Colorado National Monument in Grand Junction, Colo., is an awe-inspiring canyon boasting scenery any traveler would be lucky to soak in.
It’s also, bafflingly, crowd-free.
“People tend to head straight for the Grand Canyon, or maybe Arches or Zion national parks,” says Adam Kinsey, owner and founder of Grand Junction’s Handlebar Tap House as well as the new WestCo Brewing. The canyon boasts a serenity you simply won’t find at the Grand Canyon, with its steady flow of tourists. Similarly, beer-driven tourists flock to Denver or Fort Collins, leaving Grand Junction virtually untouched. This makes the underrated scene all the more special: an embarrassment of riches for locals, just waiting to be discovered by visitors.
Named for the junction of the Colorado River, which was once called the Grand River, and the Gunnison River, Grand Junction is home to a convergence of varying natural landscapes that together make it unrivaled in natural beauty: the canyon; Rattlesnake Arches, one of the world’s biggest concentrations of natural arches; and Grand Mesa, the largest flat-top mountain in the world. The city’s beer scene is just as rich in variety, built up around the community of adventurers and outdoor enthusiasts who call it home.
After spending two days being spoiled by Grand Junction’s incredible natural splendor as well as its inviting, top-notch beer scene, it’s my duty to urge any beer enthusiast to move this city to the top of their travel lists. Here’s where you’ll want to visit.
Ramblebine Brewing
Opening only as recently as 2020, Ramblebine was still among the first few breweries in town. Founders Eli Gerson and Rob James hit the ground running with a passion reaching across styles—in addition to a crisp lager, a well-balanced West Coast IPA, two hazy IPAs, and a tart blueberry sour, one of Ramblebine’s most popular flagships is God Hammer, a kveik-fermented Norwegian red ale. Taproom guests can also expect to find anything from pub ales to hoppy Pilsners to barrel-aged stouts. There’s such a diversity of nuanced, expertly crafted, delicious beers here, it’s almost a wonder that the taproom remains so laid-back and welcoming. Ramblebine’s team goes above and beyond to introduce guests both new and familiar to different beer styles and help them find their favorites.
Trail Life Brewing
Perhaps no one business can better capture the essence of Grand Junction than Trail Life Brewing, a brewery literally attached to a mountain bike shop. To live in this city is to live for adventure, whether that’s racing through challenging terrain or experimenting with new-to-you beers. The energy is palpable in Trail Life’s taproom, where post-bike-ride and post-hike patrons sip blonde ale, Mexican-style lager, hazy IPA, brown ale, and more—don’t sleep on the Pirates Life Black IPA. There are also guest taps and a full food menu of burgers, sandwiches, rice bowls, and more, such as a hummus and shawarma platter and fries with a flight of sauces.
Handlebar Tap House
Handlebar is also right next to a mountain bike shop—sensing a theme? “I don’t think anyone lives in Grand Junction who isn’t actively involved in at least one outdoor activity,” Kinsey says. Indeed, expect to see a lot of bikes parked outside Handlebar, where riders unwind over a full food menu boasting top-notch burgers and can’t-miss cheese curds, and 24 frequently rotating taps displaying some of the surrounding area’s best beers.
WestCo Brewing
The new kid on Grand Junction’s beer block comes from two local beer scene veterans, Kinsey and head brewer Danny Wilson. The brewery has been intentionally shaped as a community gathering place. Situated right next to the city’s Amphitheater at Las Colonias Park where live music plays, Westco is a low-key and inviting spot for pre- and post-concert hangs as well as family and friend gatherings, solo beers for winding down after a hike, or memorable meals from the kitchen that’s destination-worthy in its own right—think ramen, a Japanese chicken curry twist on poutine, gyoza, katsu fried chicken, smoked trout dip, and Colorado elk sloppy joes. The beer is naturally making its star turn, though, with a focus on flavor-forward but easy-drinking styles such as Mexican-style lager, Japanese-style rice lager, extra pale ale, New England and West Coast IPAs, and fruited sours.
Another Round …
There are still more beer destinations in town not to be missed, such as the local craft beer OG, The Rockslide Brew Pub. Opened in 1994, the convivial spot brews up a tight selection of lagers and ales for all tastes. Base Camp Beer Works offers creative must-tries such as a pineapple and pistachio cream ale, an Irish red ale with cranberry, orange, and cinnamon, and a peppermint bark porter alongside IPAs and Czech-style lagers; and Gemini Beer Company serves up its own IPAs and pale ales alongside gems from other breweries in town for a full Grand Junction ex-beer-ience.
Courtney Iseman is a Brooklyn-based writer covering food, drink, and culture, but mostly craft beer, for outlets including Craft Beer & Brewing, VinePair, Good Beer Hunting, PUNCH, and Thrillist. She writes the beer column for metal magazine Decibel, pens a weekly craft beer culture newsletter called Hugging the Bar, and is a proud pug mom.
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