On the Colorado Beer Trail

But on the other side of the warehouse door, at the bar, the breweries were all different. Some served barbecue, others Mexican food. Many had fried things; some offered just beer. Some were filled with regulars downing pints; others were primarily for tourists coming to taste. And just as American wineries now grow grapes from nearly every European region, I was able to sample all the world's beer styles, from the weird red Lambics of Belgium, which taste like Sour Patch Kids candy, to chocolaty Irish porters.

Though I was pretty beered out by the end of my three-day stay, we made a pre-airport stop at a homey, British-style pub called the Bull & Bush, a microbrewery where the vintage-beer menu includes a bottle of Thomas Hardy's Ale from 1980 for $35 and a Chimay Grand Reserve from 1999 for $60. To my shock, while I waited for my delayed flight at Denver International, I stopped at the New Belgium Pub, where I had one of its malty Fat Tire ales. I don't know if there are any studies on this, but I think this beer-drinking thing may be addictive.

Beer Country For more photos of the brews of Colorado, go to time.com/beer