Mike King brought two new, larger fermenters on board when Revolution Brewery expanded. With a separate brewery and tasting room, Delta County’s only microbrewery will be able to craft 12 barrels of beer a week instead of three, which will bring smiles to the faces of thirsty fans.

What has changed is the space in which they work. Brewing in their new location officially began about three weeks ago. The operation has been housed on Grand Avenue, which, until recently, was a brewery, bottling facility and tasting room all together. But with a newly remodeled building housing the brewery on 3rd Street, the Kings have gained some much needed extra space. Though it's taken them five months or so to fix up the space-the building used to house Paonia's laundromat-they are now crafting beers in their new space. The Kings chose to wait to brew in the new location until all state and federal licenses were in hand.

The remodel project included a massive clean up, a new concrete floor, a fermenting room and new equipment. Mike and some friends designed and built most of the new equipment themselves.

When the brewery was in the old building, Mike was able to brew 3-4 barrels of beer a week. Now, he'll be able to brew about 12 barrels in four fermenters when he's at full capacity, which he hopes to be by summer's end. That's good news for his thirsty clients, who usually drink him out of business in just a few days. "We really have enjoyed the support of the valley and Paonia," Mike said.

With increased production will come an increase in beer varieties. In addition to Revolution's four popular standbys and seasonal brews, Mike is anxious to expand his line a bit. He's already planning on bringing back the Iron Curtain, a lager. Lagers take more time to brew than other varieties, so in an effort to keep up with demand early on, the Iron Curtain was put on the back burner. It will make an appearance in the tasting room soon.

The tasting room is much bigger now, too. And, with increased expansion, the Kings hope they can keep beer on tap for longer than three days at a time.

"We haven't been able to keep up with demand," Mike said. "The tasting room is a great local thing," he said, but added that his goal is now to get his beers into other Colorado towns and restaurants by this fall. "We're just trying to get the beer out into the valley," he said. He is also adding cans to his lineup, so outdoor enthusiasts can take Revolution brews on the trail without having to lug around glass bottles.

Revolution Brewery tasting room is located at 325 Grand Avenue. It is open Thursdays through Sundays from 4:30-7:30 p.m. But a word to the wise; if you're looking for refreshment, get their early, because the taps usually dry up around Saturday afternoon.

Comments (0)

Subscribe to this comment's feed