A Brief History of Craft Beer in Denver, Colorado
#DrinkLocal is a global movement in efforts to support local craft breweries and brewers. Here’s a little history on Denver’s oldest brewery and why you should #drinklocal by drinking Denver craft beers.
By Clara Jaide on Sep. 24, 2014
History of Craft Beer in Denver, Colorado
Denver’s Oldest Brewery
Denver, Colorado is a craft beer giant; more beer is brewed in Denver in a day than any other city in the United States of America. Denver’s oldest microbrewery dates back 1859, when John Good decided to create the Tivoli Brewing Co. The building was built in 1864 by Moritz Sigi, a German immigrant who relocated to Denver. The brewery was famous for Sigi’s “Buck Beer” which was an ale-lager hybrid, quite like a Bock.
In 1874, Sigi passed away in an accident and the brewery was sold to a man named Max Melsheimer who renamed the brewery to “Milwaukee Brewery”. Unfortunately, the Denver brewery wasn’t able to fulfill the 250-barrel mass production that Melsheimer had hoped, which led to the foreclosure of the brewery. Before the prohibition, Tivoli was one of the leading breweries in Colorado, along with a brewery called “Zang’s”. However, Zang’s Brewery wasn’t able to bounce back after the Prohibition, which left Tivoli’s the leading brewery in Denver.
In 1918, John Good passed away and the brewery was taken over by the Good family. Becoming one of the largest breweries in the country by the 1950s. In 1965, Tivoli was bought out by Carl and Joseph Occhiatio who immediately ran into troubles when the brewery was flooded in 1965. In 1969, the Tivoli Brewery closed good. At the time, it was the second oldest operating brewery in the country. Eventually, the abandoned building was turned into a shopping centre in the 1980s and eventually a centre for brewing education. In 2015, Tivoli Brewing Co. reopened to the public, brewing classic Denver Craft Beers and bringing the history of Denver beer back to life.
Why Should You Drink Denver Beers?
Drinking locally-made beers for Denver helps support local businesses and fosters growth in the Colorado beer industry which can lead to economic development. Drinking craft beers from Denver’s local breweries is important because the beer industry in United States is huge.
What is #DrinkLocal?
#DrinkLocal is more than just a beer hashtag, it’s a craft beer movement.
Drink Local or “#drinklocal” is an important grass-roots social movement. The #DrinkLocal tag creates awareness and support for local breweries, pubs, taprooms and liquor stores. Click here to learn more about the #drinklocal movement or tap into the world of Denver Craft Beer by checking out our Denver Beer Guide.