Breanna DemontASEM: Thinking, Eating, and Writing: Food HistoryProfessor Carol Helstosky

CRAFT BREWING & COMMUNITY:The Case of Wynkoop BreWing Co.

8 WRIT LARGE: 2015

HISTORY OF BEER IN DENVERTom Noel, better known as Dr. Colorado, once said that Colorado is a state whose territo-rial government was conceived and born in a tav-ern. 1 Since Denvers founding in 1858, taverns, pubs, bars, and similar establishments were of utmost social importance to groups of Germans, Italians and others, 2 bringing these diverse communities together in various ways. Not only was alcohol likely safer than Denvers drinking water,3 but until churches, schools, banks, the-aters, and other institutions became well-estab-lished, saloons served as a multifunctional in-stitution in the community.4

In 1916, however, four years shy of the en-actment of the nationwide prohibition on al-cohol, Colorado voters chose to ban bars. And [a]lthough Denver had voted 38,139 to 28,533 against the dry crusade, as Noel remarks, the city was forced to go along with the statewide decision. 5 As a result, breweries disappeared at an alarming rate. Denver had over twenty-five

breweries before 1916, but Prohibition put all but four breweries in the whole state out of business: Walters in Pueblo, Schneiders in Trinidad, the Tivoli in Denver, and the Coors Brewery (now MillerCoors) in Golden.6

This piece was taken from the final essay I wrote spring quarter of my junior year for Carol

Helstoskys ASEM, Thinking, Eating, and Writing: Food History. The original paper, entitled

Various Ways Denver Craft Brewers Distinguish Themselves From Commercial, Macro-

brewing Giants in the Industry, was a case study of three Denver craft breweriesWynkoop

Brewing Company, Great Divide Brewing Company, and Denver Beer Companythat pro-

vided a series of historical snapshots of the first craft brewpub in Denver to one of the most

recent.

In learning about the anecdotes behind many of these breweries prized beers, as well as the

social and environmental efforts they consistently work to uphold, I was able to shed light on

the ways Denver craft brewers distinguish themselves, both intentionally and unintentionally,

from macro-brewing industry giants like MillerCoors and Anheuser-Busch. The most signifi-

cant way they distinguish themselves is through their devotion to connecting with the Denver

community on a personal level and contributing to its development at large. I conducted sec-

ondary research with historical texts and articles found both online and in newspapers like

the Denver Post; my primary research included participating in brewery tours and conducting interviews with the head honchos of these facilities. Through this research, I hoped to gain

better insight into the process of craft brewers as they produce their beer and to get a feel for

all three establishments in person.

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After several years, Colorado ended up shar-ing a national view that Prohibition had become a failure. As Robert Athearn notes:

When a University of Denver graduate stu-dent interviewed local authorities in 1932, most of them expressed the opinion that the law had done more harm than good. The county jail warden thought that the liquor law stimulated organized crime, gangs, and corruption, while making petty criminals out of people who were not criminally inclined.7

In 1933, the Eighteenth Amendment put an end to Prohibition. However, according to Noel, the resurgence of saloon-going in Denver can be more directly attributed to the demise of tradi-tional values and institutions.8 As was the case in many American cities, industrialization and immigration, rapid population growth and sub-urbanization, and the rise of progressive move-ments shaped a new culture in Denver, one in which alcohol played a big part.9

This culture took root in Lower Downtown, otherwise known as LoDo. Though the city of Denver features the largest collection of urban historic buildings in the Rocky Mountain region, nearly 20 percent of LoDos buildings were de-molished in the 1980s in order to provide park-ing space for office workers, which gave the

area its reputation as the citys skid row. But Federico Pea, who was elected mayor in 1983, had great hope for the historic warehouses of LoDo, believing that the area could be used to jump-start the revitalization of the entire down-town. 10 The City Council therefore passed the Lower Downtown Historic District ordinance in

1988, which called for demolition controls and implemented design guidelines for constructing new buildings and rehabilitating old ones. This ordinance led to a rise in private sector invest-ment and development; renovations of historic buildings gave younger residents a place to live while also making room for businesses to set up shop. Historic buildings are a scarce resource in cities, and the certainty of their preservation created value in LoDos real estate, especially for entrepreneurs and small businesses. Edward Mc-Mahon explains:

Small businesses and investors were lured to the area by its charm and unique char-acterand by the knowledge that those at-tributes would not change. Historic district zoning gave investors assurance that if they spent money rehabilitating a turn-of-the-century building, their investment would not be undermined by the property owner next door tearing down a building to con-struct a parking lot, put up a billboard, or pursue other insensitive development.11

The citys brewery revival occurred when one of these small businesses, the Wynkoop Brewing Company, opened in LoDo in 1988, sparking the opening of many other small businesses and paving the way for a community to flourish.

WYNKOOP BREWING COMPANYFounded by John Hickenlooper, who later would be elected state governor, the Wynkoop Brew-ing Company is Colorados very first brewpub.12 Hickenlooper had been laid off from his job as a geologist in 1986.10 But his life changed with

Breanna Demont

10 WRIT LARGE: 2015

Hailing from Minneapolis, Minnesota,

Breanna is a senior journalism major

with an undying passion for the creative

arts. In addition to starting a freelance

photography company her freshman

year of college, she has also been fortu-

nate enough to gain experience working

for Snowboard Colorado magazine, and she currently holds the titles of Produc-

tion Manager and Social Media Director

for the University of Denvers student-run

newspaper, The Clarion. When she is not snowboarding, journaling, writing poetry,

or partaking in countless photography ad-

ventures around this breathtaking state,

Breanna might be singing, traveling, ex-

ploring nature, and attending concerts

with friends. She plans to pursue a ca-

reer in the photojournalistic sector of the

snowboarding industry after graduation.

a visit to one of Americas first brewpubs: the

Triple Rock Brewery in Berkeley, California. Dreaming of opening a brewpub of his own, Hickenlooper banded together with five other

partners and made this dream of the Wynkoop Brewing Company a reality. (See image 1.)

The partners wanted to house their new busi-ness in a historic building that highlighted the traditional role of pubs as a center of the com-munity. After looking at thirty-four options, the Wynkoop Brewing Company was born in the J.S. Brown Mercantile Building, built in 1899. According to current Lead Brewer Greg Moore,

Hickenlooper bought the building for one dollar per square footan unbeatable price, compared to the roughly $450 per square foot price Moore feels it could command today.13

Despite certain advantages, the partners also faced significant obstacles: to commence opera-tions required that existing laws be altered. For example, as Ed Sealover observes, [a]fter Prohi-bition, state statutes allowed a business to man-ufacture, distribute or sell beer but not to do all three. 14 However, Hickenlooper and his part-ners successfully lobbied the state legislature to change the rules to allow Wynkoop to make and sell its beer in one location. 15 This legislative change set the precedent for other craft brew-eries and brewpubs soon to come. A domino effect ensued after the brewerys opening, with Rock Bottom Brewery opening about a year af-ter Wynkoop.16 Though it took some time, Wyn-koop is credited with helping LoDo shed its for-mer skid row reputation. According to Moore, People saw that you could put something in this space that was basically nothing and turn this whole thing around. Once people start spending money in places, other people want to open up nearby. 17 Since the brewerys opening, hundreds of brewpubs have been opening across the state, with over five hundred places licensed to sell al-cohol for consumption on the premises. 18

According to Hickenlooper, brewpubs have a wide appeal because they are a social equaliz-er, a place where suits and hardhats can connect over a common denominatorthe beer in front of them. 19 With this in mind, Wynkoop has un-dergone several changes over the years. Within

(left) Breanna Demont / LP Picard

(right) image 1 / Breanna Demont

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a few years of its opening, Hickenlooper and his partners built an upscale billiards hall on the second floor and converted the buildings upper

floors into residential loftsonly the second

such housing in downtown. 20 (See image 2.)These architectural additions helped trans-

form Wynkoop from a place for patrons simply to gather and drink beer to a more communi-ty-oriented space, in which people stay for longer periods of time.

While large breweries like MillerCoors and Anheuser-Busch produce over 6,000,000 barrels of beer per year, Wynkoop operates on a sixty barrel system.21 According to current Front-of-the-House Manager Jared Hofferber, the brew-ery only produces sixty barrels of beer at one time for a total of 2,5003,000 barrels of beer per year. Despite its deliberately small yield, Wynkoop brews over forty different styles of beer in vintage, copper-clad barrel brewing systems.22 These systems, combined with the brewerys use of the finest ingredients [it] can

find in Colorado and beyond, enable Wynkoop

to produce anything from embraceable ales and lagers to jaw-dropping seasonal and experimen-tal rule-breakers. 23 This type of production differs greatly from macro-brewers like Miller-Coors and Anheuser-Busch, who focus on the production of a few select beers in mass-quantity to generate the exact same taste every time.24 (See image 3.)

Wynkoop has been honored for setting the precedent in innovative practices for other Col-orado brewers. In fact, the Brewers Associa-tions annual award for innovation is named for

Wynkoops original brewer, Russell Schehrer. The company continues to carry on Schehrers traditions, focusing on small-batch, handmade, artisan beer crafted with patience, passion and big ideas. 25 The brewers thirst for unusual beers has led them to hand-craft porters, meads, cask-conditioned beer, and other current craft beer fixtures that beer lovers ha[ve] never tasted

before. 26 According to Moore, large breweries are starting to notice the craft-brewing trend of beer diversification with which Coloradans, and

especially Denverites, have fallen in love. As a result, companies such as MillerCoors subsidi-ary AC Golden Brewing Company are coming out with their own small batch styles of beer.27 Moore considers this to be a good thing, as it shows companies like Wynkoop that the com-mercial giants are feeling the pressure from craft brewers such as themselves, which compa-nies like Wynkoop want them to feel. Accord-

image 2 / Breanna Demont

image 3 / Breanna Demont

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ing to Moore, in the last ten years, Wynkoop has taken over five percent of business away from

these brewing giants, which has equated to bil-lions of dollars in profit for the company.28

While Moore doesnt feel that the act of mak-ing beer is, in and of itself, a community ser-vice, he does believe that Wynkoop is doing its fair share to improve the Denver community at large.29 According to Moore, One of the first things that most major cultures produce is some kind of alcoholic beverage, and if [Wynkoop doesnt] make beer then someone else is going to. 30 One of the biggest ways the brewery con-

tributes to the community of Denver is by mak-ing a significant number of donations each year

to various festivals and events held in the city. Examples include donating beer, donating mon-ey, or volunteering time at charitable events such as the Guerrilla Run or Coalition for the Blind.

I dont see companies like Coors at a lot of these things, said Moore. Im sure they donate mon-ey to people and tons of stuff all the time, and theyre probably great at itbut I think we do it because we are a part of a community. 31

Wynkoop also tries to help other small busi-nesses around the Denver community whenever it can, especially when it comes to integrating new flavors into its beer. One example is the

brewerys Kurts Mile High Maltwhose rec-ipe is attributed to Kurt Vonneguts father, a home-brewer back in his day. (See image 4.)

According to Moore, Vonnegut and Hicken-looper became friends after the brewerys open-ing, and the two hit it off so well that Vonne-gut gave Hickenlooper his fathers recipe. The uniqueness of Kurts Mile High Malt also results from the fact that it is a Vienna lager, which the brewery makes with coffee from local Novo Coffee shop. Were always looking for partner-ships and anything we can do to help the people around us, said Moore. Were a small company who is in this community, and it only helps us if we help other people. 32

In addition to supporting local businesses around Denver, Wynkoop reaches out to com-munity members on a personal basis as much as it can. Aside from building rapport with regu-lars, Moore says, Wynkoop is welcoming to any and all patrons that walk through its doorsas long as people have an open mind about trying beer and trying new styles:

We like to change peoples minds. We get tons of people who walk in here and are like, Hey, can we have a Coors Light? and were like, We dont have any Coors Light, but here, try this, and this.Were not go-ing to be like, Oh, you want a Coors Light, get the heck out of here. 33

This perspective is significant, as many people

believe that the craft beer culture only welcomes those beer connoisseurs who know everything there is to know about the beer they drink. While there are craft beer lovers that fit this description,

craft breweries like Wynkoop understand that it is part of their job as brewers to show passion for what they do. Having an understanding, inviting presence that does not discriminate against those new to the craft beer world is important in main-taining a good reputation in the community.

image 4 / Breanna Demont

The Wynkoop Brewing Company is a perfect example of

a Denver craft brewery that upholds these standards of

community and innovation today. It maintains a sound

presence in and devotion towards community affairs, while

operating its facility in ways that create a unique, intimate

environment.

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Wynkoop tries to welcome community mem-bers to its brewery in unique ways. One example is the communal participation it encourages in the production process that goes into the making of Wynkoops Belgorado beer. (See image 5.)

According to Moore, Wynkoop purchases its fresh hops during the hop harvest season from local Colorado Voss Farms. As soon as the fresh hops are delivered to Wynkoops doorstep, the brewery sets everything up on its terrace and en-courages customers and passers-by to help Wyn-koop employees pick the hops off the vines, re-warding helpers with a free beer of their choice. This type of behavior distinguishes Wynkoop from large brewers, as the fresh batches of Bel-gorado made during hop harvest season taste entirely different from the batches the brewery produces during other times of the year; large brewers try to steer as far away as possible from this level of inconsistency.34

To further its efforts to improve LoDo, Wyn-koop has made a conscious effort to remain en-vironmentally friendly over the years. The brew-ery began recycling glass and cardboard almost from the start, and today those measures are joined by extensive composting, recycling and water and energy conservation efforts. 35 Wyn-koop not only composts its biodegradable waste, but it also feeds its spent brewing grains to local livestocka common practice by craft brewers that also sets them apart from their macro-brew-ing opponents.

In addition to caring for the environment, Wynkoop has made an effort to adhere to the

highest standards of brewpub cuisine, its menus providing updated brewpub classics to globally inspired dishes. 36 On its Website, the company boasts that one will find the same contempo-rary sensibilities of fresh, local ingredients pre-pared in-house throughout both the restaurant and banquet menus.37 What is more, Wynkoop aims to keep those who come to tour the brewery entertained. While its staff-led tours take visitors through the meticulous process of brewing the Wynkoops acclaimed beers, 38 the companys creative tour makes add-ons available for pur-chase, such as an all-natural lip balm made with some of the same malts and hops found in the brewerys beer.

Finally, Wynkoops attitude toward compe-tition sets it apart. According to Hofferber, a brewpubs culture is not so much about com-petition as it is about supporting others in the industry.

The whole craft beer community is kind of a culture, Hofferber remarks.39 Patrons do not go into one craft brewery or brewpub and find em-ployees putting down another craft brewery or brewpub. Everybody really supports each oth-er, Hofferber says. This cooperative mindset is significant. According to Moore, while all brew-ers essentially fight for shelf space, craft brewers

have banded together with a shared view that the big guys such as MillerCoors have been do-ing what they do for a long time. It is now craft brewers time to shine, and most of the craft brewers in Denver want to support each other in the process.40

image 5 / Breanna Demont

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CONCLUSIONWhile beer has been consumed across the globe for centuries, its history in Colorado is unique, especially when it comes to the craft brewing in-dustry. In a market dominated by commercial, macro-brewing giants like MillerCoors and Anheuser-Busch, whose focus is on producing mass quantities of a limited variety of beer in an efficient, consistent manner, Denvers craft

brewers show a unique sense of community and a passion for innovation. Independent craft brew-ers like Wynkoop Brewing Company have made a name for themselves by taking the process of brewing and distributing beer to a new level. According to New Belgium Brewing Company spokesman Bryan Simpson, one of the greatest assets of a craft brewery is its story and its ability to connect with a community in which its beers are made.41 Those assets are hard for the big guys to compete with. The Wynkoop Brewing

Company is a perfect example of a Denver craft brewery that upholds these standards of commu-nity and innovation today. It maintains a sound presence in and devotion towards community affairs, while operating its facility in ways that create a unique, intimate environment.

In so doing, Wynkoop has paved the way for an increasing number of craft breweries to emerge in Colorado, and the numbers arent ex-pected to decrease. The Brewers Association estimates that, in 2013, 2,768 out of the 2,822 total breweries in the United States were craft breweries.21 (See image 6.)

And according to an article recently published in the Denver Post, Colorado craft breweries are opening at a rapid pace. Colorado Brewers Guild spokesman Steve Kurowski notes that, while over forty breweries opened just last year alone, there are now seventy in the planning stages.42

image 6 / BrewersAssociation.org

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ENDNOTES

1. Thomas J. Noel, Colorado: A Liquid History & Tavern Guide to the Highest State (Golden, CO: Fulcrum,

1999), xv.

2. John Peel, History Can Be Fun, Especially in a Bar, The Durango Herald, February 2, 2014,

http://www.durangoherald.com/.

3. Thomas J. Noel, The City and the Saloon: Denver, 18581916 (Boulder: University Press of Colora-

do, 1996), 15.

4. Ibid., 12.5. Ibid., 109.6. Noel, Colorado: A Liquid History, xvii.7. Robert G. Athearn, The Coloradans (Albuquerque:

University of New Mexico Press, 1976).

8. Noel, The City and the Saloon, xii.9. Ibid., xii-xiii.10. Edward T. McMahon, From Skid Row to LoDo:

Historic Preservations Role in Denvers Revi-

talization, UrbanLand, Urban Land Institute,

October 11, 2012, http://urbanland.uli.org/devel-

opment-business/from-skid-row-to-lodo-historic-

preservation-s-role-in-denver-s-revitalization/.

11. Ed Sealover, Mountain Brew: A Guide to Colorados Breweries (Charleston: History Press, 2011), 4245.

12. According to the Brewers Association, a brewpub is a restaurant-brewery that sells 25% or more of

its beer on site. See Craft Beer Industry Market

Segments, Brewers Association: A Passionate Voice

for Craft Brewers, Brewers Association, accessed

April 18, 2014, http://www.brewersassociation.

org/statistics/market-segments/.

13. Greg Moore, Interview with Wynkoop Brewing Company Lead Brewer, Personal Interview, June

1, 2014.

14. Sealover, Mountain Brew, 43.15. Ibid.16. Noel, Colorado: A Liquid History, 80.17. Moore, Interview.

18. Sealover, Mountain Brew, 44.19. Jared Hofferber, Interview with Wynkoop

Brewing Company Front-Of-House Manager,

Telephone Interview, May 15, 2014.

20. Brewery, Wynkoop Brewing Company, accessed May 18, 2014, http://www.wynkoop.com/brewery/.

21. Brewery Tour, Wynkoop Brewing Company, accessed May 18, 2014, http://www.wynkoop.com/brew-

ery/brewery-tour/.

22. Ibid.23. Ibid.24. David Young, What Qualifies as Craft Beer?

USA Today, ( Jan.14, 2013), accessed April 27,

2014, http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/

business/2013/01/13/1566338/.

25. Brewery.26. Ibid.27. Alastair Bland, As Craft Beer Starts Gushing, Its

Essence Gets Watered Down, The Salt: Whats

On Your Plate, NPR (May 9, 2014), accessed

June 1, 2014, http://www.npr.org/blogs/the-

salt/2014/05/09/310803011/.

28. Moore, Interview.29. Ibid.30. Ibid31. Ibid.32. Ibid.33. Ibid.34. Ibid.35. Brewery.36. Ibid.37. Ibid.38. Ibid.39. Hofferber, Interview.40. Ibid.41. Bland, As Craft Beer Starts Gushing.42. Jon Murray and Josie Klemaier, Some Tap Danc-

ing, The Denver Post, April 24, 2014.