Colorado brewpub named best in the country

DENVER (KDVR) — USA Today’s 10 Best readers voted for the best brewpubs in the country, and a Colorado location made the number one spot.

The highest-voted brewpub in America is the Stronghouse Brew Pub, which is one of the last intact buildings in Telluride’s Four Corners. Built in 1892, there’s still a rustic feel to the place, except it pours beer now instead of storage for goods from the Rio Grande Southern Railway, according to its website.

The building went through many business owners before landing in the Stronghouse Preservation hands in 2020 and renovating it into a brewpub. While the business is fairly new, there’s a brass cash register that dates back to 1909, according to its website.

The beer’s made on-site and ranges from ales, stouts, IPAs and sours along with cocktails, draft kombucha and seasonal non-alcoholic beer. Based on Google Reviews, the food is a huge part of the experience as well.

While the menu seems like normal bar food, the reviews suggest different.

“I ordered the wild boar brat, and it’s quite possibly the best brat I’ve ever had in my life, and I was stationed in Germany for six years. It has sauerkraut with cranberries and apricots. Oh my, it was delicious. We had the pretzel for an appetizer, and everyone agreed at the table that it was just amazing. Perfect heat and texture. The mustard dip was just as good as the beer cheese dip. We all commented we could have just had the pretzel and been fine with the meal, it was that good. Great atmosphere, great service, highly recommended!!” commented George Martin.

Stronghouse knocked out unique brewpubs in Georgia, New Jersey, Florida, Nashville and many others. Even Salt Springs Brewery in Michigan, which sits in a 100-year-old church close to a natural hot spring, only placed fifth on the list. Here’s the full list: