Boulder Beer to close Wilderness Place pub

BOULDER – Boulder Beer Co. is planning to shutter its brewpub in Boulder’s Wilderness Place in two weeks, months after it announced that it would stop distribution to focus solely on its in-house taproom.

In a letter released Monday morning, owner Gina Day said the company received an offer to buy the building at 2880 Wilderness Place. The final date of operation there is set for Jan. 18.

A company spokeswoman declined to name the buyer, but said it is a Boulder company that is not a brewer.

Boulder Beer first announced that it would end distribution to grocers, liquor stores and restaurants in October, laying off 21 staffers in the process. It later sold off its excess brewing equipment, but kept what it needed to supply its local taproom.

In her letter, Day said there was far more space in the building after the downsizing than necessary.

“The 19,000 square foot production facility has proven to be too large for our brewpub to operate within,” she wrote.

The building’s sale has not been listed in Boulder County public records as of Monday afternoon.

Boulder Beer is still distributing beer after it signed a deal in December with Denver mass brewer Sleeping Giant Brewing Co. to produce and sell beer outside of the taproom and is still available for purchase.

Day said the remaining Boulder Beer staff will be offered jobs at a sister company, and hinted at reopening the pub elsewhere at a later date.

A spokeswoman for Boulder Beer did not immediately respond to BizWest’s additional requests for comment.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

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