Beer big business in Four Corners: Micro-breweries find plenty of success

[landusepbb]

Nice article on our local micros. I have tried most of them before I quit drinking a few years ago, there are some VERY good ones here.

Beer big business in Four Corners: Micro-breweries find plenty of success
Staff Writer
Farmington Daily Times

— By Lisa Meerts —

The Daily Times

Blame the Animas River, the never-ending sunshine or the spirit of the West. Regardless of fault, beer has taken hold in the Four Corners.

Eleven craft breweries exist, packed into the fairly rural area — and each one more than sustains itself. Ska Brewing Company has experienced double-digit growth every year since it opened in 1995. It has equipment crammed into all available space at the warehouse where it opened using money borrowed from an owner's parent.

"I don't know if I ever really thought it would get to where it's at now," said Dave Thibodeau, one of three owners. "Looking back, I don't know if I expected it to keep going like it has."

Next month, Ska Brewing plans to break ground on a $4 million expansion within Bodo Park. When finished, it eventually will boost production from 7,000 barrels to 20,000 barrels of beer — a barrel equals two kegs — and ship to more locations across the country. It already sells throughout Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona, as well as in select locations in Illinois and North Carolina.

But other regional micro-breweries besides Ska have seen equal amounts of success and fame. The list of 11 breweries stretching from southwest Colorado to northwest New Mexico includes Carvers, Cortez, Dolores, Durango, Pagosa Springs, Ska, Silverton, Smugglers, Steamworks, Steamworks Bayfield and Three Rivers brewing companies.

Durango boasts the second- and third-oldest breweries in Colorado — Durango Brewing Company and Carver's Brewing Company — and they all have piles of medals from beer contests. Steamworks Brewing has received three gold medals, one silver and one bronze for its Steam Engine Lager from the Great American Beer Festival — and a silver medal from the World Beer Cup.

The local breweries all share one ingredient, H2O, and several brewers had children at the same time, which Thibodeau said led to jokes about the water. Then, speaking seriously, he speculated it could be reality.

Eric Maxson, minister of fermentology at Carver's Brewing Company, agreed because water makes up at least 90 percent of beer.

"If you don't have good water, you can't have good beer," he said.

The breweries all lean on, learn from and support each other, he said. They have ordered supplies together to lower costs and lent out ingredients when one ran out. Maxson praised Bob Beckley, who established Three Rivers Brewing Company in Farmington, for working in relative isolation compared to the four Durango breweries.

Carvers makes around 700 barrels each year and unlike Steamworks and Ska, it does not bottle them. Maxson said the owners decided they had their hands full enough running a restaurant where all food is made from scratch and bread baked daily.

He pointed to the community for the brewery's success. They received an education in good beer from the local breweries and then demanded more, either vocally or through their dollars.

"I just don't want to let them down," Maxson said, for example, by not having an excellent beer available.

The reach of the breweries that bottle their beer also helps the ones that only sell locally. Tourists have bought Ska beer in Chicago, and then chosen to come ski in Durango. But once there, Maxson said, they end up in any of the local breweries and complete the cycle by sharing stories with friends back home.

Scott Bickert, managing brewer at Durango Brewing Company, said the local community pride helps foster the breweries. Durango Brewing opened in 1990 and makes around 1,300 barrels annually, which it sells locally. Similarly, each brewery encourages the next to do better with its success, raising the bar into perpetuity.

"We all push each other to make excellent beer," he said.

They work together in the Durango Bootlegger's Society, which will celebrate the 74th year of the repeal of prohibition by tapping a keg they made together on April 7 at Carvers. Several of the breweries, including Three Rivers, have formed The Mug Club.

"Everyone's driven, but driven by quality. No one wants to be the guy that's not making top-notch beer," said Thibodeau. "That's what lends ourselves to the Napa Valley of beer moniker."

Lisa Meerts: lmeerts@daily-times.com

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