The Big Brew Theory - Colorado Andy Petek

MOTHER TUCKER BREWERY – THORNTON, CO
http://www.mothertuckerbrewery.com/

HISTORY
Two years in the making, the Mother Tucker brewery and tasting room in Thornton, Colorado is now open for business.
After owners, Deb and Scott Tucker spent a few years brewing out of their home garage for friends and family, it was time to take the leap into a more commercial endeavor. Thus began the two year build out of the current facility, business and its systems.
With a background in corporate risk management for large companies, Scott was optimistic, but careful when it came to patiently validating the beer recipes and the concept for the brewing enterprise.

BEERS
According to Scott, the beer portfolio is fluid and ever-evolving. There are not specific varieties or production styles they would call their specialty, but rather create new brews to align with the ebb and flow of the season, the industry trends, and the demand from local patrons.

Current distribution is limited to directly at the tasting room at:
2360 E 120th Ave
Thornton, CO 80241

Phone:
303-565-9459
Hours
7 Days a Week, 3pm to 10pm

Check out our interview with Mike Keating, co-owner and operator of 38 State Brewing Company.  
For a local, stand-alone brewery in Littleton, Colorado, the team at 38 State are delivering quality in a huge way.  After multiple consecutive years of awards at the Denver International Beer Awards and the Great American Beer Festival, the 'proof is in the pint.'  This fantastic portfolio of brews doesn't lean on the flash and awe of trends, weird flavors, adjuncts or other headline-making business tactics.  They keep their beers true to style and their brewery true to its roots and values.  And the beer does more than speak for itself!
In order to try 38 State's beers, you'll need to find them out and about at festivals around Denver and the Front Range, at the brewery in Littleton, or select draft accounts in the area.

Don't be fooled by the lack of 38 State at your local watering holes.  As you'll hear from Mike, the team is selling all the beer they can make in their own building!  Growth and wider draft availability are in the future for sure, but for now, it's worth the drive to Littleton without a doubt.

The interview is quick, but the information is captivating.  Listening to Mike talk about the beer will likely have you switching to headphones or Bluetooth so you can get in the car and start driving his direction!

* Forgive any issues with sound quality on this episode.  We had a small microphone glitch while recording.  Or maybe we just did it on purpose so we'd have an excuse to go back for more AWESOME beer at 38 State!

** This interview was originally recorded over the summer of 2017 as part of our podcast pilot.  Since the program launched in October, there may be a few references to events that have already passed.

DRY DOCK BREWING - AURORA, CO
 
ALAN SIMONS - Managing Brewer

 
Interviewed at the South Dock Location.
 
 
ORIGIN STORY
 
Started out as a home brew store called BREW HUT, which has been around for more than 20 years.  Founders moved to town from Iowa and purchased the brew store.
 
The brewery was born in the back of the Brew Hut.  Dry Dock is now 12 years old.
 
22,000 barrels produced each year between the two "Docks."
 
Largest brewery sold exclusively in Colorado.  The rest of the big breweries have regional and national distribution.
 
 
THE NAME
 
Kevin, one of the owners was a history major in college and has a general fascination with boats, historical travel and commerce.
 
 
WHAT IS DRY DOCK KNOWN FOR?
 
"Most people know the apricot blonde, which is our flagship due to it unique qualities and broad appeal."
 
Authentic beers to style, both English and German styles.
 
 
WHERE CAN DRY DOCK BE FOUND?
 
Most liquor stores around the state (Colorado doesn't have alcohol sales in grocery retail stores).  Broad market availability on draft and in retail locations.
 
 
WHERE DOES DRY DOCK LAND IN SIZE IN COLORADO?
 
Dry Dock just missed the "Ten Biggest Breweries in Colorado" list recently published in the Denver Post.  "We're number 11!."
 
"Regional-sized brewery" in the Brewer's Association classification kicks in around 15,000 barrels.  Dry Dock passed that a few years ago, but live in between "small" and "large" breweries.
 
 
 
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WITH DRY DOCK?
 
Alan has been with Dry Dock for 2.5 years.
 
 
CURRENT MARKET TRENDS IN THE INDUSTRY
 
People are more interested in LOCAL beer.  As is the demand these days, people in Colorado are fanatical about Colorado beers.  In states like this, it's getting increasingly hard to compete because there are so many breweries in general as well as some major national favorites that are based in the Boulder and Fort Collins area.
 
Small brewpubs are popular as people continue to "hyper-localize."

HOURS OF OPERATION
 
South Dock is open seven days a week.
 
North Dock is the major production.  Brewing and packaging generally 5-6 days/week.
The north tasting room, The Canoe Room, is open Wednesday-Saturday.

CELLAR WEST ARTISAN ALES - BOULDER, CO 
 
- All barrel-aged.  Various wine and whiskey barrels from around the world.
 
ORIGINS
 
Zach is from Madison, WI.  He worked at a local bar and got to know the craft beer work with a  wild passion.  He later got a job a local brewery as assistant brewer and soaked up all the fermentation knowledge he could!
 
After a couple years, Zach's wife convinced him to move out to her home state of Colorado.  Some friends asked him to come and help with a brewery they were starting in Boulder, called Sanitas Brewing Co.  While collaborating there he fell in love with barrel-aged beers and wild yeast fermentation.
 
Later, Zach started exploring other options, possibly even moving back to Wisconsin and taking the barrel-aged wild ale model there.  The business plan concept was to call it "Cellar North."  After opportunities kept the Nichols family in Colorado, the name changed to CELLAR WEST.
 
Zach does all of the design and branding work himself.  The logo includes a loon.  Though these are native to the midwest, they are a symbol of the 'backwoods' and icon of Zach's vision.
 
 
 
SPECIALTIES
 
Farmhouse-inspired ales.  Working with local family farms and wild yeasts.  Cellar West has a proprietary yeast strain they've cultivated and stored at a local lab in Denver.
 
90-95% of beers oak-aged.  Fermentation and extended aging all happen in oak.  Barrels are procured by Rocky Mountain Barrel Company.  They are a broker of high-quality barrels from around the world.
 
FUTURE GOALS

- Bigger space

- More equipment

- Stay small and local.  True to the art.  Beer first!