08 Plate: Top CO Beer Spots

The SG offers the "year end"/ 09 kickoff by looking at some favorite beer spots visited over the last 12 months:

-Billy’s Inn & Squeeze Inn- These north Denver hangouts (in the case of the Squeeze, about as far north as you can go and still be in Denver) are old school in every sense. Billy’s is 75 years old, and just had an extensive renovation and added food and some interior style. Peep the tap beer and tequila selections. Up the road in a former 50’s burger joint, the Squeeze Inn offers room for about 20 patrons in a rockabilly setting.


-Buck Snort Saloon- Up in the foothills in the community known as Sphinx Park is the venerable Bucksnort, a Colorado institution in many eyes. Lots of cheap beer on tap and very picturesque views on the back deck and walls covered by papers, dollar bills, business cards, you name it. Beware there is no hard alcohol served due to the nearly “oh shit” dirt road that takes you in and out of the area.


The Glenn- Wedged into the aging Northglenn center is the bright red brick building that houses The Glenn. Inside though is the real treat: new wood décor, old school booths, shelves loaded with board games, friendly staff, flat screen TVs and a huge U-shaped bar. The food is tasty with loaded sandwiches and fried pickles. Peep the nice beers on tap and PBR draws for cheap.

-Grandview Tavern- Arvada’s oldest building now holds one of its more unique and flavorful bars. Located in the heart of the renewed Old Town area, the Grandview offers fine beers on tap (including many seasonal offerings, which the Commish took full advantage of in the summertime.) Peep the extensive menu from burgers to more hearty entrees. And if you’re looking for sports on TV, you’ll probably have to ask, as the Grandview tends to show some old school concert DVDs and more relaxed watchings.

-Edgewater Inn- This Sloan’s Lake bar and restaurant quite possibly could have the most authentic and best pizza in the metro area. That and the decidedly 1970’s décor and goblets of some of the freshest Coors (nothing fancy on tap here) make it a must stopping-by point when in the area. To this day, the only bar I’ve ever been to with a screen door.

Victoria Tavern- South to the Arkansas Valley heart is Salida’s downtown gem of a bar, the “Vic.” The mixture of locals, the pizza kitchen next door, kayakers, tourists, and assorted old school momentos (a phone booth and Walter’s Brewery throwbacks among them) from the area give the 100+ year old Vic its charm. The beer selection won’t blow you away, but it is cold and cheap.

-Morrison Inn- To and from Red Rocks, a stop at the Morrison Inn should be required. First, they have those mammoth beers that you thought were only props in bad 80’s frat movies. Huge. Mucho Grande. The creaky floors and various nooks and crannies are a testament to the bar’s popularity. Best yet, if it is warm out, do not miss the sun-drenched patio. Be sure to gorge yourself on their famous Mexican food and if your not a beer connoisseur, take a margarita in the same giant glass.

-The Pump House Brewery- Right smack dab on Longmont’s Main Street is the Pump House Brewery and their fine award winning crafted beers. Check the Wildfire Wheat with a lemon. Attached to the Brewery, but with the same beers available, is The Red Zone sports bar, with many TVs, pool tables, great food, and arguably some of the best specials in Boulder County.

-My Brother's Bar- Like to mess with out of town visitors and the uninformed? Tell them your going to 'My Brother's Bar' and watch the looks. The oldest running bar in Denver, this place drips with history (very popular with the Beat Generation) Don't look for a sign on the building on Platte street in the lower Platte Valley, there is none. Don't expect a menu, there are none, just a huge menu on the walls. The sandwiches and sides are scrumptous, and they have good tap selections always cold.

As always, having a beer and a good plate of grub is made so much more better with your peoples with you. Whether they're new friends your getting to know, old friends and catching up, your family, or even the company of strangers, beers always taste better with a cold glass and the warmth of friends and loved ones. The Commish is blessed to have that in his life; the laughter and conversation of the SG Crew, my always hearty family, and my beautiful wife and our beautiful baby girl on this journey here in God's Country...