You could call it the best of times to launch a brewing company (or possibly the worst of times), but it is surely the most memorable of times, in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, to bring a new brewery to downtown Salida. Friday, May 1, Tres Litros Beer Company, located on 1st and E streets in Salida, opens its doors after 18 months of effort.
Co-founders Nick Boyden and Jason Maxwell both say they are channeling their efforts into excitement for their beer, and the opportunity to share their creations with the community.
Tres Litros graphic
Salida’s new, local brewery will officially begin offering their line of beers and merchandise via curbside pickup starting Friday, May 1.
On opening day, Tres Litros Beer Company will be open for curbside pickup of four varieties of beers in 32oz. growlers, as well as merchandising gear from the brand new taproom. Patrons can come to the main garage door on E Street to make purchases.
New beer varieties and beer deliveries will be occurring in the near future, once the details of Governor Jared Polis’ ‘Safer at Home’ order are known, and social distancing guidelines are fully established
The idea to start a brewery began as a series of conversations between the friends and former roommates, who identified Salida as the place to build the future. “The town embodied everything to love about Colorado – the endless outdoor opportunities that the Arkansas River Valley and Sawatch Mountains have to offer,” reads their written explanation for the venture. Maxwell who has lived in Boulder for more than 14 years, moved to Salida to join Salidan Boyden, and the adventure began.
It has been an odyssey. The brewery took months of planning, including identifying the prime downtown location. The former diesel garage location was ideal; with an unobstructed view of S Mountain, half a block away from Riverside Park, and one block from F Street. But the space needed major renovations.
Over the course of the last 13 months, the grueling renovation included digging six-foot-deep trenches, rebuilding the entire plumbing system, breaking down concrete floor curbs, and hand pouring a 20-foot concrete bar. Renovation work involved reclaimed materials and hand-built elements, such as a slate tile beer serving platform, made by the co-founders.
The beers are a creation of head brewer Nick Boyden, who after years of brewing for the likes of Avery Brewing in Boulder, CO, and Elevation Beer in Poncha Springs, CO, built up his own assortment of creative recipes to put into fruition on his own terms.
“We’ve put a lot of thought into every detail of our brewery and the story we want to convey – from the name (ask us about that sometime) and monikers for our beers to the flavor profiles, ingredients, reclaimed materials on our walls and floors, and how each element comes together,” said co-founder and head brewer Nick Boyden. “We started our long journey and experienced many obstacles along the way that we’re sure many small business owners can relate to. But we’re very excited to finally be able to share our work and passion for beer with the community.”
Tres Litros says that it sources many of its beer ingredients locally, with a focus on supporting the local and regional economies. Their malts come from the San Luis Valley, hops, and fruit from the Western Slope whenever possible. Their yeast comes from a Colorado yeast laboratory, and spruce tips from the San Juan Mountains. They also give their spent grain to local farmers.
Plans are in the works to open Tres Litros’ taproom once the “Safer at Home” public order is lifted, and hours will expand at that time. For more information, please call 719-207-4519, visit Tres Litros’ Facebook page or follow them on Instagram.
More varieties of beer and delivery services will be available in the near future. Tres Litros will be open seven days a week; 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.
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