Six Colorado patios you can't miss. 

Denver's craft brewing scene is poised to grow—exponentially.

More than 450 brewers welcomed beer lovers to the 29th edition of the Great American Beer Festival on Thursday. The Convention Center, buzzing with a packed crowd, served up the chance to taste nearly 2,200 different flavors in easily quaffable 1-ounce pours. The festival lasts through Saturday evening. Photos by Jeff Panis.

We tasted every commercially distributed craft beer we could track down in Colorado, one of America’s true craft-brewing hot spots. (Yes, it’s a tough job, but someone’s gotta do it.) Here, in nine categories, we rank the very best.