Love Brewpubs? Make Your Way to Vine Street or Mountain Sun

Much of the fun in visiting a brewery lies in the atmosphere and overall vibe of the place. There arguably isn't another brewery and pub that captures the Colorado spirit as well as Vine Street in Denver and Mountain Sun in Boulder. Both establishments are part of the Mountain Sun Pub and Brewery family, which also includes Southern Sun and Under the Sun in Boulder. As many craft breweries are sticking with taprooms for beer service and eschewing food service, the Mountain Sun pubs embrace the aspect of serving up delicious, affordable food to go with their large selection of amazing brews.

Mountain Sun Pub and Brewery was founded in 1993, and is a Boulder institution that's located on Pearl Street near the pedestrian mall. Vine Street opened up on 17th and Vine in Denver in 2008, and mirrors the look and feel of Mountain Sun but with more space. At both locations, old concert posters and chalk art adorn the walls. Look around, and there's someone from every walk of life enjoying themselves. There's a timeless feel to the pubs' ambience, made even stronger by the fact that they take cash only and no reservations. These establishments are always packed, but having a pint in hand and good conversation makes it easy to wait for a table.

There's always a large and varied selection of beer on tap at the Mountain Sun breweries. There's a handful of standard beers like the Colorado Kind Ale and the Illusion Dweller IPA, but you can find some excellent seasonals as well. On a recent visit, I had a snifter glass of the Onslaught Belgian Imperial IPA and a pint of the Trickster American Stout. Onslaught is a great Belgian IPA, with lots of citrusy hop flavor that's rounded out by the Belgian yeast. It's very smooth and a bit robust at 8.5% ABV. Trickster is a very hop-forward stout that I also really enjoyed. It has the thick, creamy body and big roasted malt presence of a stout, but drinks like a black IPA. The large amount of hops and bitterness work well in this beer.

Any Coloradan who enjoys craft beer should head to one of the Mountain Sun pub and breweries if they haven't yet had this experience. If you need a special reason to go, the breweries' Stout Month is coming up in February. Lovers of dark, roasty beer shouldn't let that month pass by without a trip to Mountain Sun or Vine Street.