Rooftop patios are a rare treat; there's nothing quite like them. Not only do they let you soak up the sunshine, but they provide a physical manifestation for the sweet escape we're all looking for during an afternoon or weekend drinking session. Odell Brewing's newest Denver taproom — which opened in 2021 in a refurbished historic building — has a particularly special rooftop patio, with quintessentially Denver views of Sloan's Lake, tons of space, and a delicious variety of beers that are brewed beneath your feet. Enjoy the perspective.

Most breweries keep their patios front and center, where people can see them and envy the people who sit there during Colorado's three (and a half) seasons of great patio weather. Bruz Beers, on the other hand, offers more of a secret oasis at its Bruz Off Fax location in Capitol Hill. Tucked away at garden level, the patio serves as a courtyard between a couple of other businesses, though it has plenty of space where you can imbibe the brewery's big Belgian beers, and also supplies some quiet respite near the hectic intersection of Colfax Avenue and York Street.

Since it opened its first taproom on Platte Street in 2011, Denver Beer Co. has been one of the hottest spots in the city for relaxing on the patio, drinking local beer and people-watching. It later added a similarly buzzy place in Arvada, and in 2021, it expanded into a vibrant, sprawling south Denver taproom, eatery and beer garden, complete with a separate ice cream parlor. This third spot, which also comes with its own beers, lives up to DBC's standards of being the kind of place where you want to stay for a while. But the brewery isn't done: In 2022, it will add a second patio on Platte Street, and after that, a fourth location in Lowry that promises to be the best one yet.

As a kid, one of the most comforting things to do in the middle of a Denver snowstorm was to take a field trip to the warm and steamy insides of the Denver Zoo's Tropical Discovery and pretend you were on vacation. Although there's no (literal) steam at Wah Gwaan Brewing, the new taproom gives adults that same feeling with its Jamaican inspiration, reggae tunes, vibrant murals and beers made with tropical ingredients like durian, mango, pomegranate and coconut. Plus, there are tie-dye pop-ups, First Friday nights and the occasional spontaneous dance party, not to mention food trucks featuring dishes from Haiti, Ethiopia, Kenya and other less common cuisines. What's going on? Wah Gwaan is going on.

It's rare for a brewery to come along these days and offer something totally different, but that's what Cohesion did when it opened last August. The elegantly decorated brewery focuses almost exclusively on Czech-inspired lagers — not just in name and style, but in every detail of Czech brewing and beer culture. Examples include Cohesion's custom-roasted grains and water filtration system, along with its side-pouring faucets and water-bathed mugs that make an impression on customers. But the best part is the way the beer is poured in different sizes and in three different foam options: hladinka, snyt and mlíko (a nearly full glass of sweet, creamy head that feels almost like drinking a latte). Make Cohesion your new foamy home on the range.

Perhaps no brewery was hit harder by the pandemic than Bierstadt Lagerhaus, a large, two-level space that relied almost exclusively on people showing up to eat, drink lagers and have a good time. But Bierstadt fought back, adding cans, creating a patio and inventing food-prep kits to go, all the while continuing to brew its world-renowned beers. Today the brewpub, with its party games downstairs and retro-funky elegance upstairs, is even better than before, having built new garage doors and continuing to host fun events. While you can now get its beers, from standards to seasonals, in liquor stores, you don't want to miss a night here. Bierstadt has become one of the hubs of craft beer culture, and Denver wouldn't be the same without it.

A properly made Old Fashioned is a thing of boozy beauty. Smooth and strong, it's a classic cocktail that's made a huge comeback, and while many places in Denver do them well, none is quite as dependable as the iteration at American Bonded. Made with your choice of bourbon or rye, it's available anytime but is just $6 during happy hour, which runs 4 to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and all day on Sunday. Bonus: the rooftop patio and eats from T.S.R. (This Shit Rules), which serves out of the bar's kitchen.

Founded in Austin, the Denver location of Uchi debuted in 2018 and quickly became a hotspot for sushi lovers. While dinner here is a sublime experience, guided with gentle expertise by the stellar staff, it can get pricey, fast. Enter happy hour, which is available from 4 to 6:30 p.m. daily. A staggering eighteen dishes are available at a discounted price; they range from nigiri and temaki (hand rolls) to hot bites like scallion pancakes and a wagyu meatball. There's even a dessert option so that you can truly make a whole meal of the experience, as well as boozy deals on select cocktails, sake, beer and wine.

Popular with both Regis University students and longtime Regis neighborhood residents, Rocky Top Tavern is a prime place to eat and drink on a budget without sacrificing taste or environment. Inside the bar there's a pool table and plenty of high-tops, while the recently expanded patio has an area with picnic tables that overflows with neighborhood dogs during warm weather. The tavern offers $4 well drinks all day, every day, and a rotation of daily specials that can't be beat. Highlights include $4 smothered breakfast burritos and $3 mimosas on Sundays, and Wednesday wing nights, when patrons can get twenty wings for $15.

Not every tiki bar is created equal, and the bright, beautiful and classy design of Jungle makes it a tropical paradise. Thanks to beverage director Jake Novotny, so do the drinks, many of which come in whimsical tiki glasses. For example, Sea Stories, with bourbon, Batavia Arrack, carrot, yuzu, coconut and soda, is served in a colorful octopus mug. A cactus-shaped cup is filled with Tijuana Slowdance, a mixture of mezcal, Oaxacan rum, kiwi, orange, lime and honeydew. But don't stop at admiring the pairing of your drink and glass: These cocktails also work well with burgers, fish tacos, plantain fritters, fries and jerk fried chicken.