On Nov. 20, Bonfire Brewing celebrated its 11th anniversary with an all-out party at its taproom in Eagle. The bar was overflowing with patrons and employees talking, dancing and, of course, drinking with close friends late into the night at the beloved community gathering space.
The next morning, the taproom was shuttered, and the brewery suspended all production and distribution of its highly popular and award-winning craft beers.
Bonfire Brewing released a statement saying that the closure resulted from a liquor license discrepancy, without offering any information about when the taproom might reopen or the future of the business.
In the weeks following, the Vail Daily has conducted multiple interviews with employees, stakeholders and members of the company’s board to understand how the popular downtown Eagle business came to close its doors and the internal struggles over the future of the company following the unexpected February death of Andy Jessen, the brewery’s cofounder and a beloved community figure.
While the necessity for the November shutdown did result from a licensing issue, the events leading up to that decision are more fraught and convoluted than a simple paperwork obstacle. The possibilities for Bonfire Brewing’s future is now in the hands of a few key actors, and there is much to be resolved before the brewery can reopen its doors to the community.
Read the full story from our partner at .
