There were 25 Colorado breweries that had to close for various reasons in 2023.
The following list of breweries is a tribute to those that are Gone But Not Forgotten.
Wah Gwaan Brewing (Denver) 19 Jun 21 – 31 Jan 23
Closure Announcement:
Rocky Mountain Brewery (Colorado Springs) Jun 08 – 04 Feb 23
Closure Announcement:
Pagosa Brewing & Grill (Pagosa Springs) Nov 06 – 12 Feb 23
After over 16 years, Pagosa Brewing & Grill closed their doors upon the retirement of the owners.
Pagosa Brewing Co. & Grill will close by summer 2023 by Tiney Ricciardi – The Denver Post
Welcome Home Brewery (Parker) 20 Oct 18 – 26 Feb 23
Closure Announcement:
Red Mountain Brewing (Ouray) 05 Jun 18 – 15 Mar 23
While remaining open as a restaurant, Red Mountain stopped brewing their own beer.
Front Range Brewing Company (Lafayette) Jul 13 – 24 Mar 23
Closure Announcement:
MobCraft Beer Company (Denver) 07 Sep 22 – 23 Apr 23
Closure Announcement:
MobCraft brewery closes just seven months after opening in Curtis Park (denverpost.com)
Counter Culture Brewery & Grille (Denver) 13 Sep 19 – 29 Apr 23
Closure Announcement:
Hard to see this one go, our brewery is closing after 3 1/2 years. Wish we could have remained open, but it was not meant to be. Perhaps the stories and directions of past breweries and owners show us it can lead to something new and exciting.
Sheaf & Kettle Brewing (Eaton) 18 Jan 20 – 07 May 23
Kettle & Spoke Brewing (Boulder) 02 Dec 16 – 01 Jun 23
Kettle & Spoke has not officially made a closure announcement. However, the taproom was closed to visitors in June and they posted the following:
Just to clarify as we have gotten a lot of questions!! We do not currently have a Tap Room location (we are still looking, let us know if you have any ideas), but WE ARE MAKING BEER for restaurants and crowler pick-up. We are also working on some light distribution for local beer stores.
Kettle & Spoke is currently listed as a brewery in planning in hopes that they find a new location.
Smiling Toad Brewery (Colorado Springs) Jun 2013 – 03 Jun 23
Colorado Springs brewery closing after ’10 fantastic years’ by Stephanie Earls – The Gazette
Redgarden Restaurant & Brewery (Louisville) 16 June 18 – 15 June 23
Redgarden is still open as a restaurant. However, in June they removed the brewery in favor of creating an event space.
They may reintroduce a smaller brewing system in the future, so Redgarden is listed as a brewery in planning.
Soul Squared Brewing (Wellington) 01 March 18 – 04 July 23
Crow Hop Brewing Company (Loveland) 23 Nov 13 – 23 Jul 23
Closure Announcement:
Beer friends and fans, we regret to announce that Crow Hop will be closing our 4th Street taproom doors this summer. We thank you all for an amazing ride over the past decade while we’ve served up our award-winning brews in downtown Loveland. This isn’t the end – we’ll still be brewing and distributing around the Northern Front Range, and there’s good news to come on the horizon, but we need to shift our focus and efforts away from the taproom. If you’d like to know more, you can read our full statement on our website: Taproom Closing – Crow Hop Brewing Co.
Uhl’s Brewing (Boulder) 14 March 20 – 06 August 23
Closure Announcement:
Uhl’s Brewing Company today announced it will cease all production, distribution, and taproom operations on Sunday, August 6th of this year.
Uhl Brewing was founded in 2020 by Head Brewer Aaron Uhl, who set out with the simple idea of brewing the best beers – and providing the best customer experience that its team could offer. Over the years, the decorated brewery became well known for its unique craft beers, of which they brewed over 200, and for fostering a culture that bucked tradition.
“It weighs heavy on all of us here at Uhl’s because we love the people we work with, the amazing environment we have created, the beers, and our customers. We have kicked and clawed our way out of so many difficult situations these last three and a half years, which is why it’s hard to accept that the problem presented to our little brewery simply can not be fixed,” said Aaron Uhl, Founder and Head Brewer.
Uhl’s Brewing Company is not alone, as several breweries across Colorado and the nation have been forced to cease their operations in the wake of external constraints.
The craft brewery will close its doors to the public on August 6, 2023 at 7 PM. To commemorate its history and to celebrate its loyal customers, Uhl’s Brewing Co. will host a closing event on Saturday, August 5th. Long-time patrons and craft beer lovers will have the chance to enjoy the taproom space, special craft beers, and the Uhl’s Brewing team one final time. The craft brewery will also make an appearance at several local events leading up to their official closing.
“We look forward to connecting with all of our customers who love Uhl’s Brewing Company. Much love and many thanks to those who have supported us through our journey,” said Aaron Uhl.
After the closing, Aaron Uhl made this optimistic announcement:
As one journey ends, another is in front of me. While I may be taking time off for some recreation and rest, talks have already started and a new door has opened for Uhl’s Barrel House…
Mockery Brewing (Denver) November 14 – 12 August 23
Closure Announcement:
We did it! We reached the finish line! After 9 solid years of slinging awesome beers and sharing our little corner of Denver with thousands of amazing people, we have decided to raise our arms in victory and ride off into the sunset. We will be celebrating everything that has been Mockery over the next month and wrapping it all up with a farewell party on Saturday, August 12th. Please come out and enjoy one last beer with us and let us toast some of the best friends a brewery could ask for!
Final Farewell:
As our final goodbye, we would like to thank everyone that has been a part of making Mockery the amazing adventure it has been. Through the support of family, friends, and the best customers we could have asked for, we were able to support our community, provide a gathering place for all ideas and people, and follow our dreams. We love you all and are so happy that we got to make so many lifelong friendships and memories. Remember to support local, small business and Rock the Fck on Forever!
RiNo’s Mockery Brewing Will Pour Its Last Beer on August 12 by Ryan Pachmayer – Westword
LowDown Brewery (Denver) February 14 – 30 September 23
Longtime Cap Hill favorite, LowDown Brewery & Kitchen announced their closure by sharing the following article by Ryan Pachmayer of Westword:
LowDown Brewery & Kitchen in Capitol Hill to Close September 30
Dos Luces Brewery (Denver) 27 July 18 – 30 September 23
The Bakers’ Brewery (Silverthorne) June 15 – 30 September 23
Mad Russian Brewing (Olathe) 05 December 19 – 13 October 23
The Industrial Revolution Brewing Co (Erie) October 13 – 24 November 23
Closure Announcement:
Black Bottle Brewery (Fort Collins) December 12 – 02 December 23
Closure Announcement:
Ursula Brewing (Aurora) 30 May 14 – 22 December 23
Ursula Brewing, a much-loved Aurora brewery, closed without any statement beyond the sharing of the Denver Post article.
Aurora brewery will close, sell to new owners by Jonathan Shikes of The Denver Post – 30 Nov 23
Oasis Brewing (Denver) 17 Mar 18 – 23 December 23
Closure Announcement:
It is with a heavy heart that we are closing Oasis after a final day of serving amazing beer on December 23rd. Words cannot express how grateful we are for the community around us and the support we have had over the last five years. This decision was not easy and certainly not what we had imagined when we opened in 2018. Thank you to everyone who has helped build the community and atmosphere at Oasis. Please come in and enjoy a pint with our staff and help us go out on a positive note.
Their final farewell:
Grist Brewing (Highlands Ranch) Nov 13 – 29 December 23
Closure Announcement:
Note: This announcement effectively closed all Grist Brewing locations. While remaining open as a business, there is no brewing operations at Rare by Grist in Lonetree.
Highlands Ranch brewery to close and make way for another longtime beer maker to move in by Jonathan Shikes of The Denver Post – 6 Dec 2023
Crooked Stave FoCo Taproom (Fort Collins) Nov 13 – 29 December 23
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Here is the list of the Colorado breweries that closed in 2023:
Open date | Brewery | City | Close date |
---|---|---|---|
19-Jun-21 | Wah Gwaan Brewing | Denver | 31-Jan-23 |
01-Jun-08 | Rocky Mountain Brewery | Colorado Springs | 04-Feb-23 |
01-Nov-06 | Pagosa Brewing & Grill | Pagosa Springs | 12-Feb-23 |
20-Oct-18 | Welcome Home Brewery | Parker | 26-Feb-23 |
05-Jun-18 | Red Mountain Brewing | Ouray | 15-Mar-23 |
01-Jul-13 | Front Range Brewing | Lafayette | 24-Mar-23 |
07-Sep-22 | MobCraft Beer Denver | Denver | 23-Apr-23 |
19-Sep-19 | Counter Culture Brewery & Grille | Denver | 29-Apr-23 |
18-Jan-20 | Sheaf & Kettle Brewing | Eaton | 07-May-23 |
02-Dec-16 | Kettle & Spoke Brewing | Boulder | 01-Jun-23 |
01-Jun-13 | Smiling Toad Brewery | Colorado Springs | 03-Jun-23 |
16-Jun-18 | Redgarden Restaurant and Brewery | Louisville | 15-Jun-23 |
01-Mar-18 | Soul Squared Brewing | Wellington | 04-Jul-23 |
23-Nov-13 | Crow Hop Brewing | Loveland | 23-Jul-23 |
14-Mar-20 | Uhl’s Brewing | Boulder | 06-Aug-23 |
01-Nov-14 | Mockery Brewing | Denver | 12-Aug-23 |
01-Feb-14 | LowDown Brewery | Denver | 30-Sep-23 |
27-Jul-18 | Dos Luces Brewery | Denver | 30-Sep-23 |
01-Jun-15 | The Baker’s Brewery | Silverthorne | 30-Sep-23 |
05-Dec-19 | Mad Russian Brewing | Olathe | 12-Aug-23 |
01-Oct-13 | The Industrial Revolution Brewing Co. | Erie | 24-Nov-23 |
01-Dec-12 | Black Bottle Brewery | Fort Collins | 02-Dec-23 |
30-May-14 | Ursula Brewing | Aurora | 22-Dec-23 |
17-Mar-18 | Oasis Brewing | Denver | 23-Dec-23 |
01-Nov-13 | Grist Brewing | Highlands Ranch | 29-Dec-23 |
In happy news, there were 25 openings this year in the Colorado Brewery Class of 2023.