Two Breweries Reel in Phish Fans With Jam Band-Inspired Beers

Jason and Jessica Bilodeaux knew from the start that they wanted Over Yonder to have a strong musical influence, so when their realtor told them about a space available near Red Rocks, the pair knew they had to do whatever it would take to make it happen. “There was a short window and some high competition,” says Jessica. The Bilodeauxs ultimately prevailed, and the brewery debuted in 2019.

The location — in Golden, near Red Rocks Amphitheatre — has been pivotal for a brewery with such a strong connection to music, especially to the iconic jam band Phish. “I’ve been a fan [of the band] since high school, since the ’90s,” Jessica notes, adding that Jason came around to the group about a decade after the two met.

Nederland’s Knotted Root is also heavily influenced by Phish and other bands. “Our name comes from the song 'Colonel Corbin’s Ascent,'” explains owner Chris Marchio, adding that a majority of the brewery's beers are inspired by Phish lyrics as well.

Marchio started following Phish in what he says was the 2.1 era, the fall of 2004, just when the band broke up. It wasn’t the best time to become a fan, he admits, but luckily the band got back together in 2009, and Marchio finally saw his first live show. “The band is special due to their longevity, being a band of original members for forty years who continue to write new music and keep their live shows fresh,” he says.
Shortly after opening Knotted Root in 2019, Marchio gave the Bilodeauxs a tour of the brewery. The three connected over music, especially Phish. When the planning began for the 2024 iteration of Collaboration Fest, Jason reached out to Marchio, and the two breweries teamed up to make a pair of imperial IPAs. Marchio had the idea to name the beers after the Phish song "Scents and Subtle Sounds."

Scents is a West Coast double IPA brewed by Over Yonder, while Subtle Sounds is a hazy double IPA brewed by Knotted Root. Both breweries used Citra, Mosaic and Freestyle Farms Motueka hops. They even used the same hop schedules and the same volume of hops. The result was a fun side-by-side experience for many attendees at Collab Fest, highlighting the difference in the two beer styles as well as the respective approaches from each brewery.

Marchio feels it's important to curate a vibe that is welcoming to all, not just fans of the band. “We understand it’s not for everyone,” he says, adding that dropping subtle hints for the heads is one way to appeal to major fans without alienating non-fans. “The names [of the beers] are a beautiful combination of words, no matter where they came from,” he notes.
The Bilodeauxs echo that sentiment. “The Phish community is so tightly knit and supportive,” says Jessica. “We’ve seen that [happen] so much in the craft beer community as well: Everyone just holds each other up.”

Over Yonder has had several successful beers come out of inspiration from the music community that they know and love. Ice Cold Fatties is another beer from Over Yonder, inspired by the Phish lot and the jam band scene in general. It was a cold IPA brewed specifically for a Phish run in Denver. “We couldn’t keep it on the shelves,” says Jessica.

Over Yonder often pays homage to other bands, too.  It recently made a hoppy lager that was released for King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard’s Denver run. “It was called Wewww!,” says Jason, a reference to the band's familiar and frequent exclamations during live shows. “We [nicknamed] it Lizard Lager," and fans are already clamoring for its next release, he notes. King Gizzard comes back to Red Rocks in September, and Over Yonder plans to brew the popular beer again.

Its proximity to Red Rocks has led to Over Yonder being a pre-event destination for fans of all music. The hotel across the street, Origin, even runs a shuttle service that offers pre-show deals on Over Yonder beers.

Both Over Yonder and Knotted Root opened within two months of each other in 2019 and had to navigate the pandemic as newer businesses.

“It’s been an amazing journey to watch the band grow and develop, as we have grown and developed, too," Marchio says of Knotted Root. "The only difference is we have a brewery to play with, so it’s an extra bit of fun."