Alana M.
Yelp
...An iconic thing to do in Golden, CO! Go to the Coors Brewery!
This was never on my list of things to see because I'm not fond of Beer. However, I do have a fascination with things of the past as well as their history. I decided to pass on the Coors Brewery Tour primarily because there were no spots available online on the day I wanted to go. I went with the Hospitality Lounge ticket, which includes 3 Samples, even though beer is not my thing. I had read that there is like a "mini-tour" on your way to the Hospitality Lounge aka tasting room.
There's a lot of information on the Coors Brewery Tour website which will come in very handy for your visit here! First off, yes, you need an advanced reservation to join the tour or to go to the Hospitality Lounge. There is a virtual tour consisting of four short videos at the Coors website. They are closed on Tuesdays & Wednesdays, some holidays, company events, and brewery maintenance or construction. Reservations are available 25 days in advance.
This review is my experience for only the Hospitality Lounge. I pre-purchased my ticket online ($10 Ticket + $0.45 Sales Tax + $1.04 Service Fee = $11.49). I picked a time slot to arrive prior to finalizing the ticket purchase. I immediately received a confirmation email with important instructions and information for my visit.
I arrived to the area early, but wasn't sure if their parking lot was free, so I trying to find nearby parking. After wasting time, I decided to pull into the lot that was in the email. Just so you know, it is free to park there with your reserved tour/lounge visit! The Visitor's Parking Lot address is: 502 14th St. Golden, CO 80401
This is where you leave your belongings in your car and get in line to take the free shuttle to the brewery. There are staff present to help you with any assistance you may need. The shuttle driver was very entertaining and informative as we made the short trip over.
TIP: Travel lightly. You can take a wallet, camera, and phone into the brewery. No purses, backpacks, bags, or strollers, etc. are allowed.
Once we arrived to the facility, we were greeted and shown where to go depending on our tickets. I was taken to an elevator with some other guests and walked to the Hospitality Lounge. On the way, there are large displays of memorabilia and some history about Coors. It was cool seeing things like plates, Salt & Pepper Shakers, various beer bottles & cans through the years, You'll also pass by the company store.
I usually don't visit the restroom, but I did here. It was nice and clean. I appreciated that they even included a hand lotion dispenser! Colorado was drying out my hands and this was such a relief for them!
The lounge visit was alright. I ended up trying the Coors Banquet, Coors Light Super Cold Draft, Colorado Native Amber, and the Colorado Native Palisade Peach Tart Beer. To help the beer go down, I got some cups of sodas. I can't recall that any of the beers were to my liking, but I'd say the Peach Tart was probably the best. I didn't finish any of my beers. I got two true sample size beer (has the Coors logo) and two tasters (unmarked smaller cups). You are not allowed to share your beer, they want you to "Be Greedy" and drink only your samples.
Besides knowing I wasn't there for the beer or the actual brewery tour, I was happy to have seen the Welcome Center, Lounge, and Gift Shop. I still might be up for taking the factory tour some day. I wouldn't rule that out!