Craft Beverages: Your Beer, Wine and Spirits Sampler

Head to Stem Ciders to sample the signature brew, Malice, made from Colorado apples and aged in stainless steel. Or, bring a buddy to share a bottle from Epic Brewing Company, a Denver brewery that specializes in beers with higher alcohol content.

The Riverwalk District in the historic city of Pueblo is home to the Brues Alehouse Brewing Co. Save room for a burger or a plate of loaded fries to enjoy with one of several house-brewed beers on tap.

Visit the tasting room or book a tour at Wood’s High Mountain Distillery, which was once an auto-body shop, to experience small-batch whiskeys, gins and elderflower liqueur. Alamosa’s San Luis Valley Brewing Company, founded in 2006, features an extensive menu – try the locally made sausages – to pair with the brewery’s rich Ol’ 169 Oatmeal Stout.

Colorado’s Northwest is prime growing territory, home to many farms and orchards. Grand Junction’s Grand River Vineyards, at the base of the postcard-pretty Book Cliff Mountains, specializes in traditional Bourdeaux-style wines made with locally grown grapes. Set aside time in your itinerary to tour the vineyard and tasting room. In Palisade? Sample true fruit-to-glass spirits at Peach Street Distillers. The distillery crafts small batches of everything from gin to brandy to amaro.

Microbrew fans should make time in the Colorado Front Range to sample beers at Odell Brewing Co. in Fort Collins. The tap room features an assortment of seasonal and limited-edition brews, including the whopping 11.2 percent ABV Doble Buho pilsner aged in tequila barrels. Grab a seat on the patio at Boulder’s Sanitas Brewing Co. for a game of bocce ball while sipping a pint of Sanitas Citrus Lager or Cinilla Stout.

Stop by the homey tasting room at Bijou Creek Vineyards in Greeley to savor a glass of Cabernet Franc (made with high-altitude grapes) or a light zinfandel. The winery, whose name is French for “little jewel,” gets many of its grapes from the Palisade area in northwest Colorado.

For a unique experience, tour a completely wind-powered brewery at Ska Brewing in Durango. Be sure to try Ska’s new Hop Ivy, a canned beer made entirely with Colorado ingredients.

Denver International Airport in the main gateway for international arrivals to Colorado. Visitors can connect commercially to statewide destinations via airports in Aspen, Colorado Springs, Durango, Eagle, Grand Junction, Gunnison, Hayden and Montrose.