USA, CO: Gravity Brewing to open in Louisville

Gravity Brewing, Louisville's first and only brewery and taphouse, officially opens Sept. 8, but last week the brewery organized a soft opening, dailycamera.com reported on August, 23.

"We are in a pretty sophisticated market here," brewmaster Julius Hummer said. "We don't have to dumb it down."

Hummer, son of Boulder Brewing Co. co-founder David Hummer, calls Gravity a beer "factory" with a tasting room attached - even though that taproom can accommodate up to 88 people.

Hummer, who has been brewing beer for a quarter of a century, teamed up with two engineers, John Frazee and Ryan Bowers, a couple of years ago to form Gravity Brewing. The three raised $270,000 and began the search for a place to brew.

Steve Kurowski, marketing director for the Colorado Brewers Association, said "it's about time" for a brewery in Louisville. Earlier this year, Gravity was in competition with at least two other craft brewers for the boasting rights to be the first to locate in the city. Six months later, only Gravity is left standing.

"I think Louisville should be extremely excited," Kurowski said. "They don't have to go to Boulder anymore - they can have craft beer brewed right in their backyard."

He said there are now about 150 breweries in Colorado, with roughly two new ones opening each month. Within the past year, at least five craft brewers have opened in Boulder and Broomfield counties, bringing the local two-county area's industry to 24 craft breweries and brewpubs, according to the Brewers Association listings.

Kurowski said Gravity's location in an area with a slightly industrial feel is no different from what a handful of successful craft brewers in Denver have done recently.

"People will find them, for sure," he said.

28 August, 2012