Located just north of Denver, Colorado, RiNo is a vibrant neighborhood that takes pride in its fabulous food, art, and everflowing craft beer at every corner. A visit to the district will make you experience an urban charisma combined with the industrial and artistic spirit of the residents.

But the one thing that sets the district apart from other hotspots in the city is the low-key and wide range of tourists it attracts. Unlike most cities where art is hung on walls, RiNo art is painted on the sides of buildings or tucked in unassuming alleyways.

In 2005, artists Jill Hadley Hooper and Tracy Weil launched the RiNo Art District to unite 25 artists and five art galleries in the region. The move came after Denver dubbed this region as the River North. After a decade, the Colorado Creative Industries awarded the art district with a creative district certification, forming two special taxing districts to fund their efforts.

With over 20 breweries in Denver’s RiNo Art District, the love for RiNo as a brewery landing spot is on another level. The region is rich in creative brewers, matched with an in-built clientele through the growing population and unending stream of visitors. Since the region is popular with the locals and tourists alike, this ultimate guide will help you navigate the neighborhood.

This guide will give you a peek into RiNo’s breweries. And if you’re exploring RiNo, don’t forget to check out our RiNo Beer and Graffiti Tour and our other Denver brewery tours. During the walking tour, the guide explores the murals’ story, the graffiti, and the neighborhood that shaped them. And after the tour, get an opportunity to grab a drink at one of RiNo’s hip breweries.

Our Top Recommendation of Best Breweries in RiNo

East Rino

Bierstadt Lagerhaus: Best Brewery in Colorado

Address: 2875 Blake St, Denver CO 80205
Website: bierstadtlager.com
What Makes Bierstadt Lagerhaus Great: Unlike other breweries that are more into chasing trends and gimmicks, Bierstadt Lagerhaus focuses more on details. The brewers concentrate on brewing only-to-style lagers and drafts, each poured to order and served specifically branded glasses.

In August 2016, Bill and Ashleigh opened the doors of Bierstadt Lagerhaus in RiNo, intending to make the best German craft beer using traditional and authentic brewing methods. The brewery focuses more on details than chasing trends, which is why they brew lagers, as per the Reinheitsgebot. Sorry, altbier lovers. Their most common beers include:

Pils
Helles
Dunkel
Two rotating seasonal taps

After scooping the Favorite Lager Brewer award, Bierstadt Lagerhaus is the best brewery in Colorado. In addition, in 2020, the brewery took home the Colorado Brewery of the Year for the second year after scooping the same award in 2017. The 2017 award came hardly two years after Bierstadt opened its doors in RiNo, all thanks to their well-crafted Slow Pour Pils.

The Slow Pour Pils features an acidulated malt that drops the pH to a reasonable level, a single decoction step mash, and an extended lager fermentation that speeds mead-making. The result is the Slow Pour Pils strikingly clear and straw-colored beer which takes 5 minutes to fill Bierstdt’s trademarked tall, narrow beer glass, hence the name.

One sip of the beer, and you’ll get a hint of cracker malt, dry biscuit, and honey. Its decidedly bitter taste with a dry, crisp finish will prompt you to take another sip immediately. The Bierstadt Lagerhaus Slow Pour Pil is suitable for summertime, barbecues, or when you need a refreshment after a long day in the office.

Best Gluten Free RiNo “Brewery”: Stem Ciders

Address: 2811 Walnut #150 Denver, CO 80205
Website: stemciders.com/
What Makes Stem Ciders Great: The draft cidery has mastered the art of making gluten-free ciders. In addition to its wide variety of cider flavors, the cidery is more event-friendly with its cider pairings, pop-ups, and live music.

Okay – let’s get one thing clear – Stem Ciders is not technically a brewery, because they do not “brew” cider (no one “brews” cider – it is made by fermenting apple juice). But Stem is really one of the makers here in RiNo that helped build RiNo into what it is today, so they have 100% earned their spot in this brewery list.

In 2013, Eric Foster and Phil Kao opened Stem Cider in Lafayette, Colorado, to revive cider tradition in the region. With their deep appreciation for craft, the two entrepreneurs brew cider based on three principles; quality, style, and tradition. In 2014, Stem Cider opened its doors in RiNo with three ciders on tap. Over the years, it has expanded to become a nationwide distributor to retailers and wholesalers.

In all their craft cider products, Stem Cider focuses more on quality, and to achieve this, they include fewer but high-quality ingredients. The ciders feature fresh-pressed full juice from the entire ripe fruit, making the final beverage retain the individual qualities of the fruit. In addition, they have a variety of cleaner, brighter, and fresh dry ciders, which include:

Piggy Bank Apple Cider- this gluten-free dry cider consists of apples and pears that result in a brighter, fresher, and cleaner beverage.
Pear Apple Cider- this beverage blends freshly pressed apples and Bartlett pears to produce a gluten-free beverage. The Pear Apple Cider has a rich golden hue with a fresh smell and a surprisingly tart finish.
Off-Dry Apple Cider- if you’re looking for a cider drink that’s not too dry, then this is your ideal choice. It has a distinct apple aroma with balanced acidity.
Raspberry Apple Cider- this features ruby hues with intense raspberry aromas to produce a cider with a bit of raspberry tartness.

With these ciders and many others on the offer, Stem Ciders is rapidly evolving and vehemently experimenting on new tastes to meet the demands of cider lovers. Stem Ciders is a must-visit if you are a craft beer lover. And if you don’t know what flavors you want to try, the brewery provides you with a card to list all the flavors you want.

Stem Cider collaborated with Colorado Farmers to create a culinary venture known as Acreage to make things more interesting for visitors and locals alike. The venture brings the freshest ingredients on the front range. With Acreage, you can now access the urban cider house from Stem Ciders RiNo’s taproom in the countryside with different tasty and healthy dishes.

The Acreage is located only 5 minutes from downtown Lafayette and features a vast outdoor space for your entire family to enjoy. Here, you can enjoy several experiences, which include:

Outdoor dining on the deck gives you the best views of Lafayette. However, you cannot bring your four-legged friend to the deck.
Indoor dining in the main dining room has dining tables accommodating ten people.
Outdoor dining at the Cider Garden and get your do to tag along!
Bar seating where you can book a couple of seats and get to enjoy a spectacular view from the bar.

Ratio Beerworks: Best RiNo Brewery for Punk Rock Lovers

Address: 2920 Larimer St Denver, CO 80205
Website: ratiobeerworks.com/
What Makes Ratio Beerworks Great: The brewery lets you enjoy a glass of tap beer as your other senses get stimulated with solid entertainment. They always have a food truck outside, and the bar is near several restaurants where you can enjoy your meal before getting into the bar.

Ratio Beerworks started in the ’90s as a touring punk band before the founders studied brewing in Germany. Today, it’s one of the best music-inspired breweries in RiNo. In addition, it’s strategically located just down the street from Larimer Lounge, which is one of the best venues in Denver. With the music and the strategic location, Ratio acts as an oasis amid everything else happening in RiNo.

In 2021, the brewery opened a second location in Denver at 2030 South Cherokee Street, which was previously occupied by Declaration Brewing Company. The new taproom will open in early 2022, but brewing and canning operations started at this location in the summer of 2021, allowing the brewery to increase the amount of beer it brews and cans.

In addition, they are also experimenting with new beers and collaborations. It’s no coincidence that the opening of the new taproom coincided with the hiring of Philip Joyce, a renowned local brewer known for making award-winning beers.

Like the patio in Larimer street, the deck on the new location is spacious, and much loved. The brewery has turned the patio into a well-designed and comfortable outdoor space for its customers. You can also hold events on the deck.

The brewery features an eclectic art and music scene where you can enjoy your tap beer while enjoying solid entertainment. With their 20-barrel microbrewery, Ratio strives to stimulate all your senses through music and their excellent beer when you visit the place.

As a plus, the brewery integrates into the community through donations, local distribution, beer festivals, supporting local bands, and holding events of all sizes. They also have a variety of products that you can buy online.

Odell Brewing Company: Most Experimental RiNo Brewery

Address: 2945 Larimer St Denver, CO 80205
Website: odellbrewing.com/
What Makes Odell Brewing Company Great: With a two-story, 4,000 square foot facility that features two patios and two bars, Odell Brewing Company is one of the most experimental breweries in RiNo and has a wide selection of IPAs and worthwhile sours.

Opened in 1989, Odell Brewing Company focuses on brewing hand-crafted and innovative beer. They are the oldest independent and employee-owned brewery in the state of Colorado and have thrived in creating locally-driven quality beers. In addition, Odell participates in outreach and charitable work to positively impact the community.

The Five Points Brewhouse focuses on exploring recipe development and crafting new beers on its 10-barrel pilot system. Their tap selection consists primarily of small-batch, experimental beers brewed on-site supplemented by a handful of year-round classics.

The location itself has retained the original bricks from 1917 and countertops refurbished from original flooring. The space includes two levels complete with street level outdoor seating, side garden patio with fire pits, and a rooftop patio with mountain vistas.

The brewery is active within the local RiNo arts district by supporting and hosting local musicians with weekly live music performances, monthly artist showings, and other weekly community events. In 2015, the brewery was named the best medium-sized company within Colorado.

14er Brewing: RiNo Brewery with the Best Outdoor Space

Address: 3120 Blake St Unit C Denver, Co 80205
Website: 14erbrewing.com/
What Makes 14er Great: It has the best outdoor Brewery Garden in RiNo. In addition, the brewery has the best jalapeno flavors.

Located on a quieter section of Blake Street, 14er opened its doors in Colorado in June 2018. The brewery was co-founded by Andrew Kaczmarek and Nato Francescato, who are self-taught brewers and accidentally got introduced to brewing while still in high school.

The two gained a lot of brewing skills while working for other companies. After a while, they decided to open their brewery to use flavor profiles that they felt beer should have. They started 14er Brewing Company in Blake Street, which made ‘uniquely crushable’ craft beer.

In addition to its wide range of beer flavors, the brewery has a beer garden that is spacious, airy, and attractive. Here, you can sip your favorite flavor from the 14er Brewing taps while enjoying wings, rice bowls, fried dumplings, and fries, or ice cream. They also have brewery tours for adults aged 21 years and above.

Epic Brewing Company: Top RiNo Brewery For Sour Beers

Address: 3001 Walnut St, Denver
Website: epicbrewing.com/
What Makes Epic Brewing Company Great: The brewery is your best option if you enjoy sour beers. You’ll be in luck if you visit the place during their Big Bad Baptist lineup, where you get a chance to enjoy a lineup of the brewery’s best beers of the year.

Epic Brewing Company is your go-to brewery if you’re a sour beer lover. The brewery opened its second brewery in RiNo in 2013 to get enough space to support its expanding national growth and introduce its sour beer line. With these improvements came a better taproom featuring 25 taps that allow the brewery to avail its substantial beer selection on draught.

Over the years, Epic Brewing has remained loyal to creating high-quality beer varieties. They have over 35 beers, making it easy for you to find a flavor that matches your taste. The brewery packs its beers in cans that are easy to carry anywhere with you. And if you are into socializing while enjoying your glass of beer, you can do so in their sociable taprooms in RiNo.

The brewery has a wide range of beers, and each year, they put them in a Big Bad Baptist Lineup, whereby they put various variants in the lineup. The brewery focuses its resources on the final blending and packaging of its highly anticipated annual release of specialty beers during the season.

River North Brewery: Best RiNo Brewery for BIG Beers

Image credit Absolute Beer, https://absolutebeer.com/breweries/river-north-brewery/

Address: 3400 Blake Street Denver Colorado
Website: rivernorthbrewery.com/
What Makes River North Brewery Great: The brewery has a full lineup of crushable cans and cellar-worthy big beers. They have a super knowledgeable staff that can list all the ingredients that make each beer have a unique taste.

River North Brewery was the first brewery to open in RiNo in 2012 and witnessed as the neighborhood turned into one of the most prolific brewing districts in the world. However, the brewery closed its doors in 2015 due to a lack of brewing space and moved to 6021 Washington Street.

However, the brewery made a comeback in 2018 and established the new brewery in 3400 Blake Street. In addition to their big beers, River North Brewery has a dog-friendly patio where you can relax with your dog as you enjoy the Colorado sun in the companionship of your dog.

The brewery has a smaller tasting room than most other breweries in the area, but they have a wide selection of great-tasting beers. The taproom has a laid-back atmosphere and a patio where you can enjoy some fresh air and a bit of scenery.

It should be your go-to place if you want to taste sour and traditionally white beers. On Wayward Wednesday, they offer a different version of their regular beers from Grapefruit J Marie to Dry Hopped Unified Theory in the afternoons.

If you want to enjoy some exclusive offerings, you can join the brewer’s local club. The brewery has a membership program that allows you to enjoy a smaller tasting room beer at a discounted price and other exclusive perks.

Colorado Sake Co: Best New Business Model in RiNo

Address: 3559 Larimer St, Denver
Website: coloradosakeco.com/
What Makes Colorado Sake Co Great: By allowing investors to own a part of the business and through the employee-empowered program, Colorado Sake offers the newest business model in RiNo.

Opened in September 2018 and located in a 14,000-square foot property at 3559 Larimer Street, Colorado Sake is dedicated to introducing more people to Sake. In addition to brewing the beverage, the brewery takes a step further by providing Sake education. They do this by holding Sake 101 Brewery tours and tasting events every Saturday at 6:45 pm. They also have live videos that help you develop questions to ask during the tour.

The traditional Japanese alcoholic beverage is made by fermenting rice, with less than twenty breweries making the beverage in the country. That makes Colorado Sake one of the unique breweries to visit if you desire a taste of concocted tasty, unpasteurized, and undiluted sake.

The brewery has a comedy lounge hidden in the back of the taproom, where they feature local and touring comedians every Friday and Saturday night. You can join in the fun of the stand-up comedy by purchasing a ticket.

And if you have an upcoming event and would like a venue, Colorado Sake Co offers in-home and offsite events by working with their customers to develop customized event packages. If you are a group of more than ten people, the brewery provides tastings, complete buy-outs, tours, and sushi parties with a private chef.

In addition to brewing sake, they allow you to invest in the business after announcing a public offering. The brewery also offers an employee-owned program that aims to keep its employees motivated and take control of the brewery’s growth.

Our Mutual Friend: Best Taproom

Image credit https://brewingindustryguide.com/case-study-our-mutual-friend/

Address: 2810 Larimer St, Denver
Website: buyomfbeer.com/
What Makes Our Mutual Friend Great: The brewery has an award-winning taproom where you can enjoy a Pumpkin or Farmhouse Ale made from local hops and specialty ingredients.

Our Mutual Friend opened its doors in RiNo in 2012 after friends Bryan Leavelle, and Andrew Strasburg came together to open a brewery, and a few months later, joined by an ex-drummer, Brandon Proff. Bryan acted as the brewery’s only brewer for their small 31-gallon system during its earlier days.

They have expanded over the years, and today, the brewery has a brewery and a taproom, with Jan Chodkowski, the head brewer. In addition, they have a seven-barrel direct-fired stout system boil kettle and a modified dairy tank system that makes their taproom. Their website refers to this award-winning taproom as a “small specialty malt roastery.”

And if you have leashed friends or well-behaved kids under ten years, you can bring them along. The brewery’s dog policy allows you to bring your well-behaved dogs to the patio, as long as you don’t let them inside. In addition, kids under the age of 10 can tag along until 6 pm if they are well-mannered.

While visiting the pub, you can order food from the brewer’s next-door neighbors, Owlbear BBQ, who open at 11 am till they sell out. In addition, you can purchase Our Mutual Friend’s T-shirts, hoodies, hats, and accessories at the taproom and have your items delivered through the brewery’s online store.

10 Barrel Brewery Company: RiNo Brewery with the Best Variety of Food

Image credit https://www.thirstcolorado.com/10-barrel-brewing-co

Address: 2620 Walnut Street, Denver
Website: 10barrel.com/pub/denver-brewery/
What Makes 10 Barrel Brewery Company Great: Offers best beer-combination dishes on their menu. Their roof patio is one of the best places to spend a midweek meetup spot or a date night in Denver. The atmosphere here feels like a sports bar but way more likable.

10 Barrel Brewing Company initially started in Bend, Oregon, in 2006 before expanding to six other parts of the country, with their Denver branch being the largest. Despite their name, 10 Barrel has over 20-barrel brewing systems with a rooftop patio, 24 beers on tap, and a kitchen where you can enjoy delicious beer-meal combinations.

Their pub grub menu covers all your food cravings by including dishes from locally-sourced ingredients. Whether you are craving for Korean fried chicken sandwich, steak nachos, pizza, or Kung Pao Brussel sprouts, the 10 Barrel grub menu has got you covered.

All their tap beer is crafted in Denver using locally sourced ingredients. You should visit the brewery if longing for a seasonal Pray for Snow, Basic Betch, and Breakfast Coffee Stout, among other craft beers.

Black Shirt Brewing: Brewery with the Best Pizza

Address: 3719 Walnut Street, Denver
Website: blackshirtbrewingco.com/denvers-best-music-centric-brewery
What Makes Black Shirt Brewing Great: This brewery allows you to enjoy your glass of beer while listening to alluring live music. It’s also one of the best places where you can enjoy your drink and meal under the same roof, especially if you love pizza.

The Black Shirt Brewery opened its doors in RiNo in 2012, where it started with the Red Ale project that inspired the brewery’s core philosophy, “Do one thing, do it well.” The Red Ale project thrived, inspiring the former head brewer Aaron Holstad to explore its potential, resulting in other beers, including Colorado Red Ale.

The brewery offers a complete lineup of live music in their pallet stage and embeds music in almost everything they do. It’s their love for music that got them awarded the best “Brewpub for Live Music in 2017.” They have an urban Beer Garden which features a hand-built, unique pallet stage that brings in acts from Colorado and beyond. In addition, they support the local community by featuring house artists in their brewery and participating in charity events.

The brewer is strategically located near the RTD A Line’s 38th & Blake Street Station, allowing you to swing into the taproom on your way in or out of the airport. In addition, they have a vast space where you can rent for various activities, including wedding reception, private events, fundraisers, birthday parties, corporate events, among others.

Here, you can enjoy any of their four core beers; red Saison, red ale, pale red, and imperial red rye IPA. They also have a wide variety of dishes in their kitchen, including appetizers, salads, and pizza. In addition, the music oriented-bar has rock and roll blaring on the speakers with comfortable seats waiting for you to go to their taproom.

Mobcraft Brewery: Newest Brewery in RiNo (still coming soon)

Image credit https://www.westword.com/restaurants/mobcraft-beer-wisconsin-dee-tacko-liberati-12327334

Address: 2403 Champa Street, Denver
Website: blog.mobcraftbeer.com/denver/
What Makes Mobcraft Great: Here, you can enjoy crowdsourced beer where they gather suggestions from their patrons on what they should brew. Whatever beer flavor you crave, you can share your tips with the brewers here, and they might just come up with something that you’ll love.

Mobcraft started in 2011 after its founders Andrew Gierczak and Henry Schwartz, thought of coming up with a brewery where the crowd could decide what’s to be brewed. They opened up a brewery in Madison and moved to Milwaukee in 2016 after they outgrew it.

The brewers applied the method of leveraging the power of the craft to generate beer ideas to come up with unique beers. With crowdsourcing, the brewery collects ideas through their website, where they collect various inspirations from couple flavors to home-brewed recipes.

They then put the ideas up for a vote whereby website visitors vote by placing an order for the beer they’d like to see brewed. The brewery brews the beer with the most pre-orders, packages and makes it available for pickup at the brewery.

The small award-winning Mobcraft Brewery and Dee Tacko will be opening a new brewpub and taco restaurant at 2403 Champa Street, Denver. The move hopes to bring the Mexican cuisine and crowdsource beer approach to Denver. Hoping to open its door by the end of 2021, the brewery has an advantage of a fully functioning kitchen, fruit processing capabilities, and a 7bbl brew system, all thanks to the former Liberati Brewery.

The move is thanks to the brewery’s crowdfunding venture, which allows its patrons to invest in the brewery. With the new concept, you’ll enjoy a variety of tacos from Dee Tacko, including burritos, Fungus Amongus, which includes grilled Portobello mushrooms, queso, and specialty dishes.

In addition, the brewery hopes to offer beer and taco flights through the new venture and seasonal beergarita, which combines Frescas from Dee Tacko and sour ale with a shot of tequila from Mobcraft.

West RiNo

Great Divide: Biggest Brewery in RiNo

Address: 1812 35th Street Denver, Colorado
Website: greatdivide.com/rino/
What Makes Great Divide Great: Great Divide is known for making solid classics with two locations in Colorado. The brewery features a spacious patio, and large windows light up the space as you enjoy your beer. The large deck makes it possible for you to enjoy a drink with a group of friends without feeling too squeezed.

Brian Dunn founded Great Divide Brewing company in 1994 as a one-person operation. He had learned the art of brewing during his five years overseas, helping build farms in developing countries.

When he returned to Colorado, Dunn started home brewing and later graduated in 1993. He started the brewery in Denver when the brewing scene barely existed in the region and watched RiNo grow to be America’s most decorated craft beer district. Dunn strived to brew beers that were balanced, flavorful and represented the unique Colorado lifestyle. That’s why despite Great Divide beers being globally inspired, they are distinctly Denver.

Through the years, Great Divide beer has become very popular, and the brewery has managed to scoop 18 awards at the Great American Beer Festival. With time, they outgrew their initial location, and in 2013, they bought a 5acre land in the RiNo neighborhood to accommodate their exponentially growing brewing business. With the new addition, Great Divide became the biggest brewery in RiNo.

From the 5 acres property and their original taproom, Great Divide brews all-year classics and seasonal favorites. Be sure to visit the brewery for a fantastic pint of your favorite IPA or Ale. Either way, you’ll get something to enjoy in the Great Divide considering its international roots.

New Belgium Pilot: RiNo Brewery with the Closest Proximity to a Hotel

Address: 3330 Brighton Boulevard Denver, Colorado
Website: newbelgium.com/visit/denver/
What Makes New Belgium Pilot Great: Located close to a hotel, New Belgium Pilot Brewery makes it easy to access your rest and meal while enjoying your favorite craft beer.

The New Belgium founders Kim Jordan and Jeff Lebesch got inspired to start a brewery with some Belgium-inspired brews after a biking tour in Belgium in 1988. In 1991, the co-founders installed brewing equipment in their Fort Collins home’s basement. The two focused on brewing two beers; the amber ale, also known as Fat Tire, and Abbey, a Belgian-style Dubbel. After one month, the two beers were sold at the Colorado Brewers Festival.

Abbey Ale won a gold medal during the 1993 Great American Beer Festival in Denver, although the Belgian beers were rare and didn’t have a specific category. After three years since opening, New Belgium had outgrown the basement facility and relocated to the current 500 Linden Street Fort Collins, Colorado.

Fast forward, after almost three decades trying to perfect their brewing, Fat Tire became America’s first certified carbon neutral beer in August 2020. In 2018, New Belgium Brewing opened a small enterprise in Denver with the hope of gaining new customers and establishing a footprint in the region.

The plan was to make experimental and barrel-aged beers at the Source Hotel and scale it up at their Fort Collins brewery before serving it at the Woods and the hotel’s rooftop restaurant. The new Pilot Brewery allows guests to taste experimental New Belgium beer brewed at Pilot, strategically located at the other side of the hotel’s lobby glass wall.

The brewery’s management eliminates the risk of fires by using a dust-proof mill with a dust collection system. In addition, they have a dedicated underground sewage system to manage the wastewater coming from the facility.

If you want to experience all his creativity, be sure to check in the New Belgium Pilot Brewery and enjoy your beer either in the hotel room minibars, the hotel’s rooftop restaurant, or other hotels in the marketplace that are connected to the restaurant.

Mockery: Best RiNo Brewery for Breaking the Craft Beer Rules

Address: 3501 Delgany Street Denver
Website: mockerybrewing.com/
What Makes Mockery Great: They break the brewing rules and regulations to meet the needs of their customers in all their beers. Here, you can enjoy a wide selection of beer ranging from salted scotch ale to sour passion fruit, guava gose beer, and IPA.

Zach Labun, the Mockery Brewery founder, started brewing 5 gallons of beer on the kitchen stove as a hobby. With time, the hobby turned into a passion and interest, which made him leave his job as a forklift driver to join Elk Mountain Brewing in Parker, CO. While there, he accumulated a lot of experience in brewing. After three years, he knew that he was ready to start his own brewing company.

He quit working for the brewery and joined Siebel Institute in Chicago, where he gained formal brewing education. After completing the course, he went back to Colorado to look for a place to open a brewery.

One year later, in 2014, he and his partners fell in love with RiNo and decided to start the Mockery Brewery in the region. Although they began when the area was barely developed, RiNo has exploded over the years as a business and brewing district while Mockery has grown exponentially.

The brewery focuses on brewing creative, flavor-forward, balanced, and authentic beers made from well-sourced quality ingredients. To ensure that the beers are Colorado-inspired, the brewery sources yeast from local suppliers, uses local maltsters, and tries its best to smash as much Colorado terroir as possible.

Mockery Brewery has a wide range of beer flavors on tap, glass, and smashable cans. In all their brews, the brewery is known to apply creativity that allows them to come up with innovative brews. When brewing, they focus on their love for the craft and what the customers want other than following all the rules and guidelines for beer brewing. And that’s how they manage to produce bold flavors without losing the balance and the quality.

Blue Moon: Most Unique Brewpub in RiNo

Address: 3750 Chestnut Place Denver
Website: bluemoonbrewingcompany.com/en-US/brewery
What Makes Blue Moon Great: It allows you to walk into the facility and take a self-guided tour around the open brewhouse. You also get an opportunity to get tasters from as low as $3 and also try their flagship beer straight from the tap.

Blue Moon started in 1995 when founders Kim Villar and Jim Sabia opened their doors at the Sandlot Brewing Company as a unit of Coor Brewing Company. Later, the Coor Brewing Company changed the name to Blue Moon with the unique notion that you only find great-tasting beer once in a blue moon.

The brewery focused on only four products during the early days: Pumpkin Ale, which was only available in autumn, Belgian White, Honey Blonde, and Nut Brown. However, they discontinued multiple offerings over the years to focus on their best seller, Blue Moon Belgian White, simply referred to as Blue moon. The version of the Blue Moon was Belgian witbier style which was packaged, unfiltered, and flavored with orange peels and coriander.

The Blue Moon team did low-key marketing and relied on consumer self-discovery. The Blue Moon Belgian White reached its leaps and bounds through their national distribution to become the most extensive pseudo craft beer. This popularity played a significant role in introducing America to the Belgian White ale style.

The brewery opened a state-of-the-art brewery and restaurant in RiNo district, where they brew their favorite brews and experiment on new flavors. They have over 20 rotating taps in the facility where you can enjoy a brew of your choice.

Other Craft Beverage Producers

Deep Root Winery

Address: 2875 Blake Street, Denver
Website: deeprootswines.com/
What Makes Deep Root Winery Great: Offers a wide range of wine flavors at discounted prices. With their spacious outdoor seating area that extends to the parking lot, you can enjoy sipping your wine outdoors when the weather is favorable.

In RiNo, breweries, distilleries, bars, and restaurants are easy to come by, but wineries are another story. That’s why when Deep Root Winery opened the doors to its second tasting in the summer of 2020, and it was a great deal for wine lovers. With the new location, the winery has quadrupled its production capabilities and obtained more space for the family-owned business.

The first location, located at 1516 Wazee Street, LoDo, was opened in 2015 and started with 3 tons of grapes from California to make three wine varieties; Cabernet Franc, Petit Syrah, and old vine Zinfandel.

In 2018, they experimented with more Western Slopes grapes to make Cabernet Franc rose and Gewürztraminer. After opening a second place in RiNo, they increased their grapes to 25-30 tons, half of them coming from Colorado.

In their RiNo branch, the winery has a variety of wines on their menu and offers great discounts as a token of appreciation to their customers. In addition, you can get to enjoy some of the most delicious dishes ranging from pizza, salads to pasta.

Bigsby Folly

Address: 3563 Wazee Street Denver
Website: bigsbysfolly.com/
What Makes Bigsby Folly Great: It’s an entire production wine facility and involves people in its production process. The place is also fantastic for a date night, but you have to make a reservation to avoid missing a sitting spot. They offer a wide variety of dishes, but the experienced staff will provide valuable recommendations if you are unsure what to order.

Bigsby Folly winery opened its doors in RiNo in June 2017 after the owners’ Chad and Marla Yetka sold their Colorado home to turn the 131-year old warehouse at 3563 Wazee Street into a winery.

The couple opened the place to provide wine lovers with authenticity by including them in the wine-making process. The winery involves its customers in making their wines from crushing, mashing, blending, bottling, and labeling at a fee.

In addition, they have a 7,000 square-foot winery where customers can sit, either inside or at either of the two patios as they enjoy various dishes from the winery’s kitchen and try any of their 12-taps, seven of which are Bigsby-made.

Bigsby Folly connects with the community by participating in philanthropic events such as supporting the art community, a big part of the RiNo Art District. They are also involved in animal welfare events.

Infinite Monkey Theorem

Address: 3200 Larimer Street Denver
Website: theinfinitemonkeytheorem.com/
What Makes Infinite Monkey Theorem Great: It’s the place to visit if you want an urban winery with a community-inspired wine. You can join in their tour of the winery and get a chance to taste multiple of their wines.

The Infinite Monkey Theorem opened in 2008 and was named so after the famous mathematical formula that focuses on creating order out of chaotic systems. The winery sources its grapes from the Western Slope of Colorado and the High Plains of Texas, after which they produce their wine in RiNo and the East Side of Austin.

The winery strongly believes in the culture surrounding the winery, and that’s why they process their wine to express the local fruit and the people drinking the wine. In short, their wines represent the local communities of Denver and Austin.

The Block Distilling

Address: 2990 Larimer Street Denver
Website: theblockdistillingco.com/home
What Makes The Block Distilling Great: It allows you to invest starting from as low as $100! In addition, they have excellent customer service from their employees who are knowledgeable about the gins and whom you can engage in friendly chats with.

If you’re craving a good gin or tasty whisky, then you better head to the Block Distilling at 2290 Larimer Street. The distillery, run by brothers Kraig and Kameron Weaver, opened its doors in RiNo in 2017 and started with clear spirits, including vodka and gin. Their gin and spirit are made from small-batch grain from family farms and produced in family-run operations, assuring you quality.

The distillers make their spirits intending to find the space of relation and possibility of a connection between strangers who sit in a bar drinking their favorite spirits, sharing mutual respect and common grounds.

Their wide variety of spirits have distinctive twists that make them unique to the distillery. That includes seasonal gins, which include botanical recipes representing their various seasons.

Ironton Distillery

Address: 3636 Chestnut PL, Denver
Website: irontondistillery.com/
What Makes Ironton Distillery Great: They have the best distillery taproom with a wide selection of spirits. The knowledgeable staff will cater cocktails to your liking. If you are not into hard booze, the distillery has other options available for you.

The Ironton Distillery started operating in 2017 after taking over the Ironton Studios and Gallery. Even after converting the studio into a distillery, Kallyn Peterson and Robie Adams retained the old building in its intact form, including the garden.

The distillery focuses on producing varieties of small-batch, creative spirits, including rum, whiskey, vodka, and gin. They apply traditional distilling methods in combination with an innovative new age twist.

You can visit the distillery for their gin tasting, enjoy locally inspired cocktails, or watch the distillation process. In addition, the owners have created a laid-back vibe and offer regular food trucks, outdoor games, and numerous outdoor activities, including yoga, comedy, and bluegrass music.

Final Thoughts

If you ever think of visiting the RiNo art district, don’t forget to try one of their craft beer breweries, wineries, or distilleries. With so many of them in the region, the above guide will help you select one that meets your expectations.

RiNo is an excellent neighborhood to spend a day in; the challenge is deciding where to grab a beer. You can easily decide where to enjoy a tasty meal or your favorite craft beer with the above guide.

In addition, don’t forget to check out the Denver brewery tours and hopefully participate in one of them. During these tours. You’ll get an experienced brewery tour guide to take you on tour based on your beer preferences. These tours are an opportunity to see Colorado’s finest craft breweries at an affordable price.