Breckenridge Brewery, one of the oldest craft beer makers in the state and the subject of two separate corporate buyouts over the past decade, will open yet another chapter in its long life in August by moving into a storied Colorado beer market: Fort Collins.
The brewery, now owned by the global cannabis company Tilray, will take over and rebrand the taproom currently occupied by Sweetwater Brewing at 1020 E. Lincoln Ave. Tilray also owns Sweetwater, as well as Green Flash Brewing, Alpine, Blue Point and others. The change is expected to take place on Aug. 17 with a party featuring live music and giveaways.
“Given Breck Brew’s Colorado history and ties to the Colorado craft beer community, Tilray, Sweetwater Brewing, and Breck Brew have decided that it was best for Breckenridge Brewery to move into the East Lincoln Avenue taproom in August 2024,” Tilray said in a statement to The Denver Post. “SweetWater enjoyed a great run in Fort Collins for the past 2.5 years, but we think it’s best for an iconic Colorado brand like Breckenridge Brewery to establish roots in Fort Collins, which is also home to some of the state’s most renowned craft breweries.”
Andy Cross, The Denver Post
SweetWater Brewing has ceded its Fort Collins taproom to sister company Breckenridge Brewery. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)
Breckenridge will continue to operate its 12-acre brewing campus, restaurant and taproom at 2920 Brewery Lane in Littleton, as well as its small brewpub in the ski town of Breckenridge.
“We tried for a number of years to see where our brand would stick throughout the United States, and we realized it’s comfiest in the state of Colorado,” said Breckenridge Brewery “Culture Czar” Todd Thibault, who has been with the company for nearly 30 years. Breckenridge is known for its Avalanche Amber Ale, Juice Drop Hazy IPA and Palisade Peach Wheat.
The decision to switch the branding from Sweetwater to Breckenridge was a fairly recent one, but Thibault said the organization will keep all of its staff and brewers and that it won’t have to close for any kind of renovation. “If we do this right, it will switch overnight.”
The restaurant will continue to serve the majority of its menu items – although there will be a few minor changes – while the taproom will still to pour a handful of Sweetwater, Alpine and Green Flash beers, all of which are brewed on-site.
Sweetwater, founded in Georgia in 1997, moved into the Colorado building in 2021 in order to expand its presence in the western U.S. It took over the large production facility and taproom from Red Truck Brewing, a Canadian beer maker that only lasted four years. Red Chair had, in turn, had bought out Fort Collins Brewing in 2017 at the same address.
Breckenridge was founded in its namesake town in 1990 before moving its headquarters to Denver. It moved to its current campus in Littleton in 2015 and was purchased by Anheuser Busch InBev shortly thereafter. In 2023, AB InBev sold Breckenridge (as well as the Shock Top, Blue Point, 10 Barrel, Redhook and Widmer Brothers brands) to Tilray.
Fort Collins is one of the birthplaces of craft beer in Colorado and is the headquarters for independently owned Odell Brewing, founded in 1989, and New Belgium Brewing, known for Fat Tire, which opened in 1991 and is now owned by Kirin, a Japanese conglomerate.
But there are also upward of 22 other craft breweries and brewery taprooms in Fort Collins, including Funkwerks, Coopersmith’s, Horse & Dragon, Zwei, Purpose and Hello Brew.
“You could spend a month in Fort Collins” just trying them all, said Thibault, who said he’s excited to add Breckenridge’s name to the roster of legacy breweries in town.
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