DENVER — Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project is excited to announce its expansion to Fort Collins, Colorado opening a new experimental brewery and taproom in the heart of Old Town. Crooked Stave’s second taproom will be located in The Exchange, a new commercial development, located on North College Ave.
Chad Yakobson, the owner of Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project, founded the company in Fort Collins after graduating from Colorado State University in 2006.
“We had always hoped to bring Crooked Stave back to its roots,” Yakobson said. “This is where our company started back in 2010 and we always envisioned moving back and opening a location in Fort Collins, we were just waiting for the right fit for Crooked Stave.”
Crooked Stave will first buildout the taproom and plans to install a small, experimental brewhouse as well.
Yakobson, who sits on the advisory board for the Fermentation Science program at CSU, thought it was a no-brainer to open a second location in Fort Collins when the opportunity arose.
“Being able to have an experimental pilot system right next door to the campus would allow us to work more in-depth with the students and the program itself,” said Yakobson. “Our brewery started as an extension of my Master’s thesis on Brettanomyces yeast species and their use in the brewing industry, so what better way to give back to my alma mater than to help continue research through the program.”
Crooked Stave’s experimental brewhouse would be used for specialty one-off brews that would be available to bars and restaurants in the Fort Collins area. The plan to expand within Colorado is the foundation of the breweries vision and mission.
“As a company, our goal has always been to educate and grow the wild and sour beer category with a high-quality product,” said Yakobson. “By adding another taproom in the Fort Collins area, we feel we are better versed to continue that mission through creating high quality, local beers, with our unique approach in mind. Having another center of education through which we can engage and create new customers, fulfills our vision to make wild and sour beers more available to consumers in connection with our retail partners.”
The new 3,000 sq. ft. facility is part of the new community center, The Exchange, a revitalization of the northern corner of Old Town, featuring many other businesses with an open-air central plaza, canopied with strings of lights and community style picnic tables. The Crooked Stave Fort Collins taproom will have 20 taps featuring a wide range of Brewers select beers, Brettanomyces and Barrel-aged Wild and Sour Beers. Patrons will be able to enjoy the outdoor patio with inspired cuisine from local vendors. Crooked Stave is busy planning and estimates to open the new experimental brewery and taproom in the Winter of 2018/2019.
About Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project
Crooked Stave is the culmination of “Founder and Brettanomyces Guru” Chad Yakobson’s open source Master’s research, The Brettanomyces Project. Crooked Stave’s progressive approach to brewing blends science and art through creativity and passion. The artistic creations, most of which use Brettanomyces yeast and mature in oak, result in beers of extraordinary complexity.