Breckenridge Brewery, one of many oldest craft beer makers within the state and the topic of two separate company buyouts over the previous decade, will open one more chapter in its lengthy life in August by transferring right into a storied Colorado beer market: Fort Collins.
The brewery, now owned by the worldwide hashish firm Tilray, will take over and rebrand the taproom at the moment occupied by Sweetwater Brewing at 1020 E. Lincoln Ave. Tilray additionally owns Sweetwater, in addition to Inexperienced Flash Brewing, Alpine, Blue Level and others. The change is predicted to happen on Aug. 17 with a celebration that includes reside music and giveaways.
“Given Breck Brew’s Colorado historical past and ties to the Colorado craft beer neighborhood, Tilray, Sweetwater Brewing, and Breck Brew have determined that it was finest for Breckenridge Brewery to maneuver into the East Lincoln Avenue taproom in August 2024,” Tilray stated in a press release to JHB. “SweetWater loved an incredible run in Fort Collins for the previous 2.5 years, however we predict it’s finest for an iconic Colorado model like Breckenridge Brewery to determine roots in Fort Collins, which can be house to a number of the state’s most famed craft breweries.”
Andy Cross, JHB
SweetWater Brewing has ceded its Fort Collins taproom to sister firm Breckenridge Brewery. (Photograph by Andy Cross/JHB)
Breckenridge will proceed to function its 12-acre brewing campus, restaurant and taproom at 2920 Brewery Lane in Littleton, in addition to its small brewpub within the ski city of Breckenridge.
“We tried for numerous years to see the place our model would stick all through the US, and we realized it’s comfiest within the state of Colorado,” stated Breckenridge Brewery “Tradition Czar” Todd Thibault, who has been with the corporate for practically 30 years. Breckenridge is thought for its Avalanche Amber Ale, Juice Drop Hazy IPA and Palisade Peach Wheat.
The choice to modify the branding from Sweetwater to Breckenridge was a reasonably latest one, however Thibault stated the group will preserve all of its employees and brewers and that it gained’t have to shut for any type of renovation. “If we do that proper, it’s going to change in a single day.”
The restaurant will proceed to serve the vast majority of its menu gadgets – though there might be just a few minor modifications – whereas the taproom will nonetheless to pour a handful of Sweetwater, Alpine and Inexperienced Flash beers, all of that are brewed on-site.
Sweetwater, based in Georgia in 1997, moved into the Colorado constructing in 2021 as a way to increase its presence within the western U.S. It took over the massive manufacturing facility and taproom from Purple Truck Brewing, a Canadian beer maker that solely lasted 4 years. Purple Chair had, in flip, had purchased out Fort Collins Brewing in 2017 on the identical deal with.
Breckenridge was based in its namesake city in 1990 earlier than transferring its headquarters to Denver. It moved to its present campus in Littleton in 2015 and was bought by Anheuser Busch InBev shortly thereafter. In 2023, AB InBev bought Breckenridge (in addition to the Shock Prime, Blue Level, 10 Barrel, Redhook and Widmer Brothers manufacturers) to Tilray.
Fort Collins is without doubt one of the birthplaces of craft beer in Colorado and is the headquarters for independently owned Odell Brewing, based in 1989, and New Belgium Brewing, identified for Fats Tire, which opened in 1991 and is now owned by Kirin, a Japanese conglomerate.
However there are additionally upward of twenty-two different craft breweries and brewery taprooms in Fort Collins, together with Funkwerks, Coopersmith’s, Horse & Dragon, Zwei, Function and Hi there Brew.
“You may spend a month in Fort Collins” simply attempting all of them, stated Thibault, who stated he’s excited so as to add Breckenridge’s identify to the roster of legacy breweries on the town.
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