This Week in Beer: Boulder’s Only Cidery Is Closing and More

As the local brewery scene continues to evolve and grow, we’re rounding up the news, events and new releases you need to know about. Here’s the latest:

Fruita’s Copper Club Brewing Up for Sale
The Story: The listing shows the owners have set the price for the business at $525,000.
The Scoop: The brewery opened over ten years ago in downtown Fruita. The listing includes information such as cash flow, total sales and inventory. It also mentions the option to buy the entire building for an additional $870,000.

BOCO Cider Closing
The Story: Customers have just a few more weeks to visit Boulder’s only cidery before it closes down, though owner Michael Belochi does hope to find a new location for the business in the future.
The Scoop: The cidery’s last day is November 24. Belochi tells Westword that the four-year-old cidery did a lot of things right but fell short of being a robust, self-sustaining business. The property is being sold, and Belochi hasn’t found a new home for the cidery yet.

BOCO makes unfiltered ciders and regularly hosts live entertainment (it hosted over 200 music gigs in 2023, according to Belochi). It recently won the Daily Camera‘s 2024 People’s Choice Award for Best Cidery in Boulder County.

Belochi found difficulties in the local distribution market, with only the Rayback Collective being a consistent partner. He also feels the aging demographic and higher prices of local housing are deterring younger generations from living in or visiting Boulder.

Belochi notes that a big part of the problem is that most cities classify cider production as general manufacturing, which requires an industrial-zoned location that often isn’t near residential and tourist areas. He also points out that cideries use less energy and waste than most restaurants.

Upcoming Events

GCB Turns 31 on the 31st
Thursday, October 31, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Golden City Brewery
920 12th Street, Golden
Golden City is turning a remarkable 31 years old. As one of Colorado’s oldest active breweries, it will celebrate accordingly. The biggest eyebrow-raisers are the original beers, the Clear Creek Kolsch and Legendary Red Ale, both being offered for only $2 per pint and $4 for a growler fill. There will also be a costume contest and Jell-o shots to celebrate the occasion.

Public Offering Second Anniversary
Saturday, November 2, 11 a.m.
Public Offering Brewing
1736 South Broadway
Public Offering will celebrate two years on South Broadway. The day will feature special beer releases, including winning beers from a customer vote, as well as face painting, live music, new merch and commemorative glassware.

Día de los Muertos
Saturday, November 2, 5 p.m.
Incantation Brewing (both locations)
4233 South Buckley Road, Aurora and 415 South Cherokee Street
Celebrate the Day of the Dead with Incantation. A pair of beers will be released, including an imperial pastry stout made with Abuelita chocolate and guajillo and árbol chile peppers, as well as a cold double IPA with Citra, Motueka and Nelson hops. In addition to the new beers, each taproom will be hosting a market with a handful of art, clothing, jewelry and candle vendors.

Beer of the Week

Ninja Sh!t from Novel Strand Brewing, Schwarzbier, 4.5 percent ABV
From the Brewery: In honor of our good boy ninja dog, Shoku. Brewed with German malt, Hallertau Tradition hops, proper German lager yeast, fermented cold and slow and lagered even colder until it’s ready. Now you see it, now you don’t.
From the Glass: Novel Strand’s Alt School Like That made our best beers list in 2022. That beer is currently on tap (and still excellent), but Ninja Sh!t might be even better. Too many Schwarzbiers are roasty or bitter or sweet. Ninja Sh!t is none of those things. It has a malty cocoa taste with a balancing, smooth hop bitterness. Those two facets of the beer play off each other into the final sip. This beer is extremely well crafted, and at 4.5 percent, it’s at the right strength to drink all day. I usually start with pale beer when I visit a brewery, but Ninja Sh!t is the kind of beer I can start and end with.
Availability: On draft and in four-packs to go.