Steamboat Springs is known for outdoor adventure and access to trails. We have a different kind of trail for your bucket list: the Steamboat Brew Trail, a run of local breweries and distilleries turning out some of the best beer and spirits in Colorado.
Here is the current roundup, with addresses, phone numbers, and hours, plus how to actually do this in winter.
Doing The Brew Trail In Winter
In summer, the Brew Trail is a 2.7 mile bike ride along the Yampa River on the Core Trail. In February, that is a considerably less appealing proposition.
The winter version:
- Use the free bus. Steamboat Springs Transit connects downtown, west Steamboat, and the mountain at no cost, running into the late evening. It is the smart way to do this and removes the designated driver question entirely.
- The downtown cluster is walkable. Mountain Tap on Yampa Street and Steamboat Whiskey Company on Lincoln Avenue are a few blocks apart, and both sit among the restaurants.
- There is now a brewery at the mountain base. Storm Peak's Bus Stop taproom means you can finish a ski day with local beer without going anywhere.
- The west end requires a ride. Storm Peak's main brewery, Mythology, and Routt Distillery are all out toward Elk River Road. Group them into one trip.
1. Mountain Tap Brewery
910 Yampa St #103, Steamboat Springs
Phone: (970) 879-6646
Hours: Monday to Thursday 3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., Friday to Sunday 11:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Website: mountaintapbrewery.com
Right downtown on Yampa Street with a patio looking at Emerald Mountain and the river running past. In winter the room is warm and busy in exactly the right way.
The wood-fired pizza is the draw as much as the beer, and the beer cheese dip has a following. Food comes out fast even when they are full. Trivia night runs Wednesdays and gets properly lively.
Local's favorite brew: Mountain Macaroon. The Local Lager is the easy-drinking pick.
Tip: it fills up around dinner time and there is no reservation system. Arrive before 5:30 p.m. or plan to wait.
2. Storm Peak Brewing Company
Main Brewery, West Steamboat
1885 Elk River Rd, Steamboat Springs
Hours: Daily, 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Website: stormpeakbrewing.com
All about variety, with close to 20 beers on tap daily. A warehouse-style brewery with community tables, big garage doors, a covered patio, and a rooftop deck. Relaxed, full of locals, and dog friendly.
The setup here is genuinely great: Moe's Original BBQ at 1898 Kamar Plaza, (970) 879-1615, and How Ya Doin Pizza are both right next door, and you can bring food from either into the brewery. Get the hush puppies.
Local's favorite brew: Hoochie Mama.
Bus Stop Taproom + Kitchen, Mountain Base
2300 Mt Werner Cir, Unit C6, Steamboat Springs
Hours: Daily, 3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
This is the ski season move. Storm Peak's second location sits at the mountain base next to the Sheraton, which means you can walk off the hill and into a local brewery without arranging transport.
The food here goes well beyond bar snacks. Wings, pork belly sliders, chicken schnitzel, burrata, and a steak hoagie all get mentioned by name in guest reviews. The Mad Creek Kolsch and Chowder Hazy IPA are both solid.
3. Steamboat Whiskey Company
1103 Lincoln Ave, Steamboat Springs
The most central distillery in town, right on Lincoln Avenue, and somehow the one visitors most often miss. Locally crafted whiskey, gin, and vodka, plus a cocktail program and food.
Founded by a Navy SEAL and his wife, and the staff will happily tell you the story. The room is cozy, there is patio seating with sunset views, and there is a genuine chance of a shot-ski breaking out.
Order this: the smoked old fashioned, the War Horse Whiskey Mule, or the campfire hot chocolate if you have come in off a cold evening. The peanut butter whiskey has an enthusiastic and slightly surprised fanbase.
Hours vary seasonally, so call or check ahead.
4. Routt Distillery
975 Captain Jack Drive, Steamboat Springs
Phone: (970) 367-7477
Website: routtdistillery.com
A grain-to-glass craft distillery with an onsite tasting room, everything fermented and distilled right there using local and regional ingredients. The view of the ski mountain from the tasting room is one of the best of any drinking establishment in town.
Small, personal, and frequently run by the owner himself, who will take you through the process if you ask. The gin gets singled out constantly, including by people who arrive announcing they do not like gin.
Important: the tasting room keeps limited and variable hours rather than a fixed schedule. Call before you drive out there. They also offer private tours and host private events, which is worth knowing if you are traveling with a group.
Order this: a flight, then whichever gin you liked best as a cocktail.
5. Mythology Distillery
2875 Elk River Rd, Steamboat Springs
Phone: (970) 594-4511
Hours: Monday to Thursday 2:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Friday and Saturday 12:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., Sunday 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
The Steamboat campus includes the distillery, a separate barrel-aging rackhouse, an outdoor whiskey garden, and a cocktail bar and restaurant. It is the most polished operation on this list and the one best set up for spending a few hours.
The bourbon program is the headline, with cask strength offerings worth taking a bottle of. The cocktail list is inventive and the food is better than it needs to be.
Worth booking: distillery tours, and a mixology class where you make your own drinks with a bartender walking you through it. Guests consistently describe the class as a trip highlight, and it is an excellent rest day activity.
Family friendly, dog friendly, easy onsite parking, live music some evenings.
Where To Stay
Where you sleep determines how easy any of this is. Staying downtown puts Mountain Tap and Steamboat Whiskey Company within walking distance. Staying at the mountain puts Storm Peak's Bus Stop taproom at the end of your ski day.
- Downtown Steamboat rentals, walkable to Yampa Street and Lincoln Avenue
- Mountain area rentals
- Ski-in ski-out lodging
- Private homes and townhomes for groups
- Pet friendly rentals, handy given how many of these taprooms welcome dogs
Browse all Steamboat Springs lodging, check our lodging deals, and book direct for the best rate.
Contact Steamboat Lodging Company
We live here and we drink here. Tell us what your group is into and we will point you at the right taproom and the right property to walk back to.
Phone: 970-457-4785
Email: Contact us here
Office: 1169 Hilltop Parkway, #101A, Steamboat Springs, CO 80487
More Steamboat Planning Resources
- Top 15 Restaurants in Steamboat Springs
- 11 Best Breakfast & Brunch Spots
- 11 Things To Do Off the Slopes
- Winter Driving, Shuttles & The Free Bus
Hours, addresses, and phone numbers verified as of publication and subject to change. Steamboat businesses adjust hours seasonally. Please drink responsibly and use the free bus or a ride service. Call ahead to confirm, particularly for tasting rooms with variable hours.