This Week Brought Big Changes in the Local Beer Scene

There’s been a lot of action in the local beer scene so far this year, including the comeback of Fiction Beer, the debut of Littleton Brewing Company and Full Frame; the launch of a new kind of IPA from Broken Hops; and the recent news that Nederland’s Knotted Root is opening a ’70s-themed tasting room on East Colfax.

Now, some of Denver and northern Colorado’s biggest craft brands are moving and shaking.

Great Divide Acquisition

Wilding Brands, formed in 2024 through a merger of Stem Ciders, Denver Beer Company and Funkwerks, announced on April 1 its acquisition of Denver craft beer mainstay Great Divide Brewing Company, though it will maintain control of its locations in Castle Rock, Lone Tree, Lakewood and at Denver International Airport as well as it the brewery and taproom at 22nd and Arapahoe, and the Barrel Bar in RiNo. Production will be moved to the Denver Beer Company Canworks facility in Sunnyside.

Founded in 1994, Great Divide is Denver’s oldest and largest packaging brewery. During it’s run, it has earned nineteen Great American Beer Festival Medals and five World Beer Cup Awards. Founder Brian Dunn says the decision to sell to Wilding made sense in the context of the brewery’s continued evolution and a passion for Colorado products. “I’ve seen a lot of change in the craft beer industry over the years, and Wilding is building with a clear vision. This is exciting news for Colorado and the industry,” he notes.

Wilding also owns Cerveceria Colorado, Formation Brewing, Howdy Beer Co. and Easy Living Hop Water plus restaurants such as Lafayette’s Acreage and Ghost Box Pizza, both of which were opened by Stem Ciders. Charlie Berger, chief development officer at Wilding Brands, says the company’s aim is to honor the Great Divide legacy while providing the resources to help the brand continue to grow. “At the end of the day, it’s all about the craft and quality of the product, and Great Divide has a rich history and a well-earned reputation for brewing some of the best beers in Colorado and arguably the country,” he explains.

Dry Dock and Left Hand Merger

That news was followed on April 2 with the announcement of a merger between two lauded operations, Dry Dock Brewing and Left Hand Brewing. Dry Dock’s brewing operations will immediately transition to Left Hand’s brewery in Longmont, though the Dry Dock Aurora taproom will remain open, and the owners of Dry Dock will acquire equity in Left Hand’s parent company, Indian Peaks Brewing Company.

Left Hand Brewing Company, founded in 1993, is one of the fifty largest craft breweries in the United States. In its more than three decades, Left Hand has earned 31 Great American Beer Festival medals,eleven World Beer Cup awards and nine European Beer Star awards.

The company put an ESOP plan in place ten years ago, creating an employee-ownership succession plan for the business, and it recently completed a round of crowdfunding on Wefunder to broaden its base to include community ownership.

“We’re building an independent craft beer platform rooted in community, collaboration and ownership. This partnership with Dry Dock is the first real step in bringing that to life,” says Left Hand founder and CEO Eric Wallace. “We’re in active discussions with other beverage companies to join us. With the capacity, systems and expertise we’ve developed, we’re in a strong position to support like-minded producers and work together to strengthen the future of independent craft, both here in Colorado and beyond.”

Founded in 2005, Dry Dock began as a 900-square-foot microbrewery next to a homebrew supply shop and evolved into one of Colorado’s most decorated breweries, earning 28 Great American Beer Festival medals and eight World Beer Cup awards.

Dry Dock founder Kevin DeLange will continue on with the new joint operation, working with the Left Hand sales operation to grow Dry Dock’s reach by accessing the Left Hand national distribution footprint. “After building the Dry Dock brand for twenty years, it was important to find a partner who shares our commitment to quality, independence and community,” he says. “Together we have the opportunity to bring Dry Dock’s beers to more fans than ever before.”

Backacre Is Shutting Down

On the boutique end of the scale, Denver’s only single-beer brewery, Backacre Beermakers, has announced that it will cease operation. The blendery, which is responsible for Backacre Golden Sour Ale, sources unfermented wort from another brewery and then ferments and ages it at its facility. It originally opened in Weston, Vermont in 2010 and moved to Denver in 2019.

The company focused on aging and blending beers inspired by Belgian tradition, blending one- to three-year-old barrels to create a more complex product. In fifteen years, it’s released seventeen blends to select retail partners with no onsite presence of its own.

Decisions around beers that age for years happen slowly, and Co-owner Erin Donovan notes that this had been six months to a year in the works. “The time is just right for me, my husband and my dad,” she concludes. “We’re really happy with all that we’ve done, and we’re just ready.”