River North Brewery
River North Brewery is a brewery from Denver, Colorado, with two taprooms in the city: RiNo and North. They are known for barrel-aged imperial stouts and an annual barleywine month in April. In 2025 the brewery was named Brewery of the Year at the Great American Beer Festival.
- LocationDenver, CO
- TypeMicrobrewery
- Untappd 3.97 · 162k ratings
- At Hoptimaal1 in stock · 2 in total
In stock now 1
Previously at Hoptimaal 1
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From a small team to two taprooms in Denver
According to its own website, River North Brewery started fourteen years ago with a small team and a serious obsession with beer. That grew into two taprooms in Denver, Colorado: one in RiNo and one in North.
Every February the brewery celebrates an anniversary weekend at both locations, with a special release as the centrepiece. At the Great American Beer Festival, River North was named Brewery of the Year in 2025 in the 1001–2000 barrels category, and the brewery also took home two gold medals.
Barrel-aged stouts and a month full of barleywine
River North is all about big beers. Anniversary 14 is a blend of double, triple and quadruple barrel-aged imperial stouts at 22% abv, built up layer by layer from the barrels that, according to the brewery, define its story. Barrel No. 5, the fifth barrel from that blend, was released separately as a quadruple barrel-aged imperial stout at 25.8% abv. According to the brewery, that is the strongest beer ever brewed in Colorado.
Whiskey Barrel-Aged Nightmare Fuel, an imperial coffee stout at 14.2% abv, is also coming back to the taprooms, with a tap takeover of imperial stouts.
In April barleywine takes centre stage for four weekends, with BarleyWILD as the finale. Beers like Soul of Time Reserve, a barleywine that spent 24 months in Colorado bourbon barrels, and Celestial Death, a chocolate black barleywine, make an appearance. Colorful Clouds, a session hazy IPA, shows it's not only about heavy beers.
River North Brewery at Hoptimaal
At Hoptimaal we have had two beers from River North so far, both stouts in 37.5 cl bottles. The strength ranges from 13.7 to 22.1%. The highest rated on Untappd are River North Anniversary 14 and River North Whiskey Barrel Aged Mr. Sandman 2026. The range changes, because these are limited releases. So check this page to see what is in stock now.
Don't drink these beers ice cold. Take them out of the fridge well over half an hour before opening, so the aroma and body come across better. Pour into a small glass or a tulip glass and share a bottle with someone: at these strengths, drinking slowly isn't a luxury. If you have a hoppy beer from them, drink that one fresh and cool.
Frequently asked questions
Where does River North Brewery come from?
River North Brewery comes from Denver, Colorado, in America. The brewery has two taprooms in the city: one in RiNo and one in North.
What kind of beer does River North Brewery make?
River North is known for barrel-aged imperial stouts such as Anniversary 14 and for barleywines, which take centre stage in April. They also brew lighter beers, such as the session hazy IPA Colorful Clouds.
What is the best way to drink a barrel-aged stout from River North?
Don't serve heavy stouts ice cold, but let them stand out of the fridge for half an hour. Pour into a small glass and take your time, because beers like Anniversary 14 are around 22% abv.
