Nothing beats a cold pint of frothy suds in the summer except for sipping it at a brewery that doubles as a giant backyard party.
With Colorado’s mind-boggling bounty of craft breweries, there are a few standouts for their expansive patios, lawn games and outdoor live music. If you want to make the brewery your outside activity for the day, here’s where to go.
Breckenridge Brewery
Littleton
As a testament to its sprawling outdoor space, the Breckenridge Brewery’s Littleton location refers to itself as a “campus.”
Indeed, the property’s “Farm House,” which churns out some of the most scrumptious brewery food you’ve ever tasted (amazing salads and fish and chips), sits on 15 acres, including a sprawling green lawn next to the South Platte River and recreation trail.
Jockey for a picnic table or firepit spot, take a round on the bocce court, and enjoy live music on the outdoor stage while sipping your refreshing glass of summery brews like Palisade Peach or Mountain Beach ($3 during happy hour).
The brewery has also partnered with KBCO to host large-scale ticketed concerts with internationally acclaimed artists. Keep an eye on the calendar.
New Terrain
Golden
New Terrain’s outdoor appeal is enhanced by its location at the base of North Table Mountain, where you can start hiking or biking directly from the parking lot.
You may need to take a few laps around the property before finding a seat on a weekend when the place is teeming with brew fans, dogs and kids.
Patrons enjoy beer and conversation on the patio of New Terrain Brewery in Golden, Colorado on Friday, April 22, 2022. (Photo by Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post)
The vibe is festive throughout the week, especially with a regular lineup of free concerts on the outdoor stage, at least one food truck (usually two) on-site every day of the week, bike demos, and gear festivals.
The Golden brewery always has a tasty seasonal concoction on tap, but summer favorites include the Suntrip Belgian Wit, Golden Haze IPA, and Mirage sour.
Knotted Root
Nederland
Tucked off the beaten path in a quiet corner of Nederland, Knotted Root makes noise with some of the tastiest craft suds that even the most discerning beer connoisseurs will appreciate, as well as a casual and expansive patio for sipping and dog-watching.
You’ll see plenty of mountain bikes leaning on the fence surrounding the gravel lawn, where you can perch at a saggy picnic table or hand-painted barrel to sip a hefty (7-8 percent ABV), ever-rotating concoction of IPAs or smoothie sours.
Food trucks land here from Thursday to Sunday, along with a live DJ on Thursday, a variety of live music on Fridays and Saturdays, and live jazz on Sunday.
Outer Range
Frisco
This award-winning brewery is an après landing hub for local and visiting adventurers in both winter and summer.
In summer, the downstairs lawn is cranking with cornhole rounds and tunes, the latter delivered live by DJ or regional musicians at least one day of the week.
Though famous for its hazy IPAs, Outer Range has stepped up its game in lagers, pilsners, stouts, saisons and Belgians.
There are multiple new releases every Friday and a festival nearly every summer weekend.
If the dog scene becomes too much for you in the downstairs covered patio or outside lawn, there’s also a dog-free deck upstairs with amazing views of Mount Royal and surrounding peaks.
On-site Birdcraft restaurant serves some of America’s best gluten-free fried chicken and tasty tuna tots.
New Belgium
Fort Collins
Needing no introduction, the flagship location of one of Colorado’s most famous and longest-standing microbreweries feels like a mini-Coachella festival every weekend of the summer.
The place offers a dizzying selection of beers, including rare old favorites and brand-new, small-batch releases only available at the brewery.
The outdoor seating wraps around the massive building, where bike racks and two-wheelers of all shapes and sizes are piled everywhere, like in Belgium.
You can find super-sized lawn games whenever you like (think Kan Jam but with full-sized cans and yoga balls), and quirky, fun, community-minded events fill New Belgium’s calendar.
These include live music, outdoor line dancing, swaps (puzzles, gear, etc. – bring the item for a free Fat Tire), tap talks and one of the most festive bike events in America – the Foco Fondo, July 19-20.
Stodgy
Fort Collins
A newer brewery in the neighborhood-y side of northwest Fort Collins, Stodgy feels like someone’s doctored backyard.
It features outdoor space in both the front and back of the property, complete with string lights and handmade picnic tables with tree stumps for seats.
Rustic as it might look, there’s no question that Stodgy knows how to throw a party. In addition to regular taps of new brews, the place hosts back patio drag shows, harvest celebrations, and flower crowns on the summer solstice.
There’s also a food truck on site most days. It’s the only brewery in the state to use 100 percent Colorado malts and nearly all Colorado hops.
Goat Patch
Colorado Springs
Newer to Colorado’s craft beer scene, Goat Patch occupies a small corner of northern Colorado Springs. It’s a large, enclosed gravel beer garden with mountain views.
The sense of camaraderie and community runs strong here, especially with Goat Patch’s Bleating Hearts Initiative, which donates $1 from every pint to a local nonprofit.
The beer garden comes alive every weekend with free live jams courtesy of the Summer Music Series, and there’s always a round of cornhole going. With a name like this, goats make a summertime appearance, usually in the form of goat yoga, and pedal parties happen every Thursday with music bingo and crafts throughout the week.
The Patch’s brews have won awards and rotate regularly, but for summer refreshment, you can’t go wrong with the Limeade Shandy.