Rackhouse Pub will close in April, reopen in its own space across the street this fall

The Rackhouse Pub, which opened inside the Stranahan's whiskey distillery in October 2009 as one of Denver's first craft-beverage themed restaurants, will close on April 4 and reopen in its own space across the street, possibly as soon as this fall.

"We wanted to continue here, but for us to both to be able grow and achieve our goals, we weren't going to be able to co-habitate anymore," Rackhouse owner Chris Rippe says of the split with Stranahan's.

See also: Photos -- 2013 Colorado Rare Beer Tasting at Rackhouse Pub

Although it will be difficult to be out of business for five to seven months, Rippe says the new location will allow him to have control over his own space and add more taps and new features, like a big patio with views of the mountains and a massive, 3,000- to 5,000-bottle cellar. "I've learned some things over the past five years," he notes.

He also plans to lease an attached building to a new or in-formation brewery and is currently looking for one. "It will be great to have a restaurant and a brewery and a distillery feeding off of each others' strengths," he says.

Rippe closed on his purchase of the now-vacant building, at 930 West Byers Place, in the past few days, and hopes to be able to open the doors in September. The spot is roughly the same size as his current location, about 7,400 square feet.

Over the past five years, Stranahan's and the Rackhouse have done well by one another: The Rackhouse promoted fine whiskey and allowed customers to buy their own bottles of Stranahan's and keep them on site, while the distillery brought in tour groups and others who ate at the restaurant.

Both establishments concentrated on their Colorado roots and on the craft brewing and distilling movements that have exploded in the state.

But Stranahan's has grown significantly since 2010, when it was purchased by New Jersey-based Proximo Spirits, and the company has ramped up production to the point where it was becoming harder for the two businesses to coexist.

As a result, Stranahan's and the Rackhouse came to an agreement in which the whiskey maker will buy out the rest of the Rackhouse's lease -- a deal that will allow Rippe to finance the purchase of the new building.

"I want the Rackhouse to continue, and I can't think of a better neighborhood to do it than the one we are already in," Rippe says.

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