Mesozoic
Era - Rise of the Rocky Mountains. Some time later,
Arapahoe Glacier is formed.
1984
- A small amount of erosion from Rocky Mountains is
formed into brick, which is used to build a brewery at 2880 Wilderness Place
in Boulder, Colorado. Both are still landmarks.
1979
- Two prof's at CU - Boulder, David Hummer & Stick
Ware, turn some of that glacier water into Boulder Bitter, Porter and Stout.
Boulder Brewing Company is formed, originally housed in a former goat shed,
going public in 1980 with penny stock sales of $1.7 million (that's almost
200 million pennies).
1990
- Going Private: The name of the brewery is changed
to Boulder Beer Company, and ownership is privately held by Gina Day and Diane
Greenlee, who promptly poach Brewmaster David Zuckerman from the prestigious
Bridgeport Brewing Company of Portland, Oregon. Blue skies and snowboarding
had nothing to do with Mr. Zuckerman's decision.
1992
- Boulder Porter wins a gold medal at the Great American
Beer Festival, the first of over twenty national and international medals
to be awarded the brewery.
1993
- Name of the brewery changed to Rockies Brewing Company,
to reflect the regional popularity of the products. Singletrack is first brewed.
1994
- Fun Fact: in August we filled our 10 millionth bottle
of beer! Our full service restaurant - The Pub at Rockies Brewing Company
- opens. Ernst & Young awards the prestigious Entrepreneur of the Year
Award to President Gina Day.
1999
- To celebrate our 20th anniversary, our most popular
brands Singletrack and Buffalo Gold arrive on the shelf in 12-packs for the
first time.
2002
- Sulley's Light Lager is introduced, in addition to
updated looks for Buffalo Gold and Singletrack. Rockies Brewing Company forms
a strategic alliance with Rock Bottom, Inc. (which is why Singletrack can
be found being brewed in select Rock Bottom restaurants). General Manager
Jeff Brown is elevated to President, replacing a semi-retired Gina Day.
2001
- An experimental brew, an unfiltered amber ale with
a dry hop addition, is put on tap in The Pub. Hazed and Infused is hugely
popular with the regulars and staff, and inspires a new family of products,
the Looking Glass Series, now distributed outside the brewery on draft and
in bombers with attitude.
