Football season is back, and the Broncos are 2-0! When’s the last time that happened? (It was
2018 . . . )
Jabs aside, nothing is better for the beer business than a winning sports team. And here in the State of Craft Beer, drinking options to pair with your favorite team are endless. So whether you’re part of Broncos Country cheering for “Steady Teddy,” a Rockies fan lamenting another lost season of wasted talent, or a Nuggets hopeful with fingers crossed for another shot at the playoffs, there will always be plenty of suds to find nearby.
Football
Denver Broncos // Briar Common Brewery + Eatery—You can walk from Empower Field at Mile High to Briar Common. And you should. This quaint brewpub offers a killer lineup of ales and lagers to quaff with a spectacular basket of fries (they’re lashed with rosemary salt) and a top-shelf turkey club. The Sour Seoul, a sour chili ale with guava, is wild, but don’t sleep on Earth to Märzen, a mahogany-hued lager with toasty autumnal qualities.
Baseball
Colorado Rockies // AC Golden Tank Room—A total cheat because A(dolph) C(oors) Golden is about as far from the Brewers Association’s designation of craft as you can get, but—but—is there anything more Colorado than Coors? You are at Coors Field, after all, and it doesn’t hurt that the beer’s good? The Colorado Native West Slope IPA is a dynamite throwback to the era of clear and bitter IPAs. Drink one while you wait for your Barman Pilsner to pour.
Basketball
Denver Nuggets // Weldwerks Brewing—Juicy Bits is a favorite of coach Michael Malone. The love runs both ways: In 2020, Weldwerks released a limited edition Juicy Bits labeled Prost Malone! This year, MVP Nikola Jokić got the honor with a limited run of Juicy Bits relabeled as the Sombor Shuffle. And if Jamal Murray stays healthy this season, there may be an opportunity for a Blue Arrow Juicy Bits in the future.
Hockey
Colorado Avalanche // Odell Brewing—This past June, Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak bet a case of beer from Las Vegas’ 7Five Brewing that the Golden Knights would beat the Avs in the playoffs. Governor Jared Polis took that bet and placed a case of Odell 90 Shilling on the line. The puck didn’t go Colorado’s way. Governor Sisolak must have enjoyed his free 90 Shilling.
Colorado Eagles // Verboten Brewing—If you love hockey, then you gotta check out the minors. The Eagles play in Loveland, home to the excellent Verboten Brewing and Barrel Project. Get the Monster Cookie, Verboten’s rotating cookie-inspired imperial stout.
Soccer
Colorado Rapids // Station 26 Brewing—Located on the edge of Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge northeast of Denver, the Rapids call Dick’s Sporting Goods Park home, just a short drive to Station 26. You’ve probably had the Juicy Banger IPA or Tangerine Cream before, and you’ll probably have them again. This time, make it a Vienna Lager: It’s light, biscuity, and refreshing.
Lacrosse
Tivoli Brewing—It doesn’t matter if you’re a Denver Outlaws or a Colorado Mammoth fan—both play within spitting distance of Tivoli Brewing, Colorado’s oldest brewery. Business has been up, down, and sideways for Tivoli as of late, but the Helles Lager remains a staple. Not adventurous enough for you? The Strawberry Mint Berliner Weisse is bound to throw you for a tasty loop.
Rugby
Glendale Merlins // Bull & Bush Brewery—Our last two sports feature male and female athletes, and if you’ve never seen a rugby match in person, then it’s time to remedy that. Even if you don’t like sports, the sheer physicality on display will knock your socks off. And the Merlins play at Infinity Park, a stone’s throw from Bull & Bush Brewery, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. The time has never been better to dip into a pint of The Tower ESB.
Australian Rules Football
Denver Bulldogs // Seedstock Brewery—Conceived in 1996 and organized in 1997, the USAFL is a relatively new addition to the sporting scene, and the Denver Bulldogs have been one of the most successful clubs around: The men have won eight national championships, and the women have won six. The Doggies play at Washington Heights Park, close enough to Seedstock on Colfax to make the trip. Seedstock specializes in European lagers and obscure historical styles. Try the Czech Pilsner; it’s outstanding.
