Travel to these Colorado breweries that offer additional activities
By Brianna Corrine
The Centennial State is home to a plethora of outstanding breweries, and while getting a unique drink brewed fresh in a stunning establishment is enjoyable on its own accord, there’s a handful of breweries that offer a bit more. From feather bowling to a billiards hall to an absurd number of pinball machines, drinking is only half the fun at some locations across the Front Range.
What’s feather bowling? Monolith Brewing knows all about it. We begin our trek through breweries with benefits in Denver, where Monolith (in the south Broadway space formerly occupied by Black Project) resides unassumingly with secrets of activities worth the excursion hidden within its muraled walls.
Since opening last fall, they have touted sustainability and produced quality products. Adding to their draw is the recent addition of feather bowling, an unusual game for patrons to play while they sip on a carefully crafted beer. Feather bowling originated in Belgium and is a mashup of curling and traditional bowling. The premise of the game is simple enough - at the end of a runway stands a feather, which players compete to get their wheels the closest to. The catch is that, like in curling, players can attempt to block one another from being able to get close to the feather by rolling their wheels into one another or by creating obstacles. Along with feather bowling, Monolith offers a spread of traditional board games and the seemingly simple game in which patrons compete to see who can swing a ring onto a hook first.
In Westminster, Windfall Brewing Company, is home to a whopping 26 pinball machines, as well as several other arcade favorites, classic (think Pong) and modern. It’s an impressive and eye-catching collection that wings just off to the side of the bar and dining area in brilliant glowing hues and flashing lights.
FlyteCo Tower is essentially a playground for adults in the heart of Denver. The former Stapleton International Airport flight tower has three tiers, with an extravagant exhibition of activities and games all located under one roof. The sheer number of games available to patrons is mind-blowing, but nonetheless enticing. With bowling lanes, 18-hole mini-golf, axe throwing, darts, ping pong, pinball and various other arcade games, cornhole, giant jenga, board games, and more, there is sure to be something for everyone.
Moving north to Fort Collins stands Intersect Brewing, a secluded, music-themed joint that has a nice assortment of vinyl records, a couple pinball machines, cornhole on their back patio, a dart board, and a few other table games for groups or pairs to enjoy. While it’s modest in its offerings of activities, the space beams of comfort and is a family- and dog-friendly landscape sure to appease the masses. Rock ‘n’ roll lyrics are used for cleverly named beers on tap, including Seamstress for the Band, Bright Lights, Big City, and Tramps Like Us, to name a few.
Jumping south to Colorado Springs is Phantom Canyon Brewing Co., which opened in 1993. It’s a grand three-story structure, also known as the Cheyenne Building, which itself holds history dating back to 1901. At one point the building was a hotel and at another point it housed offices for the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad. Now, the first floor serves as grounds for the bar and dining area, as well as the brewing equipment. The third floor is the banquet hall where people can reserve space for private events. The second floor is where the fun lies. Bathed in shadows and peppered with low voices is the billiards room. Dark and moody in all its sophistication, the brick walls and dark green pool tables create an alluring ambiance that speaks to a maturity and classic bar scene that fails to get old. And let’s be honest, who doesn’t like a good game of pool after a long day, while sipping a pint of award-winning craft beer?
Come the weekend or perhaps as a midweek treat, hop on over to one of these unconventional, activity-packed breweries and enjoy a delicious pint while indulging in the wondrous sport of feather bowling. Or grab a stick and enjoy the elegant fun of billiards, or try your hand at those addictive arcade games and pinball machines whose clinks and mechanical whirs are ever so beguiling.