearl Street Mall), North Boulder (near the intersection of Broadway and Highway 36), South Boulder (Table Mesa Shopping Center) and Gunbarrel.

Nanobreweries

The smallest of the lot carry a hand-crafted, boutique vibe. Small-batch dominated and often experimental, these brewers are either just cracking into the market or creating their own small niche.

Brewery	Year Founded, Location	Vibe	Website
Stein	2018, Central Boulder	The former J Wells Brewery has a new owner and name in Stein Brewing Company. It has a small taproom in central Boulder and brews in a four-barrel system. Opening a bigger brewpub in Empire, Colorado.	stein-brewing.com
Vision Quest	2015, Central Boulder	A far-out, space-invaders vibe overrides at Vision Quest's taproom, which abuts sister company Boulder Fermentation Supply. Play pinball and enjoy its staples, including Coconut IPA and dark sour Space Jam.	visionquestbrewing.com
Kettle and Spoke	2016, Central Boulder	Nanobrewery within Boulder's Green Guru Gear officepark headquarters. Head there for a low-key, chill, up-and-coming vibe, and small-batch brews.	kettleandspoke.com
Wild Woods	2012, East Boulder	Nature-inspired beer by Jake and Erin Evans. The company has a seven-barrel brewhouse and taproom. A visit here feels like a walk through a high country forest on a bluebird fall day.	wildwoodsbrewery.com
Asher	2010, Gunbarrel	Boulder's all-organic brewery features an easy-drinking Greenade Double IPA and a taproom with a Funbarrel room with corn hole, darts and foosball.	asherbrewing.com
New Planet Brewery	2009, North Boulder	New Planet's new tap room offers gluten-free and gluten-reduced beers in six different rotating draft styles.	newplanetbeer.com
Adamant Brewing and Blending	2019, North Boulder	From the co-founder of VisionQuest, comes this new nanobrewery in North Boulder (in Cellar West's old location) focusing on wild and sour beers.	adamantbrewing.com

Microbreweries

These breweries often have a boutique vibe, do a bit of regional distribution and, some, have bigger growth plans.

Brewery	Year Founded, Location	Vibe	Website
Sanitas	2013, Central Boulder	Clean taproom with cozy outdoor area in central Boulder with Boulder's a taco stand from Boulder standout McDevitt Taco Supply in residency.	sanitasbrewing.com
Finkel & Garf	2014, Gunbarrel	Fun-loving brewery with a whimsical tapproom featuring legos, board games, classic toys, and its popular Oatmeal Stout beer, among others.	finkelandgarf.com
Beyond the Mountain	2017, Gunbarrel	Improvisation is the rule for the the beer and music at this part live-recording studio, part brewery. Catch live performances, vinyl listenings and one-off brews in a warm, modern setting.	btmbrewing.com
Gunbarrel Brewing	2017, Gunbarrel	Discover modern brews with ancient styling at this new brewery, run by couple Jaime and Marie Fox. Try their Bogan, a rare Australian-style sparkling ale, or the Rosemerry, a pale ale finished with rosemary.	gunbarrelbrewing.com
Bootstrap	2012, Niwot, Longmont	Rock 'n' roll-inspired brewery from husband and wife Steve and Leslie Kaczeus is growing fast. It opened a new brew operation in Longmont in 2017, secured distribution from Coors Distributing Company in 2016 and produces its flagship beer Insane Rush IPA.	bootstrapbrewing.com

Regional Breweries

These are the big boys of the Boulder craft scene. These large, efficient operations feature taprooms with a more refined feel. Streamlined production is king.

Brewery	Year Founded, Location	Vibe	Website
Boulder Beer	1979, Central Boulder, Downtown	Colorado's oldest craft brewery is going strong at its old-style brewery, featuring floor-to-high-ceiling windows showcasing its coppery kettles to visitors as they arrive. Brewer of well-balanced beers such as Buffalo Gold and Mojo IPA, the brewery also has an experimental seven-barrel operation on Walnut Street in Downtown Boulder.	boulderbeer.com
Upslope	2008, East Boulder, North Boulder	Upslope's headquarters in Flatiron Business Park offers a cozy ambience, Flatiron views and its quintessential Craft Lager on tap. Its original location in far North Boulder serves as R&D spot, primarily for its barrel-aging program, and small taproom.	upslopebrewing.com
Avery	1993, Gunbarrel	The largest craft brewer in Boulder, Avery produces a crisp, tasty IPA and many other flavors it serves at its pristine Gunbarrel headquarters.	averybrewing.com

Brewpubs

Brewpubs are restaurants that serve beer they brew. Their onsite customers consume much of the beer they produce. It’s an internal brew-to-table model.

Brewery	Year Founded, Location	Vibe	Website
Mountain Sun	1993, Downtown Boulder, South Boulder	A Boulder staple serving up warm, hippy vibes, comfort food and a mix of Belgian-style tripels, IPAs and Kölsch in a living room aesthetic.	mountainsunpub.com
Post Brewing	2017, Downtown Boulder	A part of the Big Red F Restaurant Group, The Post Brewing Co. brought its hot chicken and cold beer concept to downtown Boulder in late 2017. Patrons will recognize Post beers at other Big Red F establishments, including Jax Fish House, Zolo Grill, Centro, Lola and West End Tavern.	postbrewing.com
West Flanders	2012, Downtown Boulder	The only craft brewpub on the Pearl Street Mall, West Flanders is a Belgian-inspired pub serving up pizza, wings and burgers with its Belgian-style Trippel Lutz and wibier Holy Wit among others.	wfbrew.com
Twisted Pine	1995, Central Boulder	Cozy, down-home brewpub vibe serving up comfort food and solid beers at its central Boulder location.	twistedpinebrewing.com
BJ's Restaurant	1997, Central Boulder	A southern Californian brewpub chain offering a familar atmosphere and all-american eats. Moving from Pearl street to the 29th St. Mall in 2012, the Boulder location serves as the chain's R&D brew facility.	bjsrestaurants.com
BRU Handbuilt Ales and Eats	2013, East Boulder	"Beer chef" and founder, Ian Clark, created this gastrobrewery to combine his passion for food and beer. Find beer-inspired eats and food-inspired brews in an American upscale brewpub.	bruboulder.com