USA, CO: Sanitas Brewing to open in Boulder

More beer is expected to start flowing in Boulder. Three local brewers recently submitted plans to the city to open Sanitas Brewing Co., Daily Camera reported on January, 02.

Plans for the 14,031-square-foot building call for a 15-barrel brewhouse, canning facility, offices and a 25-seat taproom.

If all goes according to plan, Sanitas could be brewing by this spring, said Michael Memsic, a Boulder Beer brewer who founded the business with fellow Boulder Beer employee Chris Coyne and Redstone Meadery's Zach Nichols.

The intent is to offer two year-round organic beers in cans while also developing a cadre of beers that display a "rather large" variety of styles.

"There are a lot of breweries in the area, but there are also a lot of savvy drinkers," Coyne said. "We look forward to working alongside fellow Colorado breweries and offering something different to the consumer.

"The three of us really enjoy beers that challenge (the) general perception of what beer is. Drinkers can expect this to translate into our brands."

The planned opening of Sanitas Brewing comes amid a boom in the craft beer industry.

Midway through 2012, the number of U.S. breweries - 97 percent of which are the smaller, independently operated craft brewers - hit a 125-year high.

Several new breweries have opened their doors in Boulder County while established craft brewers also have embarked on significant expansion.

Through the first half of the year, dollar sales of craft beer were up 14 percent, and volume sales increased 12 percent from the same period last year, according to the Boulder-based Brewers Association.

The craft beer industry's retail dollar value at the end of 2011 was $8.7 bln, according to the trade group.

04 January, 2013