RiNo: Larimer Street and Blake Street

Best time: Tuesday to Sunday; River North's RiNo taproom is closed on Mondays. Start at Our Mutual Friend from 2pm (it opens at 11am) or at Bierstadt, which opens at 2pm on weekdays and noon on Friday to Sunday. Finish at River North, which pours until 9pm Tuesday to Thursday, 10pm Friday and Saturday and 7pm on Sunday. Opening hours change, so check each venue before you set off.

The stops

1. Our Mutual Friend Brewing

   2810 Larimer St, Denver, CO 80205 · About 20 min walk from Union Station

   One of RiNo's pioneers (opened December 2012): a small, cosy neighbourhood taproom brewing everything from lagers and hazy IPAs to saisons and some of Denver's smokiest beers, with Colorado-grown malt and hops where possible. Open 11am to 10pm daily. Pit Fiend BBQ is right behind the patio (Wednesday to Sunday).

   Open in Google Maps

2. Ratio Beerworks

   2920 Larimer St, Denver, CO 80205

   Punk-rock-rooted brewery founded in 2016 and a fixture of the RiNo scene, known for Domestica golden ale, King of Carrot Flowers saison and the Cityscapes Mexican-style lager, with a big patio and lots of live music. Open noon to 11pm Monday to Wednesday, noon to midnight Thursday and Friday, 11am to midnight Saturday and 11am to 11pm Sunday.

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3. Odell Brewing Five Points Brewhouse

   2945 Larimer St, Denver, CO 80205

   Denver outpost of the employee-owned Fort Collins brewery (Odell's first in Denver, opened 2018) in a renovated 1917 building on the corner of 30th and Larimer, with a 10-barrel pilot system for small-batch beers you only find here, a rooftop patio and fire pits. Open 2pm to 10pm Monday to Wednesday, noon to 10pm Thursday, noon to 11pm Friday and Saturday, noon to 8pm Sunday.

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4. Bierstadt Lagerhaus

   2875 Blake St, Denver, CO 80205 · 38th & Blake commuter-rail station (A Line to the airport) is about 1.2 km

   Lager-only brewpub on a 1932 Bavarian copper brewhouse and one of America's most admired lager breweries: Helles, Dunkel and the famous Slow Pour Pils, which takes several minutes to pour. German food (schnitzel, giant pretzels). Taproom open 2pm to 10pm Monday to Thursday, noon to midnight Friday and Saturday, noon to 9pm Sunday; the downstairs Bierhalle (21+, games) opens Wednesday to Sunday.

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5. Great Divide Brewery & Roadhouse

   3040 Blake St #101, Denver, CO 80205

   Full-service restaurant and taproom pouring Great Divide beers (Yeti imperial stout, Titan IPA, Denver Pale Ale) alongside burgers, comfort food and weekend brunch. Run by the Colorado restaurant group Vibe Concepts. Open 11am to 9pm Monday and Tuesday, 11am to 10pm Wednesday to Friday, 9am to 10pm Saturday and Sunday.

   Open in Google Maps

6. River North Brewery

   3400 Blake St, Denver, CO 80205 · 38th & Blake station, about 10 min walk

   Taproom of one of Colorado's most decorated competition breweries, best known for its dark beers and barrel-aged imperial stouts (some well over 20% ABV, so go carefully). Open 3pm to 9pm Tuesday to Thursday, 3pm to 10pm Friday, noon to 10pm Saturday, noon to 7pm Sunday; closed Monday.

   Open in Google Maps

Getting there: the first three stops are within 250 metres of each other on Larimer Street between 28th and 30th, in the River North Art District (RiNo). Then cut one block over to Blake Street for Bierstadt, Great Divide and River North.

This is one of the densest brewery clusters in the US, and the alleys between Larimer and Blake are covered in murals; the RiNo street art is worth the detours.

Bierstadt to Great Divide (about 350 m) and Great Divide to River North (about 700 m) are the longest legs, both flat.

Denver is a mile high (1,609 m): visitors feel alcohol faster at altitude, so drink water between stops. River North's barrel-aged stouts can run above 20% ABV.

Black Shirt Brewing (3719 Walnut St), about 600 m beyond River North, is also open if you want to extend.

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