Denver Beer Co. is preparing to fly south this winter to start a new brewery with a new name.
The company is expanding to Phoenix under the moniker Formation Brewing., said CEO Robert MacEachern. Construction is currently underway on an existing 10,000-square-foot building in an art district called Roosevelt Row. He anticipates it will open before the end of 2024.
The expansion to Arizona enables the 13-year-old beer maker to build a regional presence while also helping grow the local craft beer scene there, MacEachern said. He sees many similarities between Denver and Phoenix – including vibrant communities centered around music, art and the outdoors – that make the latter city an attractive destination for expansion.
Plus, there’s plenty of opportunity for growth in the beer market, MacEachern said. “The maturity of the Denver market is about five years ahead of Phoenix. We see a lot of opportunities to really drive our brand.”
The crux of that strategy is embedding in the local culture and community, and creating products with “Phoenix flair,” he added. That’s why the company opted to start Formation Brewing instead of opening a satellite DBC location with “Denver” in the name.
When it opens, Formation’s facility will house a 10-barrel brewhouse turning out a variety of styles of feed the onsite bars’ 24 draft taps. It will also have six serving tanks plus additional beverage options like hard lemonade and wine. Formation’s core lineup will consist of four beers: a West Coast-style India pale ale, a pilsner, a hazy IPA and fruited ale with peach. Those will likely also be available in cans and sold to-go from the taproom.
DBC, which has five taprooms in Denver, Arvada and Littleton, is known for creating large gathering spaces, and Formation will be no different. The taproom will include an indoor-outdoor patio and a roughly 3,000-square-foot mezzanine with a bar and seating. The kitchen there will serve burgers, sandwiches and salads, as well as Detroit-style pizza using local ingredients.
“Nothing says drink a few beers like pizza,” MacEachern said.
Once open, Formation Brewing hopes to become a community hub and participate in neighborhood events like First Friday, when live music echoes from nearly every street corner. Eventually, it hopes to begin distributing packaged beer throughout the market.
