Westbound & Down Brewing Company | Idaho Springs, CO
Beer Trip: Westbound & Down Brewing Company in Idaho Springs, Colorado
The craft beer scene doesn’t get much better than when you venture into Colorado. It seems like almost every town can support at least one brewery or, in the case of Idaho Springs, two! Westbound & Down Brewing Company was our second stop in town, and it ended up being one of our favorites of our entire trip.
The Brewery
We hit up Idaho Springs during the warmer months, so the city closes off its main street through town, allowing businesses to occupy the road in front of their storefronts. Like most other establishments, Westbound & Down takes full advantage of this added space and puts up a large tent with picnic tables aplenty. Their indoor space takes up two old buildings with each half having its own identity. The side you walk in on has been updated to a modern feel with wooden cloud soffits, exposed steel painted black, and white walls. Here you will find a huge, 20-person wraparound bar sitting right in the middle of the room, as well as the brewery itself towards the back. The other half of the facility is essentially an upscale Western bar. There is a beautiful wooden bar with leather seats, an ornate ceiling, and taxidermy buffalo heads lining the wall. There is still a sign out front identifying this building as The Buffalo Restaurant and Bar, so this space may have been recently acquired for the brewery.
The Beer
Westbound & Down constantly maintains about 14 beers on tap. Of those, we found that about half are flagship brews and the other half are rotators. During our visit, the menu was IPA-heavy, with 7 different ones to choose from. The remainder of the list included a brown, a Hefeweizen, a Mexican lager, and a stout, among others.
Since opening in 2015, they’ve built a strong reputation for producing top-quality beer. This status is on display every year at the Great American Beer Festival, where they have won more awards than maybe any brewery we’ve come across - including 6 medals (3 gold) at the 2025 event alone! The Italian Pils has received countless accolades over the years, and while we aren’t typically pilsner fans, this was one of our top samplings during our visit. This beer was on the hoppier side and offered a dry, crisp finish that was quite enjoyable. Our favorite that they brew, though, was the Juice Caboose. This flagship New England Style IPA is really smooth and has the perfect blend of citrus and haze. We wish we could get this one in Kansas!
Food, Merch, & More
In addition to being a brewery, they are also a restaurant serving up a variety of your typical bar foods. Our recommendation? Order the Philly cheesesteak sandwich and the buffalo cauliflower! Next to each food item on the menu, they go into detail of providing a beer that pairs well with it, which we thought was a nice touch. If beer isn’t your thing, you’ll find a full bar menu along with some signature cocktails and wine available. Their merchandise section is right inside the front door and includes shirts, hoodies, hats, glassware, and stickers.
Westbound & Down has already expanded to a few additional cities throughout Colorado. If they can maintain their quality of beer and provide a lively atmosphere like they have in Idaho Springs, this will be a brewery to keep an eye on!
Cheers!
