First Look: Blue Moon Brewing Company Opens in River North

Blue Moon Brewing Company, a subsidiary of MillerCoors, has been pouring beer at the Sandlot inside Coors Field since the ballpark opened in 1995. And now, more than twenty years after the first drops of Belgian-style white ale were spilled in Denver, Blue Moon has opened its own brewery and restaurant at 3750 Chestnut Street in the River North neighborhood. The Blue Moon Brewing Company kicked off Monday with an eclectic, chef-driven food menu and a list of ten beers, which will soon be ramped up to 24 tap handles of seasonal and experimental brews.

Keith Villa, the founding brewer when Blue Moon initially opened in 1995, heads the brewing operations here, too, which includes a two-barrel pilot system for experimental beers and a larger system capable of turning out 10,000 barrels annually. 

Chef Darrell Jensen heads the kitchen, which is turning out an array of internationally influenced dishes, everything from fried chicken to Korean short ribs to monkfish in Thai green curry — hardly your standard brewpub fare.

Blue Moon is open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., with self-guided and VIP tours available. A grand-opening celebration is scheduled for September 7. For more photos, see our complete slideshow.