Peak to Peak Will Expand Into Former Mu Brewery Space

Aurora's Peak to Peak Tap & Brew plans to open a second location this summer at 9735 East Colfax Avenue, where Mu Brewery closed in February 2017. Peak to Peak will use most of the Mu's leftover equipment, although owners Gordon and Joy McKennon will bring in a new seven-barrel brewing system.

The expansion brings a bit of a silver lining to Mu's closure. That brewery, owned by Nathan Flatland, had been part of the city's efforts to revive the area around its Aurora Cultural Arts District. But the location turned out to be more difficult than anticipated, and Flatland told Westword the brewery never turned a profit.

The McKennons will take a different approach, however. The couple first opened Peak to Peak in 2014 with a kitchen and bar with thirty taps but no brewery. That part of the business was added in May 2017. But with just a tiny, three-barrel brewing system, they haven't been able to keep up with demand for their beer. So they see the former Mu space as more of a production facility, even though they will also operate a taproom there.

"The focus will be on the production side, so any taproom sales that come along with it will just be icing on the cake," Joy McKennon says. "The area has promise, but it's a little challenging right now."

The McKennons had been looking for a second facility for a while, and this opportunity presented itself at the right time, she adds. The City of Aurora and the building's owner have an arrangement in which they now own Mu's brewing equipment, which Peak to Peak will use. Head brewer Gordon Pencis will oversee both locations.

Eventually, Peak to Peak will also be able to distribute to other bars and restaurants in the area as well. Taproom hours will be limited to start, most likely from Wednesday through Saturday.