Breckenridge Brewery

Lore & Background

Breckenridge Brewery was founded in Breckenridge, Colorado, by Richard Squire in 1990. In 1991, Squire brought on Todd Usry, who became brewmaster in 1994 and later president. The brewery expanded beyond Breckenridge in 1992, opening a manufacturing facility in Denver adjacent to what would become Coors Field. In 1996, brewing, kegging and bottling moved to a new facility south of downtown; the original Denver location, Breck on Blake, remained open until April 2018, when it became the second location of The Cherry Cricket restaurant.

In 2010, Wynkoop announced a merger with Breckenridge to form Breckenridge-Wynkoop LLC, which also owns Wynkoop Brewing Company, Phantom Canyon Brewing, and several restaurants. By January 2013, the brewery was producing 64,000 barrels per year at max capacity, prompting a move. In June 2015, Breckenridge Brewery opened a new $36 million, 12-acre, 85,000-square-foot campus in Littleton, Colorado, with a brewhouse, office building, fermentation and packaging building, and the 300-seat Farm House restaurant and beer garden.

On December 22, 2015, Anheuser-Busch InBev announced its intent to purchase Breckenridge Brewery from Breckenridge-Wynkoop LLC, completing the acquisition in 2016. The brewery was resold to Tilray in 2023. Todd Usry stated in an open letter that the brewery would continue to make its own decisions regarding the beer it creates.

Reader's Guide

Breckenridge Brewery's significance lies in its role as an early craft brewery in Colorado and its growth from a small operation producing roughly 1,000 barrels per year to over 70,000 barrels by 2015. It ranked #50 on the Brewers Association's 2014 list of largest US craft breweries and #47 in 2015, and was named Colorado's fifth-largest craft brewer by barrels in 2015. The brewery's beers are sold in 42 US states. Its acquisition by Anheuser-Busch InBev in 2016 as part of its High End craft and import unit, and subsequent resale to Tilray in 2023, reflect the consolidation trends in the craft beer industry. The brewery's legacy includes annual collaborations with Denver Comic Con since 2012 for a limited edition beer, and with Never Summer Industries since 2013 for Artist Series snowboards and special release beers. Its move to a $36 million campus in Littleton in 2015 marked a major expansion, and the original Denver location's transformation into a restaurant illustrates the changing landscape of brewery real estate.

Did You Know?

• Breckenridge Brewery was Colorado's third craft brewery when founded in 1990.
• The brewery's original Denver location, Breck on Blake, became a second location of The Cherry Cricket restaurant in April 2018.
• Since 2012, Breckenridge Brewery has collaborated annually with Denver Comic Con to brew a limited edition beer with a comic-themed name.
• The brewery was purchased by Anheuser-Busch InBev in 2016 and resold to Tilray in 2023.