BOULDER, Colo. — The oldest craft brewery in Colorado — and America — is ending distribution after nearly 40 years, pulling back to taproom-only sales due to increasing competition and a need to redesign its business plan in order to say viable in the future.
Gina Day, owner of Boulder Beer Co., said in a letter posted on the brewery’s Facebook page that the decision to end the sale of cans and bottles in retail locations in not only Colorado but in other states was not one that company executives made lightly. But after owning the pioneering brewery for roughly 30 years, she said that she and other brewery leaders “all want to see it live on,” and doing so will require that the cost of packaging and shipping beers be eliminated in an increasingly crowded sector, setting up the brewery to be a locally focused gathering place instead of a continuing presence in the national craft-beer market.
Twenty employees are expected to lose their jobs.
“Times have changed and change is hard, but I’m ready to put the ‘fun’ back in beer,” Day wrote. “Our friends will still be able to enjoy our beers in the brewpub, and by brewing in small batches, have a wider variety of options on the ever-rotating specialty taps. We’re celebrating our milestone 40th anniversary this year and look forward to furthering our legacy in Boulder and the industry.”
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