A storied Colorado Springs brewery is preparing to pour its final pints roughly three and half years after the owners made national headlines for their heroics during a mass shooting at a local LGBTQ+ nightclub.
, at 204 Mt. View Lane, “made the incredibly difficult decision to close our brewery,” the company this week. The last day of operations will be June 28.
The social media post did not specify why the brewery is closing, noting only that “this decision doesn’t come lightly.” Co-owner Jess Fierro was not immediately reachable to elaborate on the circumstances.
Atrevida Beer Co. is unique among Colorado’s beer scene for many reasons, including that it is proudly owned and operated by a Latina. Fierro, who is also the head brewer, opened the spot in 2018 after competing on — and winning — the first season of Vice TV’s homebrew competition, “Beerland.” That scored her a deal with California’s Golden Road Brewing, which brewed, canned and distributed the winning beer, a tamarind-infused Bière de Garde called Doña Neta.
For eight years, Atrevida Beer Co. had leaned into its Latin heritage by prominently showcasing Mexican ingredients like lime and the Oaxacan delicacy chapulines, or crickets. The word atrevida means a daring or bold woman in Spanish, and the brewery’s slogan has always been “diversity, it’s on tap.”
Atrevida Beer Co. became a nationally-known name in 2022, however, after tragedy struck its hometown. In November of that year, a gunman walked into the LGBTQ+ hotspot Club Q during a drag show and fatally shot five people while injuring more than a dozen others. The Fierros and their daughter Kassy were in attendance that night, and Rich tackled, disarmed and beat the gunman in a heroic act that police said saved many lives.
The brewery swiftly received an outpouring of support. Local drinkers drained several months worth of beer in just a few days, while letters of gratitude flooded the brewery’s mailbox. The Fierros were thankful and also struggling. Raymond Green Vance, Kassy’s then-boyfriend, was killed in the shooting and the family was mourning. They had been in and out of the hospital with Kassy, who sustained a knee injury during the incident.
“Mentally and emotionally, you know, itap a process,” Jess told The Denver Post at the time. “We’re minute-by-minute, second-by-second at this point. We never know whatap going to trigger one or the other.”
In this week’s announcement, Atrevida Beer Co. thanked its community for its support over the years.
“We are so grateful for those who chose to spend their time with us, to the regulars who became like family, and to our dedicated team who poured their hearts into every pint for the past 8 years. You’ve shown up for Team Atrevida in times of crisis and triumphs and we couldn’t be more thankful for that,” the post read in part.
The brewery plans to host an Atrevida Adios Party on June 20 from 3 to 9 p.m. featuring mariachi music, food and, of course, beer.
