Reader: Is Denver a better beer city than Boulder? Forget the numbers -- what about the beer?

Denver has always been a center of the beer-making world -- but until recently, you could have argued that Boulder was a better craft-beer town. But after counting up the number of craft brewers coming to Denver, Jonathan Shikes just asked, "Has Denver finally surpassed boulder as a beer city?"...

By Patricia Calhoun

December 13, 2011

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Denver has always been a center of the beer-making world -- but until recently, you could have argued that Boulder was a better craft-beer town. But after counting up the number of craft brewers coming to Denver, Jonathan Shikes just asked, "Has Denver finally surpassed boulder as a beer city?" -- and got a lot of backwash as thanks for his efforts.

This from Bagwhan, for example:

So, Denver, with some 600,000 residents, has 14 breweries, and Boulder, with just under 100,000 residents, has 9. Which one is the better "beer city"? The whole idea of competition is dumb, I prefer to think of us all as a beery front range. But crowing about Denver being "better" because it has more gross numbers, when it doesn't come close in terms of per capita, seems pretty silly.

But according to Beercraving, the more the beerier:

All the recently opened breweries in Denver are world class and we welcome them with open arms. When I moved to Denver from Boulder a few years ago I was surprised at the lack of breweries in Denver. Now I hear about a new brewery opening or in planning every few weeks. Keep em' coming. We're stoked to hear Cheeky Monk is opening the Three Saints Brewery on Colfax.

What's the best beer town in Colorado? And does it beat Portland? Post your thoughts below, or join the conversation already started here.

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Patricia Calhoun is editor-in-chief of Westword, the alt-weekly she co-founded in September 1977. She’s been inducted into the Colorado Press Association Hall of Fame, the Association of Alternative Newsmedia Hall of Fame and the Colorado Restaurant Association Hall of Fame. She’s also received dozens of local, state and national awards for writing, including first place for feature writing and first place for column writing with the Society of Professional Journalists. Patricia is a weekly commentator on Colorado Inside Out, PBS 12's public affairs roundtable, which has won two Emmys.

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