Do you love craft beer? Want to get out and see the beautiful state of Colorado? Do you live along the Front Range and want to visit western Colorado breweries, but aren’t sure how to go about it? For those who answered “Yes!” to these questions, this is the fourth article in a series of Colorado Brewery Tours that maps out a route of 10 to 18 breweries you can easily visit over an extended-weekend trip. Checkout the collection of these Colorado Brewery Tours. The previous articles included a Southwest CO Tour, a South Central CO Tour, and a San Juan Mountains Tour.
Denver is the starting point for each tour since the majority of those that read the Colorado Brewery List blog are from this metropolitan area. However, you can adjust the maps quite easily to start your tour from another location. Each day includes a Google Maps™ link for that day’s destinations. These are a great springboard for planning your personal itinerary.
Most of the tours that I’ve designed are for a full three-day weekend. This allows for full enjoyment of four to six breweries per day with time to spare for other activities.
While I did not include each brewery’s hours of operation, in many cases I start each day at the earliest opening brewery and finish it at the last to close. Before your tour, be certain to double check that the breweries you want to visit will be open at the time of your visit because operating hours have a tendency to change depending on season, holiday, and anticipated traffic volume.
The best way to undertake these tours is to have a designated driver, who you should shower with praise, free meals, and gifts. Regardless, I have designed these tours to usually include no more than three or four breweries before checking into your hotel and then walking to the rest of the locations where you and your designated driver can enjoy yourselves fully.
Note: I first published this article back in January 2022, but it quickly became very outdated. Republished again in 2025. New graphic still needed.
Central Western Colorado Brewery Tour (11 breweries)
For this tour, you’ll visit all of the breweries in the Central Western portion of Colorado. This tour encompasses 11 breweries in the towns of Crested Butte, Paonia, Montrose, and Gunnison.
Note: This article is made for the much-preferred route over Cottonwood Pass (between Buena Vista and Crested Butte) and Kebler Pass (between Crested Butte and Paonia). I highly recommend this route as these passes have some of the best views in all of Colorado. If you can’t wait until the summer, I’ve included notes on how all of these same breweries can be visited during the winter when these mountain passes are closed.
Friday (3 Breweries in Crested Butte)
Your tour starts in the beautiful mountain town of Crested Butte which is about 4 hours from Denver over Cottonwood Pass.
Winter tour note: Cottonwood Pass is closed in the winter. If it is closed, then start this tour with going over Monarch pass to High Alpine Brewing in Gunnison (see details at the end of this tour) and then drive up to Crested Butte.
The first stop is at Zuni West Brewing & Taproom. While Zuni’s original location is in Denver, one of their owners calls Crested Butte home and has long desired to have a taproom there. This new taproom in a development just 10 minutes outside the main town, offers locals and visitors a cozy and inviting space to enjoy Zuni Street’s beloved brews, all while soaking in the stunning mountain views.
Next up is Irwin Brewing which was dreamed up in a snowcat and brought to fruition in Colorado’s last great ski town. At Irwin Brewing Co, they craft a wide selection of award-winning ales and lagers at 8,888 feet. They have been harvesting the sun, turning snowmelt into beer, and fueling outdoor adventures since 2017. Be it après ski, post-climb, or simply sitting around the campfire, their beer pairs best with good friends and adventure in exceptionally beautiful and truly wild places. All Irwin Brewing beers are served at Public House, a modern Colorado saloon. A trusted meeting place in the heart of Crested Butte, Public House celebrates local food and drinks, welcoming accommodations, and the community of live music. You can even spend the night in one of the rooms upstairs.
Finally is The Eldo Brewpub & Venue which has been providing food, libations, and nighttime entertainment for Crested Butte locals and visitors, since 1996. Located on Elk Avenue in downtown Crested Butte, they have a sunny deck for you to soak up the Colorado sunshine while tipping back a few of their homemade brews. Drive, walk, or ride, but don’t forget to stop by – they’re a favorite hang-out among the locals and you’re sure to meet a few colorful and shady characters. They also feature a Himalayan restaurant.
Saturday (6 Breweries in Paonia & Montrose)
Start the morning by taking Kebler Pass west of Crested Butte. I particularly recommend doing this tour in the fall (late September or early October) when this drive will take you through the beautiful Aspen groves. Take your time and get out for a hike.
Winter tour note: If taking the winter route and Kebler Pass is closed, I recommend going to the breweries in Paonia on Sunday on your return trip.
At Chrysalis Barrel Aged Beer they believe in time honored traditions and historic processes. All of their beers are aged in vintage oak barrels, from used wine or port casks to bourbon, gin and whiskey barrels. Many of their beers are aged along with local North Fork valley’s amazing fruit, from apples and cherries to peaches, grapes, apricots, wild plums and rosehips. This technique helps impart local terroir and allows them to use the best ingredients Colorado has to offer. In addition to traditional beer yeast varieties, they use locally harvested wild yeast, mixed cultures of Brettanomyces and lactic acid bacteria. Taking it slow and utilizing time, age, oak and local ingredients allows them to create one-of-a-kind masterpieces.
Paonia United Brewing (PUB) was acquired by Chrysalis in 2022, and they consolidated operations to the Chrysalis location. They still have their own listing on Colorado Brewery List since they list their beers separately. While Chrysalis specializes in barrel-aged creations, the PUB has a multitude of non-barrel aged ales and lagers for everyone to enjoy.
The rest of the Saturday breweries are an hour away in Montrose and are all within two miles of each other.
Named after the Horsefly Peak and established in 2009, Horsefly Brewing Company is now Montrose’s oldest brewery. Located in the heart of Montrose on Main Street, Horsefly Brewery is a family-oriented brewery with a large selection of handcrafted beers, great pub food and an awesome patio with a large stage for live music.
Next is Colorado Boy Pizzeria & Brewery who has British and American style ales with two casks always on a beer engine. Colorado Boy also serves Neapolitan style pizza in a warm bistro atmosphere. In addition to pizza and beer, Colorado Boy is known for its immersion course which has helped open over 80 breweries in the US, and around the world.
Silver Basin Brewing is a fun little brew pub serving craft beer, wine, basic mixed drinks and small bites.
Pomona Brewing has a 7 BBL brew house that produces a wide variety of lagers and ales along with a kitchen offering chicken and other sandwiches.
Shelter Distilling & Brewery original location is in Mammoth Lakes California near Yosemite National Park. In 2024, they opened their new HQ in Montrose. While primarily known as a Distillery they also brew their own beer (thus CBL added Brewery to their name). They have a beautiful riverside spot with an amazing patio. There is a full-service restaurant with many options on their menu. Being a distillery, you can try a tasting flight of their spirits or one of many cocktails.
Sunday (1 Brewery in Gunnison)
The final brewery of this tour is High Alpine Brewing Company which opened its doors in the summer of 2015. They are located in downtown Gunnison, surrounded by epic terrain that locals embrace all year round. Scott started HABC as a way to bring the community together one delicious pint at a time.
You may want to plan on stopping at High Alpine for lunch as nothing goes better with beer than pizza, which is why they feature a full menu of delicious brick oven pizzas. The menu also includes fresh salads with homemade dressings and enticing appetizers to start your meal off.
Winter tour note: If taking the winter route and visiting the breweries in Paonia on Sunday, the most direct path back to Denver from Paonia is over McClure Pass into the Roaring Fork (Aspen) Valley (and you can add some breweries in the Vail & Aspen Tour)
I hope you enjoy your trip through Western Colorado and all of the great breweries in the area. If you take this tour or a similar route, please drop us a line and let us know how it went!
Next Up: Grand Junction area Tour
