Beer: Fort Collins, CO

We said what everyone else says after they first taste New Belgium Brewing’s La Folie: This isn’t beer! The Flemish-style sour ale, squeezed out in small batches year-round, is aged for up to three years in French oak. The result: an intensely tart brew with a long-lasting dry fruity finish. So much better than beer. newbelgium.com  

Best time to go: April, for refreshing sour beer and spring skiing.

Stay: The 1923 Armstrong Hotel in Old Town has free cruiser bikes. From $109; thearmstronghotel.com