Background
Jim and Bill Carver of Carver Brewing started working in a German Bakery in Milwaukee in grade school. The pair worked there through college and became baking experts. After graduating college the brothers opened up a bakery/cafe in Winter Park in 1983. They learned how to run their own business and after four years sold it. They were ready to move to a warmer year around town. A bakery was going out of business (in Durango) and the brothers heard about it.
Jim, Bill and Wynne purchased the old Durango bakery in 1983. Originally the offered breakfast and lunch. It was a very bakery-oriented restaurant. The trio felt if they were going to offer dinner, they needed to add a homemade craft piece to it. It was just at the advent of breweries. The brothers visited a few breweries that existed at the time and got interested in the possibilities.
There were very few small brewery equipment manufacturers at that time. It just so happens they heard about a building that burnt down in a fire that just installed a little brewery. They were able to extract (the equipment) out of the remnants of the fire, and that became their brewery.
Producing and selling beer at the same site didn’t become legal until 1988 in Colorado. Before John Hickenlooper became governor or the mayor of Denver, he and his partners were touting the soon-to-be-open Wynkoop Brewing Company in Denver as Colorado’s first brewery. But the pressure was on, as Carvers and another brewery were also preparing to open, too.
Operating the bakery while simultaneously building the brewery took some time. Jim and Bill actually built the brewery. They cut the floor to put in the floor drains, built the walk-in cooler, and installed all the tanks.
Wynkoop Brewing eventually ended up pouring the first draft on October 18, 1988. Carver Brewing taps started flowing two months later.
Experience
We arrived on an early weekday evening. With the pandemic still active, not many patrons were in the brewery. The restaurant is immense and offers a pretty diverse menu but is certainly sandwich heavy. There are tables on the front patio and a large patio in the back.
We ordered a flight and enjoyed the back patio. The beers were drinkable but nothing stood out. We finished with a couple pints.
No nearby lodging was noted. Not far is Steamworks Brewing company.
If you are on your way to Colorado Springs, you must check out Trinity Brewing !
