Happy Friday: Here's a good place to find a date

In the Best of Denver 2011, we named Common Grounds the Best Coffeehouse for Finding a Date, thanks to the constant crowd of young professionals who mingle there over cappuccinos. And because we're big proponents of ditching online dating and blind set-ups every now and then in favor of meeting people the old-fashioned way -- that is to say, face-to-face -- every Friday, we're bringing you a Denver spot that we think is particularly conducive to finding available members of the dating pool.

And this weekend, we think you should head to the beer garden at the Golden City Brewery.

On sun-drenched summer weekends, the patio at Golden's second largest brewery is almost always crawling with people. Some go to cool off after a day of recreational pursuits; some consider beer drinking recreation enough. But no matter your mate criteria, you're likely to find someone to strike up a conversation with while you polish off a sampler of the spot's brews, along with a pretzel with mustard (you don't go here for the food).

And if not, well, we're heading into late summer, so it's a good use of your day to soak up the suds and sun on a patio before there's a chill in the air. Everyone who gathers outside is friendly -- it's dog-friendly, too -- and there are often guitar strummers to add to the ambiance, making it a good place to mingle or just post up with friends and abandon the prowl for a few hours.

More places to find dates:

- Lola

- Adult spelling bees

- Great Divide

- The Atomic Cowboy

- Ale House at Amato's

- First Friday at Infinite Monkey Theorem

- Root Down

- 17th and Vine

- El Diablo

- Justice League of Street Food events

- Avery Tap Room

- Farmers' markets