Omaha’s Bearded Brewer Artisan Ales expanding with Longmont taproom

LONGMONT — Longmont’s competitive beer scene is about to get a new player: Bearded Brewer Artisan Ales LLC, founded in 2021 in Omaha, Nebraska.

The taproom, set to celebrate a grand opening Saturday at 1425 S. Airport Road in west Longmont, is the focal point of Bearded Brewer, the brewery’s owner and titular beard-wearer Kirk Hearon told BizWest. “What’s worked for us in Omaha is having a really small format that’s focused 100% around the taproom. No distribution, we’re all about the experience at the taproom. It’s a model we want to continue in Longmont.”

Unlike many of his brewer peers, Hearon…