The Five Best Pub Crawls in Denver

Denver is well known as a jovial, welcoming city with a strong culture of hospitality towards visitors. The scenic city, lying at the base of the stunning Rocky mountains, is blessed by sunshine almost year-round which may well contribute to the cheerful, open nature of the Mile High City's citizens. The leafy green capital attracts outdoorsy tourists from all over who are eager to explore the Rockies, but the plains below needn't be overlooked. Denver has a buzzing nightlife, based heavily around a convivial bar and saloon culture. All this means a leisurely pub crawl in Denver is a rewarding, immersive experience which showcases the city's people, its culture and its beauty in equal measure. There are many options for the thirsty and sociable tourist but we've selected five of the best, most varied options for the prospective pubcrawler in Denver.

Denver gets spooky and boozy on the Halloween Pub Crawl

The Halloween Pub Crawl in Denver takes place across three days during the city's Halloween celebrations. Denver transforms itself during the month of October, with the city immersing itself in the more frivolous, fun aspects of the spooky celebration. There's no better way to enjoy the revelry than with a pub crawl through some of the city's best bars, all decorated for the season. With fellow pub crawlers all costumed, the ice is quickly broken on this tour and Halloween themed drinks help keep the conversation flowing well past the witching hour.

Santa Claus Pub Crawl is a party with a purpose

Denver's Santa Claus Pub Crawl takes place in early December, just around the time when the festive celebrations begin to get underway but well before you've become tired out from all the parties. Pub crawlers are asked to dress up like Santa Claus (beard and all) and for one night only, the typically large costumed group takes the streets and pubs of Denver. The seasonal carousing lends itself to high spirits and good humour, despite the usually chilly weather. Several pubs are visited during the crawl, from retro saloons to cozy Irish pubs. During the season when children in need are at the forefront of people's minds, this pub crawl doubles as a fundraiser for underprivileged kids; festive fun with a heart!

The Denver Rock-n-Roll Pub Crawl is a celebration of music

The Rock-N-Roll Pub Crawl takes place just once a year in Denver, typically towards the end of March. The crawl is a daytime tour which brings visitors around four to five bars, each showcasing local live music. This is a sociable, upbeat event and one that truly does justice to the eclectic, hip atmosphere of downtown Denver. Weather permitting there'll be food truck stops to assuage the daytime-drinking munchies. Groups are put together at random (although you can stay with your friends) and the tour guides help make the experience as social and laid-back as possible.

Celebrate the luck of the Irish on the Shamrocked Pub Crawl

Photo via their official FB page.

Every year, Denver goes green and PlayHard Productions initiates the St. Patrick's Day pub crawl. After all, what better way to celebrate the nation known for their drinking culture than a pub crawl? Denver boasts a number of cozy Irish pubs, all of which commit to the spirit of St. Patrick's Day, and yearly - usually towards the beginning of March rather - the Paddy's Day pub crawl descends upon five of those Irish bars to sample the Guinness and the Irish ceol agus craic (that's music and fun, to the rest of us). For under $50 you get drinks tickets, an all-you-can-drink surprise hour and the company of plenty of shamrock-bedecked drinkers. The same company behind Shamrocked run a themed Cinco de Mayo party in May ("Cinco De Drinko") which is also well worth checking out.

Good company and great beer on the Denver Microbrew Tour

Photo via their official FB page.

The Denver Microbrew Tour takes visitors around four pubs throughout downtown Denver (Lower Downtown or LoDo, where some of the hippest spots are located) and the Ballpark district. Denver's microbrew culture is a strong one, and the breweries are typically warm and welcoming with high quality beer. On the Microbrew tour, a friendly and amusing tour guide takes visitors between pubs while shedding light on some of the city's history as well as educating tourists on the local beers. This crawl is tailored to beer lovers and offers a relaxing afternoon, rather than a wild party.