The Roaring Fork Beer Company, opens its doors with its trademarked Freestone Extra Pale Ale, Nitro Pub Ale, and seasonally inspired one off batches. The full production brewery and tasting room is located less than one mile southeast of downtown Carbondale at 1941 Dolores Way, near Carbondale’s Park and Ride and Ajax Bike and Sport.
“It’s been a long year trying to get this brewery off the ground; I can’t wait to try that first RFBC beer, and more importantly, to be able to share them with the people in this valley,” says head brewer and owner Chase Engel.
The Grand Opening will be celebrated over 2 days, on March 28th and 29th with 2 sessions. Tickets to each session will need to be purchased in advance through the breweries website starting March 6th at 7am with limited quantities available. A BBQ pig roast and eats provided by Mark Hardin of Craft Catering, and a commemorative glass with bottomless beer tastings are included in the $30 ticket. A ribbon cutting will be held Friday at the tasting room at 4pm to kick off the Grand Opening then sessions will run Friday from 5p-8p, and Saturday from 5p-8p. Raffles will be held each night for a chance to win special items such as a custom RFBC skateboard handcrafted by Meier Ski’s, a seasonal membership to the brewery, and a keg. RFBC’s seasonal membership program will be revealed at the Grand Opening.
Head brewer and CEO, Chase Engel has been what he calls “marathon brewing” around the clock to ensure that several choices will be available for guests at the Grand Opening. In addition to the Freestone Extra Pale Ale and Nitro Pub Ale, beers on tap for the opening will include a Belgian blonde and a Spring IPA. Beer styles will be ever changing with the seasons, the brewer’s inspiration and available local ingredients but the Freestone Extra Pale Ale and the Nitro Pub Ale will be available year round as RFBC’s dominant beers, with the Slaughterhouse Lager being available June-November.
“I wanted to make our 3 mainline beers as session-able as possible, between the hopped up Extra Pale Ale, and the roasty and dark Nitro Pub Ale, I think we covered our bases between the hop heads and those who prefer maltier beers; and in the summertime I’m very excited to make one of my favorite styles which is an invigorating and crisp American Lager,” says Engel.
Grand opening kick off parties will be held throughout the valley, including a ‘first tasting and can release party’ at Sopris Liquor and Wine on March 21st from 4pm-7pm and a beer dinner at Town in Carbondale on March 24th. Tickets for the Grand Opening sessions will be available for purchase at the Sopris Liquor and Wine tasting on March 21st as well as online. More information on the kick off parties will be released on the RFBC website this week.
About the Tasting Room:
RFBC’s tasting room furnishings and signage are the manifestation of craftsman Brad Reed Nelson from Board by Design, who hand built the furnishings from beetle kill pine wood as well as refurbished barn wood, sourced locally from Distinguished Boards and Beams. Tasting room hours will be M-F 2pm-8pm and Saturday’s 12p-6p with tours by appointment. Locally made food bites will be available at the tasting room and provided by Mark Hardin of Craft Catering.
About the Brewery:
Chase Engel, a long time professional brewer with a dream of producing creative beers to match the changing seasons, launched Roaring Fork Beer Company in 2013. From our home base in Carbondale, Colorado we brew and package exceptional beers for distribution throughout the Roaring Fork Valley. We are dedicated to producing fresh, approachable, and flavorful beers, while continuing to push the envelope with experimentation and barrel aging on a small batch scale.
The 3,000 square foot brewing facility features a 15 BBL Brewing System, hand crafted in Colorado by Bennet Forgeworks, and will start with a 2,000 BBL Annual Fermentation Capacity. RFBC beers will be available in the Roaring Fork Valley in cans and on draft at bars and restaurants that serve craft beer. Roaring Fork Beer Company is the craft beer drinker’s source for ‘better beer.’
Roaring Fork Beer Company
Production: 1831 Delores Way
Tasting Room: 1941 Dolores Way
Carbondale, Co. 81623
970.963.5870
www.roaringforkbreweingco.com
https://www.facebook.com/RoaringForkBeerCompany