Ryan Pachmayer

Arvada

Writer at Freelance

Contributor at Westword

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Articles

Ask the Pros: How Von Ebert’s Volatile Substance Became a Stable Liquid

2 weeks ago | beerandbrewing.com | Ryan Pachmayer

Today it may be one of the more recognizable IPAs in Portland, but Volatile Substance didn’t exactly hit the market with a roaring start back in 2018. “It didn’t really catch on for maybe two years,” says Sam Pecoraro, brewmaster at Von Ebert.
Hoot + Howl Spirits Launches Line of Gin, Vodka and More..While Single Malt Whiskey Ages

1 month ago | westword.com | Ryan Pachmayer

How do you start a distillery focused on American single malt whiskey, when making such a product requires several years in a barrel? For Hoot + Howl Spirits, that meant emphasizing a range of other spirits while the single malt sits in casks. The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau just made American single malt an official category earlier this year, but Hoot + Howl was ready for it. “I grew up in the mountains.
Bruz Brewery Brings Belgian Import Festival to Denver in June

1 month ago | westword.com | Ryan Pachmayer

Bruz Beers is bringing Belgium to Colorado: The Denver-based artisanal brewery will host the Belgian Import Festival on June 7. The festival is a milestone “get” for Bruz and a chance to showcase some of Belgium's finest beers for Denver residents and the many out-of-towners expected.
Remember Fat Tire? Second Dawn Brewery Does, and It's Created an Homage Brew

2 months ago | westword.com | Ryan Pachmayer

It's a dream for many people working at large food and beverage companies to put a personal stamp on the products being made every day. For Ross Koenigs, that dream has become a reality: Steel Horse, an amber ale in the vein of Fat Tire, launched last week at Koenigs's Second Dawn Brewery at 2032 Dayton Street in Aurora. Koenigs worked at New Belgium Brewery for years, helping develop what is now the Voodoo Ranger series, while making plenty of Fat Tire.
Eight Weird and Wacky Beers at This Year's Collaboration Festival

2 months ago | westword.com | Ryan Pachmayer

Hosted by the Colorado Brewers Guild, Collaboration Fest is one of Colorado's most popular beer festivals. It's also home to some of the wackiest beers ever made. According to Propagate's Charles McManus, one of the best parts of the fest is that half the entries are usually "weird" or trying something that's never been attempted before. Special batch collaborations between two breweries that excel at specific styles are frequent fest highlights.
Ask the Pros: Brewing a Smoked Lager that’s Fire with Silver Reef

2 months ago | beerandbrewing.com | Ryan Pachmayer

When longtime friends Michael Key and Eddie Leal joined Silver Reef and helped open it in 2019, the southern Utah beer scene was a desert as dry as the Mojave. In a largely Mormon area where the craft-beer learning curve can be steep, bringing a regular rauchbier to the table might sound crazy—but the pair had seen it work before.
Fiction Beer Company Is Making a Comeback on Colfax

Mar 26, 2025 | westword.com | Ryan Pachmayer

It’s a story with a hopeful ending: a group of former trivia hosts at Fiction Beer have purchased the brewery, which former owners Christa and Ryan Kilpatrick closed at the end of 2024 after a decade in business. Located at 7101 East Colfax Avenue, Fiction Beer will reopen on Thursday, March 27 at 2 p.m. with, of course, trivia kicking off at 7 p.m. A possible comeback has been teased on social media for the last few months.
Littleton Brewing Company Debuts After Years of Construction

Mar 17, 2025 | westword.com | Ryan Pachmayer

Father and son team Ray and Troy Beer (yes, that's really their last name) have been working for over three years to bring their vision for a new brewery with a rooftop deck in Littleton to life. Located in a former autobody shop, Littleton Brewing Company finally made its official debut at 1201 West Littleton Boulevard on Saturday, March 15 and we visited to drink it all in. What we saw: A large space that is beckoning for crowds.
Broken Hops Brewing IPAs Hit the Denver Market

Mar 11, 2025 | westword.com | Ryan Pachmayer

In 2024, Prost Brewing embarked on a complete transformation of its lagers, installing a new, multi-million dollar brewhouse in Northglenn — one of the most advanced in the world — and bringing its beer fully in-house for the first time in years. “It’s hard not to look at the equipment and think, what if?” says Prost vice president of brewing operations, Chris O’Connor.
New Downtown Brewery Full Frame Beer Is the Right Addition at the Right Time

Mar 5, 2025 | westword.com | Ryan Pachmayer

Alyssa Hoberer and Jacob Kemple didn’t rush into opening a brewery together. The longtime friends and local brewers first talked about it several years ago, but decided the timing wasn’t right. It almost didn’t happen a second time. Last year, the pair started a WeFunder and had their sights set on the former Alpine Dog space in Cap Hill.