A new beer maker called will soon open in the space formerly home to Sanitas Brewing Co., at 3550 Frontier Ave. in Boulder, which closed in December. When it does not much will have changed about the physical space and its epic outdoor patio, save for some minor cosmetic construction. But co-founder Dean Eberhardt says what����ap on the menu will have been overhauled significantly.

Locals can get a first taste starting Friday, when Pattern Break makes its debut. Throughout the weekend, there will be live music and food from the house-operated food truck onsite.

Eberhardt, who is also the founder of hop tea, hopes Pattern Break will help set the tone for a new era in craft beer — one that meets consumers’ evolving tastes without giving up on beer entirely. The brewery will offer a robust selection of low-alcohol and non-alcoholic beers, Eberhardt said, as well as cocktail-inspired styles and other beverages that are unabashedly experimental.

“What we’re trying to do is critically ask, what has caused the stagnation in the industry and how can we disrupt the thinking of that to show what is possible going forward?” said Eberhardt, who is partnering with former Sanitas CEO Mike Memsic on the new project. Pattern Break is “a test brewery for that in our minds.”

Part of what makes Eberhardt so confident is that he has spent the last eight years honing a new kind of dry-hopping technology with Hoplark, and a secondary company called , that he plans to bring to Pattern Break. Essentially, Eberhardt figured out a way to create a concentrate that he calls “hop juice,” which allows for dry-hopping beers without losing beer yield. When using dry hops to flavor a beer, a portion of the beer gets absorbed by the plant, he said, which can lead to a reduction in the amount of liquid for the finished product.

“I think of Hoplark as kind of the original Pattern Break, where we were breaking this expectation that the only way you can get hops is through beer or the only way you can get a beer experience in a non-alcoholic sense is through an actual non-alcoholic beer,” he said. “We were able to make something that had zero calories and our customers fell in love with.”

Eberhardt declined to detail exactly how the technology works, but said it allows the company to extract double the amount of flavor out of hops and replace 100% of dry hops in a brew. (It is different that the flavor-boosting hop widgets appearing in some local beers.) That can be a cost-saver and will also enable Pattern Break to create flavorful IPAs with a lower calorie count, he said.

“You’ve seen a big transition in the direction of lower-carb, lower-alcohol, lower-calorie beverages. There’s been a shift toward spirits, there’s been a shift toward seltzer, and away from some of the really bulky beers,” Eberhardt said. “The technology we have allows us to play a lot differently than other breweries do, so we can make lower-calorie things that taste like they’re regular things.”

The opening menu, for example, is expected to include a pilsner, hazy IPA and West Coast-style IPA, each coming in at 3.5% alcohol-by-volume. Eberhardt also teased “an unfinished IPA” that bartenders will flavor with the hop concentrate to-order at the bar.

Beyond hoppy styles, Eberhardt said there will be a so-called “mischief menu” for which brewers are encouraged to break the unspoken rules of traditional brewing. That����ap where drinkers will find recipes like a Mai Tai Mexican lager, a Negroni cocktail-inspired IPA and other spirit-forward flavors. There will also be non-alcoholic options like an NA spicy margarita, an NA spruce-flavored cocktail, hop waters, and hop teas — all of which Eberhardt expects will pair aptly with bites from the onsite food truck, such as smashburgers, Asian chicken sandwiches and breakfast sandwiches that will be available all day.

Though the craft beer industry has fallen on hard times post-pandemic, Eberhardt sees now as the perfect time to find new and inventive ways to excite drinkers.

“We’re going to try to make some things that not only disrupt customers’ expectations, but light them up in a way that hasn’t happened in a while in craft beer,” he said. “So I think it����ap the perfect moment for it.”

Of all of the -y bars in the world, to me, is the “Cheers”-iest.

Nestled between the west Aurora and east Denver borders just off Parker Road, the craft brewery that opened its doors in 2011 is special — not just for the beers, but for the people. It’s a welcoming community that’s come together and grown over the last 15 years.

My wife and I have been fans of their brews for some time, but after the pandemic, it became our stomping grounds. The space inside expanded, our visits increased and we got to know the regulars and the staff. Friendships were forged over sudsy beverages — often, for us, in the form of a Mexican Chocolate Stout or the Citrus Paradisi IPA. We were welcomed into a brewery community unlike any I had ever experienced. It became our go-to spot to grab a drink and talk the night away.

So when Copper Kettle said in March that it would close its doors on June 27 because of rising rent costs, it was a gut punch — another heartbreaking loss in the ever-growing list of breweries and restaurants that have shuttered in recent years. That night, many patrons — both regulars and those who hadn’t been by in a while — stopped by to commiserate.

“This is such a social community that they don’t have (at other places),” said Stephen Covieo, the brewery’s first mug club member. “This is a whole family vibe … and that’s the part that’s going to be lost.”

Fellow mug club member Gilbert Pineda added: “What really made me stay and come back is the people I would come and see here. I would walk in anytime … any day … and I would see somebody I know, and I would be greeted with a handshake or a hug and a big smile. And this place made me feel at home.”

Owner Jeremy Gobien, who opened the brewery with his wife Kristen Kozik, teared up as he reminisced: “We’ve had weddings, we’ve had wakes. We’ve had friendships. All the things. … We’ve grown old with people.”

One of those wakes was for one of Copper Kettle’s original mug-club members, Alex Teves. He was among those killed on July 20, 2012, in the Aurora theater shootings.

“They announced they were having a fundraiser. After that, this place was just jammed with people,” fellow original mug club member Larry Turner said. “I thought this was one of the first places that helped with the healing. … Kristen and Jeremy really went all out for that.”

Teves’ mug still sits in the display case to this day with his picture in the No. 28 spot.

The community grew and evolved over the years. It’s one that several patrons have shared with me as “special” and “unique.”

“Everything’s community-based for me,” mug club member Tim Hermann said. “… I could have moved out, way out, to Golden, and I probably would have found my way to make it out here on a regular basis.”

As Gobien said, “This was like a basement bar where you invited all your friends” that he’s turned into a business.

What happens with this community remains to be seen. As the clock ticks, the laughter and the fun energy is still there at the Copper Kettle. But that lingering thought in the back of that this will come to an end makes it all bittersweet.

“Where are you going to go?” has been a question that’s permeated among the brewery faithful since the announcement. I don’t know what’s next. There are many good breweries out there, but this one is truly special to me.

“CK is a building. The community is us,” newly inducted mug club member David Miller said. “The people. I can’t lose that. I don’t want to.”

I will remember many things about Copper Kettle. The rambunctious anniversary parties. The chaotic Christmas beer exchanges. The random jam sessions outside on warm summer nights. The boisterous crowds during the sumo watch parties.

Watching the regulars break out in song around the bar top on a laid-back Saturday night. The friendliest brewery dogs you’ll ever meet. And just sitting off in a corner and having long conversations about life over a tasty brew.

This is a community. This is a family. And these memories I have made here over the years, I will cherish for a lifetime.

Copper Kettle’s 15th anniversary party

Dates: June 5-7

Time: 2-10 p.m. June 5, noon-10 p.m. June 6, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. June 7

Where: Copper Kettle Brewing Company, 1338 S. Valentia St. #100, Denver

More info:

But you won’t be able to tell today. That’s because it’s Colorado Pint Day, an annual tradition that serves as a rallying cry for the 215-plus in-state breweries participating this year. They are still chugging — and chugging along.

People really like Pint Day,” said Shawnee Adelson, the director of the nonprofit Colorado Brewers Guild. “Some breweries say it is one of their busiest Wednesdays of the year, or even one of their busiest days altogether during the year.”

That’s because on Colorado Pint Day, participating Guild members sell limited-edition collectible pint glasses, with $1 from every glass going to CBG’s “mission of promoting, protecting, and propelling its members through advocacy, education, and public awareness,” according to the organization. And they have become highly sought-after by beer fans.

This year’s glass features artwork by Joe Palec, whose doodle-style drawing commemorates Colorado’s 150th birthday and the United States’ 250th birthday, both being celebrated in 2026.

And while it might seem like the number of participants would shrink each year due to brewery closings (Sanitas Brewing, Copper Kettle Brewing, Luki Brew and Pug Ryan’s are just four of those that have recently announced their closings), the number of CBG members and Colorado Pint Day participants has stayed consistent, or even increased, the Guild said.

“A lot of breweries are opening up 2nd, 3rd and 4th locations, and that adds a location for Pint Day,” Adelson said. “People are still excited about getting out to their brewery.” Thirty-nine locations are participating this year that didn’t in 2025.

All told, the CBG has about 275 members, or nearly 70% of the total number of breweries in Colorado, which is around 400.

So the industry is still strong, it is still vibrant and there is a lot of positivity, Adelson said. The Guild’s most recent event, Collaboration Fest, attracted nearly 1,600 people and was financially successful.

All of which is to say that Colorado Pint Day this year is a cause for celebration, she added. To find the list of participating breweries, . Get there early because most breweries sell out very quickly.

Last week, winners of the international competition’s ninth edition were announced and the Loveland-based ’ American Single Malt Whiskey took top honors. Judges awarded the whiskey, which is made with 100% Colorado-grown grain, a double-gold medal with 97 out of a possible 100 points. Scores are based on aroma, flavor, body and other tasting notes, as well the value for cost, but unlike beer competitions, this contest is not judged entirely blind, as labels and shelf appeal are also factored into the score.

That score was enough to put it atop the proverbial podium and earned Root Shoot the title of Whisky of the Year, beating out of all the other global entries. It was also awarded American Single Malt Whiskey of the Year and Spirit of the Year U.S.A.

Root Shoot Spirits is a sister company to , which is owned by fifth-generation farmer Todd Olander. The company grows about 700 acres of barley that it then kilns and roasts for brewers and distillers throughout the state. In 2023, it debuted its first whiskey — the recent award winner — to “express the farm and the malthouse through a spirit,” Olander previously told The Denver Post.

Root Shoot Spirits American Single Malt Whiskey boasts aromas of cobbler and honey granola, and floral and spicy flavors. It wowed judges at the London competition in 2025, too, when it was crowned the best American-made single malt. In a statement, Olander gave credit to the locally grown ingredients.

“You can’t recognize Root Shoot Whiskey without also acknowledging the power of Colorado agriculture — from the high altitude, to the soil, to the people working the land,” Olander said. “This is a special place that produces special malts and whiskies.”

The only other local spirit to win double gold (95 points or more) was Stranahan’s Original, made by Denver’s . The company won several other accolades, including gold medals (90-95 points) for Stranahan’s Blue Peak, Stranahan’s Sherry Cask., Stranahan’s Mountain Angel 12-Year, and Stranahan’s Diamond Peak Local Brewer’s Cask.

For the full list of winners, visit .

Local beer purveyors made an impressive showing, collecting 26 medals this year, including four gold, up from 21 medals in 2025. Winners were selected from a pool of 8,166 beers submitted from breweries in 50 countries from across the globe, according to competition organizers at the Brewers Association.

The winningest local outfit was Denver’s River North Brewery, which scored three medals: gold for Squirrels Just Want to Have Fun in the coffee beer category, silver for Espresso Hello Darkness in the coffee stout or porter category, and silver for Pumpkin Spice J. Marie in the pumpkin/squash/pumpkin spice category.

Several other breweries won two medals including Cannonball Creek Brewing Co. in Golden, Bull & Bush Brewery in Denver, and New Belgium Brewing Co. in Fort Collins.

Also of note, Colorado dominated the competition’s most competitive category, West Coast-style IPA. Out of 293 entries, gold was awarded to Cannon Ball Creek Brewing Co. and silver was awarded to Crystal Springs Brewing Co. in Louisville.

While much of the haul was concentrated with companies on the Front Range, Durango’s Ska Brewing and the namesake Telluride Brewing Co. represented the Western Slope with gold and silver medals, respectively. (Coincidentally, those beers are now brewed at the same facility in Durango.)

“Colorado continues to showcase why we are the state of craft beer. Taking both silver and gold in West Coast-Style IPA, the most competitive category in the competition, is a testament to our brewers’ skill and creativity,” Shawnee Adelson, executive director of the Colorado Brewers Guild, said in a statement. “And with nine beers earning World Beer Cup medals for at least the second time, it’s clear that Colorado doesn’t just make world-class beer — we make it consistently.”

See the list of local World Cup winners below, or visit the for the full list.

World Cup gold medals

Bull & Bush Brewery – Ghoul Fuel, Rum Diaries Edition; Wood- and barrel-aged beer

Cannonball Creek Brewing Co. – Project Alpha 81; West Coast-style India pale ale

River North Brewery – Squirrels Just Want to Have Fun; Coffee beer

Ska Brewing – True Blonde; English-style pale ale

World Cup silver medals

Bull & Bush Brewery – Kauai Pie; Dessert or pastry beer

Cannonball Creek Brewing Co. – Mindbender; American-style strong pale ale

Crystal Springs Brewing Co. – Mosaic Madness; West Coast-style India pale ale

Hideaway Park Brewery – Little Mac; Australian-style pale ale

New Belgium Brewing Co. – Trippel; Belgian-style Tripel

New Belgium Brewing Co. – Dominga Grapefruit Paloma; Fruited American-style sour ale

Peculier Ales – Bärenbräu Bock; German-style Bock or Maibock

Odell Brewing Co. – Friek; Fruited American-style sour ale

River North Brewery – Espresso Hello Darkness; Coffee stout or porter

River North Brewery – Pumpkin Spice J. Marie; Pumpkin/squash or pumpkin spice beer

Telluride Brewing Co. – Face Down Brown; American brown ale

Verboten Brewing and Barrel Project – Grow Old With You; Barley Wine-style ale

Westbound & Down Brewing Co. (Westbound Mill) – Trade Deficit; Export stout

World Cup bronze medals

12Degree Brewing – Cactus Juice; Berliner-style Weisse

The Empourium Brewing Co. – Animals Strike Curious Poses; Honey beer

Liquid Mechanics Brewing – El Poblano Borracho; Chili beer

Lone Tree Brewing Co. – Mexican Lager; Mexican-style lager

Los Dos Potrillos Cervecería (Parker) – Agua Fresca; Fruit beer

The Post Brewing Co. – East County Fine Malt Liquor; Other strong beer

Ratio Beerworks – Dear You; American-Belgo-style ale

The Sandlot Brewery (Coors Field) – Key Lime Pie in the Ski; Fruit wheat beer

Stodgy Brewing Co. – Gin Barrel Sour Red; American-style sour or wood and barrel aged sour beer

UPDATE at 3:49 p.m. on April 23: An earlier version of this story erroneously stated which brewery won gold in the West Coast-style IPA category. It has been updated to reflect the correct winner, Cannonball Creek Brewing Co.

Saturday-Sunday. It wouldn’t be spring without the return of Elitch Gardens, Denver’s biggest theme park and one that’s chock full of roller coasters, kids’ attractions and water slides (maybe too early for those). Following a season pass-holder preview last week, the theme park just west of downtown Denver reopens to the public for limited dates starting Saturday, April 18, and Sunday, April 19.

The Saturday-Sunday dates continue through late May, when the 135-year-old park is open daily. Still, the 10 a.m.-6 pm. April and May windows are great chances to beat the summer crowds and take advantage of short lines at the most popular rides. Season passes run $80-$110 while single-day tickets are $48, with prices going up on May 21. The park is located at 2000 Elitch Circle in Denver. Call 303-595-4386 or visit for more.

Record Store Day at Wax Trax

Saturday. The vinyl rarities sold exclusively during the annual Record Store Day in April run from Taylor Swift to the Grateful Dead and local indie acts, but much of the appeal is the joyous atmosphere that surrounds the industry promotion. Audiophiles of all ages and backgrounds gather at local brick-and-mortar stores to celebrate physical media, often standing in line for hours to get first crack at one of hundreds of live albums, singles and reissues.

Among the many metro-area record stores that are celebrating on Saturday, April 18, Wax Trax Records is activating its trio of locations, including its newly opened Highland neighborhood outpost, with free breakfast for the line, local bands (including a preview of the forthcoming Blucifer’s First Rodeo festival), DJs, ticket and turntable giveaways, and a limited edition beer collaboration with Cerebral dubbed First Pressing. Doors open at 8 a.m. at the locations in Capitol Hill, South Broadway and Northside locations. Free admission. Call 303-831-7246 or visit for more details.

A masterful Colorado Ballet

Friday-Sunday. Colorado’s best ballet company will bring back its MasterWorks program this weekend with a triple threat of titles, this year including a world premiere. In addition to George Balanchine’s Concerto Barocco (set to Bach) and Glen Tetley’s The Rite of Spring (on stage for the first time since 2013), there’s the intriguing S. Rachmaninoff, a world premiere by choreographer Yoshihisa Arai, commissioned by Colorado Ballet following his acclaimed take on Boléro. “The new ballet traces Sergei Rachmaninoff’s emotional journey from crisis to creative triumph, embodying the healing power of art,” organizers wrote online.

Performances include live music from the Colorado Ballet Symphony Orchestras. They started last week and continue at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, April 17, and Saturday, April 18, with a matinee at 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 19, at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House, 1385 Curtis St. in Denver. Tickets are $40-$160 at .

Fort Collins Book Fest

Friday-Saturday. Readers, take note: The Fort Collins Book Fest is wrapping up its second and final weekend at Foothills Mall, from Friday, April 17, to Saturday, April 18. The event features multiple panels and workshops with poets, children’s authors, sci-fi novelists, illustrators, comics artists and more, plus a marketplace showcasing dozens of Colorado writers.

This weekend’s cohort includes Denver Post reporter Meg Wingerter, whose new book, “The Silence that Remains” (Mission Point Press), is “a historical fiction novel with the sweep of ‘A Gentleman in Moscow’ set against the full weight of Stalin’s reign of terror,” organizers wrote (see more at ). The marketplace is open 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, although all authors may not be present the whole time. Tickets are pay-what-you-can at . 215 E Foothills Parkway in Fort Collins.

On Tuesday, the trade group unveiled the based on production volume, and Tivoli Brewing Co. cracked the list at No. 18. That means the company is now the second largest craft beer producer in Colorado, behind only Monster Brewing — parent to Oskar Blues and other out-of-state brands — which landed at No. 9. Fort Collins-based Odell Brewing Co. was the only other Colorado operation on the list at No. 32.

When accounting for all U.S. beer makers, including non-craft giants like Anheuser-Busch InBev and Molson Coors, Tivoli Brewing Co. ranked as the No. 28 producer by volume in the nation. CEO Ari Opsahl said the brewery’s growth has been fueled by its newest brand, , which seeks to be a craft alternative in the macro lager aisle.

Tivoli’s rise comes amid a challenging climate for craft beer. Production volume declined 5.1% across the country in 2025, the Brewers Association said, with only 39% of craft beer makers reporting annual growth. Craft beer’s retail dollar value also decreased 3.6% year-over-year to a total of $27.8 billion, and brewery closings (481) outpaced brewery openings (300), the report said.

One bright spot: “Breweries with strong brand identity and clear market positioning continued to outperform, with brands like Garage Beer and Outlaw (by Tivoli Brewing Company) among notable gainers,” the Brewers Association said. (Ohio-based Garage Beer is .)

Launched in 2022, Outlaw Light is a no-frills lager (4.2% ABV) that the brewery conceived to compete with macro brands like Bud Light and Coors Light. Opsahl tells The Denver Post that, in the first few years, retailers and distributors were skeptical of his intention to take market share from beer giants like AB InBev and Molson Coors. However, he saw domestic light lagers as the category ripe for the most growth amid a slump in craft beer sales post-COVID.

Tivoli’s strategy appears to have paid off. Outlaw Light now accounts for 95% of the brewery’s production volume and sales, Opsahl said. He estimates Tivoli produced between 90,000 and 100,000 barrels of beer in 2025, up from between 40,000 and 50,000 barrels a year prior. (The Brewers Association will publish the exact production output figures next month.) It’s now available at liquor and grocery stores in 49 states, as well as Walmart and Costco.

Opsahl, who formerly worked in sales and marketing roles at AB InBev, said the beer’s success shows that there’s still room for growth in the beer industry — just not where most producers are looking.

“There’s a new RTD drink every week, and there’s a new craft brewery seasonal release every week. When was the last time you heard of a new light beer, at scale?” he said. “It’s certainly disruption from a price perspective, and we’re also having the benefit of being something interesting in an extremely stale and stagnated space for the consumer.”

Tivoli has also strategically aimed to reach the domestic-drinking crowd by working with country musicians like Hardy and Koe Wetzel, who both invested in Outlaw Light, as well as brand ambassadors like NASCAR driver Jeffrey Earnhardt and podcaster Pat Spinosa.

As distribution has grown throughout the U.S., feedback has shaped the brand. The beer used to be called Outlaw Mile Hi Light Beer, but Tivoli dropped the “Mile Hi” around the beginning of 2025 because consumers outside of Colorado thought the beverage contained THC, the intoxicating cannabinoid in marijuana, Opsahl said.

“In Colorado, it����ap clear to the consumer. If you walk into a dispensary, you’re buying THC, and if you walk into a liquor store, you’re buying alcohol,” he said. “Go to Total Wine in Minneapolis, they sell Delta-9 (THC), they sell beer, they sell wine, they sell spirits, non-alc.”

Outlaw Light����ap explosion marks an interesting new chapter for the brewery, which is named for one of the state’s oldest and most storied beer makers. The original Tivoli was founded in 1900, though its roots on what is now Denver’s Auraria Campus dated back to 1859. The company went out of business in 1969, but was revived in 2015 at the Auraria college campus by a former Coors executive named Corey Marshall, whose goal was to honor Denver’s beer history while also tapping into the craft beer boom. (Marshall is no longer with the company.) The facility also served as a teaching facility for students at Metropolitan State University of Denver.

Opsahl took over the CEO role in 2021 following a series of leadership changes. In 2023, Tivoli moved operations to a production facility in the southeastern Colorado town of La Junta before closing the Tivoli Tap House in Denver last year. Its name is also still on a bar at Denver International Airport, although Tivoli is no longer associated with it.

Tivoli will continue making its portfolio of craft beers in Colorado, like Helles Lager and Bo Girl Pilsner,, which pay homage to the brewery’s rich heritage, Opsahl said. However, they are not a major focus for the business. Instead, Tivoli plans to invest in new products, like Outlaw Light Tea — yes, beer with iced tea in it — which is expected to hit store shelves in May.

Despite market headwinds, Opsahl expects to double production in the next year.

“When we launched Outlaw Light, I said, ‘Hey, I think this could be the next  No. 1 beer in America.’ That����ap where you get people looking at you like you’re a little crazy. But at the same time, I truly believe that it����ap possible,” he said.

The Colorado and Georgia beverage distributor said in a WARN notice filed last week that it will close on June 5 as a result of the sale to Florida-based , a global distributor of beverage alcohol that already has a warehouse in Aurora. Southern Glazer officials say they intend to retain employees and continue operations.

“We are aware of reports regarding the status of Eagle Rock Distributing Co. of Colorado. … The reports suggesting widespread job losses or closures are not reflective of our plans,” said Amy Kickham, chief human resources officer at Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, in an email statement to The Post.

Kickham said they are working closely with the Eagle Rock leadership team to ensure a smooth transition for employees, customers and suppliers through their expected acquisition date this summer.

From account managers and team leaders to commercial drivers and line cleaners, 514 Eagle Rock workers are being impacted. More than 140 of those workers are based in the Denver/Commerce City area, according to the WARN filing.

Teamsters Local 455, the union representing Eagle Rock workers, told The Post that online reports about huge job losses created a lot of panic among employees.

“I had multiple of our members reach out when they received these notices saying they were going to be terminated. That is not the case,” said Jason Abbott, business agent with Teamster Local 455 in Denver.

Abbott also said no changes to the existing contracts are being made.

“We have been in direct contact with Southern Glazer and they have been more than cooperative in working with the union. They will honor their contract and will negotiate successor agreements. There has been no animosity between the new company, the union and the employees,” Abbott said.

The union also criticized Eagle Rock for not informing employees or including a line in the WARN notice that Southern Glazer would retain the Eagle Rock employees.

On March 23, Southern Glazer announced that it had to acquire substantially all of the assets of Eagle Rock’s Colorado operations.

Upon its June closing, Southern Glazer plans to continue operations at the Eagle Rock’s facilities and continue to serve the markets where it currently operates, the announcement stated.

“This acquisition enables Southern Glazer’s to significantly expand its total beverage distribution in Colorado by adding high profile brands to our portfolio that strategically align with our total beverage strategy,” said Wayne E. Chaplin, president and CEO of Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits.

Eagle Rock distribution sites:

• Denver/Commerce City – 5000 E. 74th Ave., Commerce City, CO 80022
• Durango – 796 Sawmill Rd., Durango, CO 81301
• Pueblo – 1045 S. Santa Fe Ave., Pueblo, CO 81006
• Loveland – 3800 Clydesdale Pkwy, Loveland, CO 80538
• Grand Junction – 2497 Power Rd., #30, Grand Junction, CO 81507
• Monument – 15080 Terrazzo Dr., Monument, CO 80132

“Eagle Rock has always been guided by a commitment to our people, our partners, and the communities we serve,” said Mike Economos, president of Eagle Rock Distributing Co.

“Southern Glazer’s shares our values as a family-owned company with a deep commitment to building strong supplier and customer relationships. We’re confident this next chapter will build on Eagle Rock’s legacy and continue delivering exceptional service throughout Colorado.”

Eagle Rock was founded in 2000 by John Economos and Steve Craine, with roots that trace back to the Atlanta Beverage Company, established in 1930.

The company distributes a range of beverages, including beer, craft beer, spirits, wine, hard seltzers and non-alcoholic options. Its portfolio features major brands such as Anheuser-Busch, Breckenridge Brewery, Four Peaks Brewing Co. and more.

Southern Glazer is a multi-generational, family-owned company with operations in 47 U.S. markets and Canada, as well as brokerage operations through its Southern Glazer’s Travel Retail Sales & Export Division in the Caribbean, Central and South America.

recently teamed up with Branko Popovic, proprietor of Ravangrad Pivara, a brewery located in Nikola Jokić’s hometown of Sombor, Serbia, to create a beer for the post-season.

From Sombor to Denver Cold IPA will soon be available in six-packs of cans and on tap at all five Denver Beer Co. taprooms on the Front Range.

How this collaboration came to be is both coincidental and quintessentially Colorado, said Charlie Berger, co-founder of DBC and of its new parent company, Wilding Brands. As Berger tells it, he’s a “huge Nuggets fan” who simply wanted to learn more about Serbia as he pondered new ideas for a seasonal beer. (The season being basketball season.) Inspired by Jokić’s 2025 offseason plans to Berger decided to research the local brewing scene in Somber and stumbled across Ravangrad Pivara, which has unexpected ties to Colorado.

A decade ago, Ravangrad Pivara founder Popovic was in Colorado studying for his brewing and food biotechnology degree, and he was so inspired by the local craft beer scene that he decided to start his own brewery.

“I was amazed by the culture, the taprooms, and the community vibe in craft beer, so when I finished my studies, armed with both a brewing diploma and the dollars earned in Colorado, I bought my first brewing system, and that is where my journey began,” Popovic said in a statement.

Berger reached out to Popovic directly and the two workshopped beer styles that would best embody the spirits of Sombor and Denver, landing on a “cold” India pale ale. Inspiration came from existing beers in Ravangrad Pivara’s portfolio, as well as ideas from Denver Beer Co.’s staff, Berger said. Additionally, they considered what kind of hops were available to Popovic, since he is planning to brew a batch for local drinkers in Sombor.

Popovic is scheduled to return to Denver during the first round of playoffs and brew another batch of the cold IPA, so there is some available if the Nuggets make the NBA Finals, Berger said. Cold IPAs are hoppy beers fermented at lower temperatures using lager yeast, which lends a crispness to the mouthfeel and bolsters the bitterness.

“It����ap incredible how the game of basketball has basically turned Sombor into a sister city for us,” Berger said in a statement. “To connect with the all-star brewers in Jokić’s hometown feels like the perfect way to bridge the gap between Colorado and Serbia.”

Denver Beer Co. is now accepting pre-orders for six-packs of From Sombor to Denver Cold IPA on . It is also planning to host watch parties once the NBA playoffs start on April 18, during which time the beer will also be available on draft.

It’s not the first time a Colorado brewery has made a Sombor-themed beer in honor of Jokic. In 2012, Greeley’s Weldwerks Brewed created Sombor Shuffle, a hazy IPA honoring the first of what would eventually be three MVPs for the Joker.

announced that it will be closing on Saturday, June 27.

“What started as a brewery became something much bigger,” the post says. “A place filled with friendships, laughter, and countless memories. We’ve been beyond lucky to share pints, music, game nights, milestones, and personal losses with all of you; we truly consider you part of our family.”

Colorado’s most heartbreaking brewery closures of 2025

The brewery — located just off Parker Road at 1338 Valentia St., Unit 100 — opened in April 2011 by husband-and-wife team Jeremy Gobien and Kristen Kozik. It quickly burst out of the gates, winning a gold medal at the Great American Beer Festival for its Mexican chocolate stout the same year.

Gobien said he's seen a downturn in the craft-beer industry in recent years with declining sales and an increase in operating costs. A significant increase in rent in order to stay at the location was the final straw, he said.

"All the dynamics of the industry seem like they've all turned into headwinds. There are no tailwinds right now," he said. "When I was starting in 2010, it felt like it was all tailwinds. You could go as far and as fast as you could go — and now it just feels like everything is pushing you back.

"Cost of your ingredients, cost of employees. The cost of rent was just the final one that came up. Probably the last one that was significant that really forces your hand. But it's been brewing, so to speak, for a long time in our industry."

Gobien said that he'll miss the memories and friends he's made over the years.

"There's been so many significant things that happened here specifically that I don't want to feel they get lost. That will be the hard part," he said. "... I hope that doesn't happen with the business. If it's gone, people forget about it. Because it did mean a lot to a lot of people."

But Copper Kettle won't disappear entirely. Gobien added that he's in the middle of looking for a company to continue brewing and distributing the Mexican chocolate stout: "That's probably the No. 1 thing we've seen when we look on social media."

Copper Kettle still has one big celebration before it closes: its 15th anniversary party on June 6-8 — something to "help us send things off the right way."

"For the next three months, it����ap business as usual. Same beers, same events, and all the familiar faces. More than anything, we want the time we have remaining to be a celebration of the incredible community that has made the past 15 years so special."