On the Colorado Beer Trail

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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.

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Denver is Beer Country

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