Kodiak Brewery is the first craft drinks debut of 2023

By the Thirst Team

Kodiak Brewery opened in Centennial last week, launching a new year of craft beer, spirits and wine in Colorado.

The brewpub, on Arapahoe Road near Fiddler’s Green Amphitheater, debuted with seven of its own beers and three Colorado guest taps. The new bar and grill also serves burgers, salads, brick oven pizzas and other pub fare.

It barely precedes a Boulder brewery opening this week, and beat several other planned craft establishments to the opening gate. Here are several craft businesses slated for early 2023.

Boulder Social

Stout Street Social is a favorite taproom and restaurant for visitors to the Colorado Convention Center and the Denver Performing Arts Complex. A sister restaurant, Boulder Social, opened late last year in the former site of Fate Brewing and Ska Street Brewstillery. After opening the restaurant and spending a few extra weeks on the brewery operation, the beer officially starts flowing on Thursday.

Mama Ree’s

Mama Ree’s Pizza opened in November in Grand Junction with a full bar and several Colorado craft taps. The pizzeria has new tanks and will start brewing its own beer soon.

Shelter Distilling

Pro snowboarder Matt Hammer turned to roasting coffee, then distilling spirits. He partnered with craft brewers Jason Senior and Karl Anderson to open Shelter Distilling in Mammoth Lakes, Calif. They plan to move the company headquarters to the Colorado Outdoors complex in Montrose this year.

MeadKreiger

MeadKrieger has been crafting and selling traditional and flavored meads and wine since 2020. The business plans to open a tasting room in Loveland this year. In the meantime, traditional and aged mead are available for local delivery and at Eisenhower Wine and Spirits in Loveland.

Mestizo Brew Cantina

Wheat Ridge will welcome the Mestizo Brew Cantina soon. Fresh brews will be served alongside the “sophisticated Latin-American street food” currently being crafted in their big blue food truck.

Live Slow Brewing

Also in Wheat Ridge, Live Slow Brewing will open this year. The brewery’s express kitchen is now open for to-go orders. A full beer and food menu will be available soon at the large space, which also will house 12 bowling lanes, a stage for live music and a large patio.

Salt Road Brewing

According to their Facebook page, Salt Road has been brewing tasty-looking beer since at least 2020, but will open a physical brewery in the old Prost Brewing taproom in downtown Fort Collins.

New locations for Denver Beer Company, Sanitas Brewing, Cerebral and more also are on tap early this year. Watch this space Thursday for more details on the Sanitas taproom.

Meanwhile, we are still trying to meet everyone in the class of 2022. Colorado saw at least 22 new craft libations makers open last year. Here is the list and links.

Boulder Social’s Brewery grand opening is this week.

Batch Slapped Brewery & Cidery — Colorado Springs
Brew Zone Rifle — Rifle
Clark & Co. Distilling — Palisade
Craftsman Brew Co — Edwards
Danico Brewing Company — Denver
Father & Sons Tap & Brewery — Colorado Springs
Hello Brew Co — Fort Collins
MobCraft Dee Tacko — Denver
Mono Mono Korean Fried Chicken & Brewery — Lafayette
Mountain Merman Brewing — La Veta
Mythmaker Brewing — Fort Collins
Public Offering Brewing Company — Denver
Routt Distillery – Steamboat Springs
Silver Basin Brewing — Montrose
Sky Bear Brewery & Pub — Loveland
Sunroom Brewing — Englewood
Syndicate Brewing Company — Silverthorne
T Road Brewing Company — Crestone
Trail Life Brewing — Grand Junction
Vicious Cycle Brewing Company — Fraser
Urban Animal Beer — Colorado Springs
Wackadoo Brewery — Colorado Springs

Keep watching this page for more breweries, distilleries, wineries and more coming this year. Better yet, sign up for our newsletter and you won’t miss any craft beer happenings. And let us know if we missed anything.