Six Newer Breweries in Metro Denver Worth a Visit

While several breweries have shuttered recently, new brewery openings are outpacing closings...but just barely. According to Colorado Brewery List’s Stephen Adams, this year the state saw sixteen brewery openings and fifteen closings through August. In all of 2022, there were 27 openings and fourteen closures.

The recent openings include plenty that are worth a visit before the flood of beery activities pours into metro Denver along with the Great American Beer Festival. Here are six of them:

Danico Brewing
18490 East 66th Avenue, Denver
Our 2023 New Brewery of the Year, Danico has quickly become the de facto stop for travelers on their way to and from Denver International Airport. The demographics reflect that, with locals as well as international travelers making interesting conversation at the bar over tasty beers.

Brewmaster Chris Kennedy has an extensive brewing background, and it shows in the wide range of well-executed styles available at Danico. Throw in an attractive and inviting taproom, and the spot becomes a must-visit.

Hello Brew
405 Linden Street, Fort Collins
When I saw that a new brewery with a side-pull tap handle was opening in a converted house in Fort Collins, I was intrigued. Those handles are expensive and usually purchased with a specific purpose in mind: lager, often in the Czech style.

I haven’t yet made it to the brewery, but I can say that the beer is quite good. Friends have been bringing Crowlers back down to Denver after making weekend visits to their daughter at Colorado State University (thanks, Sarah and Jeff). Lagers and IPAs have been the name of the game, but the brewery is certainly not limited to those styles, and I look forward to making the trek up for a proper in-person visit soon.

Kodiac Brewery
7685 East Arapahoe Road, Centennial
Kodiac fired strong right out of the gate, luring back Stephen Monahan, who'd previously opened a pair of breweries in North Carolina and has a GABF gold medal to his name.

Although Monahan has moved on and is now in the process of starting his own brewery in the former Black Project space, Kodiac wasted no time in hiring another industry veteran. Jeff Joslin spent years brewing at Left Hand Brewing in Longmont, eventually becoming its brewhouse manager. Prior to working at Left Hand, Joslin spent a couple of years at Rogue Ales in Oregon.

The brewery also boasts a scratch kitchen and a custom brick oven, so come hungry and thirsty.

Public Offering Brewery
1736 South Broadway, Denver
Cody Higginbottom opened Public Offering last November. He has a brewing certificate from Regis University and mentored at Station 26 Brewing, so the stage was set for a strong lineup of beers from day one.

Higginbottom likes to brew IPAs, and the menu isn’t short on those styles (seven at the moment). There isn’t a bias in the subtypes of IPAs, either, so expect to find styles from both coasts, at all alcohol levels and including niche varieties like cold IPA. For those looking to venture out of the IPA realm, there are also a handful of non-hoppy beers.

The open-floor concept, with a glass-enclosed brewhouse, allows patrons to see exactly where and how the beer is made. Tall ceilings, exposed wood and steel beams help create one of the more attractive new breweries around.

Second Dawn Brewing
2302 Dayton Street, Aurora
Set in a former auto body shop just a stone’s throw from the Stanley Marketplace, Second Dawn was founded by Amy and Ross Koenigs in February. Ross is a graduate of the UC Davis Master Brewers Program who's best known for his decade-plus work at New Belgium, and specifically for his part in developing the Voodoo Ranger Series.

IPAs are well represented on Second Dawn's menu, but a trio of lagers, a saison, multiple seltzers, hop water and non-alcoholic sparkling drinks make Second Dawn a well-rounded drinking establishment.

Sunroom Brewing
3242 South Acoma Street, Englewood
Matthew and Melanie Miller opened Sunroom Brewing last September. The couple leaned on the team at Over Yonder Brewing near their home in Golden for advice. Melanie handles the front of house while Matthew mans the back, including the brewhouse. Sunroom has an extensive tap list, with seventeen beers now available, from IPAs to lagers to porters, stouts and even a gluten-free blonde ale.

Music is a core component at Sunroom, but run and bike clubs, as well as live comedy shows, are also on tap. The taproom itself was recently renovated, allowing the Millers to add some furniture, lights, tables and plants that better reflect their vision for the space.