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Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery — Denver
(CraftWorks Restaurants and Breweries, Inc.)
Bar/Tasting RoomBeer GardenRestaurantRetail ItemsBeer To Go (Off-License)
1001 16th Street #A-100
Denver CO 80265
Telephone: +1 303-534-7616
Hours: Open daily 11:00am-2:00am.
Brewer: John McClure
[Update]

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Notes

Visited: September 29, 2004

Opened: 1991

Annual Production: 5,100 bbl

Contributor: Siegfried Binge

Rock Bottom was named Brewpub Group of the Year at the 2013 Great American Beer Festival.

Very conveniently located on the 16th Street Mall...you can take the free bus instead of staggering around Downtown Denver. After my first visit in May 1995, I said that this place had the most consistently-tasty beer of any Colorado brewery, Wynkoop and CooperSmith's fans notwithstanding. I got a lot of comments about "mediocre" (or worse!) beer coming out of Rock Bottom lately, so I gave them another try on my last trip to Denver. The beer wasn't bad...it wasn't nearly as good as the last time, but it wasn't as bad as I'd heard, either. Stop by and make up your own mind. They get $3.50 a pint, whereas most other micros in the area were going for $2 or $2.50. Sampler sets go for $5.95. Rock Bottom raised some $50 million in two public offerings, and plans to use the money to build even more brewpubs around the country. The same folks own Denver Chop House.

Updated: December 3, 2023

News

Beer List

    • Date: September 27, 1996 (#1707)
      Package: draught
      Place: at the brewery
      Score: 14½ points
      Overall Impression (3)
      Golden, some haze, big head. Hint of wheat aroma. Sweet, good wheat flavor.

    • Date: September 27, 1996 (#1713)
      Package: draught
      Place: at the brewery
      Score: 14½ points
      Overall Impression (3)
      Black enough, creamy head. Awfully clean aroma for a Stout. OK body, OK coffee flavor and finish.
    • Date: October 22, 1994 (#542)
      Package: real ale
      Place: at the brewery
      Score: 16½ points
      Overall Impression (3½)
      Black black, big brown head. Subdued burnt aroma. Burnt and bitter flavor. Lots of astringency...OK.
    • Date: September 8, 1993 (#279)
      Package: draught
      Place: at the brewery
      Score: 17 points
      Overall Impression (3)
      Black opaque, good brown head. Very burnt aroma. Burnt flavor, a bit sour, contrary to their blurb. Thick, bitter, slightly astringent.

  • American-Style Pale Ale
    • Date: October 24, 2007 (#6664)
      Package: bottled
      Place: Hy-Vee Council Bluffs, Council Bluffs IA
      Score: 13 points
      Appearance (3)
      Bright deep golden. Some flakes. Huge fluffy head.
      Aroma (3)
      Huge fresh malt, a hint of smoke. Lots of Belgian fruitiness and spice.
      Mouthfeel (6)
      Huge, chewy beer. Fairly fizzy. Intense maltiness. Oddly bitter. Mild alcohol flavor at the end. Not balanced. Autolyzed.
      Overall Impression (1)
      "Best by March 06". That explains it.
    • Date: September 27, 1996 (#1710)
      Package: draught
      Place: at the brewery
      Score: 15½ points
      Overall Impression (3)
      Golden-amber, good head. Fruity hop nose. Good body and balance. Malt and hop flavors work well together.
    • Date: September 8, 1993 (#276)
      Package: draught
      Place: at the brewery
      Score: 18 points
      Overall Impression (3)
      Tough to judge the color...we're outside, it's nighttime, and there's nothing but soft neon lights. I'd say "amber". Minimal head and carbonation. Nice caramel aroma...fresh hops, too. Great balance! Caramel flavors blend well with the hops. Fine body. (That goes for the beer, too...hi, Chris!) Just a bit too bitter in the finish, but OK. Crystal and Munich malts, Tettnanger (!) and Mt.Hood hops.

  • American-Style Strong Pale Ale
    Awards:

  • American-Style Rye Beer
    • Date: September 27, 1996 (#1709)
      Package: draught
      Place: at the brewery
      Score: 14 points
      Overall Impression (2½)
      Dark golden, low carbonation, good head. Hint of rye aroma. Good body, very clean flavor. Rye is there, but subtle. This beer is named after a local radio station, and I'm not sure I got the call letters right.

  • English-Style Brown Ale
    Awards:

  • English-Style (Extra Special) Strong Bitter
    5.10% abv.

  • Molly's Titanic Brown Ale
    Brown Porter
    Awards:

  • Moonlight Porter
    Robust Porter
    Awards:

  • Purple Nightie
    Chocolate/Cocoa Flavored Beer
    6.20% abv.

  • Ragtop Red
    Irish-Style Red Ale
    Awards:

  • Red Rocks Red Ale
    Irish-Style Red Ale
    Awards:

  • Rockies Premium Draft
    American-Style Lager

  • Rocktoberfest
    German-Style Märzen/Oktoberfest
    5.00% abv.

  • Terminal Stout
    American-Style Stout
    Awards:

  • The Hammer
    Baltic-Style Porter
    Awards: