Nine years ago, David Cole and Peter Erickson’s Epic Brewing became “the first out-of-state craft brewery to invest in a Colorado production facility.” However, despite its popularity and reputation for selling a wider-than-expected range of beverages, Epic was not immune to the devastating effects of the pandemic.
Dave Cole recently told Denver Business Journal, “taproom sales that have fallen off significantly since the start of the pandemic, combined with inflationary pressures, brought about the end of Epic’s Denver presence.”
While Epic Brewing will maintain an industrial warehouse in Colorado through 2023, the space that once housed the brewery at 3001 Walnut St, Denver, CO 80205 will now belong to FreeRange Concepts, the Texas-based hospitality group responsible for The Rustic, Bowl & Barrel, The General Public, MUTTS Canine Cantina, and Joe Leo Fine Tex Mex.
Co-Founders Kyle Noonan and Josh Sepkowitz will bring The Rustic to the space, with plans for a dining area, bar, and outdoor event space. “The outdoor area includes another bar, according to the proposed plans.”
Currently, The Rustic — a bar and live music venue — only has locations in Houston and Dallas, though Polo Padilla, director of development services for architecture firm ID Studio 4, says The Rustic is “eyeing a second Denver location.”
