USA, CO: Brues Alehouse Brewing opens in an old police station in Pueblo

The newest business in Pueblo is breathing life into an old police station. Brues Alehouse Brewing, at 120 Riverwalk Place, opened on December 18 on the Pueblo Riverwalk, KRDO reported.

"I always wanted to open up my own business. I didn't think it would be this soon," said CEO Tony Garcia, 25, who's opened the restaurant with financial help from his parents.

Garcia's love for brewing began when he was a student at Claremont McKenna College in California. His passion for craft brewing has now expanded into a business located on prime real estate in Pueblo. Six craft beers are already on tap, and more are in the works.

"This project has taken a long time and to think that we are here now," said Garcia, who graduated from Centennial High School.

What's most exciting to the staff at the Historic Arkansas Riverwalk of Pueblo (HARP) is the potential the business has to bring more visitors to the area.

"The more restaurants you have in one area, the better they all do because then people tend to gravitate and go there," said Jim Munch, executive director of HARP.

Munch expects the brewery will draw visitors from surrounding communities, in and near Colorado.

"Brew pubs are a big venue in Colorado and of course this is a major brewery operation with a great restaurant that goes with it," Munch said.

The restaurant features beer-friendly food Garcia described as elevated Americana, including stout-braised bison short ribs and beer-steamed mussels. Additionally, there will be live music at the restaurant, outdoor seating and traditional German-style beers.

"Eventually we'll get into crazier stuff just to increase people's palates," said brewer and mixologist Daniel Price.

23 December, 2015