Fiction Beer Company Opens Second Location in Parker

Fiction Beer Company, which debuted in September 2014 with a library-themed taproom on East Colfax, opened a second taproom at 19523 Hess Road in Parker. A ribbon-cutting ceremony is planned for June 1 at 4:30 p.m., followed by a weekend of grand-opening festivities, but the beer is already flowing.

The location was formerly home to Welcome Home Brewery, and its six-barrel system remains. Fiction will use it to make experimental beers and small-batch beers, and to add to its production capacity.

The brewery is being run by Chris Belila, who has taken an interesting journey to get to this place. He and his wife lived near the first Fiction location and would regularly patronize the brewery. Belila was eventually hired for a Saturday swing shift behind the bar in 2017, and really excelled in the role.

He continued working his corporate training job in the meantime, but in 2022, he identified an opportunity in the former Welcome Home Brewery. “It was really both the location and assets that were attractive to me,” says Belila, who then approached Fiction owners Christa and Ryan Kilpatrick. They had already been considering expansion, and the partnership really solidified in late 2022. Belila has been off the bar since February preparing for the new location, which is the first to operate under his new company, the Beer Bodega.

For the Kilpatricks, working with Belila was a no-brainer. "We have known Chris a long time," says Ryan. "For many years, Chris has been our best bartender at Fiction. For a guy who had never worked in the service industry, he inherently knew how to make customers feel welcome, comfortable and appreciated."

Ryan adds that licensing the brand really felt like a win-win, allowing the Kilpatricks to open a second location while still being active parents to their two children. Ryan is optimistic that this will allow the company to grow its reach and presence in the market while continuing to focus on quality and innovation. Fiction head brewer Brandon Kerr is overseeing the brewhouse at both Fiction locations, although Belila owns the Parker location and the brewing equipment. That location will only serve Fiction beers, and because its brewhouse will take a few months to get going, initially all the beers served are being made at the Denver outpost.

Fiction is perhaps best known for its hoppy beers, but the brewery makes a wide range of options, from many types of lagers to stouts, hard seltzer and sour beers. It won silver medals at both the 2016 Great American Beer Fest and the 2018 World Beer Cup for its Alternate Present Dark Lager. It also scored bronze at the 2018 Great American Beer Fest for its Madame Psychosis Hazy Pale Ale.

Now it joins the Parker beer scene, which also includes Downhill Brewing and Barnett & Son Brewing.

The Parker brewery does not have food, as Belila does not want to add the complexities of managing a kitchen, but he is very excited to be right next door to Rocky Mountain Pizzeria, which serves not only pies, but pasta, hoagies, calzones and other bar foods.

While Belila has his hands full opening the taproom, he has his sights set on replicating this model in the future. He's looking specifically at suburban Colorado towns for small breweries that may want to expand but don’t necessarily have the capital requirements, as well as distressed or underperforming brewery assets. He feels that he’d make the perfect partner for many of these businesses, and he can’t wait to see what the future holds.

"Ultimately, our sequel in Parker gives us and Chris a chance to tell a new story — and that's what we do best: We tell stories through beer," concludes Ryan Kilpatrick.

Fiction Beer Company Parker is located at 19523 Hess Road and is open from 2 to 8 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, 2 to 10 p.m. Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday. For more information, visit fictionbeerparker.com.