Four more days—that’s all of the time you have left to plan the perfect romantic Valentine’s Day for your sweetheart. But this February, don’t forget to celebrate your other longtime love: craft beer. And there’s no better place to do that than in the city of love itself. Located along the Front Range between the sudsy cities of Boulder and Fort Collins, Loveland, Colo. has emerged in recent years as a small, but mighty, destination for craft beer drinkers. So don your finest drinking attire, break out the sappy love songs and head to Loveland to celebrate your love of craft beer.
Perhaps the most well-known brewery in Loveland, Grimm Brothers Brewhouse has earned its reputation and dedicated fan base with a consistent line-up of tasty beers with unique stories. On tap at brewery, you’ll find modern takes on historic German-style beers—like the Little Red Cap—an Altbier that has been awarded two gold medals and a bronze medal in the German-Style Altbier category at the Great American Beer Festival. Since opening their doors in 2010, Grimm Brothers has settled into their craft nicely—really hitting their stride in recent years as showcased by the brewery’s six GABF medals, steady growth that includes a dedicated production brewery, and a burgeoning barrel-aging program. Visit this brewery on Saturdays at 4 pm for a brewery tour to learn more about Grimm Brothers storybook beers and gorgeous label artwork. 623 N Denver Ave., Loveland; 970.624.6045
Verboten Brewing and Barrel Project
Considered a boutique brewery, Verboten Brewing recently celebrated their fourth anniversary at their location in Loveland. Verboten translates to “forbidden” in German, a word that this small brewery adopted to represent their take on clean and pure beers flavored only with traditional ingredients like fruits and spices, and through the barrel aging process. Like Grimm Brothers, Verboten has also been recognized at the Great American Beer Festival, earning a bronze medal for their Little Nonsense Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout, which is currently on tap at the brewery after aging for nine months. Most of the brews coming out of this Loveland brewery are big beers, ringing in on the higher end of the ABV scale, so plan accordingly on your beer tour of love in Loveland. . 127 E. 5th Street, Loveland; 970.775.7371
Loveland Aleworks is a family-owned operation specializing in small batch beers since their inception in 2012. Located in the city’s quaint and growing downtown area, this brewery’s line-up highlights traditional European and American styles of beer. Loveland Aleworks offers a little something for everyone with their line-up running the gamut from stereotypical brewhouse beers, like a saison, an IPA, and a stout—to non-traditional beers like the one’s coming out Loveland Aleworks budding sour program. Wherever your beer drinking adventures take you at this brewery, be sure they include a taste of the balanced, but flavorful American Sour with raspberries. It’ll make your heart sing this Valentine’s Day. 118 West 4th Street, Loveland; 970.619.8726
At Crow Hop Brewery, beer drinkers can pick their poison in the form of a wide variety of offerings that include everything from full-bodied IPAs to lagers—and that’s just in the brewery’s selection of their six flagship beers. The menu of rotating brews at Crow Hop is a playground of experimental beers, like the Orange Crush Kettle Sour made with blood orange puree. Crow Hop also recently teamed up with Loveland Aleworks to create For the Love of Hops—an easy-drinking pale ale made with a huge assortment of hops like Citra, Mosaic, and Galaxy hops. Find this love-themed brew on tap at Crow Hop’s taproom for a limited time. 217 E. 3rd Street, Loveland; 970.633.0643
Loveland’s Big Thompson Brewery’s motto is “let the beer flow”, which the brewery has been doing since opening up shop in 2012. The beer menu at Big Thompson is filled with river-themed beer names like Float Away IPA, Headwaters Pale Ale, and the Bent Hook Ale. But standard beers aside, these guys are also brewing up some interesting stuff, like a Smoked Chipotle Porter and a Schwarzbier. And this Valentine’s Day, they’re celebrating craft beer by pairing it with some delicious desserts. Snag a ticket to the Big Thompson Dessert and Beer Pairing event from 5-9 pm on February 14 while they last, and end your Valentine’s Day on a sweet note. 114 E. 15th Street, Loveland; 970.619.8138
