From small town breweries with live music to an expansive cider orchard with large festivals, we’ve created a comprehensive list with fun destinations to explore across the state for sips, snacks, and plenty of fun.
Estes Park
In the scenic mountain town of Estes Park, Avant Garde Ale Works opened its taproom in 2019 in the former space of Avant Garde’n landscaping company, hence the unique name. With a menu that spans a funky Farmhouse Saison, Double IPA with Citrus and a Grapefruit Hard Seltzer, there are lots of options for every taste. With Vinyl Night, a food truck from Mangia Mangia Pizzeria, and community service events, there are plenty of activities to enjoy during the week.
Estes Park, Colorado
Start your day with breakfast at the Egg of Estes for a Mediterranean Fritatta, Hiker’s Benedict or Mexican Skillet. Then, check out Rocky Mountain National Park, with over 265,000 acres to explore just outside of town with camping, hiking, and abundant wildlife to see (including moose!) before relaxing at Avant Garde with a beverage.
Steamboat Springs
Steamboat Springs’ Mountain Tap Brewing uses water from the top of Buff Pass, just 13 miles away, to ensure high quality and local sourcing in their brewing. Some of the favorites are the Howelsen Haze IPA, Head for the Hills Imperial Pils, and Batch 700 Dry Hopped Kolsch. Their Thursday Trivia was voted as one of Steamboat’s top events.
The star of the kitchen is their wood-fired oven, with menu items from vegetables to pizza, all spending time in the fire. Their beer cheese dip is made with Mountain Macaroon coconut brown ale, cheddar and gruyere served with toasted bread. The Green Circle Pizza features wood-fired broccolini & leeks, spicy Calabrian chilis, fresh mozzarella, ricotta, and pepita pesto sauce. Make sure to order the Campfire S’more for dessert: a fire-toasted house double chocolate cookie, house marshmallow fluff, and graham cracker crumbles.
Photo Courtesy of Mountain Tap Brewery
After a day of skiing, hiking, biking, or relaxing at Strawberry Hot Springs, take a brewery tour, offered every Wednesday from 3 to 4 p.m. The brewers will show off the brewhouse and guide you through the brewing process, finishing off your experience with a tasting of four five-ounce beers.
Hotchkiss
Big B’s Ciders is on the Western Slope of Colorado, near the town of Hotchkiss, with an orchard growing apple varietals, peaches, pears, and plums. The summer season kicks off with Hestival, a three day event that includes biking, trail running, live music at the orchard, orchard tours and tastings, stargazing, yoga, and more!
Set on 30 acres one mile west of Paonia, guests can enjoy fresh options for lunch and dinner, a beautiful courtyard, seasonal u-pick fruits and vegetables, live music, Big B’s juices and hard cider, local wines, snacks, gifts, and more!
If you’re planning to stay overnight, camping is available in different parts of the orchard with sites for tent camping, small campervans, popup trailers, or larger RV’s. Check their summer and fall event calendars for live music and other events.
Carbondale
Marble Distilling gets its name from the nearby town which supplied marble for the Lincoln Memorial as well as crushed marble for their own filtering process. The distillery, inn, and machinery all have natural, original white marble from the Yule Creek Quarry.
Photo Courtesy of Marble Distilling
Committed to sustainability, they use copper pot stills with 100% Colorado grains, pure Crystal River Water, local sourcing, and partnerships with both local non-profits and national environmental non-profits. Their award-winning spirits include vodka, gingercello, rye whiskey, bourbon whiskey, and moonlight expresso.
Photo Courtesy of Marble Distilling
Located in downtown Carbondale, the Distillery Inn is the first hotel in the world housed within a working distillery, offering five luxury suites. This is an ideal basecamp to explore the Roaring Fork Valley and enjoy this scenic part of Colorado.
Lafayette
With locations in the RiNo Art District as well as Lafayette, Stem Ciders offers craft ciders, an elevated menu, trivia, live music, bingo, and cidery tours. Current flavors include Chile Guava, Pear, Salad Cucumber, and Tangerine Whip. Special releases range from Lavender, Neural Nectar, and Astral Spritz to a Capstone Experimental Cider.
Photo Courtesy of STEM Ciders
Restaurant favorites include pickled deviled eggs, goat cheese bon bons, and green chile pepper jack burger with duck fat fries. Special events can be hosted with customized décor, menu options, and pre-batch cocktails.
Salida
In Salida, Soulcraft Brewing has unique beers including Green Chile Ale, Coconut Milk Stout, All Mountain Amber, and Low Vis Hazy IPA. Located on the Arkansas River, Salida has plenty of opportunities for recreation from stand-up paddleboarding and tubing to kayaking and rafting. Chaffee County offers the most 14ers in a single range within the state in case you’d like to bag a peak or two during your visit.
Fuel up for a day of adventure at Sweetie’s Sandwich Shop. Favorites include the Vito, the Don Draper, and the Fabio. Salida’s whitewater park runs through the historic downtown so you can choose to dine, shop, or float all along the riverfront area. The Riverside Park, an outdoor entertainment venue, will host Bluegrass on the Arkansas along with other events throughout the summer.
With an abundance of unique breweries, cideries, and distilleries to visit, Colorado offers plenty of fun destinations to explore while traveling around the state.