The latest city to land its own taproom is Littleton, where the owners of 38 State Brewing have just signed a lease for a spot at 8071A South Broadway.
"Littleton doesn't have anything like what we are trying to do," says 38 State co-owner Brett Blazek, adding that while there is a brewery/restaurant in Littleton, the Old Mill Brewery and Grill, there aren't any brewery/taprooms.
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"To not have anything here is pretty shocking because there is a demand for it. We feel like it's going to be good for the area," he continues.
Blazek, a schoolteacher, and co-owner Mike Keating, a master gardener, have been friends and homebrewers for years, but they decided to take the leap to professional brewing after their friends began demanding more of their beers.
"The feedback was fantastic," says Blazek, who lives in Littleton. Keating and two other co-owners, Kim Keating and Jason Virzi, also live in Littleton or Highlands Ranch.
When it opens, probably in January 2014, 38 State will start off with five staples: Chocolate Bourbon Stout, which uses coffee and chocolate malt; Two Buttes Double IPA, a 9.2 percent ABV hop-bomb; Golden Lemon Honey Wheat, made with fresh lemons, organic lemon juice and local Colorado honey; ColorAmber, an American-style amber ale; and Great Plains Scottish Ale, a local take on this traditional style.
"They're all very flavorful and really range in ABV content and style because we want to cater to everyone's palate," Blazek says. "We also have a couple of seasonals that will be ready to go, including an Oktoberfest and a winterfest beer."
38 State will ahve two brewhouses, a three-barrel system and a one-barrel setup. The 3,600-square-foot space will include a taproom with room for 65 people. Plans call for a patio next summer, which should add capacity for another thirty people.
The name for the brewery comes from Colorado's designation as the 38th state to join the union, and Blazek says the taproom will expand on the Colorado theme, giving people "a real sense of what it means to be living in this state."
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