DENVER (Stacker) — Colorado is one of the country’s great beer states, and as we all know that means there are options for everyone from IPA warriors to lager loyalists to stout Stans.

The burgeoning brewery business is indeed a revolution by many counts. According to the Brewers Association, the number of breweries in the United States grew 390% from 2010 to 2020—all while beer consumption, on average, was declining.

Like all revolutions, this, too, began as a desire for change—as an overthrow of the old and the monopolistic. In 2010, Anheuser-Busch InBev and Molson Coors (formerly MillerCoors), two of the largest beer companies in the world, comprised roughly 77% of total beer sales in the U.S. In 2020, that share was 60%, with smaller brewers claiming a larger share toward the end of the decade.

With a taste of the innovations and variety coming out of craft breweries, consumers are demanding a higher quality product, and are willing to pay more for it. Over the last decade, beer prices have increased by 33%.

The increase in the number of microbreweries, taprooms, brewpubs, and craft breweries in the sector has also led to enormous job growth over roughly the same period, with a 55% increase in the number of brewery employees. The industry was hit especially hard by the shutdowns and social distancing restrictions of the coronavirus pandemic. On-premise spending accounted for 50% of the craft beer industry’s total sales in 2019. In 2020, the industry took roughly a $6 billion hit and eliminated more than 22,000 jobs.

Another important byproduct of the explosion of the craft beer industry is the sense of community it has fostered. Supporting small businesses like local breweries and taprooms is a way for people to connect over and about beer, to appreciate the renaissance of the millennia-old tradition of brewing.

If you’ve ever been curious about which beers are most popular in your home state, we have the answer. Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated beer in Colorado using ratings from BeerAdvocate. 4 of the 10 beers on the list are made by WeldWerks Brewing Co.

#10. Persica (Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project)
– Rating: 4.43 / 5 (225 ratings)
– Beer type: Wild Ale
– ABV: 6.0%
– Read more on BeerAdvocate

#9. Uncle Jacob’s Stout (Avery Brewing Company)
– Rating: 4.42 / 5 (2,982 ratings)
– Beer type: Stout – American Imperial
– ABV: 14.9%
– Read more on BeerAdvocate

#8. Royal Oil (Bull & Bush Brewery)
– Rating: 4.48 / 5 (102 ratings)
– Beer type: Strong Ale – American
– ABV: 13.5%
– Read more on BeerAdvocate

#7. Tweak (Avery Brewing Company)
– Rating: 4.45 / 5 (2,707 ratings)
– Beer type: Stout – American Imperial
– ABV: 16.0%
– Read more on BeerAdvocate

#6. Medianoche – Peanut Butter Cup (WeldWerks Brewing Co.)
– Rating: 4.58 / 5 (49 ratings)
– Beer type: Stout – American Imperial
– ABV: 13.1%
– Read more on BeerAdvocate

#5. Medianoche Reserve (2021) (WeldWerks Brewing Co.)
– Rating: 4.74 / 5 (21 ratings)
– Beer type: Stout – American Imperial
– ABV: 0.0%
– Read more on BeerAdvocate

#4. Ten FIDY – Bourbon Barrel Aged (Oskar Blues Grill & Brew)
– Rating: 4.47 / 5 (2,261 ratings)
– Beer type: Stout – American Imperial
– ABV: 12.5%
– Read more on BeerAdvocate

#3. Starry Noche (WeldWerks Brewing Co.)
– Rating: 4.66 / 5 (48 ratings)
– Beer type: Stout – American Imperial
– ABV: 15.6%
– Read more on BeerAdvocate

#2. Leaner (Casey Brewing & Blending)
– Rating: 4.57 / 5 (233 ratings)
– Beer type: Farmhouse Ale – Saison
– ABV: 8.0%
– Read more on BeerAdvocate

#1. Medianoche – Coconut (WeldWerks Brewing Co.)
– Rating: 4.6 / 5 (176 ratings)
– Beer type: Stout – American Imperial
– ABV: 14.1%
– Read more on BeerAdvocate

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