Colorado might not have as many breweries as we do days of sunshine, but we are getting there. Lucky for us, many of the state’s 160-plus breweries recognize the upside to all that nice weather and have created great outdoor spaces in which to raise a pint and take in all that is good about living here. With summer one week from Friday officially, the time is right to scout the best beer gardens, patios and decks connected to Colorado craft breweries. Here are 10 of the best, but take note: We did not compile this list alone. Thanks to our friends on Twitter and in the craft beer community for your recommendations.

Boulder Beer Co., Boulder

The patio at Colorado’s first microbrewery is surrounded by the sweet smell of beer, literally. Hops crawl up a trellis surrounding the 100-plus-seat space, the distinguishing feature on a patio that offers killer views of the Flatirons and live music every Thursday through Saturday. The patio is open year-round, weather-permitting, beckoning the apres-ski crowd in the winter. Oh, and those aromatic hops? They are put to good use — harvested and used to brew an annual pilot batch called, naturally, the patio beer. 2880 Wilderness Place, Boulder

Denver Beer Co., Denver

Owners Charlie Berger and Patrick Crawford both have raised steins in Munich on their travels and wanted to evoke that experience when they opened their brewery in 2011 in a renovated 1970s-era building that used to peddle oil changes and car repair. With help from their families, the partners handmade each table and bench and then spent weeks sanding and staining them. The result is very Munchen, with a Denver accent — about 100 seats ideal for downing a pint of Kaffir Lime Wheat on a hot summer day. 1695 Platte St.

Equinox Brewing, Fort Collins

Is there another brewery in the nation that delivers kegs by custom-designed tricycle? Owners Colin and Shannon Westcott are all about keeping their ever-rotating 18 beers on tap as fresh and local as possible, so all accounts must be within pedaling distance. Locals need go no further than Equinox’s secluded 50-seat patio ringed by planter beds with native grasses, flowers and trees — and a gate shaped like a sun. With almost 100 unique recipes to Equinox’s credit since it opened more than three years ago, you never know what you’ll find. 133 Remington St., Fort Collins

FATE Brewing, Boulder

Behold, the Lexus of brewery patios. The upper and lower patio at this stylishly renovated east Boulder spot that opened this year can treat about 150 patrons to Flatiron views, two high-definition TVs and marble-topped tables that reflect heat in the summer. (Ceiling heaters purr in the winter, making it a year-round destination.) The vibe is mellowed by cornhole games. The 30 taps feature both house-made brews and guest beers, and the innovative menu offers fare like blue corn grits and sugar snap peas with bacon jalapeño marmalade. 1600 38th St., Boulder

Golden City Brewery, Golden

If you feel like you are sitting in someone’s backyard at Golden City, it’s because you are. Geologists Charlie and Janine Sturdavant started the business on their property 20 years ago, converted an old machine shop into a brewery, a carriage house into a tasting room and their backyard into the homiest beer garden in Colorado. On any given afternoon, you’ll find road bikers recovering over a pitcher, mean games of cribbage and patrons of all ages enjoying the free pretzels. 920 12th St., Golden

Hogshead Brewery, Denver

England’s weather might not be agreeable to outdoor drinking, but Steve Kirby’s smooth, low-alcohol English-style cask-conditioned ales suggest otherwise. The collection of wooden benches outside the renovated 1950s service station near Sloan’s Lake lend themselves to testing the brewer’s philosophy that good beer should promote conversation instead of club you into submission. Anything on the chalkboard is worth trying, but for our purposes the choice is Lake Lightning, an easy-drinking straw-colored summer ale. 4460 W. 29th Ave.

Mountain Toad Brewing, Golden

The newest newbie on the list, Mountain Toad opened over Memorial Day weekend serving four staple beers dreamed up by four partners with connections to Colorado School of Mines. The wooden benches (sense a recurring theme?) in the stone-strewn yard look out onto North Table Mountain. Just about every tap room these days has mutually beneficial agreements with food trucks, but at Mountain Toad they can park next to the patio. 900 Washington Ave., Golden

Prost Brewing, Denver

Of course, a brewery that lovingly crafts German-style lagers is going to do this right. Yes, there are seven long wooden community tables that enjoy shade in the afternoon and stunning views of downtown anytime. But nothing shows Bill Eye and Co.’s attention to authenticity better than Prost’s one-liter Isar Tankard, the same glass served in Munich biergartens. Raise a Pils or Dunkel Bier on a Coors Field fireworks night. You can also park for free at Prost and walk over the 20th Street bridge to the ballpark on game days. 2540 19th St.

Pug Ryan’s Steakhouse and Brewery, Dillon

Not one but two decks with great views await visitors to this Summit County spot. The best known and more established is the Tiki Bar at the marina on Lake Dillon, just down the road from the steakhouse and brewery. There, seating for about 125 and a newly expanded on-site kitchen trailer await. Newer is the deck in front of the establishment itself that beckons with views of the Gore Range. Try the quaffable cream ale, brewmaster Dave Simmons’ annual welcome to summer. 104 Village Place, Dillon

Ska Brewing, Durango

One of the most fun, laid-back breweries in Colorado has a beer garden to match — a half-acre of grass ringed by hop trellises and filled with families, dogs and song. You can’t miss why you are here, either: Five outdoor 240-barrel fermenters line the west side. Only five tables seat about eight people each, but many opt for the lawn anyway. Smack in the middle of it all is a Mexican restaurant called Zia Taqueria that serves food all summer out of a vintage Airstream trailer. Pairs extremely well with a Ska’s Mexican Logger. 225 Girard St., Durango

Eric Gorski: 303-954-1971, egorski@denverpost.com or twitter.com/egorski