The Crypt, TRVE Brewing Will Celebrate New Beer With a Killer Metal Show

For local metalheads, punks and alternative types alike, TRVE Brewing Co. and the Crypt are beloved hangouts. From hosting shows to pop-up bars, the duo always supports one another, so collaborating on a special one-off beer earlier this year made sense.

“We’ve been carrying several TRVE beers, but we just wanted to put together some different ideas of what we could do to continue to collaborate,” says Crypt co-owner Chris Maynard, who previously worked at TRVE before opening the horror-obsessed bar at 1618 East 17^th Ave. in 2022.

“We’ve been throwing parties one way or another for years. We’re all friends,” says Crypt co-owner Priscilla Jerez. “There’s no competition, it’s all supportive. It’s more like, ‘How do we do rad things together,’ which is an awesome thing to see in this community, and just make it an even bigger party.”

With that sentiment in mind, crews from TRVE and the Crypt came up with Leatherette — a single-batch pale saison with notes of apricot, elderflower and grapefruit.

Inspired by the Crypt’s Give Back Cocktail — a gin drink, featuring apricot and St-Germain elderflower liqueurs mixed with lemon and grapefruit juices — and the badass aura of Grace Jones, the Belgian-style ale is sure to be a hit with both hopheads and heshers.

“It’s a very different, unique beer,” Maynard says.

“TRVE knows what they’re doing,” Jerez adds. “I have a feeling this is going to do really well. People are pumped.”

To celebrate, the Crypt is hosting a release party on Friday, May 9, complete with an all-local lineup of bands — Ghosts of Glaciers, Mournful Ruin and CORPSEWHALE — and TRVE DJs Shane McCarthy and Seán Maher.

Jerez initially came up with the concept and based the name off of Grace Jones jam “Warm Leatherette" and the leather-studded style of Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford, who became the first openly gay metal megastar after publicly coming out in 1998, in an effort to promote diversity and inclusivity in the scene.

“I saw this as an opportunity to remind people that there are a lot of rad women in metal. I could not think of anyone more metal than Rob Halford, and Grace Jones when it comes to women,” explains Jerez. “We got to break some of these norms and remind people there is beauty in so many different levels, especially in the metal community.”
Maher, TRVE’s ace graphic designer, came up with the artwork, while head brewer and co-owner Zach Coleman brought the recipe to life. Metal fun fact: Coleman is also the drummer for Denver doomlords Khemmis and charred wraiths Black Curse.

“Seeing the can, I was like, ‘Leatherette is such a badass name.’ It looks sexy and beautiful, but it also looks tough and powerful,” Jerez shares. “It was like Christmas when we saw that art, like, fucking nailed it.”

McCarthy, TRVE’s brand manager, credits the Crypt for nailing whatever they set out to do, too. For example, the bar donates a dollar for every Give Back Cocktail ordered to a different charity each month. In May, which is also Jerez’s birthday month, the proceeds will go to a Nicaraguan school (Jerez is Nicaraguan).

“The Crypt has planted a flag hard on being a safe space and inclusivity. I think the Crypt is a leading example of businesses in Colorado of how to do that,” he says. “Anybody who can be chill is more than welcome to hang out there. That’s something that we aspire to as well with TRVE.” (For the record, TRVE quickly became a haven for metalheads after opening on South Broadway in 2012.)

The collab and accompanying show are ultimately a testament to the bonds that have been built among such like-minded movers and shakers. Maynard and Jerez previously worked at music hotspot Tooey’s Off Colfax, while McCarthy is a longtime musician who currently fronts Western black-metallers Wayfarer, so their roots run deep. All the groups on the release-show bill are similarly connected.

Mournful Ruin may be a newer project, with the current incarnation only coming together last year, but the sludge-loving death-doom quartet of drummer David Harthcock, bassist-vocalist Donovan Russell, guitar-vocalist Eric Dodgion and guitarist Ian Dixon are vets of Front Range extreme.

After releasing a four-song tape, Desiccated Demo, in September, Mournful Ruin gained an audience by opening for local void-bringers Spectral Voice and Japanese death-grinders Coffins. Harthcock credits the boost to friends helping out friends, and is looking forward to being a part of the Leatherette celebration.

“Homies throwing us a bone early on and having folks in the community supporting and helping us has been really rad,” he says. “It’s hard to pass up a TRVE or Crypt event with Shane and Priscilla. They’re homies, so this will be a fun one.”

McCarthy is looking forward to Friday, as well as future endeavors alongside the Crypt.

"We’re just trying to throw a rock-and-roll party with good bands and good people. It’s a celebration of places that don’t suck,” he concludes. “The stars aligned. This probably should have happened a long time ago.”

Mournful Ruin, with Ghosts of Glaciers and CORPESWHALE, 8 p.m. Friday, May 9, the Crypt, 1618 East 17^th Avenue. Tickets are $10 at the door.