Sure, you can bring a bottle of wine or whiskey with you on your next camping trip, but there’s something that just feels right about drinking a cold craft beer after spending the day under the summer sun.
And while there’s certainly no shortage of beers from local Denver brewers that would hit the spot, there are few things to look for when it comes to the perfect camp beer: a low ABV (alcohol by volume) so you can enjoy a few throughout the day without falling out of your hammock, a cold can (no glass bottles near your sleeping bags, please!), and a name that evokes all the favorite things about spending time outside.
Here are some local canned beers to bring along on your next camping trip:
Denver Beer Co.'s Graham Cracker Porter
The folks at Denver Beer Co. describe their Graham Cracker Porter (5.6% ABV) as “a campfire in a can.” With notes of vanilla, chocolate, biscuit, smoked cedar and mulling spices, it’s like the beer version of a s’more. There’s a reason this brew has won two gold medals at the prestigious Great American Beer Festival. You could drink one instead of scarfing down s’mores on your next camping trip, but, for the real experience, we recommend sipping a can while you toast marshmallows.
Great Divide Brewing Co.'s Car Camper Hazy Pale Ale
We love a good backpacking trip, but for laid-back, spur-of-the-moment summer weekends, you can’t beat the ease of car camping. So, the next time you’re tossing your gear into the backseat, be sure to include a six-pack or two of Great Divide Brewing Co.’s Car Camper Hazy Pale Ale. Generously hopped with Sabro hops and weighing in at 5% ABV, this is the beer to fuel your next adventure.
Odell Brewing's Mountain Standard IPA
This will remind you of warmer days. Odell Brewing uses American hop varieties in its Mountain Standard IPA, which brings tropical hop aromas of pineapple, orange and mango. It's 6.5% ABV.
10 Barrel Brewing Co.'s Camp Vibes and Nature Calls
Most of 10 Barrell Brewing Co.'s beers make great outdoor companions but Camp Vibes, a golden ale that invites relaxation and enlightenment at 5% ABV, and Nature Calls, a so-called mountain IPA with piney, citrus and honeydew aromas at 6.5% ABV, are ones you won't want to forget to pack.
Tivoli Brewing Company Mountain Squeeze Juicy IPA
The next time you head for the hills, take a pack of Tivoli Brewing Company’s Mountain Squeeze Juicy IPA along for the trek. Colorado's oldest operating brewery, Tivoli specializes in bringing the flavors of the past into the present while introducing innovative new brews, too. This one is crafted with five different hops, with flavors of Champagne mango, succulent honeydew, pineapple, under-ripe peach and just a touch of orange zest. At 6% ABV, Mountain Squeeze is the rare light-and-bright IPA made to enjoy in the heat of summer.