https://www.porchdrinking.com/articles/2023/06/06/dos-luces-announces-closure/ I guess I’ve been waiting for this to happen since DL is such a unique concept in the US, but it’s definitely disappointing. I can’t think of another American city that has a pulque and chicha brewery. I was really hoping they’d be around for a while. That block of S Broadway is gonna feel kinda empty now that Black Project and Dos Luces are gone too.
Dos Luces is still open until the end of July. There's supposed to be another brewery going into the old Black Project space. They're working on renovations right now. I think it'll be "regular" beer
I always thought they were a neat idea, but those beers weren't for everyone. I never went, but I had friends that just couldn't handle 'em. They were made properly and everything, the flavor profiles were apparently just kinda divisive. I guess the same could be said for BP. I honestly liked the Former Future stuff they were making before they went all-in with the aging program. The BP stuff was a crapshoot even within the same batches, although I found their draft stuff to be way more consistent (vs. bottles) if you actually stopped in.
The days of people traveling to a brewery for unique styles of beer are over. If you want to run a successful brewery in 2023 you need to have something for everyone. Coming out of the pandemic I'd say the two most successful breweries (small breweries) have been Denver Beer Co and Westbound & Down. Two breweries that make lots of styles competently across the board. Look at Crooked Stave and Black Project. Two companies that made award winning and fantastic sours. Crooked Stave saw demand for expensive sours deteriorate and pivoted to a much wider catalogue of styles and is in a much better place than they were 5 years ago. Black Project changed nothing and are now gone.
For what it's worth, pale lager is the most popular beer style on earth and they pretty much always have at least 2. I think they're allowed to be an exception, although it is interesting how often people ask them for an IPA. I do think their pils is a hair less dry than it was at launch, too. It's an easier sell as "a little like Stella." Cohesion and Wild Provisions have other offerings and guest taps. Prost and Wibby, too. Hogshead dips their toes into non-traditional stuff (very slightly) but they're somewhat of an exception, too. There aren't too many places that can follow that road. I've always appreciated Zwei's similar commitment even while rocking out some great American styles.
A brewery taproom vs a brewpub isn't a good comparison. Pretty much everyone eats food, but maybe 15% of the population drink beer. Brewpubs also have wine and liquor, but a brewery taproom cannot. Even Bierstadt regularly has a guest IPA on tap. Comrade has been carrying a couple of guest taps, for those looking for sour and/or fruited beer.
Here's a little info on the new brewery moving into the Black Project space: https://www.denverpost.com/2023/06/13/monolith-brewing-denver-opening-in-former-black-project/ Pretty interesting quote, too: That path will be easier to find since Black Project left behind the entirety of its brewing equipment, furniture, fixtures and even its beer, Monahan said. “It was as if they just walked out the door one day and didn’t come back. Everything was here.”
