Because the craft beer business in Colorado has matured and settled within the two years for the reason that finish of the pandemic, there was a spate of small buyouts, closures and consolidations. For some, this has meant troublesome occasions. For others, it has created alternatives to develop.
On Dec. 20. Prost Brewing, which was based in Denver’s Decrease Highland neighborhood in 2012, will open the doorways to one of many larger expansions in latest reminiscence – a Munich-sized taproom and biergarten, at 351 W. 104th Ave in Northglenn, that’s related to a 60,000-square-foot manufacturing area, which quickly will start making beer on two massive brewing techniques.
Along with its conventional German-style beers – equivalent to pilsner, dunkel, marzen, Vienna lager and kolsch – Prost will supply a menu of regional specialties, like a sausage board with sauerkraut and mustard; large pretzels served with fontina fondue; and bratwurst cooked in beer.
Inside, there’s a two-story taproom totaling practically 10,000 sq. ft the place guests will be capable to look into the glass-enclosed brewing space. The outside patio (together with a small four-season patio) is barely bigger and boasts a stage, firepits, neighborhood seating, and video games like cornhole.
“This facility is sort of a dream come true and it will likely be our without end dwelling at the least for the subsequent thirty years,” mentioned Prost co-owner and president David Deline. “We now have actually lucky to have had double-digit progress over the past a number of years. … Nothing is ever not nerve-racking if you find yourself taking a threat, however I feel this can be a excellent time. This funding permits us to double down on who we’re … and to carve ourselves out as an authority in our area.”
Prost can also be getting a major quantity of assist – round $3.6 million in incentives from public funding sources. That features $1.2 million in tax credit from the Colorado Workplace of Financial Growth; practically $1.7 million in incentives from the Metropolis of Northglenn, $706,634 from Adams County, and $25,000 in grants from the Northglenn City Renewal Authority.
In return, Prost has pledged to spend $25 million on the brewery over the subsequent decade and to be an anchor that may entice different companies and add jobs to Northglenn. Prost itself has employed 100 employees for the ability, Deline mentioned, doubling the quantity of people that work for the corporate.
A part of Prost’s spending features a 50-barrel, state-of-the-art brewing system from Kaspar Schulz, a storied and high-end brewing producer primarily based in Bamberg, Germany, which is dwelling to a few of the most famed breweries and brewing traditions in Europe. The gear will enable Prost to make beers utilizing decoction strategies, as they do in Germany.
As well as, Prost has bought a separate 20-barrel brewing system that it’ll use to make smaller batches of one-off beers, Deline mentioned. Collectively, the 2 techniques will give Prost the power to make 60,000 barrels of beer (round 120,000 kegs) “out of the gate, and with room to develop.”
To start out with, although, Deline expects Prost to supply about 15,000 to 17,000 barrels of its personal beer along with one other 20,000 to 25,000 barrels of beer for different breweries. “We deliberately designed within the skill to supply contract providers to like-minded breweries” who’re attempting to develop however may not have the capability to take action, he added.
In truth, that’s what Prost has been doing for the previous few years whereas ready for the Northglenn mission to be completed. The brewery has been making its beer at Avery Brewing in Boulder.
That’s additionally the place Prost received its new head brewer, Josh Rapp, who led the brewing crew at Avery and has been on workers there for 10 years. We’re very excited to have him formally becoming a member of the crew, Deline mentioned. “Josh is certainly one of many extremely gifted folks becoming a member of the crew.”
Along with the unique taproom in Denver and the brand new Northglen facility, Prost, which distributes its beers in six states, additionally has taprooms in Highlands Ranch and Fort Collins.
Deline mentioned Prost ought to start brewing on the smaller system by the top of the yr and can ramp up the bigger system by March or April. The corporate hasn’t determined but what to do with its older brewhouse, which operated in LoHi till being eliminated just a few years in the past.
The brand new Northglenn location opens in the present day and can host a grand opening on Jan. 4, 2024.
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