Western Beverage -- and the beer warehouse -- dry up

For years, the Saturday morning sales at the Western Beverage distribution center, aka Beer Warehouse, were the greatest deal in town -- if you could find the warehouse in north Denver. "It was amazing. It was like that scene in Indiana Jones where they open the vault on the Holy...

By Patricia Calhoun

February 16, 2010

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For years, the Saturday morning sales at the Western Beverage distribution center, aka Beer Warehouse, were the greatest deal in town -- if you could find the warehouse in north Denver.

"It was amazing. It was like that scene in Indiana Jones where they open the vault on the Holy Grail -- only it was beer," one fan told Westword back in 2003.

Every Saturday from eight to noon, Western Beverage -- then the local distributor for Miller Beer products as well as a number of imports and domestic microbrews -- would open its well-stocked floor to the public, moving goods it couldn't sell to retail or tavern owners for aesthetic or quality-control reasons.

But now the party's over. When one regular headed to the dock on the first Saturday of February to load up for Super Bowl drinking, he found the place deserted, with a sign that said the warehouse would no longer be offering dock sales.

The rest of the story is on the web site, www.westernbev.net. Under the logo that lists the company's founding in 1933 is this message: "Western Beverage is now closed. Please see our For Sale tab to purchase our remaining equipment.."

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Patricia Calhoun is editor-in-chief of Westword, the alt-weekly she co-founded in September 1977. She’s been inducted into the Colorado Press Association Hall of Fame, the Association of Alternative Newsmedia Hall of Fame and the Colorado Restaurant Association Hall of Fame. She’s also received dozens of local, state and national awards for writing, including first place for feature writing and first place for column writing with the Society of Professional Journalists. Patricia is a weekly commentator on Colorado Inside Out, PBS 12's public affairs roundtable, which has won two Emmys.

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