Wilding Brands, the local craft beverage conglomerate that bought 31-year-old Great Divide earlier this year, announced Tuesday that it will open a new spot for the brand at 3040 Blake St., #101 in Denver’s River North Arts District. It will take over the space currently home of Stem Ciders’ satellite location.

As the parent company of Stem Ciders, Wilding Brands already operates that space. It will close on Aug. 3 to begin renovations as it transitions into a beer bar and restaurant, according to the announcement.

The business will be run by Vibe Concepts, which currently operates the other three Great Divide locations in Castle Rock, Lone Tree and Lakewood.

Those restaurants serve primarily burgers, sandwiches and other pub grub to pair with beloved beers, like Yeti Imperial Stout and Denver Pale Ale. The Denver location will also serve wine and cocktails, as well as other beverages from Wilding’s portfolio, including Stem Ciders and Howdy Beer lager. Wilding also owns Station 26 Brewing, Denver Beer Co. and Funkwerks.

Unlike Great Divide’s previous spots, this one will not have brewing or packaging equipment of any kind. Great Divide’s beers are now brewed at Denver Beer Co.’s former production facility in Denver’s Sunnyside neighborhood. That facility is now run by Wilding.

“We’re proud to bring Great Divide back to central Denver with a new taproom and restaurant. Great Divide is a legacy in Colorado craft beer, with such a loyal following here in Denver and across the country,” said Eric Foster, CEO of Wilding Brands in a statement. “The RiNo location is designed to provide a fantastic experience, with a comfortable, inviting interior, great patio, full kitchen, and a huge variety of Great Divide and other Wilding craft beverages to enjoy.”

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The location, which should reopen in the fall, will serve as Old 121’s flagship, while the brewery’s original taproom, 1057 S. Wadsworth Blvd., will be rebranded as Ye Olde 121 Public House.

On top of that, The Pizza Bandit, which has gained a wider following since opening a kiosk inside Avanti Food & Beverage in Denver, will park a food truck at the new location permanently.

“We consider ourselves extremely grateful to have seen success during a tough time for breweries in the Denver area and are excited to bring our beer to more Coloradans,” said Old 121 co-founder Katie Nicholson in a statement. “We also want to thank Mike and Brian of Great Frontier for being cornerstones of the Lakewood beer community for the past 10-plus years.”

The expansion is a big one for Old 121, which will now be able to make beer on a 15-barrel brewing system — five times larger than its existing brewhouse. As a result, it will ramp up production and distribution of beers like Old 121 Lager, West Coast IPA and Great American Beer Festival gold medal-winning ESB (2024); expand its soda offerings, like root beer, ginger beer and coconut cream; and add hard seltzer and hard root beer.

“Since 2022, the brewery has seen double-digit growth year-over-year, nearly maxing out the current production space,” the owners said in a statement.

In addition, the new taproom (which Old 121 will own) seats 75 people, as compared to 60 at the original location, and the owners expect to expand the outdoor seating. As for The Pizza Bandit, it will be available during the brewery’s open hours. Founded by Melina and Federico Felix, the truck makes Neapolitan-style pizzas. It also makes a root beer float using root beer from Old 121.

Ye Olde 121 Public House, in the meantime, will get a pool table, darts and booths. It will continue to brew beer and shift its focus almost exclusively to lagers.

Old 121 was founded in March 2019 and has been run since 2022 by Katie and Sam Nicholson; they are now adding a third owner, head brewer Bobby Rinehart, to the team. Rinehart previously brewed at Barquentine Brewing in Edgewater. Both he and Sam Nicholson are graduates of the Regis University Applied Craft Brewing program in Denver.

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The hilarious pair have produced roughly 40 episodes and over 500 individual YouTube clips in two years, featuring brewery interviews, food and beer pairings, news segments, crowd challenges, fun factoids and well-researched historical analysis.

Now they’re putting their money where their mouths are. At the end of June, the duo took over Berkeley Alley Beer Co., a small taproom nestled in the alley between Tennyson and Stuart streets, just off 44th Avenue; although the technical address is 4342 Tennyson, you’ll still need to access it from the alley. In other words, it’s a bit hard to find, so a “Live Nudes” sign with an arrow might help, they joked.

Even if the salacious signage doesn’t wind up materializing, Berkeley Alley is worth seeking out. The place has been a taproom since it opened as the Belgian-focused De Steeg Brewing in 2014. It continued to produce similarly robust brews, along with a slew of lighter styles, during a change of ownership in 2021, when it was renamed Berkeley Alley.

While many of those are still on tap, Hess, who is the brewer, plans to replace all but the staples, a French saison and a Belgian dark that would result in a pitchfork-wielding mob if removed, she said. But other changes could be on the horizon, including a simpler name, The Alley, and a move to a brewpub license, which would allow them to serve wine and spirits. Soon, they will open for coffee, add a limited snack selection, and expand the NA options as well.

As for the podcast, their on-air chemistry is the product of 18 years of friendship. The two grew up in South Dakota and cut their teeth working in casinos. Hess’ father owned a bar, where she says she learned to crack Budweiser bottles well before entering middle school. As they got older, both started developing a taste for craft, even though South Dakota’s limited stock forced the duo to drive to Wyoming any time they wanted so much as a Fat Tire.

That rapport led naturally to quips and a tongue-in-cheek approach. But they also boast an appreciation for the craft. “The last episode we did was Trying to Make Heineken Taste Better with Food,” laughed Rhoads. In a world replete with trite beer pairings, the duo manages to turn old tropes on their head with plenty of panache. In one episode, the pair saw how skunky they could go by intentionally light-striking a bunch of Coronas.

Hess and Rhoads say the transition from talking about beer to running a brewery has been a breeze. “The consulting and the podcast both amplified the interest and the feeling that we could do it,” said Rhoads, who had been running a brewery consulting business throughout her time producing the show. Rhoads has had plenty of industry experience, having helped open 4 Noses Brewing in 2014 and then serving a three-year stint as a bartender at Upslope Brewing in Boulder.

The duo plan to collaborate on a few beers with other women-owned breweries. They say they’re gonna start with Colorado, but the sky is the limit. And while most of the beer will be produced on-site, there will also be guest taps and outside cans.

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The winners, announced this week, were selected from a pool of more than 8,000 entries, according to competition organizers. In all, Colorado beer makers collected 29 awards — five gold medals, 12 silver and 12 bronze. That’s a decrease from last year, when local beer makers earned 38 accolades.

Judges awarded Bull & Bush Brewery, 4700 Cherry Creek Drive South in Glendale, three gold medals for its Pimp My Rye beer, its Royal Oil barrel-aged strong beer, and Nappy Nap Time tea beer. It also earned a silver and a bronze for a total of five medals – enough to earn the Grand National Champion title.

Other big winners include River North Brewery in Denver, which collected five medals; Liquid Mechanics Brewing Co. in Lafayette, which earned three; and Phantom Canyon Brewing Co. in Colorado Springs, which tookhome three. Several other breweries, including Golden’s New Terrain Brewing Co. and Loveland’s Verboten Brewing and Barrel Project, collected two medals.

Notably, Colorado dominated the American IPA category with New Terrain Brewing Co. scoring silver and Cellar West Brewery in Lafayette scoring bronze.

The U.S. Open Beer Championship allows home brewers to compete with professionals, a rarity among contests. It served Castle Rock resident Christopher Burgess well; he scored silver in the Brut IPA category, the same category in which he placed in 2024.

See the local U.S. Open Beer Championship winners below and visit the competition website to see the full list of medal-winning beers.

Gold

Aged beer — Pimp My Rye, Bull & Bush Brewery, Denver

Barrel-aged strong beer – Royal Oil, Bull & Bush Brewery, Denver

Collaboration beer (lagers) – ¿Cómo Se Dice Nice?, Los Dos Potrillos Cervecería, Castle Rock, and Littleton Brewing Co., Littleton

Old ale – Mountain Man, Verboten Brewing and Barrel Project, Loveland

Tea beer – Nappy Nap Time, Bull & Bush Brewery, Denver

Silver

American IPA – Lost, New Terrain Brewing Co., Golden

American strong pale ale – Lucid AD, Liquid Mechanics Brewing Co., Lafayette

American-style fruit beer – Vanilla Black Currant Tart Ale, Los Dos Potrillos Cerveceria, Parker

American-style pilsener – Cerveza Mecania, Liquid Mechanics Brewing Co., Lafayette

Brut IPA – Like Falling Off a Bike, homebrewer Christopher Burgess

Collaboration beer (dark beers) – Celestial Death, River North Brewery, Denver, and Third Eye Brewing, Cincinnati

Fruit gose – Prickly Pear Dough Boiz, Liquid Mechanics Brewing Co., Lafayette

International-style pale ale – Goldengrass, New Terrain Brewing Co., Golden

Non-alcoholic malt beverage – Gruvi Weekday Wit, Gruvi, Denver

Pumpkin beer – Pumpkin Spice J. Marie, River North Brewery, Denver

Specialty honey beer – Honey lager, Lone Tree Brewing Co., Lone Tree

Wood/barrel-aged fruit beer – Huckleberry Hounds, Bull & Bush Brewery, Denver

Bronze

American IPA – Langdon, Cellar West Brewery, Lafayette

Barrel-aged quad/Belgian dark ale – Barrel Reserve 2025, River North Brewery, Denver

Brown porter – Patio Porter, LUKI Brewery, Arvada

Coconut beer – Tropic Like It’s Hop, Phantom Canyon Brewing Co., Colorado Springs

Collaboration beer (lagers) – Czech 10 P Lager, Monday Night Brewing, Atlanta, and Cohesion Brewing Co., Denver

Fruit gose – Fresca Muerta, Phantom Canyon Brewing Co., Colorado Springs

Imperial stout/porter – Hello Darkness, River North Brewery, Denver

Nut beer – Pistachio Cream Ale, Platt Park Brewing, Denver

Old ale – Bucket of Bolts, River North Brewery, Denver

Rum barrel-aged beer – The Rum Diaries, Bull & Bush Brewery, Denver

Specialty honey beer – Bear Creek Honey Brown Ale, Phantom Canyon Brewing Co., Colorado Springs

Spirits barrel-aged beer (non-whiskey) – Double Oaked Cognac Grow Old With You, Verboten Brewing and Barrel Project, Loveland

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Friday-Saturday: The third annual Tennyson Street Fair begins on Friday, July 18, this year with the inaugural Berkeley Beer Festival from 5 to 8 p.m. on north Denver’s Tennyson Street, between 39th and 43rd avenues. Fifteen Colorado breweries will be in attendance, including Call to Arms, Westbound & Down, New Terrain, Cerebral, Gravity and The Empourium. Tickets to the beer fest, which also includes live music, are $25.

Events at the family-friendly, farmers market-style fest start again on Saturday at 11 a.m. when more than 100 area businesses will set up alongside food trucks and live music. All events are free except the beer festival. (Bring your own mat for outdoor group yoga from 11 a.m. to noon. The festival winds down at 8 p.m. Get information at tennysonstreetfair.com.

Get punked

Friday-Sunday: Punk In The Park returns to Denver for a three-day run, July 18-20, at the National Western Stockyards. The outdoor jam will feature performances from Bad Religion, Descendents, Dropkick Murphys, Pennywise, Streetlight Manifesto, Circle Jerks and many more. Altogether, there will be 40 bands on two stages across all three days (check the schedule for details). Single-day tickets start at $90 while three-day passes start at $145 at punkinthepark.com.

The festival also includes a craft beer festival from noon to 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday for an additional $15 per day. Food will also be available for purchase from food trucks and vendors. The National Western is located at 5004 National Western Drive in Denver.

Orchestral maneuvers in the dark

Saturday-Sunday. It doesn’t get any more real than having the epic musical score (not to mention the jump-scares) from “Jurassic Park” played by a live orchestra while you watch the film on a big screen. Go back in time by 65 million years for Jurassic Park in Concert with the Colorado Symphony, at the Boettcher Concert Hall at 7:30 p.m. on July 19 and at 2:30 p.m. on July 20.

“The film will be projected in HD on four giant screens,” the CSO said, with the full symphony orchestra performing John Williams’ entire score. Tickets, which start at $19.20 and go up quickly from there, and information are available at coloradosymphony.org/tickets.

Rock out

Sunday. Yacht rock — those classic, catchy 1970s and ’80s tunes that evoke romance, chill vibes and, of course, the seas — has experienced a resurgence in recent years, though “resurgence” may be the wrong word. Because the soft-rock ballads of bands like Hall & Oates, Toto and Christopher Cross never really went away. You can relive the glory of music at Diebolt Brewing’s Yacht Rock Party, which takes place from 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, July 20.

In addition to the jams spun by DJ Copter, Diebolt will also be serving oysters on the half shell and other seafood from the Shuck Brothers to “make you feel like you’re cruising the coast,” Diebolt said. While there is no dress code, boat shoes, flower shirts, captain’s hats, and leisurewear are strongly encouraged. “Sway the night away with a beer in hand and the wind in your hair.” Diebolt Brewing is located at 3855 Mariposa St. in Denver.

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Not only did TRVE’s heavy metal soundtrack pair perfectly with Music City’s spicy Nashville-style menu, but Skinner said he worked well with brewery owner Nick Nunns and the staff.

Instead of folding along with the TRVE, though, Skinner, who is also the chef, will keep Music City open (with limited hours) for the rest of July and is hoping to take over the entire space in the near future. If negotiations work out with the building’s landlord – and pending approval of a liquor license from the city of Denver – Skinner and Music City owners Sam and Jordan Graf, who are brothers, hope to turn the spot into a fully functioning bar and restaurant of their own.

“Right now, everything is looking good, and I am 85% certain we will be able to do this,” Skinner said. “We have the confidence that we will be able to make this work.”

Music City, which the Grafs founded in Fort Collins in 2016, opened inside of TRVE, at 227 Broadway, in 2021, taking over a small space that had previously been used for brewing beer. Customers could order at the window or at the bar and eat at a table. TRVE was part of a wave of taproom-only breweries that added food options around the same time.

But TRVE, which was itself founded in 2012 and became an immensely popular spot, announced on July 3 that it would close both of its locations in Denver and in Asheville, N.C. Nunns didn’t give a specific reason, saying on social media that “this brewery has run its course, and for a huge number of reasons, it’s the right time to send this thing off.”

To fill the space, Music City will need to add more staff and a bar program to serve craft beer, wine and cocktails. But Skinner said the furniture, including a 30-foot-long communal table, will remain – as will a pair of banners, drawn by artist Sam Turner, that feature satanic-style beer art. “We’re not trying to keep everything 100% the same,” he continued, because that wouldn’t feel right, but there will be some “nods to the taproom … TRVE had its own thing and its own community.”

The playlist will retain a lot of heavy metal, he added, but not exclusively.

Skinner, who lives in an apartment above the brewery, said this is a chance for Music City, which opened a second Fort Collins restaurant late last year, to expand its presence in Denver, where it faces competition from nearby Nashville chicken restaurants like Dave’s Hot Chicken, a Los Angeles-based chain with a location at 99 S. Broadway, and Blazing Bird, a Colorado company with seven locations, including a new one at 550 Broadway.

“This is everything I had been working toward,” said Skinner. “But I didn’t expect it to happen — didn’t want it to happen — at the cost of losing TRVE.”

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Instead of taking place at the National Western Stockyards on Saturday, July 26, and Sunday, July 27, the outdoor music-and-tattoo event has been replaced with a pair of shows featuring some of the fest’s biggest names.

That includes The Dillinger Escape Plan, Converge, Sanguisugabogg, Khemmis and Suicide Cages at Mission Ballroom on July 26, and Power Trip, Gatecreeper, 200 Stab Wounds, Castle Rat and Nailed Shut MA at the Ogden Theatre July 27.

In an Instagram post, organizers blamed the cancelation on “unforeseen events” and specified that the festival was being scuttled “in its current form.” The “extreme music experience” was originally sold with now-absent headliners Lamb of God, Knocked Loose, In This Moment, The Garden, Body Count and others.

It was announced in March with perks such as a craft-beer tasting ticket, and in April added a tattoo experience presented by Ink’d and Amp’d. Tickets started at $75 per day or $125 for the weekend, with VIP weekend passes starting at $390 before fees.

Envisioned as a destination festival, Unhinged was also booked up against the final Underground Music Showcase on South Broadway, which will feature dozens of diverse, local and national indie acts playing multiple stages, July 25-27. While the audiences are largely different for each event, they no doubt overlapped as notable local bands such as Khemmis were also scheduled to play Unhinged.

All festival tickets will be automatically refunded at the original point of purchase, said California-based organizer Brew Ha Ha Productions and promoters AEG Presents Rocky Mountains.

Still happening, at least at the moment: Brew Ha Ha’s also-massive Punk in the Park outdoor festival Friday, July 18-Sunday, July 20, at the National Western Stockyards, with headliners Bad Religion, Descendents, Dropkick Murphys, Pennywise, Streetlight Manifesto and more.

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The owners, Jason and Jessica Bilodeaux, and Jason’s sister Ashleigh, shared an emotional message with customers and fans:

“It is with broken hearts that we announce the upcoming closure of Over Yonder,” they wrote on social media. “Despite our deep desire to remain open and continue creating unique and delectable craft beer for this incredible community, we’ve reached a point where continuing operations is no longer sustainable. We explored every possible path to stay open, but unfortunately, with the challenges including doing business in an area that’s been especially tough on small, independent operators, those efforts didn’t lead to a viable solution.

“This outcome is not what we want, and it’s deeply painful. Over Yonder has always been more than a brewery. It’s a place for community, music, creativity, dogs, joy, and connection. We are incredibly grateful for our staff – for their synergy, guest connections, exceptional taproom service, ideas, talents, and their passion for Over Yonder beer and the craft beer industry as a whole.

“It’s difficult to imagine not being in our beloved brewhouse on a brew day, taking in the sweet smells of the grains or the fresh hop aromas while we dry-hop. We poured everything we had into making Over Yonder the extraordinary small independent artisan brewery that it is, and we are devastated. We’re still processing the weight of this moment, and we ask for your understanding and grace as we navigate our last days.

“This past Saturday night, during Phish N3 Folsom, the lyric, ‘everything’s right, so just hold tight,’ hit us in a whole new way. And we’re holding on to that, grateful for what we’ve shared with all of you. To everyone who visited, supported, collaborated, or simply cheered us on: thank you. Your presence made Over Yonder what it was. It’s been an honor and a joy to build something with you.

The brewery released a final, Phish-inspired beer, This Has All Been Wonderful, But Now We’re On Our Way Amber, to honor the closure.

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Saturday-Aug. 17. The sprawling lot outside Ball Arena will again host the familiar Cirque du Soleil Big Top as it rises for its latest touring, neo-circus extravaganza. This time it’s called “Echo,” and focuses on high-flying acrobatics as much as artistic choreography and stagecraft. That includes feathery aerial work, bungee jumping, flying props, live music, juggling, animal costumes and mind-bending physical feats.

Loosely based around a young woman’s journey of connection and discovery, the show — Cirque’s first original since the pandemic — runs Saturday, July 12, through Aug. 17 at Ball Arena’s 4Runner West Lot, at Fifth and Walnut streets. Performances take place Wednesday-Thursday at 7 p.m., Friday-Saturday at 3:30 p.m. and 7 p.m., and Sundays at 1 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. (Saturdays also offer a noon show).

Tickets: Starting at $54-$243, with VIP upgrades available. All ages. cirquedusoleil.com/echo

WeldWerks goes to the dogs

Saturday. If you’re headed to the Juicy Summer Music Market at Weldwerks Brewing Co. on Saturday, July 12, you’ll get a true taste of the dog days of summer. That’s because the 10-year-old brewery’s community event, which features live music, local wares, and craft beer, has a canine component this year in Big Bones Canine Rescue’s on-site adoptions.

Between beer releases — this year’s include Strawberry Guava Green Tea, Nectaron Extra Extra Juicy Bits, and Flipped-turned Upside Down — you can check out adoptable puppies and adult dogs from 4-7 p.m., and even “leave with your new best friend.” It takes place from 3 to 7 p.m. at 508 Eighth Ave. in Greeley. Free admission. All ages. (21 and up for alcohol purchases.) Call 970-460-6345 or visit weldwerks.com.

Butterfly Pavilion’s buzzy 30th

Saturday-Sunday. To celebrate three decades of invertebrate goodness, Westminster’s Butterfly Pavilion will hold a two-day Insectival — or festival of insects — on  Saturday, July 12, and Sunday, July 13. The 30th Anniversary Bug Bash, as they’re calling it, includes meet-and-greets with tarantulas, beetles and other critters, plus live music and entertainment, food vendors, a “buzzing beer garden,” kids activities (face painting, games and crafts) and cockroach races (yeah, we know).

It takes place 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday-Sunday at 6252 W. 104th Ave. in Westminster. All ages. Tickets: $22.45 for adults, $18.45 for children ($12.45 for kids 2-12), and $20.45 for seniors. Call 303-469-5441 or visit butterflies.org for more information.

B-side Music Fridays

Friday. It’s easy to feel cool simply stepping into the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver, but if you really want to boost your credibility (and have an enjoyable evening), check out MCA Denver’s B-Side Music Fridays, which returned with regular live performances last month.

The series, which takes place on the roof of the downtown institution, offers views, drinks and sweet sounds, with the Friday, July 11, session featuring Denver jazz-rap explorers iies. (pronounced “eyes”) and chilled-out R&B singer/opener Los Lady. The series, programmed by Demetria Gallegos, continues through Aug. 15.

Shows run 7 to 9 p.m. at 1485 Delgany St. in Denver; tickets are $22.28. Call 303-298-7554 or visit mcadenver.org and eventbrite.com for more information.

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El Piñon, named after the Spanish word for “pine nut,” will be open to the public and guests at the motel, located on 5500 E. Colfax Ave. in Denver. The cocktail bar will occupy the motel’s former check-in area, said Weston Scott, the bar operator.

La Vista was one of dozens of hotels built along Colfax from the 1930s through the 1960s, when the 27-mile boulevard — also a highway called U.S. 40 — was the gateway for tourists heading to the mountains. Many have distinctive mid-century designs and neon signs that at one time boasted new amenities like color TV, carports and refrigerators. Eventually, I-70 made U.S. 40 redundant, and the hotels fell into disrepair, were abandoned or became blighted.

Developer Nathan Beal purchased the La Vista in 2022 and began renovations last year in anticipation of a 2025 opening. He tapped Scott, a lifelong Denverite who opened Ephemeral Rotating Taproom in another historic building three years ago, to run the beverage service. Ephemeral, at 2301 E. 28th Ave., occupies the former Ben’s Market, a convenience store that was started in the 1940s by a Japanese family released from the World War II-era Japanese internment facility known as Camp Amache, in the town of Granada.

“Our vision for La Vista Motel is to celebrate the spirit of 1960s Colfax, and El Piñon helps bring that idea to life,” Beal said in a statement. “We want this to be both an amenity for guests and a neighborhood bar, coffee shop, and community meeting place.”

El Piñon’s baristas will use coffee from Denver-based roasters Servants Coffee for morning espressos and iced coffees. The cocktail bar will be open in the evenings.

“I hope it just feels like a spot the neighborhood wants to hang out in,” Scott said.

The motel bar could open as soon as September, Scott said.

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