When it opens on Sept. 14, Pure Elevations Canna-Spa & Salon (185 S. Santa Fe Drive) will be among the city’s first public consumption spaces, where guests who book a massage or pedicure will be able to smoke weed onsite before or after their appointment. The business will sell marijuana products from a small dispensary counter in its salon for guests to consume on the outdoor patio, and it will also integrate topicals into its services and treatments. That means THC- and CBD-infused massages for anyone who wants to get extra chill.

Owner Rebecca Marroquin’s unique concept was inspired by her own experience using cannabis lotions to help with pain. In 2011, Marroquin was preparing to finish school and become a massage therapist when she was involved in a car crash that broke her neck. Four months of using infused topicals had her back on track to graduate.

Marroquin is now hoping to offer Denverites similarly therapeutic experiences and show there’s more to cannabis than simply getting high.

Pure Elevations features four rooms – three for singles and one for couples – where guests can get a massage or body scrub, a salon with manicure and pedicure stations, and an area for hair stylists specializing in African-American techniques like braiding and fashion coloring.

Additionally, the spa will serve coffee and pre-packaged snacks, and patrons can order food for delivery to enjoy alongside their marijuana products on the outdoor consumption patio.

“We’re just trying to get a good vibe in here,” Marroquin said.

The vibes may be on point now, but it’s been a long time coming. Marroquin originally hoped to open Pure Elevations in April, but construction plus the additional challenges of integrating marijuana into her business model delayed that timeline. She sold her previous massage studio and went all in on Pure Elevations – a process that’s been “fun, exciting, stressful, and been everything in between,” she said with emotion welling up in her eyes.

“We’re here now and we can’t give up,” Marroquin said. “It’s been an unbelievable dream I’ve had forever. To see it become reality is unbelievable.”

Because the canna-spa is a new concept, Marroquin plans to ramp up the number of available service appointments slowly. Customers who want to get on the books first can register for VIP access at pureelevations.com (use the password MyCannaSpa). Those folks will be invited to a launch party on Sept. 14 when they can check out the space, enjoy live music and bites from a food truck, and get hooked up with prizes and swag.

Take a virtual tour of Pure Elevations Canna-Spa & Salon below:

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Mike’s Knockout Gummies, launched Aug. 20, are THC-infused edibles shaped like little boxing gloves. They’re the first gummies the boxer has been able to sell here even if he’s had others available throughout the U.S.

In 2022, Tyson released his first line of edibles, Mike Bites, featuring gummies shaped like ears with a missing piece of cartilage at the top – a nod to Tyson’s infamous 1997 fight against Evander Holyfield. Clever, right? Well, not according to state law.

In 2017, Colorado banned the production and sale of THC-infused edibles shaped like people, animals and fruit to deter children from mistaking them for other kid-friendly snacks like gummy bears.

Mike’s Knockout Gummies, from the company Tyson 2.0, are made with full-spectrum rosin and join Tyson’s roster of cannabis flower and prerolls that have been available for sale at dispensaries throughout the state since 2021. Consumers can currently find them at Jars Dispensaries, Cookies on Broadway, and Police and Thieves, among other pot shops.

“Whether it be through ears or gloves, I’m always looking for new ways to connect with my fans, and I think these gummies will pack a real punch in Colorado,” Tyson said in a statement.

To celebrate the launch — and the upcoming bout between Tyson and YouTuber Jake Paul — the company is hosting giveaways at sevenpointdistributors.com.

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This is the touching story of Murray McBride, recently widowed and 100 years old. He finds a new reason to live when he meets 10-year-old Jason Cashman, who has a heart condition requiring a heart transplant. Jason has five dying wishes, and Murray is determined to help him achieve each one. The goal brightens Murray’s life as he also relives his professional baseball career and his life with his beloved wife, Jenny. The reader gets to know the characters, including Jason’s divorced mother and his friend, Tiegan. Parts of the novel are hard to believe, especially a mother permitting her ill son to be in a car driven by a very elderly man without a driver’s license! But the gift that Jason receives at the end of the book is both shocking and joyous. — 3 stars (out of 4); Diana Doner, Lafayette

“Shakespeare’s Sisters: How Women Wrote the Renaissance, by Ramie Targoff (Knopf, 2024)

The subtitle should really be “How Privileged White Women Wrote the Renaissance,” because only that subset of women had the time, education and even materials to write with in Elizabethan England. Targoff leans on recently discovered diaries, letters, poems and even plays written by four different women (plus Queen Elizabeth I herself), to describe life in Renaissance England, with its societal expectations, legal strictures, political intrigues, everyday tediums, and personal joys and sorrows.  You’ll discover countless trivial yet fascinating nuggets of information that you will just have to share.  — 3 1/2 stars (out of 4); Kathleen Lance, Denver 

“Table for Two,” by Amor Towles (Viking, 2024)

This captivating collection of short stories begins in Russia, moves to New York and ends with a novella set in the Golden Age of Hollywood.  The book opens during the last days of the czarist regime with the kind-hearted Pushkin, a man who finally becomes something of a success in his homeland, only to leave Russia and sail to New York with his shrewd wife, who fails to appreciate his good nature and generosity (and indeed has her own chilling plan for a new life). Subsequent tales delve into the darker sides of human nature, each with the possibility of betrayal or even unexpected loyalty. The final entry is a 215-page novella that brings back a familiar character: Eve from Towles’ first book, “Rules of Civility,” who uses her charms to infiltrate the elite Hollywood clique she befriends. When she discovers a plot by two has-been photographers to blackmail several well-known, vulnerable actresses of the 1930s, the race is on to cleverly thwart their business plan, earn her place in Hollywood and offer a couple of aging friends one last triumph. — 4 stars (out of 4); Karen Hartman, Westminster

“I Cheerfully Refuse,” by Leif Enger (Grove Press, 2024)

Set in the near future, “I Cheerfully Refuse” is a mythic saga for today.  Rainy, a bass guitarist and all-around good guy, sails around Lake Superior in an odyssey as fraught as that of Ulysses. He encounters villains and heroes, treachery, beauty, grief and hope. This story can be very dark, but as much as I don’t want to see this possible future, I hope people like Rainy and his wife, Lark, will inhabit it. Enger’s literary gift is so great that he writes even horrific scenes with grace. — 3 1/2 stars (out of 4); Neva Gronert, Parker

“In a Lonely Place,” by Dorothy B. Hughes (New York Review Books, 1947)

From The Atlantic’s 2024 list of the best fiction of the past 100 years. Hughes turns the classic detective noir story on its head, shifting the narrative perspective from the typically cynical, marginalized and gritty detective to the serial killer himself. Will the hapless detective ever figure this out? Will the killer’s friends finally see him for who he really is? Truly a page-turner. — 3 1/2 stars (out of 4); Kathleen Lance, Denver

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The state’s Department of Revenue recently finalized the regulations surrounding psychedelic-assisted therapy, which is expected to roll out in 2025. Colorado is the second state after Oregon to legalize the model, which has shown promise in treating mental health conditions like depression and end-of-life distress.

The new regulations outline licensing processes for psilocybin mushroom growers, manufacturers, and drug testing labs, as well as so-called “healing centers” where psychedelic-assisted therapy will take place. They spell out permitted and prohibited actions at each of these businesses; offer strict guidance on waste disposal; define drug serving sizes and product labeling requirements; and set penalties for individuals caught breaking the laws, among other things.

The DOR is one of two state agencies that wrote rules governing the nascent industry. Earlier this year, the Department of Regulatory Agencies published its occupational protocols and training requirements for facilitators, meaning those people who supervise individuals under the influence of a psychedelic experience. Those considering obtaining a business license in this sector should read the regulations in full.

Here are five things to know about Colorado’s new Natural Medicine regulations.

Products beyond dried psilocybin mushrooms are allowed

Individuals who undergo psychedelic-assisted therapy may have multiple ways to consume psilocybin mushrooms. Colorado’s new laws allow manufacturers to produce a variety of edibles, including tea bags, capsules, chocolates, gummies, tablets and tinctures.

It’s worth noting that these products, along with dried mushrooms, will not be for sale in a retail store or dispensary. They will only be supplied to adults ages 21 and up at healing centers during an administration session, the formal name for a guided trip.

Additionally, Colorado’s law bans manufacturers from using synthetic tryptamines, such as 4-acO-DMT, and requires edibles to be tested for synthetics before they are distributed.

Psychedelic serving sizes set and labeling requirements

Even though manufactured mushroom products will not be sold to the public in retail stores, regulators set serving size limits for various products to help standardize them.

A single serving is defined as 10 milligrams of total psilocin, the psychoactive compound that causes effects like hallucinations. That is about how much is active in one gram of dried mushrooms. Edibles may contain up to five grams of psilocybin mushrooms or 50 milligrams of psilocin in total. Tinctures must come with a device that ensures facilitators can measure out an individual serving.

As far as labeling, the state requires a warning label about potential interactions with other drugs, and prohibits companies from using cartoons and colors that may appeal to children. Additionally, companies may not use the words “candy” or “candies,” or iconography from indigenous cultures.

Healing centers may operate as part of other healthcare facilities

Colorado permits healing centers to be co-located at facilities that offer other healthcare services. However, exactly where they open may be impacted by additional local regulations.

Separately, state law allows healing centers to share a building with a mushroom cultivation and manufacturing facility, as long as they have distinct areas where each business operates.

Adverse health incidents must be tracked and reported

If anyone experiences a serious or life-threatening incident that requires medical intervention or if someone dies, healing centers must report that to the state within two business days. They must also track and keep records of all adverse health events.

Businesses must diligently track psilocybin output and waste

While Colorado’s framework does not permit retail stores, regulators put in place strict guidelines for tracking psilocybin mushrooms and product inventory to ensure they stay within the legal system. Part of that includes specific rules for how to dispose of waste related to cultivation and manufacturing, as well as unused products at healing centers.

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Products made by California’s Prophet Premium Blends, and sold under the Diamond Shruumz brand, have been linked to 113 illnesses in the U.S., including at least two Colorado, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s latest outbreak report. The agency is also investigating two potentially related deaths.

On Thursday, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment said the local illnesses were tied to products purchased in Mesa County and Denver. CDPHE is now investigating those cases with assistance from the Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Safety, Mesa County Public Health, and Denver Department of Public Health and Environment.

“People should not eat, sell, or serve any flavors of Diamond Shruumz chocolate bars, cones, or gummies, and should discard products that have been purchased,” the agency said.

In June, the FDA tested two Diamond Shruumz chocolate bars and found they contain a compound called 4-acetoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine, also known as 4-acO-DMT. One of the products also contained several compounds found in the kava plant.

Local experts say synthetic psilocybin is pervasive in so-called mushroom edibles sold at head shops throughout Colorado and the U.S. Not only is that misleading — 4-acO-DMT does not occur naturally in psilocybin mushrooms — it’s also potentially dangerous when you consider the hazardous chemicals needed to create synthetics. In the underground, manufacturers aren’t subject to oversight that ensures their products are safe for human consumption.

Diamond Shruumz edibles were sold at 50 stores in Colorado before being recalled, and other similar products are likely still available. The FDA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are still investigating the link between Diamond Shruumz products and the illnesses, which include symptoms such as seizures, abnormal heart rate and vomiting.

In the meantime, it’s worth knowing more about 4-acO-DMT and why some in the psychedelic space are wary of it.

What is 4-AcO-DMT?

Simply, 4-AcO-DMT is a synthetic tryptamine that doesn’t occur naturally in mushrooms. It’s known as synthetic psilocybin because it converts into psilocin when metabolized in the human body, according to Scott Thompson, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. Psilocin is the psychoactive compound that causes trippy effects like hallucinations.

Psilocybin, on the other hand, does occur naturally in mushrooms. It goes through the same conversion process when ingested and becomes psilocin. The difference is that synthetics are man-made in a lab using chemicals and solvents.

Why is 4-AcO-DMT showing up in psychedelic mushroom products?

The psychoactive effects caused by 4-AcO-DMT are similar to psilocybin because the two compounds are similar in structure, said Noah Novello, founder and lead scientist at Friday Ventures drug testing lab in Louisville. But most people won’t notice a difference, he added.

The process of extracting psilocybin from mushrooms is labor-intensive and produces a low yield. To manufacture edibles, it would be potentially more efficacious and cheaper to use something synthetic.

Once Novello learned about the synthetic tryptamine, he developed a method for testing it and found it widespread among edibles marketed as containing psilocybin.

The chances of finding 4-AcO-DMT in psychedelic mushroom edibles are “at least 50/50 if you’re buying stuff online,” he estimates. “If you’re buying something from a head shop or a convenience store that’s labeled mushrooms, well over 50%.”

Is 4-AcO-DMT dangerous?

4-AcO-DMT has not been studied extensively, so it’s unclear exactly what risks it carries when ingested. Experts say in theory it should be safe, but there are inherent dangers when buying unregulated products that contain it.

According to Colton Brook, lab manager at Altitude Consulting in Englewood, pure 4-AcO-DMT is likely non-toxic because it is very similar to natural psilocybin, which has a low risk of overdose and addiction.

In clinical trials, professional scientists in regulated labs conduct testing to ensure their formulations have been purged of the toxic chemicals and solvents used to make synthetics. But when 4-AcO-DMT is manufactured underground, there’s no guarantee that happens.

“Typically you’re going to have leftover impurities. That’s where it becomes the question of, well is 4-AcO-DMT, 100% pure, safe? That’s a different question than ingesting a chocolate bar that maybe contains it. Because how do you know it’s 100% pure 4-AcO that went into there? You really don’t,” Brook said.

Thompson at CU Anschutz agrees. “It’s still a mystery to me as to why it should kill somebody because I don’t think the 4-AcO-DMT should be toxic,” he said.

Is 4-AcO-DMT legal?

No, 4-AcO-DMT is not legal in  Colorado. It is banned in here because the Natural Medicine Health Act, passed in 2022, prohibits the use of synthetics in psychedelic-assisted therapy. It is also not included in the list of decriminalized psychedelics.

What can consumers do if they are concerned about 4-AcO-DMT in their products?

The FDA recommends anyone who has purchased Diamond Shruumz products dispose of them or return them to Prophet Premium Blends for a refund.

Locals can bring their products to Friday Ventures for testing to identify what’s in it, Novello said. His rule of thumb: “Do not believe what the packaging says.”

Novello also advises being skeptical of any lab results published by a mushroom brand, as they may not tell the whole truth.

Diamond Shruumz, for one, has a robust trove of lab results available to the public. The certificate of analysis (COA) for its dark chocolate bar shows the sample does not contain 12 various cannabinoids, including THC and CBD. The results do not include an analysis of tryptamines or synthetic drugs. A COA  for Diamond Shruumz’s birthday cake-flavor chocolate bar shows the lab did not detect “amanita analytes” or “mushrooms analytes,” suggesting it does not contain amanita or psilocybin mushrooms, Novello said.

Both the aforementioned products were tested by the FDA.

“The COA can only tell you what the lab is looking for. This lab is not looking for 4-AcO-DMT, or LSD, or rat poison,” Novello said.

If you’re a consumer, he suggests joining local groups like the Psychedelic Club of Denver or the Nowak Society where you can connect with Colorado’s plethora of home growers, who are legally permitted to share their stash.

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The Telluride Mushroom Festival is gearing up to celebrate its 44th year from Aug. 14 to 18. That’s when mycology enthusiasts from around the country will congregate in the tiny town for educational panels, forest forays, and themed parties, all against the picturesque backdrop of the San Juan Mountains.

Need an excuse to make a mushroom trip to Colorado’s Western Slope? We have five good reasons you shouldn’t miss out. See the full Telluride Mushroom Festival schedule and purchase tickets ($465) at tellurideinstitute.org/telluride-mushroom-festival.

It’s going to be a great year for fungi

Last year, mushroom hunting on Colorado’s Western Slope was something of a bummer thanks to an unusually dry summer, but it’s a different story in 2024. Rain in June and July kicked off the mushroom season early. Foragers have already been collecting bountiful baskets of fungi throughout the high country. That bodes well for the numerous forays hosted by the Telluride Mushroom Festival, which venture high into the alpine terrain surrounding town. Attendees can sign up for forays in advance online or in person one day prior. (No additional cost required.)

Programming for all levels – even kids

There’s something for everyone at the Telluride Mushroom Festival, whether you’re a novice or an experienced mycophile. Lectures are as diverse as the fungi kingdom and cover topics like the basics of mushroom hunting, cooking and preserving wild edibles, and tips for cultivating your own fungi. Several panels explore mushrooms of the psychedelic variety, and there’s even programming for kids, including daily forays. All that plus movie screenings, yoga, live music, business networking, and more. The festival also offers special events, such as chef-curated dinners, that require an additional ticket.

Free stuff to do

So you don’t have the money to shell out for a festival pass? No sweat. Telluride Mushroom Festival hosts a vendor village that’s open to the public, as well as many free events. One of the star attractions at the vendor village, located in Elks Park, is the mushroom ID tent where anyone can bring finds from their forays to learn what they are. Free workshops also take place there daily. Some of the festival’s lectures are free to attend, as are book signings and select late-night concerts. One of note is the Wednesday evening festival kick-off that includes craft beers brewed with mushrooms.

Need a reason to take a little trip to the Telluride Mushroom Festival? Here’s one, and I’ll have more in an upcoming story. pic.twitter.com/CzwpkdcxuK

— Tiney Ricciardi (@tineywristwatch) August 6, 2024

Epic costumes and dance parties

One beloved TMF tradition is a Saturday afternoon parade down Colorado Avenue (Telluride’s main street) that culminates with a drum circle and dance party at Town Park. Attendees go all out with their costumes — there’s a contest for the best-dressed, after all. Folks light on fungi fashion can craft an outfit at the Ah Haa School for the Arts from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. that day before the parade steps off at 4 p.m. The costumed revelry continues Saturday night at The Puff Ball DJ dance party at the Sheridan Opera House.

Fewer festival crowds

In the summer, Telluride is a festival lover’s paradise with events that draw tourists from across the nation and the world. This celebration of all things mushrooms tends to be one of the less crowded festival weekends, which translates to more available parking, better restaurant reservation times, and shorter lines at the gondola. No promise of cheaper lodging, but there may be more availability since this event draws a large local crowd.

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After receiving some amburana samples, Hess’ team made an imperial saison aged on amburana wood spirals. It turned out well enough that River North decided to enter the beer into the 2023 Great American Beer Festival competition.

However, the Brewers Association, which organizes the event, derailed those plans.

Beers made with amburana aren’t eligible for the competition, the trade group said, because the wood is considered a banned ingredient per the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, which sets formula- and label-approval guidelines for breweries.

Hess was surprised, especially considering recipes featuring amburana had won awards in the past. In 2018, for example, a Kentucky brewery won GABF gold for a blended stout that had, in part, been aged in amburana barrels. Closer to home, Denver Beer Co. won multiple GABF awards for amburana-aged beers in 2020.

Hess isn’t sure when the BA started blocking amburana beers from competition, but he knows why. “That wood has been banned because it contains trace amounts of coumarin,” Hess said. Coumarin is a flavor compound that naturally occurs in some plants, but studies have shown that high amounts of coumarin can be toxic to certain animals.

Indeed, the Food and Drug Administration, the country’s foremost authority on food safety, banned coumarin in consumable food products many decades ago. The TTB defers to the FDA when determining if a brewery’s product is legal to sell should it include novel ingredients. The BA follows those guidelines to determine if a beer is eligible for its competitions.

“In the case of amburana wood, TTB has told us that FDA unequivocally communicated to them that amburana wood used to age beer… is not GRAS (generally recognized as safe),” Marc Sorini, general counsel at the Brewers Association, told The Denver Post.

Here are five ingredients you might be surprised are banned as food additives, including in beer. It’s worth noting that Indigenous and Asian cultures historically used several of these plants for their medicinal properties.

Amburana wood

Amburana wood comes from trees native to South America. It contains coumarin, a compound shown to have toxic properties in pharmaceutical studies. The FDA banned coumarin in food in 1954. Drinkers may see amburana wood, commonly called Brazilian oak, used in spirits like whiskey and cachaça. It’s unclear why the wood is permitted for use in liquor but not beer. Still, that hasn’t stopped many brewers from trying it out.

Cannabis

Cannabis-infused beverages are widely available in the U.S. and many breweries make them, though not in Colorado. So how is it that cannabis ended up on this list? In short, a convoluted network of conflicting regulations at both the state and federal levels.

Cannabis plants contain many compounds called cannabinoids, some of which are psychoactive like tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and others that aren’t, such as cannabidiol (CBD). Both hemp and marijuana are cannabis plants, distinguished only by their THC content. Marijuana, a federally scheduled drug, is high in THC; hemp is low in THC and was legalized nationwide in 2018.

As a rule of thumb, alcohol and THC are not allowed to commingle in a single beverage.

THC-infused beers exist in states where marijuana is legal, but they are regulated like edibles. In Colorado, those beers may not contain alcohol and they are prohibited from being served at bars. Non-alcoholic seltzers infused with CBD and THC from hemp have become popular in states where marijuana remains illegal. Because many seltzers do not meet the TTB’s definition of a malt beverage or fermented beverage, they often fall out of the agency’s purview, Sorini at the Brewers Association said.

Tonka beans

Like amburana wood, tonka beans contain coumarin. The FDA banned the use of coumarin, tonka beans and tonka extract in food in 1954 after “pharmacological investigations showing that it has toxic properties,” the federal register states. Tonka beans have a flavor profile — including notes of vanilla, clove and almonds — that chefs and brewers love, but to try a beer made with them, you’ll have to go to Canada or Europe.

Safrole (sassafras)

Despite its historic use as a root beer flavoring agent, oil derived from the root of the sassafras tree, called safrole, was banned in 1960. The FDA cited long-term pharmaceutical studies that found the compound caused liver cancer in its decision.

Sweet flag (calamus) plant

Sweet flag is a grass-like plant that grows near swamps and rivers. In 1968, the FDA banned it because studies found cancer-causing chemicals in some varieties. The agency banned the use of all calamus in food until studies prove specific varieties are not harmful.

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The new side business, called ButterPunk, is operating at the corner of 16th and Boulder streets at the local chicken chain’s location in Denver’s Lower Highland neighborhood. It’s being led by executive chef Corina Johnson, who spent 12 years as a pastry chef.

“I’ve always loved cookies and how they just make people happy, and it’s long been a dream of mine to open a cookie shop,” Johnson said in a press release. That’s why the “bodega-style” window is called the “Window of Happiness,” according to Big Red F, the restaurant company that owns The Post, Jax Fish House, Centro Mexican Kitchen and other brands.

Flavors include chocolate chip with sea salt; chocolate and peanut butter chip; soft-batch gooey vanilla sugar; butterscotch and toasted coconut; and a rotating special cookie. There is also a gluten-free cookie with chocolate chips, pecans, Nutella and sea salt.

Customers can purchase frozen cookie dough to take home and bake themselves.

Window of Happiness is open Monday-Thursday, from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday, from 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.; and Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

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The brewery, now owned by the global cannabis company Tilray, will take over and rebrand the taproom currently occupied by Sweetwater Brewing at 1020 E. Lincoln Ave. Tilray also owns Sweetwater, as well as Green Flash Brewing, Alpine, Blue Point and others. The change is expected to take place on Aug. 17 with a party featuring live music and giveaways.

“Given Breck Brew’s Colorado history and ties to the Colorado craft beer community, Tilray, Sweetwater Brewing, and Breck Brew have decided that it was best for Breckenridge Brewery to move into the East Lincoln Avenue taproom in August 2024,” Tilray said in a statement to The Denver Post. “SweetWater enjoyed a great run in Fort Collins for the past 2.5 years, but we think it’s best for an iconic Colorado brand like Breckenridge Brewery to establish roots in Fort Collins, which is also home to some of the state’s most renowned craft breweries.”

Breckenridge will continue to operate its 12-acre brewing campus, restaurant and taproom at 2920 Brewery Lane in Littleton, as well as its small brewpub in the ski town of Breckenridge.

“We tried for a number of years to see where our brand would stick throughout the United States, and we realized it’s comfiest in the state of Colorado,” said Breckenridge Brewery “Culture Czar” Todd Thibault, who has been with the company for nearly 30 years. Breckenridge is known for its Avalanche Amber Ale, Juice Drop Hazy IPA and Palisade Peach Wheat.

The decision to switch the branding from Sweetwater to Breckenridge was a fairly recent one, but Thibault said the organization will keep all of its staff and brewers and that it won’t have to close for any kind of renovation. “If we do this right, it will switch overnight.”

The restaurant will continue to serve the majority of its menu items – although there will be a few minor changes – while the taproom will still to pour a handful of Sweetwater, Alpine and Green Flash beers, all of which are brewed on-site.

Sweetwater, founded in Georgia in 1997, moved into the Colorado building in 2021 in order to expand its presence in the western U.S. It took over the large production facility and taproom from Red Truck Brewing, a Canadian beer maker that only lasted four years. Red Chair had, in turn, had bought out Fort Collins Brewing in 2017 at the same address.

Breckenridge was founded in its namesake town in 1990 before moving its headquarters to Denver. It moved to its current campus in Littleton in 2015 and was purchased by Anheuser Busch InBev shortly thereafter. In 2023, AB InBev sold Breckenridge (as well as the Shock Top, Blue Point, 10 Barrel, Redhook and Widmer Brothers brands) to Tilray.

Fort Collins is one of the birthplaces of craft beer in Colorado and is the headquarters for independently owned Odell Brewing, founded in 1989, and New Belgium Brewing, known for Fat Tire, which opened in 1991 and is now owned by Kirin, a Japanese conglomerate.

But there are also upward of 22 other craft breweries and brewery taprooms in Fort Collins, including Funkwerks, Coopersmith’s, Horse & Dragon, Zwei, Purpose and Hello Brew.

“You could spend a month in Fort Collins” just trying them all, said Thibault, who said he’s excited to add Breckenridge’s name to the roster of legacy breweries in town.

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But do those stereotypes bear out? Does everyone in the Mile High City jam out at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, hit up the local brewery with their dog, and smoke the reefer?

In June, a nonpartisan polling agency decided to find out. The nonprofit Colorado Polling Institute surveyed 409 registered voters in the city by phone or online and asked whether they had enjoyed beer or cannabis in the past year, whether they’d been to Red Rocks, ridden a bike, recreated in the great outdoors or owned a dog.

So, how did we do?

Well, it turns out that a whopping 72% of the respondents had hiked, biked, skied or otherwise recreated outdoors, according to CPI. So that depiction of Denver certainly lived up to its billing.

The craft beer industry seems to be hanging in there, too. More than half, 54%, of the surveyed individuals had indeed put one back in the previous 12 months, although it was the under-35 crowd who did the heavy lifting: 71% had a craft beer as opposed to 37% of those 55 and older.

On the other hand, only about one-third of the respondents had purchased marijuana, but it was once again people under 35 who led the pack as just 16% of 55-and-overs had done so, CPI said.

Unsurprisingly, “50% of Denverites said they had a dog in their household, 27% said they had a cat, while only 32% said they had a pet-free abode,” according to the polling group.

As for Red Rocks, 40% had gone to a concert or other event there, which is pretty good considering the time and expense of attending a show.

And finally, 30% had biked to work or school or for errands around town.

Okay, next up: Subaru drivers.

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