Denver is one of the greatest cities in America for beer. And the area of Denver, Boulder and Ft. Collins is frequently noted to be the nation’s “Napa Valley” of beer. So if you’re passing through Denver for business or pleasure, head down to one of the best breweries in America, the Great Divide brewery and tap room. The beers are fantastic and they have a great American business story.

So Dunn approached the city of Denver with his business plan, explained that the building had been vacant for over a decade and asked for a $50,000 loan. The mayor was obviously a huge fan of good beer because they gave Dunn the loan, with a better interest rate than what the bank would have provided had they gone for it to begin with.

These guys are popular with any beer enthusiast because they are the recipient of 5 World Beer Cup awards, were ranked 14th in Ratebeer.com’s 2012 “The Best Brewers in the World” and 7th in Beer Advocate’s 2010 “All-Time Top Brewers.”
And guess who provided the stimulus for them to go global? Indeed, the city of Denver. After paying pack the initial loan, they went back to the city, who were happy to provide a 2nd loan. While the area is still largely abandoned and run down, the brewery has certainly helped improved it. A few new looking bars and restaurants are located close by, and a mobile pizza truck sits out the front of Great Divide to feed hungry beer drinkers excellent, fresh made artisan pizzas. Because why would someone eat crap pizza with their awesome beer?



Check them out in person at:
2201 Arapahoe Street
Denver, Colorado, 80205
United States
phone: (303) 296-9460
On behalf of all beer aficionados, thanks Denver city council!