To mark the year in beer, the Denver Post surveyed dozens of brewers and industry experts from across the state and asked them to name the best beers and breweries in 2016 — and offer predictions for what to expect in 2017.

The 6th annual Beer in Review survey collectively shows that Colorado beer sits at the forefront of industry trends and offers overflowing options for the state’s craft beer fans. (To see individual submissions from brewers and craft beer experts, visit .)

About 50 craft beer pros answered the survey — and here are the results for 2016:

Best Colorado beer: Bierstadt Lagerhaus Slow Pour Pils

�ٱ�Ա����’s opened a mere four months ago, and its traditional German pilsner made an immediate impression in an arena where bigger and crazier are often considered better. But this is no fizzy yellow beer you can find in 30-packs, either.

“Simple, yet authentic and delicious,” said Brian O’Connell at Renegade Brewing.

Crisp and easy drinking, it takes 30 hours to brew and then ferments at cold temperatures for what seems like an eternity. Slow Pour Pils is served with a tall foamy head that extends above the rim of the glass.

This beer is at the forefront of the movement toward lighter beers that we will see in the coming year. The “attention to detail and uncompromising attitude on how beer should be made absolutely shines in this beer,” said Sam Scruby at Upslope Brewing.

Colorado brewery of the year: Black Project Spontaneous and Wild Ales in Denver

, Black Project made its formal debut this year on South Broadway in Denver, replacing its sister operation Former Future. James and Sarah Howat����ap brewery specializes beer that is spontaneously fermented with microbes in the open air, creating beer with complexity and a sense of place. Other yeast strains are isolated in the lab to make unique saisons and India pale ales.

Black Project “continues to push boundaries with their methods of harvesting and isolating wild yeast from their Denver rooftop and their marketing decision to solely focus on native microflora for fermentation,” said Chris Marchio, the former brewer at Joyride Brewing.

The unique approach gave the nod, but this category was close, with a dozen breweries in contention. Four of the state’s IPA masters finished tied for second place: Cannonball Creek, Cerebral, Comrade and Odd13 are redefining styles and pushing hop flavors to new places with each brewery hitting a new level in 2016.

Best new Colorado brewery: Bierstadt Lagerhaus in Denver

Long anticipated and worth the wait, Bierstadt Lagerhaus won rave reviews when it in August. The masterminds behind the project, however, are far from newcomers. Bill Eye and are veterans of Dry Dock Brewing and , another German-style beer specialist, in 2012.

The brewery makes three beers — a pilsner, a helles and a dunkel — on an 84-year-old copper brew kettle from Germany. Bierstadt����ap ethos is clear: “We are ones for tradition,” the brewers proclaim on the website. “We have brewed a lot of beer over the years, and it is our belief that traditionally brewed lagers are classics for a reason.”

Carter said the Slow Pour Pils came “after more than 2 ½ years of working and waiting. … It was the culmination of a lot of work, and a little bit of weight lifted off our shoulders.”

Other newcomers to put on your must-visit list: Cheluna in Aurora; New Image in Arvada; Little Machine in Denver; Wibby in Longmont; Mountain Tap in Steamboat; and Zwei in Fort Collins.

Colorado brewery to watch in 2017: Brewery Liberati in Denver

The brainchild of Italian brewer Alex Liberati, who moved to Colorado from Rome two years ago, Brewery Liberati is expected to take craft beer in with wine-beer hybrids. The addition of grapes is seen in a few commercial examples but remains a relatively unexplored arena.

“I don’t think anybody’s being anticipated in 2017 like Liberati,” said Chris Black at Falling Rock Tap House. “Alex Liberati and his crew of Italians should bring in some new blood to the scene. Their focus on food and food-friendly beers will be interesting to watch.”

The brewery is expected to open with a restaurant in fall 2017 at 2403 Champa Street in downtown Denver.

WeldWerks and Wiley Roots in Greeley and Baere Brewing in Denver are three other breweries that are expected to become bigger players in 2017. So keep an eye on them, too.

Most notable craft beer trend in 2016: The hazy IPA

The hit Colorado in 2016. Cloudy New England-style IPAs became popular at a dozen or more breweries. Instead of bitter bombs, these IPAS are “juice bombs” — exploding with softer, fruit favors from the huge dose of hops late in the brew process.

The style is not without controversy, as many brewers consider them inferior because of the hazy appearance. “They were the topic of many debates,” said Alan Simons at Dry Dock Brewing. “It was fun to watch the passion expressed with these beers. People love them, and it will be interesting to watch how the style evolves.”

The best examples of the style in Colorado are available at Odd13, WeldWerks, Cerebral and Fiction. And it����ap only expected to grow in popularity in 2017.

Craft beer trend to watch in 2017: Market pressures

The year ahead in craft beer is dominated by predictions (and fears) of market forces redefining the landscape. The concerns include the possibility of layoffs, brand overhauls and even more sellouts to mega beer companies like Anheuser-Busch.

The entrance into the craft market of so-called “Big Beer” and the ever-growing list of new breweries will only increase competition.

“Unfortunately, I fear the AB InBev infiltration of craft beer will not slow down,” said Scott Witsoe at Wit����ap End Brewing in Denver. “The heart of this industry is strong, but they are a powerhouse and have the resources to permanently change things as they see it. I’m not sure how everyone is going to fare in their wake next year.”

One sector facing particular pressure are breweries in the middle — big enough for regional distribution but not big enough for a national footprint. “I strongly believe there’s room for a brewery in every neighborhood, but (the competition) is starting to get real for those with more regional goals,” said Brett Williams at Little Machine Beer.

The latest installment in the 6th annual Beer in Review series features Kevin Bosley a brewer at Odell Brewing in Fort Collins.

Odell Brewing won great reviews for its new release, Drumroll American Pale Ale, which bursts with citrus flavor. The brewery also hosted another tasty Small Batch Festival this year, so make sure it’s on your 2017 calendar.

Here are Kevin Bosley’s picks for 2016:

Favorite Colorado beer of the year: Avery’s Tweak. The components: Imperial Stout? Check. Coffee? That’s a big 10-4. Bourbon barrels? Now you’re speaking my language. Over 17% ABV? Let’s open another one.

Favorite Colorado brewery of the year: Verboten Brewing in Loveland. I have never been disappointed (or even underwhelmed) by any beer from Verboten. They always have something new and unique on tap, a great space to drink it in and awesome people serving it up. What more do you need?

Favorite new Colorado brewery: Jessup Farm Barrel House in Fort Collins. It may have opened right at the end of 2015, but they really hit their stride in 2016. I love oak in my beer, and this place delivers it in a big way and in a wide variety of beers. Good stuff coming from these good folks.

Colorado brewery to watch in 2017: Odd13 Brewing in Lafayette. They’re producing some great beers, particularly their sours (I love Vincent Van Couch). And with sours maintaining their popularity, even acting as a “gateway” beer for some, they’re poised to carve out a nice little niche for themselves. Plus, the artwork on their packaging is just amazing.

Most notable craft beer trend in 2016: The craft beer world became overly opinionated, overly sensitive and a little self-important. Don’t get me wrong, having an opinion is great, and everyone should know what they like and what they don’t. But with the explosion of beer-specific social media platforms like Untappd, and beer communities on other social media platforms, like Reddit and Facebook, everyone now has a soapbox from which to broadcast their pleasure or displeasure with every beer that they try. It’s gone from “I don’t like this beer” to “This beer is offensive and how dare you like it?!” Bottom line, drink what you like and don’t listen to anyone who tells you otherwise.

Craft beer trend to watch in 2017: New England style “Milkshake” IPAs are going to be everywhere. People are starting to shy away from huge, hit-you-over-the-head bitterness profiles and move toward more approachable, more fruity styles. Beer geeks seem to either love or hate them. That polarization creates buzz, and that buzz creates sales. It’s an interesting style and trend. I, for one, can’t wait to see where it goes.

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The latest installment in the 6th annual Beer in Review series features Ryan Kilpatrick from Fiction Beer Co. in Denver.

In December, started selling beer in cans — adding to the 22-ounce bottles of its seasonal beers and Feely Effects Stout. The first release is Logic is Relative, a hazy IPA and the brewery’s No. 1 seller since its release earlier this year. The brewery’s beer names are .

Here are Ryan Kilpatrick’s picks for 2016:

Favorite Colorado beer of the year: So many beers and so little time. As a brewery owner, it is surprising how few beers we get to try; we are always working on our own!

However, this year I stopped into Our Mutual Friend one random night while in the area and had a chance to taste their Thanatoid Russian imperial stout and it was amazing. Smooth, dark, rich and drinkable. A great Russian imperial stout is difficult to make as they are often overly hopped or have excessive astringency from roasted malts. When these attributes are in balance, it is pure bliss. Another great beer from OMF.

Favorite Colorado brewery of the year: In Colorado there are a lot of great breweries and I am a fan of most. Last year, time and again I was continually impressed by the offerings from Strange Craft Beer Company. The beers coming out of this five-year veteran are thoughtful, tasty, balanced and impressive.

The people at Strange are among the friendliest in the industry, and nothing makes a beer taste better than the great people serving you. I can’t always get to the other side of town, but I can get to a liquor store when I crave some Strange. The expansion of their bomber lineup has been fantastic. I am able to get more of my favorites now.

Favorite new Colorado brewery: Out of the many amazing new breweries, it is no surprise to me that one stands out: Spangalang Brewery. The owners have a solid brewing heritage and bring that experience to the table when creating their amazing lineup of beers.

I find the styles they brew to be similar to what I enjoy making: unique IPAs, memorable Belgians, refreshing sours and interesting fruited options. The one-off beers they make vary in style greatly, which means there is almost always something new and interesting to taste. All of the beers I have had are complex, well-balanced, flavorful and drinkable, which is everything I look for in a beer.

Colorado brewery to watch in 2017: I had been a fan of Former Future Brewing from when they first opened. The theme drew me in (I am a pilot and really wanted to see their Cessna wing bar top) and the beers kept me coming back for more. Then they started their spontaneous Black Project program, which immediately intrigued me — I love sour beers.

The beers coming out of Black Project Brewing were so amazing that last year the team over there decided to put Former Future Brewing aside and focus solely on their spontaneous beers from Black Project. The move was bold but gives them the freedom to make more variations of their spontaneous beers without having to keep up with their clean beer lineup. I applaud them for this move and am very excited for what is going to come from Black Project in the year to come.

Most notable craft beer trend in 2016: The beer trend in Colorado that stood out to me was the proliferation of the New England IPA style. Fiction began brewing versions of this style shortly after we opened in 2014. At the time, our customers indicated they liked the beer, but there was no real buzz or conversation around it. In late 2015 we put a New England Style imperial IPA on tap as a house beer and shortly thereafter we noticed a considerable increase in the amount of conversation around the style.

Around the same time, several other breweries launched similar style IPAs and the trend began to grow. As of now, at the end of 2016, I know of at least a dozen other local breweries making this style, and many others plan to brew one soon. We are looking forward to trying all the variations of these juice-bomb IPAs.

Craft beer trend to watch in 2017: A trend that has been slowly growing in the local and national beer community is the increasing number of sessionable sour beers. Everything from gose and Berliner weiss to table sours and pale ales.

Sour beer in general has seen a huge increase in the last five years thanks to brewers like Crooked Stave, Trinity, Rare Barrel and Black Project taking chances and helping to spread their knowledge. However, recently more breweries have embarked on the task of making more of these sessionable sours, which may not be as complex and mouth-puckering as the barrel-aged variants but still satisfy.

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The latest installment in the 6th annual Beer in Review series features Scott Witsoe from Wit’s End Brewing in Denver.

Wit’s End started in 2011 as a nanobrewery and now operates a seven-barrel system. The brewery offers an assortment of beers, including a single-malt, single-hop series and a Star Wars-inspired beer line.

Here are Scott Witsoe’s picks for 2016:

Favorite Colorado beer of the year: Easy one this year: We opened a bottle from Casey Brewing and Blending after our anniversary party, it was their 2014 Fruit Stand Series-Plum, which was a gift from some friends. This beer stopped me in my tracks. It was so incredible, complex and delicate. Honestly, drinking this beer was a spiritual journey. I can’t wait to visit them someday.

Favorite Colorado brewery of the year: I’ve not been out to too many places this year, but I have to say what stood out for me was Black Project. I applaud James and Sarah (Howat) for making the bold move to focus on their spontaneous ales and closing their original Former Future brand. Both sides of the brewhouse had great beers, but the Black Project is so unique, and James Howat is a mad scientist that can indulge in the microbiology of their fantastic and unique beers. There is a lot to be proud of in this city with so many great breweries, and Black Project should be mentioned always as a place to check out for a unique drinking experience.

Favorite new Colorado brewery: Bierstadt Lagerhaus. I wanted to try and share the love, because I know everyone is picking these guys, but they deserve it. Bill Eye and Ashleigh Carter are awesome, and Bill is arguably one of the best German-style brewers around. I have been waiting a long time for them to open.

Colorado brewery to watch in 2017: Black Shirt Brewing. They are working on converting their space to have a full restaurant become a much needed brewpub in the River North area. Not only are these guys some of the nicest in the business, they are making awesome beers and they have lots of experience in fine dining. They are bringing on a great chef (Bill Greenwood) and once they get through all the “fun” conversion processes with the powers that be, they are going to absolutely kill it!

Most notable craft beer trend in 2016: The New England IPA seems to have come up constantly this year. I have not had a ton of them, but I’ve enjoyed just about all the ones I’ve tried — particularly Juicy Bits by Weldworks and Odd13’s Codename: Superfan.

I am not necessarily a huge fan of “stylizing” beer so much and needing to label things when brewers push the boundaries. I think we have exhausted the 1,000,000 IBU beers, and the notion that high IBUs imply a good IPA. I also like how we are getting away from clear beer equaling good beer. Reminds me of someone who once said “cold” is not a flavor. I think we are in a great time for drinkers in that most have had a chance to chase trends and develop palates, and now everyone is looking for changes to tradition as driven by unique new flavors.

Craft beer trend to watch in 2017: Unfortunately I fear the AB InBev infiltration of craft beer will not slow down. In addition to purchasing breweries, they continue to buy distributors — and they even bought a major home brew supply company this year. They are playing a long game that is not going to be good for the craft beer consumer, ultimately. The heart of this industry is strong, but they are a powerhouse and have the resources to permanently change things as they see fit. Not sure how everyone is going to fare in their wake next year.

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The latest installment in the 6th annual Beer in Review series features Linsey Cornish, the head brewer at Horse and Dragon in Fort Collins.

Cornish left Odell Brewing in 2013 to help launch Horse & Dragon, which is establishing itself as a must-visit on the crowded Fort Collins beer tour. And the brewery is constantly releasing new beers — check for the details.

Here are Linsey Cornish’s picks for 2016:

Favorite Colorado beer of the year: My favorite beer of the year is Drumroll American Pale Ale from Odell Brewing. My favorite beers are always the ones I go back to again and again, and even crave when it comes time for beer drinking (which is most waking hours). The tropical fruit and citrus character in this beer come through so brightly, and that coupled with its balanced-finish make it my new go-to. It����ap completely approachable and repeatable with a lower ABV — and that makes it even easier to enjoy over and over.

Favorite Colorado brewery of the year: My favorite brewery of the year has to be Call to Arms. Jesse Brookstein, Jon Cross and Chris Bell are making fantastic beers, and every time I visit the tap room I have a great experience. Their fun, silly and intelligently punned beer names/themes keep everyone smiling and their customers excited and intrigued. I truly enjoy sitting in their beautiful tap room and the wonderful team making it all happen.

Favorite new Colorado brewery: Bierstadt Lagerhaus! Ashleigh Carter and Bill Eye are making such clean and delicious lagers, I can’t seem to stay away for long. As a brewer who loves to add fun, new and weird things to beer, I love their strict dedication to Reinheitsgebot. Watching their constant level of dedication and hard work from planning to opening day was awe-inspiring. The result is an immaculate, tremendously well-engineered and stunning facility producing phenomenal beers.

Colorado brewery to watch in 2017: Zwei Brewing. I know, I know they have been around for over 2 years but they are worthy of all the watching eyes and palates. Kirk and Eric Lombardi have so much experience, and it shows in each of their German lagers and American ales. I am never disappointed and always look forward to trying their new creations, especially the HopfenPIls series, where they dry-hop the standard Pilsner with new hop varieties. And after all the experimenting, I can always go back to the wonderful lineup of flagship lagers.

Most notable craft beer trend in 2016: The increased use and availability of craft malt has been an exciting and growing trend, and the number of craft malts brewers can access has grown exponentially. There is a brewer (and consumer) desire to know where base ingredients are coming from and who is making them, and that desire is now being fulfilled. By supporting and using craft malt, brewers are closing the loop from farm to glass, able to create local relationships and increase sustainability due to locality. On top of all those great things, brewers now have access to different malt variety and process options, giving them ability to really dial in new and innovative flavor profiles. Malt, the heart of all beer, is getting its day in the sun on a craft level.

Craft beer trend to watch in 2017: The new Colorado grocery store bill will inevitably change how beer is sold in Colorado, which in turn will change how individual breweries sell and distribute beer, and their business models. These changes could be big or unnoticeable, only time will tell.

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The latest installment in the 6th annual Beer in Review series features Neil Fisher from in Greeley.

WeldWerks emerged as one of the behind his hazy IPA, Juicy Bits, as well as the Medianoche and Achromatic stout series. Huge lines form for the bottle releases, and the brewery is coveted among online beer traders. Now it’s expanding production through a deal with a contract brewer and soon plans to distribute select beers in cans.

Here are Neil Fisher’s picks for 2016:

Favorite Colorado beer of the year: Let me preface all of my responses with a statement: We are absolutely spoiled with an incredible selection of beer here in Colorado, and narrowing my selections down to just one pick for each question was impossible. With that in mind, there were three beers that really stood out for me this year from Colorado.

The first was the original Hop Wizard release from Odd13. The entire team at Odd13 have released some really incredible beers this year, especially in the New England-style IPA category. But my favorite of all of them was Hop Wizard, with just as much bright, juicy hop character and the same soft, pillowy mouthfeel as their other NE-style IPAs but delivered in a dangerously approachable pale ale format at 5.5% ABV. Out of all the great beers I got to try this year, Hop Wizard is the one I wish I could keep stocked in my fridge all the time.

Another beer that really impressed me was Lunex from Black Project. There’s no question that James and Sarah Howat are producing some of the most exciting and well-crafted wild and sour ales in Colorado. Oxcart serves as the base for Lunex, which is a blend of three seasons of spontaneous coolship beers, and is an exquisite beer in its own right. But the addition of coffee to create Lunex transforms the beer into a completely different experience, and it just plain works. Lunex is a testament to their ability to innovate and express their own creativity, while maintaining a reverence and dedication to the tradition of spontaneous fermentation.

My final pick might seem like a bit of homerism since they are our neighbors just a few blocks away here in Greeley, but Pua Aloalo from Wiley Roots was one of the best-executed sour beers I enjoyed all year. The crew at Wiley Roots have made it a force to be reckoned with here in Colorado. And in my opinion, their sour program in particular is shaping up to be one of the best in the state.

If you went to Avery’s Sour Fest this year, you probably already know this since Wiley Roots stole the show with beers like Apricot Boxes and Cinna(MAN)bun. But my favorite from them this year was Pua Aloalo, a golden sour fermented in neutral wine barrels and aged with Hibiscus flowers and Madagascar vanilla beans. Pua Aloalo was unique, complex, flavorful and expertly crafted and really solidified Wiley Roots’ position in Colorado’s wild/sour game.

Favorite Colorado brewery of the year: This was a really tough choice because there were so many breweries that produced excellent beers this year and we really are spoiled with selection in Colorado. But given the number of hits they cranked out in 2016, I have to go with Odd13.

Despite opening just over three years ago, Odd13 has become a pioneer in the craft beer scene in our state, and they deserve a lot of the credit for bringing New England-style IPAs to the forefront here in Colorado. Codename: Superfan was the first example of the style from Colorado I got to try and one of the beers that originally piqued my interest in the style. But rather than resting on their laurels, they continued to improve Superfan and even used it as a launchpad to craft even more unique, delicious IPAs, utilizing different hops, malts and brewing techniques to give each beer its own identity. And the guys at Odd13 have a lot more tricks up their sleeves than just producing delicious New England-style IPAs, as their kettle sours, imperial stouts and mixed fermentation beers can attest.

Favorite new Colorado brewery: I never get to visit as many breweries each year as I hope, but there were two that really stood out for me in 2016. The first was Bierstadt Lagerhus, which was the brewery I was most excited about opening this year, and they exceeded my expectations. Bill Eye and Ashleigh Carter are producing some of the most authentic and well-crafted German lagers in the country. If you need to be convinced, just try their Slow Pour Pils, which is one of the best examples of the style I have ever tasted. But you can’t go wrong with any of the beers they produce, as every single one is expertly and painstakingly crafted.

Another brewery that hit the ground running this year is Resolute. I have yet to visit their facility, but I have been able to try several of their beers either at fests or from crowlers and all of them have been delicious. Considering they have only been open a few months, it����ap amazing how dialed in their recipes are, especially the hefeweizen and Belgian golden strong. I can’t wait to see what they produce in 2017!

Colorado brewery to watch in 2017: As I mentioned before, Wiley Roots’ sour program is already dialed in and with the addition of more barrels, foeders and fermenters, all dedicated to sour production, we are going to see even more great mixed fermentation beers from them in 2017. Wiley Roots will continue to put Greeley on the craft beer map in Colorado, which is something I am selfishly excited about.

Not that they are flying under anyone’s radar, but I cannot wait to see what James and Sarah Howat at Black Project come up with for 2017. Their coolship should be installed and online any day now, allowing them to ramp up production of their spontaneous beers fairly soon. And now that they have transitioned Former Future completely into the Black Project brand, their efforts will be completely focused on producing even more amazing sour beer in 2017. Did I mention how spoiled we are here in Colorado?

And finally, Cerebral is going to have an even bigger impact in 2017. They have produced incredible beers covering the full spectrum of styles, from New England-style IPAs to decadent imperial stouts. Not to mention they took silver at GABF this year in the competitive Brett Beer category. I just wish I had the opportunity to try more of their beers this year because everything I tried was amazing. I expect even bigger things in 2017.

Most notable craft beer trend in 2016: I think we are finally starting to see some gentle squeezing of the craft beer market. No, the bubble hasn’t burst, nor will it anytime soon. But with more and more breweries opening by the day, we are starting to see slower growth for some of the bigger regional breweries as customers seem to be shifting their support more toward local breweries. And as long as the smaller local breweries maintain quality, I am all for it. Let����ap just hope the quality and reputation of craft beer doesn’t suffer as a result.

Craft beer trend to watch in 2017: As much as New England-style IPAs started gaining popularity here in Colorado in 2016, I think we will see even more pop up in 2017. The style is not without its controversy, and there are plenty of breweries who will likely never jump on board, which is completely understandable because the style is not for everyone. But customers seem to have cast their vote considering how popular the style has become across the country and how fast breweries are selling out of those beers.

That kind of reaction from the market will cause a lot more breweries to try their hand at the style next year. And I couldn’t be more excited, especially because the style itself is a perfect canvas for creativity, innovation and experimentation, which in my mind are characteristics that make craft beer such an exciting industry to be a part of.

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The latest installment in the 6th annual Beer in Review series features Chris Black from Falling Rock Tap House. (See his .)

Falling Rock is a landmark on the Colorado craft beer scene with its constantly changing taps and a rich bottle list. And Black is the outspoken advocate for all things local and craft.

Here are Chris Black’s picks for 2016:

Favorite Colorado beer of the year: Bierstadt Slow Pour Pils. Bill Eye and Ashleigh Carter killed it on this one (as they have done before). This beer was everything it was supposed to be — crisp, clear, well-hopped, light-malt sweetness up front, with a dry, hoppy finish. Makes me thirsty just typing this.

Favorite Colorado brewery of the year: So difficult yet again this year, but the brewery that really stepped forward out of the crowd and slapped down the meat on the counter has to be Station 26 with the introduction of their Juicy Banger IPA. Justin Baccary & Wayne Waananen really knocked it out of the park with that one.

Favorite new Colorado brewery: Bierstadt Lagerhaus. The brewery may have lagered for an extended period of time, but it was worth the wait!

Colorado brewery to watch in 2017: I don’t think anybody’s being anticipated in 2017 like Liberati Brewing. Alex Liberati and his crew of Italians should bring in some new blood into the scene. Their focus on food and food-friendly beers will be interesting to watch.

Most notable craft beer trend in 2016: The continuation of the co-opting of the “craft” moniker. More buyouts and accelerated pay-to-play tactics. Look at the sports, music and other captive market venues (all the places where you are there for some other reason so you can’t just walk down the street and get a beer). A year ago, the local breweries were finally making some impact there. But now it’s just handles from breweries that were bought out by Big Beer  — plus, if you’re lucky, a token Colorado handle. Sad.

Craft beer trend to watch in 2017: More aggressive pay-to-play. Big Beer wants a return on its investment, but right now they aren’t looking for a monetary return, they’re looking for a return in territory on the shelf and the tap wall. They are looking to kick other beers out and only have all of their brands take a place. You’ll see this play out, especially at the chain locations, plus independent bars and restaurants with lazy owners.

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The latest installment in the 6th annual Beer in Review series features Bryan Baltzell at Great Divide Brewing in Denver.

Baltzell is one of the longest-tenured employees at Great Divide — he started in 2005 working on the bottle line and worked for the past decade in sales. He says he enjoys attending (and working) beer festivals and visiting breweries and finds time to hunt for new beers. Great Divide is growing its place on the map with future plans to expand its River North location and the introduce of yet another Yeti beer this year, Velvet Yeti.

Here are Bryan Baltzell’s picks for 2016:

Favorite Colorado beer of the year: Ancient Bole from Trve Brewing Company. I’ve been a big fan of the Trve brewing team since they opened a few years ago and I try to stop in frequently to sample their newest beers. I had recently enjoyed a bottle of their Cursed at Occidental Bar and it reminded me that I was overdue for a visit to the brewery, so I planned it for the following week. When I arrived I sampled several beers and was blown away by this one.

I ordered a full pour of the Ancient Bole and could have continued to drink it all night. It was similar to Cursed — both are nice saison-style beers with a healthy hop-presence — but the Ancient Bole was funkier and hoppier, and it was just what I was hoping to find on the sample tray. It was a great beer and a great experience.

Favorite Colorado brewery of the year: Casey Brewing and Blending. I was really impressed by the beauty of the location (which overlooks a stream in gorgeous Glenwood Springs), the simplicity of the brewery (a friend told me that they don’t use a forklift for their barrels, and instead roll them up and down handmade ramps), and of course, the beers — they were delicious. I also really enjoyed the company on the ticketed tasting and tour, which was far from formal and really made for a special, private experience.

At their brewery, I met people from all over the country and we all purchased bottles of beer from their cellar list to share with one another on site after the tour and tasting ended. We talked about the beer scenes in our respective hometowns and on an international level, as well. It was a really fun experience and it’s no secret that all of the beers coming out of Casey are worth seeking out.

Favorite new Colorado brewery: Bierstadt Lagerhaus in Denver. I’ve been looking forward to the opening of Bierstadt for quite some time. I really enjoyed C Squared Ciders (in the same building) while I was waiting for the brewery to open, and as soon as I tasted the first collaboration beer that Bierstadt made (it was a smoky, amber Rauchbier brewed at Zwei Brewing in Fort Collins), I was hooked. I’ve been back several times and continue to love the beers, the environment and the people.

Colorado brewery to watch in 2017: Baere Brewing in Denver. I have enjoyed drinking Baere beers and hanging out in their taproom for the past two years and have been thrilled to see it get more crowded with each visit.

I attended their 2nd anniversary party this summer and left with a few bottles from their delicious fruited, sour brown ale series. They earned a medal at the GABF this year for their classic Saison, one of my favorite beer styles. They have a great Baere-liner weisse … and they make their own woodruff and raspberry syrups on site, which they will add to your beer if you’d like. They are a fun and friendly group of people and will only continue to grow as they extend their reach to new audiences with new bottled beer offerings in 2017.

Most notable craft beer trend in 2016: Collaboration beers. I love the camaraderie of the brewing industry and it’s illustrated brilliantly in the Collaboration Fest that the Colorado Brewers Guild puts on each year in Denver. I was so impressed by the beers at the festival last March that it’s stuck with me all year. Ballast Point and Spangalang, Comrade and Fat Heads, Funkwerks and Wicked Weed, and Cannonball Creek and Pizza Port (Carlsbad) collaborations were some of the most memorable of the 150 beers served.

Not only do events like this allow brewers to share ideas, techniques and beers, but each brewery in the collaboration gets a chance to reach a new audience. Many of these brewers aren’t selling their beer outside of their own breweries, let alone distributing in Colorado. There are many long-standing collaborative beer projects … and as the number of breweries continues to grow, so do the benefits of working together to make an impact — and a delicious beer.

Craft beer trend to watch in 2017: Lighter beers. I think 2017 will see many breweries, large and small, working on creating easy-drinking, accessible and lighter beers to round out their portfolio and offer an alternative to the bigger, bold-flavored, stronger beers that may turn off some non-craft beer drinkers. We recently re-released Samurai, our unfiltered rice ale, and it’s been really successful because it has a broad appeal and people can enjoy a few in a row. Another example: Ratio’s Domestica is a great beer and will satisfy anyone looking for more familiar beer flavors, because not everyone is looking for that New Wave strawberry Berliner weisse. New Belgium just announced a new Dayblazer “easygoing” ale which will be at a lower price point in order to take some business from ABI and MillerCoors, too. In 2017, breweries will need to look to new audiences to continue to grow, and this is one straightforward way to go about it.

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The latest installment in the 6th annual Beer in Review series features Nick Nunns from Trve Brewing in Denver. (His .)

Never one to hold his tongue, Nunns is an evangelist against the ordinary in the craft beer world. This year, Trve Brewing experimented with different types of IPAs and now its moving to explore raw ales, where the wort is not boiled before fermentation. ( about both.)

Here are Nick Nunn’s picks for 2016:

Favorite Colorado beer of the year: This question used to just be “Beer of the Year” and I’d like to stick with that. Transmission, the collaboration between Arizona Wilderness and Creature Comforts, was a really cool beer. Whopping amounts of citrus while still somehow still tasting like a beer. Between drinking the beer and hearing all of the processes they used to make it happen, I was thoroughly impressed.

Favorite Colorado brewery of the year: If we base this on my on-premise patronage, I’m fairly certain I spent the most time at Cerebral.

If we base this on volume consumption of beer my brewery didn’t make, it����ap probably a tie between Odell (IPA) and Coors (Banquet).

Favorite new Colorado brewery: Bierstadt Lagerhaus. Bill and Ashleigh are painstakingly brewing incredible lagers, just as everyone knew they would. Couldn’t be happier to see them (finally!) open the doors.

Colorado brewery to watch in 2017: I don’t even know anymore. This place is just getting kinda silly at this point. Are people still planning on opening breweries in Colorado?

Most notable craft beer trend in 2016: Running the word “juicy” so far into the ground it has punched a hole through to the other side of the planet and is catching up with Voyager 1 somewhere in interstellar space.

Craft beer trend to watch in 2017: There’s going be a lot more breweries with coolships out there. Hopefully people do them justice.

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The ninth installment in the 6th annual Beer in Review series features Ashleigh Carter from Bierstadt Lagerhaus.

Together with Bill Eye, Ashleigh Carter is making a mark with German-style lagers — emerging as a favorite to take new Colorado brewery of the year. The two brewers certainly know the style at Prost Brewing.  opened in August in the River North district.

Here are Ashleigh Carter’s picks for 2016:

Favorite Colorado beer of the year: I’ve got to be a little bit of a homer here and say our Slow Pour Pils. We finally got to make and drink it after more than 2.5 years of working and waiting. Not only was it as clean and refreshing as I remember, it was also the culmination of a lot of work, a little bit of weight lifted off our shoulders.

Favorite Colorado brewery of the year: This is a toughy. Comrade and Hogshead are always in the game with consistent, high-quality drinkable beer. But it has been a lot of fun hanging out at Zwei, Spangalang, Call to Arms and Little Machine and seeing what these new brewer/owners are coming out with now that they just answer to themselves and make what they want to.

Favorite new Colorado brewery: Being a creature of habit and opening a brewery, I am ashamed to say I didn’t venture out much and barely got caught up on all the breweries that opened last year. Westbound and Down has been doing some really good things. A solid list of well made-to-style beers. You can pretty much pick anything off the list and be happy with your choice.

Colorado brewery to watch in 2017: I’m most excited about Brewery Liberati and the Grateful Gnome. Alex Liberati is a smart guy with an interesting beer style, so I can’t wait to drink what he has planned. I’ve been saying Bess Dougherty (formerly of Wynkoop) should get out there and do her own thing for a while, so it is awesome to see her get the opportunity (at The Grateful Gnome) to use all of her awesome skills and passion to make something that is uniquely hers.

Most notable craft beer trend in 2016: Local, local, local. I don’t think the rise in the number of small breweries is just due to the fact that people are now realizing that they prefer “full-flavored” beer. It’s about supporting what’s in your neighborhood and what’s close to you. Stone Brewing, for example, just laid off a number of people partially due to “hyper-locality.” Their beer is still excellent and the quality hasn’t changed, but here in Colorado, why would I buy a six-pack of Stone when I can go pick up a couple of fresh growlers at Comrade? People want to know who is making their beer and want to support their community.

Craft beer trend to watch in 2017: Pale Lager. We are already seeing the increase of breweries trying their hand at it (both regional-sized and small). I think these breweries are realizing how many more consumers they can reach at the other end of the spectrum that isn’t sour, barrel-aged, ridiculously hoppy or 10% alcohol. Those styles aren’t going away any time soon — it’s just that there is a wide range of beer consumers out there and a lot of them still drink macro lager.

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